Friday, March 28, 2014

Politics and Government - Resolutions

The right to bear arms is an essential component of ordered liberty.

Eminent domain should be invoked to encourage private development of economically disadvantaged communities. 

"Under God" in our Pledge of Allegiance and "In God we trust” on our currency are offensive to the first amendment. 

Government should improve educational opportunities for disadvantaged students by facilitating access to parochial schools.

Mandatory drug tests for public school students who participate in extra-curricular activities violate the fourth amendment.  

Thursday, March 27, 2014

Politics and Government - Homework Section D

Just make sure you read Roper v Simmons
We will discuss tomorrow
You can do the opinion analysis over the weekend 

Wednesday, March 26, 2014

Democratizing Twentieth Century - Homework Due March 27

- Read Black Revolution up to page 558 and take notes
- Construct a tentative claim and three arguments for an essay 

Wednesday, March 19, 2014

Democratizing Twentieth Century America - Homework Due Thurs, March 20

1 - Read Gosse 7 -  16 take notes.

2 - Prepare a primary source analysis for MLK's letter from Birmingham (Gosse pg 72-75)


Politics and Government Homework - Due Thurs, Mar 20

Read and prepare a case analysis in notebook:

Furman v. Georgia 

Wednesday, March 12, 2014

Democratizing Twentieth Century America - Homework Due Thurs, March 13

1 - Read and analyze the following speech by John F. Kennedy
   - Your analysis should include connections to the EQ, other texts, the time period, and the causes of the Civil Rights Movement
   - Your analysis should be at least a page

2 - Read Van Gosse pgs 1-7
   - Take notes
   - Your notes should be angled toward the EQ and they should make connections to other texts and Eyes on the Prize  

Politics and Government Homework - Due Friday, March 14

1 - Prepare an opinion analysis for Veronia School District v Acton 
   - Remember to quote directly from the opinion and consider the issues that came up during today's discussion.

2 -  Read, take notes, prepare questions for discussion:
Florida Law on Drug Tests for Welfare Is Struck Down


Tuesday, March 11, 2014

Democratizing Twentieth Century Homework - Due Wed, March 12

Read Zinn 455-462

Questions: 

1) What did Malcolm X think about Martin Luther King's march on Washington? Analyze the excerpt and provide at least one quote for evidence.   
                
2) Select any three quotes that connect to a Civil Rights Movement Cause.  Copy the quote into your notebook and analyze.

3) Identify the following terms. 

k) SNCC
l) Lyndon Johnson and blacks
m) Arthur Sschlesinger: A Thousand Days
n) unemployment, poverty rates whites/blacks
o) Lyndon Johnson
p) Watts, Los Angeles
q) black migration to the North


Saturday, March 8, 2014

Democratizing Twentieth Century America Homework - Due Mon, March 10

1) Read Zinn chap 17: "Or Does it Explode?", pgs 443-455

2) Identify the each of the following terms. Consider the significance of each. How does the term relate to the essential question for the unit? Provide at least one quote from the text to support your notes for each term: 

a) southern blacks and the communist party
b) Angelo Herndon
c) Harry Truman and blacks
e) Truman's Committee on Civil Rights
f) use of Federal Courts
g) Martin Luther King
h) Greensboro, NC
i) CORE/Freedom Rides
j) John Kennedy and blacks

Thursday, March 6, 2014

Politics and Government Homework - Due Tues, March 11

Rough draft of Scottsboro essay due.  4 pages typed, double spaced, 12 pt font.

Please bring a hard copy of your rough draft and your outline. 

Democratizing Twentieth Century Response - Due Wednesday, March 26

Essential Question: Why then? Why did the Civil Rights Movement get underway when it did?

5 pages typed, double spaced, 12 pt font.
We are studying WWII and the Cold War as a context for understanding how and why African Americans began to obtain full citizenship when they did. In your next essay, you will discuss the Civil Rights Movement. You will demonstrate your understanding of this movement--its roots, its successes and its limitations. You will also demonstrate your understanding of the historical context, including the United States' emergence as a super power and its quest for world dominance during the Cold War.

This essay should be 4-5 typed pages, 12pt font, double spaced and you must include evidence obtained from the following sources:

a) Howard Zinn - "Or Does it Explode" and "A People's War"
b) Franklin, John Hope - "Fighting for the Four Freedoms", "African Americans in the Cold War Era", "The Black Revolution"
c) Who Built America - "The Rights Conscious 1960s" pgs 607-630 **(this book is only available in class and you must use class time to take your notes)
d) Gosse, Van - Movements of the New Left
e) notes from "Eyes on the Prize"
f) notes from class lectures, discussions and other selected handouts short films

Rubric for Essay

HISTORICAL CONTENT
16 - Demonstrates a sophisticated understanding of the historical time period and the cause and effect relationship between significant events; accurately discusses, compares and contrasts opinions and arguments presented by different historians regarding WWII and/or the Cold War, and their/its impact on the Civil Rights Movement.

12 - Demonstrates an understanding of the historical time period and the cause and effect relationship between significant events; mostly accurately discusses the opinions and arguments presented by different historians discusses, compares and contrasts opinions and arguments presented by different historians regarding WWII and/or the Cold War, and their/its impact on the Civil Rights Movement.

8 - Demonstrates a basic or superficial understanding of the historical time period and the cause and effect relationship between significant events; attempts to discuss, compare and contrast opinions and arguments presented by different historians regarding WWII and/or the Cold War, and their/its impact on the Civil Rights Movement.

4 - Demonstrates little or no understanding of the historical time period and the cause and effect relationship between significant events; does not discuss, compare and contrast opinions and arguments presented by different historians regarding WWII and/or the Cold War, and their/its impact on the Civil Rights Movement.

ORGANIZATION

4 - Writer creates a well-organized essay.  Arguments and analysis are sequenced logically to support the claim.
Writer makes effective use of transitions to link all parts of the essay.

3 - Writer creates an organized essay.  Arguments and analysis are sequenced logically to support the claim.
Writer uses transitions to link all parts of the essay

2 - Writer creates a somewhat organized essay.  Arguments and analysis are not always sequenced logically to support the claim.  Writer attempts to use transitions to link parts of the essay.

1 - Writer provides very little to no organization.  Writer does not use transitions to link any parts of the essay. 

CLAIM AND CONTEXT 

4 - Writer’s claim provides a precise, nuanced interpretation of the sources that is grounded in multiple perspectives, historical, political, and/or social scientific context.
   - The introduction engages the reader and persuasively lays foundation for a passionate argument.  It identifies topic of the essay and provides ample contextual information that builds the readers’ understanding of the claim.
   - The conclusion continues and strengthens the claim.  It highlights significance, expands insight and makes recommendations for future action.  

3 - Writer’s claim provides a precise, interpretation of the sources that is grounded in multiple perspectives, historical, political, and/or social scientific context.
   - The introduction identifies topic of the essay and provides ample contextual information that builds the readers’ understanding of the claim.
   - The conclusion continues and strengthens the claim.  It mentions significance and makes recommendations for future action. 

2 - Writer’s claim provides a general interpretation of the sources OR a lack of clarity detracts from the claim.
   - The introduction identifies topic of the essay and provides superficial contextual information that gives readers a partial understanding of the sources. 
   - The conclusion summarizes arguments and restates the claim. 

1 - Writers claim only states a fact about the sources and offers no interpretation.
   - The essay lacks a clear introduction.
   - The essay lacks a coherent conclusion. 

EVIDENCE, ANALYSIS, AND COUNTER-CLAIM 

4 - Writer develops claim thoughtfully and persuasively using numerous relevant, convincing pieces of evidence from both secondary and primary sources (including direct quotation), and statistical/numerical data.

   - Writer cities specific textual evidence to support analysis of primary and secondary         sources.
   - Writer includes statistical data as part of the evidence to bolster claims and/or devalue counterclaims
   - Writer provides insightful, thorough analysis of the evidence to support the claim, using the following critical reading strategies:

Explanation of what the text says directly as well as analysis of meanings that are implied, hidden, hinted at, or left ambiguous in the text.

Analysis of how the authors’ word choices impact the biases of the sources.  Writer considers and discusses bias of authors when analyzing evidence.


Evaluates the claims, premises, and evidence in both primary and secondary sources in order to challenge counter arguments and bolster initial claim.      

3 - Writer develops claim using sufficient relevant, convincing pieces of evidence from both secondary and primary sources (including direct quotation), and statistical/numerical data.

    - Writer cities textual evidence to support analysis of primary and secondary sources.

    - Writer includes statistical data as part of the evidence to support claims and/or devalue counterclaims

    - Writer provides thorough analysis of the evidence to support the claim, using one or more of the following critical reading strategies:

Explanation of what the text says directly as well as analysis of meanings that are implied, hidden, hinted at, or left ambiguous in the text.

Analysis of how the authors’ word choices impact the biases of the sources.  Writer considers and discusses bias of authors when analyzing evidence.


Evaluates the claims, premises, and evidence in both primary and secondary sources in order to challenge counter arguments and bolster initial claim.                              

2 - Writer develops claim using some relevant evidence from the texts, including direct quotations that support the claim.
     
     - Writer provides a basic explanation of how the evidence supports the claim.
1 - Writer uses irrelevant or insufficient textual evidence to support analysis of text. 

   - Writer’s analysis of the evidence does not support the claim. 

STYLE AND CONVENTIONS  

4 - Writer uses a range of precise and varied vocabulary to elaborate or clarify ideas. 
   - Demonstrates command of the conventions of capitalization, punctuation (extends to hyphenation), and spelling consistently throughout the text.   - Mechanical and grammatical errors are rare or nonexistent.
   - Writer follows accepted conventions for formatting text citations such as MLA standards, footnotes, and parenthetical notes.  

3 - Writer uses a range of vocabulary to elaborate or clarify ideas. 
   - There are few mechanical or grammatical errors.
   - Writer follows accepted conventions for formatting text citations and adheres to MLA standards.

2 - Writer uses basic vocabulary to elaborate or clarify ideas
   - There are many mechanical or grammatical errors that do not generally interfere with the reader’s ability to understand the essay.       
   - Writer attempts to follow accepted conventions for text citations and works cited page.

1 - Abundant mechanical and grammatical errors interfere with the reader’s ability to understand the essay.
   - In text citations and works cited page are missing from the essay

Tuesday, March 4, 2014

Politics and Government Scottsboro Cases Response Essay - Due Thursday, March 13

Politics and Government Response Essay: Scottsboro,  An American Tragedy


Your essay should responds to all of the following in a clear and sophisticated manner:
  •  In Powell v. Alabama (1932), the Court ruled that the Scottsboro defendants were denied the right to counsel, which violated their right to due process under the Fourteenth Amendment. What is meant by the phrase "right to counsel"? According to the Court, how had the Scottsboro defendants been denied this right?

  • In Norris v. Alabama (1935), the Court ruled that the exclusion of blacks from jury rolls deprived black defendants of their rights to equal protection under the law. What evidence suggested blacks had been excluded from jury rolls? Why would this exclusion deprive black defendants of their rights to equal protection under the law?

  • Were the Scottsboro guilty verdicts inevitable, or could one of the variables have been changed to create a different outcome?
   
HISTORICAL CONTENT AND UNDERSTANDING 0 - 16
16 - Demonstrates a clear and sophisticated understanding of the historical time period and the cause and effect relationship between significant events; accurately discusses the Powell and Norris cases, carefully analyzing direct quotation from the opinions; discusses and analyzes direct evidence from Scottsboro an American Tragedy

ORGANIZATION 0 - 4
4 - Writer creates a well-organized essay.  Arguments and analysis are sequenced logically to support the claim. Writer makes effective use of transitions to link all parts of the essay.

CLAIM AND CONTEXT 0 - 4 
4 - Writer’s claim provides a precise, nuanced interpretation of the sources that is grounded in multiple perspectives, historical, political, and/or social scientific context.

   - The introduction engages the reader and persuasively lays foundation for a passionate argument.  It identifies topic of the essay and provides ample contextual information that builds the readers’ understanding of the claim.
   - The conclusion continues and strengthens the claim.  It highlights significance, expands insight and makes recommendations for future action.  

EVIDENCE, ANALYSIS, AND COUNTER-CLAIM 0 - 4 
4 - Writer develops claim thoughtfully and persuasively using numerous relevant, convincing pieces of evidence from both secondary and primary sources (including direct quotation), and statistical/numerical data.

   - Writer cities specific textual evidence to support analysis of primary and secondary sources.
   - Writer includes statistical data as part of the evidence to bolster claims and/or devalue counterclaims
   - Writer provides insightful, thorough analysis of the evidence to support the claim, using the following critical reading strategies:

Explanation of what the text says directly as well as analysis of meanings that are implied, hidden, hinted at, or left ambiguous in the text.
Analysis of how the authors’ word choices impact the biases of the sources.  Writer considers and discusses bias of authors when analyzing evidence.
Evaluates the claims, premises, and evidence in both primary and secondary sources in order to challenge counter arguments and bolster initial claim.      
STYLE AND CONVENTIONS  0 - 4 
4 - Writer uses a range of precise and varied vocabulary to elaborate or clarify ideas. 
   - Demonstrates command of the conventions of capitalization, punctuation (extends to hyphenation), and spelling consistently throughout the text. 

 - Mechanical and grammatical errors are rare or nonexistent.


 - Writer follows accepted conventions for formatting text citations such as MLA standards, footnotes, and parenthetical notes.  

Politics and Government - Link to Scottsboro an American Tragedy Site

Democratizing Twentieth Century Homework - Due Wed, March 5

Based on "Blacks in the Cold War Era," answer the following questions 


a) Discuss the gains blacks made via the Supreme Court.
b) Identify: "To Secure These Rights"
c) How did Harry Truman impact the status of blacks?
d) Provide 3 examples of evolution of black voting rights after WWII
e) Discuss NAAWP, White Citizens' Councils and interposition. How did these all impact African Americans?
f) In what ways did whites use violence to resist?
g) What is "white flight"? What caused it and how did impact housing trends?
h) Discuss three gains blacks made regarding employment post WWII.