Friday 9.18.15 and Monday 9.21.15

Today we attempted to create a firm foundation for the Legislative branch by examining some key concepts and ideas through rading chapter 10 in the textbook.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tuesday 9.22.15 and Wednesday 9.23.15

In class today students contiued to learn about the Legislative Branch. We took notes on the four factors members of the Legislative Branch consider when voting. Students then applied what they learned by filling out the worksheet entitled "Voting in Congress". Finally, students played a game on iCivics.org called LawCraft where they were posed with the objective of passing a bill into a law with the help of the other members of Congress.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thursday 9.24.15 and Friday 9.25.15

Today students role played as students and teachers establishing a new cell phone policy diplomatically. Studnets satred class with a brief quiz on the Legislative Branch. They then selected their role at random from a hat. Students were then instructed to complete the voting activity worksheet. We then voted as to what the cell phone policy should be as a class. The votes went over when cell phones should be used, when texting was appropriate, when listening to music would be allowed, when phone calls could be taken during class, and when the internet should be used. After the votes were caste students saw that their individual votes represented a vote in the House of Representatives, or popular vote. They then cast a vote based on their role groups, more in line with a vote of the Senate, or an equal vote. We discussed the merit of each type of vote.

 

This lead to a class discussion where the class compromised on when phones should be used in Mr. Griffin's class. Finally students completed the application activity (Two Methods of Represenation: Large v. Small States) which will be collected next class. 

 

 

 

 

 

Monday 9.28.15 and Tuesday 9.29.15

Today students did a webquset on icvics.org: http://www.icivics.org/web-quests/making-rules

When the webquest was compted they were asked to answer the follwoing question:

 

• Going back to the number four tab… relocate our state senators. Pick one of the senators and go explore their website. As you explore their website, find three interesting facts and a topic that you could write a letter about. Once you have found that topic, on a separate piece of paper write a letter to the senator explaining your opinion and what you think he should be doing in regards to the topic you picked… When you finish the web quest and the letter please turn them into the basket.

 

Both the webquest and the letter to the representative of their choosing were collected at the end of classs. 

Students were then tasked in selecting their Amendment for the Amendment Project which will be continued to work on in the next class. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wednesday 9.30.15 and Thursday 10.1.15

Today is devoted to working the Amendment Project which will be due the next class (Friday/Monday respectively). 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Friday 10.2.15 and Monday 10.5.15

Indiviudal Presentations of the Constitutional Amendment Project and CNN Student News if time allowes. 

 

 

Tuesday 10.6.15 and Wednesday 10.7.15

Today we wrapped up any individual preseantations of studenets that were absent the previous class. We then filled in any holes we had in our Amendment Overview Chart from the text book. Students then took notes on the process of a Bill becoming a law. Finally students were given their Unit 2 Study Guide and given the opportunity to work on it the remainder of class. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thursday 10.8.15 and Friday 10.9.15

Due to our abbriviated schedule students did a quick relay race review on how a bill becomes a law, watched CNN student news and spend the rest of the class working on their study guide for our Unit Two Test which will be next week.