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Transcripts, Blog Setup, and Republican Debate Prep

9/16/2015

 
CHANGE OF PLANS!  Due to the Republican Primary Debate, we're going to jettison the Patriot Act writing in favor of setting up our political blogs, and getting ready to watch the debates.  Yes, you're going to be required to watch the debates.

Starter 13
  1. Take one of the following two quizzes about political ideology:  Political Type or Where Do You Fit?
  2. Explain your results- what did the quiz tell you?  Did anything here surprise you?  
  3. What do you think is the most important political issue facing our country today?  Why?

Transcript Time!
Jess is here to check and review transcripts with you.

Set up Blogs!
See the Blog FAQ Handout for how to do this.  Make sure to email the url to Lori!

Blog Post 1!
For your first blog post, you're going to do some thinking before the Republican Primary Debate.  You should go to one or more of the following resources:  
  • 6 Key Policy Issues
  • 6 Dangerous Issues in the GOP Race
  • On The Issues
Familiarize yourself with the issues the candidates are grappling with.  Which of these main issues do you think is the most important issue facing our nation today?  Why?  Now, choose a candidate who will be participating in the debate tonight, and look at their position on the issue.  Respond to it.  What is their position?   What points do they make that have merit?  Where is their position weak to you?  What questions do you have?

HOMEWORK

  • Watch the Republican Primary Debate.  It's on CNN, or you can live stream it at CNN.com
  • If you miss it live, you can always find it on CNN.com or YouTube later.
  • Be ready to discuss and blog about it in class tomorrow!

Patriot Act Focus Groups and Seminar

9/14/2015

 
Starter 12:
  • Do you prefer Socratic Seminars to be graded or ungraded?  Explain the reasoning behind your position.
  • What makes a good seminar? 
  • What are you good at in seminar?  What do you need to work on?

Focus Groups (45 minutes)
You will need:
1. A pen and paper
2. A notetaker/scribe
3. The Focus Group Protocol
4. Focus groups should run roughly 45 minutes.  

Socratic Seminar:  What is the appropriate balance between national security and civil liberties?  
  1. How does the Patriot Act define "domestic terrorism"?
  2. Do you think participants in public protests could ever be accused of "domestic terrorism" under this definition? Why or why not?
  3. The Justice Department has proposed that the government should be able to ask a court to revoke the citizenship of any American who provides "material support" to terrorists. Do you support the proposal? Why or why not?
  4. Do you believe that the Patriot Act goes too far on the side of “security” and, in fact, serves to threaten “individual liberty”?  Why, or why not?

HOMEWORK:  None.  Come to class tomorrow with a computer ready to go for an in-class writing assignment on one of the seminar questions.

9/11 and the Patriot Act

9/11/2015

 
Essential Questions:
  1.  What is the appropriate balance between national security and civil liberties?  
  2. Can you clearly articulate 1 side of the argument either for or against the PATRIOT Act?  
  3. Does the PATRIOT Act violate the appropriate balance between national security and civil liberties?  

Starter 1: 
9/11 montage footage above.  You'll need a pencil and a piece of scratch paper. 
  1. Warning: graphic content.  You do not have to watch, and can leave at any time.   
  2. After the footage, in silence, speedwrite a list of every emotion you are feeling.  (sadness, fear, vulnerability, horror, anger, empathy, etc)
  3.  If you had reason to suspect another event like this happening tomorrow, what would you be willing to do to stop it?

Mini-Lecture: The Patriot Act (Lecture notes on my DP Docs page)
  1. Where does it come from? 
  2.  What does it do?
  3.  What are the implications?

Focus Groups (60-70 min)
  1. Assigning Focus Groups – You will be assigned to a focus group that will focus on primary sources either defending or supporting the Patriot Act.  IF YOU ARE ABSENT, JUST PICK A GROUP!
  2. Primary Source Analysis.  You will pick one document from the list below, and you will become an expert on this document.  Using annotations and the graphic organizer provided, you will “map out” the arguments presented in your article.   See docs page for documents and graphic organizer.  IF YOU ARE ABSENT, JUST CHOOSE AN ARTICLE!
  3. Focus Group Mini-Seminar (DIDN'T GET TO THIS- WILL DO IT ON TUESDAY!)  (10-11 people per group).  The goal of this seminar is to create a large, mutual understanding of one side of the argument.   Each group will form a semi-circle of chairs around a white board and run through the following procedure.  A scribe will take notes on their laptop.

HOMEWORK: Finish the Primary Source Analysis (see docs page for handout and documents).  DUE:  Tuesday, 9/15  

Self-Assessment and DP Updating

9/9/2015

 
AND NOW...A NOTE FROM YOUR TEACHER...
Hey everyone.  I have caught the pestilence from my child (I'm clocking in at 102.3, if anyone is tracking these things), so I'm going to avoid being a plague monkey and stay home today.  Please email me if you have any questions about what you're supposed to do today.  And be ready to hit the ground running on Friday, because we're going to tackle 9/11 and the Patriot Act- a fitting extension of our privacy work so far.

Starter 10

  1. What was the best thing about this mini-project?
  2. What should I change about this if I teach it next year?  
  3. What are you liking about how this class is going so far?
  4.  What feedback can you give me to make this class even more awesome for you?

To Do:
  1. Take a photo of your piece to use on your DP if necessary.  Email it to yourself so you can access it on your laptop.
  2. Submit a copy of your exhibition piece to me.  I'll need it for grading.  It can be the picture (if it is clear and I can see it), or photocopy, video – whatever is appropriate.   See the board for instructions!
  3. Get into groups of 6-7.  Briefly share/present your piece to the group.  
  4. Cleanly exhibit your piece/pieces.  This may look different for everyone, so make sure to converse with me first.  If it's a poster, put it up.  A flier?  Hand it out.  If you need me to print on the plotter for you, you can put this step off until Friday when I hope to be back.

 DP and Self-Assessment
  1. Update your DP (see instructions below)
  2. Complete the Self-Assessment assignment that’s posted on Google Classroom
  3. Write a short, refined writing explaining your mini-project to post on your DP
  4. Email me the url of your 12th Grade Humanities DP page

DP Update: Street Law Mini-Project
  1. Create a new 12th grade page or tab on your DP
  2. Post a picture (or other applicable media) on the top of this page
  3. Respond to the project reflection prompts listed below, and post that text underneath or next to the exhibition piece on your DP.  Use a word processor!  Cut and paste into your webpage.
  4. Publish!
  5. Visit the new site and proofread. 
  6. Email me the url at  lori.fisher@animashighschool.com
  7. DUE: Tomorrow, beginning of class!

Project Reflection
  1. Paragraph 1: Write a short paragraph to summarize what the mini-project was about.  You may go back to the original handout for guidance here if you need it. 
  2. Paragraph 2:  How did you 'connect' to it?  (What piece of content did you choose to focus on for your exhibition?  Why did it draw your interest, and what was your personal connection with that information to make you want to go deeper?)  HINT....if you do a good job with this, you could probably use it on your self-assessment!

HOMEWORK
  1. Finish DP update as per instructions above.  DUE:  Friday, start of class.
  2. Finish self-assessment and turn in via Google Classroom.  DUE:  Friday, start of class.

Project Work Time....FINISH IT!

9/9/2015

 
Starter 9- Plan
  1. How are you feeling about your project right now?
  2. What’s your work plan for today?
  3.  How much do you anticipate needing to do for this tonight?

Project Work Time! 
You have the rest of class to work on your exhibition piece.  Use your time wisely!

HOMEWORK
Finish your mini-project!  DUE THURSDAY.

Project Work Time and Rubric Finalization

9/8/2015

 
Starter 8- Rubric Check In
Look at the rubric linked above.  For question 1, please comment DIRECTLY on the Google Doc.  Questions 2 and 3 should be answered in your starter document.  Writing in BLUE is from the morning class, writing in RED is from the afternoon class.
  1. Any things to change/add/remove?   Please make sure to address at least ONE of the questions at the bottom of the rubric.  (Comment on the rubric, answer the questions below directly on the document!)
  2. What category are you feeling most confident about?  Why?  
  3. Most worried about?  Why?  What can you do to improve it here?

Project Work Time! 
You have the rest of class to work on your exhibition piece. 

Struggles?
  1. Use members of your support group to help, clarify, or move you forward.  
  2. Check in with Lori
  3. You may want to schedule a quick support group check-in for the end of class

HOMEWORK
Work on project.  DUE THURSDAY, at the start of class.  That means that posters need to be ready to print, videos are finalized and ready to show, and performances are ready to go.

Rubric Development and Project Idea Critiques

9/4/2015

 
Questions of the Day
  1. What are you going to do to make sure your project is amazing? 
  2. What is the difference between okay work and excellent work?
  3. How should we assess this project?

Starter 7: Rubric Brainstorm!
  1. First, brainstorm categories that you have seen on project rubrics in the past (for example, Refinement).
  2. Now, make a list of categories that you think should be included for THIS project.  What do you think are the most important things I should be looking for?
  3. What, for THIS project, does it mean to create beautiful work?  What's the difference between beautiful work and adequate work?  What does a non-passing project look like?

Rubric Development
  1. Get categories on the board
  2. Students mark top three (I get my choice as well)
  3. Talk about differences in quality

By the end of class
  1. Have a strong topic chosen, and some research completed on that topic
  2. Have a clear idea of the product you are going to create
  3. Project idea has been vetted by classmates
  4. You have a plan for the weekend and the work days next week

Project Support Groups
Get in groups of four.

Student Presenter Main Points
  1. Tell us more about your topic and/or area of interest.  
  2.  Tell us what you think your product will look like.
  3. Tell us how you anticipate exhibiting your product.
  4. Share with us 1 guiding question you have.  This can be something that makes you uneasy, something you're unsure about, a problem that you need help solving, etc.  

Support Panel Guiding Questions
  1. How will you use your medium to demonstrate what you know about this topic?  
  2. What  problems do you anticipate in the creation of your product?  
  3. Given our earlier discussion about quality work, what do you think you need to do to your project to produce truly beautiful work here?
  4. What else?  Feel free to ask any more questions that will help the presenter anticipate problems and troubleshoot them effectively.

HOMEWORK:  Do what you need to do this weekend to make sure your project is beautiful by the start of class next THURSDAY.

Project Ideas and Police Visit

9/3/2015

 
Starter 6:  Project Ideas
  1. What topic do you think you would like to pursue further?  Why does this topic interest you?
  2. What type of product do you want to produce for exhibition?  Why?  (Look back at the project overview for ideas if you’re lost here!)
  3. What’s the best way to exhibit this product?  Who is the audience?

Work Time!
You have lots of options for work time today.  You can…
  1. Conduct some research about your chosen topic 
  2. Start planning your product
  3. Talk to peers or Lori about your ideas and get feedback

Police Visit
  1. Mock traffic stop or party bust
  2. Q&A with officer


Homework:  Solidify your project topic and idea for peer workshops tomorrow.

Automobile Exception and Practical Strategies for Dealing With Police

9/2/2015

 
Starter 4- Carroll v US 
  1. Read the article here:  Carroll v US
  2. Summarize the ruling in your own words
  3. Practically speaking, what do you think this means for you, as a driver, if you get pulled over?
  4. This summary has been written by a officer of the law. Why do you think he/she believes that the Carroll v US ruling has “had a tremendously positive impact on police operations.” Explain.

Questions of the Day

  1. What are your legal rights and obligations when pulled over in a moving vehicle?
  2. What is the best way to handle law enforcement to ensure the protection of their rights and a positive outcome when in a moving vehicle?

Warrant Review:
  1. What are they?
  2. How do you get one?
  3. What are some exceptions to the 'warrant requirement?'
  4. Why do you think warrants might be excepted from moving vehicles? Ideas/theories?

Handout: The Motor Vehicle Exemption from the Warrant Requirement
  1. Read, Annotate. Beware of legal language – jot down any uncertainties while you annotate and we'll clear them up for the class.
  2. What was most surprising for you about this?
  3. What impact does this have for you, practically speaking?

Practical Strategies
Youtube video: Police Encounters for Dummies (38 min)  

Truth versus Perceived Truth 
Police generally have a more advanced understanding of your legal requirements than you do. Let’s watch this guy deal with the border patrol. He knows his rights, and uses them to be kind of a jerk. I don't advocate doing this yourself in ANY way, but it is interesting insofar as the legal language/officer reaction is concerned.   Border Patrol Video   (15 min)

Questions for Police Officers
  1. Brainstorm at least 3 questions for the police officers coming tomorrow.  These questions could be about anything- specific questions about rights/scenarios, larger questions about the career or policing, etc.  
  2. In your groups, share your questions with each other.   Come up with at least 3 more as a group, add those to each of your lists.
  3. Share out to class a few questions from each group

Street Law Project Brainstorm
Use the resources on my DP to craft a vision for your project. Think about the following 2 things:
  1. What topic would you like to pursue further? 
  2. What form will your exhibition take (poster, cartoon, article, etc – see project handout for a more detailed list of suggestions).
  3. Bounce some ideas off of me or your friends – it's what we're here for!

HOMEWORK:  None.  Enjoy your night!

Your Rights at School

9/1/2015

 
Essential Question: To what extend do my rights change when I walk into school? 

Starter 4- Pop Quiz! 
We'll take a brief quiz on what we learned yesterday.  Usually, these will be graded, and will be entered into the "Are you learning stuff?" category in the gradebook.  Today we'll grade it, but it will not count – it is for you to gauge your own learning.  On the reverse side of the quiz is a summary of all the content we covered yesterday.  Don't look, or the quiz results will tell you nothing about how effectively you are learning. 

Summary:
  1. Our protections against unlawful search and seizure mainly come from the 4th Amendment of the US Constitution
  2. You absolutely cannot be stopped (seized) and patted down (not a full-blown search, but still pretty invasive) without REASONABLE SUSPICION.  This is called a Terry Stop and it is ONLY to look for weapons in the case of a reasonable, articulatable danger to an officer other people.  
  3. Exemptions to this include: probation/parole, schools, airports, if you consent to be searched, and people already in jail.
  4. Reasonable suspicion enables officers to pat you down and look for a weapon, but not to go into inaccessible items like backpacks without your consent.
  5. They may only go into your pockets if they feel (or think they feel) a weapon.  If they go into your pockets and find drugs instead, they may use it against you (but they can't go into your pockets if they 'think' they feel drugs).  
  6. Officers can only proceed with a full-blow search with PROBABLE CAUSE.  Probable cause is more strict than reasonable suspicion, though still based on the behavior of 'reasonableness.'
  7. Officers need to show probable cause to a judge in order to obtain a warrant to search and/or seize your property.  
  8. However, if the officer has probable cause 'in the moment,' this is enough to allow him/her to search you and your property.  (he sees you jam a gun in your belt, drugs in your purse, etc)
  9. If you flee from the police, you forfeit all of the above privacy rights.  
  10. Reasonable Suspicion:   “Apparent facts discovered through logical inquiry that would lead a reasonably intelligent and prudent person to believe that an accused person has committed a crime, thereby warranting his or her prosecution.”
  11. Probable Cause:  “An objectively justifiable suspicion that is based on specific facts or circumstances that justifies a peace officer stopping a person thought to be involved in criminal activity at the time”

 Schools and Privacy
  1. A school is, first and foremost, an educational institution.  Schools are challenged to balance students' constitutional rights and the school's need for a safe learning environment. 
  2. A school's need to conduct searches and discipline students frequently is greater than a student's right to privacy.
  3. However, schools cannot be “unreasonable.” Some protection of privacy is guaranteed, the question is: How much?

Sample Rulings

Try your luck ruling in 6 different cases of student 4th Amendment rights.  Tell us what you think, then we'll discuss. (Extra copies on Docs page)

Student Case Law Simulation
  1. We'll split the class into two large groups.  Pull some tables together. 
  2. Each group will get a case packet with a different case. 
  3. Follow the instructions for the particular case that you are given.  You have 25 minutes to finish the exercise.  Good luck! 
  4. We'll regroup, and each group will present their findings to the other, while the other takes notes and asks clarifying questions. 

Real Life Scenario! 
  1. Now, form a group of 4 – make sure that each group has 2 members who looked at each case. 
  2. I will hand you a real-life scenario. 
  3. Using what you learned from each case, can you decide how the courts will rule?

Written Ruling
To show me the knowledge you have gained, write a 3 paragraph ruling on the scenario you just discussed in your group.  Your ruling should address the arguments for the student, the arguments for the school, and your final ruling (with your reasoning).  Use all of your knowledge you've gained so far to make this ruling!  Make sure to write in well-structured paragraphs, and to proofread carefully before turning this in.

Share or email me the typed document before the start of class tomorrow.  I will be grading it based on completion, content knowledge, and the strength of your reasoning.

HOMEWORK 
Finish Written Ruling (see details above).  Share or email to Lori.  DUE: Start of class, Wednesday.
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  • Osprey Week