Calendar 12/20-12/24

Monday

Tuesday Economics, Unions, and the Presidency; running for Congress HW due – past assignments.   HW – Start Review Guide for unit.  Finish any outstanding assignments from the past week.

Wednesday

Thursday Finish documentary HW due – past assignments – last break.   HW – Finish Review Guide for unit.  We will have a quiz on terms, concepts and ideas on 1/3.

Friday Enjoy your WINTER BREAK! J

Winter Break HW

I'm going to handout a homework assignment that many of you will choose to work on over the Winter Break.  For some reason, I can't figure out how to post it here.  Please shoot me an e-mail if you miss class and need a copy.  I can send it to you in Word or PDF format.

Revision to HW Calendar for 12/17

Hey guys, my bad about forgetting the handouts this morning, along with my socks, but I will make sure to have them for you on Friday.  We're going to finish the Frontline special about the health care debate, read through some articles about the debate going on right now, and then stage a class discussion about PACs, moving a bill through Congress, coalition building, etc.  We will still do a quiz on Tuesday, but it will be a short one and I will scale back the information on there.  I'll give you a good idea of what will be on it at the end of Friday's class.  I'll also have print copies of the calendar for next week. 

Thanks and see you on Friday.  :)

Mr. Jones

Homework for 12/13-12/17

M	Tu	W	Th	F
Continue political parties and elections.   HW due - Reading question from article.   HW - Read pages 269-294, and do the terms on Pg. 294.		Continue political parties and elections.   HW due – Pg. 294 terms.   HW – Read pages 296-320, and do the terms on Pg. 320.		Elections and voting behavior.   HW due - Pg. 320 terms.   HW – Study for quiz on Tuesday.

Homework for 12/1

Read pages 210-237 in the text, complete the terms on Pg. 237 and then answer the following questions:

1.  How does the government regulate the media?  How does that affect political reporting?
2.  How has narrowcasting affected the manner in which Americans get their news and, by extension, how that news is reported to them?  Has that change been net positive or negative?  Why?
3.  What is the impact of private ownership of the media?  What are the advantages to having the media in private hands?  What are the drawbacks?
4.  How does the media dictate the policy discussion for the government?

Calendar 11/29-12/3

AP Government – Course Calendar
11/29-12/3

M	Tu	W	Th	F
Media and politics.  We might start in on material about political parties. HW due – Terms from Pg. 208 (if you hadn’t handed them in yet) HW – Study for Quiz – Bill of Rights, Polling, and media.		Quiz – Bill of Rights, Polling, and media HW due – none. HW – Readings and questions will be provided in class.		PARTY TIME – Political parties.  Review Wednesday’s quiz. HW – Study for Culmulative Test on Tuesday.

Thoreau and Civil Disobedience

We are going to be reviewing excerpts from Thoreau's Civil Disobedience (1849) treatise.  If you are interested in reading more than just these excerpts, and not surprisingly, some of you might, here is a link to an online copy. 

The requisite disclaimer - While this site is hosted by the University of California-Burkeley, a noted academic stalwart, Manchester High School and its faculty, staff, and administration are not responsible for the content of any outside Internet resources, including the aforementioned link.

No extra reading questions for tomorrow

Hi guys, I got an e-mail tonight from a student about the extra reading questions, and I realized then and there that I hadn't posted any of them, so don't worry about them for tomorrow.  If you are reading this before class, you would be one of the few that might be worried.  We actually kind of ended at a weird spot on Friday - we didn't finish all of the material for Friday's class and we are going to have to finish that first before starting on the material I've got ready for tomorrow - so we might end up adding those reading questions and making them due next week. 

Quiz Fun

I'm still finishing correcting the short answer questions - don't worry though, you will get the quizzes back tomorrow - but I finished all of the multiple choice questions.  The class average on the multiple choice is just under 80%, which is good given the fact that some of you said that they were difficult.  Also, some redemption for your lowly teacher: that question about being "popularly elected" was one of the reading questions and they talked about the evolution of the federal government to allow more input from popular election in the chapter.  So I wasn't crazy (about that), after all.  Whew. 

We are going to review some quizzing tips and strategies next time.  I'll have handouts for you in addition to the class notes.  If you missed the quiz or want a retake, see me.  Thanks and hope you are enjoying the only full week of school in November.  :)

Mr. Jones

Interesting article on NYT

Not sure that this will ease the blow of college costs, and definitely not saying that I agree with the assertions, but I thought some of you might be interested in this review.

http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/11/15/there-is-no-college-cost-crisis/

Course Calendar, 11/15-11/26

AP Government – Course Calendar
11/15-11/27

M	Tu	W	Th	F
Quiz today – Federalism and other underpinnings of the constitution. HW due – Terms and reading questions HW – Read pages 68-96 but just do the terms on Pg. 96.  Note:  the first 10-15 pages of the chapter are kind of a review of what we have already gone over – so just skim there – and focus more on the new material.		Finish federalism and underpinnings.  Start Political Beliefs and Behaviors HW due – Terms HW – Read pages 98-104.  Make sure your Constitutional Fun handout is complete from the Quarter 1 work.		Political Beliefs and Behaviors HW  due – Constitutional Fun worksheet HW – Read pages 176-208.  Reading questions will be provided on the course blog.  Make sure to do the terms.
	Political Beliefs and Behaviors HW due – Pg. 208 terms and reading questions. HW – Start flashcards for the Bill of Rights and Federalism unit.	Half Day of School	Thanksgiving Day ENJOY THE TIME OFF!	No School DITTO!

Quiz on Monday

Study tips:  Review the all of the HW terms and cross check your definitions with those in the Powerpoint notes.  Some particularly important things to review...
-  Checks & Balances, how Madison perceived it, and how one branch of government works with another branch.
-  The need for the Constitution versus the Articles of Confederation
-  Federalists versus Antifederalists - how did they perceive a government should be organized?  Why?

Don't freak out!  You should know this stuff pretty well by now and you've got plenty of time to review.

Reading Questions for 11/10 HW

Okay, new experiment, we are going to try to save the school some green and be more green by having you utilize the blog to get tonight's reading questions.  The key terms on Pg. 66 also need to be completed.

Reading Questions (due on Monday, 11/15)
1.  What was Madison's original plan for the electorial process in the Constitution?  How has it changed over the years?
2.  Why was the Bill of Rights enacted?  What's in the Bill of Rights - what liberties do they seek to protect?

Also, DON'T FORGET TO STUDY FOR YOUR QUIZ ON MONDAY!  Have a great day off tomorrow and a good weekend.  Make sure to fit it sometime to go over the text, notes, and assignments.  - Jones

Revised Calendar for 11/1 - 11/12

AP Government – Course Calendar
11/1-11/12 (Revised on 11/6)

M	Tu	W	Th	F
First class – review grading rationale, class notes, and homework. HW – Election Assignment	Election Day – No School for you J		Constitutionalism and the founding of the American Republic.  Textbooks will be distributed HW due – Election Assignment; be prepared to talk about Q1 readings. HW – Reading and questions from text.
Continue federalism topic.  Review Federalist Papers 1, 47, 48, 51 as in class assignment. HW – Read pages 2-26 and answer the first two questions for Parts 1, 2 and 3 on Pg. 25.  Then, define the terms under the heading “Key Terms” on the bottom of Pg. 26.		Notes and review for quiz. HW due – Reading and questions from text. HW – Read pages 30-67 and do the key terms on Pg. 66.  You will be getting reading questions in class. Quiz on readings and notes on Monday 11/14.  STUDY!	Veterans’ Day – No school for us. J Today would be a good day to work on the homework and to study for your quiz on Monday!

Veterans Day

I forgot that Thursday, November 11th is Veterans Day, and thus we won't have school.  I will give you a revised homework and class calendar on Monday.  Please bring your books to class and make sure to get them covered.  I'll also post that calendar here on the blog for the curious over the weekend.

Also, make sure that you get any missing work into me as soon as possible.  REMINDER:  Monday, 11/8 is the last day to turn in the Quarter 1 Assignment.

Thanks!  Mr. Jones

REMINDER - Q1 Papers are due

If you haven't gotten them in already, you have until Monday, November 7th to get it in my hands for credit.  Thanks!  Mr. Jones

The Race for the House

http://www.npr.org/blogs/politicaljunkie/2010/08/26/129444160/top-50-house-races-for-2010
Assignment for tonight:  Read the above article.  Answer the following questions -- Why do you think so many House races are in play for this election?  Why do you think the Democrats seem to be on the verge of losing the House of Representatives?  What is going on nationally to cause this national trend?

Then, choose a race from Ken Rudin's list, do some research and tell us who do you predict to win.  Why?  What's going on in that district?

Assignment for Tuesday/Wednesday night:  Were you right or wrong?  How did your district wind up?  How did the race play out for the Republicans and Democrats nationally?  What ramifications might this have for President Obama and his administration in the weeks, months and even years to come?  Why?

Calendar - 11/1-11/12

AP Government – Course Calendar
11/1-11/12

M	Tu	W	Th	F
First class – review grading rationale, class notes, and homework. HW – Election Assignment	Election Day – No School for you J		Constitutionalism and the founding of the American Republic.  Textbooks will be distributed HW due – Election Assignment; be prepared to talk about Q1 readings. HW – Reading and questions from text.
Continue federalism topic.  Class debate activity. HW due – Reading Questions from Thursday.  Absolute last day to hand in Q1 Reading Assignment. HW – Reading and questions from text.		Review Federalist Papers 1, 47, 48, 51 and 16, 17, 39 and 46 in groups. HW due – Reading and questions from text. HW – Study for quiz		Quiz – Constitutionalism and federalism. New calendar will be distributed.

Welcome to the class

I will be using this space to post your assignments, articles, and other items that you might need, and it will be available for you to utilize as an area for discussion.  Our plan for the week and information about the reading assignment will posted soon. - Mr. Jones