Thursday, March 26, 2015

Politics and Government Homework - Due Friday, March 27

1 - Read the following articles and analyze and two in your notebook. Consider that they are primary sources. Your analysis should reflect the following:

Point of view: What does the author want you to know, think, believe? Who is the intended audience?
Evidence: Direct quotes
Connections: How will you use this in your essay? What does this reflect about the time period?

2 - Create a tentative claim and 3 arguments for your essay.


 http://law2.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/FTrials/scottsboro/Newspapr.htm

 http://law2.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/FTrials/scottsboro/wr-summations.html

 http://law2.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/FTrials/scottsboro/kn-summations.html

 http://law2.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/FTrials/scottsboro/li-summations.html

Democratizing Twentieth Century - New Left Group Presentations

Please reach out to folks in your group now. You will have very limited class time to work on this project, so please make arrangements to meet on your own time outside of class. This project is 20% of your final grade. 


Black Power Movement

Alfredo, Emily, Athena, Anderson, Ana, Veronica

Gimmy, Olivia, Kayla, Kevin, Francesca, Richard

Antiwar Movement

Brandon, Mariam, Jackie, Ally, Timmy

Alex, Andrea, John, Miles, Nick, Theoren

Women's Liberation Movement 

Anna, Nikki, Nilou, Tess

Maddie, Arta, Annais, David, Bradley, Jose, SiAi  

Latino, Chicano, Red Power, Multicultural Movement 

Allie, Kayla M., Eldin, Sheila

Jenna, Jacinto, Zhi Min, Thomas, Sean

LGBT Liberation Movement 

Kayla T., Angella, Logan, Aiden, Kyra, Logan 

Victoria, Ferdawsi, Kim, Rebecca, Pia, Truly, Arjeta

Wednesday, March 25, 2015

Cold War Civil Rights

I lent someone my Cold War Civil Rights book during class today. I need it back right away.

Cope

Politics and Government - Homework - Due Thurs, March 26

1 - Read Norris v Alabama, title chunks/paragraphs, annotate.

2 - Answer the following questions about the case:

a) To where was a the change of venue granted?

b) Copy into notes:
 1. grand jury:  a jury, normally of twenty-three jurors, selected to examine the validity of an accusation before trial.
 2. petit jury: an old-fashioned name for the jury that hears a lawsuit or criminal prosecution.

c) According to this opinion, what conclusion did the court reach in Strauder v WVA, Neal v DE, and Gibson v MS? Why is that significant in regard to Norris v Alabama?

d) Discuss the provisions of the Alabama statute regarding jury service.

e) Copy into notes: 
 1. prima facie: based on the first impression; accepted as correct until proved otherwise.

f) What evidence does the defendant (Norris via his legal team) provide to demonstrate blacks had been excluded from juries?

g) How does the court interpret the evidence provided by the defendant?

h) What evidence suggested someone tampered with the jury rolls?

i) Discuss the history of the participation of blacks on juries in Morgan County.

j) Why does the Supreme Court reverse the judgments of the lower courts? 

Tuesday, March 24, 2015

Democratizing Twentieth Century - Sche

On Monday, March 30 at 11:30 in the auditorium my father and several members of his college alumni association will be coming to make a presentation to you about their experiences in the Jim Crow South during the Civil Rights Movement. Juniors, I will let your teachers know.

Please come prepared with questions to ask and be prepared to engage in a discussion.

Cope

Politics and Government Homework - Due Wed, March 25

Finish reading the first article in the Scottsboro packet (the article about the case itself), annotate and take notes.

Scottsboro an American Tragedy

Monday, March 23, 2015

Politics and Government - Homework - Due Tues, March 24

1 - Read Powell v Alabama, 1932
2 - Annotate
3 - Answer the following:

a) Based on the opinion in its entirety, provide several examples of evidence provided to demonstrate deprivation of right counsel.

b) Consider the conversation between the judge and the lawyers before the first trial. Why does the Supreme Court describe it as "casual?"

c) Analyze and interpret this quote from page six:

"It is true that great and inexcusable delay in the enforcement of our criminal law is one of the grave evils of our time... The prompt disposition of criminal cases is to be commended and encouraged. But in reaching that result a defendant, charged with a serious crime, must not be stripped of his right to have sufficient time to advise with counsel and prepare his defense. To do that is not is not to proceed promptly in the calm spirit of regulated justice but to go forward with the haste of the mob."

d) What did the Alabama State Supreme Court rule?

e) Discuss the right to counsel as it existed in England. What does the court say about the right to counsel as it existed in England?

f) Why does the court discuss right to counsel in the different state constitutions? Discuss the right to counsel in one state constitution.

g) Provide one quote that illustrates the incorporation doctrine.

h) According to the opinion, why is the right to counsel necessary? Select one quote as evidence, analyze, and interpret.

i) Why is it significant that this was a capital crime? 

Democratizing Twentieth Century - Eyes on the Prize Transcript

Democratizing Twentieth Century America - Sentence Starters and Other Writing Supports

Introducing authors/comparing authors: 

Zinn suggests that...
Franklin argues...
Franklin questions whether...
Zinn casts doubt upon the idea...
Zinn asserts
Franklin quotes a _________ who embodied this sentiment.
Gosse denies...
Even Zinn concedes that......
Franklin believes.....
_______ admits that....
While Zinn suggests, Franklin takes a different approach
While Franklin is more critical, Zinn only suggests...
Zinn urges us to believe....


Creating context:

First it is important to establish....
During this period.....therefore it comes as no surprise that...
The social/political/economic climate created...
It was common for...
Jim Crow was ubiquitous...
Viewed in this context,....

Significance: 

It is important to consider...
In this context, _________ is especially significant because....
This _________ matters because....
Ultimately this is important...


Extension of a point/Another viewpoint/Counterclaim: 

Moreover.... 
Furthermore....
It is also important to note
One the other hand,
In addition,
While there is some merit to this argument,...

Clarifying Arguments, Introducing evidence, Analyzing Evidence:

Considering the status of....
In this context...
In a sense,
For example,
For instance,
Franklin quotes a _________ who embodies this sentiment.
One might also argue,
In this context, it is difficult to deny...
Franklin succinctly makes the point...
This excerpt/letter/essay underscores the 
This rhetoric suggests
Simply put,
Simply stated,
In other words,  
The essence of the report's findings suggested...





Using a Quotation (i.e., Backing up your argument with proof)

  • Zinn states, “_______” ( ).
    • Standage states, “Some [drinks] have served to highlight the power and status of the elite” (2).

  • According to X, “____” ( ).
    • According to Standage, “Wine was the lifeblood of [Greece]” (3).

  • President Truman himself writes, “_______” ( 4).

  • In the commission's report, ______________, X maintains that “________” ( ).
    • In his book, A History of the World in Six Glasses, Standage maintains that “Greek and Roman knowledge... had been safeguarded and extended by scholars in the Arab world” (4).

  • Writing in the magazine ________, X complains that “____________” ( ).
    • Writing in the online magazine Salon, Weitz complains that “reality television is little more than gladiatorial combat” (3).

  • X agrees when she writes, “_____” ( ).
    • I believe wine was the most influential drink in history. Standage agrees when he writes, “Wins was the lifeblood of [Greece]” (4).


Transitions

For ADDING IDEAS:
also                            another                      in fact        equally important         moreover
furthermore                  additionally                indeed        in addition              

For MAKING A CONTRAST:
however                             nevertheless                      although                       conversely   
on the contrary                 notwithstanding                 even though                  all the same                             on the other hand             by contrast                         nonetheless

For COMPARING:
likewise                               equally                      along the same lines
similarly                             in comparison            in the same way

For CITING AN EXAMPLE:
for example                          in other words            in fact
for instance                          specifically                 after all
as an illustration                 consider        

For SHOWING RESULTS:
accordingly                                hence                              consequently
as a result                                  thus                                 therefore

For REINFORCING AN IDEA:
especially important                          above all                                        most noteworthy
especially relevant                            a significant factor                         most of all       

For ELABORATING (expanding upon a point):
actually                      by extension                  to put it another way
to put it bluntly          in short                         to put it succinctly
in other words           ultimately

For CONCLUDING:
clearly                                  hence                        consequently
obviously                             therefore                   thus



Friday, March 20, 2015

Democratizing Twentieth Century - Homework - Due Monday, March 23

1 - Clarify your claim.

2 - Construct your three arguments.

3 - Construct several contentions for each argument.

4 - Gather several pieces of evidence to support each argument. Make sure you have varied evidence--secondary, primary, and statistical/numerical.

5 - Oh, yeah....one more thing. Draft the first three pages of your essay!! :) :p 


Thursday, March 19, 2015

Politics and Government - Homework - Due Friday, March 20



1 - Read The Trials of the "Scottsboro Boys?" pages 1-4 (read through the paragraph at the top of the page)

**Identify = Who or what is this and why is it significant?

a) Identify: Clarence Norris
b) What was hoboing?
c) Discuss the economic context and significance of the Great Depression.
d) What happened on the train.
e) Identify: Judge Hawkins
f) Discuss the impact of the media
g) How much time elapsed between the arrests and the trial? Was this amount of time appropriate? Explain.
h) Why did the prosecutors try the boys in groups of 2 or 3?
i) Discuss the actions of the NAACP and the communists. Compare and contrast the two groups.
j) How did the Alabama Supreme rule?
k) Identify: Powell v Alabama 



Politics and Government Essay - Due Friday, March 27

Politics and Government Response Essay: Rights of the Accused - 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 - Annoucement

Attention Juniors:

Pages three and four are reversed in the Scottsboro packet. Flip the page so it is in the correct order.

Thanks,

Cope

Democratizing Twentieth Century America - Homework - Due Friday, March 20

1 - Read and construct a primary source analysis for:

a)  Document #7 - Fair Play For Cuba Committee - Cuba: A Declaration of Conscience by Afro-Americans: Advertisement in the New York Post (Gosse, 55-56)

b) Document #8 - Fannie Lou Hamer - Remembering 1962 (Gosse, 61-64)

c) Document # 16 - Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title VII (Gosse, 82 -84)

d) Document # 17 - Sally Belfrage - Remembering Freedom Summer (Gosse, 84 -86)

2 - Be prepared to present at least one quote from one of these documents to use as evidence in your essay.

3 - Be prepared to present at least one quote from one of the introductions to the documents that you can use as evidence in your essay.

**Please be prepared to make a presentation that indicates a sophisticated understanding of both the text and your own claim/arguments

Monday, March 16, 2015

Democratizing Twentieth Century America - Homework - Due Wed, March 18

Read Franklin pgs 523 -  545

1 - What tactics did Southerners use to resist against the increased civil rights activism.

2 - Discuss the Northern migration of African Americans and its impact.

3 - Who were the "Black Muslims" and why are they significant?

4 - Identify: Clarence Mitchell

5 - Discuss the provisions of the Civil Rights Act of 1957 and the reactions of both its proponents and opponents.

6 - Discuss the impact of international events on the passage of the Act.

7 - Identify: Pauli Murray, Ella Baker, Fannie Lou Hamer, Daisy Bates, Angela Davis

8 - What role did the Supreme Court play in protecting black voting rights?

9 - Discuss the role of blacks in the election of 1960.

10 - What gains did blacks make as a result of Kennedy's actions?

11 - Identify: Freedom to the Free

12 - Discuss JFK's proposed Civil Rights bill. Why did some oppose it?

13 - Why didn't DuBois participate in the March on Washington?

14 - Identify: Edwards v South Carolina, Johnson v Virginia

15 - Identify: 24th Amendemnt

16 - Discuss the politics of passing the Civil Rights Act of 1964

17 - Discuss the white backlash against the Civil Rights Act of 1964, more specifically, the actions of the Ku Klux Klan.

18 - Discuss the election of 1964.

19 - Identify: Ralph Bunche

20 - Discuss the gains made by blacks within the Johnson administration.

21 - Discuss the economic inequality between blacks and whites in the North. In what ways did Federal policies contribute to housing inequality?

Politics and Government Homework - Due Thurs, March 19

Due - Thurs, March 19

Based on your class discussion/film clip notes, the Heller and McDonald decisions, and the class articles, are Va governor Terry McCaullife's gun proposals constitutional? Why or why not?

Your response should be two pages typed, double spaced. 

http://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/mayor-bloomberg-criticizes-virginia-repeal-20-year-old-gun-law-article-1.1031149

http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/one-gun-a-month-was-obsolete-in-virginia/2012/04/20/gIQAhVMKWT_story.html

http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/virginia-politics/mcauliffe-to-unveil-gun-control-measures-including-expanded-background-checks/2014/12/13/666f61f2-8146-11e4-8882-03cf08410beb_story.html

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/03/business/the-ar-15-the-most-wanted-gun-in-america.html?_r=0

http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2011/09/the-secret-history-of-guns/308608/


Rubric:

Historical Synthesis and Understanding

16 - Demonstrates a sharp and sophisticated understanding of Supreme Court decisions, relevant historical precedents, and the cause and effect relationship between significant events.
     - Accurately discusses D.C. v Heller and McDonald v Chicago
     - Accurately compares, contrasts, and critiques arguments and interpretations presented by different Supreme Court justices regarding the Second Amendment

     - Accurately references the relevant legal terms and concepts such as specific types of judicial review and due process 

12 Demonstrates a clear understanding of Supreme Court decisions, relevant historical precedents, and the cause and effect relationship between significant events.
     - Accurately discusses D.C. v Heller and McDonald v Chicago
     - Accurately compares, contrasts, and critiques arguments and interpretations presented by different Supreme Court justices regarding the Second Amendment


 8Demonstrates limited understanding of Supreme Court decisions, relevant historical precedents, and the cause and effect relationship between significant events.
     - Attempts to discuss D.C. v Heller and McDonald v Chicago
     - Attempts to compare, contrast, and critique arguments and interpretations presented by different Supreme Court justices regarding the Second Amendment


 4Demonstrates little to no understanding of Supreme Court decisions, relevant historical precedents, and the cause and effect relationship between significant events.
     - Does not discuss or inaccurately discusses D.C. v Heller and McDonald v Chicago
     - Does not or inaccurately compare, contrast, and critique arguments and interpretations presented by different Supreme Court justices regarding the Second Amendment



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 Counterclaim


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

Democratizing Twentieth Century America - Homework - Due Tues, March 17

Read Gosse pgs 7 -23

**Identify = Who or what is this? Why is this significant in the context of this unit? What are some details you can provide as evidence?

1 - What is de facto segregation?

2 - What were the goals of the Northern Civil Rights Movement?

3 - Identify: Malcolm X 

4 - What was covered by the Civil Rights Act of 1964?

5 - What was the Freedom Summer Project and what was its impact?

6 - What was the Voting Rights Act and what key events led up to it?

7 - What sparked the Free Speech Movement?

8 - Identify - Nuclear Test Ban Treaty

9 - Why were some Americans initially supportive of Castro?

10 - Discuss the goals and tactics of the early Gay Rights Movement

11 - Why did the liberal consensus fall apart in the late 1960s?

12 - Discuss the election of 1964.

13 - Why.how were some people radicalized by Vietnam?

14 - Identify: Eugene McCarthy

15 - What was the Black Power Movement and how did it differ from the Civil Rights Movement? Why did the Black Power Movement get underway when it did?

16 - Discuss connections between the Black Power and Women's Liberation Movements.

17 - Discuss the significance of international events in 1968.

18 - Identify: Richard Nixon 

*****Also: Claim and three arguments*****


Tuesday, March 10, 2015

Democratizing Twentieth Century America - Homework - Due Wed, March 11

1 - Read SNCC Statement of Purpose (page 54) and complete a primary source analysis. For connections be sure to consider connections to the time period, other texts, and your web of Civil Rights Movement causes.

2 - Read King's Letter From Birmingham (page 72 -75) and complete a primary source analysis. For connections be sure to consider connections to the time period, other texts, and your web of Civil Rights Movement causes.

3 - Construct a tentative claim for your essay. Your claim should include three arguments. If you choose to create a claim that diverges a bit from the essential question you must make sure you develop a coherent claim that relates to the overall theme of the unit. It is not acceptable to come in and say "I didn't do it because I don't know what I want to talk about." You have known about this essay for over a month and your notes should reflect the evolution of your thinking along the way. If you feel you need to create several different claims and pick from them, that's okay. 

Remember you are considering WWII, Cold War, Supreme Court, advancements in technology, youth/students.  

Politics and Government - Homework - Due Wed, March 11

1 - Read McDonald v Chicago pages 8 - 10 (until section c)

2 - Title each paragraph and do annotations.

3 - Answer the following questions:

a) What precedent was established by D.C. v Heller?
b) Describe the Chicago statute. How does it compare to the D.C. statute?
c) Provide a quote that illustrates the concept of incorporation.
d) What was the purpose of the Chicago gun law?
e) According to Chicago and Oak Park, when should a right within the Bill of Rights be applicable to the states?
f) What did the court hold (rule) in the Slaughterhouse Cases? Why are the Slaughterhouse Cases being referenced in this opinion?
g) How does the court interpret the Privileges and Immunities Clause?
h) How did the dissenting justices in Slaughterhouse interpret the Privileges and Immunities Clause?
i) What did the court hold in Cruikshank

Thursday, March 5, 2015

Politics and Government - Homework - Due Friday, March 6

Finish reading D.C. v Heller. Title each paragraph or chunk and do annotations.

1 - Discuss/explain Scalia's intepretaion of U.S. v Miller. In what ways is his interpretation different from Stevens'?

2 - In what ways can the Second Amendment be limited?

3 - What does the Court suggest about the D.C. gun ban specifically?

4 - What type of judicial review should be applied when considering Second Amendment cases? Rational basis, intermediate scrutiny, or strict scrutiny? Why?

Democratizing Twentieth Century America - No homework tonight, but make up missing assignments


Wednesday, March 4, 2015

Politics and Government - Homework - Due Thursday, March 5

Read through page 4 of the D.C. v Heller decision. Title each paragraph or chunk.

Answer the following questions and provide evidence.

1 - Why does the court start its argument with "a strong presumption that the Second Amendment right is exercised individually and belongs to all Americans?"

2 - What did "keep arms" mean during the founding period?

3 - What did "bear arms" mean during the founding period?

4 - Why did the court's majority believe the right to bear arms is a preexisting right?

5 - Why is U.S. v Miller significant? What did the court rule?

6 - How is militia defined? How is "well regulated" interpreted?

7 - Why are the Anti-Federalists mentioned in this opinion? 

Democratizing Twentieth Century America - Homework - Due Thurs, March 5

Read (or listen to) the following speech, take notes, and construct a primary source analysis. In what ways does President Kennedy's speech illustrate the Cold War context of the Civil Rights Movement? Explain.

John F. Kennedy: Civil Rights Address 

Monday, March 2, 2015

Democratizing Twentieth Century America - Homework - Due Tues, March 3

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, provide quotations to support when necessary (if you say it's not necessary you're getting a zero), and consider how the term might fit into an argument in your essay.

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
k) Historical Synthesis: Discuss Zinn's use of poems and other primary sources the illustrate the psychological condition of African Americans.

(Due Wed, March 4) 

Read Franklin 515 - 521

g) What is "white flight"? What caused it and how did impact housing trends?
h) Discuss three gains blacks made regarding employment post WWII.
i) Identify: Fair Housing Act
j) Primary Source Analysis: James Baldwin Reflects on the Ghetto
k) Discuss the degree to which blacks participated in business and commerce. 


Read Zinn 455-462 

Questions: 

1) Discuss and interpret Malcolm X's characterization of the March on Washington. 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. 

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