Learning to Swim with the Big Boys

1. Learning to Swim with the Big Boys How to “do” We the People in a regular classroom MY JOURNEY TO WE THE PEOPLE- Leslie Scoby Sabetha High School Sabetha, KS

4. GETTING YOUR FEET WETWorkshopsTrainingInvolvement with othersFind a MentorUse the textbook and websiteRemember- change is good, just hard

5. How to Dive In! • Begin with one class • Begin with one unit • Rely on those who have “been there, done that” • Use the textbook and take “Baby steps” • OR just hold your nose and Jump In! • It doesn’t have to be pretty

6. LAP SWIMMING OR TREADING WATER • THERE’S NO WRONG WAY OR RIGHT WAY- just get to the end! • Be aware of the first year of mistakes- just don’t tell anyone! • Even if you feel you don’t know it all – remember, you don’t have to! • KEEP IN MIND THE BIG PICTURE- what do you want students to get out of this activity?

7. WHAT WILL WTP DO FOR STUDENTS? READING IMPROVEMENT WRITING SKILLS SELF-CONFIDENCE PUBLIC SPEAKING THINKING SKILLS CIVIC INVOLVEMENT

8. WHAT WILL WTP DO FOR STUDENTS?(cont.) ADULT CONTACT BEING A PART OF SOMETHING BIGGER THAN ONESELF INTERVIEW SKILLS PROFESSIONALISM CURRENT EVENTS GROUP WORK SKILLS

9. “Act enthusiastic and you will be enthusiastic.” -Art Carnegie SUCCESS DEPENDS ON (YOUR) ENTHUSIASM “Enthusiasm is contagious. Be a carrier.”- Susan Rabin “Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm.” - Ralph Waldo Emerson

10. EVERY CLASS STARTS WITH CURRENT EVENTS • http://www.cnn.com/studentnews/ • http://www.billofrightsinstitute.org/Teach/News/default.asp • http://abcnews.go.com/2020/Stossel/ • http://www.izzit.org/events/index.php • The difficult to reach student is more interested in what is going on today than what went on 200 years ago. • Great way to work in economics, world events, geography, • If they watch it, they DO come to like it • Adds to knowledge level for the question portion of the hearing • Ring of notes – current event quizzes allow lower students to be successful on a quiz

11. Swimming with all kinds of fishGroups-begin to experiment with groupings of students • Good readers, slow readers, no readers • Leaders, followers, in-betweeners • Talkers, listeners, out-in-spacers • Lovers, haters, get the graders GROUPS SHOULD INCLUDE ALL TYPES OF STUDENTS. I TRY TO INCLUDE ALL LEARNING STYLES AND LOOK AT STUDENT STRENGTHS----------- BUT BE CAREFUL, BECAUSE SOME WILL SURPRISE YOU!!

12. THE CURRICULUM • UNIT ONE • You as a Political Philosopher – first group project • Six basic Principles graphic assignment • Concepts of Democracy • Property Rights • Majority Rules/Minority Rights • Natural Rights Philosophy • UNIT TWO • Creating the Constitution • CLASS ACTIVITY- FEDERALISTS VS. ANTI-FEDERALISTS • ORAL PRESENTATION BY LARGE GROUP • Founders posters • EACH STUDENT BECOMES AN EXPERT ON ONE FOUNDER- POSTERS DISPLAYED IN CLASSROOM

13. WRITING THE FIRST PAPER • Practice paper- I use the topic of Limited Government. • This is a short paper to get everyone into the book and thinking about founding principles. • This paper also serves as my guide to each student’s level of writing skills • Each student is given a copy of a paper in the end that is an example of a “good paper.”

14. THE CURRICULUM • UNITS 5 & 6 • Supreme Court Cases • Tinker v. Des Moines (1969) • Board of Education of Westside Community Schools v. Mergens (1990) • New Jersey v. T.L.O. (1985) • Miranda v. Arizona (1966) • Loving v. Virginia (1967) • Texas v. Johnson (1989) • Hazelwood School District v. Kuhlmeier (1988) • Gideon v. Wainwright (1963) • UNITS 3 & 4 • Due Process • Political Parties • Civil War Tests the Constitution • Role of the President • Role of Congress • Supreme Court- • Marbury v Madison • Civil Rights • Brown v Board of Education

15. BAIT (HOW TO HOOK EVEN THE MOST DIFFICULT ) • http://streaming.discoveryeducation.com/ • I RELYon this site to find videos that will create interest and provide the springboard for a topic, unit or discussion • This site provides full length videos, video clips, images, documents, skill builders, many provide curriculum guides or quizzes to use after viewing • Future Fright: Losing the Bill of Rights--------- The Bill of Rights • On Common Ground: A Delicate Balance----- Freedom of the press • The Bill of Rights---------Four cases: Tinker, Miranda, Mergens and Johnson

16. READING IMPROVEMENT • We the People Level 2Student text • We the PeopleHigh School LevelStudent Text

17. SELF-CONFIDENCE – My goal is that every student walks out of thehearing feeling successfulBEING A PART OF SOMETHING BIGGER THAN ONESELF-This experience may be the ONLY time in a student’s life that he is out in front- a part of a valuable discussionthat is about topics he might never have discussed otherwise

18. CREATING ACTIVE CITIZENS • POINTS GIVEN TO ATTEND: • CITY COUNCIL MEETINGS • SCHOOL BOARD MEETINGS • SITE COUNCIL MEETINGS • COMMUNITY ACTION COMMITTEE • SKATE PARK • PLAYGROUND PARTNERS • VOTING • WHAT DISTICT DO THEY LIVE IN? • REGISTER TO VOTE • STATE REPRESENTATIVE GUEST SPEAKER • FIELD TRIP TO STATEHOUSE • GUEST SPEAKER- JUDGE JOE PIERRON – COURT OF APPEALS

19. GROUP WORK • INTERVIEW EXPERIENCE

20. INTERACTION WITH ADULTS, OTHER THAN TEACHERS • PROFESSIONALISM- • DRESS THE PART, LOOK THE PART, ACT THE PART

21. MAIN POINTS– RECAP • INCLUDE ALL STUDENTS • HOLD A REAL HEARING- MAKE IT A BIG DEAL • FIND JUDGES WHO “HELP” ALL STUDENTS FEEL SUCCESSFUL • PRACTICE – PRACTICE – PRACTICE – BOTH THE READING PORTION AND QUESTIONS • THIS YEAR MY “PROBLEM CLASS” COULDN’T WAIT FOR PRACTICE SESSIONS WHERE THEY GOT TO ASK QUESTIONS OF THE GROUP AND PROVIDE DISCUSSION POINTS

22. SIMULATED CONGRESSIONAL HEARING • LETTERS OR EMAILS SENT TO POTENTIAL JUDGES • TIMES AND DATES CONFIRMED • NEW JUDGES INFORMATIONAL MEETING • ANY NEW JUDGES ARE GIVEN A TEXT AND ONE UNIT TO REVIEW • DIRECT THEM TO THE WEBSITE WHERE THEY CAN SEE A HEARING • I MAKE A PACKET FOR EACH JUDGE FILLED WITH INFORMATION

23. JUDGES? THERE ARE PLENTY TO CATCH! • WTP ALUMNI (I USE SENIORS FROM FIRST SEMESTER) • LOCAL LAWYERS • COORDINATORS • PROFESSORS • BUSINESS PEOPLE FROM COMMUNITY • TEACHERS • FRIENDS

24. JUNIOR YEAR- AMERICAN GOVERNMENT YEAR LONG COURSE • FIRST SEMESTER • WE THE PEOPLE BOOKS +MAGRUDER TEXTBOOK • TALK ABOUT WTP ALL YEAR • PARICIPATE IN CONSTITUTION DAY ACTIVITIES • AMERICAN GOVERNMENT LESSONS • ECONOMICS • HEARING DEMONSTRATION BY WTP CLASS • CURRENT EVENTS

25. SECOND SEMESTER • WE THE PEOPLE FOCUS • GROUPS FORMED • GROUPS CHOOSE UNIT THEN CHOOSE QUESTION • GROUPS THEN COMPLETE GRAPHIC ORGANIZER OVER THREE PARTS OF QUESTION • PAPERS WRITTEN, FINE-TUNED AND PRACTICED OUT LOUD • QUESTION SESSIONS WITHIN CLASS • SIMULATED CONGRESSIONAL HEARING (AS CLOSE TO THE END OF THE YEAR AS POSSIBLE)

26. SENIOR YEAR- SEMESTER COURSE- ELECTIVE • ANY SENIOR MAY ENROLL (THEY KNOW WHAT THEY ARE IN FOR) • GROUPS FORMED • PLAN AND ORGANIZE CONSTITUTION DAY • GROUP ACTIVITIES • MAKE A MEAL TOGETHER • BONDING ACTIVITIES • AS SOON AS QUESTIONS COME OUT PAPER WRITING STARTS • EACH STUDENTS WRITES ONE PAPER (WE USE GOOGLE DOCS) • PAPERS ARE EDITED AND FINE TUNED • DEMONSTRATIONS TO JUNIOR CLASSES • PRACTICE SESSIONS BEGIN IN DECEMBER AND CONTINE TIL SEMESTER BREAK • STATE COMPETITION IN EARLY FEB. • SERVE AS PRACTICE JUDGES FOR JUNIORS IN SPRING

27. CONSTITUTION DAY CONTESTS ALL DAY WITH PRIZES BUSINESS IN TOWN BOUGHT SHIRTS FOR EVERY STUDENT SHIRTS WERE DESIGNED BY THE WTP CLASS FUN DAY!

28. List of Resources • http://ratify.constitutioncenter.org/constitution • http://streaming.discoveryeducation.com/ • www.billofrightsinstitute.org • www.oyez.org • http://www.cnn.com/studentnews/ • http://www.billofrightsinstitute.org/Teach/News/default.asp • http://abcnews.go.com/2020/Stossel/ • http://www.izzit.org/events/index.php Leslie Scoby glscoby@gmail.com This list is available in the back

29. QUESTIONS AND THANKS HANDOUTS AVAILABLE IN BACK