Rio Rocks the Vote - October 17-20, 2008

The Presidential Election is only 18 days away, and we are participating with history classes all over the campus by participating in Rio Rocks the Vote!

Students all over our school are researching the issues that are important to Americans this election, learning the positions of the candidates, and then forming their own opinions on each of these important issues. Students are then writing an essay outline and an essay articulating their positions on what they think are their three most important issues. All work on "Rio Rocks the Vote!" is due to Mr. Ippolito on or before October 31, 2008.

The activity will culminate on November 4, Election Day, when Rio Norte students will have the chance to participate in our own mock election online!

If parents have any questions about the assignment, please feel free to e-mail Mr. Ippolito at rvi@hartdistrict.org.

RVI

The Federal System - October 15-16, 2008

Agenda:
1. Go over benchmark exam
2. Benchmark Replacement Exam - Friday, lunch, Room B-7 (see rules in previous blog post)
3. The Preamble Extra Credit
4. The Federal System (pg 41)
Download the handout here: http://staff.hartdistrict.org/rvi/federalism.pdf
5. National Powers, State Powers, Shared Powers Game
HW: "The Three Branches of the United States Government" (pg 42)
Download the handout here: http://staff.hartdistrict.org/rvi/3branches.pdf and use textbook pages 102-111 and 130-131 to help you with the homework.

Today we spent about half our time going finishing up Quarter One business: reviewing the Q1 benchmark exam and giving an opportunity for extra credit for those students who memorized the Preamble to the Constitution.

The second half of our class, we took more time to examine the separation of powers between the national and the state governments. This separation is called THE FEDERAL SYSTEM or simply FEDERALISM. Some government powers are reserved exclusively for the national government, some are reserved for the states, and some are shared between the state and national governments.

RVI

Benchmark replacement exam

Are you unhappy with the score you earned on the Benchmark Exam? Do you believe you learned more this quarter than your benchmark score indicates? If so, then you may wish to take the Benchmark Replacement Exam on Friday, October 17, at lunch in Room B-7.

If you earned below 80% (27 or lower), then you can take this new exam AT NO RISK. If your new grade is lower than the first, you keep the first grade.

If you earned 80% (a score of 28) or higher on the original benchmark, and you choose to take the new exam, then your old score will be dropped and you must take the new score.

RVI

Q1 Benchmark Exam - October 13-14, 2008

Agenda:
1. Any last questions before the exam?
2. Q1 Benchmark Exam
HW: A Federal System of Government (pg 38) - download HERE

We took the Quarter One Benchmark Exam today. The quarter ends this Friday, so if you have any absent work to turn in, make sure you do so by this Friday.

RVI

Q1 Benchmark Review Podcast

The podcast is done!! You can download it HERE.
If you right-mouse click on the link, the podcast will play from your browser.
If you LEFT-mouse click on the link, you can select Save Link As, and then save it to your computer so you can import it into iTunes to place on your iPod, or to put onto any other MP3 player.

Enjoy!!

RVI

INB Grading and Benchmark Exam Review - October 9-10, 2008

Today we graded our Interactive Notebook and spent the remaining time reviewing for the benchmark. It's hard to cram a whole quarter's worth of learning into less than half a class period, though. Therefore, I HIGHLY encourage you to take some time over the next few days to review the Quarter One Benchmark Standards Guide. Look at the number of questions that will address each standard, and try to predict (based on what we learned this quarter) what questions might be on the benchmark. Need another copy? Download it here:
http://staff.hartdistrict.org/rvi/q1bsg.pdf

Sometime after 7:00 p.m. this evening, I will upload the Q1 Benchmark Review Podcast. In this podcast, I will go over the Standards Guide with you, one at a time, to remind you of all the great things we learned this quarter. Once the podcast is up, you'll be able to listen to it right on your computer, or download it to put onto your iPod or other MP3 player. Enjoy!

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Table of Contents

The Founding Fathers at Work

Agenda:

1. Analyzing the Constitution - Review (pg 30)
2. Journal - "The Social Contract" (pg 32)
3. The Founding Fathers at Work (pg 33) - download the packet HERE
HW: Rio Rocks the Vote (not in INB)

Today we began our discussion of the Constitutional Convention. If you didn't finish "The Founding Fathers at Work," you will have an opportunity to complete the assignment in class. We're approaching the end of the quarter. Start getting your Interactive Notebook together, as we will be grading the INB in class on October 9 (A-day) and October 10 (B-Day).

RVI

The Constitutional Convention

Details to come. For now, here is today's agenda.

The Roots of American Government - October 1-2, 2008

Agenda:
1. Check HW
2. Analyzing the Constitution (pg 30) - download here: http://staff.hartdistrict.org/rvi/analyze.pdf
3. Go over National Treasure and Growing Problems/Shays Rebellion
4. Roots of American Government PPT (pg 29)
HW: Constitution Quick Guide (pg 31) - download here: http://staff.hartdistrict.org/rvi/cqg.pdf

We are now digging deeper into the Constitution, and finding out what the origins of our government are? Where did we get the idea of democracy, a representative government, habeas corpus, trial by jury? All these ideas had to come from somewhere, and we learned about those places today.

If you missed today's lecture, you can download the PowerPoint here:
http://staff.hartdistrict.org/rvi/roots.ppt

And the notes sheet to take down the notes here:
http://staff.hartdistrict.org/rvi/rootsnotes.doc

RVI