Government Projects - Fall 2019
Throughout the course of the semester you will complete four major projects and keep a current events journal. Below are instructions and resources to help you. You will receive further instructions for each project in class.
Current Events Journal
In order to be an informed citizen and participant in democracy, it is vital to stay up-to-date with current events. You will submit a weekly journal entry after researching national media outlets to find stories of political and global importance. Refer to the guidelines below for each entry:
- Locate a news article from a legitimate news source that has some national or global impact. The story should focus on a political theme - avoid editorials, blogs, sports pages, and satirical news!
- Read the article and get an understanding of the story or issue
- Complete a typed journal entry according to the template below. You may download the template and edit it in order to create your journal entry
- Print and submit the journal entry
- Journal entries are due every Friday in class
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Possible Sources for News Articles |
NationStates
NationStates is a nation simulation game. You will create a fictional nation according to your real or made up political ideals and make important decisions regarding your nation’s economy, politics, and social life. These decisions will help you develop a deeper understanding of the role of government, civil liberties, citizens’ participation in the political process, and the effects of public policy.
Access the NationStates website HERE
To create your nation, click HERE
We will create our nations together during class. After you have created your nation, you will respond to issues that arise concerning your nation's public policies and citizens' happiness. You will resolve one issue at the start of every class period as your "Do Now"
Create a Bill Project
This project will require you to draft a bill associated with a current social, economic, or political issue. You must write the bill and present it to the class in PowerPoint form. The project is broken into three parts:
Part 1: Research & DevelopmentDecide on a topic and determine a bill that you think should be passed. Research information and statistics pertaining to the issue your bill is trying to solve.
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Part 2: Preparation of BillDraft the bill according to how a real bill is written by members of Congress. Include the title, enacting clause, and body of the bill.
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Part 3: Presentation of BillPresent your bill to the class via PowerPoint. Persuade your classmates that your bill should be passed and become a law.
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Presidential Election Campaign Project
The most important contributing factor to a successful democratic republic is an informed electorate. This project will simultaneously help you better understand the Presidential election process in the United States and help you become more informed about up-and-coming potential candidates for President of the U.S. in 2020.
In this project, you will "run a campaign" as a potential candidate for President of the United States. Your goal is to inform the American public of your policies and platform. You will have the freedom to choose the best way to get your message to the American people. However, all projects must include a speech, some sort of advertisement (video, website, etc.), and a presentation of your campaign to the class. You will also debate at least one other candidate in a mock town hall meeting during class.
Choices for potential candidates are listed below. Note that you may find someone else who you think qualifies as a potential candidate, must s/he must be approved by me before you start.
In this project, you will "run a campaign" as a potential candidate for President of the United States. Your goal is to inform the American public of your policies and platform. You will have the freedom to choose the best way to get your message to the American people. However, all projects must include a speech, some sort of advertisement (video, website, etc.), and a presentation of your campaign to the class. You will also debate at least one other candidate in a mock town hall meeting during class.
Choices for potential candidates are listed below. Note that you may find someone else who you think qualifies as a potential candidate, must s/he must be approved by me before you start.
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