Quick Write & Free Speech Assessment

In your opinion what, if anything, should  limit of a persons freedom of speech? Give an example that pushes the boundary of your criteria, and one that exceeds and would be punishable by law.

You will be receiving an article this period about "Hate Speech".
Your job will be to compare your opinion to that of the author's and respond to his argument.

Your original paragraph and  response will be count as an assessment 

Period 1 - Due Tues. 4/16 
Period 2 - Due Wed. 4/17

Letter From Birmingham Jail Seminar

Opening Question(s):

Do you agree with MLK that “One has the moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws?”

What makes a law just, or unjust, according to Martin Luther King Jr.?

Are there laws (other than segregation laws) you think are unjust?

Would you disobey laws and suffer the consequences as MLK did in order to make a moral stand? If so, what law(s) would you protest?

Homework and ... for 4/10-11

Read "Letter From Birmingham Jail". Answer questions and be ready to discuss in a seminar on...
(1st Period -Wednesday, April 10th)
(7th Period -Thursday, April 11th))

TURN IN FIELD TRIP PERMISSION SLIP ASAP

The Bill of Rights Today

Decide which of the articles from your "Bill of Rights Today" homework effects your life the most, or you think is most important. In your notebook describe why this is so.

Once your group is done take turns in your group sharing what you wrote. Others in your group are to listen and ask questions in order to understand why the issue effects your life or is important to you.

Homework: Bill of Rights Today

Complete all four sections the Bill of Rights Today worksheet. Choose topics of interest, you may be using one in the near future as the basis for a research project.
1st Period (Due Thursday, April 4th)
7th Period (Due Friday, April 5th)

Constitution: Limits to Government Power?

Due Monday, March 18th.
You will turn in a hard copy during class.

Find a newspaper editorial or letter to the editor in which the writer claims that a branch of government has exceeded its power under the Constitution. Consult the Constitution
and write one paragraph explaining the issue and whether you believe the author of the editorial/letter is correct.

Period 7 - Write a couple sentences describing how the article relates to one of the 6 principles that the constitution is based on.

Constitutional Principles In The News

Period 1 Due Thurs. March 14th
Period 7 Due Mon. March 18th

Find a news story reflecting a constitutional principle and write one paragraph analyzing how it relates to that principle and, specifically, Articles I-VII of the Constitution. You can find an article in the "Teaching with Current Events: section  at www.BillofRightsInstitute.org or find one on your own.

Classification of Gov. by Who Can Participate

Work in your table group to put the following terms in what you think is a logical order. 
    Socialism, Republic, Nazism, Democracy, Communism, 
               Fascism,  Monarchy, Dictatorship, Anarchy

Describe Your criteria for making your decision 



In your notebook write a paragraph that describes your agreement, or disagreement with the thesis of this presentation. You can choose the overall thesis or the ideas about a particular term in the list above.

DOI and Slavery

Read the handout "THE DECLARATION, THE FOUNDERS, AND SLAVERY"
Write the answer to the question  at the end of the reading in your notebook and be ready to discuss on Monday, March 4th.

D.O.I. Continued

Re-read the D.O.I. and answer the questions on page 8 of your hand out. Be ready to discuss the question "What would it take now for people to react in the same way toward the current U.S. Government as the colonists did to the British in 1776?"

DUE Thurs. the 28th / Fri. the 29th.

Declaration Of Independence

The Declaration of Independence was written more to be listened to than read. What did you learn, and/or how did your attitude change about the declaration after listening to this rendering? Write this ion tour notebook.

Unalienable Rights

After discussing the fist two questions on page eight of your handout work with your table group to make a list of specific rights that you think are "Unalienable"  

Unalienable:  incapable of being repudiated or transferred to another; Endowed by their creator with certain unalienable rights

Assessment: What is the ideal form of Government

Write the following using a Google Doc. Put it in the folder you have shared with me.

DUE TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 26TH.

You are president of the United States. Which TWO of the panel members would you invite to be your chief political advisor? Why?

The following are the minimum requirements for your response.

• ·         A paragraph introducing the reasons for your choices
• ·         2 body paragraphs, each detailing your reasons
• o   Each paragraph will contain a relevant quote from the person, description of something they did, and your analysis, reasons, for choosing the person.
• ·         A concluding paragraph that includes a distilled recap of your reasons and something  that leaves the reader wanting to know more about the two thinkers.

Basic Rules of "Society"

List at least three types of rules you would want to establish if you were stranded on a desert island with the members of this class. Prioritize the 1, 2 and 3.

Machiavelli: The Prince

The answers to the questions below should be in your notebook.

What is Machiavelli's view of human nature and how does that shape his view of what a leader should be like?

Would his kind of leader help create a good society?


How many times did you...?
Contribute to the discussion?
Cite The Text?
Ask someone a question?

What would I do differently next time to make a better seminar?

Purpose of Government: Reflection

Briefly summarize the central positions of both David Callahan (Big Government Guy) and Yaron Brook (Small Government Guy).

Which particular arguments did you find most persuasive? Why?

Debate: What is the Proper Role of Government?

Take notes in your notebook. For each segment write down major points the debater makes and a couple supporting details. We will be stopping after each segment for discussion.                               If you are watching these from home search for the title on Youtube, the wrong videos will show up if you click on the images below.                              

Post "Quote Discussion" writing

In your notebook describe two things you learned from your discussion partners today.

“An Uneducated Electorate Promotes Democracy's Demise”

Reason,  Logic, clarity, dissent, civility, debate -  civil liberties

Feb 5/6 Quick Write

Write the following in your notebook.
What is the "Cartoonist" trying to communicate in the "Cartoon" below? Do you agree or disagree? Why or why not?