Week Two: 3/30-4/3

I hope you all had an enjoyable weekend and are all doing well. Thank you for those of you who completed the survey. The items that had the most positive feedback were utilizing Khan Academy, EdPuzzle, screencasts lectures, and self-assessments. We will continue to incorporate these strategies and resources this week. Flipgrid and the discussion board did not have as high approval ratings. After reading through the discussions, I was really impressed with the level of thought in both your initial posts and your feedback, so I will most like use it again this week.

I have started the process of recording grades for last week's tasks. If you see that you did not receive credit (a zero in the gradebook) for something you completed, please email me. Sometimes technology doesn't always work the way it is supposed to.

I am changing the grading practice this week. I am still providing/assigning tasks like Khan Academy, EdPuzzle, and the Supreme Court matrix cases. However, there will be no points awarded for your completion of these activities. They are for your benefit to help you understand the material. I believe your grade should reflect what you know and understand, not what you do in preparation. You will be assessed on your understanding of the civil liberties found in the 1st Amendment next Monday (4/6) with a quiz. Points will still be awarded for the discussion board.

Here is this week's planner. Most activities/links are live and ready to go. The post for Thursday will be up later today or tomorrow. I will try and do a screencast for that one as well. I'm also working on a couple of self-assessments that should be linked soon. Remember, the posts go backwards so you will need to scroll down to find Monday's post.

I am planning an optional Google Meet on Wednesday (one in the morning, one in the afternoon) to answer questions and just check-in with everyone. The links are on the weekly planner. I hope to see you there!

Please, please, please don't hesitate to email me with any questions you have over anything!!

3.3b The First Amendment: Freedom of Speech (students)

Announcements:
In addition to reading today's post, please make sure you:

1. Read the Street Law summary on Tinker v. Des Moines (required case).
2. Fill in the information about this case on the Supreme Court case matrix (use the same copy you have been using)
3. Complete the self-check quiz on Freedom of Speech.
4. Google Meet today at 10:30-11:30am and/or 1:00-2:00pm. Links are on our weekly planner.

READING: 85-126 in Edwards

UNIT THREE Identification Terms 

Today's Essential Question: How does the First Amendment's freedom of speech clause apply to students at school?

Learning Standards:

LOR-2.C: Explain the extent to which the Supreme Court’s interpretation of the First and Second Amendments reflects a commitment to individual liberty.

LOR-2.C.2: The Supreme Court has held that symbolic speech is protected by the First Amendment, demonstrated by Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District (1969), in which the court ruled that public school students could wear black armbands in school to protest the Vietnam War.

LOR-2.C.3: Efforts to balance social order and individual freedom are reflected in interpretations of the First Amendment that limit speech, including:

• Time, place, and manner regulations 
• Defamatory, offensive, and obscene statements and gestures 
• That which creates a “clear and present danger” based on the ruling in Schenck v. United States (1919)

LOR-3.B.1: The Supreme Court has on occasion ruled in favor of states’ power to restrict individual liberty; for example, when speech can be shown to increase the danger to public safety.

Freedom of Speech

Yesterday's lesson focused on the protections and limitations of the 1st Amendment's freedom of speech. Similar to the Establishment Clause, the courts often address issues related to conflicts between school officials (the government) and students' rights. Today we will examine what protections, if any, are guaranteed for students.

The main case dealing with student freedom of speech is Tinker v. Des Moines (1969). Students were suspended for wearing black armbands to school to protest the war in Vietnam. Did the school have the authority to suspend students or was this a protected form of speech? Does the 1st Amendment extend its protections to students?

The Court ruled in favor of the students, stating that students do not shed their constitutional rights at the front door of the school. This symbolic, political speech was protected.

Bethel v. Fraser (1986) addressed another student speech issue when Matthew Fraser gave a nominating speech for student council at a school assembly with sexual innuendo. The Court ruled against Fraser in this case.

A more recent case is the infamous Morse v. Frederick (2007), more commonly referred to as the Bong Hits 4 Jesus case. Watch the video below for more information.

Review Videos

3.3a First Amendment: Freedom of Speech

Announcements:

In addition to reading today's post, please make sure you:

1. Read the Street Law summary of Schenck v. US, one of the required SCOTUS cases
2. Fill out the SCOTUS Required Cases Matrix for Schenck v. US (Use the same copy that you have been using)
3. Watch the EdPuzzle video on Freedom of Speech and answer the questions.
4. Outline of everything is on our weekly planner.

READING: 85-126 in Edwards

UNIT THREE Identification Terms 

Today's Question: How does the government effectively interpret and balance individual liberties guaranteed in the First Amendment with the need to maintain social order?

Learning Standards:

LOR-2.C: Explain the extent to which the Supreme Court’s interpretation of the First and Second Amendments reflects a commitment to individual liberty.

LOR-2.C.2: The Supreme Court has held that symbolic speech is protected by the First Amendment, demonstrated by Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District (1969), in which the court ruled that public school students could wear black armbands in school to protest the Vietnam War.

LOR-2.C.3: Efforts to balance social order and individual freedom are reflected in interpretations of the First Amendment that limit speech, including:

• Time, place, and manner regulations 
• Defamatory, offensive, and obscene statements and gestures 
• That which creates a “clear and present danger” based on the ruling in Schenck v. United States (1919)

LOR-3.B.1: The Supreme Court has on occasion ruled in favor of states’ power to restrict individual liberty; for example, when speech can be shown to increase the danger to public safety.

Freedom of Speech

In addition to protecting religious freedoms, the First Amendment also guarantees freedom of speech. Again, this is not absolute as the government may place limits on certain types of speech. Today we will look at the Court's history of interpreting freedom of speech in the US.

The first major case dealing with freedom of speech is Schenck v. US. This is a College Board required SCOTUS case. Make sure you fill out your matrix on this case.

• Schenck was convicted of the Espionage Act for passing out fliers advocating citizens to refuse participation in the military draft during World War I.
• He argued that the 1st Amendment's Freedom of Speech guarantee protected him from being punished.
• The Court upheld his conviction, declaring that speech that poses "a clear and present danger" may be limited
• Famous quote--it doesn't protect a man falsely yelling fire in a crowded theater

The Court has dealt with a number of other free speech cases.

In Chaplinsky v. New Hampshire (1942), the Court ruled that "fighting words" were not protected under the 1st Amendment.

Is inflammatory speech, speech that potentially threatens others, protected? The Court's 1969 decision in Brandenburg v. Ohio created a broad interpretation of the freedom of speech and protected the KKK's speech since it did not create an imminent unlawful action.

Symbolic Speech
Speech does not have to be verbal to convey a message. Several court cases have dealt with symbolic speech.

U.S. v. O'Brien (1968)--can the government punish you for burning your draft card?

Texas v. Johnson (1989)--is burning an American flag a protected form of symbolic speech under the 1st Amendment?

Virginia v. Black (2003)--is Virginia's law prohibiting the burning of crosses with the intent to intimidate someone a violation of the 1st Amendment?
Review Videos:

3.2b The First Amendment: Free Exercise Clause

Listen to the screencast of today's post here.

Announcements:
In addition to reading today's post, please make sure you:

1. Read the Street Law summary of Wisconsin v. Yoder, one of the required SCOTUS cases
2. Fill out the SCOTUS Required Cases Matrix for Wisconsin v. Yoder. (Use the same copy that you made for Engel v. Vitale and keep filling in as we cover additional cases)
3. Complete assigned Khan Academy readings and self-quiz on the Free Exercise Clause.
4. Outline of everything is on our weekly planner.

Similar to the post on the Establishment Clause, today's lesson has quite a few court cases. The only case that is required by the College Board is Wisconsin v. Yoder, but I have included the others to show you how the courts have handled different issues of protecting people's religious liberties vs. government regulation and restrictions. Please make sure you understand the differences between cases that are Establishment Clause-based (government endorsement or promotion of religion) vs. Free Exercise cases (government restriction on personal religious freedoms).

As always, email me if you have any questions or need help!

READING: 85-126 in Edwards

UNIT THREE Identification Terms 

______________________________________________________

Today's Essential Question: How does the government effectively interpret and balance religious freedom and practice with respect to the First Amendment?

Learning Standards:

LOR-2.C: Explain the extent to which the Supreme Court’s interpretation of the First and Second Amendments reflects a commitment to individual liberty.

LOR-2.C.1: The interpretation and application of the First Amendment’s establishment and free exercise clauses reflect an ongoing debate over balancing majoritarian religions practice and free exercise, as represented by such cases as:

• Engel v. Vitale (1962), which declared school sponsorship of religious activities violates the establishment clause 
• Wisconsin v. Yoder (1972), which held that compelling Amish students to attend school past the eighth grade violates the free exercise clause 

Free Exercise Clause

The First Amendment's Establishment Clause prevents government endorsement of religion, but the Free Exercise Clause guarantees your right to believe in whatever religion (or none at all) without restriction. However, government may restrict action based on those beliefs if it violates the law or infringes on the rights of others. Just like other rights, it is not absolute.Today, we will look at a few issues involving the free exercise of religion.

Reynolds v. US, 1879: One of the first cases involving the free exercise clause involved the Mormon Church and the practice of polygamy. Can someone have multiple spouses if it is part of their religious beliefs?

Wisconsin v. Yoder, 1972: Another famous free exercise case involved whether or not Amish families could be exempt from a state law that required all children to attend school until the age of 16.

Other free exercise of religion questions:

Should people be able to claim religious exemptions for mandatory vaccinations?

Can states ban the practice of snake-handling for religious purposes?

Employment Division v. Smith: Can a state deny unemployment benefits if a person was fired for illegal drug use, even if that drug use (peyote) was part of a religious ceremony?

West Virginia v. Barnette, 1943: Can a state compel people to recite the pledge of allegiance, even if it goes against their religious beliefs?

Church of Lukumi Babalu Aye v. Hialeah, 1993: Are ritualistic animal sacrifices protected under the free exercise clause?

Can a Pastafarian wear a colander on his head for his driver's license photo?

Discuss the following scenario:

George Daniels was fired in 1998 for wearing a small gold cross on his uniform collar. Daniels, an evangelical Christian and 14-year decorated sergeant, had been twice ordered to stop wearing the pin. He began wearing it when he was a plainclothes officer. The Arlington Police Department said the agency's interest in maintaining a public appearance of impartiality outweighed Daniels' right to promote his Christianity.

How should the courts rule in this case?

Bottom Line: Government may not restrict religious beliefs, but may limit your actions.

Review Videos:

Unit 3: Civil Liberties & Civil Rights (Remote Learning Style!)

I hope you all had a good first day back(?) from spring break. Even if we cannot meet face to face, we will continue to connect in other ways and explore new avenues of learning. Please be patient with me (and your other teachers) as we are all trying to build the plane while flying it. I will also be patient and extend grace to you during this educational journey. I'm going to be trying some different things out over the next few weeks. Some will work, others will not. I will be soliciting your feedback as well so that I know what is effective and what you would like to see. Perhaps another one of your teachers is doing something amazing that I am not familiar with. Share that with me! We're all in this together and I want to make sure that we continue learning and understanding how our government operates.

As mentioned in yesterday's post, we will utilize a variety of resources, some old, some new. I will continue to post each topic/lesson on our class webpage as before, but instead of posting daily, I will try and post the entire week's worth of topics at the beginning of the week. This means you will have to scroll down or use the navigation bar on the side to see them in order (since they will be posted in reverse). I will also include a weekly guide that outlines each day's topic, standards, essential question, and the specific tasks that you need to complete. Here is this week's guide for 3/23-3/27. You can choose to complete each lesson on the day that it is scheduled for or work at your own pace. You can complete them all as soon as possible, or wait until the day they are due (not recommended at all!). The tasks will all be due the following Monday. For example, all of this week's tasks, including today's assignment of signing up for EdPuzzle, are due by Monday, March 30th. Please note that all assignments (mainly those at the end of the week) may not be linked and ready to go at the beginning of the week.

As you look at the guide, you will see that it includes completing Khan Academy videos, readings, and assessments, using EdPuzzle to watch assigned videos and answer questions, self-assessments, Supreme Court cases, and discussion boards (I am working on figuring that out). In addition, you should be looking at each day's normal posts for background information and deeper understanding. I'm working on doing a screencast for Thursday's topic on the Establishment Clause to guide you through all of the information. I am excited to try new resources and instructional methods, so please share with me other strategies that you think would be useful.

For now, you will receive 5 points for each day's tasks that you complete sufficiently. The self-assessments are formative, so the specific score you receive is not being recorded. There will be quizzes and exams in the future as well.

I would love to touch base with you this week and get some feedback, answer questions, and just see how everyone is doing. I have set up several Google Hangouts/Meet for this Wednesday during my office hours. You can participate in the optional (15 minute) Meet that is most convenient for you, but I tried to break it down by hour to ensure we don't have 100+ people on all at the same time. I hope to see you all there! Here are the times and links to access:

1st hour: 10:30-10:45am: https://meet.google.com/pre-orxa-ucx?hs=122
4th hour: 11:00-11:15am: https://meet.google.com/cpx-twyj-btj?hs=122
5th hour: 1:00-1:15pm: https://meet.google.com/rts-pcgk-awg?hs=122
6th hour: 1:25-1:40pm: https://meet.google.com/wjt-gevj-eun?hs=122
7th hour: 1:45-2:00pm: https://meet.google.com/yoi-dcok-qvt?hs=122

Again, thank you for your patience and I apologize for such a long post. Please do not hesitate to reach out to me for anything. I loved hearing from those of you who emailed me yesterday. Stay safe and healthy. We got this.

3.2 The First Amendment: The Establishment Clause

Listen to the screencast of today's post.

Announcements:
In addition to reading today's post, please make sure you:

1. Read the Street Law summary of Engel v. Vitale, one of the required SCOTUS cases
2. Fill out the SCOTUS Required Cases Matrix for Engel v. Vitale
3. Complete the Flipgrid (check your email for instructions and link) on the Establishment Clause.

As you look at today's post, you will see there are quite a few court cases. Like an excessive amount. The only case that is required by the College Board is Engel v. Vitale, but I have included the others to show you how often the Establishment Clause comes up in a variety of situations, most commonly involving public schools and religion. The most important thing is that you understand what the Establishment Clause means (based on the Court's interpretation over the last 50+years) and how it continues to be litigated and debated today.

As always, email me if you have any questions or need help!

READING: 85-126 in Edwards

UNIT THREE Identification Terms 

READING: 85-126 in Edwards

UNIT THREE Identification Terms 
________________________________________________

Today's Essential Question: How does the government effectively interpret and balance religious freedom and practice with respect to the First Amendment?

Learning Standards:

LOR-2.C: Explain the extent to which the Supreme Court’s interpretation of the First and Second Amendments reflects a commitment to individual liberty.

LOR-2.C.1: The interpretation and application of the First Amendment’s establishment and free exercise clauses reflect an ongoing debate over balancing majoritarian religions practice and free exercise, as represented by such cases as:

• Engel v. Vitale (1962), which declared school sponsorship of religious activities violates the establishment clause 
• Wisconsin v. Yoder (1972), which held that compelling Amish students to attend school past the eighth grade violates the free exercise clause 

________________________________________________

The Establishment Clause

The 1st Amendment protects five basic freedoms: speech, religion, press, right to petition, and the right to assemble. However, freedom of religion is a little more nuanced and actually contains two clauses related to religion.

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibit the free exercise thereof..."

The clause in red is referred to as the Establishment Clause and the one in blue is called the Free Exercise Clause. Today's focus is on the difference between these two clauses dealing with freedom of religion.

Discuss with your group what you think the Establishment Clause means. Does it prohibit strictly a national religion or does it mean there should be no endorsement or favoritism towards a specific religion or religion in general? How is religion part of American life and government? What is meant by the separation between church and state?

Many of the Court's decisions about the Establishment Clause involve religion in schools. Here are some of the important cases. Must-know cases are in larger font.

Religion and the Establishment Clause in School

Everson v. Board of Education, 1947: Can parents of students attending a private school (i.e. St. James or Pius) be reimbursed for transportation (busing) costs for students?

Lemon v. Kurtzman, 1971: What can private/religious schools be reimbursed for? 

The Lemon Test: 

1. Does it serve a religious purpose?

2. Does it create excessive entanglement?

3. Does it have a primary purpose of advancing or inhibiting religion?

Which of the following passes the Lemon Test?

• math textbooks
• state mandated tests
• field trips
• teacher salary
• interpreter for a deaf student
• free/reduced lunch program

Engel v. Vitale, 1962: Can school officials (teachers, principals, etc) lead students in non-denominational prayer?
SCOTUS TEMPLATE

The prayer recited in New York that led to Engel v. Vitale:
Almighty God, we acknowledge our dependence upon Thee, and we beg Thy blessings upon us, our parents, our teachers and our country. Amen


Discuss the following example with your group:

Is it a prayer? (source: http://law2.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/conlaw/estabinto.htm) The following verse was read each day to a Florida kindergarten class.  The school board said the purpose of the verse was to calm kids down and create a sense of appreciation for the world.  Is the verse a prayer?  How are students likely to interpret "you"? Could "you" be Mother Nature or a Giant Slug?

We thank you for the flowers so sweet;
We thank you for the food we eat;
We thank you for the birds that sing;
We thank you for everything.

Wallace v. Jaffree, 1985: Can schools have a moment of silence for meditation/prayer?

Lee v. Weisman, 1992: Can schools have sponsored prayer (by a school official or religious figure) at graduation ceremonies?

Santa Fe Independent School District v. Doe, 2000: Can a popularly elected student representative lead students in prayer over the loudspeaker at a sporting event?


Could a student valedictorian lead her classmates in prayer at graduation? Discuss with your group if you think this violates the Establishment Clause. Are the free exercise of religion and freedom of speech rights in conflict with the Establishment Clause?

Epperson v. Arkansas, 1968 : Can a school ban the teaching of evolution?

Edwards v. Aguilard, 1987: Can a school require the teaching of creationism?

Westside v. Mergens, 1990: Can student religious groups meet on school grounds?

Is the Establishment Clause violated by allowing an optional Bible study class once a week for elementary and middle school students during school hours?

Is the Establishment Clause violated by allowing high school cheerleaders to put Bible verses on their banners at football games?

Religion and the Establishment Clause in Public Places

Lynch v. Donnelly, 1984: Can religious figures (i.e. Nativity scene) be part of a Christmas display on city property?

Stone v. Graham, 1980 & Van Orden v. Perry, 2004: Can the Ten Commandments be posted on government property?

Marsh v. Chambers, 1983 & Town of Greece, NY v. Galloway, 2014: Can legislative or town hall meetings begin with a prayer?

Do you think the city of Republic's city logo violates the Establishment Clause? Why or why not?

The court's ruling.

Other Establishment Clause Resources

First Amendment Center: Establishment Clause

Exploring Constitutional Conflicts: The Establishment Clause

3.1b Selective Incorporation

Announcements:
In addition to reading today's post, please make sure you:

1. Complete the assigned Khan Academy modules over selective incorporation 
2. Watch the video assigned through EdPuzzle (no questions)
3. Complete the self-assessment on selective incorporation.

As always, email me if you have any questions or need help!

READING: 85-126 in Edwards

UNIT THREE Identification Terms 
________________________________________________

Today's Essential Question: What is selective incorporation and how does it affect individual liberties?

Learning Standards:

LOR-2.A: Explain how the U.S. Constitution protects individual liberties and rights.

LOR-2.B: Describe the rights protected in the Bill of Rights

LOR-2.A.1: The U.S. Constitution includes a Bill of Rights specifically designed to protect individual liberties and rights.

LOR-2.A.2: Civil liberties are constitutionally established guarantees and freedoms that protect citizens, opinions, and property against arbitrary government interference.

LOR-2.B.1: The Bill of Rights consists of the first ten Amendments to the Constitution, which enumerate the liberties and rights of individuals.

Today's Key Questions:
1. Does the Bill of Rights apply to the states or are they just protections from the federal government?
2. What is incorporation, sometimes referred to as selective incorporation?


1. Does the Bill of Rights apply to the states or are they just protections from the federal government? 
2. What is incorporation, sometimes referred to as selective incorporation?
The 1st Amendment begins, "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion..."  Does this mean that the Bill of Rights only protects you from the federal government or does it extend to protections from state governments as well? The Supreme Court first addressed this issue in the court case Barron v. Baltimore (1833). Read this case summary to see what the Marshall Court decided.

The passage of the 14th Amendment in 1870 radically changes the Constitution and its meaning however. Specifically, the due process clause prevents states from depriving citizens of their life, liberty, or property without due process of law. A series of court cases starting in the 20th century begins applying the Bill of Rights to the states, a process known as incorporation. Read about the 14th Amendment, due process, and selective incorporation here.

How do each of the following court cases relate to concept of incorporation? What right is being incorporated?

• Gitlow v. New York, 1925
• Near v. Minnesota, 1931
• Mapp v. Ohio, 1961
• Gideon v. Wainwright, 1963
• McDonald v. Chicago, 2010

Review Videos:

3.1a Civil Liberties or Civil Rights?

Announcements:
Today, we will begin our remote learning and online instruction. Please make sure you read through today's post, clicking on (and reading!) the links on the differences between civil liberties and civil rights. In addition, please make sure you:

1. Complete the three assigned Khan Academy modules on the Bill of Rights.
2. Watch the Crash Course video and answer the two questions assigned through EdPuzzle.
3. Check your understanding by taking this short quiz (also linked below).

As always, email me if you have any questions or need help!

READING: 85-126 in Edwards

UNIT THREE Identification Terms 
________________________________________________

Today's Question: What are the differences between civil liberties and civil rights? 

Learning Standards:

LOR-2.A: Explain how the U.S. Constitution protects individual liberties and rights.

LOR-2.B: Describe the rights protected in the Bill of Rights

LOR-2.A.1: The U.S. Constitution includes a Bill of Rights specifically designed to protect individual liberties and rights.

LOR-2.A.2: Civil liberties are constitutionally established guarantees and freedoms that protect citizens, opinions, and property against arbitrary government interference.

LOR-2.B.1: The Bill of Rights consists of the first ten Amendments to the Constitution, which enumerate the liberties and rights of individuals.

PRD-1.A.1: Civil rights protect individuals from discrimination based on characteristics such as race, national origin, religion, and sex; these rights are guaranteed to all citizens under the due process and equal protection clauses of the U.S. Constitution, as well as acts of Congress.

1. What's the difference between civil liberties and civil rights?
Unit Three focuses on civil liberties and civil rights. However, many students (and adults) do not understand the difference between these two topics.

Discuss with your table what you think are the differences between the civil rights and civil liberties. Next, see if your discussion was similar to these explanations of civil rights and liberties and the differences between them.

Check your understanding by taking this short quiz.

Review Videos

We Got This!

I hope this finds you all well. This has obviously been a difficult and unprecedented time in our country's history. I know that the next few months will continue to pose challenges and be frustrating as we fight this pandemic, but I trust that we will return to a sense of normalcy soon.

I miss seeing your smiling faces, hearing your probing questions, and facilitating our thoughtful discussions. I will try my best to continue with our learning and prepare you not just for the AP exam (more on that below), but to help you truly understand how our government works (and sometimes does not work), our constitutionally protected rights, and what your important role as a citizen is in this republic. We will also continue to bring in real world events and make the connection to government concepts. We certainly will have quite a bit to discuss regarding federalism, presidential powers, the importance of the bureaucracy, etc in our current crisis.

Tomorrow (Tuesday), I will outline more specifically each day's tasks for the upcoming week. First, I want to give you some specifics regarding communication, the AP exam, and an overview of how I see our instruction working out over the next few weeks, including today's assignment.

Communication
Although we won't be able to meet in person, we will continue to find ways to foster communication and collaboration. I have designated office hours from 10:30-11:30am and 1-2pm, but will check my email on a frequent basis and respond as quickly as possible. I will send group announcements via Canvas and will also post on our class webpage as usual. I will continue to use Twitter, probably more frequently, to stay in contact and share relevant articles, news, and memes. I am also exploring other options (i.e. Zoom) to facilitate some real time collaboration. Please, please, please reach out to me at any time with any questions, concerns, clarifications, or just to say hi.



The AP EXAM
The College Board announced last week some major changes to the exam based on the current situation. Here is a summary of those changes:

• All AP exams will be administered at home using a digital device (i.e. your laptop)
• AP exams will be 45 minutes in length and will consist only of Free Response Questions. There will be NO multiple-choice questions.
• There will be two (yet to be determined) dates for the AP exam
• Due to the suspension of so many school districts across the country, the test will also only cover a portion of the curriculum. For AP Government, the test will only cover Units 1-3.
• Any student who wants to cancel their exam, may do so at no charge.
• Specific information regarding the testing dates and type of FRQs for each specific subject area will be announced by April 3rd.

What does this mean for us? Well, the good news is that we covered Units 1 (Constitutional Foundations) and 2 (Interactions among the Branches) last semester.  Unit 3 (Civil Liberties and Civil Rights) is the unit that we are about to focus on so it will be fresh in your memory. Unfortunately, Unit 4 (Political Beliefs and Attitudes) and Unit 5 (Political Participation) will not be tested--basically everything we have worked on second semester up until this point. Because of that, we will immediately start Unit 3 tomorrow on Civil Liberties and Civil Rights. 

I like the fact that the exam will be condensed. It will allow us to be more focused in our study and preparation. I am confident that we can cover Unit 3 remotely and effectively, while still having time for review before the exam (whenever that may be). While I am not certain what type of FRQs will be on the exam, my guess is that there will be one Concept Application and one Supreme Court Case Analysis. I have multiple resources to specifically address the different types of FRQs. In short, we got this.

Our Instruction

Obviously, some of our instruction will be modified given the current situation. However, I will continue to use our class webpage to deliver most, if not all, of our content and instruction. We will still utilize Khan Academy, Crash Course, various articles, charts/graphs, foundational documents, and analysis of Supreme Court cases. We will also try some new instructional methods including discussion boards, screencasts, and other resources. This will be a growth opportunity for all of us!

For today, I would like you to make sure that you are in fact signed up for EdPuzzle, Khan Academy, and AP Classroom. We signed up for these at the beginning of the year (except EdPuzzle) but some of you may not have signed up then. Instructions to sign up and join our specific sections are listed below. Please sign up today for these resources.

EdPuzzle

This is a new resource we will be using. Everyone will need to sign up using the class codes below.

1st hour:: Use this link to enroll or enter the class code reculif

4th hour: Use this link to enroll or enter the class code goeheeg

5th hour: Use this link to enroll or enter the class code limovhe

6th hour: Use this link to enroll or enter the class code boruhzi

7th hour: Use this link to enroll or enter the class code igejhop

Khan Academy

Khan Academy has learning modules that match up perfectly with the APGOV curriculum. These modules include readings, videos, and quizzes. It is a great way to review for tests, understand new concepts, or fill in the gaps due to absences. 

1. Join our Khan Academy class using this link

You can also go to khanacademy.org/join and use our class code: 2S679XXZ.

AP Classroom

The College Board now has an online learning portal for students called AP Classroom. You will be able to take practice self-assessments and complete other activities to help monitor your learning. Your HOMEWORK is to get yourself registered in AP Classroom. Details on how to do that can be found here.

You will need a class code to join the right section:

1st hour:  QE2NNW

4th hour:  YEAPP2

5th hour:  GWJV47

6th hour:  94AY7V

7th hour:  AX7K9N

If you have made it this far, congratulations! Sorry for the loooong post. I am excited for our educational journey together during this difficult time. Please stay safe and healthy. I am here for you and am thinking of all of you.

We got this!

5.15 Types of Interest Groups

Announcements:

READING: 283-305 in Edwards

Unit Five Identification Terms

Today's Essential Question: How do interest groups influence policy making?

Learning Standards:
PMI-5.F: Explain how variation in types and resources of interest groups affects their ability to influence elections and policy making.

PMI-5.E.2: In addition to working within party coalitions, interest groups exert influence through
long-standing relationships with bureaucratic agencies, congressional committees, and other
interest groups; such relationships are described as “iron triangles” and issue networks
and they help interest groups exert influence across political party coalitions.

PMI-5.F.1: Interest group influence may be impacted by:

• Inequality of political and economic resources
• Unequal access to decision makers
• “Free rider” problem

Types of Interest Groups & Their Influence

5 Charts that Show How Powerful the NRA is

Frontline has an excellent documentary on the rise of the NRA as a political force and its actions in response to tragedies at Columbine High School and Sandy Hook elementary.

The Washington Post has a good infographic that demonstrates the NRA's use of money in electing pro-gun rights members to Congress.



1. Vox: Why the NRA is so Powerful

2. Washington Post: NRA Tactics-Take No Prisoners

3. CBS News and the Politics of Gun Control.

4. This Week: How the NRA Won

5. NY Times: Inside the Power of the NRA

Using the above information, explain three different tactics/reasons that the NRA utilizes to help explain its success.