Week 7

The Judicial Branch! So many interesting things to learn, so little time! We discussed the powers of the judicial branch, as well as its jurisdiction (the areas of law the courts have authority over, like state vs. state disputes, foreign diplomats' legal issues, maritime crimes, and more.) We also discussed the Marbury v. Madison decision which established Judicial Review, or the power to rule any law unconstitutional. I encourage you all to read/study about other landmark court cases, because these often mark major turning points in our nation's history, define public policy for generations, and also show the progression of the court's usurpation of power that Thomas Jefferson was so afraid of. (Some examples are Brown v. Board of Education, Roe v. Wade, Plessy v. Ferguson, Dred Scott v. Sanford, etc.) Click on this link to read about many landmark cases: http://www.pbs.org/wnet/supremecourt/pop_landmark_cases/index.html

The video below is about Marbury v. Madison, for those who want to review:

 

ASSIGNMENTS:

 

 

OPINION PAPER: Have the Supreme Court rulings helped or hindered our nation? Explain. (For this one, you will probably want to familiarize yourself with some Supreme Court rulings--those listed above would be a great start--and cite them in your paper.) Remember to FILL THE PAGE with all your amazing insights!

 

DEBATE: Should the minority be allowed to win over the majority? Read your articles (and bring them back to class), do some internet searches, take some notes, and be prepared to argue!

 

CONSTITUTION JOURNAL / BOWL STUDY: Amendments 1-10 (That's the whole Bill of Rights, folks). We really need to practice this week, so let's try to stay on task in class so we can have time at the end.

 

DEVOTIONAL: And the winner is...Reina!

 

NEWS: Keep those news stories coming! You guys brought a tear to my eye last week when you were discussing the John Deere tractor story...I'm so proud to see you all debating this stuff!

 

READING: Book discussion on The Great Little Madison will be next Thursday, March 23rd, and led by Ethan. There will be treats for those who finish the book!

 

****Check back to the Week 6 post for info about the air soft battle on March 24th.****

 

Signing off--Mrs. Hellyer

 

 

 

 

 

 



Week 6

Last Thursday was all about the powers of the Executive branch. I hope you all took good notes and are studying your Constitution so you can lock this stuff in to memory!

ASSIGNMENTS:

Opinion Paper: According to the Constitution, Congress has the power to declare war, but for the last 60 years, the President has declared war. Which branch in your opinion should have the power--Legislative or Executive?

Debate: Should the Supreme Court have the power to make laws/decisions on moral issues?
I didn't write down who was on which side, sorry; just make sure you do some internet searches to prepare your arguments, and also familiarize yourself with the opposing side so you can be ready for what they might throw at you!

Reading: Our next book discussion will be on March 23 (that's 17 days from today!) about The Great Little Madison by Jean Fritz. I would like Ethan to lead the discussion on this one.

Constitution Journal: Articles 5 - 7

Devotional: I think we're back to the beginning, which means it's Dean's turn again!

News: We had a great discussion last week on news topics! I'm so proud of you all for paying attention to what's happening in the world, and realizing that you can have your own opinions about current events. Keep up the good work, scholars!

Award Requirements: Don't forget to work on getting things passed off...we have only 9 classes left!

Hero Reports: Papers are due April 13th. Here's the list of presentations and their corresponding dates:

• April 20 - Ethan (Martin Luther King, Jr.) & Leila (Joan of Arc)
• April 27 - Lucy (Uncle Howard) & Reina (Eleanor Roosevelt)
• May 4 - Taylor (Ushta Mehta) & Paige (her grandfather)
• May 11 - Dean (still considering ;) )

UPCOMING EVENTS:

March 24th is the Annual Air Soft Battle with Sword of Freedom/Hero Project at 10:00 to 1:00 at my house in Graham. Ammo and snacks will be provided, but you will need to bring the following items:

• an air-soft (not bb) gun
• eye protection
• waterproof boots
• a sack lunch
• You may also want to bring an extra pair of socks and pants in case you get wet

This event is open to siblings who are 12 and up and any parents who want to participate as well. This will be an all outdoor event, so please no unattended small children!











April 13th is the Thomas Jefferson Birthday Celebration and Declaration of Independence reciting contest. I hope you all brush up on your Declaration and give it your best shot! Make us Key mentors proud!

That's all, I hope! See you Thursday! - Mrs. Hellyer

Week 5

This week we learned about the powers of Congress. I think we counted 27 separate express powers that are spelled out in Article 1 Section 8. The last power we listed is an implied power and it comprises the "necessary and proper clause" a.k.a. the "elastic clause," which basically gives Congress power to make any laws that they deem necessary to accomplish the provisions of the Constitution...sort of a "just in case we forgot anything, this should cover it" clause. Anyway, you'll want to get really familiar with these for the Constitution Bowl, which, by the way, we are working on in cooperation with FILAP to bring in the true spirit of competition! Oooh, I can't wait!

*(I know this is a little off-topic, but Sister Miller reminded me of this great video (posted below)about the Declaration of Independence. Some of you have already seen it, but if you haven't, enjoy!)

 

Assignments:

 

Opinion Paper - Does Congress have too much power or not enough?

 

Constitution Journal - Articles 3 and 4

 

Reading - Finish Fifty Five Fathers for our book discussion on Thursday, which will be led by Paige. Remember, there will be scrumptious treats for those who finish the book!

 

News - Be prepared to share what you've heard this week; take some notes if you need help remembering the details. "I heard about this guy that lost something, and he got arrested or something." Hmmm...doesn't sound very informative!

 

Hero Reports - I still need names of Heroes from Ethan and Paige. Remember your hero has to be someone who promoted the principles of freedom and liberty at any time or place in history.

 

Devotional - I think it's Lucy's turn this week...

 

Award Requirements - Don't forget to be working on your award requirements! Memorize those scripture references, and the preamble...a little at a time goes a long way! 

 

***Check back to Week 3 for important dates to remember***

 

Have a great weekend! -Mrs. Hellyer

Week 4

This week we discussed the legislative process, or how a bill becomes a law. I've attached the Crash Course Government video that we watched in class in case you would like to review it and refresh your memories. (The more simplified, Schoolhouse Rock video is below this one in a separate post, because I didn't know how to get both videos on the same post, sorry!) We also got to practice parliamentary procedure by making snack mix--a SUPER fun and yummy way to learn about something that is otherwise pretty boring!

 

 

ASSIGNMENTS:

 

Opinion Paper - What powers do YOU have in making new laws?

 

Constitution Journal - Article 2 (yes, the whole thing!)

 

Hero Report - You all need to decide THIS WEEK who you will be presenting and reporting on in April/May and report the name of that person to either me or Mrs. Brennan!

 

Reading - We will discuss Fifty Fathers on March 2nd, (instead of this week since you just got your books) with the discussion led by Paige.

 

Devotional - I would like Leila to provide the inspirational thought this week.

 

News - Don't forget to come to class ready to discuss a news story/current event that is relevant to liberty, the Constitution, or anything else we have learned about in class.

 

IMPORTANT DATES:

 

See the Week 3 post.

 

Enjoy the Presidents' Day holiday, everyone! -Mrs. Hellyer

Schoolhouse Rock: America - I'm Just a Bill Music Video

Week 3

Here's a recap of what we learned about last week:

Charles Montesquieu outlined 3 species of government: Virtue, Honor, and Fear. Our founders believed that building a government founded on virtue was paramount, so they created a government with 3 equally powerful branches (legislative, executive, and judicial) with different stewardships, which in turn created a system of checks and balances to prevent any branch from becoming more powerful than the other 2. Time has shown, however, that this carefully orchestrated system is heavily dependent on the virtue of the people and the representatives they elect. When the executive branch begins usurping power through executive orders, the judicial branch begins practicing judicial activism by legislating from the bench, and the Congress does nothing to stop either one, we see the system of checks and balances go by the wayside, and the people lose their liberties. Fortunately, the founders were wise, and took precautions for such times, but we the people are the only ones who can restore the order of the original Constitution by exercising our unalienable rights and being virtuous ourselves.

"If men were angels, no government would be necessary. If angels were to govern men, neither external nor internal controls would be necessary." -James Madison, Federalist Papers, No. 51
                                                                                         

Assignments:

OPINION PAPER: Is it better to have a man of faith in office with a minimal education, or a man of knowledge with minimal faith and questionable character? Please use facts and examples to support your opinion!

NEWS DESK: Please be prepared to share a recent news story relevant to what we've been studying in class.

DEVOTIONAL: Taylor, will you please do the honors this week?

CONSTITUTION JOURNAL: Article 1, Sections 6-10.

READING: Since you didn't receive your Fifty Five Fathers books, yet, we will give you an extra week to complete the reading. The new deadline and book discussion date will be March 2nd, and Paige will be leading our discussion. There will also be treats for those who have read the book!

HERO REPORTS & PRESENTATIONS: Y'all are running out of time to sign up for your hero reports/presentations. I've only heard from Lucy on this, so the other 6 of you need to choose someone ASAP! Last day to sign up is February 23rd.

Dates to Remember:

March 24th - Air-soft gun battle. 10am, my house. Bring an air-soft weapon, eye protection, boots (my property is very swampy), and a sack lunch. Siblings 12 and up, and parents (dads, especially) are welcome to join in the mayhem. We'll have snacks and more fun than you can probably handle!

April 13th -

• Thomas Jefferson's birthday! Leadership class is planning some special celebratory activities in honor of our great mentor, one of which is a Declaration of Independence reciting contest! Brush up on your memory of this document for the big day for a chance to win a prize!
• Constitution Bowl! We will be combining with FILAP for our big competition! More details about the time and place are to come...
• Hero Reports are due. A 2-4 page typed paper with bibliography attached. Any questions, please see me or Mrs. Brennan.

See you all tomorrow! -Mrs. H.

Week 2

Sorry to be so late with this post, but my internet connection has been crawling with all the snow. (Yes, I have limited internet where I live--sort of like dial-up, which none of you are old enough to remember.) I am going to brag, however, that we got an epic 13 inches of snow at my house, so I won't complain too much about the internet. Anyway, here's a brief rundown of assignments due Thursday:

• Reading: Fifty Five Fathers if you have a copy. If you ordered yours at the beginning of the semester, you should be receiving it on Thursday.

• Opinion Paper: Write a debrief of the simulation we did in class: What did you learn about the founders? What did you learn about yourself? How are you going to change because of the simulation? *Remember to use facts and examples to support your opinions!

• Constitution Journal: Article 1 Sections 6-10. This is actually this Thursday's assignment that I accidentally gave you a week early, so if you need time to catch up, Cha-ching! you got an extra week!

• Be thinking about who you want to research for your Hero report. You can sign-up anytime between now and February 23rd.

**I'll be handing out a study guide to each of you for the Constitution Bowl this week. Many questions will be taken directly from this guide, so use it wisely!

**The annual Key of Liberty vs. Sword of Freedom/Hero Project air-soft battle is now officially scheduled for Friday, March 24th at 10am at my house! Woo-hoo! Put it on your calendars, and start gathering your gear, including an air-soft gun and eye protection. Ammo and snacks will be provided.

'Til Thursday, Mrs. Hellyer