Welcome back!
Last Wed. and Thurs., students met for anti-school violence awareness and training during History class time. I believe this was an effective and helpful class given the student feedback I have heard so far!
On Friday, students began to tune into the 2008 Presidential Primary and Caucus races. As a class we will be charting national primary results. After current events, students began to present their Immigration/Family Tree products. As students presented, they placed gold stars on a world map to indicate location of ancestral roots if possible. The map will serve as a reminder of our Nation's immigrant roots.
Week of January 7th:
Monday: 3rd, 4th and 6th period will be continuing with the presentation of Family Tree projects after a quick discussion update of weekend primary activity. See expectations for the project on the last post in this blog. 5th period will be identifying and examining the various arguments expressed in the Federalist Papers and Anti-Federalist papers published at the time of the Constitutional Convention. Students pair, read aloud, summarize one of the two readings and then meet with a peer who read the opposing reading for a briefing/jigsaw. Then students graph the main points on a whole-class chart. If time allows, we will debate the issues as the members of the Convention of 1787 did.
Tuesday: Classes will swap -- 3rd. 4th and 6th will do the Constitutional Convention activity and 5th period will finish the presentation of their Immigration/Family Tree projects.
Wednesday: As a pre-learning Constitution Activity, students will be asked to invent a nation and create a basic plan of government as the framers of the Constitution had to do. Students will also create a flag. Students will soon realize the difficulty of creating a government that is balanced and the result of a compromise. Students will present their governments on Thursday.
Thursday: Students present their new nations and constitutions to the class. Discussion will emphasize what sorts of rights were afforded to citizens, how will future laws be made, and how was a compromise made among group members?
As a class, we will pre-read and map the basic stucture of the US Constitution, paying attention to the 3 branches of government.
Friday: More academic study of the first 3 Articles of the Constitution begins as students read the actual document with a grade-appropriate interpretation, while using an organizer to map the structure of government. Students should leave class understanding that the US Constitution divides federal power into 3 branches of government, which are invested with specific powers and restricted from using others. Main point: The Constitution is a plan of government that uses checks and balances.