Wednesday, November 30, 2011

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

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!

Wednesday, November 16, 2011

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NO LONGER VALID - time is up...

Tuesday, November 15, 2011

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!...

Monday, November 14, 2011

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.

Tuesday, November 1, 2011

"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!