Classroom Law Project Bringing “Politic” – wise, prudent, sensible, judicious, astute – Back to Politics June 27-30, 2016
Classroom Law Project Summer Institute
PORTLAND STATE UNIVERSITY
1912 SW 6th Avenue, the Ondine building, Rooms 218-220
Portland, Oregon 97201
PARTICIPANTS’ AGENDA
The Goals Participants will
· Learn about why political polarization is happening in the United States and how it is affecting our democracy.
· Examine policies that contribute to polarization and those that might ameliorate it.
· Discuss ethical dilemmas that arise when teachers engage students in discussions of controversial political issues.
· Participate in a variety teaching strategies for engaging students in discussions of controversial political issues.
· Review the We the People: The Citizen & the Constitution curriculum.
· Demonstrate the simulated congressional hearing strategy.
~~
Scholars Paula McAvoy, Ph.D., Program Director, Center for Ethics and
Education at the University of Wisconsin-Madison
Hon. Susan Leeson, Oregon Supreme Court, retired
Guest Speaker Mark Molli, Associate Director, Center for Civic Education
and expert on U.S. Congress
Mentor Teachers Brian Johnson, Pendleton High School
Susie Marcus, West Sylvan Middle School, retired
Karen Rouse, West Sylvan Middle School
Classroom Law Marilyn Cover, Executive Director
Project Staff Barbara Rost, Program Director
~~
DAY 1: MONday, June 27 – 8:30a-8:00p
8:30-9:00a arrive early for Continental Breakfast
Catch your breath and join us for a cup ‘o joe before we get started
Teachers must sign in and out daily
9:00a WTP/JMLP Cohort 2 Overview
We the People: The Citizen & the Constitution curriculum,
James Madison Legacy Project Cohort 2
Teachers take Pre-Test Part 2
10:15-10:30 Break (15 min.)
Part 1 teachers arrive
10:30 Dr. Paula McAvoy
Day 1: Scaffolding for High Quality Discussions
Strategies that get students talking
Interactive Lecture, “Polarization: How did we get this way?”
12:00 noonish Lunch
12:45 Small Group Activity: The political spectrum
(Among possible connections to WTP:
MS-L2: Unit 4, Lesson 20-How do political parties develop? p171-180
HS-L3: Unit 3, Lesson 16-What is the role of political parties in the constitutional system? p113-118, Unit 4 Lesson 22-How does congress perform its function in the American constitutional system? p155-157)
Break (15 min)
Watch: Electoral Dysfunction
Structured Academic Controversy #1: Should voting be mandatory?
(Among possible connections to WTP:
MS-L2: Unit 5 Lesson 25-How has the right to vote expanded since the Constitution was adopted? p215-224
HS-L3: Unit 6 Lesson 34-What is the importance of civic engagement to American Constitutional democracy?, p259-260.)
4:45 What we have done today
What is in store for tomorrow
Likes & Wishes
5:00p pause
5:15-6:00 Dinner
6:00 After-dinner chat with Mark Molli
Citizen Investment in Strengthening Congress
(Among possible connections to WTP:
MS-L2: Unit 4, Lesson 19-How did Congress organize the new government? p165-170. “Citizen Investment” links to Unit 6 Lesson 30-How might citizens participate in civic affairs?
HS-L3: Unit 4, Lessons 21-22-How do political parties develop? p145-160. “Citizen Investment” links to Unit 6.)
end 8:00
DAY 2: TUEsday, June 28 – 8:30a-8:00p
8:30-9:00a arrive early for Continental Breakfast
Teachers must sign in and out daily
9:00 Current events with Susie
9:15 Paula McAvoy
Day 2: Ethical Dilemmas for Teachers
Warm-up
Structured Academic Controversy #2: Should we teach
students to develop a partisan identity?
Break (15 min.)
Framing Questions: What should we teach as controversial?
12:00 noonish Lunch
Case studies:
The Case of Mr. Dunn
Break (15 min.)
The Case of Mr. Kushner
Reflections
4:50 Part 1 Teachers only:
LC credit
Evaluation
5:00p pause
Part 1 teachers are welcome to stay for dinner. If you must depart,
we will reluctantly say goodbye.
5:00-5:45 Dinner
During this 45-minute dinner break, please allow time to stretch, move about and relax, as well as refuel.
5:45p Simulated congressional hearings
5:45-6:00 Introduction to hearings
4-minute prepared response by group, then
6-minutes follow-up Q/A with judges, and
3-minute debrief from judges.
6:00-7:00 In groups …
Just as if this were your classroom and your students were doing this activity
for the first time, this hearing is more about process than content. You have one hour to accomplish the following 8 steps:
1. Examine the question.
2. Decide who will answer what part.
3. You may use what you know as a citizen of a democracy, what you learned from Paula’s presentations, and the WTP text (no outside research is needed nor necessary) in your answer.
4. Divide 4 (minutes) by the number of people in your group so you know how long your answer should be.
5. Write your answer.
6. Say your answer out loud for the group; time it.
7. Make adjustments.
8. Discuss what follow-up questions might be.
You have one hour!
7:00-8:00 Hearing presentations
7:00-7:15 Group 1
7:15-7:30 Group 2
7:30-7:45 Group 3
7:45-8:00 Debrief and Celebrate!
end 8:00
DAY 3: WEDNEsday, June 29 – 8:30a-8:00p
8:30-9:00a arrive early for Continental Breakfast
Teachers must sign in and out daily
9:00 Current events with Susie
9:15 Hon. Sue Leeson
We the People: The Citizen & the Constitution,
Unit 1 – What are the philosophical and historical foundations of the American political system?
Break (15 min.)
12:00 noonish Lunch
12:45 Hon. Sue Leeson
We the People: The Citizen & the Constitution
Unit 2 – How did the framers create the Constitution?
Break (15 min.)
Sue must leave us at 4:30
4:30 Debrief
5:00 pause
5:15-6:00 Dinner
6:00 Whew!
After-dinner recap: where did we come from,
where are we now, where are we headed? To a Scavenger Hunt!
end 8:00
DAY 4: THURSDAY, JUNE 30 – 8:30a-8:00p
8:30-9:00a arrive early for Continental Breakfast
Teachers must sign in and out daily
9:00 Current events with Susie
9:15 Supreme Court review with Marilyn and Barbara
10:15-10:30 Break (15 min.)
10:30 Mentors
Grade-level breakouts
Or, Don’t be the notebook on the shelf!
Possible discussion topics for grade-level breakouts may include …
1. Review lesson plans. Discuss classroom use.
2. Specific to Paula’s presentations and to your grade level, what would a good lesson look like in your classroom?
3. What modifications might you make regarding our conversations about parent, administration outreach; scaffolding for discussion; and so on?
4. When will this work in the school year? With what unit?
5. What other content areas may benefit from using these strategies?
6. Assessment – how, when, tools, etc.
7. Other?
12:00 noonish Lunch
12:45 Regroup
1:00 Mentor Round Robin
1:05-2:05 Karen, Susie, and Brian will each present separate 20-minute
mini-lessons; teachers circulate among them at 20-min intervals.
2:05-2:15 Marilyn, mentors debrief with whole group
2:15-2:30 Break (15 min.)
2:30 Connecting the dots
3:30 Reflections
3:50 JMLP and next steps
4:00-4:15 Paperwork
LC credit
Evaluation, etc.
CLP Coming Events
end 5:00 or before!
~have a great summer!~
8
Hearing Questions: MS-L2 Voting is one way a citizen may participate in politics. Many other activities are available.
· What activities besides voting are available to citizens?
· Which of these activities, if any, do you think is most useful? Explain your answer.
· How should a citizen decide which of these various activities to participate in?
HS-L3 What do you think are the greatest challenges of American citizenship today?
· Why and how does constitutional democracy in the United States depend on the active participation of its citizens?
· What are the advantages and disadvantages, if any, of being a citizen of both the United States and the state in which you reside?