Week of 5/17

Only two weeks to Memorial Day, and less than three to graduation!!

We have a lot to cover in the next two weeks! Here are this week's plans:

Note: Grades and class participation points have been updated. If you are lacking participation points, you may complete a research project worth up to half (5) of the 10 participation points needed. Also, if you have turned in all work to date, and would like to earn some extra credit points to improve your grade, an extra credit project is also available. See me before class to discuss these options.

5/17 (Monday)--Spectrum of Political Media (cont.). We will continue our survey of the spectrum of political media by viewing and discussing some film clips featuring conservative talk show icons Rush Limbaugh and Glenn Beck and liberal media figures Keith Olbermann and Michael Moore. You will see first-hand how "news" has become inextricably intertwined with "entertainment," "ratings," "ideology," and "personality." We'll also examine and consider the role of "viral videos" on government and politics, such as the infamous "hair" clip of John Edwards that helped derail his 2008 bid for the Democratic nomination for U.S. President. Complete a "reaction" paper to these film clips for class participation credit.

5/18 (Tuesday)--Political Media History; Media and the Law. Today we'll examine several key moments in the history of government and political media, with special attention on the role of "Yellow Journalism" in promoting the Spanish-American War, as well as the Pentagon Papers, Watergate, and Clinton-Lewinsky scandals.

5/19 (Wednesday)--The Public Mind--Illusions of News. Mr. Fox will be your substitute today; I will be at school, but visiting other classes as part of the FHS cadre program. Today's lesson centers on a segment from the PBS video series The Public Mind. "Illusions of News" examines a disturbing trend in media that began to emerge in the 1980s: the tendency of news media to emphasize politics over government; to cater their coverage to the wishes of the candidates rather than the needs of the public for meaningful information and answers to hard questions. Complete the worksheet as you watch the film.

5/20 (Thursday)--Sources of Media Bias. At the beginning of the unit, we examined a broad spectrum of media coverage (along the classic liberal-conservative spectrum). While ideological considerations often affect coverage of a story, other sources of bias may have even a greater impact on the reliability and nature of the media report. Yesterday's film examined one of these sources: personal amity. Today we'll discuss several others, including monetary/economic influences, and the so-called "Watergate phenomenon" that motivates and drives investigative journalism.

5/21 (Friday)--Introduction to Monetary and Fiscal Policy. Today we'll begin examining the other "M" in Unit V--money! We'll discuss the two broad approaches that governments may take to regulating and influencing economic growth in the country they govern--monetary policy and fiscal policy. How has the United States government responded to the current recession? We will examine issues such as deficit spending to stimulate economic growth and tools the government uses to control interest rates and either promote or restrain growth in the economy.

Have a great week!

Week of 5/10

This week's plans:

5/10 (Monday)--The 2000 Presidential Election--Bush v. Gore. Today we will discuss the most controversial presidential election of your lifetime--the fascinating 2000 election between former Republican President George W. Bush and his Democratic opponent, Al Gore. This lesson will touch on many subjects previously studied, including federalism, the electoral college, and judicial review, and also examine the role of the media in government, which is the subject of Unit V, which we'll begin later this week. We will also examine how the controversy did help lead to several important reforms in voting procedures in many states.

5/11 (Tuesday)--Exam Review. Today we will go over the exam review sheet for the Unit IV test (to be given on Thursday). The test is worth 50 points, and includes matching, multiple choice, completion, and essay components. I will also conduct an extra study session before school on Wednesday if you need additional help or have questions about the test.

5/12 (Wednesday)--Final Exam Review; Introduction to Unit V. Bring any remaining questions about the material in Unit IV to class today. After we complete the exam review, we'll begin Unit V (Money and Media) by considering how the role of the media in covering government and politics has changed throughout U.S. history.

5/13 (Thursday)--Unit IV Exam. If you complete the exam early, begin reading Chapter 19, section 1 and work on the vocabulary terms in the Unit V Essentials Packet.

5/14 (Friday)--Spectrum of Political Media. Page 4 of your Essentials Packet includes a chart showing the spectrum of political media. We will discuss where the various cable channels, print media, and high-profile radio and television journalists fall on the liberal/conservative media spectrum, and view several media clips which highlight the differences in style and substance of these diverse media outlets. We'll also discuss the concept of infotainment (news broadcasts with a primary objective of entertaining as well as informing (and also drawing ratings and higher profits)!

Have a great week!

Week of 5/3

Here are this week's plans:

5/3 (Monday)--Review of Campaign Finance; Nominations. After a brief quiz on Friday's topic of campaign finance, today we will discuss nominating procedures. Like the electorate itself, which has grown tremendously throughout U.S. history, the methods we use to nominate candidates for political office have also changed and evolved. Today's nominating processes are (on the whole) far more democratic, particularly in the use of direct primaries instead of caucuses and conventions.

5/4 (Tuesday)--IDEAlog wrap-up; Presidential Primaries and National Conventions. We'll begin class by conducting a quick review of the results from the IDEAlog political ideology quiz we conducted at the beginning of the unit. Next, we will look at presidential primaries in more detail. Yesterday, we looked at several methods of nominating candidates for political office. We learned that primaries have come to be the dominant method. We will seek to deepen our understanding of the importance of primaries by looking more closely at the process by which we choose presidential candidates. Although there is a good deal of variation among the states, and between the Republican and Democratic parties, the principles which underlie the processes are very similar and share a common purpose: to select the best and most electable candidates for the White House.

5/5 (Wednesday)--Short Subject Films--(1) American Political Parties, (2) Primaries and Caucuses, and (3) Political Conventions. I will be out today to attend a professional development program. Since several students will be out for IB testing, today's lesson will focus on review rather than new material. Mr. Wilson will show a series of short subject films produced by C-Span. For each film, write down three bits of knowledge you did not previously know, and answer the three discussion questions on the board. Turn these in to Mr. Wilson at the end of class.

5/6 (Thursday)--Party Structure and Organization. Today we'll examine the structure and organization of the major political parties. The key characteristic is de-centralization--the central party organization (such as the national committee and national chairperson) do not closely manage or regulate state and local party organizations. Local party structure and organization may vary considerably from place to place. We will consider some of the reasons for (and advantages/disadvantages) for this decentralized structure in class.

5/7 (Friday)--Vocabulary Practice; Political Cartoons. Today's lesson will be a "Fun Friday" package of vocabulary review and application of learning through political cartoons. First, we will pair up and work on mastering the unit vocabulary terms by playing "Talk a Mile a Minute." When you are done with the vocabulary review, you and your partner should complete the two political cartoon activities.

Next week, plan for an exam review on Monday and a test on Unit IV on Tuesday. Then, it's on to your final unit of American Government--Political Media and Interest Groups!

Graduation is just around the corner. Let's bear down and finish strong!

Have a great week!