November in a Nutshell

Monday - 11/3 - Notes on Jury Duty
Tuesday - 11/4 - ELECTION DAY - electoral college prediction map - ****NOTE**** This assignment is the first grade of the new six weeks
Wednesday - 11/5 - Election results and speeches
Thursday - 11/6 - reading assignment with questions - Criminal Trial Procedure **THIS ASSIGNMENT WAS TAKEN FOR A GRADE
Friday - 11/7 - Action in the Court Notes. Video - Enter the Jury Room

Monday - 11/10 -- HAPPY VETERANS DAY
Tuesday - 11/11 - Finish Enter the Jury Room **The questions that went with this were taken for a grade
Wednesday 11/12 - Supreme Court Notes. Pass out Mock Trial Parts
Thursday 11/13 - Supreme court Notes - Marbury v. Madison. Work on Mock Trial
Friday 11/14 - Five Landmark Supreme Court Cases

Monday 11/17 - Supreme Court Judges Posters and Prepare for Mock Trial
Tuesday 11/18 - Worksheets from Judges Posters and Prepare for Mock Trial
Wednesday 11/19 - GUEST SPEAKERS - MOCK VOIR DIRE
Thursday 11/20 - Mock Trial Prep.
Friday 11/21 - Mock Trial

Monday - 11/24 - Vocabulary Quiz
Tuesday - 11/25 - Test

Halloween at Bowie

JD and I had a great time at the Candy Carnival. Thanks to everyone who helped. We appreciate it.

There were some political costumes this year. Of course, you've gotta love Joe the Plumber.

The rodeo clown and the queen bee aren't political, but we had a good time.

NEXT TEST

NEXT TEST IS WEDNESDAY OCTOBER 29

Week of OCtober 20

Monday Oct. 20 - Video the Real West Wing and finish vocabulary. Vocabulary words are on page 386 in the blue box marked political dictionary.

Tuesday Oct. 21 - Notes Electoral College

Wednesday Oct. 22 - Timeline activity - from candidate to President. Warm up vocabulary puzzle.

Thursday Oct. 23 - Notes - The Presidency

Friday Oct. 24 - Activity Presidential Decision Making

Monday Oct. 27 - Vocabulary Quiz

Tuesday Oct. 28 - Notes - The Vice President

Wednesday Oct. 29 - TEST!!!

Assignments for the week of 10/14

Monday - 10/13 - NO SCHOOL TODAY!! Sleep in!

Tuesday - 10/14 - Notes on Nominating Presidential Candidates

Wednesday - 10/15 - Morning - PSAT!!! Afternoon classes only - create a Presidential Candidate

Thursday and Friday - 10/15 & 10/16 - Video Journeys With George

VOCABULARY FOR THIS UNIT

Your words are on page 386 in the textbook in the blue highlighted box marked Political Dictionary.

Review for 10/10 TEST

Political Parties Review

Political Labels
1. Know the difference between a liberal and a conservative including:
a. which is usually a Democrat
b. which is usually a Republican
c. which believes in more government
d. which believes in less government
e. what each would say about the government spending money
f. what each would say about government sponsored medical care
g. what each would say about government regulation
h. what each would say about national defense
2. What are radicals and how do they apply to the terms liberal and conservative?
3. What is a moderate or independent voter and how many Americans fit into this category?

Propaganda
1. What is propaganda?
2. Define and give an example of the propaganda techniques including:
a. transfer
b. card stacking
c. plain folks
d. glittering generalities
e. mudslinging
f. testimonial
g. bandwagon

Voting and Voting Behavior
1. Know Texas voting laws including:
a. what the requirements are to vote
b. what things will prevent you from legally voting
c. why voters are required to register
2. Explain how suffrage has expanded in the U.S. through Constitutional amendments and other changes in the law.
3. Explain how different groups of people are most likely to vote based on
a. income and occupation
b. education
c. gender
d. age
e. religious background
f. ethnic background
4. What is ballot fatigue?

Political Parties
1. Know the functions of a Political party and be able to explain them.
2. Know the types of minor parties and be able to explain them.
3. What is a political party?

Vocabulary
1. Be sure to know all your vocabulary words.

Schedule for the weeks of 9/29 and 10/6

Monday 9/29 - Go over progress reports and current events/extra credit assignment. Notes on Political Labels. Video from MTV on the difference between a liberal and a conservative

Tuesday 9/30 - Political Labels self test to determine which philosophy fits your beliefs. Begin summaries of Candidate beliefs.

Wednesday 10/1 - Fill in charts that show the two major candidates political beliefs on issues. I TOOK THIS UP FOR A GRADE. You will need to do a current event if you were absent this day.

Thursday 10/2 - Notes on Political Parties. Assignment on creating your own citizen and assigning him to a political party. THIS ASSIGNMENT WAS FOR A GRADE. Pick it up from Thursday's folder if you missed it.

Friday 10/3 - Watch the V.P. debate and do vocabulary

Monday 10/6 - Notes on Voters and Voting Behavior. Reading on Voting in Texas. Review sheet for Friday's test will be handed out on this day.

Tuesday 10/7 - Notes on Propaganda.

Wednesday 10/8 - Interest Groups

Thursday 10/9 - Vocabulary Quiz

Friday 10/10 - TEST!!!

NEXT TEST

NEXT VOCABULARY QUIZ
THURSDAY 10/9

NEXT TEST
FRIDAY 10/10

Unit 3 Vocabulary Words

political party
major party
partisanship
minor party
party in power
two party system
single member district
bipartisan
coalition
incumbent
electorate
offyear election
straight ticket voting
propaganda
sound bite
public policy
public interest group
single interest group
lobbying
suffrage
split ticket voting
precinct

Looking Ahead to next week

Monday 9/22 -- Constitution quiz You can use the Constitution outlines you have already done on the quiz. If you have done the outline this should be an easy quiz. Also this day we will do an assignment on Informal Amendments.

Tuesday 9/23 -- Lesson on Amending the Constitution

Wednesday 9/24 -- Lesson on Federalism

Thursday 9/25 -- LATE START DAY -- Vocabulary Quiz

Friday 9/26 -- TEST!!

Unit 2 Vocabulary

Informal Amendment - (Informal Procedures in the book on page 79)
separation of power
checks and balances
veto
judicial review
unconstitutional federalism
formal amendment
division of power
delegated power
expressed power
implied power
inherent power
reserved power
exclusive power
concurrent power
full faith and credit clause
extradition
privileges and immunities clause
block grant

Agenda for the Week of 9/15

Monday 9/15 - Unit One Test - Our test was postponed to this day as a result of early release on Friday

Tuesday 9/16 - Notes - Principles of the Constitution AND Checking Power with Power Worksheet. The worksheet was taken up for a grade so please make sure you get it in.

Wednesday 9/17 - Constitution Outline We will have a Constitution quiz on Monday. If you have done this assinment you can use it on Monday's quiz

Thursday 9/18 - Finish Constitution Outline and work on vocabulary

Friday 9/19 - group project - Illustrate the Constitution. Second period will go to the theater for a presentation.

Student Work on Display

On Thursday students created collages based on the Preamble to the Constitution. Here is some of their work on display. They all did a great job.

CHANGE OF PLANS!!

Our test planned for Friday, Sept. 12 is a victim of Hurricane Ike. Because of our shortened school day we will postpone the test until Monday, Sept. 15. Study hard over the weekend.

The Week of 9/8 - 9/12

Monday - I handed out the review sheet for Friday's Test and we took notes on the Constitutional Convention

Tuesday - We did workbook page 23. I TOOK UP WOORKBOOK PAGES 17, 19 and 23 FOR A GRADE!!!! Get them turned in!!!! We also took notes on the Ratification of the Constitution this day.

Wednesday - We took notes on the Preamble of the Constituion and took a vocabulary quiz

Thursday - Preamble project

Friday - TEST!!!

REVIEW

Government Unit One Review
The Preamble
1. You should be able to recite the Preamble to the Constitution
2. List and explain the purposes of government found in the Preamble.
3. According to the Preamble where does government get its power?
The State and It’s Origin
1. List and explain the characteristics of a state.
2. Know the meaning of the word sovereign.
3. Explain the force theory.
4. Explain the divine right theory.
5. Explain the evolutionary theory.
6. Explain the social contract theory INCLUDING:
a. the English philosopher primarily responsible for the theory
b. the American influenced by the theory in the writing of the Declaration

c. the purpose of government
d. the state of nature
e. why the social contract is voluntary
Basic Concepts of Democracy
1. List and explain the basic concepts of democracy INCLUDING:
a. what restrains the will of the majority
b. the difference between relative freedom and absolute freedom
Declaration of Independence
1. Be familiar with the opening paragraphs of the Declaration of Independence.
2. According to the Declaration why does Government exist?
3. What important roles did the 2nd Continental Congress play?
4. Who is the primary author of the Declaration?
Articles of Confederation
1. Explain the structure of the government under the Articles of confederation.
2. List and explain the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation.
3. Explain Shays’ Rebellion
Constitutional Convention
1. What was the original purpose of the Constitutional Convention and what was the result?
2. Explain the important role compromise played in the Constitutional Convention.
3. What important roles were played by James Madison and George Washington?
4. Explain the specifics of the following:
a. the Virginia Plan
b. the New Jersey Plan
c. the Three-Fifths Compromise
d. the Connecticut Compromise
Ratification
1. Explain how the Constitution was to be ratified.
2. What were The Federalist Papers?
3. Explain who the Federalists were INCLUDING:
a. their position on the Constitution
b. who was most likely to be a Federalist
4. Explain who the Anti-Federalists were INCLUDING:
a. their position on the Constitution
b. who was most likely to be and Anti-Federalist
5. Explain the role a bill of rights played in the ratification process.
6. Be able to place the following documents in chronological order:
Bill of Rights, Declaration of Independence, Constitution, Articles of Confederation
Vocabulary
Be familiar with ALL your vocabulary words.

Unit 1 Vocabulary

Here is a list of the vocabulary words that you will need for the quiz on 9/10.
Commerce and Slave Trade Compromise
Limited government
Popular sovereignty
New Jersey Plan
Three-Fifths Compromise
Articles of Confederation
Connecticut Compromise
Virginia Plan
presiding officer
unicameral
ratification
framers
Federalist
Anti-Federalist
Compromise
Sovereign
Boycott
Bicameral
State
Quorum

TEST DATES

Wednesday 9/10 -- Vocabulary Quiz

Friday 9/12 -- Unit Test

It's Republican Week

Monday was a holiday!! **Happy Labor Day**

Tuesday we discussed the Declaration of Independence. Make sure you have the notes.

Wednesday our topic was the Articles of Confederation. AGAIN, make sure you have the notes.

Wednesday is also back to school night. I look forward to meeting your parents.

All this week we will be keeping up with the Republican National Convention. Watch what you can so you will be able to discuss it in class.

We made it through week one!

Here we are at the end of the first week of school. On Wednesday we did a written assignment entitled The State and It's Origin. Thursday we got a workbook and did pages 17 and 19 out of it. Make sure you are keeping up with your graded assignmnents!

Today's lesson involved meeting the candidates for President. Make sure you pick it up from Tuesday's folder on the bulletin board if you missed it.

Welcome!

Welcome to Mrs. Narvaiz's Government blog. Be sure to watch the Democratic National Convention this week. We will talk about it in class. Next week is the Republican Convention.