North Prairie Social Studies

Doing the Charleston

2011-08-31T09:33:00.001-07:00

In our 8th grade classes we compared the two songs Charleston Party (which characterized the mood of the 1920's) and Brother Can You Spare a Dime (which characterized the mood of the 1930's).

The instructional videos below explain how to do the Charleston, the most popular dance of the 1920's. You can also search for other videos online that give instruction on how to do this dance. Learn how to do this dance and we will perform it in class later next week. Anyone who participates in the dance (no matter how good you are at it) will earn extra credit.

Welcome Back!

2011-08-18T12:22:00.001-07:00

The new school year will bring many changes to North Prairie. Classes will be about 30 minutes each and will be very different from your traditional Social Studies class. I look forward to a very FUN and exciting year!!

Here are some first day of school videos to get you in the right frame of mind:

Overview of 8th Grade Social Studies 2011 - 2012

2011-05-25T08:56:00.000-07:00

The focus of 8th Grade Social Studies this year will be on the Making of Modern America. We will examine major events and issues of the 20th Century, as well as other topics that affect the way we live, in order to better understand the our community and the world around us.

Specific topics of study will include: Illinois State history and government, economics, the "Roaring" Twenties, the Great Depression, World War II, the Cold War, the Civil Rights Movement, and Contemporary American Society (American culture and events during 1950's - present day).

Time Capsules for the '50s, '60s', '70s, '80s, and 90's

2011-04-15T11:16:00.000-07:00

The Battles of Midway and Iwo Jima

2010-11-02T20:22:00.001-07:00

Great Depression Act-it-Out

2010-09-27T09:25:00.000-07:00

New Blogs!!

2010-09-23T06:35:00.000-07:00

I have decided that it will be easier if each class has it's own individual blog.

This site: www.npsocialstudies.blogspot.com, will now be used only for 8th grade Social Studies classes.

7th grade classes will use: http://www.np7socialstudies.blogspot.com/

6th grade classes will use: http://www.np6ss.blogspot.com/

Images from the Great Depression

2010-09-23T06:14:00.000-07:00

Crash!!

2010-09-16T06:36:00.000-07:00

To help us better understand how America went from the "Roaring Twenties" to the Great Depression, 8th graders participated in a historical simulation of the stock market crash of 1929.

Taxation Without Representation (7th Grade)

2010-09-16T06:30:00.000-07:00

7th Grade students participated in a history simulation in which most of them played the role of colonists being taxed by the "King" and "Parliament". The "Colonists" were taxed on things such as hair color, clothing, and accesories. The "Colonists" had no say in the taxes and, though they were not happy about it, the "King" and "Parliament" kept demanding more money.

"Charleston Party" (8th Grade

2010-09-10T12:56:00.000-07:00

Since we are currently learning about the 1920's in 8th Grade Social Studies, we decided to learn the popular dance from that decade, the Charleston! Here are some highlights:

Artifact Inquiry (6th Grade)

2010-09-09T18:21:00.000-07:00

In 6th grade Social Studies we began our study of culture by learning how historians and archaeologists find out information about people who lived long before us. Students examined "artifacts" and took descriptive notes, in order to try and figure out what each objects purpose could have been. They will be putting all of this information together to try and make some conclusions about the culture from which these "artifacts" came.

Doing the Charleston (8th Grade)

2010-09-07T06:18:00.000-07:00

In our 8th grade classes we compared the two songs Charleston Party (which characterized the mood of the 1920's) and Brother Can You Spare a Dime (which characterized the mood of the 1930's).

The instructional videos below explain how to do the Charleston, the most popular dance of the 1920's. Learn how to do this dance and we will perform it in class later this week. Anyone who participates in the dance (no matter how good you are at it) will earn extra credit.

A Great Start to the New Year!

2010-09-07T06:15:00.000-07:00

The new school year is off to a great start! In Social Studies, we spent the first couple of weeks getting to know each other, learning about what it takes to be successful in class, developing our cooperative skills, learning about the curriculum, and of course, singin songs. Here are some pictures from the first two weeks:

Two Heads Are Better Than One

2010-08-31T06:09:00.000-07:00

Today in class we are talking about the cooperative skills that are needed to be successful when working in groups. Here is a cute video that helps remind us why we work in groups:

Welcome Back!!

2010-08-03T15:50:00.000-07:00

The new school year will bring many changes to North Prairie. One of those changes is our Social Studies program. This year, I will be teaching all of grades 6 through 8. Classes will be about 30 minutes each and will be very different from your traditional Social Studies class. I look forward to a very FUN and exciting year!!

Here are some first day of school videos to get you in the right frame of mind:

Welcome Ms. Purta!

2010-04-13T08:00:00.000-07:00

Hopefully, each student has already told their parents that we have a student teacher joining us in 8th grade Social Studies for the remainder of the year. Ms. Purta has already taken over all of the main duties of classroom teacher and is doing a great job! Below is a note from Ms. Purta:

Dear Eighth Grade Families,

I would like to take the opportunity to introduce myself. My name is Melissa Purta and I am honored to be your child’s eighth grade social studies teacher. I am a soon to be graduate from Carthage College. This is my second quarter student teaching and I am so excited to be here. I previously student taught freshman to seniors at Burlington High School.

I am looking forward to working with you and your child in reaching his or her full potential. We will have many wonderful experiences and opportunities to learn and grow in the days ahead.

I believe that communication is the key to a great parent-teacher relationship. I encourage you to contact me if you have any questions or concerns at any time. You can send me a note, email me at mpurta@whsd1.org or call me at (847-476-1341). For individual concerns, I will contact you by phone, send a note home, or email you (if an email address is provided).

I am looking forward to a wonderful and exciting year with you and your child!

Sincerely,

Melissa Purta

Ms. Purta has taken over our study of Contemporary American Society with an exploration of the 1970's. Here are some photos of students being introduced to this decade by learning how to disco dance:

The 1960's

2010-03-26T06:56:00.000-07:00

Here are some videos I found for our discussion 1960's:

This montage is helpful in hearing how music changed through the decade:

This montage is simply one person's opinoin on the best songs of the decade, but it is still helpful in that it shows the variety of styles and fashisions of artists of the 1960's"

"All You Need is Love" was first performed by The Beatles on "Our World", the first live global television link. Watched by 400 million in 26 countries, the program was broadcast via satellite on 25 June 1967. The BBC had commissioned the Beatles to write a song for the UK's contribution. Rolling Stone magazine ranked it at #362 in their 500 greatest songs of all time.

Bob Dylan's "Subterranian Homesick Blues", 1965:

First moon landing, 1969:

The Early Show looks back the 1960's:

Experiencing the 1950's

2010-03-16T07:34:00.000-07:00

As an introduction to the 1950's, social studies classes spent a little bit of time trying to "experience" that period. We listened to 45rpm records, hula-hooped, tossed the frisbee around, learned to dance The Twist, and even sang "Summertime Blues" together. Here is a video I put together featuring some of these activities:

Rock and Roll Comes to TV

2010-03-16T07:32:00.000-07:00

The 1950's

2010-03-12T10:12:00.000-08:00

We are begining our study of contemporary American society, in which we will look at American culture and significant events in the second half of the 20th Century. Here are some videos from the first decade we will be learning about, the 1950's:

The End of the Cold War

2010-03-02T05:50:00.000-08:00

The following videos show two different perspectives as to how, and why, the Cold War ended:

Guest Speakers - The Vietnam War

2010-02-25T08:21:00.000-08:00

Recently, we were very fortunate to have two guest speakers come to our class to talk about their experiences in the Vietnam War. These presentations added a lot to our study of how the Cold War affected America and helped us understand the feelings and experiences of those who actually took part in this conflict.

Students found that Mr. Michael Hebert and Rev. Michael Morris had some very important characteristics in common such as the fact that they were both proud to have served their country, and that their experiences had a positive effect on how they chose to live the rest of their lives.

At the same time, they were able to provide the students with a variety of personal experiences about the war since they served in different branches of the military, at different points in the war, and in different capacities.

I found from our discussion and reflection activities that the students truly gained a lot from these visits, especially through their opportunities to ask questions and compare experiences.

Hunting Communists

2010-02-10T06:38:00.000-08:00

On Monday, students participated in an activity to help them gain an understanding of the feelings of suspicion among Americans in the 1940's and 1950's regarding communism in the United States. Students were each given a folded index card, most of which were blank. A few cards however, had a red dot on the inside, which meant that they were communists. Students were then asked to form groups with other students, as large as possible, without any communists in them. Any group that had successfully managed to keep out "communists" won. At the same time, any "communist" who had successfully infiltrated a group won as well.

From this activity, students learned that it is not fair, nor productive, to make judgements and decisions based on fear and suspicion.

Joseph McCarthy and the "Red Scare"

2010-02-05T08:49:00.000-08:00

Here is some video footage from the infamous Army-McCarthy Hearings:

Duck and Cover

2010-02-03T07:18:00.000-08:00

Here is the Duck and Cover instructional video from the 1950's, telling people what to do in the case of a nuclear attack on the United States:

After watching Duck and Cover in class, students were surprised with their own atomic bomb drill. When the alarm sounded, they quickly got under their desks to protect themselves:

During the 1950's and 60's, a number of families built fallout shelters to protect them in the case of a nuclear attack from the Soviet Union. This video shows what those shelters were like:

The Butter Battle

2010-02-03T07:15:00.000-08:00

On Wednesday, I read The Butter Battle Book by Dr. Seuss, to the classes. This book tells the story of the Yooks, who eat their bread butter-side up, and their enemy the Zooks, who eat their's butter-side down. In order to defend their way of life, each side compete's with the other building newer and more destructive weapons. As I read, students quickly realized that this story was a metaphor for the nuclear arms race between the United States and the Soviet Union during the Cold War.

Here is the TV version of The Butter Battle Book. It is not as good as the book, but may still be helpful in remembering the lesson of the story. The video is in three parts.

Part 1:

Part 2:

Part 3:

The Berlin Wall

2010-02-02T09:06:00.000-08:00

Here is the Megastructures video we watched in class:

Understanding Communism

2010-01-28T09:10:00.000-08:00

In order to better understand the differences between capitalism and communism (as part of our study of the Cold War), students participated in a classroom simulation in which each of them was assigned a role of either a peasant, skilled laborer, or wealthy individual in early 20th century Russia. They were required to budget how they would feed their family based on their income in a capitalist system, and then in a communist one. Afterwards, we discussed the pros and cons of each situation.

Histeria explains Communism:

Josef Stalin

2010-01-27T13:34:00.000-08:00

Stalin speech - November 7, 1941[English subtitles]:

A little fun with Stalin (who was actually not much fun):

Cold War Tag

2010-01-26T14:42:00.001-08:00

Gandhi

2010-01-25T08:36:00.000-08:00

We just finished watching the film Gandhi, in order to understand how he inspired and influenced the American Civil Rights Movement. I have posted some videos that give us a little more insight into this great figure.

"One World" speech:

Rare film of Gandhi:

Civil Rights Protest March

2010-01-20T06:45:00.000-08:00

MLK Jr. Assassination

2010-01-14T06:48:00.000-08:00

Dr. King's last speech in Memphis, TN:

A short documentary about the assassination:

Robert Kennedy responds to Dr. King's Assassination:

March on Washington Act-it-Out

2010-01-11T11:26:00.001-08:00

Kennedy and Johnson on Civil Rights

2010-01-08T08:23:00.000-08:00

President John F. Kennedy's address on Civil Rights, June 11, 1963:

President Lyndon Johnson's remarks on signing the Civil Rights Act, July 2, 1964:

March on Washington

2010-01-06T11:26:00.000-08:00

Filling the Jails in Birmingham

2010-01-06T07:14:00.000-08:00

Here are some videos that relate to our reading of Section 31.6:

Martin Luther King Jr. comes to Birmingham:

MLK Jr.'s Letter from a Birmingham Jail:

Bull Connor:

Sixteenth Street Baptist Church bombing:

Act-It-Out: Greensboro Lunch Counter Sit-In

2010-01-06T07:05:00.001-08:00

The Little Rock Nine

2010-01-05T06:37:00.001-08:00

Greensboro Lunch Counter Sit-In

2010-01-04T08:36:00.000-08:00

In class today we discussed the lunch counter sit-in protests of the Civil Rights Movement. Here is a great video about these events from the American Museum of History:

Happy Holidays from the 8th Grade Team

2009-12-18T07:05:00.001-08:00

Send your own ElfYourself eCards

Montgomery Bus Boycott

2009-12-15T10:03:00.000-08:00

Below is a video of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in a televised announcement discussing the boycott. After watching the video, post a comment comparing and contrasting the real Dr. King with his portrayol by the actor Jeffrey Wright in the film Boycott for extra credit.

This is a segment from the Civil Rights Movement documentary series Eyes on the Prize:

Rosa Parks Act-it-Out

2009-12-15T07:47:00.000-08:00

Rosa Parks

2009-12-10T10:03:00.000-08:00

The following video is from an interview of Rosa Parks during the Montgomery Bus Boycott:

Here is a segment from an interview Rosa Parks gave later in her life:

Here is video someone took at the museum that displays the acuatl Rosa Parks bus:

This video is from one of my favorite TV shows, Histeria:

Thurgood Marshall

2009-12-08T11:36:00.000-08:00

We have been watching the film Separate But Equal in class, telling the story of Supreme Court case Brown vs. Board of Education. One of the main characters in this film is Thurgood Marshall, who at that time was a lawyer for the NAACP. I found some intersting interview footage of the real Thurgood Marshall who, in 1967 was the first African-American appointed to the U.S. Supreme Court.

WWII Commemorative Stamp Sets

2009-12-01T06:48:00.000-08:00

Recently, students processed what they have learned about World War II by creating “commemorative stamp sets” that illustrate the significance of the war. Specifically, they had to create three stamps that showed how three of the different groups of people that we studied were affected by the war, and one stamp that memorializes a specific battle or event.

Here is a sampling of what they did:

I Ain't Got No Home

2009-11-24T11:57:00.000-08:00

In my REaD class today we finished reading the book "Zen, and the Art of Faking It" by Jordan Sonnenblick. I chose to read this book because one of the main characters and I share a love of Woody Guthrie's music. So, I thought it would be fitting on our last day of this REaD session for the class to sing one of the Woody Guthrie songs talked about in the book. Here is our rendition of "I Ain't Got No Home":

Audio Recordings of WWII Radio Broadcasts

2009-11-19T06:12:00.000-08:00

Core A:

Core B:

Core C:

Core D:

WWII Radio Broadcasts

2009-11-18T13:19:00.000-08:00

Student groups created World War II Radio Broadcasts in order to teach the rest of the class about how the war affected various groups of Americans including the government, consumers, women, Japanese Americans, Jewish Americans, American Servicemen, and African Americans.

Each broadcast included a promotional poster, introduction, lead story, advertisement, human interest story, and conclusion. All of the groups did a great job and the students really enjoyed listening to and learning from their classmates on the "radio".

Below are some pictures from this activity. I will post the audio recordings of the radio broadcasts soon as well.

Listening to a broadcast: Promotional poster: The audience: Inside the studio:

WWII: Edward Murrow Radio News Broadcast

2009-11-14T16:24:00.001-08:00

World War II

2009-10-23T13:12:00.000-07:00

Here is a newsreel-type cartoon that was created to explain the events leading up to World War II in Europe:

The War in Europe:

The War in the Pacific:

The Battle of Midway:

Iwo Jima:

The Grapes of Wrath

2009-10-20T07:26:00.000-07:00

We are currently watching and discussing the film The Grapes of Wrath in class. Here is an original trailer for the movie that focuses on the popularity of the book at the time that it came out:

CD Covers

2009-10-16T13:31:00.000-07:00

When we began studying the Roaring Twenties and the Great Depression, we analyzed two different songs: "Charleston Party" (which reflects the spirit of the 1920's), and "Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?" (which reflects the hardship and despair of the 1930's). As we finished our unit of study for these decades, students created CD covers for each of the two songs, showing elements of each time period that they learned about. I put these together into slide shows to go along with each of the songs:

"Charleston Party"

"Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?"

New Deal Act-it-Out

2009-10-13T14:37:00.000-07:00

Civilian Conservation Corps

2009-10-13T07:52:00.001-07:00

The CCC was one of Roosevelt's first New Deal programs. Here is a short video that gives a little more information about what this program did:

Civilian Conservation Corps

Shared via AddThis

Images of the Great Depression

2009-10-07T07:05:00.000-07:00

Here are a couple of great slide shows of Depression era photos that I found. The first one focuses on the lives of migrant workers, people who left their homes in the midwest to seek work in California. The second has more pictures that show city life during that time period.

Great Depression Act-it-Out

2009-10-06T13:49:00.001-07:00

All of the classes did a great job in preparing and performing their "Act-it-Outs" about the Great Depression. I put together a video that shows pictures from all of the classes accompanied with the audio from Core D's performance.

Apple-Pie Blues

2009-10-06T13:46:00.000-07:00

As part of our study of the Great Depression we talked a little bit about Blues music. Students were encouraged to write a blues verse for extra credit. "Cuddlefish" Kate, however, went and wrote an entire blues song. It was pretty good, so I performed it live for Core D. Here is the video with a little bit of effect to make it look older:

Writing the Blues

2009-10-05T07:57:00.000-07:00

Today in class we talked a little bit about the Blues and blues artists who made music during the 1920's and 1930's, and we even sang a little blues. For extra credit you can write a blues verse and submit it to me on Tuesday. I will take the ones that are good and turn them into a song.

Click on the title to this post to link to a set of "instructions" for writing the blues.

Crash!!

2009-10-02T14:25:00.000-07:00

Here is the video I made of stock market activity "Crash!" that we did in class. It's accompanied by a great song from the 1920's.

Dancing the Charleston

2009-09-30T18:00:00.000-07:00

As part of our study of the Roaring Twenties, a number of students attempted to learn how to dance the Charleston, the most popular dance of that decade. All of the students who tried the dance did great and everybody had fun, even those who decided to simply watch.

I posted the video that I made below. Don't forget to post your comments.

The Charleston

2009-09-28T09:10:00.001-07:00

Today in class we compared the two songs Charleston Party (which characterized the mood of the 1920's) and Brother Can You Spare a Dime (which characterized the mood of the 1930's).

The instructional videos below explain how to do the Charleston, the most popular dance of the 1920's. Learn how to do this dance and we will perform it in class later this week. Anyone who participates in the dance (no matter how good you are at it) will earn extra credit.

Sufferin' Till Suffrage

2009-09-28T08:51:00.000-07:00

The roles that women played in America during the first World War helped lead to the adoption of the 19th Amendment. If you don't remember what that was all about, here's a video that might help:

Immigration Role Plays

2009-09-18T10:04:00.001-07:00

Current Events Analysis Form

2009-09-16T08:21:00.000-07:00

Due to popular demand, I have uploaded a copy of the weekly Current Event Analysis form. There is a link to it on the side-bar under "documents".

Immigration Poll

2009-09-15T07:41:00.000-07:00

Since we are currently discussing the issue of immigration in U.S. today, I have added a poll about this issue to the side-bar. All responses are anonymous, so feel free to vote your conscience without having to explain anything. We'll discuss the final results in class next week.

Immigrant Interview with Mrs. Stan

2009-09-10T13:18:00.000-07:00

President Obama's Speech to Students

2009-09-09T06:24:00.001-07:00

Outsourcing Your Brain

2009-09-04T07:23:00.000-07:00

Let me know your thoughts on this issue:

NP Social Studies on Twitter

2009-09-01T12:54:00.000-07:00

I have set up a Twitter account (@npsocialstudies) for our class! I will use this to post updates on what is going on in class, homework assignments, and more. You will also be able to read my Tweets on the sidebar of this blog.

Go to Twitter.com/npsocialstudies to find out more.

Extra Credit - Interview Questions

2009-09-01T10:59:00.000-07:00

To help us better understand what the experience of immigration is like, I am going to interview someone who immigrated to the United States using questions submitted by students. I will then post the interview on this blog and we will watch it in class.

I will give extra credit to students who submit questions for the interview. To participate, simply write your name, core, and question on a 3x5 index card and turn it in to me by this Friday (Sept. 4th).

Immigration Through Ellis Island

2009-09-01T07:56:00.001-07:00

Welcome Back

2009-08-12T13:19:00.000-07:00

To welcome you back, here are some videos about the first day of school:

And you may remember this one from the first day of Social Studies last year:

I'm very excited to be teaching 8th Grade Social Studies. While everything will be new to you this year, remember that it will also be new to me. I have never taught
8th grade, or this time-period before, so I am very excited about trying new things.

the curriculum will cover modern American history and Current Events. Here are a couple of videos that will serve as preview of what our focus will be this year:

The End

2009-06-06T18:30:00.000-07:00

I just wanted to let everyone how much I've enjoyed this year. As I mentioned at our awards ceremony, this has been one of my favorite groups of 7th graders that I've had here at North Prairie. I hope that you have learned a lot about our country's history and that you had fun doing so.

Enjoy your summer!

The Gettysburg Address

2009-04-24T08:56:00.000-07:00

Math in Social Studies???

2009-04-21T10:03:00.000-07:00

In order to better understand the differences between the Union and Confederacy at the start of the Civil War, we looked at the major resources for each side. Students took the amounts that each side had of each of these resources and converted them into percentage so that they could create pie-graphs showing the difference between them.

A Dividng Nation

2009-04-21T09:07:00.001-07:00

Recently, students played the role of U.S. Senators in the first half of the
1800's. Some of them represented the North and some represented the South. They had to make compromises in order to keep the country together as issues such as slavery in the territories, the Dred Scott case, the Kansas-Nebraska act and the election of 1860 threatened to tear the country apart.

Gettysburg Address

2009-04-20T06:51:00.000-07:00

The Lincoln-Douglass Debates

2009-04-13T06:31:00.001-07:00

The Dred Scot Case

2009-04-13T06:30:00.001-07:00

Frederick Douglass

2009-03-26T08:36:00.001-07:00

Harriet Tubman

2009-03-26T08:33:00.000-07:00

Slavery Story Quilts

2009-03-25T13:55:00.000-07:00

We recently learned that slaves in the early 1800's used story quilts to pass on information to future generations. In order to show our knowledge of the conditions slaves lived under, and the things they did to cope with those conditions, we made our own "story quilts". The quilt squares convey information about such topics as; working conditions of slaves, living conditions of slaves, how slaves were controlled, how they resisted slavery, slave families and communities, slave churches, leisure time activities, and African American culture.

Into the West - World on Fire

2009-03-10T12:33:00.000-07:00

This music video for the song "World on Fire" was used as a trailer for the Into the West mini-series. For extra credit, comment on this post explaining some of the ways that the film reflects the experiences of those who went west in the mid 1800's.

Life in the West

2009-02-27T14:53:00.000-08:00

Life in the West

2009-02-19T12:35:00.000-08:00

In order to learn about what life was like for the different groups that went West in the 1800's, students will be creating mini-dramas. The first step in this project involves each student group reading about the group of settlers they have been assigned and finding out why they moved West, the hardships they faced, and the legacies that they left.

Happy 200th Birthday Abraham Lincoln!

2009-02-12T08:28:00.000-08:00

Manifest Destiny: A Review

2009-02-05T09:40:00.000-08:00

**For extra credit, post a response answering this question: Which lands would you say were acquired in an honorable way and which ones weren't? Explain your answer.**

Here is the video "Elbow Room" from Schoolhouse Rocks:

Three of the major acquisitions that we discussed in class (Texas, Oregon, and the Mexican Cession) took place during the Presidency of James K. Polk. Here is a fun song about his term in office written by the band They Might Be Giants.

Lyrics:
In 1844, the Democrats were split
The three nominees for the presidential candidate
Were Martin Van Buren, a former president and an abolitionist
James Buchanan, a moderate
Louis Cass, a general and expansionist
From Nashville came a dark horse riding up
He was James K. Polk, Napoleon of the Stump

Austere, severe, he held few people dear
His oratory filled his foes with fear
The factions soon agreed
He's just the man we need
To bring about victory
Fulfill our manifest destiny
And annex the land the Mexicans command
And when the votes were cast the winner was
Mister James K. Polk, Napoleon of the Stump

In four short years he met his every goal
He seized the whole southwest from Mexico
Made sure the tarriffs fell
And made the English sell the Oregon territory
He built an independent treasury
Having done all this he sought no second term
But precious few have mourned the passing of
Mister James K. Polk, our eleventh president
Young Hickory, Napoleon of the Stump

12 Angry Men

2009-01-29T11:30:00.000-08:00

As a follow-up to our study of the Constitution we are watching one of my favorite films; 12 Angry Men, and discussing how our rights, specifically those listed in the 5th and 6th Amendments often must compete with our human nature.

Here is a trailer for the film:

For extra credit, post a comment answering this question: In what way does the film show us the importance of the 5th and 6th Amendments, specifically when it comes to the role of "reasonable doubt"?

Springfield Trip

2009-01-22T12:02:00.000-08:00

There is still plenty of room on the Springfield Trip for students and parents. E-mail me for details.

The 19th Amendment

2009-01-21T09:08:00.000-08:00

Constitution Test

2009-01-20T07:19:00.001-08:00

REMINDER: The U.S. Constitution Test will be taken on Wednesday, January 28th.

Constitutional Law Competition

2009-01-13T12:31:00.000-08:00

How a Bill Becomes a Law

2009-01-06T11:48:00.000-08:00

Here are two very different takes on the process by which a bill becomes a law. The first is the famous "I'm Just a Bill" from Schoolhouse Rocks. The second is a scene from the movie Mr. Smith Goes to Washington in which a naive new senator's secretary explains the difficulty of actually getting a bill passed.

CONSTITUTION TEST!!!!!!!

2009-01-04T17:05:00.000-08:00

The Constitution Test will be on Wednesday, January 28th. Study Guides will go out either Monday or Tuesday of this week.

E-mail me if you have any questions.

Still Learning

2008-12-17T15:25:00.000-08:00

I've been playing around with our new Smart software. Here is an experimental video I made with the program reviewing the Legislative Branch.

Three Branches Quiz

2008-12-16T08:04:00.001-08:00

Take the quiz below for Extra Credit (and to help prepare for the Constitution Test). The answers will be sent to me. Don't forget to fill your name in.

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The Three Branches of Government

2008-12-14T17:51:00.001-08:00

The Preamble

2008-12-10T14:32:00.001-08:00

the Preamble of the Constitution is a single sentence introduction to the document. It states the purpose of the new form of government with its six goals:

"We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America."

Here is the Schoolhouse Rocks video that teaches about the Preamble:

This video is from the Andy Griffith Show (from the 1960's). In it, the character of Barney claims that he still remembers the entire Preamble from when he learned it in grade school. Watch and see how well he really remembers it: