Monday, 31 August 2015

Now that the rains have returned it feels a bit easier to get down to business.

Government Class Overview

I teach this course in order to educate and empower citizens (that's you!). The importance of civil engagement as well as the constitutional, legal, and theoretical underpinnings of why this engagement are vital are central to the course.

Contemporary issues of race, gender, and economic inequality are examined.

The course will be divided into six basic sections.

Introduction to Government: Values; Parties and Politics; History and Theory of Governments. This unit will include a summative vocabulary test.

United States Constitutional History: Rejection of English Rule; Rationale for Rebelion; Articles of Confederation; The Great Compromise. This section will include a summative essay.

Federalism -- The Structure of the United States: Understanding the structure and nature of the governmental systems of the United States; Checks and Balances; Limits of Authority; States versus Federal Rights and Responsibilities. This section will include a summative project.

Our Freedoms -- The Bill of Rights & 14th Amendment: this unit will be focused on the constitutional and legal under pinnings of freedoms in the United States. SCOTUS (The Supreme Court of the United States). This section will be evaluated by both test and essay or project.

Empowerment and Action the Citizens Role in Politics: How to effect change or support the laws, liberties, and candidates you value. This section will include role play and project evaluations.

Street Law: A practical guide to enjoying the freedoms of the United States. Evaluation TBD.

Final Exam: The course will have a summative final exam.

The class also received the following handout and began discussing how it relates to the values lines we created and discussed in class.

Name ______________________________________ Date _____________________ Period _____

Generalized Table of Political Beliefs

TOPIC	LEFT	RIGHT
Government	A strong government is a good way to help people and society.	Government should be as small as possible to allow for individual freedom.
Taxes	The wealthy should pay more in order to provide for the less fortunate.	Taxes should be kept low for everyone; the money a person earns is theirs to spend as they choose.
Jobs	Jobs are created by educating citizens, spending on public projects like schools and roads.	Entrepreneurs will create jobs if government stays out of their way.
Economic Success	The government should pass rules to allow everyone a good chance at success.	Success is simply a matter of working hard; the government should stay out of peoples’ lives.
Environment	We need to protect the world we live in; climate change is a threat to the world and to humans.	People will protect the environment if there is profit to be made. Natural resources are best used to grow our economy.

Thursday, 27 August

Mr. Zartler gave a brief over view of the class, and students discussed why Government is a required class.

The class talked about the word "Utopia" (which is likely to show up on a vocabulary test).

Students wrote about their Utopia.

Students were given the following assignment as homework:

Mr. Zartler thanks all three Government classes for being great!

Welcome!

Congratulations on beginning your Senior Year!

I'm very much looking forward to shaking you hand when you cross the stage in June. Let's be sure to work together to make sure that happens!

This blog is a primary way for me to help you keep track of your work and be successful in learning the material and skills required to earn your Government and Economics credits. (I also hope we can have some fun along the way.) I'm TOTALLY warmed up for having fun as I spent almost every hour of everyday this summer playing with mr sparkles my ADORABLE puppy:

Make sure you have this blog address saved ZartlerGovEcon.Blogspot.com; you'll also want my email address jzartler@pps.net; my phone at school is 503.916.5160 x75700 (but email usually works best for me).