Lt. Governor Brad Little is Coming!

Hey Gang! In a few weeks we have a real honor to have our Lieutenant Governor, Brad Little come to our class and speak. (This is like having the VICE-PRESIDENT of the state of Idaho come....WOW!)

I don't know when he is scheduled to come, yet, but early in January I will assign you three questions (like we have done before with other speakers) to prepare for his visit. This time, I require you to do a bit of research BEFORE writing your questions.

I need you to go to two websites and read about our Lt. Governor, then ask your questions. Please go to:

http://www.idahoreporter.com/2011/historically-speaking-little-in-the-right-spot-to-some-day-run-for-governor/

and

http://lgo.idaho.gov/index.html (on this site I require you to read about Mr. Little's biography and his duties as Lt. Governor)

This will really be stinkin' cool to have someone of such distinction come visit us!

God bless each of you...

Conferdration - Constitution - QUIZ

Here's a copy of the study guide for Wednesday's quiz, if you lost yours.
Just go over the Preamble and the Constitution mostly and you'll do fine.
(You may also want to study the Articles of Confederation time period too...and your vocabulary)


I'll miss you....(sniff, sob)....


Study Guide

Who's up for a RACE!?

The other day, Michael had a great question:


"If a bill is a document that is NOT A LAW but a PENDING law waiting to be signed into law - why do we call the first ten amendments of the Constitution (which is the "SUPREME LAW OF THE LAND") the "BILL" of Rights?"

Good question. 

And I want you to find the answer - here's what I want. Contact via email or phone Bob Nonini's office or Jim Risch's North Idaho office (remember Sid Smith?) and ask them the question. The first one to tell me the answer wins extra credit on the upcoming Constitutional Quiz.

Bob Nonini's email - bnonini@roadrunner.com

Sid Smith's email (Jim Risch's North Idaho Director) - Sid_Smith@Risch.senate.gov

Good luck!

Here's something interesting...

Did you know...that Thomas Jeffersion used the Viriginia Declaration of Rights (June, 1776) for many of his memorable concepts in the Declaration of Independence. Check this phrase out from the Viriginia Declaration of Rights:

That all men are by nature equally free and independent and have certain inherent rights, of which, when they enter into a state of society, they cannot, by any compact, deprive or divest their posterity; namely, the enjoyment of life and liberty, with the means of acquiring and possessing property, and pursuing and obtaining happiness and safety.

Hmmmm.....sound familiar?!?

How 'bout some EXTRA CREDIT?

If you can tell me the name of the soldier that Senator Risch awarded a purple heart and specifically what Senator Risch said about this honor, I'll give you extra credit on your upcoming "Write a Bill" assignment. Email me the answer AFTER you visit Senator Risch's website to get the answer. If you don't know where his website is, check Google.

[This offer only lasts until Sunday night...so hurry...]

NO LONGER VALID - Sorry. Keep looking here for more options.

U.S. Constitution - class handouts

Just in case you need a handout 'cause your pet iguana ate it, or your baby sister used it as a chew-toy, or your lawnmower went amok and shredded it, or.....well, it doesn't really matter. Here are the class handouts, thus far, on the U.S. Constitution for you to download:

• Preamble to the Constitution - Commentary
• Constitution Article 1 - Commentary
• Congress Chart - House of Representatives v. Senate
• Constitution Article 2 - Commentary
• Constitution Article 3 - Commentary
• Constitution Article 4 - Commentary
• Constitution Article 5 - Commentary

More handouts will follow on this blog. So keep looking for them...if you need them.
Stupid iguana!

4th ASSIGNMENT:

WRITE A BILL

IMAGINE - you are a U.S. Senator and you can change ANYTHING you see needs changing in our nation and culture. What would you do?

OBJECTIVE: Synthesize and create a proposal which could be developed into an actual BILL or AMMENDMENT - and eventually a LAW which could change our culture for the best.

DUE: Wednesday, December 7th

EXECUTION: Research existing legislation (either current laws or pending bills) pertaining to your topic then write new legislation or an amendment.

Use the Library of Congress legislation archive - http://thomas.loc.gov/home/thomas.php

• Download the assignment explanation .pdf here for a full description of the assignment as well as a grading rubric.

• Download a Microsoft Word file of the bill format here.

Your final assignment MUST BE TYPED and in the official, provided format.

We will spend time on the assignment on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Be creative - solve a problem in our culture!

EXTRA CREDIT

Tom Schuler, Cobbler Statesman

OBJECTIVE: Watch and analyze the 1953 animated film, "Tom Schuler, Cobbler Statesman" and answer the attached questions.

Click the image to open the video 

or DOWNLOAD a copy (the file is a 119 MB .mp4 - give it time to download)

DUE: No later than Monday, December 5th


WORTH: 10 points on any upcoming quiz/test

EXECUTION: Watch the film then answer the questions on the attached .pdf.

• The film tells the story of an imaginary colonial settler who observes our young nation just before and after the Revolutionary War. It is fiction, but it reveals in an entertaining way the situations and issues of our early nation during the Confederacy.
• Keep in mind the film was made by the United States Information Service (essentially a propaganda organization) in 1953, during the Cold War. What do you think the movie makers were trying to accomplish, other than just educate the youth on our nation's beginnings and government origins?

You may fill in the .pdf in Acrobat (if you have it) and email the filled out question handout, or print it out and write in your answers. If you do not have a printer you may also write out the FULL ANSWERS on a separate piece of paper.

IF YOU HAVE ANY PROBLEMS DOWNLOADING/STREAMING THE VIDEO, please email me and I will get the file to you in a different format.

Enjoy....and learn...


NO LONGER VALID - time is up...

Articles of Confederation & Federalist Papers

Hey guys,

In case you lost your copy of the Articles of Confederation and the three Federalist Papers (One, Ten and Fifty-One) I want you to read - you can download them here.

But you can't download them UNLESS you plan on reading them......

...I know....I'm SO picky!...

Constitutional TimeMachine

3rd ASSIGNMENT:

CONSTITUTIONAL TIMEMACHINE

OBJECTIVE: Synthesize your understanding of the character, ideology and personality of one of the Founding Fathers, Signers of the Constitution or Attendee of the Constitutional Convention.

DUE: Monday, November 21st

EXECUTION: Two parts - a 5-7 page paper (including Bibliography) and a 5-7 minute presentation.

Come to class AS one of the representatives at the Constitutional Convention:

1.  Your 5-7 page paper should be written in FIRST PERSON - you are to become this person. It should include:

• The person's name and heritage
• Something particularly interesting about that person, especially his religious backgrond
• The person's original position on whether America should break free from England or not - did they agree originally with the Pro-Independence movement or were they more Tory-minded?
• Is this person a Federalist or Anti-Federalist?
• One other major belief this person had (it can be anything)

2.  In your presentation, become this person. You may dress up, make up an accent, use his language and/or dialect.....just take on his persona and speak and write AS this person.

The list of persons to chose from are in the assignment sheet - click here for a copy. The following is the list of those persons already chosen in class last week.

• Gerry - William Samuel Johnson -CONN
• Emily - Nathaniel Gorham - MASS
• Aimee - William Few - Georgia
• Zac - George Clymer - PENN
• Tim - Roger Sherman - CONN
• Michael - Rufus King - MASS

Here is a copy of the assignment sheet with the grading rubric.

UP THE FEDERAL SYSTEM - DOWN THE CONFEDERACY!

Presidential Rap!

Right-Click on the Presidents to get an .mp3 copy!

My apologies to the rappers who created this song - I found it somewhere on the internet and can't recall who to give credit to. If you know who it belongs to, let me know so I can at least give them the nod.

"In the Spider Web" - Thursday In-class Discussion

Go to this link for instructions on how to come prepared for Thursday's "In the Spider Web" class discussions.

Come with OBJECTIVE thoughts. Be ready to use some of John Locke's arguments as well as Thomas Paine's. Also be ready to come with your Bible.

The questions listed on the board earlier this week are included in the attachment.

Come prepared to think OBJECTIVELY and speak OBJECTIVELY - we will have a lively discussion together!

Test One - REVIEW

Study your quizes. Study your vocabulary. Study the study guide linked here.
I also compiled all the KEY CONCEPTS here.
Pray. Get some rest.

You'll do fine - you guys know this stuff!

Just for coming to the blogspot...

If you can answer this question and email me the answer by tonight, I will send you the questions from the reading of John Locke WITH MY ANSWERS - but you must answer the question below correctly and send it to me by midnight tonight. Email me the answer.

[I'll check my email on the hour, each hour from 6PM to Midnight]

QUESTION - Name the three major English Law documents we have studied the past two weeks, when they were signed, and their major significances.

See what happens when you visit this blogspot sometimes...

European Influences - QUIZ

While you prepare for your quiz on European Influences on our government, you may have missed the charts and handouts below.

HERE IS THE QUIZ STUDY GUIDE, in case you lost yours.

Keep reading your John Locke in preparing for the quiz - if you have the Second Treatise questions handout answered, you should do fine.

Email me with any questions you have.

• There are two extreme ideologies we have discussed - ABSOLUTISM vs. CONSTITUTIONALISM. This chart explains the concept.

• We also discussed John Locke's Social Contract theory. See this chart.

• Our Founding Fathers did not just randomly come up with the Constitution on their own. They had help - both from God and past influences. This chart shows the "Building Material" we have been discussing the past several weeks.

• To help you put the English Law documents in historic perspective, use this chart/timeline.

• AND LAST (but perhaps it is least...I dunno...) here's the PowerPoint from our last review that may help you as well.

In case you lost your question handout for John Locke's Second Treatise on Civil Government, grab another copy here.

The word search can also be found here.

Create a Nation!

2ND ASSIGNMENT: CREATE A NATION

OBJECTIVE: Analyze various forms of government from reading and class discussion, then synthesize a “new” government that rivals all others in a created environment.

DUE: Tuesday, September 27th

EXECUTION: Two parts - a printed, artistic piece and a presentation.

Come to class with the following:

1.  A 2-5 page paper/art-piece describing and expressing your "nation", including:

• Map (with capitol city and two other major cities, three bodies of water, major land configurations, political divisions)
• Main products of your "nation" (agriculture? industry? mining? etc.)
• Basic demographics (including population for male vs. female; and age levels)

2.  A government system for your "nation" - including both a description and a constitution.

• You must be able to defend your system as the "best" for your "nation"

3. A 5-7 minute presentation describing your "nation" and defending your government


Here is a copy of the assignment sheet with the grading rubric.
Here is a copy of the Constitution form.


HAVE FUN WITH THIS!




MY STUDENTS ARE SO CREATIVE! HERE ARE THE MAPS OF SOME INCREDIBLE PLACES I WISH EXISTED...I want to visit them all!

Check out Gerry's wonderfully creative "New America" where the government are expected to hold a viewpoint respecting God (not Allah, not Shiva...the real God of the Bible).

Michael introduced us to Terra Mazuma (Spanish and Yiddish for "Land of Money") - a land with a casino as its main "import".

This is Emily's peaceful island paradise of Elytron - where "tradesmen" maintain an aristocratic nation.

Aimee loves Hawaii! She loves it so much she created "New Hawaii", with a new island configuration, various island states...even a national "bug"! Great idea!

[NOT PICTURED] Zac's nation kingdom of Nabiru and Tim's "Mars Colony". Two more great ideas that just shows how creative my class is.

Great job you guys!

Just in case the cat eats your handouts...

I don't own a dog...


In case you need any handout passed out so far, you can download a copy below:

• Syllabus - a breakdown of the entire class assignments, expectations and overview.

• Reading List - a complete list to date of the reading assignments and the planned dates for discussions in class. Have the readings completed before class discussions!

• Vocabulary - all the vocabulary sheets for the entire year.                                                   Yes, front and back, Tim! ;)

• United States President List - remember, you will need to have the first eleven memorized before the first test (and each test afterward, another eleven until you learn all 44, including the dates of their administration).

Keep looking to this site for any other assignments, handouts or information provided in class.

"THE LORD REIGNS!"

(Psalm 93:1; 97:1; 99:1)

Ten years ago on the morning the Twin Towers plummeted in dust and flame, I sat at my job and couldn't work. Instead, I just wept. I grabbed my Bible near my compater and began reading this passage, holding onto the only hope I could find...

...now, reading it ten years later it's simple truth still yields true. God STILL reigns. 

He always will.

We live in a troubled world and a country that has forgotten the One on the Throne will not be removed - even if He is ignored!

In our class He will NEVER be ignored. In every moment of the class, no matter what we study, we will emphasize His glory.

Keep perspective - and don't lose hope...

FIRST ASSIGNMENT: GOVERNMENT IN SCRIPTURE

OBJECTIVE: Analyze [1] whether or not God is interested in human government, and [2] how God's Word instructs us to interact with, participate in and relate to government.

DUE: Tuesday, September 13th

EXECUTION: Chose two passages of Scripture that deals with government in ANY way. It is preferable to locate one passage that deals with SECULAR/HUMAN authority, and the other SPIRITUAL/HEAVENLY rule.

Come prepared on Tuesday, September 13th to discuss:

1. What does God say about human government? What is God's relationship with human government?
2. As Christian-minded people, should we involve ourselves with human government or just focus on the spiritual realms and sacred activity?
3. As Christian-minded people, what should out attitude be toward our rulers/elected officials?

Use this handout for class discussion.

Start reading early!

You should have all the files you need on the DVD provided on the first day of class. If you need another copy, see below for .pdf or .mp3 (if available) files.

Next week we will be reading Hammurabi's Law Code in light of other ancient legislation (including God's laws). 

pdf

We will also be reading:

Aristotle's Politics, Books I and III - click below for a copy.

pdf

mp3
HANDOUTS
Book I Handout
Book 3 Handout
Book 4 Handout
Aristotlean Government Type Chart

Plato's Republic, Books I and VIII

pdf

mp3

HANDOUTS

Book I Handout

Book 8 Handout

Platonic Government Type Chart

The Roman Charter of Urso, Spain

pdf

The Roman Twelve Tables

pdf

Bene legere saecla vincere

Welcome class!

Isaiah 33:22, it has been said, was used by Barron Charles Louis Joseph de Secondat Montesquieu in his political theories found in the Spirit of the Laws, specifically in his notion of "separation of powers". It has also been suggested that our Founding Fathers used the same verse in their application of how our government was established.

Whether this is just urban legend, or truth - for those of us with a Christian mindset, it does not matter.

God, Jehovah, is OUR Judge and OUR Lawgiver and OUR King (or at least He should be).

In this year's CIVICS class at Classical Christian Academy, we will constantly keep these three facts in mind as we study the formation of our nation's government, other governments throughout history and current affairs.

I will be honored to share with you in the journey of learning how America came to be and how we fit in today -- but, not only as citizens of this great land, but, most importantly, God's Kingdom.