A Time to Remember
A Day and a Man to Remember
Let us all take time to remember Dr. Martin Luther King and the great service and sacrifices he made for this country. He articulated a grand vision for our country, much like the original founders. Ask yourself what you have done or could do to support King’s dream of a country that treats all of its people with respect and dignity.
Current Events and the Constitution
The Constitution and its system of checks and balances were featured in our review of current events this week. Using a variety of newspapers, you found articles that linked to the Constitution. Our checks and balances worksheet asked how the Legislature could balance or restrain the Chief Executive in exercising the duties of “Commander in Chief” of the armed forces. Many of you responded by citing Article I, section 8, which gives Congress the right to appropriate or not appropriate funds for the armed services. One student even suggested that Congress could stop the President through the impeachment process, an extreme measure but one we hear advocated from time to time. Understanding how the Constitution is structured, with its series of checks and balances and separation of powers, will give us a better understanding of the confrontations that occur between the President and Congress.
Back in 1787 not all supported the new Constitution. The Anti-Federalists feared a strong central government and the lack of a Bill of Rights. The ratification process took several months as Federalists defended the new government with a series of essays now called The Federalist Papers, authored by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison and John Jay. Your ratification worksheet will walk you through the major issues and debates of the time that ultimately led to all thirteen states approving the new government. Rhode Island was the last of the original thirteen states to approve the Constitution.
Midterm Exam
Our exam is Tuesday, so here are a few recommendations to help you prepare:
Use the study guide to focus your study time; the study guide is worth up to 10 extra points and must be handed in before taking the test at 7:30.
Terms, events and key people need to be understood in context and not as isolated vocabulary words.
Use your portfolio assignments to support your understanding of key concepts and skills.
When using your text, use the special summary guide, the end of chapter reviews and the graphics and images…a picture is worth a thousand words!
Use the blog: start with September and read the weekly entries; by reading the entries you will have a review of our entire semester, and the live links will give you the opportunity to review events, ideas, or skills about which you may still have questions.
Our Local Economy
The Newport Daily News is running a series of articles this week on the local economy (money...we are all interested in money). I was especially interested in the article in today’s paper that spoke about the type of person that is getting hired. One employer stressed that he was looking for “reliable and dependable workers.” He went on to say that he could teach the technical skills needed for the job but those training sessions are useless unless the person is “reliable and dependable.” School is your opportunity to practice the skills that you will need to be successful in the work place or in college. This time of year, our half way point, is a perfect time to reflect on strengths and weaknesses and to make a plan for improvement.
Let us all take time to remember Dr. Martin Luther King and the great service and sacrifices he made for this country. He articulated a grand vision for our country, much like the original founders. Ask yourself what you have done or could do to support King’s dream of a country that treats all of its people with respect and dignity.
Current Events and the Constitution
The Constitution and its system of checks and balances were featured in our review of current events this week. Using a variety of newspapers, you found articles that linked to the Constitution. Our checks and balances worksheet asked how the Legislature could balance or restrain the Chief Executive in exercising the duties of “Commander in Chief” of the armed forces. Many of you responded by citing Article I, section 8, which gives Congress the right to appropriate or not appropriate funds for the armed services. One student even suggested that Congress could stop the President through the impeachment process, an extreme measure but one we hear advocated from time to time. Understanding how the Constitution is structured, with its series of checks and balances and separation of powers, will give us a better understanding of the confrontations that occur between the President and Congress.
Back in 1787 not all supported the new Constitution. The Anti-Federalists feared a strong central government and the lack of a Bill of Rights. The ratification process took several months as Federalists defended the new government with a series of essays now called The Federalist Papers, authored by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison and John Jay. Your ratification worksheet will walk you through the major issues and debates of the time that ultimately led to all thirteen states approving the new government. Rhode Island was the last of the original thirteen states to approve the Constitution.
Midterm Exam
Our exam is Tuesday, so here are a few recommendations to help you prepare:
Use the study guide to focus your study time; the study guide is worth up to 10 extra points and must be handed in before taking the test at 7:30.
Terms, events and key people need to be understood in context and not as isolated vocabulary words.
Use your portfolio assignments to support your understanding of key concepts and skills.
When using your text, use the special summary guide, the end of chapter reviews and the graphics and images…a picture is worth a thousand words!
Use the blog: start with September and read the weekly entries; by reading the entries you will have a review of our entire semester, and the live links will give you the opportunity to review events, ideas, or skills about which you may still have questions.
Our Local Economy
The Newport Daily News is running a series of articles this week on the local economy (money...we are all interested in money). I was especially interested in the article in today’s paper that spoke about the type of person that is getting hired. One employer stressed that he was looking for “reliable and dependable workers.” He went on to say that he could teach the technical skills needed for the job but those training sessions are useless unless the person is “reliable and dependable.” School is your opportunity to practice the skills that you will need to be successful in the work place or in college. This time of year, our half way point, is a perfect time to reflect on strengths and weaknesses and to make a plan for improvement.
posted by "1776 and More" at 8:48 AM
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