Government, Day 6 - Class Recap

 

The Statue of Liberty in New York, which is a symbol of immigration to the United States. 

Photo taken in 2011.

Dear class,

Welcome back from your long weekend! Thanks for doing your homework and checking in on the blog to see what we are up to. Here's what happened in class today:

Learning Targets:
Knowledge LT 17: I can explain how and why world societies organize themselves and how power is established and maintained.
Communication LT 1: I can communicate effectively, both verbally and in writing.

Soundtrack: "Kings and Queens" by 30 Seconds to Mars. Selected for today because of the connection to monarchy, and this song gets me fired up because it reminds me of watching ESPN tennis tournaments. Lyrics here.

AGENDA 11/28/17:
News Brief – Daniel
Study Time
Government Test
Lost!

Homework: Read the blog. Turn in any missing work ASAP! Next news brief: Yash.

News Brief: Daniel had the news brief today and selected an article about this story: NYTimes.com - Chinese General Being Investigated for Bribery Kills Himself. We found China on the world map (in Asia) and talked about this story for a bit. We also talked about the long weekend, before moving on.

Yash was selected to do the next news brief.

We also watched the one minute BBC World News update. Here's the link to see the latest one minute update, at any time of day (it will probably be different from what we watched in class):

BBCNews.com - One-minute World News

Study Time: For this section, I talked about the Forced Choice debate reflection grades and I gave about five minutes before the test for study of notes for the Government quiz, as well.

Government Test: I do not think this was especially difficult, if you have been in class and following along with what has been going on the last few days! I will try to have these entered as soon as I can, so everyone has up to date information as we start our last unit before Winter Break (wow!), next class.

Lost!: At the end of class, we had a little fun with a scenario inspired by "Lord of the Flies" and the TV series "Lost." I asked everyone to get into small groups and then passed out one of these papers to each group, which contain the scenario and questions for the group to answer:

Google Drive - Lost Island Government Group Activity

I had a lot of fun listening to all of your ideas here! See you next class! Thanks, everyone!

Government, Day 5 - Class Recap

My dad took this photo of me at a "Turkey Bowl" on Thanksgiving, in 2011. I hope you enjoy your break!

Hello everyone,

Welcome to your Thanksgiving break! Thanks for doing your homework and checking in on the blog to see what we are up to. Here's what happened in class today:

Learning Targets:
Knowledge LT 17: I can explain how and why world societies organize themselves and how power is established and maintained.
Communication LT 1: I can communicate effectively, both verbally and in writing.

Soundtrack: "Thank You" by Dido. Selected for today because of it being the week of Thanksgiving. I am very thankful to get to be your teacher, and for all of you! Lyrics here.

AGENDA 11/21/17:
News Brief – Sean
Shibboleth
Study Who Rules
Work Time

Homework: Read the blog. Study for your Forms of Government Quiz, next class! Complete any missing work and have it ready to turn in. Have a great Thanksgiving! Next news brief: Daniel.

News Brief: Sean had the news brief today and selected an article about this story: BBC.com - Nigeria suicide bombing kills 50 in Adamawa state. We found Nigeria on the world map, and I talked about what is happening there in terms of religious conflict.

Daniel was selected to do the next news brief.

We also watched the one minute BBC World News update. Here's the link to see the latest one minute update, at any time of day (it will probably be different from what we watched in class):

BBCNews.com - One-minute World News

Finally, we checked in about the upcoming break and what everyone is up to. I hope that it is a great time for everyone, and I also know that the holidays can be hard for a variety of reasons. Take care of yourselves!

Shibboleth: In keeping with the theme of Thanksgiving, and our work looking at various forms of  government, we closed class before the break by watching this episode of The West Wing, which had to do with Thanksgiving, immigration, school prayer, direct democracy, and representative democracy. There were no notes or any other requirement - it was just a relaxing way to go out to Thanksgiving Break. Here's the funniest scene of the episode, in my opinion:

Study Who Rules?/Work Time: The rest of class was devoted to going through this packet, designed to be a review before the forms of government test:

Google Drive - Who Rules? Reading and Questions

The first page has a good overview of the types and classifications of governments that we are studying. The following pages are practice, to help compare and contrast the systems of government. A question from the test, for checking the blog, is: What form of government  ...is ruled by a small group of people, usually the wealthy elite?
a.  oligarchy, b.  theocracy, c.  communism, d.  anarchy. Guess in the comments and I will tell you if you are correct!

Please study and ask questions if you are at all confused! See you next class! :-)

Government, Day 4 - Class Recap

The White House, in Washington, D.C., which is typically seen as a symbol of the leadership of the United States government, because the President lives there. Photo taken in 2010.

Dear class,

I enjoyed seeing the skits today about the various forms of government around the world that we are studying! Hopefully, combined with the reading and notes, you now have a good idea about how each system works. Here's what happened in class today:

Learning Targets:
Knowledge LT 17: I can explain how and why world societies organize themselves and how power is established and maintained.
Communication LT 1: I can communicate effectively, both verbally and in writing.

Soundtrack: "Princess of China" by Coldplay and Rihanna. Selected for today because a princess is part of a monarchy, which is a form of government that we are discussing. Lyrics here.

AGENDA 11/17/17:
News Brief –  Jackson
Group Work
Skits
Who Rules?

Homework: Read the blog. Study for forms of government test after Thanksgiving break. Next news brief: Sean.

News Brief: Jackson had the news brief today, but was not in class, so I filled in and selected this article to talk about with the class: Reuters.com - Suicide bomber kills nine near Afghan political meeting. We found Afghanistan in the world map packet and noted that we did a news article on the country as we discussed what happened here, before moving on to talk about the upcoming weekend.

Sean was selected to do the next news brief.

We also watched the one minute BBC World News update. Here's the link to see the latest one minute update, at any time of day (it will probably be different from what we watched in class):

BBCNews.com - One-minute World News

Group Work/Skits: As I mentioned above, I really enjoyed the skits about representing different forms of government, even if they were very brief. The groups did a good job of thinking of how to present each of the main ideas! Here was the packet that this was based on (a few of the types were not on the PowerPoint, like Oligarchy and Anarchy, so make sure to review them and what some of the benefits and drawbacks of each system are):

Google Drive - Types of Government Readings

Just look at the readings from A-G, because you do not need to know the economic structures that are later in the packet. In class, we went over the form of government, along with possible benefits and drawbacks.

Who Rules?: The rest of class was devoted to your groups going through this packet, designed to be a review before the forms of government test:

Google Drive - Who Rules? Reading and Questions

The first page has a good overview of the types and classifications of governments that we are studying. The following pages are practice, to help compare and contrast the systems of government.  Please study and ask questions if you are at all confused! See you next class! :-)

Government, Day 3 - Class Recap

The Parliament of Barbados, in the Caribbean. Photo taken in 2011.

Hi everyone,

We went into more detail as to what government is and looks like in various systems around the world. Lots of content to check out! Here's what happened in class:

Learning Targets:
Knowledge LT 17: I can explain how and why world societies organize themselves and how power is established and maintained.
Communication LT 1: I can communicate effectively, both verbally and in writing.
Critical Thinking LT 1: I can explain multiple perspectives and viewpoints.
Behavior LT 3: I can communicate and work effectively within a team or group.

Soundtrack: "Paris, Tokyo" by Lupe Fiasco. Selected for today because it is just an excellent song about traveling around the world. Lyrics here.

AGENDA 11/15/17:
News Brief – Faith/Manny
Debrief Forced Choice
Forms of Government
Group Work

Homework: Read the blog. Turn in any missing work ASAP! Next news brief: Jackson.

News Brief: Faith had the news brief today and selected an article about this story to talk about: BBC.com - St Paul's Girls' School sent sexual abuse claims by ex-pupils. We found the United Kingdom in the world map (in Europe!) and discussed the article for a bit. It is important that we continue learning about what is going on in the world! Thanks, Faith!

Manny also talked about an article, as he missed last class. The story he selected is here: BBC.com - Greece: Deadly floods hit Mandra, Nea Peramos and Megara. Luckily, another news brief in Europe, to use the same map!

Jackson was selected to do the next news brief.

We also watched the one minute BBC World News update. Here's the link to see the latest one minute update, at any time of day (it will probably be different from what we watched in class):

BBCNews.com - One-minute World News

I also asked about what people were up to outside of class, before moving on.

Debrief Forced Choice: This was when we talked about how the activity went and the answers to these questions (a one page written reflection was due to be completed in class today): What was the most difficult or controversial question for you? Why? How do these sorts of questions relate to the study of government?

I really like the debate format in forced choice (obviously, or I wouldn't spend the majority of two days on it), so thank you for your participation and reflection!

Forms of Government: This was a PowerPoint presentation that went over various basic forms of government. Students took Cornell Notes (if they wanted that form - otherwise, it was on a regular sheet of paper) on the lecture. Here's the file for review (there will be an upcoming quiz on forms of government):

Google Drive - Forms of Government PowerPoint

As with most presentations I create, the pictures are almost entirely mine! :-)

Group Activity: The last part of class was devoted to getting into small groups (which I assigned randomly) to investigate a specific form of government and go through some benefits and drawbacks of it. Next class, the small groups will be performing brief skits to demonstrate the form of government they have been given! Here is a link to the handout from today (each group was assigned one):

Google Drive - Forms of Government Group Activity

We finished with this today (it is NOT homework to complete). Next class, I will give time to finish the worksheet, create the skits, we will perform them, then do some review together. See you next class!

Government, Day 2 - Class Recap

Winter time is coming! Photo taken outside my house in 2008.

Dear class,

It was so nice to see you all again today! Our only full week before Thanksgiving during November! Again, I really enjoyed the discussion today. Here's what happened in class:

Learning Targets:
Knowledge LT 17: I can explain how and why world societies organize themselves and how power is established and maintained.
Communication LT 1: I can communicate effectively, both verbally and in writing.
Critical Thinking LT 1: I can explain multiple perspectives and viewpoints.
Behavior LT 3: I can communicate and work effectively within a team or group.

Soundtrack: "Get Up, Stand Up" by Bob Marley. Selected for today because students were standing up for what they believed in, in terms of the Forced Choice questions. Lyrics here.

AGENDA 11/13/17:
News Brief – Manny
DBQ Grades
Forced Choice
Reflection

Homework: Read the blog. Catch up on any late/incomplete/missing work. Next news brief: Faith.

News Brief: Manny had the news brief today, but was not in class, so I filled in and selected an article about this story to talk about: BBC.com - Iran-Iraq border earthquake is deadliest of 2017. This was a huge story that just happened last night, with hundreds of people killed. We found Iran in our world maps and noted that a news brief was done on the story.

Faith was selected to do the next news brief.

I also asked about the weekend and what people were up to, before moving on.

We also watched the one minute BBC World News update. Here's the link to see the latest one minute update, at any time of day (it will probably be different from what we watched in class):

BBCNews.com - One-minute World News

DBQ Grades: If you submitted your Culture DBQ online on Google Classroom, you would have seen that I posted the grades and my comments over the weekend. If you wrote out your DBQ on paper, I passed them back today in class. I highlighted your thesis statement (if I could find one), documents referenced, and your scores on the grading rubric. Your grades have been posted in StudentVUE! Thank you for your hard work!

I also passed back work from the Culture Unit, which could have been used as notes for the DBQ. I gave these assignments a collective Behavior Target grade for managing responsibilities as a student. In the grade book, this means:

CI: Consistently and Independently - the student turned in everything from the unit, completed and on time.
G: Generally - the student turned in most of the work from the unit, completed and on time
R: Rarely - the student did not turn in much (if anything) from the unit.

These were based on the following assignment:

1) Surface culture worksheet (National Geographic photos PowerPoint)
2) Cornell Notes on Culture definitions/iceberg PowerPoint
3) Nacirema writing (neatly written or typed, 200 words minimum)
4) Time for School Notes/Answers

Please turn in your work if you have not yet!

Forced Choice: This is one of my favorite activities of the year. I had the class answer the following questions and choose YES or NO to each of them. Then, we split up the class so that two sides were facing each other. With each question, students moved to the side they felt best represented their opinion on the matter. These are difficult ethical questions and I am glad that we have the type of classroom culture that students feel able to talk about them! The questions were:

1. Giving up some of our rights (like our phones being listened to without a warrant) is necessary for our own protection.
2. People in the United States should be able to have firearms if they want.
3. Government officials should have to approve/sign off on marriages that they are against on religious grounds.
4. Marijuana should be legalized everywhere for recreational use.
5. Public schools should strictly enforce a standardized dress code.
6. Organized prayer in public schools should be allowed.
7. The government of a country should be able to make decisions that the majority of the people do not support.
8. Should the motto “In God We Trust” be removed from our currency?
9. I agree with the death penalty option for convicted murderers.
10. Confederate monuments should be taken down/removed from display.

Today, we did questions 2, 4, and 5 (the class was a really talkative and engaged group today!). Lots of interesting questions and critical thinking! Thank you for your responses and participation. It was not possible to get to every hand that was up in every discussion, for which I apologize. I am glad that students were engaged!

Here is one article on reducing gun violence that I shared in class:

NYTimes.com - How to Reduce Shootings

If you had any other articles or links to share to back up what you shared in class, please post them in the comments!

Reflection: With about 10 minutes left in class, we stopped the debate, so I could give the assignment, which is important, because we spent most of two days on this activity.

Write a one page reflection on the activity. What was the most difficult or controversial question for you (if no question was difficult, what were you most passionate about)? Why? How do these sorts of questions relate to the study of government?

We will do a short debrief on the activity next class, then move on to learning about the basics of government around the world.

Thanks! See you next class!

Government, Day 1 - Class Recap

On the roof of the Bundestag building in Berlin, Germany. This is where the government of Germany meets. Photo taken in 2013.

Hi everyone,

Another shortened week, with Veterans Day on Friday! I really enjoyed the discussion today in class. I'm sure it was a nice change from all of the writing students have had to do in the last few days for the class! Here's what happened in class:

Learning Targets:
Knowledge LT 17: I can explain how and why world societies organize themselves and how power is established and maintained.
Communication LT 1:  I can use language and  style that is appropriate to the content area.

Soundtrack: "The War Was in Color" by Carbon Leaf. The reason I chose this song for today is because it is all about a veteran describing war to his grandson. We have Friday off of school because of Veteran's Day (observed - it is always November 11th, which is Saturday this year). Lyrics (which I read part of in class) here.

AGENDA 11/8/17:
News Brief – Noah/Andrew
DBQ Debrief
Group Activity
Forced Choice

Homework: Read the blog. Turn in any late/missing/incomplete culture work (especially DBQs). Next news brief: Manny.

News Brief: Noah had the news brief today and selected an article about this story: ABCNews.com - Iraqis rebuild in Mosul after the defeat of ISIS. We found Iraq in our world maps and noted that we did a news brief on the country, as we talked a bit about the current situation with people returning to Mosul after ISIS was defeated in the city.

Andrew also brought in a news brief, since he missed class the time he was assigned to do it. Here is an article about the story that he chose to talk about: AlJazeera.com - Deadly blast hits embassy district in Afghan capital. We talked for a bit about this as students noted Afghanistan in their maps, as well.

Manny volunteered to do the next news brief.

We also watched the latest one minute BBC World News update. Here's the link to see the latest one minute update, at any time of day (it will probably be different from what we watched in class):

BBCNews.com - One-minute World News

I also asked about the weekend and what people were up to, before moving on.

DBQ Debrief: I was interested in student thoughts about how the first DBQ (Documents Based Question) went. I understand that it was a challenging assignment, and that many students were perhaps not used to having a firm time deadline for a piece of writing. The reason we are did this was to get used to this structure, as you will frequently see it the rest of high school and college with timed writing exams. It's important to continue to get better!

Group Activity: Since students had been begging to retry the Sporcle World Geography quiz, we had attempt #2 on the year, as a class, with no notes or phones or maps allowed. Your class was able to name 172 out of 197 today, which is outstanding. Here is the link to be able to play again if you want:

Sporcle.com - Countries of the World Game

We will see how you do in comparison to my other Global Studies classes! :-)

Forced Choice: This is one of my favorite activities of the year. I had the class answer the following questions and choose YES or NO to each of them. Then, we split up the class so that two sides were facing each other. With each question, students moved to the side they felt best represented their opinion on the matter. These are difficult ethical questions and I am glad that we have the type of classroom culture that students feel able to talk about them! The questions were:

1. Giving up some of our rights (like our phones being listened to without a warrant) is necessary for our own protection.
2. People in the United States should be able to have firearms if they want.
3. Government officials should have to approve/sign off on marriages that they are against on religious grounds.
4. Marijuana should be legalized everywhere for recreational use.
5. Public schools should strictly enforce a standardized dress code.
6. Organized prayer in public schools should be allowed.
7. The government of a country should be able to make decisions that the majority of the people do not support.
8. Should the motto “In God We Trust” be removed from our currency?
9. I agree with the death penalty option for convicted murderers.
10. Confederate monuments should be taken down/removed from display.

We only made it to question 1 today, so I will pick and choose next class as to which questions we will discuss and debate, before writing a reflective piece about the experience. I love these discussions and I think we did a great job of following the Ground Rules that we established at the beginning of the year.

Thank you for your participation, everyone! Be ready to keep talking next time.

Government, Day 5 - Class Recap

 

The Statue of Liberty in New York, which is a symbol of immigration to the United States. 

Photo taken in 2011.

Dear class,

Welcome to your long weekend! Thanks for doing your homework and checking in on the blog to see what we are up to. Here's what happened in class today:

Learning Targets:
Knowledge LT 17: I can explain how and why world societies organize themselves and how power is established and maintained.
Communication LT 1: I can communicate effectively, both verbally and in writing.

Soundtrack: "Kings and Queens" by 30 Seconds to Mars. Selected for today because of the connection to monarchy, and this song gets me fired up because it reminds me of watching ESPN tennis tournaments. Lyrics here.

AGENDA 11/21/16:
News Brief – Shea
Finish "Who Rules?"
Government Test
Lost!

Homework: Read the blog. Have a great Thanksgiving! Next news brief: Ashwin.

News Brief: Shea had the news brief today and selected an article about this story: WashingtonPost.com - Death toll in Indian train crash rises to 146 as search for bodies ends. We found India on the world map (in Asia) and I talked about my experience on the trains there, as well as lamented this tragic loss of life. We also talked about the upcoming long weekend.

Ashwin was selected to do the next news brief.

We also watched the one minute BBC World News update. Here's the link to see the latest one minute update, at any time of day (it will probably be different from what we watched in class):

BBCNews.com - One-minute World News

Who Rules?: Before the government test, I wanted to give the class time to review the reading and answers in the packet:

Google Drive - Who Rules? Reading and Questions

I gave about five minutes before the test for study of notes, as well.

Government Test: I do not think this was especially difficult, if you have been in class and following along with what has been going on the last few days! Obviously, I have lots to grade, with culture and forced choice, as well, but it is likely that these will be on your progress report grades, which are due after Thanksgiving.

Lost!: At the end of class, we had a little fun with a scenario inspired by "Lord of the Flies" and the TV series "Lost." I asked everyone to get into small groups and then passed out one of these papers to each group, which contain the scenario and questions for the group to answer:

Google Drive - Lost Island Government Group Activity

We will continue with this next class and talk about the different group proposals, before moving on to our next unit.

See you next week!

Government, Day 4 - Class Recap

The White House, in Washington, D.C., which is typically seen as a symbol of the leadership of the United States government, because the President lives there. Photo taken in 2010.

Dear class,

I enjoyed seeing the skits today about the various forms of government around the world that we are studying! Hopefully, combined with the reading and notes, you now have a good idea about how each system works. Here's what happened in class today:

Learning Targets:
Knowledge LT 17: I can explain how and why world societies organize themselves and how power is established and maintained.
Communication LT 1: I can communicate effectively, both verbally and in writing.

Soundtrack: "Princess of China" by Coldplay and Rihanna. Selected for today because a princess is part of a monarchy, which is a form of government that we are discussing. Lyrics here.

AGENDA 11/17/16:
News Brief – Matthew
Group Work
Skits
Who Rules?

Homework: Read the blog. Study for forms of government test next class. Next news brief: Shea.

News Brief: Matthew had the news brief today and selected this article to talk about with the class: CNN.com - The maverick designer who dresses China's first lady. Who knew that we'd have an article about fashion in China to start the day? The news brief sometimes surprises! We found China in the world map and noted we did a news brief there, before moving on to talk about the upcoming weekend.

Shea was selected to do the next news brief.

We also watched the one minute BBC World News update. Here's the link to see the latest one minute update, at any time of day (it will probably be different from what we watched in class):

BBCNews.com - One-minute World News

Group Work/Skits: As I mentioned above, I really enjoyed the skits about representing different forms of government, even if they were very brief. The groups did a good job of thinking of how to present each of the main ideas! Here was the packet that this was based on (a few of the types were not on the PowerPoint, like Oligarchy and Anarchy, so make sure to review them and what some of the benefits and drawbacks of each system are):

Google Drive - Types of Government Readings

Just look at the readings from A-G, because you do not need to know the economic structures that are later in the packet, yet. In class, we went over the form of government, along with possible benefits and drawbacks.

Who Rules?: The rest of class was devoted to your groups going through this packet, designed to be a review before the forms of government test:

Google Drive - Who Rules? Reading and Questions

The first page has a good overview of the types and classifications of governments that we are studying. The following pages are practice, to help compare and contrast the systems of government. We will finish this next class and then take the test. A question from the test, for checking the blog, is: What form of government  ...is ruled by a small group of people, usually the wealthy elite?
a.  oligarchy, b.  theocracy, c.  communism, d.  anarchy. Guess in the comments and I will tell you if you are correct!

 Please study and ask questions if you are at all confused! See you next class! :-)

Government, Day 3 - Class Recap

The Parliament of Barbados, in the Caribbean. Photo taken in 2011.

Hi everyone,

We went into more detail as to what government is and looks like in various systems around the world. Lots of content to check out! Here's what happened in class:

Learning Targets:
Knowledge LT 17: I can explain how and why world societies organize themselves and how power is established and maintained.
Communication LT 1:  I can use language and  style that is appropriate to the content area.

Soundtrack: "Paris, Tokyo" by Lupe Fiasco. Selected for today because it's just an excellent song about traveling around the world. Lyrics here.

AGENDA 11/15/16:
News Brief – Alondra
Forced Choice/Reflection
Forms of Government
Group Activity

Homework: Read the blog. Turn in any missing work ASAP! Next news brief: Matthew.

News Brief: Alondra had the news brief today and selected an article about this story to talk about: NYTimes.com - Hong Kong Court Bars 2 Pro-Independence Politicians From Office. We found China in the world map packet (which is where Hong Kong is) and noted we did a news brief on this story. I also talked for a bit about the history of Hong Kong in class. Thanks, Alondra.

Matthew was selected to do the next news brief.

We also watched the one minute BBC World News update. Here's the link to see the latest one minute update, at any time of day (it will probably be different from what we watched in class):

BBCNews.com - One-minute World News

I also asked about the weekend and what people were up to, before moving on.

Forced Choice/Reflection: Unfortunately for your class, this was way faster than usual, given that I wanted to catch back up with my other Global Studies classes. This is one of my favorite activities of the year. I had the class answer the following questions and choose YES or NO to each of them. Then, we split up the class so that two sides were facing each other. With each question, students moved to the side they felt best represented their opinion on the matter. These are difficult ethical questions and I am glad that we have the type of classroom culture that students feel able to talk about them! The questions were:

1. Giving up some of our rights (like our phones being searched without a warrant) is necessary for our own protection.
2. Everyone in the US should have the right to own guns if they want.
3. Government officials should have to approve/sign off on marriages that they are against on religious grounds.
4. Marijuana should be legalized everywhere for recreational use.
5. Public schools should strictly enforce a standardized dress code.
6. Organized prayer in public schools should be allowed.
7. The government of a country should be able to make unpopular decisions.
8. Should the motto “In God We Trust” be removed from our currency?
9. I agree with the death penalty option for convicted murderers.
10. People in power are always corrupt in some way.

Lots of interesting questions and critical thinking! Thank you for your responses and participation. It was not possible to get to every hand that was up in every discussion, for which I apologize. I am glad that students were engaged!

After the debate, I gave some time to the class to these questions (a one page written reflection was due to be completed in class today - if you did not finish, it is homework): What was the most difficult or controversial question for you? Why? How do these sorts of questions relate to the study of government?

I really like the debate format in forced choice, so thank you for your participation and reflection!

Forms of Government: This was a PowerPoint presentation that went over various basic forms of government. Students took Cornell Notes (if they wanted that form - otherwise, it was on a regular sheet of paper) on the lecture. Here's the file for review (there will be an upcoming quiz on forms of government):

Google Drive - Forms of Government PowerPoint

As with most presentations I create, the pictures are almost entirely mine! :-)

Group Activity: We did not have time for this today, so we will do this next class. Thanks, everyone!

Election Night Recap

Hello everyone,

We did not hold a regular class today, as Mr. Puterbaugh and I opened up the classroom walls and had a conversation about the election results last night, what happened, what will happen next, and took questions from the class for the rest of the period. I think our overwhelming point was that, no matter who you supported in this election (if anyone at all), we are here for you now and into the future. We take Embracing Community very seriously here at Westview, and I think everyone in class did a great job of respecting each other during class. We will continue to talk about this in the future, I'm sure. For now, please try to enjoy your four day weekend! Next class, we will get back to our new unit, on Government.

Take care of yourselves and each other.

- Luke Fritz

Government, Day 1 - Class Recap

On the roof of the Bundestag building in Berlin, Germany. This is where the government of Germany meets. Photo taken in 2013.

Hi everyone,

Welcome to a shortened week, with Veterans Day on Friday and a staff development day on Thursday! I really enjoyed the discussion today in class. I'm sure it was a nice change from all of the writing students have had to do in the last few days for the class! Here's what happened in class:

Learning Targets:
Knowledge LT 17: I can explain how and why world societies organize themselves and how power is established and maintained.
Communication LT 1:  I can use language and  style that is appropriate to the content area.

Soundtrack: "The Final Countdown" by Europe. Selected for today because it is the final countdown (of hours!) until the end of the 2016 Presidential Election! Lyrics here.

AGENDA 11/7/16:
News Brief – Nate
The Election
Finish DBQs
Culture Presentations
Forced Choice

Homework: Read the blog. Watch the election coverage tomorrow. Next news brief: Alondra.

News Brief: Nate had the news brief today and selected an article about this story: TheHindu.com -  India, Japan set to sign nuclear deal this week: report. We found Japan in our world maps and noted that we did a news brief on the country, before moving on.

Alondra was selected to do the next news brief.

Here's the link to see the latest one minute update from BBC World News, at any time of day (it will probably be different from what we watched in class):

BBCNews.com - One-minute World News

I also asked about the weekend and what people were up to.

The Election: Because today is the last day before the presidential election tomorrow, I made sure to go through what is happening and when to expect results. We went through a few websites for this:

1) The FiveThirtyEight.com election forecast. I have been showing this all semester in class, and it appears that the polls have recently tightened a bit, though Hillary Clinton is still favored to win a majority of the time. As a reminder: it is not who wins the most votes in the country, it is who wins the amount of states that add up to at least 270 electoral votes that wins.

2) A map of poll closing times for each state, when results begin to be announced. Yay for geography and maps! This map is in Pacific Time, whereas the map I showed in class was Eastern. I pointed out some keys in the early states to look for in terms of who might be ahead. Virginia and Georgia at 4:00 PM tomorrow are two examples of important indicators. At 8:00 PM on the West Coast, polls close, and it is likely that within the next couple of hours after that, we will know who will be the next President of the United States.

3) A map of how long it took to determine who won each state in 2012. Helpful to know how long things might take!

Finish DBQs: Since the substitute wrote to me to say the class on Thursday had 20 minutes taken away due to a drill, that's how much time I gave for it to be finished in class today. Thank you for your hard work on these! I will probably begin grading them over the long weekend.

Culture Presentations: Because I wanted to give as much time in class last time to writing the DBQ, we did not have the time for presentations (for the students who chose to do a presentation for the culture project). I enjoyed everyone that went today! Thank you for your effort in crafting great presentations and visuals.

Forced Choice: We will start this activity next class! It was cut short today because of the DBQ time.

See you on Wednesday, when we will surely have lots to talk about! :-)

Government, Day 6 - Class Recap

My dad took this photo of me at a "Turkey Bowl" on Thanksgiving, in 2011. I hope you enjoy your break!

Hello everyone,

Welcome to your Thanksgiving break! Thanks for doing your homework and checking in on the blog to see what we are up to. Here's what happened in class today:

Learning Targets:
Knowledge LT 17: I can explain how and why world societies organize themselves and how power is established and maintained.
Communication LT 1: I can communicate effectively, both verbally and in writing.

Soundtrack: "Thank You" by Dido. Selected for today because of it being the week of Thanksgiving. I am very thankful to get to be your teacher, and for all of you! Lyrics here.

AGENDA 11/24/15:
News Brief – Jennifer
Lost!
Back to the Start
Shibboleth

Homework: Read the blog. Complete any missing work and have it ready to turn in. Have a great Thanksgiving! Next news brief: Eric K.

News Brief: Jennifer had the news brief today and selected an article about this story: CNN.com - Putin calls plane's downing by Turkey 'stab in the back'. We found Turkey on the world map (which is perfect, because it is Thanksgiving week), and I talked about how this is a developing news story, and what is happening. Russia and Turkey having a major conflict would be a very bad development, for many reasons, so hopefully that doesn't happen.

Eric K. was selected to do the next news brief.

We also watched the one minute BBC World News update. Here's the link to see the latest one minute update, at any time of day (it will probably be different from what we watched in class):

BBCNews.com - One-minute World News

Finally, we checked in about the upcoming break and what everyone is up to. I hope that it is a great time for everyone, and I also know that the holidays can be hard for a variety of reasons. Take care of yourselves!

Lost!: I really enjoyed the group responses to this activity! It was pretty funny to listen to the group leaders, laws, punishments, and priorities.

Google Drive - Lost Island Government Group Activity

Thanks for your participation in this! It was a fun way to review what we learned during the government unit.

Shibboleth: In keeping with the theme of Thanksgiving, and our work looking at various forms of  government, we closed class before the break by watching this episode of The West Wing, which had to do with Thanksgiving, immigration, school prayer, direct democracy, and representative democracy. There were no notes or any other requirement - it was just a relaxing way to end the class and go out to Thanksgiving Break. Here's the funniest scene of the episode, in my opinion:

That was it for the day! Thank you so much for your focus and hard work! See you next week. Enjoy your Thanksgiving break!

Government, Day 5 - Class Recap

The Statue of Liberty in New York, which is a symbol of immigration to the United States. 

Photo taken in 2011.

Dear class,

Welcome to your weekend! Thanks for doing your homework and checking in on the blog to see what we are up to. Here's what happened in class today:

Learning Targets:
Knowledge LT 17: I can explain how and why world societies organize themselves and how power is established and maintained.
Communication LT 1: I can communicate effectively, both verbally and in writing.

Soundtrack: "Kings and Queens" by 30 Seconds to Mars. Selected for today because of the connection to monarchy, and this song gets me fired up because it reminds me of watching ESPN tennis tournaments. Lyrics here.

AGENDA 11/20/15:
News Brief – Jennie
Finish "Who Rules?"
Government Test
Lost!

Homework: Read the blog. Have a great Thanksgiving! Next news brief: Jennifer.

News Brief: Jennie had the news brief today and selected an article about this story: BBC.com - Palestinian attacks in Israel and West Bank kill five. We found Palestine/Israel on the world map (in the Middle East) and a bit about the situation there (we will probably end the year with a unit on Israel and Palestine, as it encompasses so much of what we talk about with the targets this year). We also talked about the upcoming weekend, and sang Happy Birthday to Naki! :-)

Jennifer was selected to do the next news brief.

We also watched the one minute BBC World News update. Here's the link to see the latest one minute update, at any time of day (it will probably be different from what we watched in class):

BBCNews.com - One-minute World News

Who Rules?: Before the government test, I wanted to give the class time to review the reading and answers in the packet:

Google Drive - Who Rules? Reading and Questions

I gave about five minutes before the test for study of the PowerPoint notes, as well.

Government Test: I do not think this was especially difficult, if you have been in class and following along with what has been going on the last few days! Obviously, I have lots to grade, with culture and forced choice, as well, but it is likely that these will be on your progress report grades, which are due after Thanksgiving.

Lost!: At the end of class, we had a little fun with a scenario inspired by "Lord of the Flies" and the TV series "Lost." I asked everyone to get back into the same groups as last class, based on the forms of government being analyzed and skits performed, and then passed out one of these papers to each group, which contain the scenario and questions for the group to answer:

Google Drive - Lost Island Government Group Activity

We will continue with this next class and talk about the different group proposals, then probably have some fun. :-)

See you next week!

Government, Day 4 - Class Recap

The White House, in Washington, D.C., which is typically seen as a symbol of the leadership of the United States government, because the President lives there. Photo taken in 2010.

Dear class,

I enjoyed seeing the skits today about the various forms of government around the world that we are studying! Hopefully, combined with the reading and notes, you now have a good idea about how each system works. Here's what happened in class today:

Learning Targets:
Knowledge LT 17: I can explain how and why world societies organize themselves and how power is established and maintained.
Communication LT 1: I can communicate effectively, both verbally and in writing.

Soundtrack: "Princess of China" by Coldplay and Rihanna. Selected for today because a princess is part of a monarchy, which is a form of government that we are discussing. Lyrics here.

AGENDA 11/18/15:
News Brief – Andrew
Pass Back Culture Work
Group Work
Skits
Who Rules?

Homework: Read the blog. Study for forms of government test next class. Next news brief: Jennie.

News Brief: Andrew had the news brief today and selected this article to talk about with the class: CNN.com - Bomb blast kills dozens in Nigerian city of Yola. Another tragic story about a bombing around the world. We talked a little bit about Boko Haram and what is going on in Nigeria, before moving on.

Jennie was selected to do the next news brief.

We also watched the one minute BBC World News update. Here's the link to see the latest one minute update, at any time of day (it will probably be different from what we watched in class):

BBCNews.com - One-minute World News

Pass Back Culture Work: Your class is very fortunate, in that you are first when it comes to my grading. I passed back all of the culture unit work and DBQs that I had, graded with comments. Thank you, everyone, for your hard work! If you have not turned this in, or having missing work, please complete it and get it in to me as soon as possible.

Group Work/Skits: As I mentioned above, I really enjoyed the skits about representing different forms of government, even if they were very brief. The groups did a good job of thinking of how to present each of the main ideas! Here was the packet that this was based on (a few of the types were not on the PowerPoint, like Oligarchy and Anarchy, so make sure to review them and what some of the benefits and drawbacks of each system are):

Google Drive - Types of Government Readings

Just look at the readings from A-G, because you do not need to know the economic structures that are later in the packet, yet. In class, we went over the form of government, along with possible benefits and drawbacks.

Who Rules?: The rest of class was devoted to your groups going through this packet, designed to be a review before the forms of government test:

Google Drive - Who Rules? Reading and Questions

The first page has a good overview of the types and classifications of governments that we are studying. The following pages are practice, to help compare and contrast the systems of government. We will finish this next class and then take the test. A question from the test, for checking the blog, is: What form of government  ...is ruled by a small group of people, usually the wealthy elite?
a.  oligarchy, b.  theocracy, c.  communism, d.  anarchy. Guess in the comments and I will tell you if you are correct!

 Please study and ask questions if you are at all confused! See you next class! :-)

Government, Day 3 - Class Recap

The Parliament of Barbados, in the Caribbean. Photo taken in 2011.

Hi everyone,

We went into more detail as to what government is and looks like in various systems around the world. Lots of content to check out! Here's what happened in class:

Learning Targets:
Knowledge LT 17: I can explain how and why world societies organize themselves and how power is established and maintained.
Communication LT 1:  I can use language and  style that is appropriate to the content area.

Soundtrack: "Paris, Tokyo" by Lupe Fiasco. Selected for today because of the horrific attacks in Paris on Friday. Also, just an excellent song about traveling around the world. Lyrics here.

AGENDA 11/16/15:
News Brief – Josh
Debrief Forced Choice
Forms of Government
Group Activity

Homework: Read the blog. Turn in any missing work ASAP! Next news brief: Andrew.

News Brief: Josh had the news brief today and selected an article about this story to talk about: NYTimes.com - Beirut, Also the Site of Deadly Attacks, Feels Forgotten. This was a good reminder that there are multiple areas that have experienced recent tragedies around the world. We talked about this, the bombing in Baghdad, and of course, went into detail about the Paris attacks and what happened there. I talked a bit about my own experience in Paris (as my girlfriend is from there), and showed a map of where the attacks happened. This was in an attempt to provide some context for what happened and why. It is important that we continue learning about what is going on in the world! Thanks, Josh.

Andrew was selected to do the next news brief.

We also watched the one minute BBC World News update. Here's the link to see the latest one minute update, at any time of day (it will probably be different from what we watched in class):

BBCNews.com - One-minute World News

I also asked about the weekend and what people were up to, before moving on.

Debrief Forced Choice: This was when we talked about how the activity went and the answers to these questions (a one page written reflection was due to be completed in class today): What was the most difficult or controversial question for you? Why? How do these sorts of questions relate to the study of government?

I really like the debate format in forced choice (obviously, or I wouldn't spend the majority of two days on it), so thank you for your participation and reflection!

Forms of Government: This was a PowerPoint presentation that went over various basic forms of government. Students took Cornell Notes (if they wanted that form - otherwise, it was on a regular sheet of paper) on the lecture. Here's the file for review (there will be an upcoming quiz on forms of government):

Google Drive - Forms of Government PowerPoint

As with most presentations I create, the pictures are almost entirely mine! :-)

Group Activity: After the content instruction, I split up the class into seven groups. The rest of class was devoted to going over one of the following forms of government with the group (if you missed class, just pick one to do and bring next class) - both reading the front side and completing the back, along with thinking of a short skit idea for how to demonstrate the form of government to the class next time.

Google Drive - Types of Government Readings

Just look at the readings from A-G, because you do not need to know the economic structures that are later in the packet, yet.

Next class, we will do the skits, then talk about each form of government. See you then!

Government, Day 2 - Class Recap

Winter time is coming! Photo taken outside my house in 2008.

Dear class,

It was so nice to see you all again today! A quick week, with Veterans Day in the middle. Again, I really enjoyed the discussion today. Here's what happened in class:

Learning Targets:
Knowledge LT 17: I can explain how and why world societies organize themselves and how power is established and maintained.
Communication LT 1:  I can use language and  style that is appropriate to the content area.

Soundtrack: "Get Up, Stand Up" by Bob Marley. Selected for today because students were standing up for what they believed in, in terms of the Forced Choice questions. Lyrics here.

AGENDA 11/12/15:
News Brief – Ben P.
Culture Presentations?
Forced Choice
Reflection

Homework: Read the blog. Catch up on any late/incomplete/missing work. Next news brief: Josh

News Brief: Ben P. had the news brief today and selected this story to talk about: BBC.com - Myanmar election: Military 'will co-operate' with new government. This is a big news story, as Myanmar (also known as Burma) has had the first open elections in 25 years. We found Myanmar in our world maps and noted that a news brief was done on the story. Thanks, Ben P!

Josh was selected to do the next news brief.

We also watched the one minute BBC World News update. Here's the link to see the latest one minute update, at any time of day (it will probably be different from what we watched in class):

BBCNews.com - One-minute World News

I also asked about the weekend and what people were up to, before moving on.

Culture Presentations?: This time was utilized by a few students that did not present last class. Thanks for doing this today, and for the attention and respect of the class.

Forced Choice: This is one of my favorite activities of the year. I had the class answer the following questions and choose YES or NO to each of them. Then, we split up the class so that two sides were facing each other. With each question, students moved to the side they felt best represented their opinion on the matter. These are difficult ethical questions and I am glad that we have the type of classroom culture that students feel able to talk about them! The questions were:

1. Giving up some of our rights (like our phones being searched without a warrant) is necessary for our own protection.
2. Everyone in the US should have the right to own guns if they want.
3. Private businesses should be able to choose to not employ people who have a sexual orientation they disagree with.
4. Marijuana should be legalized everywhere for recreational use.
5. Public schools should strictly enforce a standardized dress code.
6. Organized prayer in public schools should be allowed.
7. The government of a country should be able to make unpopular decisions.
8. Should the motto “In God We Trust” be removed from our currency?
9. I agree with the death penalty option for convicted murderers.
10. People in power are always corrupt in some way.

Today, we did questions 3, 4, 8, and 9. Lots of interesting questions and critical thinking! Thank you for your responses and participation. It was not possible to get to every hand that was up in every discussion, for which I apologize. I am glad that students were engaged!

As part of the discussion, I showed this website, which has a map of states with and without employment discrimination laws for orientation and gender identity: Mic.com - One Map Shows Where You Can Still Be Fired for Being Gay in 2015.

I also said that I would link to an article showing that it is much more expensive to put someone to death (due to all of the legal appeals) than keep them in prison for life: OregonLive.com - Can Oregon afford the death penalty?.

If you had any other articles or links to share to back up what you shared in class, please post them in the comments!

Reflection: With about 10 minutes left in class, we stopped the debate, so I could give the assignment, which is important, because we spent most of two days on this activity.

This will be completed next class: Write a one page reflection on the activity. What was the most difficult or controversial question for you? Why? How do these sorts of questions relate to the study of government?

If nothing was difficult for you to answer, maybe pick one that you felt most passionately about. We will do a short debrief on the activity next class, then move on to learning about the basics of government around the world.

Thanks! See you next class!

Government, Day 1 - Class Recap

On the roof of the Bundestag building in Berlin, Germany. This is where the government of Germany meets. Photo taken in 2013.

Hi everyone,

Welcome to a shortened week, with Veterans Day on Wednesday! I really enjoyed the discussion today in class. I'm sure it was a nice change from all of the writing students have had to do in the last few days for the class! Here's what happened in class:

Learning Targets:
Knowledge LT 17: I can explain how and why world societies organize themselves and how power is established and maintained.
Communication LT 1:  I can use language and  style that is appropriate to the content area.

Soundtrack: "The War Was in Color" by Carbon Leaf. The reason I chose this song for today is because it is all about a veteran describing war to his grandson. We have Wednesday off of school because of Veteran's Day and it is important that we honor the service of those in our armed forces. Lyrics (which I read part of in class) here.

AGENDA 11/9/15:
News Brief – Eric C.
Culture Presentations
Forced Choice
Reflection

Homework: Read the blog. Turn in any late/missing/incomplete culture work (especially DBQs). Next news brief: Ben P.

News Brief: Eric C. had the news brief today and selected an article about this story: CNN.com - Athletics doping: Ban Russia from athletics, says report. We found Russia in our world maps and noted that we did a news brief on the country. This could end up being a really big deal in terms of international sporting events, especially for next year's Olympics, and the World Cup in 2018, as it appears that there has been systematic doping (steroid use) in Russia. I am sure that this continues to be a worldwide problem.

Ben P. was selected to do the next news brief.

We also watched the one minute BBC World News update. Here's the link to see the latest one minute update, at any time of day (it will probably be different from what we watched in class):

BBCNews.com - One-minute World News

I also asked about the weekend and what people were up to, before moving on.

Culture Presentations: Because I wanted to give as much time in class last time to writing the DBQ, we did not have the time for presentations (for the students who chose to do a presentation for the culture project). I enjoyed everyone that went today! Thank you for your effort in crafting great presentations and visuals.

Forced Choice: This is one of my favorite activities of the year. I had the class answer the following questions and choose YES or NO to each of them. Then, we split up the class so that two sides were facing each other. With each question, students moved to the side they felt best represented their opinion on the matter. These are difficult ethical questions and I am glad that we have the type of classroom culture that students feel able to talk about them! The questions were:

1. Giving up some of our rights (like our phones being searched without a warrant) is necessary for our own protection.
2. Everyone in the US should have the right to own guns if they want.
3. Private businesses should be able to choose to not employ people who have a sexual orientation they disagree with.
4. Marijuana should be legalized everywhere for recreational use.
5. Public schools should strictly enforce a standardized dress code.
6. Organized prayer in public schools should be allowed.
7. The government of a country should be able to make unpopular decisions.
8. Should the motto “In God We Trust” be removed from our currency?
9. I agree with the death penalty option for convicted murderers.
10. People in power are always corrupt in some way.

We only made it through question 2 today, so I will pick and choose next class as to which questions we will discuss and debate, before writing a reflective piece about the experience. I love these discussions and I think we did a great job of following the Ground Rules that we established at the beginning of the year.

As a note from the class discussion, a student made a statement that more people are killed each year by hammers than guns, and I said that I would look up that information. Here is the latest data the federal government has available on homicides (this does not include suicides or accidental deaths, which would surely increase the balance in favor of more gun deaths):

FBI.gov - 2014 Crime in the United States: Murder Victims by Weapon

It appears that, last year, 8,124 people were killed by guns in the United States, and 435 people were killed by blunt objects, such as hammers, clubs, baseball bats, etc. Obviously, the vast majority of those gun deaths were due to handguns, so if someone wanted to be specific, there were less gun deaths due to rifles or shotguns, for instance, than blunt objects. But definitely not all guns.

Thank you for your participation, everyone! Be ready to keep talking next time.

Government, Day 5 - Class Recap

The Statue of Liberty in New York, which is a symbol of immigration to the United States. Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! Photo taken in 2011.

Dear class,

Welcome to your Thanksgiving break! Thanks for doing your homework and checking in on the blog to see what we are up to. Today was the last day of our unit on government. After the break, we will move on to what is probably my favorite unit of the year - I'm excited! Here's what happened in class today:

Learning Targets:
Knowledge LT 18: I can explain how and why world societies organize themselves and how power is established and maintained.

Soundtrack: "Kings and Queens" by 30 Seconds to Mars. Selected for today because of the connection to monarchy, and this song gets me fired up because it reminds me of watching ESPN tennis tournaments. Lyrics here.

AGENDA 11/25/14:
News Brief – Broden
Finish "Who Rules?"
Government Test
Shibboleth

Homework: Read the blog. Have a great Thanksgiving! Next news brief: Fernando.

News Brief: Broden had the news brief today and selected an article about this story: CNN.com - New Iran Nuclear talks deadlines: March 1, July 1, 2015. We found Iran on the world map (in the Middle East) and talked about the upcoming extra long weekend.

We also talked somewhat in depth about the news from Ferguson, Missouri last night. I told the class that I would post the Grand Jury interview with Darren Wilson, the officer who shot and killed Michael Brown, an unarmed African-American male. I also showed this timeline of the event based on the witness testimony, as compiled by the Washington Post. We will continue to talk about how government, structures of power, and race all intersect.

Fernando was selected to do the next news brief.

Who Rules?: Before the government test, I wanted to give the class time to review the reading and answers in the packet:

Google Drive - Who Rules? Reading and Questions

I gave about five minutes before the test for study of the Cornell Notes, as well.

Government Test: I do not think this was especially difficult, if you have been in class and following along with what has been going on the last few days! I will grade these over the weekend and have them entered into the gradebook by next Tuesday (which is a progress reports date).

Shibboleth: After the test, we watched most most of an episode of the TV series "The West Wing," which had to do with Thanksgiving, illegal immigration, school prayer, direct democracy, and representative democracy. There were no notes or any other requirement - it was just a relaxing way to end the class after the test and go out to Thanksgiving Break. Here's the funniest scene of the episode, in my opinion:

I remain quite thankful for all of you! Have a wonderful break - see you next week. ;-)

Government, Day 4 - Class Recap

The White House, in Washington, D.C., which is typically seen as a symbol of the leadership of the United States government, because the President lives there. Photo taken in 2010.

Dear class,

I enjoyed seeing the skits today about the various forms of government around the world that we are studying! Hopefully, combined with the reading and notes, you now have a good idea about how each system works. Here's what happened in class today:

Learning Targets:
Knowledge LT 18: I can explain how and why world societies organize themselves and how power is established and maintained.
Communication LT 2:  I can use language and style that is appropriate to the content area.

Soundtrack: "I Just Can't Wait to Be King" from The Lion King. Selected because of the connection with monarchy (which is mentioned in the lyrics)!

AGENDA 11/21/14:
News Brief – Darius
DBQ/Review Cornell Notes
Government Skits
Who Rules?

Homework: Read the blog. Study for forms of government test next class. Next news brief: Broden.

News Brief: Darius had the news brief today and selected an article about this story: CNN.com - The U.S. government thinks China could take down the power grid. We found China on the world map (in Asia!) and talked about other news of the day, like President Obama issuing an executive order regarding immigration last night. Here's the transcript and video of his speech, if you are interested!

Broden was selected to do the next news brief.

Review Cornell Notes: To start looking at government again, we went back and looked at our Cornell Notes from the Forms of Government PowerPoint last class. Specifically, I asked everyone to make sure to follow the guidelines listed in the process document, by highlighting important information, thinking of "outside the box/notes" questions, then writing a three to five sentence summary of the material at the bottom. This should really help you prepare for the test next class! Keep reviewing your notes! :-)

Government Skits: As I mentioned above, I really enjoyed these, even if they were very brief. The groups did a good job of thinking of how to present each of the main ideas! Here was the packet that this was based on (a few of the types were not on the PowerPoint, like Oligarchy and Anarchy, so make sure to review them and what some of the benefits and drawbacks of each system are):

Google Drive - Types of Government Readings

Just look at the readings from A-G, because you do not need to know the economic structures that are later in the packet, yet.

Who Rules?: The rest of class was devoted to your groups going through this worksheet packet, designed to be a review before the forms of government test:

Google Drive - Who Rules? Reading and Questions

The first page has a good overview of the types and classifications of governments that we are studying. The following pages are practice, to help compare and contrast the systems of government. We will finish this next class (our only class before a week long break for Thanksgiving) and then take the test. Please study and ask questions if you are at all confused! :-)