Friday, September 28, 2012

Protest Chart

1.  Find four issues you would like to change in the United States (immigration, class sizes, etc).

2.  At least TWO must be modern issues that are relevant to today.  The other TWO can be historical if you want.

3.  Answer all the questions on the graph you copied in class, there is also a copy below.

Directions:  As you examine the four examples, put a check in the box if the example meets the specific criteria.  After you investigate all of the examples you will be able to compare and contrast them using the chart. 


Data Retrieval Chart

Examples
Does the example emerge as a result of suffering, estrangement, and/or alienation?

Does the example challenge the status quo or “tradition”?
Does the example diagnose a problem and suggest a solution?
Does the example identify the various sides of the challenge?
Example 1






Example 2






Example 3






Example 4







Monday, September 24, 2012

Government Hours

A townhall meeting to discuss the events happening at the other campus will be tomorrow!  They want students to come and say something! Coastal San Pedro Neighborhood council meeting TOMORROW 9/24/12 from 630pm-930pm.  

Tuesday, September 18, 2012

Our New Class President Is....

Christan Akens!

Here is the talley:

Christan Akens - 17 votes
Summer Haynes - 10 votes
Nichelle Spencer - 9 votes
Johnny Purvis - 4 votes
Jeorge Herrera - 3

Excellent class today guys!  It takes A LOT of guts to stand at the front of the room and put the work in.  Very proud of all of the Presidental nominees.  If you lost remember this, it took Thomas Edison 10,000 tries to make the lightbult.  He said,
"I have not failed. I've just found 10,000 ways not to make a lightbulb."

Saturday, September 8, 2012

Culminating Project #1 Constitution Rubric



Rubric for Constitution Project

I have purposely not given specific guidelines on how your constitution should look because I encourage creativity and demand effort.  You have to put the work in i.e. I won’t accept some words randomly written on lined paper. 

This portion has two parts:
1.     The first part is composed of the answers to the questions below. 
2.     The second part is your constitution.

Use your imagination.  You have just been handed the power to create your own government and that is a lot of power. What would your government look like and why.

1.     Answer these questions below to guide you in creating your constitution.  Then, use the answers for the written portion of the assignment.

a.     Pick a political philosophy (direct democracy, republic, dictatorship, socialist, communist etc) and design a government body around with laws.

Answer these questions below to see what kind of political philosophy you might agree with:

                                                        i.     What are your beliefs on equality?
1.     What laws would you create to protect/define equality?
2.     What would your government look like to protect and enforce the equality laws you make?

                                                       ii.     What rights to you believe we should have?
1.     What laws would you create to protect/define rights?
2.     What would your government look like to protect and enforce the rights your citizens should have?  For example: will you have a Supreme Court to protect rights, a Congress to make them and Executive to enforce laws?  If you are dictator, will you have a strong police force?
3.     Are your rights “unalienable” rights?
4.     Do you have a Constitution and/or Bill of Rights? Why or Why not?

                                                     iii.     What do you define as liberty?
1.     What laws would you create to protect/define liberty?
2.     What would your government look like to protect and enforce the liberty?

                                                     iv.     What do you think is opportunity? (think education, small business loans things that help people move out of poverty)
1.     What laws would you create to protect/define opportunity?
2.     What would your government look like to protect and enforce the opportunity?

b.     Compare and Contrast your government/constitution to the United States Constitution.  Specifically, explain how your laws and government differ or are similar to the American Constitution and Bill of Rights.  Does the “central” government is Washington D.C. hold more power than the state or does the state hold more power than the “central” (Washington D.C.)? Why? Why not?

c.     Cite at least 3 founding ideals and why you agree or disagree with them.

Everyone must create a constitution for themselves, but if you get lost feel free to talk to me for guidance.

Checklist (I will use this to grade your project)
Student    Teacher
_______   ________  Constitution has a political philosophy(direct democracy, socialist, etc)
_______  ________   It must be clear what kind of government you have made (democracy etc) and why you have made it that way.
_______   ________  Does your government have a structure like a Congress/Supreme Court etc  
                             (a way of running)?
_______   ________  Are the laws of your constitution understandable, easy to follow and enforceable?
_______  ________   How is it different from the American Constitution?  Give examples. 
_______  ________   Did you answer all the questions above?


Exceptional
Proficient
More Effort Needed

100   points
80   points
30   points
Focus

Totally on topic; all parts of the assignment are fully addressed

Mostly on topic; all parts of the assignment are generally addressed OR one aspect of the assignment is not addressed

Vaguely or not at all on topic; many parts of the assignment are not addressed or are only superficially addressed
Substance
10 points
8 points
3 points


Fully developed ideas with coherent reasoning and/or supporting

Ideas not completely developed; some sloppy reasoning or poorly selected examples

Ideas not developed; lacking sufficient detail to understand the thoughts behind the words
Clarity
5
3.5
1.5


Logical organization of ideas; complete sentences; very few spelling and grammar errors

Somewhat logical sequence of ideas; mostly complete sentences; some spelling and grammar errors

Disorganized thoughts; multiple sentence fragments or spelling and grammar errors that distract from the ideas being expressed

Creativity Bonus – You may earn up to 3 extra credit points for taking an exceptionally creative approach to the assignment or for being particularly insightful.



Wednesday, September 5, 2012

Civil Rights in times of crisis

Dear Class,

I appreciate all your participation in class today.  I also appreciate that all those different opinions can make for strong emotions, but ideas and discussion of those ideas are the core of freedom and American government.  So I present you with this video of Dr. Martin Luther King, and I beg you watch it.  Not because it is required, but because he felt his death upon him, faced his fears and pronounced his beliefs.  Pay careful attention to his references to the mountain top and how he might not make it with you but "he has seen the promise land."  

He was murdered the next day.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a1IQfRRl_W4

Another very brave person, that many people do not know about, is Dolores Huerta.  Who was a pioneering woman that is as much responsible for the rights of farm workers as Cesar Chavez!





This is Ted Kennedy's speech at his brother Bobby Kennedy's funeral.  Ted's oldest brother Joe died in World War II, his second oldest brother John F Kennedy was assassinated in 1963 while President of the United States, and his third brother, Bobby, was assassinated several years after JFK.  This is Ted's eulogy (speech) at the funeral of his brother Bobby, the third of his family to die.  It speaks of the will it takes to change the world.