Weeks of 9/28 to 10/2

Weeks of 9/28 to 10/2:

Things we will be discussing these weeks:

A. The concept of limited government by design in the US Constitution.
B. James Madison's theory on factions.
C. The concept of Federalism as described by the Constitution.

Assignments:

A. Weekly News Discussion--Due Tuesdays
B. FRQ 2009 #1--Due Tuesday, 10/6
C. Chapter 1 and 2 Exam--Friday, 10/2

Things to Watch for this Week:

A. The reaction to the Papal visit to the United States.
B. The upcoming debate over funding Planned Parenthood in the federal budget.
C. The resignation of House Speaker John Boehner.

Weeks of 9/16 to 9/25

Weeks of 9/16 to 9/25:




Things to be discussed:


A. What are the political values of the early US and how do they appear in the US Constitution?
B. How did James Madison's view on factions shape our political system?
C. What are the burdens on government that grow out of our fear of authority?




Assignments:


1. Weekly News Discussion (You may substitute a discussion of the CNN Republican Debate, if you'd like)


2. AP Exam Question 2009 #1--Due Friday, 10/2


3. Chapter 1 and 2 Exam--Wednesday, 9/28




Things to watch for this week:


A. The ongoing refugee crisis in Europe


B. The ongoing drama of the Republican and Democrat pre-primary positioning.

Week of 9/2 to 9/4--WELCOME BACK!

Week of 9/2 to 9/4--WELCOME BACK!



FOR DISCUSSION THIS WEEK:

1. First Day Introductions and Course Syllabus
2. Introduction to Turnitin.com, Remind, Student Portal, etc.





ASSIGNMENTS:



1. News Discussion Program for Sunday, 9/7

To remind you of the weekly news discussion assignment, here is the section from the syllabus that outlines the assignment:

A large part of the homework in class will come from a weekly assignment that involves watching (or listening to) a weekly news discussion program (of at least 30 minutes in length) of your choice.  Every major network has such a program.  They are available on their broadcast schedule (usually Sunday mornings), online at any time or via podcast format that can be downloaded for free on devices.  There will be a standard assignment for the student to complete after each assignment:

·         Name and Date of Broadcast for the program

·         Names of major guests on the program and the moderator/host of the program

·         List of the major issues discussed on the program

·         Summary of the ideas presented in the program (paragraph form)

·         Discussion of student’s opinion regarding the ideas presented—with supporting evidence (paragraph form)

This assignment will be due via turnitin.com every Tuesday.  This will help keep you well-informed and help you develop a critical eye towards watching the news.  Information learned from these weekly news programs can be woven into our formal studies.  STUDENTS ARE ENCOURAGED TO VIEW MULTIPLE SOURCES THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, ESPECIALLY THOSE OUTSIDE THEIR IDEOLOGICAL COMFORT ZONES.

2. Summer Assignment 2014

Please have your summer assignment loaded into turnitin.com by Friday, 11:59PM.  There are three assignments waiting for your upload.