The Declaration of Independence

5th Period...you go here     7th Period go here

1. Tell Mr. Pahl about yourself...

2. Go to the online textbook and read Chapter 3, section 2. When you have read this section, discuss it with a partner in the lab.  Then take the following QUIZ, putting BOTH of your names in the name box.

• Online Textbook link    Username is USG2006   Password is 77e42c52

• Bill of Rights, Amendments 1-10
• Amendments 11-20
• Amendments 21-27

This one is like a Concentration matrix, so it is more involved...

• Constitutional amendments matching

When you are finished you can practice on some of these Constitution tests:

CONSTITUTION QUIZ Questions from US Citizenship Test Multiple Choice Constitution Quiz US Government and Constitution

Study Guide to the BHS Constitution Test

The Political Spectrum...

Your assignment is to write into your notebook whether you are more liberal-left-Democrat or more right-conservative-Republican.    Use the resources listed in the links below in today's lab to help you determine if you are more "left" or more "right".  Try to determine how liberal or how conservative you are.  Write up as much as you can about where you are.  One of the things you will have to do is to place your name somewhere on the class political-spectrum-tackboard.

Click on the words below to learn about characteristics that are "Right" or "Left"
Left Characteristics | Right Characteristics

SORT IT OUT!  Are you liberal (left, Democrat) or conservative (right, Republican)? DECLARATION DAY is October 4. 

• Conservative or Liberal?
• Test 2. Conservative or Liberal?
• Test 3. Short

• Are you a Republican or a Democrat?

Next, take the following test, and call Mr. Pahl when you get to the final screen, so he can help interpret it. (5 ex cred points if you finish the questions and call Mr. Pahl over before the end of the period...)

• 
  The Cupid Test of Politics
•  
• Take the political spectrum test  By yourself or with a partner...

• Position paper = 50 points   
• Grading your writeboard on Nov 3 = 20 points.
   
• Guidelines for writing position papers
• Examples of a Congressman's Position Papers (these are short and to the point; yours should be a little longer...)

• Guidelines for writing position papers

Remember to make it plain on your writeboard what research you did individually...Put your name on it...

• Position paper = 50 points, due Friday   
• Grading your writeboard on Nov 3 = 20 points.

Remember also the EXTRA CREDIT possibilities you have:

1. Write your own position paper. Turn in individually, apart from your group paper.
2. Make an electronic video of your position on your issue.

• Use the Bill Form to craft your bill. The Bill Form is on the BHS Congress Pages...
• You must also write your bill on your Issue Group whiteboard...put it at the top of the Board, before your research...
• You will need to get sponsors for your bill.
• You need to be making a pamphlet to advertise your bill at the committee hearings
• When you finish your bill, turn it in to one of the members of the Rules Committee from your period.
• Don't forget your 10.1 outline is due at the end of the period.
• Check out what committee you are on...

These pages contains helpful information to you in our simulated Congressional unit.

Here is a list of things you should get DONE today:

1. Turn in your field trip form (for Nov 21) to Mr. Pahl.  It must be turned in by 3pm or you cannot participate on Tuesday, and you will lose points.
2. Get your bill printed out and to the rules committee member in your class. 
3. You must also post a copy of this bill on your Issue Group writeboard.  Put it at the top of the board, before your research.  This is important and you will lose points if it is not done.
4. Your brochure (pamphlet) is due today. If you want Mr. Pahl to duplicate your brochure, it must be turned in to Mr. Pahl by 3pm. If you turn it in as a hard copy, your brochure will be printed with black ink.  If you email it to Mr. Pahl, or give it to him on a memory stick or CD, it can be duplicated with color ink.
5. Your issue group should determine which members of your group will testify as expert witnesses on behalf of your bill before your committee next Tuesday when we are in the library.  Each member who will testify must submit to Mr. Pahl
6. The Majority Leader and Speaker need to decide which bills they are going to get strongly behind as Democratic bills.  They should make a plan as to which bills they want to push through Committee and ultimately the full congressional session on Dec. 8. There will be a Democratic Caucus to start the Nov 21 gathering in the library...The link to the Democratic Writeboard is on the Congress main page. This writeboard will be used to communicate the bills Democrats are backing...
7. The Minority Leader should make a plan for which bills the Republican Party will get behind and try to get through Committee hearings and the full session.  There will be a Republican Caucus first thing on Nov. 21 before the Committee hearings. The link to the Republican writeboard is on the Congress page...

Due Friday:

• All four of your Committee Preparation pages, which are the "homework" you are doing on the four bills that are before the Committee you are on.

1. Make sure that your group has posted their bill on the issue boards.  You will lost points if it is not there.
2. If you are in a group that was told in committee yesterday that you have to amend or revise your bill, then you need to do that on your issue board. This must be done TODAY.
3. If you are on a committee that told a group they had to make some amendments, you need to approve those today.  Go view the amendments online on the issue board, and then go to your Committee Board (which is linked to the password protected Congress page) to write in your vote.  Every member of the committee should weigh in on the writeboard.
4. Fill out the self evaluation form that Mr. Pahl passes out to you.  Due at the end of the period.
5. Respond to Mr. Pahl by a short writing in the box below:

ASSIGNMENT FOR THOSE WITH PERMISSION SLIPS FOR THE DEC 8 CONGRESS. For those of you who have your field trip permission slips in, you will each need to prepare two speeches for the Dec. 8 full session Congress.  The speeches must be 30 seconds to 3 minutes long.  You  can choose one of the bills you would like to write a speech about, and Mr. Pahl will assign you the other bill you will prepare a speech for. (Extra credit for extra speeches!)

The first speech is due tomorrow, the second speech is due at the end of the lab period next week, Wed. 12-6.. It should use research, be clear and organized. You can prepare a speech FOR or AGAINST a bill.  Be sure to place at the top of the paper the bill name and number and whether you are for or against it. Each bill should start and end with a clear declaration of your position:

• BEGIN: "I rise in opposition of HB700, Campaign Finance Reform."
• END: "I again urge opposition to HB700, Campaign Finance Reform."

or

• BEGIN: "I rise in support of HB304, the Banning of Partial Birth Abortion."
• END: "I again urge support of HB304, the Banning of Partial Birth Abortion."

The speech should be computer generated.  Turn in TWO COPIES. You should also place your speech online.

Remember, getting your bill passed in the Congress is huge!!!  Be thinking about:

• perhaps make a video promotion of your bill to be shown in the auditorium.
• make a short pamphlet or info sheet with bill name and number, to be duplicated to pass out to all members of Congress
• begin politicking and lobbying NOW for your bill. Where will the Speaker put it on the calendar?
• Sharpen your research and your focus on your bill.  Get facts. Get your best arguments. Polish your speeches.

Link to Congress site (password protected!)

• PLEASE READ ALL OF THE FOLLOWING!
• Committee F-- Vote correctly on the MINIMUM WAGE bill! or lose 10 points!!!!
• Every issue group must tell Mr. Pahl which two members of their group will give floor speeches about their bill, one to open the debate, and one to close it.
• Every student needs to finish two speeches, the one of your choosing and the assigned...Make them passionate, yet filled with FACTS.  Do some research.  Two copies of each speech due today, and be sure to submit one online....
• If you want Mr. Pahl to duplicate some publicity for you, like a brochure or flyer, you must get it to him by today at 3pm!
• RULES COMMITTEE--help set up Friday morning! Come early!
• Committee Chairpeople...see Mr. Pahl for your responsibilities
• When you go to the main page, be sure to read the rules we will use at the simulation...
• All of this stuff can be reached from the Congress main page...

2. There are two religion clauses in the First Amendment, the establishment clause and the free exercise clause.  It reads: "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, nor prohibiting the free exercise thereof."

The very first protection in the First Amendment is a protection against an established religion. The establishment clause promises that the government cannot set up a religion, or many religions.

ESTABLISHMENT CLAUSE. Jefferson said that the establishment clause creates a "wall of separation" between the church and the state. Not only does the establishment clause prevent the state (the government) from establishing a religion, it also prevents many forms of official entanglement between the government and religions.  Using your book or the online book (Online Textbook link    Username is USG2006   Password is 77e42c52) read pages 359-362.  Read to find out what religious things the Supreme Court has allowed, and what religious items or practices it has said break the establishment clause.

Make a chart like the one below to indicate religious things allowed and religious things prohibited by the establishment clause:

FREE EXERCISE. The free exercise clause is a promise that not just religious ideas are protected, but the exercise or practice of religion.  If the free exercise only protects religious thoughts, it is not very powerful.  People can think whatever they want to think and no one will know...the government can't stop people from thinking what they want to think. The right to hold a religious belief is thus absolute.

Government wouldn't really be granting anything meaningful or substantive if it allowed people to think whatever religious thoughts they want to....granting people the right to exercise their religion means much more than just thinking something. Jehovah's Witnesses do not believe in saluting the American flag (or any flag). That belief is protected.  People that are under 21 are allowed to take communion wine in many churches.  The free exercise clause, then, protects religious exercise, not just thought.

But the protection for religious exercise or practice is not absolute like it is for religious belief.

Make a chart like the one below to indicate what limitations, if any, the Supreme Court put on religious practices:

These two charts are worth 10 points each and are due tomorrow, Wednesday. You can put both charts on the same paper.

Tues
Jan. 9

• Return your book! :-)
• Mr. Pahl would appreciate it if you would take some time at home and give feedback to him via http://www.ratemyteachers.com   Click on Illinois and Bartlett High School and then to the "P" section.

• Please provide feedback to Mr. Pahl (below)...
• Reviews 1 covered...

FINAL REVIEW!  Here are links to notes from Mr. Pahl's Reviews:

• 2nd Review
• 3rd Review
• 4th Review
• Questions will be taken from the Chapter 13 online test...
• These matching words and phrases will likely be on the exam:

Please fill out! :-)