Homework/In Class Assignments for American Government Class

Unit 3 Government Assignments

The focus of this unit will be an analysis of the judicial system, one of the three key branches of government. We will commence by analyzing how the Supreme Court gained its power of judicial review and analyze how this authority has effected our government. Our focus will then shift to an investigation of the impact of the Bill of Rights on America's past and present and attempt to determine what may be the proper balance between police powers and the rights of the accused especially in light of the war on terrorism. The four week unit will conclude with a chapter test.

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Date	In Class Activity	Homework
Mon 1/8	Finish Activity: How Does the Court Decide Activity: Take the case? Granting Certiorari Start Lecture Structure of the Federal Court System Skit: Marbury v. Madison	All Students Interactively read the background for the Tinker article You can print out the vague outline for the unit's 2nd lecture here: 1st Amendment Make sure to study for the quest (final unit of econ and public policy/cabinet) If you missed the Federal Court lecture here is the PDF of the lecture AP Students: Read 510-516 Finish the Cert activity we did on the day of the final.
Wed 1/10	Finish Lecture Structure of the Federal Court System Activity: How Well do you know the Supreme Court of the United States? Start Lecture/Discussion 1st Amendment : What are the 5 Freedoms? Continue Free Speech Crossfire: Texas v. Johnson, Schenck v. US "If the freedom of speech is taken away then dumb and silent we may be led, like sheep to the slaughter."                                       -George Washington	All Students Download and bring to class the People v. Larry Flynt video guide in case we get to it Monday (though it will likely be Wednesday). Read 538-539 and answer the question in your notes on page 539 (What would you do?) and read page 542 AP Students Read 525-532, 538-539 and answer the question in your notes on page 539 (What would you do?) and read page 542 Interactively read the 14th Amendement
Fri 1/12	Continue Lecture/Discussion 1st Amendment Political Tolerance: Individual, team, class discussion Start People v. Larry Flynt . 'Necessity is the excuse for every infringement on freedom.'                                       -William Pitt	All Students: Read and do Hazelwood Court Analysis Here is the PDF Version AP Students:: Read pages 104-109 Interactively read and fill in the Current Events on charter schools and the debt ceiling By next friday (1/19) you need to watch the video Shouting Fire and do the worksheet Free Speech. Be working on your cases for the tutorials 1/25, 1/31, and 2/2
Wed 1/17	Discuss Hazelwood Finish People v. Larry Flynt Mini-Lecture: 'Hate Speech' & Freedom of Speech (Time permitted) Video clip: Stossel: You Can't Say That! "Freedom is the concern of the oppressed, and her natural protectors have always come from among the oppressed."                                       -Camus	All Students: Download and bring to class Marathon Freedom of Religion. Print out Freedom of Religion crossfires (here is a pdf version) and... Do the Case Background sections (only) for the crossfire matrix on the 3 cases provided AP Students:: By Friday you need to watch the video Shouting Fire and do the worksheet Free Speech. Read pages 117-126: Answer the you are the judge questions in your notes on page 118&121. - I will collect them.
Fri 1/19	Lecture/Video Freedom of Religion: Establishment Clause Start Marathon Freedom of Religion video. "The First Amendment has erected a wall between Church and State which must be kept high and impregnable"                                       -Hugo Black	All Students: If you missed the Marathon Video in class today you can go my canvas page and watch it there AP Students: Read pages 110-114 Interactively read When Freedoms Clash If you weren't able to previously, watch the video Shouting Fire and do the worksheet Free Speech. Print out and bring to class the Five Crossfire cases matrix.
Tues 1/23	Finish Marathon Lecture: Freedom of Religion: Exercise Do Free Exercise Crossfires Finish First Amendment: Assembly: Skokie "It does me no injury, for my neighbor to say there are twenty gods, or no God. It neither picks my pocket nor breaks my leg."                                       -Thomas Jefferson	Please check out the First Amendment Review Sheet if you wish (updated!). Print out, if you'd like a copy of Rights of the Accused The 1st Amendment PPT might help you review for the quest. Interactively read Trump Brings Religion Front and Center Read through (but not interactively) the Establishment Clause Again. AP Students: Read pages 114-117 Reminder Lawyers for the Cake Shop Trial must have their briefs posted on FB by 11pm and should be prepared to argue Thursday at tutorial. Judges should be ready to ask questions and then will each write a 2-3 page brief afterward
Thu 1/25	First Amendment Quest Start: Lecture Rights of Accused:Watch clip of Gideon's Trumpet Masterpiece Cake Shop at tutorial. ..to disarm the people - that was the best and most effectual way to enslave them."                  -George Mason	Interested in poor Sam Sheppard's case from today? Read this. Not guilty? Print out and put in your notes to reference in class this Bill of Rights Primer Print out and interactively highlight the Death Penalty Pro-Con"> AP Students: Read pages 126-128 in textbook and do you are the judge on page 128 on a separate page in your notes. Reminder that lawyers for the Carpenter Case must have their briefs up by 11pm on Monday (1/29)
Mon 1/29	Continue Rights of the Accused: Gideon and beyond - the Exclusionary Rule Activity: Small Group Rights of Accused Court Cases	You can debrief your quiz starting today. I'm going to close the window for the first debrief on Friday because we will open the window for our new test. Watch American Violet for extra credit by next Monday. It is a powerful true docudrama on our judicial system and meet and plead. Make sure you finish pages, 5, 4, 7, and 3 from the packet we did in class today Rights of Accused Court Cases. If you were absent today make sure you print it out AP Students: Read pages 128-131 Print out and interactively highlight the Death Penalty Pro-Con Reminder that lawyers for the Carpenter Case must have their briefs up by 11pm tonight Reminder that students doing the Atkins case must have their briefs up by Wednesday at 11pm. Judges from cake shop your paper is due on Wednesday. Lawyers please turn in your papers too (your edited briefs you posted on FB)
Wed 1/31	Civil Liberties cont. (4th Amendment in modern technological era and 8th Amendment) Finish Civil Liberties: 8th Amendment (Death Penalty gone awry and the Innocence Project)	Print out, Civil Rights Lecture Print out, read through, and put in your notes this civil liberties primer. AP Students: Be prepared for the Death Penalty Discussion if you didn't already. Read pages 132-135 and do the discussion and writing questions for police cameras Reminder that students doing the Atkins case must have their briefs up by tonight at 11pm. Judges for Carpenter and Atkins need to turn in their verdicts (2-3 pages) by next Wednesday at tutorial (come in anytime and put it in the box)
Fri 2/2	Mini-Debate: Death Penalty Finish Videos and Discussion: 8th Amendment: Cruel and Unusual (Time Permitting) Film: $100 dollars a day Start Civil Rights Lecture: Case Studies What level of Scrutiny?	Here is something a little different. Go see Alabama Story, a play on civil rights for extra credit. For the day you are going to SF make sure you get to school early! Take a quick look at Innocence Project Good extra credit film for this unit: Loving AP Students: Read pages 138-142; 143-146; 176-183 and do the Young People and Politics on page 142 Print out and interactively read the entire ERA Article . It is due on 2/14 but it is long so get an early start.
Tues 2/6	Field Trip: 9th Circuit Court or Mini-Docs	AP Students: Make sure you turn in your judge papers by Wednesday at tutorial
Thu 2/8	Field Trip: 9th Circuit Court or Mini-Docs	All Students: Print out and interactively highlight page one of the ERA Article Print out and bring to class the 13th film guide AP Students: Read pages 152-162 and do the Young People and Politics on page 162 Print out and interactively read the entire ERA Article by next Friday 2/16. (We will have an in depth discussion on this on 2/16)
Mon 2/12	Continue Civil Rights Lecture: The Second Reconstruction - Jackie Robinson, Truman & the army, Brown v Board, the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Civil Rights Act of 1965 & 1968. Choose Groups for Women's Right's Newscast Start Film: 13th Have you ever sent a loved son on vacation, and had him returned to you in a pine box, so horribly battered and water-logged that someone needs to tell you this sickening sight is your son, lynched?-----Mamie Till	ALL: Check out the Innocence Project website. No need to do anything for homework on it. Print out and put in your binder for when we get to it the American History X film guide . Interactively read and summarize your assigned packet (by Friday) Domestic Life, Education, Health, Media and Beauty Standards, Race and Ethnicity, Sports, Work). AP: Make sure you finish reading your ERA Packet
Wed 2/14	Continue Film: 13th Conclude Civil Rights Lecture: Race America has the highest incarceration rate in the world, with 5% of the world's population and 25% of its prisoners. 2.3 million Americans are in prison. Over 65 million people, or 20% of the country, have criminal records. Most disturbingly, nearly 40% of our country's prisoners are African-Americans, who only make up 12% of the general population."	Be prepared for for the Women's Civil Rights Newscast by interactively reading and summarizing your assigned packet (by Friday) Domestic Life, Education, Health, Media and Beauty Standards, Race and Ethnicity, Sports, Work). Start thinking about the Judicial Branch Test (70 points): Make sure you know the court cases you will use them on the quest. before the test. Take a look at the Judicial Unit Study Guide To understand how any society functions you must understand the relationship between the men and the women. ------Angela Davis
Fri 2/16	Finish Film: 13th Conclude Civil Rights Lecture: Race Civil Rights Lecture: Women's Rights ERA Case Study I do not wish them [women] to have power over men; but over themselves.------Mary Wollstonecraft	ALL: Confused on equal protection limits? Look at Govt Discrimination Consider watching an extra credit film over the break. They include: American Violet, Fruitvale Station, Iron Jawed Angels, Loving, Selma AP Students: Read pages 163-170 Make sure you have finished reading the ERA Article Complete the ERA questions for the packet that you read.
Tues 2/27	Discuss MM Day Women's Civil Rights Newscast (Jigsaw) Homosexual Rights in America Conclude Civil Rights (College Admissions) Start Film: American History X Jails and prisons are designed to break human beings, to convert the population into specimens in a zoo - obedient to our keepers, but dangerous to each other. ------Angela Davis	Interactively read your MM Pink Sheet AP Students: Read pages 170-175 and do the You are the Judge on page 175 Watch the Frontline De Facto Segregation video (24minutes) and take notes and then write a paragraph about whether or not you think the plan is racially motivated or fair. Begin writing your speech (1.5 minutes) for next Monday's MM Day
Thu 3/1	Finish American History X Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere. We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.--------MLK Jr.	All:Finish your video guides and write a little reflection about today's movie: 1. 'The original film ends after Danny (Edward Furlong) is shot by a black student (whose brother was killed by Derek (Edward Norton) earlier in the film). In Kaye's version, after this we are taken to a scene in the family apartment where the detectives are trying to comfort Danny's grieving mother and sister. The camera then pans away and cuts to a scene in the bathroom. We see the sink filled with hair and an electric razor next to it. Derek is stood there with his head shaved - he stares in the mirror and looks at the swastika on his chest, before pulling out a pistol. The film ends on a shot of Derek's sick smile, the same smile we saw when he was arrested for his murders earlier in the film.' What do you think of this ending? Has Derek reformed enough not to go back to his old ways, or do you think it's more realistic that he goes back to it? 2. Consider the quote from the film Has anything you've done made your life better? Reflect upon it for a second and write a response. Print out, interactively read, and bring to class the Mandatory Minimum Bill.AP Complete your speeches for Monday
Mon 3/5	Minimum Mandatory Sentencing Day Mandatory minimum sentencing has disproportionately affected blacks, Hispanics and others who often don't have the financial means to fight back.--------Rand Paul	All Students: Please take a look at, and consider following Matt's twitter account Study for Judicial Branch Test
Wed 3/7	Judicial Branch Test Continue Congress: Set up the roles	All Students: Read senate bill handout 2018 (It will be up on Thursday night) Complete the student forum (current events) handout if you didn't finish it in class. Go to new unit page AP Read pages 361-364 in your textbook.
? ?	Lecture: Interest Groups and Campaign Finance in America Mini Debate: Should there be limits on Campaign finance contributions? Start Campaign Ads 'There is no act of treachery or meanness of which a political party is not capable; for in politics there is no honour.' Benjamin Disraeli	All Students: Interactively read the article Campaign Finance Again?. AP Students Read textbook (Edwards): 210-220 Prepare for an in class mini-debate: Do campaign spending limits strengthen democracy? Interactively read both sides of the debate. No and Yes (It will be on 12/14)