Election Day!!

We are going to use this link to vote today!!!

Important Dates to Remember

Day	Time	Event	Where
May 23		NC Scholars Luncheon
May 24	2:00-4:00	Graduation Practice	Agri-Civic Center
May 26	2:15	Turn in Chromebooks	Homeroom
May 27	8:30	Senior Awards	Auditorium
	9:30	Yearbook Dedication	Auditorium
	Lunch	Student Awards	Green Room
May 30	All Day	No School	HOME!!
May 31	AM/PM & lunches	Mock Election!!	Media Center
June 2	8:00-12:00	First Block Exams	Classroom
June 3	8:00-12:00	Second Block Exams	Classroom
June 6	8:00-12:00	Third Block Exams	Classroom
June 7	8:00-12:00	Fourth Block Exams	Classroom
June 8	8:00-12:00	Make Up Exams	Classroom
	12:00	Last Day of School (ER)	Go Home!
June 10	4:00	Graduation	Agri-Civic Center

Don't you forget to vote too!!

Mock Election!!

I know you are all excited about the project we will be completing as an end of year wrap up, and exam project grade.  I have added elements that will be sure to keep us busy, and involve the entire school as much as possible.  We will add other ideas and items as a class if necessary.  

I'm so excited and this is going to be wonderful!!!

HERE is the link the the project outline.

Whew...almost there!!

After our test, we will be watching the 2016 Roundtable Discussion for the high school AP exam you will have tomorrow.  One last push to get you what you need!! :)

Exam Study Resources

Here are links to the actual FRQ questions from previous exams (2010-2015).  We will look at these in class, but you may want to get an idea of what they will be asking.  There are also PDF links on the College Board website that will break down the grading of these and let you see examples. I have also included the links to examples and the scoring guidelines.

FRQ 2015

• Question 1
• Question 2
• Question 3
• Question 4

FRQ 2014

• Question 1
• Question 2
• Question 3

FRQ 2013

• Question 1
• Question 2
• Question 3
• Question 4

FRQ 2012

• Question 1
• Question 2
• Question 3
• Question 4

FRQ 2011

• Question 1
• Question 2
• Question 3
• Question 4

FRQ 2010

• Question 1
• Question 2
• Question 3
• Question 4

To get another idea of what the multiple choice will look like, here is the released 1999 multiple choice section.

Released 1999 AP Exam

Below is a tip sheet for you to review on what to think about and do while taking your exam.

AP Testing Tips

For some heavier reading, here is a review book...pick what you want to look at (it is 142 pages long, but full of great info!)

AP Government Review Book

Additional Websites for you to look over and review (Listed under Helpful Links too!)

• Mr. Farshtey:  Unit Reviews, Vocab Reviews and online resources
• Spark Notes:  Great resource with units broken down by topic and review questions at the end
• State College Area High School Review:  YouTube videos that are informative
• AP Study Notes:  Mini-units that go over important concepts, vocabulary, with multiple choice answers at the end
• C-SPAN Classroom:  same guys from the above video sets that do a yearly review on C-SPAN...this one is from 2013

6.7 Civil Rights and 6.8 Modern Civil Rights

Use this website to complete your chart and learn further about the Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s.

http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/aaohtml/exhibit/aopart9.html

We will watch this video to learn about modern civil rights.

http://www.learner.org/vod/vod_window.html?pid=1915


For more information on your exam, click on the link below for the College Board's explanation...

http://apcentral.collegeboard.com/apc/members/exam/exam_information/2086.html

What to do? (5.4.16)

Today, we will be wrapping up the discussions of Supreme Court cases.  All of these are important, so even though it is not the most entertaining of methods, please make sure you are aware of these cases for next week!!

An overview of today...

Unit VI: Civil Rights and Civil Liberties (Prezi)

• 6.5 Fourth Amendment and Privacy (24 + PPT)
• Click on the Crash Course video to watch an overview of this section.
• Access the PPT either as a class on the Prezi or on your own from the blog.
• These are important cases, so make sure you know what you are doing
• Last one!! 6.6 Fifth, Sixth and Eighth Amendment Freedoms (25)
• Click on the Crash Course video to watch as an overview of this section.
• Access the PPT either as a class on Prezi or on your own from the blog.
• These are important too!!

From the main computer screen, open the Prezi for this unit. Scroll to path 24 and begin. Watch the Crash Course videos for each section (I know he is a little annoying with his eagle punching, but it is a great quick source of info!). You can do the PPT of court cases either together from the Prezi or access from the blog.

After you have finished with this, you can begin using the review websites to study. If you want to start watching the C-SPAN review as a class, click on that link and go. Otherwise, study on your own. If you need paper, index cards, or anything else I have to take notes...get it! We will continue on with Civil Rights tomorrow (Thursday) and do a "Practice Test" on Friday that will count as a test grade...all the more reason to study!!

IMPORTANT: If you have the permission slips from Mrs. Park about your transportation to the exam next week, put it on my desk and check your name off the board. You HAVE to have these before exam day!!! Make a note on your hand or something to bring it in tomorrow!!!

Have a great day!

Exam Reviews!

Check out the exam reviews under the "Helpful Links" tab!!!

Vocabulary Quiz Tomorrow (4.29)

For your quiz tomorrow, study the following words.  

3.1 Political Parties and the Two-Party System

• independent candidates, party platform, party realignment, political parties, single issue parties, third parties

3.3 The Primaries and Party Conventions

• blanket primary, caucus, closed primary, delegates, general election, national convention, open primary, primary, super-delegates

3.4 Analyzing Campaign Commercials

• media, medium, broadcast media

3.7 Campaign Finance, PACs, and 527s

• 527 groups, Bipartisan Campaign Reform Act (2002), Buckley v. Valeo (1976), Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, McConnell v. Federal Election Commission, Political Action Committees, Super PACs

3.8 Interest Groups

• interest group, lobbying, lobbyist

3.9 Mass Media

• blog, horse-race journalism, mass media, print media, public agenda, sound bite

I know you have worked very hard these past few weeks, but it will all be over soon!

3.8 Interest Groups

You will be assigned one particular interest group to research. You will spend 1/2 hour in class finding important information about your group, using the organizer below. We will then share and discuss our findings and examine the impact, positive and negative, these groups might have on the political process.

Here are your list of groups:

1. American Association of Retired People (AARP) Aleena
2. American Bar Association (ABA) Leslie
3. American Farm Bureau Jordan
4. Christian Coalition
5. Environmental Defense Fund Jonah
6. National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) Cora
7. Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) DaShun
8. National Rifle Association (NRA) 
9. American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) Brandon

Use the worksheet I have given you to guide your research and presentation.  A link to the worksheet is found HERE!

Now, read THIS article to shed some light on why the government struggles to keep spending under wraps.

Tonight, read over the chapter in your book on Special Interest Groups and read (or listen to the podcast on lobbying costs) HERE.

If you want even more information on lobbying and roles being played in the government, check out the Open Secrets website.

A great video that will cover this information can be found on this Annenberg Learner website.

Progress Reports

Well, we were SUPPOSED to have progress reports today! But then this happened! You will get your progress reports and your graded work TOMORROW.  Promise!!


In the meantime, check this out...

www.colbertsuperpac.com

Homework for 4.25.16

In January 2010 in the case of Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, the Supreme Court handed down a controversial decision concerning the 2003 campaign finance reform law. Read the links from Wikipedia (first 3 paragraphs only), the Wall Street Journal, and the New York Times for background on the decision and the arguments both for and against. Then watch President Obama do something that's rarely if ever been done before - call out the Supreme Court during a state of the union address in front of a joint session of Congress.

Where do you fall with the Citizens United decision? Was it, as the Wall Street Journal called it, a "free speech landmark" or did it simply give more power to moneyed interests to dominate and control American elections? 

Discuss your thoughts, particularly in terms of money equating speech, in comments below, using information from the readings and the video, to support your ideas.  Respond to at least one other person's post.

(See "In Republican Race" article for a connection to the 2012 Republican primary season.)

Friday, April 22

Obviously, I am out today...but that doesn't mean we are not still going to be moving forward.  I am leaving different instructions for different groups of you.  Follow the steps, and skip over the things you may have already done.

First off....Click HERE for more instructions!....Don't judge! :)

1.  To those who are returning from the Skills trip...I hope you had a wonderful time and were successful! Welcome back!!  I want you to begin with completing the Benchmark and Vocabulary Quiz that you missed while gone. You can find these in the brown folder on my desk.  Take your time in completing these.  Many of the Benchmark questions are from a released AP Exam...so I hope you find those helpful.  Turn these into the box when complete.

2.  If you have not already turned in assignments and completed the reading for this week, work on that as well.  Refer to previous blog posts (see below) and open the Prezi (that I am affectionately calling Pirate Island).  Follow along and complete the work assigned throughout.  This will cover political parties, campaigns and elections, and today's lesson.  Share these items with me when completed.  THIS ALSO INCLUDES A CURRENT EVENT ARTICLE! 

3.  *You will need earbuds!* Today's lesson will be on analyzing campaign advertisements! I truly hate I am missing this lesson, but have enjoyed putting it together for you.  You will be viewing campaign advertisements from previous presidential campaigns and ranking them for effectiveness based on a given rubric.  You may access the rubric HERE! At the end of this section on the Prezi will be an article to read.  

We will continue with this unit and the others on Monday.  Have a wonderful weekend and make good choices!

Thursday, April 21

Today, the class took the Spring Benchmark.  Many of these questions should look familiar, but many are from the released exam from 1999.  I included these to expose you to the format of the questions and show you the levels and types you can expect in a few weeks.

Please access the Prezi for Unit III (Pirate Island) and review the material for 3.3 The Primaries and Party Conventions. This has several videos that will hopefully help the material make more sense.  

For the nightly reading, read Chapter 10: Elections and Campaigns.  Make a copy of 3.3: Chapter 10 Questions from the blog and use these to guide your reading.  

If you have any questions on today's lesson or material we have covered this week, please send me an email!!

Test Tomorrow! (April 20)

Be sure to study your notes from Sections 13.1-13.5 to prepare for you test tomorrow.  You may use an index card on your test, so be sure to fill this with information you find useful.  Your test will be online and available to you tomorrow for class.  Take your time and actually review the material before class.  You will not have time to write anything on your card before the test starts.

Tuesday, April 19, 2016

What are we doing today??

Unit II: Vocabulary and Concept Quiz

• Based upon your words covering this unit. Please take your time and do your best.\
• Turn in your set of index cards.

2.6 Using and Interpreting Polling Data (Bird Prezi)

• With a partner (or alone) You will be interpreting data from three different polls.  
• 2.6 Using and Interpreting Polls and associated links are available under "Links to Docs"

If you complete this, we will begin Unit III: Political Parties, Interest Groups and Mass Media (Pirate Island Prezi)

• Vocabulary words are available under "Links to Docs" to complete your index cards on.  You should begin working on this set of index cards.
• Follow the directions and links in the Prezi for this unit.

Early Release Schedule for Wednesday

8:00-8:40 First Block

8:45-9:30 Second Block

9:35-10:15 Third Block

10:20-11:00 Fourth Block

11:00-11:45 Lunch

11:45 GO HOME!

This Week: April 18-22

Just a quick overview of this week, and remember things may change!

Current Event: We will continue with our current events this week.  Using the rubric found under "Links to Docs", find an article that relates to something we have covered since returning from Spring Break...This leaves it WIDE OPEN!  For example, we will be covering public opinions and polling today (Monday).  You can research the latest polls concerning the presidential election, the bathroom ordeal or anything else political.

• Remember to write an objective summary of the article free of opinions.  THEN give your opinion of the article and what you learned from it.  THEN link your article to the document you turn in.  DUE WEDNESDAY!!

Vocabulary will be cumulative from last week and be introduced as we learn each lesson. You will have a quiz on the words from Unit II on TUESDAY.  This will be a fill in the blank type quiz using the words you have learned.

Monday:  Public Opinion and Polling with a look at demographics.  We will also be presenting what you have learned about political ideologies.  

Tuesday:  Vocabulary Quiz.  We will begin Unit III: Political Parties and Interest Groups.

Wednesday:  Current Events due.  This is an EARLY RELEASE day.  I will be at a training workshop all day, and you will be registering for the AP exam.  

Thursday:  Benchmarks/Midterm.  All test corrections are due at the beginning of class.  You will have the entire time to work.  There will be new material from your midterm on this test.

Friday:  Continue with Unit III.  

Whew...I'm tired just thinking about this week! :)  Remember, if you will be gone on the field trip, you will need to check the blog each day to see what we have done.  I will update with what we got to during second block.  Have fun!!

What is your ideology?

Yesterday, you read about the political culture not only of America, but of other areas around the world and what external factors shaped them.  It is easy to read about a generalization of places around the world and our country, but applying it to yourself and your life can be a tad bit more difficult sometimes.  It is often harder to think about how we think!  To begin, you are going to take a political ideology "quiz" to see where you fall on the spectrum.  Click HERE to access this.

After you have finished this, you will choose one ideology to create a project/presentation to teach the rest of us about what you have learned.  We will even debate certain issues and topics that are big in our country based solely on how your ideology would feel.  

Be prepared to present on Friday!

Think this election is crazy? Read about these!

This year's election may go down in the history books, for what...we aren't quite sure yet! But check out THESE to see just how crazy presidential elections have been in the past!!

Half the semester is gone!

This week we will be recovering what has been discussed through the entire semester.  Midterms are next week, and I want to make sure we have the material down that will possibly comprise 50% of your final exam (Constitutional Underpinnings:  5-15%; Institutions of National Government: 35-45%)  We will be moving at a very fast pace for the rest of the month leading up to your exam, and therefore will not recover this information again before your exam.  Each day will consist of guided notes that coorespond to a Prezi and assessment questions based on this.  I will also include one FRQ each day that aligns with what we have discussed.  After this week, we will continue on with the remaining course material and review the week before the exam.

The Prezi is found under the "Prezi" tab, and a link to the guided notes is under the "Links to Docs" tab.  I will be giving you paper handouts this week, in order for easier access to study before the exam.

Half the semester is gone!

This week we will be recovering what has been discussed through the