Be Careful - Something's Going Around...

Sign in/Recover/Create a Google Account.
Write your email on a little piece of scratch paper.
Give your email address to the person on your right.
Someone will receive an invite to Google Wave.  When you get invited, send an invite to the person on your left (using the email s/he just gave you).
Do this until everyone in the classroom has an invite.
Watch Google Wave Intro Video
Play around.

OK - I HATE the filtering system through MPS.  The censorship has to end, regardless of the "bandwith problem" when you conisder what is lost in terms of access.  By the time you come to class on MOnday, everyone MUST have a Google Account and Google Wave access.  I know the iTouch "solution" was weak, but 3rd period needs to overcome that obstacle.  Contact your group leader and have the group leaders contact me - we'll get invites to you if you check your email!

I uploaded the handouts for chapters 13 & 15 into the moodle.  And do not forget to comlpete your court cases doc through google docs!

Bummer For US

Notice the play on words above?  Not only is the "public option" being repackaged for our country, our AP Govt class was squeezed out of the computer lab over the next week - Ferris took every day.  I had to do some patchworking and got Lab 40 for periods 1 & 2 tomorrow.  Period 3 will use the iTouches in class tomorrow.  Then I have a lab on Weds (Outer Lab in MC or 40).  If you are able and willing to bring your laptop tomorrow, do so.  There are only 30 machines in room 40.  I'll finish up the Ch 13 lecture and then we'll get everyone on Google Wave.  Watch the 10-minute explanation below and use the comments section to give me ideas on how to use it for class.

To Extend Our Reach to the Stars Above!

Well, I think that's it for the Team Rocket stuff.  So the weather kind of knocked around my plans for today, but I built in a couple of flex days in anticipation of this problem.  Please do not forget to sign up if you are willing and able to help transform the textbook into an audiobook - the more volunteers I get means the less each one has to read.  Christian and I will get it broken down and assigned next week. Please do NOT do it if you are simply hoping for EC - sometimes it's just good to do right and vice-versa.

I showed everyone how to download the Court Cases doc from Moodle, upload it to GoogleDocs, and invite your group members (and me1 use eduardo.romo @ mpls.k12.mn.us - close the spaces when you copy&paste) to get it completed.  I will simply click each link next Friday and verify your work.  Do not forget to title your GoogleDoc as "#Name1Name2Name3Name4" with the # being your class period.  If you are still confused, see me after school.

We'll discuss Chapter 13 Thursday and Friday with Chapter 15 being dissected on Monday and Tuesday.  The Unit IVb (Executive Branch) exam will be next Thursday (17th).  We'll cover Unit IVa (Legislative) after Winter Break as the final Unit before Q3 (which will have Unit IVc and Unit V before midterm).  Understood?

Oh yeah - you better have Ch 13 read before you come to class tomorrow...or I might just show you the knee-draining and/or worst-job-in-the-world vid clips.  Do you think Jigglypuff ever got jiggy with it?


UPDATE!!! I may CHANGE everything regarding our plan for the next week - but you also need to learn the material.  I'll make a deal - you each PROMISE to read Ch 13 by Friday and Ch. 15 by Monday.  I'll lecture tomorrow and Tuesday, but we'll go to the computer lab Friday, Monday, and Weds to play around with some online things (docs, wave, moodle, etc.).  But you gotta promise - kind of an honor thing - we'll play around using the Executive Branch as the topic.   Give me your feedback below:

To Denounce the Evils of Truth and Love

So I googled "Supreme Court Cases AP Government" and found some useful sites other than Wikipedia, which still has more comprehensive information.  Anyone else see Wikipedia is asking for donations?  Regardless, here is what I found:

• Basic supreme court case flash cards can be found here. 
  
• A high school AP Govt course has established this site for court cases.  
• A study site for AP Govt has a section on Supreme Court Cases. 

I recommend you share your answers with 2-4 others.  Remember that the more you outsource the less you know in terms of depth and understanding.