7th+H+&+P


 * U.S. History & Politics - 7th grade **

=**World Religions**= Check here for the World Religions syllabus. This will tell you what is coming up, including upcoming assignments. Please keep in mind that this syllabus is subject to change. If it does change, I will let you know in class.


 * Assignment Due Monday, May 18**
 * Study for final test.
 * You will have time to review and ask questions in class on Thursday, May 14.


 * Assignment Due Wednesday, May 13**
 * Read and highlight Christianity section. Bring it to class.
 * Come up with at least three questions to ask Tim Black.


 * Assignment Due Monday, May 11**
 * Read and highlight (or underline) the Judaism section. Bring it to class.
 * Come up with 3 questions to ask our Paul Oberman about Judaism and/or his experience as a Jew.


 * Assignment Due Wednesday, May 6**
 * Come up with 3 questions to ask our guest speaker about Islam and/or his experience as a Muslim.
 * If you haven't already, read and highlight (or underline) the Islam section. Bring it to class.


 * Assignment Due Monday, May 4**
 * Read and highlight (or underline) the Islam section. Bring it to class.


 * Assignment Due Monday, April 27**
 * Read and highlight (or underline) the Buddhism section. Bring it to class.


 * Assignment Due Thursday, April 23**
 * Come up with 3 questions to ask Mona.


 * Assignment Due Tuesday, April 21**
 * Read and highlight (or underline) the Hinduism section. Bring it to class.
 * Make a shrine about yourself.

_ Study your notes and Eric's notes for a quiz on Thursday. You will need to understand the ideas and terms that we talked about in class. You will not be able to look at your notes during the quiz.
 * Assignment Due Thursday, April 16**

In advance of our Religions unit, please fill out [|this online survey] and email me with your result. This assignment is extended until class time on Wednesday due to some of you having technical difficulties. If the link gives you trouble, google "belief o matic."
 * Assignment Due Monday, April 13**


 * Assignment Due Monday, March 30**
 * Everyone should reread what we read for Wednesday, March 25, making notes about what arguments you can make for your case.
 * Justices should reread the material and make notes about what issues they will ask the lawyers to clarify.
 * We will not collect your notes, but we will ask to see them.
 * We will meet in half groups, with those representing Eric meeting with Eric and those representing the government meeting with Tilly.
 * Justices will have a work period on Monday to get ahead on their other work because after the case on Wednesday, they will need to write their Opinions of the Court by Friday.


 * Assignment Due Wednesday, April 1**
 * Everyone but the judges will write an opening statement to turn in on Wednesday. Click here for input on what it should include.
 * Nathan and KT will deliver their opening statements before the judges.
 * The judges will preside over the court, asking clarifying questions after the lawyers have given their statements.
 * Jonathan and Ben will deliver concluding statements.
 * The court will discuss the case, with the rest of us quietly listening.


 * Assignment Due Friday, April 3**
 * Justices should email me your Opinions of the Court by Friday morning. I will post them on the wiki.
 * You will not have time to work on them in school because Thursday is Gender Day and Friday is Field Day


 * Assignment Due Wednesday, March 25**
 * Read the final 4 pages of your packet, which include a three page article from the New York Times by Linda Greenhouse and a one page summary of the case Employment Division v. Smith
 * Review the information about Eric's case and the bill we passed that is relevant to the case.

Eric's Case Bills that have become laws


 * Assignment Due Monday, March 23**
 * Review the section of your packet on the first amendment.
 * We will have a quiz on the part of the reading that discusses the Free Exercise Clause.


 * Assignment Due Wednesday, March 18**
 * Read the section of your packet on the first amendment.
 * We will have a quiz on the part of the reading that discusses the Establishment Clause.


 * Assignment Due Wednesday, March 11**
 * Read //We The People// p. 187-193.
 * Answer the review questions. You will turn these in.


 * Assignment Due Monday, March 9**
 * Read //We The People// p. 181-186.
 * Answer the review questions. You will turn these in.


 * Assignment Due Wednesday, March 4**
 * read Article III of the US Constitution and the following explanation (the first 2 pages of your packet)
 * take notes, putting in your own words what you think it is saying, noting parts of interest or confusion, etc.
 * write 3 questions that you have about the reading - questions to which you do not already know the answer

The Paideia Weekly
 * If you wrote a bill that passed**, please email me the file **ASAP** so I can put it up on the site for reference. I have the hard copy, but I don't want to retype them needlessly.
 * Mock Government**

Eric's Case Bills that have become laws  **Wednesday, Feb 18:** We will hold a hearing to see if Eric's case will go to trial. Then judges, lawyers and their aides will have time to work. Citizens will meet to figure out our next court case.
 * Lawyers: Prepare your statements for the hearing.
 * Judges: Research similar cases from the past. Come up with questions to ask the lawyers.
 * Congress (now citizens): Reread the bills that have become laws. Think of a scenario in which one of our new laws might be challenged. Bring your idea (written down) to class so we can come up with our next court case.
 * Media: One of you should write an article about the hearing. The other should write one about the citizen's meeting.


 * Monday, Feb 16**: We don't have school.


 * Monday, Feb 9:** The mock trial phase begins!


 * Assignment Due Wednesday, Jan 21**
 * All bills must be typed and turned in at the beginning of class.
 * They will be presented before congress and an audience of informed citizens, media and cabinet members.
 * Each bill should include:
 * 1) a title
 * 2) a brief summary of the bill (one or two short sentences)
 * 3) the body of the bill, written in simple language, explaining exactly what is to be done
 * 4) a list of those involved in the bill and their roles, e.g. co-author, adviser, researcher, etc.
 * 5) a clearly marked spot for the Speaker of the House to sign, should it pass
 * 6) a clearly marked spot for the President to sign, should she choose to


 * Journalists:**
 * Post another article about the subcommittee meeting(s) you attended last Wednesday during class.
 * Act as copy editors for each other (i.e. read each other's articles and correct spelling and punctuation errors).


 * Ben:** Create an agenda for our upcoming town hall meeting on education.

Ongoing work
 * Journalists:** Post articles to the Paideia Weekly wiki page
 * Michael - 1 article about the Cabinet planning the State of the Union
 * Anna F - 2 articles: one about the congress meeting before the break, one about Block of Cheese Day.

Issues of Choice
 * Congress:** Continue research and idea development on your issues of choice. Work with concerned citizens.
 * Anna M and Elizabeth O - environmental issues
 * Priyanka and Izzy - Guantanamo Bay
 * Nazz - Economy
 * Nate - Crime fighting

Citizens' Concerns
 * Anna M and Nazz with Michael - enforcement of dog breeding laws
 * Nazz and Elizabeth O with Graham - drunk driving and J walking laws


 * Lawyers and Judges (acting as citizens):**
 * Elizabeth P, Jonathan, KT, Nathan, and Tomris - prepare statement for Block of Cheese Day (**Monday, Jan 12**)
 * Graham and Micheal - work with assigned Congress people
 * Ben - continue research on the schools for a future town meeting.


 * Cabinent:** Research existing treaties.

Journalists: Anna F, Michael Congress: Anna M, Elizabeth O, Izzy, Nate, Nazz, Priyanka Cabinet: Benjamin, Isabel, Katherine Lawyers: Ben, Jonathan, Katie, Nathan, Judges: Elizabeth P, Graham, Tomris

Cabinet: Write the State of the Union Address (Turn in by 8:15 Monday so the President can practice her delivery.) __Congress:__ Make notes about what issues you would like to make a priority and what ideas you have for addressing those issues. __Journalists:__ Write one article each and post them on The Paideia Weekly (see link above). Anna F- cabinet, Michael- congress __Lawyers & Judges:__ In your roll as a citizen, write a letter to the President, a congressperson or the newspaper (letter to the editor). As with your conservation letters for Jane, it should include specific facts. This will require some research.
 * Assignment for Monday, Dec 15**

The roll options are: cabinet member (specify which one), congress person, judge, lawyer, citizen, reporter, lobbyist.
 * Assignment Due Monday, Dec 8**
 * Write a speech explaining what role you would like and why it fits your strengths.
 * Your speech must be typed and printed out before class begins.
 * Your speech should be between a half a page and a page long.


 * Assignment Due Wednesday, Dec 3**
 * Read //We the People//, lesson 5
 * Take notes

In our government, the power resides in the "people" (all of us who vote). The "people" entrust their power in the officials whom they elect (like congresspeople, the president, governors, mayors, some judges) and the officials whom the elected officials appoint (federal judges, cabinet members, chiefs of police, etc.). **Write or type your answers to the following three questions:**
 * Assignment Due Thursday, Nov 13**
 * What sorts of powers do these officials have? (For cabinet members, you will have to do a little research. Just pick one to focus on.)
 * How do you think these powers might get misused? (Corruption!)
 * How would you set up the government so that power does not get misused? (I don't expect you to be the thinker that Madison was...yet :)


 * Assignment Due Monday, Nov 3**
 * You are either McCain or Obama's chief campaign advisor (as decided in class).
 * Prepare a 2 minute presentation about your campaign strategy for the final week leading up to the elections.
 * Where would you campaign? By what means? What would your message be?
 * Be prepared to defend your plan.


 * Assignment Due Wednesday, Oct 29**
 * Bring a hand drawn map of the US to class (tracing is okay).
 * It should include the number of electoral votes in each state and which way the state is leaning (according to the polls).
 * Check out different polling sites' maps and see what information they have to offer.


 * Assignment Due Monday, Oct 20**
 * Bring your written proposal to class. It should include specifics about how it would be beneficial.
 * Be prepared to present it and defend it.


 * Assignment Due Wednesday, Oct 15**
 * Read //We the People//, lesson 3
 * Research your state
 * Begin thinking about what legislation you could propose that would benefit your state.
 * Begin thinking about how you will persuade the other senator to vote for it.
 * We will have time in class Wednesday to talk about the lesson and work on your project.


 * Assignment Due Monday, Oct 6**
 * Read //We the People//, lesson 2
 * Write a paragraph explaining each of the following people's views on human nature. (3 paragraphs in all)
 * 1) John Locke
 * 2) William Golding - Cite examples from the //Lord of the Flies// to back up your opinion.
 * 3) You - Cite examples from the real world to illustrate your point.

Read each assignment twice. On the second time, take note of the social/power dynamic between the characters. Come to class with 3 points that you would like to discuss.
 * Assignment Due Dates for Lord of the Flies**


 * September 3 Chapter 1 (25p) Make a sketch of the island. You will continue to add detail to your sketch as you read the book.
 * September 5 Chapter 2&3 (26p)


 * September 8 Reread chapters 1, 2 & 3, looking for passages that tell about the character whom you selected in class. Be ready to share the 3 most significant passages in class.
 * September 10 Chapter 4 (18p)
 * September 12 Chapter 5 (19p)


 * September 15 Chapter 6 (14p)
 * September 17 Chapter 7 (15p)
 * September 19 Chapter 8 (21p)


 * September 22 Chapter 9 (10p) Choose a scene from the book and describe it from one of the character’s point of view.
 * September 24 Chapter 10&11 (28p)
 * September 26 Chapter 12 (20p)