Blog Archives

Friday, 9/30: Moral Matrix and Senior Project Check-ins

9/30/2016

Starter 16

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Follow-up to the Moral Matrix! Write about the LEAST emphasized value on your chart from yesterday's Moral Foundations Quiz. If you missed class, go to yesterday's blog and follow the instructions for taking that quiz. Otherwise, your starter should include:
1. Value name (Fairness, Harm, Loyalty, Authority, or Purity)
2. Benefits of that value to society and/or to yourself (bulleted list)
3. Downsides of value to society and/or to yourself (bulleted list)
4. Why you value this least—what about it DON’T you like?

Small Group Discussions on the Moral Matrix Starter

Get in groups with a mix of values as determined from your moral foundations quiz.
Share starter responses
Discuss the following questions:

How often do you step outside of your own “moral matrix”? Explain, discuss, perhaps provide an example or tell a story from your own experience.
Why is it so hard to step outside of the moral matrix?
Do you think this process of learning about moral values and the moral matrix can help to overcome polarization and bi-partisanship? Why/why not?
How can you use these concepts in your own life?

Political Parties

Fill out the chart on political parties and beliefs. Use your own knowledge, the handout Ashley has for you, the internet if it works and classmates. HINT…you might want to look at the Republican and Democratic political party platforms!
Choose two of the issues from the list (they can’t be issues we have already discussed in class-- namely abortion, gay marriage and flag burning) and jot down what moral foundations you think the party uses to establish their position.

Model Senate Roles
Read over the list of the roles (linked above)
If you KNOW you’re not interested in a political player role, just read the LAST role- it’s the default, unless you opt into something else.

Honors students, you are REQUIRED to choose another role. We don’t have enough students to fill them, so if politics is your thing, I encourage you to step up! For non-honors students who choose a role other than the default, there is extra credit (if you do the role successfully and well).

Survey Time
Now, take the appropriate survey to select your top choices:

Model Senate Role Selection Survey
HONORS: Take this one

Senior Project Brainstorm Guidelines
Let's read over the brainstorm document and guidelines for Phase 1 and Phase 2 research. If time allows, you can start working on Phase 1.

HOMEWORK: By next Wed. Oct. 5th you will need to have Phase 1 done for class.

Teacher Conference Sign-up Sheet
Put your name under the name of the teacher you'd like to conference with about your senior project idea. They will then let you know when they can meet and schedule a conference with you. You need to have this conference sometime by Thanksgiving. You can't have your conference until your reflection and initial research is complete.

Thursday 9/29: The Moral Matrix

9/29/2016

Class Biz

Voter Registration drive on Monday in class. Bring an ID and last 4 digits of your Social Security Number!(Open to 16, 17 and 18 year olds!)
Still foggy 3 branches of gov? Scope out this rap Skylar Schultheis found

Starter 15

How similar or different do you think liberals and conservatives are in terms of their morality? Where are the key differences? Where do they overlap?
What is one issue about which you feel really passionate? What does your stance on the issue reveal about your core values?

Moral Foundation Statement Quiz

http://www.yourmorals.org/explore.php
Scroll down to find the quiz entitled, "Moral Foundations" (you’ll need to register here to be able to take the quiz).
When you’re done, copy the graph you get into a word document or google doc. You’ll need these results later!
Okay, now let’s find out what these results mean.

Haidt: Moral Matrix Setup

This guy is speaking to an audience of liberals, so you’ll notice that his rhetoric is pitched to them.
HOWEVER…don’t let that fool you. His underlying point is actually criticizing the group for being so monolithic. Remember, he’s playing to an audience here. That doesn’t mean his underlying points are invalid.
Tasteless joke about Applebees. Audience has money, is apparently a little snobby about where they eat (point out class issues)

Moral Matrix Sequence

Watch TED Talk
Take notes on the 3 most interesting points he makes
What is the Moral Matrix? Let's sum it up as a class
What is he saying about moral values? How does this connect to politics? (In other words, what are the core moral values of liberals v. conservatives? Where do they overlap? Where do they differ?)
Partner Analysis: For each of the issues below, discuss where liberals stand and where conservatives stand. THEN, align those viewpoints with their moral values as we outlined in question 4 above.
1. Issue: Abortion
  1. Liberal:
  2. Conservative:
2. Issue: Flag Burning
  1. Liberal:
  2. Conservative:
3. Issue: Gay Marriage
  1. Liberal:
  2. Conservative:

Moral Foundations Quiz- Self-reflection and openness to growth
In order to critically examine your results in the quiz we took earlier and potentially open yourself up to growth is you see fit or at the very least be able to see things from someone else's perspective, please choose one of the following options depending on your learning style:

Option A: Make poster for LEAST emphasized value on your chart. Poster should include:

Value name
Benefits of value (bulleted list)
Downsides of value (bulleted list)
Symbol or illustration that represents the value
Why you value this least—what about it DON’T you like?

Option B: Find someone who has the same least emphasized value on your chart and same most emphasized value. This will take a bit of work. Then, create a skit to do the following:

Satirize your highest value and how it could potentially be taken to an extreme
Showcase the benefits of your lowest emphasized value
End with why you value that the LEAST-- what you don't like about it. This could be done as a satire.

Option C: Write a creative piece that has a character who embodies your least emphasized value. In this short story, you should capture

Benefits of value
Downsides of value
A situation/scenario/issue in which this value would be challenged and how that makes the character feel or how the character would react.

Option D: Simply write about the LEAST emphasized value on your chart. Writing should include:

Value name
Benefits of value (bulleted list)
Downsides of value (bulleted list)
What political issues or situations you would see that value most coming into play OR a personal experience in which you saw that value being challenged for you or others.
Why you value this least—what about it DON’T you like?

Wednesday 9/28: Checks and Balances Test and Political Misinformation

9/28/2016

Starter (not for your google doc)
Take the next 10 minutes to review for today's test.

Whole Class Q and A with Ashley

VRA Checks and Balances Test

Transitioning into Model Senate! General timeline…

A few weeks looking at political parties/positions/values and the question, “Is Congress Broken?”
We’ll also do senator assignments during this time
Issue Studies: Overview of each issue, followed by party caucuses to determine the general guidelines for your legislation. Issues we'll tackle this year are: Climate change/energy policy, College loans/tuition, and Immigration.
Writing legislation, consulting with experts, revising legislation
Parly pro practice
Model Senate! (2-3 days, end of November)

Big Questions for Today:

How much do truth and fact matter in political opinions?
How do different cognitive biases and other trends impact the information we’re exposed to and how we react to it?

A note on today's lesson: May feel repetitive from Jmac's and my classes last year, but it does take a different twist AND is an important frame and foundation to launch us into our Model Senate work.

Bill Bishop interview on Daily Show
Watch the video of author Bill Bishop talking about the Big Sort (note…the data in this interview is old, but more recent research has actually shown that not only is what he talks about still happening, it’s actually gotten more pronounced!)

Discuss: What’s the Big Sort? Describe it in as much detail as possible.
Discuss: How do you see the big sort in Durango? In your own life? Think about the lifestyle markers he talks about, and what lifestyle markers you see around you! Try to give specific examples.

Big Sort Brainstorm

Data old, but still relevant
In your group, brainstorm all the ways we are sorted- make the list as big as possible
Make a BIG list on the whiteboard
How does being sorted that way impact the information you take in? Your political views?

Power of Political Misinformation

Read it
Highlight/underline phrases/words that particularly strike you.
With your partner, summarize the main ideas and findings
Quickwrite: How much do you think this applies to you? Explain. (10 min)

Group Discussions

What is the main source where you get information about the world? What perspective does that source show you?
What is “the Big Sort?” How do you see it in your own life?
What is the message of the article “The Power of Political Misinformation?” How does it connect to you? Do you see this trend?
How does “The Power of Political Misinformation” connect to the Big Sort?
How do both of these articles/concepts connect to naïve cynicism?
What implications do these articles have for democracy?
Is there a way around the problems these articles pose? Are there solutions, or are we doomed to a misinformed life in a bubble?
How does this connect to the debate? To what you observe in politics and our community today?

Tuesday, 9/27: In-class Essay

9/27/2016

Agenda

Last minute Q and A with Ashley about the in-class essay
Write your essay
If done early, continue studying for parts 2-4 of the exam. See yesterday's blog post for test prep strategies.

Monday, 9/26: TEST PREP

9/26/2016

A note about the in-class essay and the test
Reminder that the in-class essay is tomorrow and the 3 other sections of the exam will be Wednesday.
For the in-class essay, you may use your notes and any additional resources you found in your research but you have to write it in the time allotted (approximately 70 minutes).
You may begin your thesis and outline but may not begin writing the actual essay until class tomorrow. To do so would entail academic dishonesty.

Starter 14
Look at the assessment tasks below and then answer these two questions:

About which sections of the test are you most concerned?

What questions do you have?
When you're done, come write your questions up on the board

Test Prep Time
Here are the assessment tasks you'll face on the test:

In class essay, evaluating whether or not we need the VRA today.
Checks and balances--give examples of how the VRA shows checks and balances between our judicial branch and legislative branch
Checks and balances scenarios: I’ll give you a scenario, you explain what branch can DO the initial action, what branch can check them, and how they can check them.
Branch powers (multiple choice)

NEED MORE RESOURCES FOR THE ESSAY? Check this out! A bunch of short op-eds from various opinions! http://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2013/02/24/is-the-voting-rights-act-still-needed

Study Stations (Options A-F below)
A. ESSAY: Thesis Statement Workshop

Review concessive structure
Everyone write a thesis statement that answers the question: Is the Voting Rights Act still needed?
Trade thesis statements, give feedback on the following questions:
1. Is the stance the author is taking clear? Summarize their argument in your own words.
2. Does this answer the question directly? If not, how could they make it more direct?
3. Based on this thesis statement, what are three things you would expect to find in this essay? These could be arguments, themes, or specific pieces of evidence.
4. List one thing the author could do to make this thesis better.
5. Get thesis feedback, revise
6. If time, and if needed, check out some more resources here: NY Times Op-Eds on VRA

B. VRA Checks and Balances
List all the different checks that happened between legislative and judicial branch for the VRA. HINT: Look at the amendments and the Washington Post article about North Carolina’s recent voting law controversy! You might also draw out a diagram or FLOW chart to help you with this.

C. Branch Powers
Create flashcards for different powers

Power on the front
Branch on the back
If time, use these flashcards to study with your partner

D. Checks and Balances Scenarios

First, try to draw the checks and balances diagram from memory. Don’t cheat here, this is to see how much you know, so you know what to study!
Check it against one of the diagrams on the back wall, and highlight or mark things that you need to study
Draw yourself a blank chart that you can use to study

For each of the following scenarios, tell me:

Who has the power to DO the action?
Who can CHECK this action?
HOW do they check it?

E. Scenarios for 3 Branch checks/balances

Scenario 1: Secretary of Defense dies in a chinchilla attack, and needs to be replaced.
Scenario 2: A bill was recently passed to allow citizens to choose their own health care plan under Medicare.
Scenario 3: The United States has signed a peace treaty with Iran.
Scenario 4: The Supreme Court rules a recent law requiring all male citizens to wear clown noses unconstitutional.

F. Essay Brainstorm: Hold a small seminar to hear other students' opinions on the essay prompt: Do we still need the Voting Rights Act?

1. Get together with a small group to discuss the questions I created to guide your research on states' response to Shelby County v. Holder

HOMEWORK: Study for the TEST!!! See above for study guide and strategies.

Friday, 9/23: States' Responses to Shelby v. Holder + Test Prep

9/23/2016

Three resources to get us started:
1. John Oliver rips apart the Supreme Court's ruling on Shelby County v. Holder

Those of you who read the majority opinion of the court, pay attention to how John Oliver use of logical fallacies in covering the Supreme Court's decision. Be ready to point those out to your partner when you share out your research on the court's ruling.

2. States previously covered by section 4 and 5 of the VRA
3. Current Supreme Court Justices (you can typically tell what their political affiliation is based on which President appointed them). Obama appointed Merrick Garland to replace Antonin Scalia who recently passed away

Ashley's apology for sub-par teaching methods the past week
Mea culpa. It is the first time either Lori or I have taught Voting Rights and between gathering resources, and learning the content ourselves, we haven't had much time left over for thinking creatively about how to design lessons. So I get that it has been a bit dry. That said, I firmly believe this topic is SO important. It is not only one of if not THE biggest pieces of Civil Rights legislation and Supreme Court ruling but it also has the potential to dramatically impact you all as soon-to-be voters. Moreover, being able to read dense legal language as we've done is an important skill and will enable you to better decipher ballot measures and other laws. LASTLY, Lori and I both felt that by using the VRA of 1965 as a case study, you'd be able to better understand the way the three branches work and thus will be more successful moving into Model Senate.

That said, moving forward, what types of class activities would you like to see me try to incorporate more?

Shelby County V. Holder Supreme Court Ruling Review- 10 minutes
Review the reading from the end of class yesterday on the Shelby County v. Holder Supreme Court ruling. So, we've spent a good deal of time looking at the legislative branches role in VRA (passed all those Amendments) and now the Supreme Court (Judicial Branch) role in striking down Section 4 of the VRA.

As you review, make sure you've summarized the main arguments of your assigned "sides" opinion AND selected the most powerful quote.

Sharing Out Your Research
Get together with someone who had the other opinion. Share notes--make sure you understand both arguments! Now answer the following questions:

Which opinion, in your view, is most convincing? Why?
Predict what changes, if any, happen as a result of Shelby v. Holder.

*********Transition to States' responses to Shelby County v. Holder*************
Mini-discussion: What do you think we should be more concerned with today? Voter fraud or voter suppression?
*Voter fraud means people trying to rig elections, cast votes for dead people or vote more than once, or miscount ballot.
*Voter suppression means restricting people's access to vote or preventing minority group's opportunities to elect a representative.

State Responses to Shelby v. Holder
Choose ONE of the following media options. This may be completed individually or in pairs:

WEBSITE: http://www.brennancenter.org/analysis/state-voting-2014
RADIO SHOW (with transcript): http://thedianerehmshow.org/shows/2014-08-13/update-new-voting-rights-laws-across-country I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS ONE!!!
NEWSPAPER ARTICLE: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-fix/wp/2014/07/07/how-has-voting-changed-since-shelby-county-v-holder/

For whatever media option you chose, read it or listen carefully. When you are done, you should be able to summarize:

What are some examples of changes that have been made that are making voting laws more restrictive?
What are some examples of changes that have been made that make voting laws less restrictive?
What did you learn about the new voter ID laws and voter fraud from your source?
What else strikes you as interesting from your source?
On balance, have voting laws become more or less restrictive in the aftermath of Shelby v. Holder?
Based on the information you have now, do you think the Supreme Court made the right decision in Shelby County v. Holder? Why/why not?

Test Prep Time
Here are the assessment tasks you'll face on next Tuesday's test:

In class essay, evaluating whether or not we need the VRA today.
Checks and balances--give examples of how the VRA shows checks and balances between our judicial branch and legislative branch
Checks and balances scenarios: I’ll give you a scenario, you explain what branch can DO the initial action, what branch can check them, and how they can check them.
Branch powers (multiple choice)

Review concessive structure
Everyone write a thesis statement that answers the question: Is the Voting Rights Act still needed?
Trade thesis statements, give feedback on the following questions:
1. Is the stance the author is taking clear? Summarize their argument in your own words.
2. Does this answer the question directly? If not, how could they make it more direct?
3. Based on this thesis statement, what are three things you would expect to find in this essay? These could be arguments, themes, or specific pieces of evidence.
4. List one thing the author could do to make this thesis better.
5. Get thesis feedback, revise
6. If time, and if needed, check out some more resources here: NY Times Op-Eds on VRA

B. VRA Checks and Balances
List all the different checks that happened between legislative and judicial branch for the VRA. HINT: Look at the amendments! Not everything is here, but some is!

C. Branch Powers
Create flashcards for different powers

Power on the front
Branch on the back
If time, use these flashcards to study with your partner

D. Checks and Balances Scenarios

First, try to draw the checks and balances diagram from memory. Don’t cheat here, this is to see how much you know, so you know what to study!
Check it against one of the diagrams on the back wall, and highlight or mark things that you need to study
Draw yourself a blank chart that you can use to study

For each of the following scenarios, tell me:

Who has the power to DO the action?
Who can CHECK this action?
HOW do they check it?

E. Scenarios for 3 Branch checks/balances

Scenario 1: Secretary of Defense dies in a chinchilla attack, and needs to be replaced.
Scenario 2: A bill was recently passed to allow citizens to choose their own health care plan under Medicare.
Scenario 3: The United States has signed a peace treaty with Iran.
Scenario 4: The Supreme Court rules a recent law requiring all male citizens to wear clown noses unconstitutional.

F. Essay Brainstorm: Hold a small seminar to hear other students' opinions on the essay prompt: Do we still need the Voting Rights Act?

1. Get together with a small group to discuss the questions I created to guide your research on states' response to Shelby County v. Holder

HOMEWORK: Study for TEST next TUESDAY!!! See above for study guide and strategies.

VRA Amendments and Shelby County v. Holder Supreme Court Case

9/22/2016

Starter 13: Shelby v. Holder Intro: Political Cartoon (5 min)
Based on this cartoon, work with your group to write down as many inferences as you can about the Supreme Court case Shelby v Holder. Think carefully about what different elements of the cartoon are telling you!

Debrief, get predictions on the board.

Class Biz

Just a friendly reminder that it is in your best interest to take solid notes and ensure complete comprehension of the concepts we're covering in class for next week's test-a-rooski!
I will hopefully finish grading college essays by the end of this week(end). I'm not allowing rewrites for a new grade BUT I am certainly happy to continue to help y'all refine your essays! Just schedule a conference with me as needed.
Honors-- are you in or out?

Today's Goals:

Understand Amendments to the VRA of 1965 and evaluate trends/patterns in those amendments over time.
Analyze the Supreme Court's ruling on Shelby County v. Holder in order to begin forming your opinion as to whether or not the VRA is still needed today.

AGENDA
VRA Amendments (expert groups)
Each of you is going to be assigned one amendment (there are 5 total). In your expert group, read the summary of that amendment provided by Ashley.

In your group, you need to make sure that you are an expert (you will have to teach other students about this!). EACH person in the group needs to make a small poster that includes the following:

Title (year of the amendment)
1. What did this do to the special provisions?
2. How did this amendment expand coverage?
3. What new provisions (if any) did this amendment add?
For each of the points above, you should have a small and simple illustration that represents the main point of that piece of the amendment.
Make it pretty! Make it clear!?
Make sure you understand and can explain these things clearly to other students!

VRA Amendments Jigsaw

Get in a group that has one student from every amendment.
Put the posters together in chronological order
Each student presents their amendments
Now, as a group, identify at least 3 major patterns or trends that you see in these amendments. How did they make the Act different from the original? Summarize in your notes.

Shelby v. Holder: The Basics (5-10 min)

Read these two summaries of Shelby v. Holder
1. Scotus Blog
2. Civilrights.org
After reading the summaries, how accurate were your predictions? What sections of the VRA did this Supreme Court decision leave intact? What sections were declared unconstitutional?

Shelby v. Holder: The Actual Arguments
Okay, now it’s time to dig into the actual arguments put forth by the Supreme Court. What was the reasoning of the majority? And why did the minority dissent?

Here’s your main resource: NY Times guide to the VRA Opinion
Here are your tasks:
1. I will assign you a position: majority or minority opinion
2. For whichever opinion you are assigned, read that section (Majority: Opinion of the Court and Concurring Opinion, Minority: Dissenting Opinion)
3. Summarize the main arguments put forth in support of or against the decision (this can be a bullet pointed list)
4. Write the most powerful quote from the justice’s opinion, and explain what it means, and why it is powerful.

Sharing Out Your Research
Get together with someone who had the other opinion. Share notes--make sure you understand both arguments! Now answer the following questions:

Which opinion, in your view, is most convincing? Why?
Predict what changes, if any, happen as a result of Shelby v. Holder.

Wednesday, 9/21: Podcast and VRA Amendments!

9/21/2016

Today's Goals:

Form an opinion on Edward Bloom and others' tactics to use the judicial system to hear minority voices as well as on where you stand regarding yesterday's WaPo article on North Carolina's Voting Rights restrictions.

Starter 12
John Oliver on North Carolina’s voting rights decision from 8/1/16
Warning! Strong language here. Earmuffs may be needed if you are sensitive to occasional f-bombs.

After watching the video clip, answer the following questions

What were the major provisions of North Carolina’s voter registration restrictions that the Supreme Court recently struck down? (this should be review)
Do you think that individual states should have the right to decide their own voting policies? OR Should this be a federal issue?
Do you think that this type of media contributes to naive cynicism? Explain.

Class Biz
1. Honors essay refinements due! Also-- tell me today if you're in or out!
2. Next week's exam will take place, most likely, on Tuesday. You will need to be able to do the following:

In class essay, evaluating whether or not we need the VRA today.

Checks and balances--give examples of how the VRA shows checks and balances between our judicial branch and legislative branch
Checks and balances scenarios: I'll give you a scenario, you explain what branch can DO the initial action, what branch can check them, and how they can check them.
Branch powers (multiple choice)

Agenda
Starter debrief

Finish the podcast from yesterday
Complete your notes on page 2 of the VRA Vocab and Summaries handout I gave y'all yesterday. Lost it? It's on yesterday's blog and on the Docs page of my dp.

Small Group Discussion on the podcast
Ashley will put'cha into small groups as these will be your groups for an activity later in class as well. Don't freak out. It is only a small infringement on your liberties for me to choose your groups but it is good to work with different folks and hear different perspectives from time to time, eh? Plus, ultimately I'm the decider and I get to decide.

That said, in your small groups, carry out a mini-seminar on the following questions:

Is Edward Bloom vs. 40,000 civil rights activists marching in the street a false paradigm?
Is Edward Bloom carrying the standard for Civil Rights in America? To what extent?
Do you agree that manufacturing legislation should be counted as a form of freedom of expression?
Is this a legitimate pathway to contend with the problem of the Tyranny of the Majority?
Where do you stand on the issues outlined in the Washington Post article about voter discrimination? To what extent should states have voter ID laws? What kind? (Click on this map of the U.S. that explains how to vote in each state for more ideas on the types of laws various states require. Scope out ColoRADo obviously).
Is it time for the Voting Rights Act of 1965 to end? Is it no longer needed?

Tuesday, 9/20

9/20/2016

CLASS BIZ

If you missed class yesterday, you need to make up the Voting Rights Act of 1965 reading and response questions IN YOUR STARTER GOOGLE DOC!
Honors-- essay refinements due tomorrow. Also, last day to tell me if you're in or out!

Starter 11: VRA Act Check-in

What adjectives best describe your experience trying to read and comprehend the Voting Rights Act?
What strategies did you use to help you understand it? How successful were there? Are there any strategies that you didn’t use that could have helped?

Class Review of VRA Act: Voting Rights Act Summary and Vocab

Let’s go through each section and summarize the main idea(s)
Which of these sections did you think was most important today? Why?

Some Key Vocab

Appeal: apply to a higher court for a reversal of the decision of a lower court
The United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit: One of twelve regional appellate courts within the federal judicial system. The court hears appeals from the nine federal district courts in Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina and from federal administrative agencies.
GOP: Stands for the Grand Old Party, i.e. Republican Party
Affirmative Action: an action or policy favoring those who tend to suffer from discrimination, especially in relation to employment or education; positive discrimination
Plaintiff: a person who brings a case against another in a court of law
NeoConservatism: a political movement born in the United States during the 1960s among Democrats who became disenchanted with the party's domestic and especially foreign policy. Neoconservatives typically advocate the promotion of democracy and promotion of American national interest in international affairs, including by means of military force and are known for espousing disdain for communism and for political radicalism.
Congressional Districts (Colorado)
Gerrymandering: manipulate the boundaries of (an electoral constituency) so as to favor one party or class

Ashley to post the map of U.S. with stats on how to vote in each state and show the embedded video above IF internet is working.

Read this Washington Post article about North Carolina’s recent voting law controversy and jot down notes on the following questions to inform our class seminar:

What are the various arguments FOR and AGAINST North Carolina’s Voter ID Laws?
Which pieces of evidence in this article are more convincing to you and most inform your position?
Summarize, to the best of your ability, the legislative and judicial processes that have been involved in shaping North Carolina’s voting laws since 2010. What questions do you have about those processes?

Listen to and take notes on this Radiolab, More Perfect, “Imperfect Plaintiffs”-- start at 31:30 into the show. Take notes on the following questions to help you pull out key ideas from this podcast:

What did Edward Bloom and his wife discover about districts when they were campaigning?
What was Bloom’s “beef” with the way districts were created?
What was Plessy v. Ferguson?
What was the Supreme Court’s ruling on the NAACP v. Virginia case on manufacturing litigation?

Small Group Discussion
In your small groups, carry out a mini-seminar on the following questions:

Is Edward Bloom vs. 40,000 civil rights activists marching in the street a false paradigm?
Is Edward Bloom carrying the standard for Civil Rights in America? To what extent?
Do you agree that manufacturing legislation should be counted as a form of freedom of expression?
Is this a legitimate pathway to contend with the problem of the Tyranny of the Majority?
Where do you stand on the issues outlined in the Washington Post article about voter discrimination? To what extent should states have voter ID laws? What kind? (Click on this map of the U.S. that explains how to vote in each state for more ideas on the types of laws various states require. Scope out ColoRADo obviously).
Is it time for the Voting Rights Act of 1965 to end? Is it no longer needed?

Monday, 9/19: The Voting Rights Act of 1965

9/19/2016

Today's Goals: Understand the historical context on Voting Rights Act as well as what the Voting Rights Act of 1965 actually was..

Starter 10: Let’s look at one modern day example of voter disenfranchisement: “Why Virginia’s Restoration of Voting Rights Matters”- The Atlantic video.

How is felon disenfranchisement related to Jim Crow?
Do you think felons should have the right to vote? Why or why not?

Late Work Submissions
Still need to submit your DP link with Writing Goals to me? You have until Friday to get it in for 80% credit. 3 Branches diagram? You have until Thursday to submit that.

Jim Crow Review Discussion

Summarize what we learned in class on Friday. You may revisit my DP if needed!
What stood out to you about the Jim Crow era events?
4 Corners: Voting discrimination is still very common today.

Powerpoint lecture on Voting Rights Act of 1965 context and brief overview
Lecture is also linked on the docs page

Reading and Interpreting the Voting Rights Act of 1965
Now, let’s take a look at the actual Voting Rights Act of 1965! You should work in groups to help you figure this out--use the significant brainpower in this room! Answer these in your starter google doc.

Who? First, figure out who the heck the Attorney General is
Summarize. In the margins of the document or on a separate piece of paper, summarize the main idea of each “section” of the act. Put it into your own words!
Vocab. Look up any words you don’t know! Write their definitions in the margins.
Amendment. Which Constitutional Amendment laid the groundwork for this Act? What does that Amendment say (in plain English)?
Confused? Try to research any remaining confusions/questions your group has! Ask Lori if you really can’t figure out what the heck a certain phrase/section means.
Evaluate. Which of these sections do you think is most important today? Why?
Discuss. Discuss responses to Voting Rights Act and any sections y’all still just don’t get.

HOMEWORK: Finish Voting Rights Act reading and response questions IN YOUR STARTER GOOGLE DOC.!

Friday, 9/16: Historical Context on Voting Rights Act of 1965

9/16/2016

Today's Goal: Understand the historical context of the Voting Rights Act of 1965

Starter 9 (10 min)
Did you email me the link to your DP??!
To what extent do you think these quotes apply to United States history AND modern times?

"A democratic system rests ultimately on the belief that each man is the best judge of his own interests and that he should have, through the ballot box, a voice in choosing those who govern him.”

"Voting is the fundamental political right of citizens in a democracy. The right to vote is the right to influence officials and policy. To be denied the vote is to be denied the guarantee that one's interest will be taken into account when policy is made. There is no justifiable test of property, race, color, national origin, religion, or education for disenfranchising one class of citizens." --Evron M. Kirkpatrick Member, President's Commission on Registration and Voting Participation

Agenda
Pair-Share starter responses

*Transition to Historical Context on the Voting Rights Act*
Intro: We are launching into a case study on Voting Rights with specific focus on the Voting Rights Act of 1965 in order to better understand how the three branches of government apply to a piece of legislation. Today, we’re going to learn about the historical context that led to the VRA of 1965! Yeeeeeeehaw for eradicating historical amnesia and becoming an informed populace!

In groups of 3-4 take the 1965 Alabama Literacy Test to determine if you could vote back then
How’d you do? Check the answers
4 Corners:
1. This test is a legitimate way to determine if someone is fit to vote.
2. There should not be a bar citizens must clear to prove they are informed enough to vote.
Establishing some common background knowledge

Jim Crow who? Jim Crow what? Respond to the image at the TOP of today's blog post as a group by discussing as many of the following questions as you can: What do you know about it? What do you think it references? What time period does it come from? What is the background on it? What were the implications socially/legally?
What do you know about Reconstruction and the Civil Rights Movement? Dates, events, main ideas, key figures/leaders, important Supreme Court Cases and legislation?

5. Origin of the term, “Jim Crow”

We will read the wikipedia definition below
Then we’ll check out the song lyrics here and a short video clip of a blackface performance from 1941

Wikipedia definition: "Jump Jim Crow" is a song and dance from 1828 that was done in blackface by white comedian Thomas Dartmouth (T.D.) "Daddy" Rice. The number was supposedly inspired by the song and dance of a physically disabled African slave named Jim Cuff or Jim Crow, who is variously claimed to have resided in St. Louis, Cincinnati, or Pittsburgh. The song became a great 19th century hit and Rice performed all over the country as "Daddy Jim Crow". "Jump Jim Crow" was a key initial step in a tradition of popular music in the United States that was based on the "imitation" of Blacks. The first song sheet edition appeared in the early 1830s, published by E. Riley. A couple of decades would see the mockery genre explode in popularity with the rise of the minstrel show.
As a result of Rice's fame, the term Jim Crow had become a pejorative meaning African American by 1838 and from this the laws of racial segregation became known as Jim Crow laws.

6. Jim Crow era and Voting Discrimination Research and Response time

Read the following documents Jim Crow laws + Jim Crow Era Timeline
Explore this website to learn more about the ways in which Jim Crow laws manifested in voting discrimination. [Keep clicking through “try to vote” or “yes”] and then answer these 4 questions IN YOUR STARTER GOOGLE DOC:

What surprised you from the readings and the website? What stood out to you as particularly noteworthy?
What was the “Grandfather Clause”?
What were the various obstacles that black folks faced in order to vote?
To what extent do you think voting discrimination happens today?

7. Class discussion: What surprised you or evoked the most emotion about the timeline and voting discrimination website?

Thursday, 9/15

9/15/2016

Today's Goal:

Review the Bill of Rights and get a glimpse of just how hard it was (and is) to prioritize these rights
Develop a more in-depth understanding of the Checks and Balances system by applying it to a case study on the Voting Rights Act of 1965

Starter 8: Bill of Rights (10 min)
Read through the Bill of Rights (either as written in the Constitution or as summarized in plain English)

Which of these do you think is the most important? Why?
Which do you think is least important? Why?
What’s one thing you would like to see added or removed? Why?
When you’re done, put your name on your power diagram of the Checks and Balances and tack/tape it on the wall. Spend 2-3 minutes scoping out other students’ diagrams and try to clarify any confusions you may have had by seeing other examples.

Agenda

Starter discussion (20): In small groups, share your starter responses. Try to come consensus on the most important Bill and the least important bill. Then, try to come to consensus on your top revision to the Bill of Rights. Write your group’s revision on the whiteboard.
Clarify any confusions about last night’s homework
Transition to history of Judicial Review: Marbury v. Madison (40)

Before we dive into understanding Voting Rights and the ways in which the 3 branches of the government have functioned throughout the history of the Voting Rights Act of 1965 as well as modern disputes about voting discrimination we’re going to learn about how the Supreme Court (Judicial branch) came to play the precise role we know it to play today by studying a Supreme Court case called Marbury v. Madison, 1803.

Key term: JUDICIAL REVIEW!
Read this one-page summary of the case and summarize it to your partner.
Listen to this NPR More Perfect podcast and take notes! (Play starting at 8 minutes in and until 27 minutes- the first 8 minutes is all about how the Supreme Court used to have very little power until this Supreme Court case and a brief intro of John Marshall, the fourth Chief Justice of the Supreme Court...we're skipping that.)

Podcast Title and description: "Kittens Kick The Giggly Blue Robot All Summer”; We tend to think of the Supreme Court justices as all-powerful guardians of the constitution, issuing momentous rulings from on high. They seem at once powerful, and unknowable; all lacy collars and black robes. But they haven't always been so, you know, supreme. On this episode of More Perfect, we go all the way back to the case that, in a lot of ways, is the beginning of the court we know today.
Response questions:
1. How did Marshall (aka Obi-wan Kenobi) “save” the Supreme Court from Jefferson’s Darth Vader ways??
2. What ultimately became the core question that this case sought to answer?
3. Who was Marbury? Who was Madison?
4. What did Jefferson do upon learning of all the newly appointed Supreme Court judges?
5. What was the main issue that spurred this case?

Remainder of class: Time to work on your Writing Reflection DP Update that is due tomorrow!

HOMEWORK: Email me the link to your DP with completed writing reflection (see Tuesday's blog post for a reminder on requirements)

Wednesday, 9/14: Intro to Govy Basics

9/14/2016

Today's Goal: Understand the basic idea behind checks and balances in the U.S. Constitution and apply those principals to a rousing game of Rock-Paper-Scissors on steroids.

Starter 7 Sort the following terms in order of their importance to you. Justify why you ranked the top two and the last two where you did.

Justice
Liberty
Life
Common Good
Pursuit of Happiness
Truth
Equality
Diversity.

When done, form a group of between 4 and 5 people. See if you can agree on the order these terms should come in. When you’re done, add to your starter: How hard was it to rank these terms in order of importance in your group? Where were the sticking points?
********************************
Segue: That's exactly how the framers of the Constitution felt when they had to design a government based on these values.

AGENDA
The CONSTITUTION!

Youtube video, Key Constitutional Concepts, part 1
1. Watch
2. Answer prompts
3. Discuss/Questions
Youtube video, Key Constitutional Concepts, part 2.
1. Watch
2. Answer prompts
3. Discuss/Questions

RPSLS tournament!

Watch the "Big Bang Theory" video clip
Ready to get rowdy? We're gonna drill down on a full bracket-style tournament – Rock-paper-scissors-lizard-Spock! Best of 5 – winner moves on, loser becomes the winner's biggest fan. Cheer your hearts out!
After the game, we will map out a 'power diagram' on the board for us and discuss the winning strategy.

Checks and Balances (<--page 2 of the linked doc).
Brief discussion: Our branches of government work just like a complex version of RPSLS. The system is based on the idea that any person with the opportunity to seize more power will do it (we're coming out of tyranny, remember?), so each branch must have significant 'checks' on the others.

Legislative branch. Primary function: to make new laws.
Executive branch. Primary function: to “execute,” or carry out, laws that Congress writes.
Judicial branch. Primary function: to interpret the Constitution by ruling on difficult cases (to interpret the law through the lens of the Constitution).

Checks and Balances Diagram
Using colored pencils, markers, crayons, etc, create a “power diagram” similar to RPSLS. Use your “Checks and Balances Cheat Sheet” to help you (see page 2). Also, google image search the phrase “checks and balances” and you will get a lot of handy ideas. Beautiful work, people.
DUE: Start of class tomorrow.

Homework

College Essay Display Board: Don't forget to display your college essay. DUE: End of Today!!
Checks and Balances Diagram: See above for details. DUE: Thursday, 9/15, start of class.
DP Update and Writing Goals: Email Ashley DP link when complete. DUE: Friday, 9/16, start of class.

Tuesday, 9/13: College Essay Exhibits and Writing Goals

9/13/2016

Today's Goals
Display your college essay work in a beautiful fashion and reflect on yourself as a writer so that you can thus improve as life is reflection, action, growth, repeat.

Starter

Email me your final draft of your college essay (unless you were signed up to conference with me today)
Then: Complete the Google Form feedback survey on College Essay Bootcamp

Class Biz

Homework this week will be to to finish your DP update and send me the link by Friday, BOC AND finish any in-class work we begin on Govy Basics by the following class period. See the bottom of each daily blog post for homework reminders.
Honors: Essay refinements due next Wed. 9/21
College counseling announcements (see whiteboard)

Today's Conferences

If you are signed up to conference with me today, please send me your most recent draft.
Once you conference with me, you'll have the rest of class to work on your refinements. Your final draft is due TOMORROW and you'll have to catch up on the exhibit and writing reflection on your own time.

Exhibit Your Work

Design the College Essay Display Board. See the example hung on my board.
When your display board is put together, let me know and then we'll start hanging them out in the hallway.

Writing Reflection

Look at the Three Levels of Writing and my Writing Rubric as a resource (honors folks, see the Honors Rubric).
Develop three specific writing goals for yourself as a writer based on these documents and my feedback. You will put them on your DP when you're done. We're going to be using these goals for the rest of the semester to gauge your growth as a writer, and will use your end of semester writing reflection as a springboard for your senior project paper. As you feel like you achieve your goals, we'll develop new ones! This reflection will be worth 20 points. HINT: This is worth as much as your college essay, so make it good!
Write 3 Goal Paragraphs: For each of those three goals, write a paragraph. That paragraph should include:
- What your goal is
- An example from your your college essay, seminar reflection or honors application essay that shows the need for that goal
- Some ideas about how you can work towards improving this skill for your next piece of writing
- Example: Goal 1- Understanding the Text. I will make sure that I thoroughly understand the text I am using in my writing before I use it as evidence. In my "Habits of Highly Cynical People" writing, I used a quote that said "..........." In my essay, I said that this quote meant "....quote from essay....." However, I misunderstood this quote because I didn't put it in the larger context of the argument Solnit was making. In fact, the quote means (tell real meaning of quote here). To improve this in future writings, I think I need to summarize the meaning of every paragraph of the reading in my annotations, and I need to ask questions more actively during seminar coaching. If I'm reading it independently, I need to make sure I completely understand one paragraph before moving on to the next paragraph, rather than just continuing to read on.
- Example: Goal 2- Logical Flow. I will make sure that all my paragraphs logically flow from one idea to the next. In my seminar reflection, my first paragraph was about how both the presidential campaigns oversimplify what the other one is saying, and my second paragraph was about how naive cynicism is bad. I didn't connect these two ideas at all, so it was confusing for the reader to make that jump. In future writing, I could do a number of things to improve this. Early in my writing process, I could make sure that I have an outline, so that I've clearly thought through the logical flow of my paper. I can also use transition sentences to show the reader the links between ideas. Finally, I can references terms and ideas from the previous paragraph in the one after it to show the reader how the ideas from the preceding paragraph connect to the ideas in the next paragraph.
- Example: Goal 3- Semicolon Usage. I will make sure that I'm using semicolons correctly in my writing. In my college essay, I had written this sentence: "....example of sentence from college essay that uses semi-colons incorrectly..." In her feedback, Lori pointed out that I was using the semi-colon incorrectly here. I looked up the rules on semi-colon usage, and found that I should only be using them to join two complete sentences- right now, the piece after the semi-colon is not a complete sentence. In future writing, to make sure that I am doing this correctly, I can go through and circle every semi-colon I use, and then read the sentences before and after it out loud to make sure they can stand on their own as complete sentences.
Write 1 paragraph about your revision in your College Essay. Talk about one specific way that you grew as a writer between your first and final drafts of your College Essay. In this paragraph, you should include:
- How you grew (what skill improved?)
- What it was like before (give a specific example- you could quote an early draft of your essay here!)
- What feedback you got that pushed you to revise
- Evidence of your growth in this area (again, you should quote the final draft of your essay here!)
- Explanation of what you did to make this growth happen- what was your process?

DP Update
Create a tab for your college essay. It can be within your Humanities class tab, or can be separate. Include BOTH the information from your Display Board AND the full text of your college essay.

**Put your writing goals on your regular Humanities page.

HOMEWORK

Email me your DP link when it is completely updated with the Writing Goals (see above- 4 paragraphs total) and your College Essay (see above for requirements). DUE: Friday 9/16, start of class.

Thursday, 9/8

9/8/2016

Starter 6

Choose your favorite sentence from the board and write about what makes it effective.
Then, choose a sentence from your essay, write the original version and write a revised version that makes it more effective
Lastly, choose 3 more sentences to revise and list them in your starter doc.

Conferences with Ashley
If you signed up for Thursday, you will conference with me today. Bring with you the most recent copy of your essay (it can just be pulled up on your computer), and any focusing questions you have for me.

Revise, Refine, Write!
When you're not conferencing with me, you should be revising, refining, and making your essay as amazing as possible. Remember to rely on your peers for help here! You have lots of eyes--use them.

If you are feeling dialed on one essay, move onto a supplement or a scholarship essay!

HOMEWORK:

HONORS Essay 1: Due Friday, 9/9, at 3:20pm. Email to Ashley. Make sure it's clearly labeled with your name and the assignment.
FINAL College Essay: Due Tuesday, 9/13, at the start of class. You need to have a copy printed and have it emailed or shared with Ashley BEFORE class starts.

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