2018-19 Daily Check In
2018-19 AP Government and Politics
Daily Check In
Wed. 5/22 - Completed Thirteen Days. Assessed the role of the President as Commander in Chief and evaluated the resources available to the President in regard to foreign affairs. Assignment: Lead a productive life and participate in all levels of government.
Mon. 5/20 - Continued watching Thirteen Days and examined the role of intelligence gathering government agencies. Completed to the 2:02.43 mark. Assignment: None.
Thurs. 5/16 - Financing State and Local Government in Ohio (p. 68). Continued watching Thirteen Days and analyzing the relationship between the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the Executive Branch. Completed to the 1:33.15 mark. Assignment: Continue to maintain your viewing log. Bring the Wilson text to class on Monday, as we will be using it.
Tues. 5/14 - City and Local (County/Township) government responsibilities. Completed pp. 66-67 questions in the Our Federal and State Constitutions workbook. Continued watching Thirteen Days and maintaining our viewing log. We stopped at 54:40. Assignment: Watch actual John Kennedy telecast announcing the quarantine.
Fri. 5/10 - Debriefed from Day 1 of Thirteen Days. Examined various roles of people involved with bringing information to the attention of the president. Identified positions that serve on the National Security Council. Watched more of Thirteen Days up to the 41:55 mark. Made additions to the video log. Assignment: none
Wed. 5/8 - Thirteen Days up to the 31:44 mark. Began building a video log of the events in the film. Assignment: none
Mon. 5/6 - National AP Government and Politics Exam. Discussion on what comes next. Group agreed to start watching 13 Days. Assignment: None
Thurs. 5/2 - Open question period. Released exam review. Practiced reading free response questions. Reviewed specific questions about the Judicial Branch. Broke down answers to Free Response question #3 and discussed the thesis for the question #4. Assignment: Continue to review for the national exam which is now merely 4 days away. Additional review materials can be located at this link.
Tues. 4/30 - Ohio AIR Testing Part 2. Reviewed the mechanics of the national AP exam. Tried five sample multiple choice questions from a released exam. Assignment: Practice Quizlet Stack on Latin Terms in American Government and Politics. Answer Free Response question 3 completely, and write a thesis statement for free response question 4. Continue to review for the national exam which is now merely 6 days away. Quizlet vocabulary stacks S , T/U/V/W
Fri. 4/26 - Ohio AIR Testing Part 1. Policy Cost vs. Benefit Analysis. Assignment: Review for National exam which is now 10 days away. Here is a link to some great review sites. Study this quizlet stack: Latin Terms for AP Gov't.
Wed. 4/24 - Quizlet work on Key Supreme Court cases. Short reading and a few questions about the Federal Budget. Page 49 Self Check Up in the Gold Book. Reviewed the 11th amendment and specifically Chisholm v. Georgia case. Learned about monetary and fiscal policy. Assignment: Continue to review for the national exam which is now merely 12 days away. Quizlet vocabulary stacks M/N/O, P/Q/R
Mon. 4/22 - Mr. Saygers visited and registered everyone for the upcoming May 6th national exam for AP Government and Politics. He also shared some tips for seeking out scholarship opportunities through the school guidance website. We read as a class about key concepts associated with Civil Libertites. Assignment: Please finish reading carefully the material in Chapter 14. There will be a reading comprehension activity next class over the material in Chapter 14 in Newman. It would be to your benefit to continue to review Quizlet vocabulary stacks - F/G/H, I/J/KL
Wed. 4/17 - In-depth discussion and examination of Freedom of the Press and Freedom of Assembly and Petition. A discussion of key elements related to Civil Rights. Covered key components of Ohio Dept. of Education American Government Standards. Worked directly on Ohio Constitution and Government from the golden book. Assignment: Over break please review these three Quizlet stacks. A/B, C, D/E
Mon. 4/15 - In-depth discussion and examination of Freedom of Religion and Freedom of Speech concepts within the realm of Civil Liberties. Assignment: Read carefully lecture notes on Freedom of Press and Freedom of Assembly and Petition lecture notes.
Thurs. 4/11 - Open question period over civil rights and civil liberties. Reviewed key concept of selective and total incorporation. Examined full faith and credit clause, presidential oath, 1st, 4th, 8th, and 14th amendments. Finished reading lecture notes and began freedom of religion and freedom of speech. Assignment: read carefully the lecture notes on freedom of religion and freedom of speech. There will be a 10-12 question quiz over those readings. Wolfford materials could also be included.
Tues. 4/9 - Worked on key elements of Gitlow v. NY, Gideon v. Wainwright, and Schenk v. U.S. Study quizlet stacks of key Court Cases and the 27 Amendments. Began dissecting civil liberties and civil rights. Read through the lecture notes. Assignment: Review for the national exam. Plenty of good links located on the class website under the review links tab.
Fri. 4/5 - Open discussion on reading and vocabulary specific to the judicial branch. Quiz over Gitlow v. New York (1925). Read carefully the 14th amendment and watched about ten minutes of a discussion over the 14th Amendment's equal protection clause. Examined briefly the friendship of political opposites on the court, Scalia and Ginsburg. Assignment: Read carefully pp. 339-352. Know the key details of Gideon v. Wainwright (1963).
Wed. 4/3 - New seats for the fourth quarter. 10 minute open question period over the judicial branch. Test over the judicial branch . 30 multiple choice and two free response questions. Assignment: Know the details and the decision associated with Gitlow v. New York 1925. Read carefully pp. 328-338 in Wolfford. Be prepared to answer a few questions about both Gitlow v. NY and the reading assignment.
Mon. 4/1 - Welcome back. Explored the weaknesses in our Judicial Branch understanding. Specifically addressed types of law, stare decisis, rule of four, judicial originalist philosophy and judicial activism. Assignment: Prepare for Test over the Judicial Branch for next class.
Thursday February 21 through Sunday March 31 - Mr. Cox Missing in Action due to a medical condition.
Tues. 2/19 - One last round through any last questions about the legislative branch. Completed the assessment over the Legislative Branch. Assignment: Read carefully and thoughtfully Article II of the United States Constitution.
Thurs. 2/14 - Open questions - Monetary Policy - Case against Congress - Political Party influence on the passing legislation - role of Independents in the Legislative Branch - covered missed questions in the quiz. Assignment: Add two entries on you blog. One entry is to be a 75-125 word summary and commentary on a Second Gilded Age, and a similar post on the history of the filibuster. You should complete How a Bill Becomes Law simulation and print out the results certificate. There will be a test over the legislative branch next class meeting.
Tuesday Feb. 12 - No School - Ice Storm
Monday Feb. 11 - 2 Hour DELAY - Ice and COLD
Mon. 2/11 - Quick open question session over the Wolfford readings. 18 Question Quiz. Assignment: Read carefully this profile on the 116th Congress. You may also use this link to gather information to share. Use the links and interactives provided on either site. Be prepared to speak to the group on two interesting things you discovered about the 116th Congress. Read carefully the final segment of the Lecture Notes on the "Case Against Congress". (pp. 12-13)
Thurs 2/7 - Reviewed Gerrymandering as a advantage to incumbents. Discussed SCOTUS restrictions on gerrymandering. Reviewed pp.221-228 in Wolfford. Discussed the 22nd Amendment and its implications on the U.S. Legislative branch. Examined the concept of earmarks and pork barrel legislation. Examined political cartoons related to pork barrel legislation. Assignment: Read Wolfford through page 240. Prepare for a 20 question quiz next class over the reading.
Tues. 2/5 - Reviewed blogs and then spent a good deal of time on establishing our blog on Wix.com. Worked on gerrymandering. Assignment: Copy the by hand, the current congressional house district map of the state of Ohio pn the piece of yellow paper that was given to you. Read carefully pp. 221-228 in Wolfford.
Tues. 1/29 - Covered the details of the Sunday News/Politics Blog Project. Ran into some issues using Blogger.com. In the interim we will create our blogs on a Google Doc to be transferred as soon as our blog host site is determined. Summarized news shows that were consumed over this past weekend as our first blog post. Assignment: Prepare for a quiz over Overview of Congress and the Incumbency Advantage Notes from the Class Lecture notes on the Legislative Branch. There will be specific emphasis on Gerrymandering.
Tuesday January 29 - 2 Hour DELAY - Ice and COLD
Friday 1/25 - Extensive work in Article I of the United States Constitution. Assignment: Read carefully the following document on the Overview of Congress. Practice the vocabulary Quizlet on the Legislative Branch.
End of First Semester
Thurs. 1/17 - Semester Exam
Fri. 1/11 - Discussion about media roles, influences, and history of media in relation to government and politics. Looked a specific headlines and media stories to evaluate "comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable". Introduced the semester exam study guide. Assignment: Prepare for exam. Answer two open questions on the semester exam study guide and you may add up to 10 questions with answers that are not already on the study guide for extra credit at 1% per question.
Wed. 1/9 - Discussion about meritocracy, affirmative action, the true definition of equality and the role in government of providing equality. Reviewed political parties and how political parties are related to the political spectrum. Researched and briefly discussed splinter parties and coalitions. Finished with in class check up of interpreting political cartoons and third party influence in elections. Assignment: Continue to prepare for the semester exam and listen carefully to the remainder of Stuff You Should Know: What made the donkey and the elephant political. We ended at 7:01 in class.
Mon. 1/7 - Broke down the vocabulary assignment from the Pew Article about attitudes about the News Media. Did a check up on the reading assignment. Work on political parties. Special emphasis on Third Parties and their impacts on elections. Assignment: Begin to prepare for semester exam.
Thurs. 12/20 - Quick review of the Lobbying Project. Giving Lists 2018-19. Assignment: Read "Americans' Attitudes About the News Media Deeply Divided Along Partisan Lines" carefully and create a handwritten formal outline that contains the main ideas [Roman Numerals and Capital Letters]. Example . Key vocabulary terms should be included and highlighted. Granted that there are no words highlighted nor underlined in the reading, but high performing A.P. students should be able to create a list of 12-15 key terms that are central to the understanding of the article and concepts related to government/politics and the media. There will be a few check up questions to assess your understanding of the article and vocabulary when we return to class next.
Tues. 12/18 - 27 Amendment Test. Discussed provisions of the 5th Amendment. Defined types of due process. Introduced Political Parties. Assignment: Complete watching the video started in class from the 9:19 mark. Be prepared for a 8 question quiz from information on the video. Political Parties Video
Fri. 12/14 - Worked heavily in Quizlet on the 27 Amendments. Covered PACs and Super PACs. Discussed Buckley v. Valeo and Citizens United Supreme Court Cases. Reviewed gerrymandering. Assignment: Test next class period over the amendments. You are also required to turn in your cover document for the Lobbying Project.
Wed. 12/12 - Examined the Free Rider Problem and discussed how Interest Groups benefit and harm the political process. Listened to brief podcasts on specific examples of Interest Groups. Handed in work for grade. Assignment: Study the 27 Amendments to the U.S. Constitution. There will be a test on the ability to identify and apply the Amendments two class meetings from today. (tenatively Dec. 18 if there are no delays nor cancellations,)
Mon. 12/10 - Extensive work on Interest Groups strength factors and how Lobbying works and is regulated. Looked at examples of Iron Triangles. Examined, in detail, the Lobbying Project. Assignment: Answer each of the following questions and bring them to class. Each should be handwritten and available to be turned in at the beginning of class.
#1 Explain the free rider problem in your own words. Can you think of another example in society?
#2 Pundits often complain about the influence of "special interest groups" on politics. Name one positive effect of interest group participation in the political process and one problem associated with interest group participation.
Thurs. 12/6 - Item by item review of tactics of Interest Groups. Examined economics principle of "value". Assignment: Complete Program #3 on Next Door Strangers and add your notes and summary to your existing document. We are proceeding to Lobbying and Political Action Committees. Read about both in Wilson. (use your index)
Tues. 12/4 - Reviewed tribalism. Current Events (NPR). Program #2 on Next Door Strangers . Added notes and summary to existing document started on Nov. 30. Spent a great deal of time working on connecting faction and tribalism and American Political Culture. Short lecture on tactics of interest groups. Assignment: Complete the notes and summary related to the Next Door Strangers podcast. Study for a quiz over types of Interest groups and Tactics of Interest Groups.
Fri. 11/30 - Current Events (Whip it Around) NPR - Tribalism 101 Podcast - written summary on defining Tribalism 101(podcast link. Program #1) and providing evidence to back up your definition. Quiz over types of Interest groups. Assignment: Assignment: Study carefully 27 Amendments Quizlet stack. You must complete all flashcards and Learn Activities.
Wed. 11/28 - Quiz over the reasons for growth of Interest Groups in the United States. Lecture/Discussion over types of Interest Groups. Looked up specific examples and attempted to gain knowledge of specific interest groups that were examples of the different types. Assignment: Prepare for a quiz over the types of Interest Groups. It would be wise to know specific interest groups that fit each type.
Mon. 11/26 - Reviewed test questions from Unit 2. Broke down a bar graph on minority representation in Congress 1960-2010. Viewed a brief clip of Harvard Justice. Finished up with 10 minutes of Faction from the Lecture notes. Assignment: Be in tune with the causes of the rise of interest groups and be able to differentiate between a political interest group and a political party. Quiz.
November 21-23 No School - Thanksgiving break
Mon. 11/19 - Reviewed Faction, Federalist 10, Worked on Quizlet Vocabulary. Assignment: Complete the Federalist 10 Reading Guide Questions. Read carefully Wilson pp. 280-293. Take handwritten notes over the reading for daily grade. Be prepared to discuss the items in the reading.
Thursday November 15 - No School - Ice and Snow
Wed. 11/14 - Collected Veterans Day letters. Quickly reviewed campaign finance. Test over Unit #2 - Political Beliefs and Behaviors. Assignment: Read very carefully pp. 104-131 in Wolfford.
Mon. 11/12 - Twenty question quiz over Electoral College, Path to the Presidency, and the Primary/Caucus system as it is related to the nomination process. Veterans' Day Lesson. Assignment: Test next class period. Heavy emphasis will be on the lecture notes and the Wolfford readings.
Thurs. 11/8 - Discussed various questions from the Americanism Test. Examined the article: from NPR that was emailed to all 12 students about the 2018 Midterm election results. Covered steps to the presidency. Noted that we are two class sessions from our next test. Assignment: read carefully about campaign finance in Wolfford pp. 145-151. 20 question quiz next class over topics discussed between 11/1 through 11/8.
Mon. 11/5 - In-depth study of the Electoral College and its advantages and disadvantages. Assignment: Be prepared to defend or destroy the Electoral College. It is also imperative to know the path the the presidency that is outlined in the lecture notes in unit 2.
Thurs. 11/1 - Completed a Political Beliefs and Behaviors Vocabulary Quiz. Small group work using Ballotpedia to examine political beliefs and behaviors in current events, particularly the upcoming midterm elections. Introduced the Oyez website and how to seek information on U.S. Supreme Court cases and decisions. Assignment: Read carefully and become as knowledgeable as you can about how the electoral college works and the arguments for and opposing the electoral college.
Tues. 10/30 - Current Events. Broke down the keys to Congressional elections. Specifically looked at primaries (open, closed, and blanket), advantages of incumbents, and examined results from previous elections. Assignment: study quizlet stack on political beliefs and behaviors. Scour the website at Ballotpedia. Be prepared to share with a small group, three or four interesting findings from the website about voter behavior and information about the 2018 midterm election. You will need to have written notes to prove that you prepared for what you are sharing with your small group.
October 25 - 26 - No School - Parent Teacher Conferences
Wed. 10/24 - Current Events (NPR). Revisited concepts of equality of opportunity and the responsibility of the federal government to provide equality of opportunity. Revisited the concepts of limited government, federalism, and how the constitution is flexible. Reviewed the reading on Who Votes, Who does, and Why. Assignment: Read carefully the Complete Report on Voting Participation, The Top Line, and How "Drop-off Voters Differ From Consistent Voters. Be prepared to answer a few questions over the reading.
Mon. 10/22 - Discussion about school culture and athletic events. Examined qualifications to vote, historical qualifications to vote, voter turnout, reasons for low turnout in the U.S., Who votes? Who doesn't, and Who cares? Visited resources on the Wood County Board of Elections website. Assignment: Read carefully, Who Votes, Who Doesn't, and Why.
Thurs. 10/18 - Discussion about polling and its uses. Broke down and thoroughly demonstrated how to analyze data from a table. Discussed scientific polling, horse race, and random samples. Assignment: Complete the polling sharing assignment. Read carefully pp. 86-97 in Wolfford. Anticipate a quiz over Chapter 3 in Wollford.
Tues. 10/16 - No class due to Bowling Green Field Trip. Eleven of the twelve students were on the field trip. The one student who was here reviewed political socialization and visited some websites that are important to American Government and Politics. Assignment: Study very very carefully the lecture notes on Public Opinion. It may also be wise to check out this link. Anticipate a quiz. You should also read carefully, pp. 75-86 in the Wolfford text.
Thurs. 10/11 - Reviewed key ideas on Political Culture and Political Socialization. Assignment: Study very very carefully the lecture notes on Public Opinion. It may also be wise to check out this link. Anticipate a quiz.
Tues. 10/9 - Quiz over the notes on Political Culture. Read page 52 and discussed Political Culture. Assignment: Read carefully pp. 53-61 in Wolfford.
Fri. 10/5 - Revisited Test #1 issues. Worked on Key Vocabulary for Unit 2 Political Beliefs and Behaviors. Discussed Political Socialization. Assignment: Prepare for a quiz over the Notes on Political Culture. It would be wise to review the reading : Key findings on Americans' views of the U.S. political system and democracy.
Wed. 10/3 - Test #1. Assignment: Read very carefully Key findings on Americans' views of the U.S. political system and democracy.
Mon. 10/1 - Majority of class was spent on reviewing key concepts related to Constitutional Underpinnings. Examined the role of government in providing equality of opportunity. Worked on Constitutional Underpinnings quizlet. Assignment: Test next class.
Thurs. 9/27 - Examined political culture a bit and spent some serious time on class consciousness and the differences between the U.S. and Scandinavian nations. Used some local examples about ranking the value and how it conflicts with the concept of equality of opportunity. Discussed government's role in providing equality of opportunity. Assignment: Begin preparing for a major test that will be administered two class meetings from today. Tenatively this will be October 3. Any material between p. 1-72 in Wilson and pp. 1-51 in Wolfford is fair game. You would also be wise to know the material in the Constitutional Underpinnings lecture notes. Constitutional Underpinnings Quizlet is also a valuable study tool.
Tues. 9/25 - Discussed in detail the basic concepts of the Constitution. Lengthy analysis of the concept of "equality". Highlighted how the design of the government was to weaken the central government. Assignment: Create a chart showing four ways the Constitution was stronger than the Articles of Confederation and four specific ways that the Constitution was designed to be inefficient. Read carefully Wilson pp. 85-94. (hint)
Fri. 9/21 - Infographic Round Robin. Read pages 2-23 in Wolfford text and answered questions on pp. 24-27. Assignment: Carefully read pp. 79-85 in Wilson.
Wed. 9/19 -
Mon. 9/17 - Constitution Day 2018 - Reviewed the Preamble, Articles, and Amendments. Listened to and summarized 60 Second Civics episodes 3002 - 3006. Assignment: Read carefully Concepts of Federalism, Federal-State Relations, Recent Trends in Federalism, and pp. 68-72 in the Wilson text. Be prepared to answer a few questions on each of the readings.
Wed. 9/12 - Formal amendment process video and summary completed in class. <BRING HEADPHONES EVERY DAY> Worked on Constitutional Principles Infographic. Assignment: Have your infographic completed along with the round robin portion of the assignment. Stay up to speed with current political news.
Mon. 9/10 - Broke down the significance of Marbury v. Madison in great detail. Examined how the Marbury decision impacted the concept of checks and balances along with the impact on judicial activism. Assignment: Be able to list the seven principles of the Constitution. Be able to explain the concerns that led the founding fathers to value these principles.
Thurs. 9/6 - Watched highlights from the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee hearings with nominee Cavanaugh. Discussed concepts related to separation of power and checks and balances. Quiz over the Sunrise at Philadelphia reading. Assignment: Read carefully the summary of Marbury v. Madison (1803). Be prepared to answer a few comprehension questions next class.
Tues. 9/4 - Worked on Federalist 51 in small groups. Discussed in detail the Constitution's means of checking tyranny. Began work on Constitutional Underpinnings and main principles. Assignment: Read carefully and take notes over the reading: Sunrise at Philadelphia. Be prepared to answer some questions based on the reading. You should also read pp. 29-45 and be certain to comprehend what you read.
No School on Monday September 3
Labor Day
Thurs. 8/30 - Open question period from readings. Worked on key vocabulary from Constitutional Underpinnings. Quizzed over the week's assigned readings. Assignment: Read and comprehend Federalist #51. You should also read and take notes over the Wilson reading pp. 29-38.
Tues. 8/28 - Opened with questions over reading assignment and the Pew Articles. Detailed discussion of the Great Compromise and other issues involved in creating the Constitution. Completed Round Robin and collected. Assignment: Read careully pp. 1-14 in Wilson and study carefully Constitutional Underpinnings Quizlet. There will be a 20 question quiz next class over the readings in Wilson and the Quizlet.
Fri. 8/24 - Opened with some discussion of the political survey poll. Were the results congruent? Whip it around with the Pew Research Center Current Political News. Brief lecture on concepts of types of democracies, majority, super-majority, minority, pledge, republic. Read on political polarization. Built a round robin with 5 multiple choice questions. (due next class). Assignment: Read carefully pp. 20-29 in the Wilson text. Also read carefully "A Wider Ideological Gap Between More and Less Educated Adults". Be prepared to answer a few questions in a quiz format about the readings.
Wed. 8/22 - Opening day! - Covered class syllabus. Passed out Wilson and Wolfford. Reviewed resources on our class website. Checked into Quizlet. Assignment: Complete Political Surveys 1 and 2. Attach a screenshot of the results from each into a Google Doc and email it to ccox@rossfordschools.org.