Happy Thanksgiving!

I hope you have a wonderful time with family, friends, and loved ones this Thanksgiving!

24 / 25 November Tuesday / Wednesday

Students turned in their Federalism projects then took a test on Federalism.

Students were asked to finish writing their interpretations of the Bill of Rights by writing what they think amendments 6-10 mean.

Mr. Zartler reminded students of how Roman Numerals work.

I = 1
II = 2
III = 3
IV = 4 (5-1=4)
V = 5
VI = 6 (5+1=6)
VII = 7
VIII = 8
IX = 9 (10-1=9)
X = 10

Monday, 24 November

Most of class was spent clarifying terms, ideas, and concepts for the projects and tests due this week.

Most classes began studying the 2nd amendment.

Who is your representative resource link

Use this link to figure out who your state representatives are.

Thursday / Friday 20-21 November

Class had more work and study time.

Projects are due and there is a test on Tuesday and Wednesday of next week.

Mr. Zartler did a mini-lecture differentiating between the "levels" of government and branches of government.

The class then viewed The Story of the Bill of Rights, and took notes on the following graphic organizer.

Students are to fill in the column "My initial interpretation" for the first five amendments for next class.

Monday & Tuesday / Wednesday 17-19 November

Class was focused on the study of Federalism.

The following project was assigned, and the class studied and prepared for the project and a test on the same material that will be due next week:

You are to create a project that demonstrates that you know and understand how the concept of Federalism affects the structure and function of our government, and impacts you and others as citizens. Much of this information is available in a basic form in your text on pages 88-95.

Your project can be visual; graphic, or in the form of a well structured essay (with or without graphics).

This assignment is due on the 25^th or 26^th of November (whichever day you have class and before you leave for Thanksgiving break. This is a major assignment worth 100 summative points.

There will be a test on the same material on the last day before the Thanksgiving break.

Your project should include an explanation and examples of:

A) Federalism

B) Examples of the various levels of government (students wishing to exceed will include information about relevant elected officials at each level)

C) Delegated Powers; Concurrent Powers; and Reserved Powers (students wishing to exceed will include Expressed Powers; Implied Powers; Inherent Powers)

D) The Supremacy Clause

E) The Role of the Supreme Court in maintaining Federalism and the Constitution

12 and 14 November

Class worked on studying the concept of Federalism, including doing a "pop-quiz" and then analyzing the responses students had.

Students in periods 5 and 6 also read the article below and then wrote a paragraph describing what Senator Sanders believes the problem to be. Students were to write a second paragraph brainstorming solutions to the problem.

On Friday periods 5 and 6 extended their study of the essay by learning more about GOTV activities. Students studied the science of GOTV via a jigsaw and are currently in groups planning a GOTV campaign.

 The United States ranks 120th in the world for average national turnout, right behind Yemen and Estonia. Photograph: Ted S Warren/AP

Bernie Sanders in Washington

Monday 10 November 2014 07.45 EST

Americans should be embarrassed. The low voter turnout on Election Day last week in the United States was an international disgrace.

What has become of a democratic form of government that Abraham Lincoln said was “of the people, by the people, for the people”? Can we be satisfied with a “democracy” when more than 60% of people don’t vote and some 80% of young people and low-income Americans don’t either? Can we be content when poll after poll shows that most Americans can’t even name the political parties that control the US Senate and House – or who their member of Congress is?

Nationwide, preliminary indications show that the total turnout in the US midterms was only 36.6%. If these estimates hold true, 2014 will be the least representative election in modern American history. When billionaires and corporations tilt elections, conservatives suppress voting and crucial voters feel unengaged, what kind of example for the world is that?

Americans do better when the presidency is at stake, but a post-World Word II turnout ranging from 52% to 64% is nothing to brag about. The International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance ranks the United States 120th in the world for average national turnout. In Scotland, for example, 84.6% voted on the independence referendum. In Denmark, 80% of the population at the polls is the norm. In Australia, where voting is compulsory, turnout is even higher.

When Congress returns here this week, I will introduce legislation to make Election Day a national holiday – call it Democracy Day – so that everyone has the time and opportunity to vote. This would by no means be a cure-all for increasing turnout, but it would mark one important step to increase participation and create the kind of political system that the world can look upon as an example, not a failure.

To keep the super-rich from turning our democracy into an oligarchy, we must also focus on campaign finance. With dark money and TV ads playing such an important role in contemporary politics, how many candidates can run successful campaigns representing the interests of the struggling working families of our country? If people do not see candidates fighting for their interests, why will they vote at all?

We need a constitutional amendment to overturn the disastrous 2010 US supreme court ruling in Citizens United that let a corporate class spend unlimited sums. We also need public funding of elections so that candidates who are not rich or dependent upon the rich can actually win.

Meanwhile, instead of encouraging more people to take part in our democracy, Republican state legislatures and governors have aggressively passed laws to keep people away from the polls, especially low-income and young people. They have made it harder to register to vote. They have reduced opportunities for early voting. And they have made it more difficult to vote on Election Day by requiring picture IDs – supposedly to address all-but-non-existent voter fraud.

But voter-ID laws aren’t intended to discourage fraud – they are intended to discourage voting, and they have worked. A study I requested from the Government Accountability Office, a non-partisan congressional watchdog, found that states with strict voter-ID laws saw turnouts drop 2-3% compared to states without them. These disenfranchising laws are designed by people afraid of what would happen to them if more people were involved in the political process. What cowards!

For those of us who believe in a vibrant democracy with an engaged and well-informed electorate, we have a lot of work ahead. Sadly, in the year 2014, we must still convince the American people about the relevance of government to their lives.

We must convince young people that if they vote in large numbers, we can lower the 20% real unemployment they are experiencing with a major jobs program. We must convince students that if they participate in the political process, we can lower the outrageously high student debt they face. We must convince low-income workers that voting can raise the national minimum wage to a real living wage. We must convince seniors that not only can we prevent cuts to Social Security – we can expand the paltry benefits that so many are forced to live on. We must convince the millions of Americans who are deeply worried about climate change that political participation can transform our energy system away from fossil fuels to energy efficiency and sustainable energy – and create millions of jobs.

Throughout American history, people have fought and died to protect our democracy and set an example for other nations. In these very difficult times, we cannot turn our backs on turnout. We should celebrate it.

10, 11, 13 November

NO SCHOOL

Grading Day

Veterans' Day

(No-)Snow Day

Thursday / Friday 6 / 7 November

5th and 6th Period classes began with lessons on

"What changed last night (very little). We examined how federal laws are made:

And then discussed why not much changed:

Then the class worked to understand Federalism and the Supremacy Clause.
Students were told to learn five vocabulary words: Federalism; Delegated Powers; Concurrent Powers; Reserved Powers; and Supremacy Clause.

Students wishing to exceed minimum learning could also work to understand the three types of Delegated Power: Expressed; Implied; and Inherent.

We started with this introductory video.

Students were asked to study the text pages 88-95 to put the above ideas into context.

Students created charts listing examples of the three kinds of power.

Class discussed the supremacy clause, and in particular the issues surrounding Oregon Ballot Measure 91 and the Supremacy Clause.

Tuesday / Wednesday 4/5 November

The title of today's lesson is "It's My Party ....."

Class discussed the origins and history of the prevalence of the two-party system of politics in our government.


We discussed the definition of party: "A group of people working together to obtain and maintain political power."

We discussed the George Washington quote, "The baneful effects of the spirit of party...."

We read and took notes on parts of the text including: p. 119-121; the time line on p. 129; p. 132-133.

We examined the following graphics:

Monday, 3 November

Today the class covered the connections between state and national elections.

We talked about: polls; "push" polls; and exit polls.

The class considered what might happen to control of the US Senate in tomorrow's elections.

We viewed a clip about how some voters choose who to vote for, and discussed their methods.