Welcome Back!
For 9th Grade we will be studying CIVICS (another way of saying American Government).
"WE THE PEOPLE" means essentially WE are the government...or at least that's what our Founding Fathers thought when they created our nation.
So....if WE are the government, and WE are supposed to be running this nation, through our representatives...shouldn't we know how it's supposed to work?
You will see this guy alot. His name is CIVIE.
He represents every common American citizen.
He represents....well, YOU!
What should CIVIE know about his nation's government?
What should CIVIE expect from his government officials?
What should CIVIE do to become apart of his society?
These questions, and more, will be what we will discover and explore...
You know the drill...you will find all your assignments and deadlines here on the blogspot - 24/7. I will be updating the blogspot on a MONTHLY basis instead of weekly.
You may always contact Mr. Johnson directly with questions - email him here.
FIRST - you still MUST have your own copy of the U.S. Constitution in each and every class! That hasn't changed...and never will in Mr. Johnson's classes...
We will have several GUEST SPEAKERS throughout the class. Due to the intense writing assignments for this class, I will be assigning specific speaker roles for which you will write an essay - those will be assigned in class. For those speaker's essay, you will be assigned:
- An essay of explanation for the government position/job/role (your essay will be due the WEDNESDAY prior to the guest speaker's arrival
- EVERYONE will be required to provide three questions you wish to ask each guest speaker (due on the Thursday before the guest speaker arrives - you may use the essays provided by students in the class, or your own research)
Here is the link for the Instructions and Rubric for the ESSAY for each Guest Speaker.
FOR ALL ESSAYS, you MUST include a Rubric. If you wish to have JUST the Rubric, click here.
For the questions, here is the rubric.
FOR ALL ESSAYS, you MUST include a Rubric. If you wish to have JUST the Rubric, click here.
For the questions, here is the rubric.
CONSTITUTIONAL COMMENTARIES
You will learn the Constitution fluently in this class!
On the final Thursday of each month you will provide an essay analyzing each portion of the "law of the land."
Here are the portions of the Constitution with a rubric and a Federalist Paper.
YOU ARE REQUIRED TO ALWAYS INCLUDE A RUBRIC WITH EVERY ESSAY!
You must also include a FEDERALIST PAPER in your research. Without it you will receive a ZERO!
It is NOT optional. One is provided but you may use another.
YOU MUST HAVE A FEDERALIST PAPER IN YOUR RESEARCH!
THE VOCAB REWARD!
USE the terms found in your vocabulary list/definitions, and receive special points!
For every VOCABULARY term you use, up to FIVE TERMS, I will add 1 point to your final percentage score!
INSTRUCTIONS:
PRESIDENTIAL CAMPAIGN DEBATE
In November, our nation will be following a 240 year tradition - electing the leader of the Executive Branch, the President. Before that time, three debates between the two candidates, Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump (as well as possibly Gary Johnson) will be waged. I require you to watch AT LEAST ONE of the debates (and I recommend watching all of them).
You will write an essay on ONE OF THE DEBATES.
Here is a copy of the assignment & rubric, in case you lost yours.
The DEBATES are scheduled on the following dates:
You will learn the Constitution fluently in this class!
On the final Thursday of each month you will provide an essay analyzing each portion of the "law of the land."
Here are the portions of the Constitution with a rubric and a Federalist Paper.
- Constitutional Commentary 1 - Due September 29
- Constitutional Commentary 2 - Due October 27
- Constitutional Commentary 3 - Due November 17
- Constitutional Commentary 4 - Due December 15
- Constitutional Commentary 5 - Due January 26
- Constitutional Commentary 6 - Due February 23
- Constitutional Commentary 7 - Due March 30
- Constitutional Commentary 8 - Due April 27
- Constitutional Commentary 9 - Due May 18
YOU ARE REQUIRED TO ALWAYS INCLUDE A RUBRIC WITH EVERY ESSAY!
You must also include a FEDERALIST PAPER in your research. Without it you will receive a ZERO!
It is NOT optional. One is provided but you may use another.
YOU MUST HAVE A FEDERALIST PAPER IN YOUR RESEARCH!
THE VOCAB REWARD!
USE the terms found in your vocabulary list/definitions, and receive special points!
For every VOCABULARY term you use, up to FIVE TERMS, I will add 1 point to your final percentage score!
INSTRUCTIONS:
- You must UNDERLINE the term in the text
- You must provide a DEFINITION (either in parenthesis or in the text itself)
- You must use the term correctly in the CONTEXT of your paper
In November, our nation will be following a 240 year tradition - electing the leader of the Executive Branch, the President. Before that time, three debates between the two candidates, Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump (as well as possibly Gary Johnson) will be waged. I require you to watch AT LEAST ONE of the debates (and I recommend watching all of them).
You will write an essay on ONE OF THE DEBATES.
Here is a copy of the assignment & rubric, in case you lost yours.
The DEBATES are scheduled on the following dates:
- Monday, September 26 (ESSAY DUE Monday, October 3)
- Tuesday, October 4 (ESSAY DUE Monday, October 10) - VP DEBATE
- Sunday, October 9 (ESSAY DUE Thursday, October 13)
- Wednesday, October 19 (ESSAY DUE Wednesday, October 26)
NOTE: The Vice President Debate has also been added - this is also an option!
This semester, you will be reading excerpts from Alexis de Tocqueville's Democracy in America. The French, deTocqueville, travelled to America to study our penal system. He ended up writing a four volume exposé of America in the 1830s. Not only is his writing an interesting analysis of the early, post-Jacksonian America, but a European interpretation and perspective. But has America changed radically since them?
Every Monday, you will be expected to provide three paragraphs on a sheet of paper:
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Here is the rubric for weekly reading compositions.
REMEMBER - your Reading will be due each Monday! We will discuss in class - make sure your answers are in FULL SENTENCES!
REMEMBER - your Reading will be due each Monday! We will discuss in class - make sure your answers are in FULL SENTENCES!
In every two weeks (every other Thursday) you will be required to turn in a vocabulary sheet - just to make sure you know certain, various terms.
Yeah, yeah, I know - boe-reeeng!
But this should really help you understand how your government works and help you comprehend what is being said by your representatives.
Someday....you'll thank me!.....now I sound like your parents, don't I?....
By the end of the year you will know several terms - the entire list is here. The list also has a SCHEDULE OF DUE DATES for each vocabulary sheet.
The entire packet of vocabulary assignment sheets is provided here, but each week you will be given a printout of each segment that is due every two weeks.
We'll have a good time learning together....what it means to be part of WE THE PEOPLE...
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