9/5/13--It was a pleasure to meet you today. Homework was assigned and it will be due on Monday. Go to the political quiz website: www.pbs.org/newshour/vote/2012/quiz/ and take the quiz. Then, write a half page about what you learned about the process itself and whether or not you agree with the political label you were assigned. Again, this is due on Monday. Thanks. 9/6/13--I can't get this to "return." Sorry. Homework is as mentioned on the 9/5 entry. AND, HAVE A BINDER IN PLACE FOR MONDAY'S CLASS -- WITH TABS! Happy Weekend.
9/10/13--Quiz on Wednesday on the power point presentation. Students in the class for standard credit may use notes (but there is a time limit on the quiz, so you MUST review your notes in advance). Students in the class for honors credit may NOT use notes -- same time limit. Thanks.
9/11/13--We had a quiz today. No official written homework tonight, but I did hand out the Chapter 1 packet which we will begin during tomorrow's double. Thanks!
9/16/13--Sorry for delay in posting -- I am having technical difficulties posting from my school computer. I didn't see you today, Monday, but tomorrow, Tuesday, you will have a quiz on Chapter 1, Sections 1 & 2. Thanks! 9/17/13--Homework is to read Chapter 1, Section 3, and to answer questions 1-4 on page 24. Due for class tomorrow, Wednesday.
9/18/13--Class took notes on Chapter 1, section 3. Second half of double was to make-up missing quizzes and work. Homework is to review all that we have done on Chapter 1 as a test is coming. Thanks!
9/19/13--Read Chapter 1, section 4 and answer questions 1-5. Due on Monday. Happy weekend to you!
9/24/13--A test on all of Chapter 1 on Friday. No written homework tonight, but I gave out an extra credit assignment which will be due on Friday. Thanks. Study, study. 9/27/13--Test in class today, Friday. Enjoy the weekend, no written homework. 10/3/13--Sorry for delay in posting. Today, Thursday, I collected the homework which was to do a timeline on Chapter 2, Section 1, and then to respond to questions about the Articles of Confederation. Tonight's homework is to complete the handout that I gave you on Chapter 4, Section 4. This is due tomorrow. Next week there will be a quest (75 points) on all of this Chapter and on the political terms of the day to-date. Thanks. 10/8/13--You will have a quest (75 points) on all of Chapter 2 and the political terms of the day, on Wednesday. Be ready! 10/10/13--I shared with you your quest results. Today we began work on Chapter 3. Tonight's homework is to read and to respond to the questions on the handout about school drug-testing of athletes. This is due tomorrow. Your homework for the nice LONG weekend will be to review all that we have done on Chapter 3. Enjoy the weekend! 10/11/13--I collected homework and we discussed the constitutionality of drug testing in high school. Homework this long weeked is to review all that we went over in chapter 3 so far. You can certainly expect some kind of test soon. Thanks. 10/16/13--We watched more of the PBS special on Constitution USA. I assigned the Boston Globe, page A2, as homework. You need to read ALL seven stories and then summarize them in your own words -- a few sentences to each. We will discuss them in class tomorrow, so have them ready to turn in and be prepared to discuss. Thanks. 10/24/13--We just had a test on all of Chapter 3. You turned in a study guide which counts as a homework grade. I also gave an extra credit assignment for the weekend: read today's Boston Globe (I gave you the copy) and recap for me --IN YOUR OWN WORDS-- the stories. This will be due on Monday. Happy weekend. 10/29/13--Yesterday I collected the extra credit assignment and returned to everyone their last test grades and gave everyone their current grades. Quarter one grades close this Friday. Tonight's homework is to write a reflection on what you learned from Constitution USA, Part II (I am leaving at 1.45 for a doctor's appointment and you will watch this dvd in my absence. I want to give you another opportunity for a grade this quarter, so please do watch it and do the homework (I want your own original thoughts on the episode please). Thanks. 11/1/13--We went over the homework, Chapter 4, Section 1B. You read a story in today's Globe about the Supreme Court hearing a case about the Breast Cancer wrist bracelets. All in attendance got their quarter one grades -- no mystery in this class as to your grade. No written homework. Enjoy the extra hour of sleep this weekend. 11/5/13--Last night's (Monday's) homework was to read and answer Chapter 4, Section 3, questions 1-4. Tonight's (Tuesday's) homework is to read and answer Chapter 4, Section 4, questions 1-5. We will go over these in class on Thursday. Friday is a test on Chapter 4 so start reviewing as well. Thursday night is parent/teacher conferences. Thanks.
11/8/13--Happy long weekend. Do thank a veteran this weekend (or any day!). Last night's (Thursday) homework is to complete the review sheet for Chapter 4. Today you are having a test on it and you MAY use the review sheet. There will not be any other homework for the weekend and I will see you Tuesday. Thanks. 11/13/13--You had a sub yesterday because I was at Gillette Stadium accepting an award to be used at Senior Night Out. You had a sub and an assignment that had to be done in class. Your homework was to take Chapter 5 and read Section 1. I am going to give you a quick quiz on this tomorrow. Thanks! 11/14/13--I will be at James Madison's home in Virginia tomorrow so you will have a sub. You will watch the third episode of Constitution USA. You need to take your OWN brief notes while watching this. When the episode is completed you need to read Upfront Magazine and the article about the 51st state. When done, answer the questions, all of them on the handout. You must leave both papers with the sub as this is graded material. Thanks, and happy weekend. 11/19/13--Homework is to read chapter 5, section 1, and to answer questions 1-4. This is due on Wednesday. Thanks. 11/21/13--Homework is to assembly your notes on Chapter 5, sections 1 and 2, as we will have an open-notes quiz on this tomorrow, Friday. Thanks. 11/26/13--We had the quiz on Friday. There was no weekend homework. Today I gave you homework that is to be turned in when I see you next on Monday, December 2nd. It is to read Chapter 5, sections 3 & 4. Answers questions 1-4 for Section3 and then answer questions 1-5 for Section 4. Again, due on Monday. Happy, happy Thanksgiving to you. I am grateful for all of you. 12/1/13--I collected homework as noted above. We are working on a handout on Chapter 5, Section 5. Homework is a review sheet on all of Chapter 5 as there will be a test on Thursday. Also, I will be checking everyone's binders on Thursday. Everyone should know their grades in my class and note that Progress Reports are going in on December 10th, so get your work done and study for tests. Thanks. 12/4/13--I collected the homework from Monday -- the Chapter 5 review. I returned homework that was due this past Monday (Chapter 5, sections 3 and 4) and we went over it. I returned the handout from yesterday's class and we began to over it. Tomorrow, after we finish reviewing I will be giving you an open-notes test. You must look at your notes tonight in order to be successful on the test. Tomorrow, I will also be giving you a binder grade, so your binders must be in order. Progress reports are updated by Tuesday, December 10th. Finally, I asked the honors students to get a book and to have it in class (a homework assignment) by the Wednesday before the holiday break. Thanks. 12/12/13--Today, Thursday, (I meant to post this last night, sorry), you will have a quick homework grade quiz on the Removal Power of Congress -- this is all about impeachment, what it means, who does what, and who has been impeached and who has resigned in the past. A reminder too that honors students have the book, Nickel and Dimed, ready to go next Wednesday. Thanks. 12/13/13--We had a quick quiz on the Removal Power of Congress. Your homework is Chapter 6, Section 2, questions 1-5, and it is due on Tuesday (I am out on Monday for meetings -- you will continue watching the dvd on Reagan -- leave this work with the sub as I will give you extra credit for your effort.) Happy weekend, Thanks!
12/17/13--I collected the last homework, 6,2. We finished reviewing 6,1 in class. No written homework tonight, but if you are taking the class at the honors level you need to have the Nickel and Dimed book in class on Wednesday -- this was/is a homework assignment. Thanks.
12/18/13--I gave you a homework grade (honors students) if you had your book, Nickel and Dimed, in class. We went over 6,2 in class (you each wrote a portion on the board and we reviewed it together). I assigned the chapter 6, section 3 handout for homework -- this will be due on January 2nd, the day we get back. If you want to give it to me this Friday, that will work too. I know on Friday many of you will be out or attending the teacher/student volleyball game, so I am giving you a lengthier time to complete this. I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. 12/20/13--Merry Christmas. No homework. Enjoy the break and rest up! In class we did start reading Nickel and Dimed. Thanks! 1/7/14--Welcome back and happy New Year! Yesterday we finished chapter 6 and today we reviewed for Thursday's quest (75 point assessment). I gave you the topics for the open responses and we played a brief game to review. Also, honors students: you are to finish Nickel and Dimed as you will have an essay and other questions on your final. This will count for at least 25% of your midterm. Start reading! Thanks. 1/10/13--We had our QUEST on Chapter 6 yesterday. We will go over the answers today. We will then begin Chapter 7. Please don't miss any opportunities to bring your grade up before your midterm on Friday, January 24th. I will also check your binders once more before the midterm. There will be homework over the weekend: it is to complete the two page handout on Chapter 7, Section 1. Thanks, and happy weekend. 1/14/14--Yesterday I gave you the Political Terms of the Day that you will be quizzed on this Wednesday. Study them as homework. I also collected the homework I had given about the Democrats "Nuclear" option with the filibuster. Some of you didn't have it, so I gave you until tomorrow (Wednesday) to turn it in. I will be grading your binders on Thursday, so please straighten them out. I will give you the study guide for the final on Friday. Please, please, get these last couple of grades and binders in place to keep your grades up. Thanks. 1/16/13--Today I graded last night's homework (to read most of Chapter 7, Section 1) and to respond to the first page of the handout. I then graded your binders and everyone knows what their grade is going into the midterm. Tonight's homework is to finish the Chapter 7, Section 1 handout. Tomorrow, Friday, I will give you the study guide for Friday's midterm. Please study this long weekend. Thanks. 1/28/14--We are back! Today everyone got their midterms and their quarter two grades. We then began Chapter 7, Section 2, questions 1-5 which is your homework for tonight. It is due tomorrow. Thanks. 2/6/14--Today we went over the Chapter 7, section 4 homework. When I see you next (not tomorrow because it is a day 4), you will have an open-notes test on all of Chapter 7. To prepare for it, I gave you a homework assignment on page 208 -- you need to answer in completed sentences, questions 1-11. If you want extra credit you will do questions 12-14. This is due on Monday, or whatever day I see you next (I know you want yet another snow day on Monday, but I don't!!!!). 2/10/14--We had a test today on Chapter 7. It was open notes because we began most of Chapter 7 before the midterm. We will go over it in class tomorrow. There is NO homework tonight. There will be two more homeworks this week, so get them done. I will not be giving you homework over the break, so please get homework that is due this week done. Thanks. 2/11/14--Homework is to read chapter 8, section 1 and to answer questions 1-5. Remember, on Friday I will be out as will a few of you. Mr. Harris will be covering my class. If you read the stories in the Boston Globe and you summarize them, this will be an extra credit opportunity. You must leave the work with Mr. Harris though. Thanks, Happy Valentines Day and Happy Vacation. 2/14/14--Happy Valentine's Day. Happy break. I will be on a field trip today. You will have an opportunity to do extra credit work in class today. It is written on the board. There are lots of festivities going on in school today so you might be out of class for one of those, therefore, I am making this an extra credit opportunity. I didn't see you yesterday, so you do have homework that will be due on Monday when we get back. It is the read-a-long for Chapter 8, Section 2. Enjoy your break. There won't be another for a couple of months! Thanks. 2/24/14--I handed back any and all papers that I had and everyone got a copy of their current grades with assignments and test scores. Progress reports are due March 5-6, so you need to do your homework. Tonight's homework is the complete Chapter 8, Section 2 (which most of you did not do). We did some of it in class and will finish the rest tomorrow. Thanks. 2/25/14--We finished Chapter 8, Section 2, and homework is to complete Chapter 8, Section, questions 1-5. Due on Thursday.
3/2/14--We worked in class on Friday on Chapter 8, Section 4. We worked in groups and posted the notes on the board. We will review Chapter 8 on Monday and you will have a test on Wednesday. Thanks. 3/6/14--On Monday you got a review sheet for the test on Wednesday. On Wednesday you had the test on Chapter 8 and turned in the review sheet. Today, I returned the graded essay portion of the test and we self-graded the multiple choice responses. We then watched half of the HBO movie, Muhammed Ali's Greatest Fight about his case at the Supreme Court level. There was no homework, but over the weekend you will have homework in the Chapter 9 packet which you will get in class on Friday. Happy weekend to you. 3/12/14--Because so many of you were out on Friday, I gave you the Chapter 9 packet and asked those folks to turn in the homework (Sections 1 AND 2, questions 1-5). In class we took and discussed a fun quiz on the presidents. No written homework unless you were absent on Friday. Thanks, and enjoy this half-day Tuesday.
3/14/14--Homework is to read and to respond to Chapter 11, Section 3, questions 1-5. This is due on Monday. We will review all of chapter 5 on Monday as well and you will have a test on the chapter on Tuesday. Thanks! And, happy weekend.
3/19/14--We have had an abbreviated schedule with MCAS. We did get in a test yesterday on Chapter 9 and we went over the answers. You turned in a homework to me today. We started a power point presentation on the federal bureaucracy. Your homework is to read chapter 10, section 1, and to answer questions 1-5. This will be due on Monday. Thank you and happy weekend!
3/26/14--Grades close next Friday! I graded your binders today and you will get them back tomorrow. Homework due tomorrow is the Alphabet Soup of the Federal Bureacracy. There was another homework that was due on Monday and I already returned these. Everyone in the class knows their grades and where they stand. Thanks.
4/1/14--Test tomorrow, Wednesday, on Chapter 10. I gave you a vocabulary worksheet for homework and I gave you a summary of the chapter which if you complete, read and study, you will ace tomorrow's test. This will be the last grade of term 3. Yes, the year is almost over!
4/7/14--You need to read Chapter 11 and answer section 1, question 1-5. Due Tuesday. Thanks.
4/14/14--So, we finished Chapter 11 today -- we had a handout that we worked on and we played a review game. Tomorrow, 4/16 is a test on Chapter 11. You MUST study tonight. I will NOT be giving you homework over the vacation, so please study tonight. I already have 6 grades for each of you and you all know what your grades are (I posted them on the board, by random student number today). Thank you and enjoy your vacation!
4/28/14--Welcome back. We spoke about vacations and I posted your grades and everyone saw their test grade (this was taken the Wednesday before vacation). Tonight's homework is to read today's Globe, page A2, and in two sentences OF YOUR OWN WRITING you are to recap each of those stories. This is due tomorrow, Tuesday. A reminded that while most of you are seniors, you must continue to do your work in the next few weeks. Thanks.
5/5/14--I was out on Friday and had given you the Chapter 12 packet. You were to read all of it and to answer the three sections, questions 1-5. Some of you hadn't finished, so I gave you the end of today's double to finish. This MUST be completed by tomorrow's class. We only have a few weeks left together, so please do stay with me and to get your work done. Thanks.
5/8/14--We had a test today on Chapter 12. We then went over it. No homework. Some of you I will see tomorrow, but most of you are out for the senior prom. I wish you a wonderful prom. Be good, be safe, and you are really terrific students!
5/12/14--Just checking in. No homework. I believe I don't see you again until Wednesday, so stay tuned. Of course you will have a final next week during our last double. Of course this final will conclude the Constitution, Amendments, three branches, and federal bureacracy. And, of course more. So, study this in the meantime and I will advise you further when I see you next. Thanks.
5/20/14--So, your FINAL is tomorrow during the double. Everyone got study guides and the standard-level students were given two small green index cards to use during the final. I will then sign-out the seniors on Thursday. Really, really, I learned a lot from you this year. Thanks for enriching my life. For the three remaining juniors, we will be reading a book in class and journalling about it! Thanks.
5/27/14--So, the seniors have gone and we are a class of 3. I gave you each a copy of Me the People which you will be reading in class. Every day you read the book you need to make a journal entry about what you are reading. There may be a test when your are done, but there will definitely be a grade for your journal participation. Thanks.
6/5/14--We have been reading Me the People in class. By Friday's class you need to have read at least to page 62 WITH notes. Thanks.
6/10/14--We are reading Me the People. There will be a test on this on Monday. You can use your notes, but not the book. Thanks.