Week of 1 March 2010

This week we will be taking a good look at the Bill of Rights and later Amendments to the Constitution. We will also be investigating the role of the Judicial Branch, particularly the Supreme Court, in help to define a couple of key clauses in the First Amendment - the "Establishment Clause" and Expression. This will take us to the computer lab to begin working on a task that will be completed later in the semester. Also, we will be having a couple of quizzes - "Goals & Principles of the Constitution" and "Structure of the Constitution." Plan for a test on Friday on Unit 2B: The Constitution.

I am planning to hold a review session this Tuesday regarding the current unit and the test at the end of the week - Unit 2B: the Constitution.

Review Session and Class Scribe

Just Announced...Mr Lyons has cancelled all after school activities for Tuesday, February 23. As a result, I will be unable to conduct a review session on that day. Unfortunately, there will not be any days before the test on Thursday to conduct the review session as Wednesday is a "Wake Wednesday" meaning students depart at 1:28 pm and teacher will be in meetings until 2:45. I am truly disappointed in this change of schedule, I was looking forward to a review session as I believe many student will benefit from them. However, I plan on conducting review sessions regularly after school - most likely weekly , if possible. Please be on the lookout for an announcement to such ends.

Also, I am looking for someone to help during class time with recording the period's activities in a notebook so that absent students will easily be able to find their makeup work and agenda for the days they missed. Your "application" is due to me by Friday (a hand written paragraph why you are the best person for the job). I will discuss it further in class.

Week of 22 February 2010

Big Week coming up. We will be finishing Unit 2A: Birth of the Nation, including a test, most likely on Thursday. We will be investigating some important ideas and compromises that went into the creation of the US Constitution, which has sometimes been called "A Bundle of Compromises." We will follow up with Unit 2B: the Constitution where we will take a look at the structure and concepts that went into the Constitution and the Bill of Rights. We will wrap up next week with Civil Rights, and the Civil Rights movement of the 1960s.

Radio Performance Tax

Congress has proposed a new tax. This tax would tax radio stations for every song they play on the air. If you are not sure how is it possible for radio stations to play music over the air for free to all its listeners let me explain. Radio stations, just like commercial television, sell time to businesses and companies to run commercials. The money they receive by selling airtime they then use to pay the people who work for the station.

What would happen to radio stations if they had to pay a tax for every song they played?

Here are a few links (via google search) to give you an idea about this tax. How do you feel about it? What can you do about it?

Google Search

Week of 15 February 2010

This week we will be transitioning from the ideas and events leading up to the American Revolution to the state of the nation following the Revolution. The new nation will find itself in difficult and trying times - a bold new ideal for government with 13 squabbling states, none of which want to cooperate to become a single nation. We will test on the the previous unit (Unit 1B), examine the Declaration of Independence, Articles of Confederation, the Halifax Resolves, and the North Carolina Constitution of 1776.

A Quick Update

Well, things took a little longer this week than anticipated, as a result we will be having our test on Monday (Unit 1B - Chapter 2 & Notes). Also, Friday is the Winterfest Assembly. It will take place during second period. My second period will be watching the assembly on TV in the classroom.

Take a look at Unit 1B: Origins of American Government, I have added a couple of School House Rock videos from YouTube: "No More Kings" and "The Shot Heard 'Round the World." Unfortunately Youtube is blocked at school, so you can only watch it at a location away from school.

Week of 8 February 2010

Is it possible? A full week of school? 5 straight days? Rest up, it will feel like a long week.

This week we will be studying the ideas and philosophies that went into the creation of the new government of the United States of America. The history behind the revolution and the ideas that made the Declaration of Independence possible. Although I find the history and the Enlightenment ideas very interesting, it seems that many students do not. If you are bored by this time period, I apologize in advance, however, the ideas and concepts taught here are VERY important to understanding the way the US government functions today and the main concepts behind the US Constitution.

I have added a few new things to each page (or will be adding them to the upcoming pages) including a link to the online version of the student textbook and a link to the online materials to accompany the textbook. I highly recommend you take a look at these extras provided by the textbook publisher, Glencoe, it will help you study and prepare for any upcoming tests and quizzes. The site also provides a set of vocabulary flashcards to help you study - they can even be printed, but I have not attempted this to know how it will work out.

Out again - Wednesday 3 Feb 2010

Ok, so we are off again Wednesday. Surely we won't be out again on Thursday, will we? Well, I will keep pushing everything back a day for each day we are out: homework due Thursday, test on Friday.

Updating the earlier post, we now have off both Monday and Tuesday. Both days will be made up with little interruption to our schedules, but if we miss another day, they will begin cutting into Spring Break! As for this week, homework assigned this past Friday will be due the day we return (hopefully Wednesday) and our test will be scheduled for the day after that (hopefully Thursday).

I hope you got a chance to get outside today as it was quite a nice day - temps reading the mid-60s in the sun! Make the most of your day tomorrow and I'll see you on Wednesday.

Week of 1 February 2010

Welcome to February... and we have a day off. I am sure you are not sitting at home complaining. We will be making today up on Monday, February 15. This would normally have been a teacher workday but is now a regular school day. If we are to miss school tomorrow, it will be made up on June 10. This will essentially push the entire semester back a day making exams start and end a day later. If we should be out on Wednesday the make-up day will be Monday, March 29, the first day of Spring Break. Let's hope we don't go that far into the week. If we miss any additional days, I will update on the homework and test on twitter.

This week we will be wrapping our unit on citizenship and moving on to the history portion of the course - Unit 1B: Origins of American Government. We will focus on the origins of government from the beginning of human history up through the English tradition that formed the colonial identity.

Stay warm, will see you soon!