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This is a website for students of U.S. History at Marin Academy, San Rafael, California 94901. For comments or suggestions, please contact pmaffei@ma.org.
Read our new Election 2000 Newspaper!!
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This is a website for students of U.S. History at Marin Academy, San Rafael, California 94901. For comments or suggestions, please contact pmaffei@ma.org.
Read our new Election 2000 Newspaper!!
Recent Assignments (Pam Maffei's B-block class)
Daily Assignments
Unit One: Colonial America and the American Revolution
Textbook: Gerald Danzer, et al, The Americans
Tuesday, 9/5/00 European Contact with Nataive Cultures Wednesday, 9/6 "A City Upon a Hill" pp. 44-49, 52-60 The Americans Friday, 9/8 The British Colonies: How prosperous were they? Review chapter dividers, 64-65 and read pp. 66-82 The
Americans Tuesday, 9/12 British Victory over the French: Just the beginning of
trouble? Read 83-87, review ch. divider 92-93 and read pp. 94-100;
take notes on list of events leading to the revolution Thursday, 9/14 Colonial Unrest and the Declaration of Independence Read pp. 101-111, finish list of events Monday, 9/18 Why did the Colonists Rebel? Complete outline of econ., pol. or social cause of the
Revolution Wednesday, 9/20 Colonial Defeat of the British Read pp. 112-117, and read pp. 26-37 in document
"Remember the Ladies" Friday, 9/22/00 Test: Colonial Period and the American Revolution
Unit Two: The Making of the Constitution: How the Values of the "Founders" Live on Today
Tues. 9/26/00 Confederation Period: "critical" or "creative" period of
time? Preview ch. divider, pp. 124-145; read pp. 126-136 The
Americans Thurs. 9/28/00 The "Founding Fathers": Visionary or Practical? Read pp. 137-141 text and read document on delegates to
the Convention Tues. 10/3/00 The Constitution Today: Focus on the Legislative
Branch 1) read pp. 144-151, including Preamble and Article I of
the Constitution. Always read the side notes--they are
important! 2) Answer questions on Article I (given out in class) 3)
Go to the web site of the political party that I assign you
to cover and make a list of the positions that the party
takes on major issues. Thurs. 10/5/00 Meet in iMac Lab 1) Read pp. 152-top154, Article II and side notes 2)
answer Article II questions 3) read handout from class Tues. 10/10 How Congress "Works" Work on election essays Thurs. 10/12 Becoming President Read Art. II Constitution, answer questions on Art II and
read document on Electoral College Mon. 10/16 Is the President too Powerful? Work on election essays Thurs. 10/19 Election Essays Due!! Election essays due Mon. 10/23 Supreme Court: Interpretation or Legislation? 1) Read Article III Constitution and answer questions on
worksheet; 2) read two articles about the Court Wed. 10/25 Rights and Obligations in the Constitution Read Article IV, V, and VI and all of the Amendments to
the Constitution, fill in answers to questions on worksheet
to all of the questions for those parts; read 61-72 of
document "Principles of Free Speech, the Bill of Rights
reading Fri. 10/27 Election Newspaper: iMac lab finish rewriting election essay, bring in disk or e-mail
the essay to yourself at school Tues. 10/31 Bill of Rights: Focus on the First Amendment finish reading "Principles of Free Speech" Thurs. 11/2 Fifth v. Fourteenth Amendment start reviewing for Constitution test Tues. 11/7 Constitution Test study for the test!
Election 2000 Assignment: Due October 19, 2000
Our class is going to publish a small newspaper with articles on the presidential election. Once each of you writes your article, we will publish the newspaper online. (We might also print it up and distribute it to students!)
You first must become an "expert" on the current status of your topic. For example, if you are discussing the election's impact on the environment, you do need to learn about our country's most pressing environmental concerns before you can analyze the candidates' position on the issues.
Each article should be based on several kinds of research. After learning about your issue, you then need to poll your fellow students about your topic. I have some guidelines for this; you might need to shape your own survey to get sufficient information. Next, you need to do online research, documenting your work in a bibliography. (More on this later.) You need at least six different online sources. Within these sources, you need to read from at least two different periodicals. (And, of course, you may do your reading of periodicals from the hard copies!) Don't forget to consult with Amanda Calvert in the library.
When you use online sources, you must print out the information. You will turn in all of these copies with your final article.
The article should be approximately 750-1000 words (3-4 pages double-spaced). The due date for the article is October 19. I will then be able to read the essays and give you feedback in time to put the rewritten essays up on the web well before the general election in early November.
Check out this website (under "Election 2000") for some starting points in your research. Marin Academy also subscribes to ProQuest, an on-line service to hundreds of periodicals. http://www.bellhowell.infolearning.com/proquest/ Password was given out in class!
Here are the topics for the articles:
How will this election impact local and state concerns? (Focus on three pressing issues or ballot proposals.)
Campaign Finance: Why should we care?
What meaning does this election have for our foreign policy?
The domination of the two political parties: is this true democracy?
How might this election affect our environment?
How might this election affect education and health care in our country?
How might this election affect law, order and justice in our society?
How might this election affect the rights of women and minorities?
Truth in Advertising: How "truthful" is each candidate in their campaign?
How will this election affect the federal budget and Social Security?