US Course Packet

8/2/2019 US Course Packet

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Universit Sidi Mohamed BenAbdellah

Facult Des Lettres et Sciences Humaines- Saiss * Fes

Culture & Society of the U.S. in a Globalized World(Spring 2012, S2)

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed bytheir Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit ofHappiness.

-The Declaration of IndependenceWe the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insuredomestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure theBlessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for theUnited States of America.

-Preamble to the United States Constitution


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Universit Sidi Mohamed BenAbdellah

Facult Des Lettres et Sciences Humaines- Saiss * Fes

Culture & Society of the U.S. in a Globalized World(Spring 2012, S2)

Professor : Ms. Maddie Koch

Course DescriptionThis course will give you a solid background in the basis of American ideology and politicalsystems, including opposition and civil rights movements. We will focus on excerpts from originaltexts such as the Constitution and presidential speeches. We will also use newspaper articles toanalyze American politics and position in world affairs. In addition, this course will address the USeconomy and educational system, as well as the vocabulary associated with all of the topics above.The curriculum assumes that students already have a basic understanding of American culture and

history.

Required Materials to bring to class every week-an English dictionary-this course packet-notepaper, pen/pencil

ContentsHonor Code .......................................................................................................................................................... 4

Cheating ........................................................................................................................................................... 4

Plagiarism ........................................................................................................................................................ 4

The Basis of American Government .................................................................................................................... 6

The Declaration of Independence (July 4, 1776) ............................................................................................. 6

The Constitution of the United States of America (1787) ............................................................................... 7

The Bill of Rights (1791) ................................................................................................................................... 8

We the People Loses Appeal With People Around the World (2011)........................................................... 9

American Rhetoric: Presidents & Their Speeches ............................................................................................ 12

Farewell Address, Washington (1796) .......................................................................................................... 12

The Gettysburg Address, Lincoln (1863) ....................................................................................................... 13

First Inaugural Address, FDR (1933) .............................................................................................................. 14

Inaugural Address, JFK (1961) ....................................................................................................................... 16

Address to the Nation, G.W. Bush (2001) ..................................................................................................... 17

A New Beginning, Obama (2009) ............................................................................................................... 19

American Opposition & Civil Rights Movements .............................................................................................. 22

A Womans Rightto Suffrage (1873).......................................................................................................... 22


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I Have a Dream (1963)................................................................................................................................ 23

The Times They are A-Changin (1964) ....................................................................................................... 25

The Occupy Movement (2011) ...................................................................................................................... 27

Education in America ........................................................................................................................................ 29

The Pledge of Allegiance (1942) .................................................................................................................... 29

Major Debates in Education .......................................................................................................................... 29

Education Debates- Chart .............................................................................................................................. 33

US Economy ....................................................................................................................................................... 34

Advertising & Consumerism .......................................................................................................................... 34

Corporate Taglines ........................................................................................................................................ 36

Visual Guide to the 2008 Financial Crisis ....................................................................................................... 36

2012 Elections: Parties, Debates and Special Interests ..................................................................................... 40

Republican Party History ............................................................................................................................... 40

Democratic Party History .............................................................................................................................. 41

American Political Parties- Chart ................................................................................................................... 43

Stump Speech, Mitt Romney (2011) ............................................................................................................. 44

The American Position in the World: Global Hegemon or Declining Superpower? .......................................... 47

The Rise of the Rest (2008)............................................................................................................................ 47

Not Fade Away: Against the Myth of American Decline (2012) .................................................................... 51

American Decline: Causes and Consequences (2011) ................................................................................... 56

Additional Exercises ........................................................................................................................................... 59


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Honor CodePlagiarism and cheating will not be tolerated in this class. If you are found plagiarizing or cheating you will

automatically fail this course. Plagiarism is the presentation of someone elses ideas, words, or work as onesown. Helping a friend does not mean allowing them to copy your work. If you are having trouble, ask forhelp. Do not rely on others to do the work for you.

Cheating

Cheating refers to any unauthorized aid on any quiz, assignment or exam. During quizzes and exams studentscannot:

Give or receive any aid to another student. This includes discussing the test with your neighbor orsharing answers with your neighbor.

Refer to or use any reference works or study aids. References works, like dictionaries, cannot be usedduring exams. Notes, handouts, or homework from this class or another cannot be used during anexam.

Plagiarism

Plagiarismrefers to submitting someone elses work as your own. This can mean copying your classmateshomework or using a source in a paper and not citing the source properly. Students must acknowledge thesources they use to complete their homework assignments and essays.

This is the first paragraph of the Automobile article on Wikipedia.

An automobile, motor car or car is a wheeled motor vehicle used for transporting passengers, which alsocarries its own engine or motor. Most definitions of the term specify that automobiles are designed to runprimarily on roads, to have seating for one to eight people, to typically have four wheels, and to beconstructed principally for the transport of people rather than goods.[1]However, the term automobile is farfrom precise, because there are many types of vehicles that do similar tasks.

This is an example of plagiarism from a students paper:

Cars, or automobiles, play a huge role in the daily life of people on Earth. An automobile is a wheeled motorvehicle used for transporting passengers, which also carries its own engine or motor. Most definitions state

that automobiles are designed to run primarily on roads, to have seating for one to eight people, to typicallyhave four wheels, and to be constructed principally for the transport of people rather than goods. However, theterm automobile is not precise, because there are many similar types of motor vehicles.

This isplagiarism because the student fails to show the origin of the information about automobiles. Byfailing to do so, the student is attempting to submit Wikipedias information as his own.

This is an example of proper citation:

Cars, or automobiles, play a huge role in the daily of people on Earth. Wikipedia defines an automobile as: awheeled motor vehicle used for transporting passengers, which also carries its own engine or motor. Thearticle goes on to say that most automobiles run primarily on roads, can accommodate one to eight people,

typically have four wheels and are made to transport people instead of goods. The article also states that this
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wheelhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motor_vehiclehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transportationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Passengerhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transporthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automobile#cite_note-0http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automobile#cite_note-0http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automobile#cite_note-0http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wheelhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motor_vehiclehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motor_vehiclehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transportationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Passengerhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transporthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wheelhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motor_vehiclehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transportationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Passengerhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Passengerhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transportationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motor_vehiclehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wheelhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transporthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Passengerhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transportationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motor_vehiclehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motor_vehiclehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wheelhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automobile#cite_note-0http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transporthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Passengerhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Transportationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motor_vehiclehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wheel


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definition is not precisebecause other types of motor vehicles do similar things. (Automobile, Wikipedia,http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automobile)

This is proper citation because the student (1) uses quotations to indicate a direct borrowing of the source text,(2) paraphrases the rest of the information while acknowledging the source text, (3) names the source text atthe end of the paragraph, including the name of the article, the name of the website and a link to the webpage.

Why are cheating and plagiarism bad?Cheating and plagiarism are bad for many reasons:

They are dishonest practices. Cheating and plagiarism are equivalent to lying about ones work Cheating and plagiarism prevent students from learning. A student who uses anothers work as his

own, does not learn because he does not utilize his own knowledge, practice that knowledge, orreinforce that knowledge.

Cheating and plagiarism are disrespectful to fellow students, teachers and researchers. Cheating givessome students an unfair advantage over others. It is also disrespectful to teachers. Plagiarism isdisrespectful to the authors of the work that is plagiarized.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automobilehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automobile


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The Basis of American

GovernmentThe Declaration of Independence (July 4, 1776)

Full Text: http://www.ushistory.org/declaration/document/

When, in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the politicalbands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, theseparate and equal station to which the laws of nature and of nature's God entitle them, a decentrespect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to

the separation.

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by theirCreator with certain unalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.That to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers fromthe consent of the governed. That whenever any form of government becomes destructive to theseends, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new government, laying itsfoundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem mostlikely to affect their safety and happiness The history of the present King of Great Britain is ahistory of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of anabsolute tyranny over these states. To prove this, let factsbe submitted to a candid world

For cutting off our trade with all parts of the world:

For imposing taxes on us without our consent:

For depriving us in many cases, of the benefits of trial by jury

For taking away our charters, abolishing our most valuable laws, and altering fundamentally theforms of our governments:

For suspending our own legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate forus in all cases whatsoever

He has plundered our seas, ravaged our coasts, burned our towns, and destroyed the lives of ourpeople.

In every stage of these oppressions we have petitioned for redress in the most humble terms: ourrepeated petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A prince, whose character is thusmarked by every act which may define a tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people...

We, therefore, the representatives of the United States of America, in General Congress, assembled,

appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the name, andby the authority of the good people of these colonies, solemnly publish and declare, that these united


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colonies are, and of right ought to be free and independent states; that they are absolved from allallegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the state of GreatBritain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as free and independent states, they have fullpower to levy war, conclude peace, contract alliances, establish commerce, and to do all other actsand things which independent states may of right do. And for the support of this declaration, with a

firm reliance on the protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our lives, ourfortunes and our sacred honor.

Comprehension Questions1. What is the context? What was happening in the United States in 1776?

2. What are unalienable rights? Name three from the text.

3. What are five complaints that the United States has against Britain?

The Constitution of the United States of America(1787)

Preamble

We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure

domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure theBlessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for theUnited States of America.

Interactive Constitution: http://ratify.constitutioncenter.org/constitution/index_no_flash.php


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The Bill of Rights (1791)

Amendment I

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercisethereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably toassemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.

Amendment II

A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people tokeep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.

Amendment III

No Soldier shall, in time of peace be quartered in any house, without the consent of the Owner, norin time of war, but in a manner to be prescribed by law.

Amendment IV

The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, againstunreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but uponprobable cause

Amendment V

No person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on apresentment or indictment of a Grand Jury. nor shall any person be subject for the same offence tobe twice put in jeopardy of life or limb; nor shall be compelled in any criminal case to be a witnessagainst himself, nor be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor shallprivate property be taken for public use, without just compensation.

Amendment VI

In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by animpartial jury of the State and district wherein the crime shall have been committed and to be

informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him;to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the Assistance ofCounsel for his defence.

Amendment VII

the right of trial by jury shall be preserved, and no fact tried by a jury, shall be otherwise re-examined in any Court of the United States, than according to the rules of the common law.

Amendment VIII

Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel and unusual punishmentsinflicted.


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Amendment IX

The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparageothers retained by the people.

Amendment X

The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States,are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.

Comprehension Questions

1. What is an amendment?

2. Which amendments are antiquated? In other words, which amendments are no longer necessary?

3. Which amendments concern criminal investigations and trials? Whose rights do these amendmentsdefend?

4. Rewrite the First Amendment in your own words.

We the People Loses Appeal With People Around

the World (2011)

by Adam Liptak (The New York Times, 7 January 2011)

The Constitution has seen better days.

Sure, it is the nations founding document and sacred text. And it is the oldest written nationalconstitution still in force anywhere in the world. But its influence is waning.

In 1987, on the Constitutions bicentennial,Time magazine calculated that of the 170 countries thatexist today, more than 160 have written charters modeled directly or indirectly on the U.S. version.
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,964901,00.htmlhttp://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,964901,00.htmlhttp://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,964901,00.html


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A quarter-century later, the picture looks very different. The U.S. Constitution appears to be losingits appeal as a model for constitutional drafters elsewhere, according toa new study by David S.Law of Washington University in St. Louis and Mila Versteeg of the University of Virginia

There are lots of possible reasons. The United States Constitution is terse and old, and it guarantees

relatively few rights. The commitment of some members of the Supreme Court to interpreting theConstitution according to its original meaning in the 18th century may send the signal that it is oflittle current use to, say, a new African nation. And the Constitutions waning influence may be partof a general decline in American power and prestige

In a television interview during a visit to Egypt last week, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg of theSupreme Court seemed to agree. I would not look to the United States Constitution if I weredrafting a constitution in the year 2012, she said. She recommended, instead, theSouth AfricanConstitution, the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms or the European Convention on HumanRights.

The rights guaranteed by the American Constitution are parsimonious by international standards, andthey are frozen in amber. As Sanford Levinson wrote in 2006 inOur Undemocratic Constitution,the U.S. Constitution is the most difficult to amend of any constitution currently existing in theworld today.

Other nations routinely trade in their constitutions wholesale, replacing them on average every 19years. By odd coincidence, Thomas Jefferson, in a 1789 letter to James Madison, once said thatevery constitution naturally expires at the end of 19 years because the earth belongs always to theliving generation. These days, the overlap between the rights guaranteed by the Constitution andthose most popular around the world is spotty.

Americans recognize rights not widely protected, including ones to a speedy and public trial, and areoutliers in prohibiting government establishment of religion. But the Constitution is out of step withthe rest of the world in failing to protect, at least in so many words, a right to travel, the presumptionof innocence and entitlement to food, education and health care.

Mr. Barak, for his part, identified a new constitutional superpower: Canadian law, he wrote,serves as a source of inspiration for many countries around the world. The new study also suggeststhat the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, adopted in 1982, may now be more influentialthan its American counterpart.

The Canadian Charter is both more expansive and less absolute. It guarantees equal rights for womenand disabled people, allows affirmative action and requires that those arrested be informed of theirrights. On the other hand, it balances those rights against such reasonable limits as can bedemonstrably justified in a free and democratic society.

There are, of course, limits to empirical research based on coding and counting, and there is more toa constitution than its words, as Justice Antonin Scalia told the Senate Judiciary Committee inOctober. Every banana republic in the world has a bill of rights, he said.

The bill of rights of the former evil empire, the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, wa s muchbetter than ours, he said, adding: We guarantee freedom of speech and of the press. Big deal. They

guaranteed freedom of speech, of the press, of street demonstrations and protests, and anyone who is
http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1923556http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1923556http://law.wustl.edu/faculty_profiles/profiles.aspx?id=6629http://law.wustl.edu/faculty_profiles/profiles.aspx?id=6629http://www.law.virginia.edu/lawweb/faculty.nsf/FHPbI/2301734http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vzog2QWiVaAhttp://www.info.gov.za/documents/constitution/http://www.info.gov.za/documents/constitution/http://www.info.gov.za/documents/constitution/http://laws.justice.gc.ca/eng/charter/http://www.hri.org/docs/ECHR50.htmlhttp://www.hri.org/docs/ECHR50.htmlhttp://www.utexas.edu/law/faculty/svl55/http://www.utexas.edu/law/faculty/slevinson/undemocratic/http://www.utexas.edu/law/faculty/slevinson/undemocratic/http://www.utexas.edu/law/faculty/slevinson/undemocratic/http://teachingamericanhistory.org/library/index.asp?document=2220http://www.judiciary.senate.gov/hearings/hearing.cfm?id=8bbe59e76fc0b6747b22c32c9e014187http://www.judiciary.senate.gov/hearings/hearing.cfm?id=8bbe59e76fc0b6747b22c32c9e014187http://www.judiciary.senate.gov/hearings/hearing.cfm?id=8bbe59e76fc0b6747b22c32c9e014187http://www.judiciary.senate.gov/hearings/hearing.cfm?id=8bbe59e76fc0b6747b22c32c9e014187http://www.judiciary.senate.gov/hearings/hearing.cfm?id=8bbe59e76fc0b6747b22c32c9e014187http://teachingamericanhistory.org/library/index.asp?document=2220http://www.utexas.edu/law/faculty/slevinson/undemocratic/http://www.utexas.edu/law/faculty/svl55/http://www.hri.org/docs/ECHR50.htmlhttp://www.hri.org/docs/ECHR50.htmlhttp://laws.justice.gc.ca/eng/charter/http://www.info.gov.za/documents/constitution/http://www.info.gov.za/documents/constitution/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vzog2QWiVaAhttp://www.law.virginia.edu/lawweb/faculty.nsf/FHPbI/2301734http://law.wustl.edu/faculty_profiles/profiles.aspx?id=6629http://law.wustl.edu/faculty_profiles/profiles.aspx?id=6629http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1923556


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caught trying to suppress criticism of the government will be called to account. Whoa, that iswonderful stuff!

Of course, Justice Scalia continued, its just words on paper, what our framers would have calleda parchment guarantee.


1. What is the conclusion of the study cited at the beginning of the article?

2. Explain in your own words why Thomas Jefferson thought that constitutions naturally expire atthe end of 19 years.

3. What is one of the biggest criticisms of the U.S. Constitution?

4. According to Justice Scalia, what is the difference between the U.S. Bill of Rights and the formerSoviet Unions Bill of Rights?


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American Rhetoric: Presidents

& Their SpeechesFarewell Address, Washington (1796)

President George WashingtonFull Text: http://avalon.law.yale.edu/18th_century/washing.asp

The period for a new election of a citizen to administer the executive government of the UnitedStates being not far distant

The unity of government which constitutes you one people is also now dear to you. It is justly so, forit is a main pillar in the edifice of your real independence, the support of your tranquility at home,your peace abroad; of your safety; of your prosperity; of that very liberty which you so highly prize.it is of infinite moment that you should properly estimate the immense value of your nationalunion to your collective and individual happiness and indignantly frowning upon the first dawningof every attempt to alienate any portion of our country from the rest, or to enfeeble the sacred tieswhich now link together the various parts.

Citizens, by birth or choice, of a common country, that country has a right to concentrate youraffections. The name of American, which belongs to you in your national capacity, must always exaltthe just pride of patriotism more than any appellation derived from local discriminations. With slight

shades of difference, you have the same religion, manners, habits, and political principles. You havein a common cause fought and triumphed together; the independence and liberty you possess are thework of joint counsels, and joint efforts of common dangers, sufferings, and successes...

To the efficacy and permanency of your Union, a government for the whole is indispensableThisgovernment, the offspring of our own choice Respect for its authority, compliance with its laws,acquiescence in its measures, are duties enjoined by the fundamental maxims of true liberty. Thebasis of our political systems is the right of the people to make and to alter their constitutions ofgovernment. But the Constitution which at any time exists, till changed by an explicit and authenticact of the whole people, is sacredly obligatory upon all. The very idea of the power and the right of

the people to establish government presupposes the duty of every individual to obey the establishedgovernment...

I have already intimated to you the danger of parties in the State, with particular reference to thefounding of them on geographical discriminations. Let me now warn you in the most solemnmanner against the baneful effects of the spirit of party generally

Against the insidious wiles of foreign influence the jealousy of a free people ought to beconstantly awake, since history and experience prove that foreign influence is one of the mostbaneful foes of republican government. But that jealousy to be useful must be impartial; else itbecomes the instrument of the very influence to be avoided, instead of a defense against it
http://avalon.law.yale.edu/18th_century/usconst.asphttp://avalon.law.yale.edu/18th_century/usconst.asp


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1. George Washington was the first president of the United States. Why would his farewell addressbe so significant?

2. Washington gives the American people some important advice. In your own words, what is hisadvice on

(a) the unity of the nation

(b) following the Constitution and federal laws

(c) political parties

(d) relations with foreign nations

The Gettysburg Address, Lincoln (1863)

President Abraham Lincoln (November 19, 1863)*The following is the complete text of the Gettysburg Address.

Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceivedin Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.

Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived andso dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battle-field of that war. We have come todedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that thatnation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.

But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate -- we can not consecrate -- we can not hallow -- thisground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poorpower to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it cannever forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinishedwork which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be herededicated to the great task remaining before us -- that from these honored dead we take increaseddevotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion -- that we here highlyresolve that these dead shall not have died in vain -- that this nation, under God, shall have a newbirth of freedom -- and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perishfrom the earth.


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1. What is the context? In other words, what was happening in the United States in 1863?

2. What happened at Gettysburg? Where is the speaker? What type of speech is this?

3. Reread the last paragraph. What does Lincoln want?

4. The Gettysburg Address is often considered the greatest American speech of all time. Why mightthat be?

First Inaugural Address, FDR (1933)

President Franklin Delano Roosevelt (March 4, 1933)Full Text & Audio: http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/fdrfirstinaugural.html

This is preeminently the time to speak the truth, the whole truth, frankly and boldly. Nor need weshrink from honestly facing conditions in our country today. This great Nation will endure, as it hasendured, will revive and will prosper.

So, first of all, let me assert my firm belief that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself --nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat intoadvance. In every dark hour of our national life, a leadership of frankness and of vigor has met with

that understanding and support of the people themselves which is essential to victory. And I amconvinced that you will again give that support to leadership in these critical days.

In such a spirit on my part and on yours we face our common difficulties. They concern, thank God,only material things. Values have shrunk to fantastic levels; taxes have risen; our ability to pay hasfallen More important, a host of unemployed citizens face the grim problem of existence, and anequally great number toil with little return. Only a foolish optimist can deny the dark realities of themoment.

Happiness lies not in the mere possession of money; it lies in the joy of achievement, in the thrillof creative effort. These dark days, my friends, will be worth all they cost us if they teach us that

our true destiny is not to be ministered unto but to minister to ourselves, to our fellow men.


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Our greatest primary task is to put people to work. This is no unsolvable problem if we face itwisely and courageously. It can be accomplished in part by direct recruiting by the Governmentitself, treating the task as we would treat the emergency of a war, but at the same time, through thisemployment, accomplishing great -- greatly needed projects to stimulate and reorganize the use ofour great natural resources

And finally, in our progress towards a resumption of work, we require two safeguards against areturn of the evils of the old order. There must be a strict supervision of all banking and credits andinvestments. There must be an end to speculation with other people's money

The basic thought that guides these specific means of national recovery is not nationally -- narrowlynationalistic. It is the insistence, as a first consideration, upon the interdependence of the variouselements in and parts of the United States of America -- a recognition of the old and permanentlyimportant manifestation of the American spirit of the pioneer. It is the way to recovery. It is theimmediate way. It is the strongest assurance that recovery will endure.

I am prepared under my constitutional duty to recommend the measures that a stricken nation in themidst of a stricken world may requireBut, in the event that the Congress shall fail to take one ofthese two courses, in the event that the national emergency is still critical, I shall not evade the clearcourse of duty that will then confront me. I shall ask the Congress for the one remaining instrumentto meet the crisis -- broad Executive power to wage a war against the emergency, as great as thepower that would be given to me if we were in fact invaded by a foreign foe

We do not distrust the -- the future of essential democracy. The people of the United States have notfailed. In their need they have registered a mandate that they want direct, vigorous action. They haveasked for discipline and direction under leadership. They have made me the present instrument oftheir wishes. In the spirit of the gift I take it.


1. What is the context? In other words, what is happening in the United States in 1933?

2. What does Roosevelt mean when he says, the only thing we have to fear is fear itself?

3. How does Roosevelt plan to fix the economic problems in the U.S.? Do you find any similaritieswith the current economic crisis?

4. What does broad Executive power mean? When would Roosevelt use this?


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Inaugural Address, JFK (1961)

President John F. Kennedy (January 20, 1961)Full Text & Audio: http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/jfkinaugural.htm

We observe today not a victory of party, but a celebration of freedom -- symbolizing an end, as wellas a beginning -- signifying renewal, as well as change

The world is very different now. For man holds in his mortal hands the power to abolish all forms ofhuman poverty and all forms of human life. And yet the same revolutionary beliefs for which ourforebears fought are still at issue around the globe -- the belief that the rights of man come not fromthe generosity of the state, but from the hand of God.

We dare not forget today that we are the heirs of that first revolution. Let the word go forth from thistime and place, to friend and foe alike, that the torch has been passed to a new generation of

Americans

To that world assembly of sovereign states, the United Nations, our last best hope in an age wherethe instruments of war have far outpaced the instruments of peace, we renew our pledge of support --to prevent it from becoming merely a forum for invective, to strengthen its shield of the new and theweak, and to enlarge the area in which its writ may run.

Finally, to those nations who would make themselves our adversary, we offer not a pledge but arequest: that both sides begin anew the quest for peace, before the dark powers of destructionunleashed by science engulf all humanity in planned or accidental self-destruction.

We dare not tempt them with weakness. For only when our arms are sufficient beyond doubt can webe certain beyond doubt that they will never be employed.

But neither can two great and powerful groups of nations take comfort from our present course --both sides overburdened by the cost of modern weapons, both rightly alarmed by the steady spreadof the deadly atom, yet both racing to alter that uncertain balance of terror that stays the hand ofmankind's final war.

So let us begin anew -- remembering on both sides that civility is not a sign of weakness, andsincerity is always subject to proof. Let us never negotiate out of fear, but let us never fear to

negotiate.

In your hands, my fellow citizens, more than mine, will rest the final success or failure of ourcourse In the long history of the world, only a few generations have been granted the role ofdefending freedom in its hour of maximum danger. I do not shrink from this responsibility -- Iwelcome it. I do not believe that any of us would exchange places with any other people or any othergeneration. The energy, the faith, the devotion which we bring to this endeavor will light our countryand all who serve it. And the glow from that fire can truly light the world.

And so, my fellow Americans, ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do foryour country.


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My fellow citizens of the world, ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can dofor the freedom of man.

Finally, whether you are citizens of America or citizens of the world, ask of us here the same highstandards of strength and sacrifice which we ask of you. With a good conscience our only sure

reward, with history the final judge of our deeds, let us go forth to lead the land we love, asking Hisblessing and His help, but knowing that here on earth God's work must truly be our own.


1. What is the context? What was happening in the world in 1961?

2. JFK addresses multiple audiences in his speech. In your own words, summarize what he says to

each one:

(a) the United Nations

(b) the Soviet Union

3. Name two phrases in which JFK refers to nuclear weapons without actually saying those words.

4. Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country is a famousAmerican quote. What does it mean? How has it become an important American philosophy?

Address to the Nation, G.W. Bush (2001)

President George W. Bush (September 20, 2001)Full Text & Audio: http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/gwbush911addresstothenation.htm

In the normal course of events, Presidents come to this chamber to report on the state of the Union.Tonight, no such report is needed. It has already been delivered by the American people

Tonight we are a country awakened to danger and called to defend freedom. Our grief has turned toanger, and anger to resolution. Whether we bring our enemies to justice, or bring justice to ourenemies, justice will be done.

And on behalf of the American people, I thank the world for its outpouring of support. America will

never forget the sounds of our National Anthem playing at Buckingham Palace, on the streets ofParis, and at Berlin's Brandenburg Gate...Nor will we forget the citizens of 80 other nations who died


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with our own: dozens of Pakistanis; more than 130 Israelis; more than 250 citizens of India; men andwomen from El Salvador, Iran, Mexico and Japan; and hundreds of British citizens

On September the 11th, enemies of freedom committed an act of war against our country. Americanshave known wars -- but for the past 136 years, they have been wars on foreign soil, except for one

Sunday in 1941. Americans have known the casualties of war -- but not at the center of a great cityon a peaceful morning. Americans have known surprise attacks -- but never before on thousands ofcivilians. All of this was brought upon us in a single day -- and night fell on a different world, aworld where freedom itself is under attack

I also want to speak tonight directly to Muslims throughout the world. We respect your faith. It'spracticed freely by many millions of Americans, and by millions more in countries that Americacounts as friends... The enemy of America is not our many Muslim friends; it is not our many Arabfriends. Our enemy is a radical network of terrorists, and every government that supports them.

Our war on terror begins with al Qaeda, but it does not end there. It will not end until every terrorist

group of global reach has been found, stopped and defeated

Americans are asking: How will we fight and win this war? We will direct every resource at ourcommand -- every means of diplomacy, every tool of intelligence, every instrument of lawenforcement, every financial influence, and every necessary weapon of war -- to the disruption andto the defeat of the global terror networkFrom this day forward, any nation that continues toharbor or support terrorism will be regarded by the United States as a hostile regime.

Our nation has been put on notice: We are not immune from attack

This is not, however, just America's fight. And what is at stake is not just America's freedom. This isthe world's fight. This is civilization's fight. This is the fight of all who believe in progress andpluralism, tolerance and freedom. We ask every nation to join us... Perhaps the NATO Charterreflects best the attitude of the world: An attack on one is an attack on all.

Americans are asking: What is expected of us? I ask you to live your lives I ask you to be calmand resolute, even in the face of a continuing threat. I ask you to uphold the values of America, andremember why so many have come here. We are in a fight for our principles, and our firstresponsibility is to live by them. No one should be singled out for unfair treatment or unkind wordsbecause of their ethnic background or religious faith

After all that has just passed -- all the lives taken, and all the possibilities and hopes that died withthem -- it is natural to wonder if America's future is one of fear. Some speak of an age of terror. Iknow there are struggles ahead, and dangers to face As long as the United States of America isdetermined and strong, this will not be an age of terror; this will be an age of liberty

It is my hope that in the months and years ahead, life will return almost to normal. Each of us willremember what happened that day, and to whom it happened. We'll remember the moment the newscame -- where we were and what we were doing


1. What is the context of this speech?


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2. Why does Bush say that it is natural to wonder if America's future is one of fear? Explain.

3. What national policy does Bush describe in his speech? What are your criticisms of it?

A New Beginning, Obama (2009)

President Barack Obama (Cairo, June 4, 2009)Full Text: http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/NewBeginning

I am honored to be in the timeless city of Cairo, and to be hosted by two remarkable institutionsAl-Azhar and Cairo University I am grateful for your hospitality, and the hospitality of thepeople of Egypt. I am also proud to carry with me the goodwill of the American people, and agreeting of peace from Muslim communities in my country: assalaamu alaykum

I have come here to seek a new beginning between the United States and Muslims around the world;one based upon mutual interest and mutual respect; and one based upon the truth that America and

Islam are not exclusive, and need not be in competition. Instead, they overlap, and share commonprinciplesprinciples of justice and progress; tolerance and the dignity of all human beings.

As a student of history, I also know civilization's debt to Islam. It was Islam at places like Al-Azhar Universitythat carried the light of learning through so many centuries, paving the way forEurope's Renaissance and Enlightenment

I know, too, that Islam has always been a part of America's story. The first nation to recognize mycountry was Morocco. And since our founding, American Muslims have enriched the UnitedStates. And when the first Muslim-American was recently elected to Congress, he took the oath todefend our Constitution using the same Holy Koran that one of our Founding FathersThomas

Jeffersonkept in his personal library.

And I consider it part of my responsibility as President of the United States to fight againstnegative stereotypes of Islam wherever they appear.

But that same principle must apply to Muslim perceptions of America. Just as Muslims do not fit acrude stereotype, America is not the crude stereotype of a self-interested empire. The United Stateshas been one of the greatest sources of progress that the world has ever known. We were born out ofrevolution against an empire. We were founded upon the ideal that all are created equal, and we haveshed blood and struggled for centuries to give meaning to those wordswithin our borders, andaround the world. We are shaped by every culture, drawn from every end of the Earth, and dedicated

to a simple concept: E pluribus unum: "Out of many, one."


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Moreover, freedom in America is indivisible from the freedom to practice one's religion. That iswhy there is a mosque in every state of our union, and over 1,200 mosques within our borders. Thatis why the U.S. government has gone to court to protect the right of women and girls to wear thehijab, and to punish those who would deny it.

Given our interdependence, any world order that elevates one nation or group of people overanother will inevitably fail. So whatever we think of the past, we must not be prisoners of it. Ourproblems must be dealt with through partnership; progress must be shared.

The first issue that we have to confront is violent extremism in all of its forms The second majorsource of tension that we need to discuss is the situation between Israelis, Palestinians and the ArabworldThe third source of tension is our shared interest in the rights and responsibilities of nationson nuclear weapons

The fourth issue that I will address is democracyAmerica does not presume to know what is bestfor everyone, just as we would not presume to pick the outcome of a peaceful election. But I do have

an unyielding belief that all people yearn for certain things: the ability to speak your mind and have asay in how you are governed; confidence in the rule of law and the equal administration of justice;government that is transparent and doesn't steal from the people; the freedom to live as you choose.Those are not just American ideas, they are human rights, and that is why we will support themeverywhere.

The fifth issue that we must address together is religious freedomThe sixth issue that I want toaddress is women's rightsFinally, I want to discuss economic development and opportunity.

The issues that I have described will not be easy to address. But we have a responsibility to jointogether on behalf of the world we seek

All of us share this world for but a brief moment in time. The question is whether we spend that timefocused on what pushes us apart, or whether we commit ourselves to an efforta sustained effortto find common ground, to focus on the future we seek for our children, and to respect the dignity ofall human beings.

It is easier to start wars than to end them. It is easier to blame others than to look inward; to see whatis different about someone than to find the things we share. But we should choose the right path, not

just the easy path. There is also one rule that lies at the heart of every religionthat we do untoothers as we would have them do unto us. This truth transcends nations and peoplesa belief that

isn't new; that isn't black or white or brown; that isn't Christian, or Muslim or Jew It's a faith inother people, and it's what brought me here today.

We have the power to make the world we seek, but only if we have the courage to make a newbeginning, keeping in mind what has been written.

The Holy Koran tells us, "O mankind! We have created you male and a female; and we have madeyou into nations and tribes so that you may know one another." The Talmud tells us: "The whole ofthe Torah is for the purpose of promoting peace." The Holy Bible tells us, "Blessed are thepeacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God." The people of the world can live together inpeace. We know that is God's vision. Now, that must be our work here on Earth. Thank you. And

may God's peace be upon you.


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1. What is the main purpose of Obamas speech?

2. What seven issues does Obama address? In your opinion, which issues are most important? Why?

3. What does Obama say about stereotypes of Muslims and Americans? Do you agree?


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American Opposition & Civil

Rights MovementsA Womans Right to Suffrage (1873)

Susan B. AnthonyFull Text: http://www.nationalcenter.org/AnthonySuffrage.html

Friends and Fellow Citizens: I stand before you tonight under indictment for the alleged crime ofhaving voted at the last presidential election, without having a lawful right to vote. It shall be mywork this evening to prove to you that in thus voting, I not only committed no crime, but, instead,

simply exercised my citizen's rights, guaranteed to me and all United States citizens by the NationalConstitution, beyond the power of any State to deny.

The preamble of the Federal Constitution says: "We, the people of the United States, in order to forma more perfect union It was we, the people; not we, the white male citizens; nor yet we, the malecitizens; but we, the whole people women as well as men. And it is a downright mockery to talkto women of their enjoyment of the blessings of liberty while they are denied the use of the onlymeans of securing them provided by this democratic-republican government--the ballot.

For any State to make sex a qualification that must ever result in the disfranchisement of one entirehalf of the people is to pass a bill of attainder, or an ex post facto law, and is therefore a violation of

the supreme law of the land. By it the blessings of liberty are for ever withheld from women andtheir female posterity. To them this government has no just powers derived from the consent of thegoverned. To them this government is not a democracy. It is not a republic. It is an odiousaristocracy; a hateful oligarchy of sex this oligarchy of sex, which makes father, brothers,husband, sons, the oligarchs over the mother and sisters, the wife and daughters of every household--which ordains all men sovereigns, all women subjects, carries dissension, discord and rebellion intoevery home of the nation.

Webster, Worcester and Bouvier all define a citizen to be a person in the United States, entitled tovote and hold office. The only question left to be settled now is: Are women persons? And I hardly

believe any of our opponents will have the hardihood to say they are not. Being persons, then,women are citizens; and no State has a right to make any law, or to enforce any old law, that shallabridge their privileges or immunities. Hence, every discrimination against women in theconstitutions and laws of the several States is today null and void, precisely as in every one againstNegroes.


1. Who is Susan B. Anthony? Why was she arrested?

2. What does she argue in this speech?


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3. What are three reasons why woman should be able to vote, according to Anthony?

I Have a Dream (1963)

Dr. Martin Luther King (August 28, 1963)Audio: http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/mlkihaveadream.htm

I am happy to join with you today in what will go down in history as the greatest demonstration for

freedom in the history of our nation.

Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand today, signed theEmancipation Proclamation

But one hundred years later, the Negro still is not free. One hundred years later, the life of the Negrois still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination. Onehundred years later, the Negro is still languished in the corners of American society and findshimself an exile in his own land. And so we've come here today to dramatize a shameful condition.

But there is something that I must say to my people, who stand on the warm threshold which

leads into the palace of justice: We must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignityand discipline. We must not allow our creative protest to degenerate into physical violence. Againand again, we must rise to the majestic heights of meeting physical force with soul force...

There are those who are asking the devotees of civil rights, "When will you be satisfied?" We cannever be satisfied as long as the Negro is the victim of the unspeakable horrors of police brutality.We can never be satisfied as long as our bodies, heavy with the fatigue of travel, cannot gain lodgingin the motels of the highways and the hotels of the cities. We cannot be satisfied as long as thenegro's basic mobility is from a smaller ghetto to a larger one. We can never be satisfied as long asour children are stripped of their self-hood and robbed of their dignity by signs stating: "For WhitesOnly." We cannot be satisfied as long as a Negro in Mississippi cannot vote and a Negro in NewYork believes he has nothing for which to vote. No, no, we are not satisfied, and we will not besatisfied until "justice rolls down like waters, and righteousness like a mighty stream."

Let us not wallow in the valley of despair, I say to you today, my friends.

And so even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dreamdeeply rooted in the American dream.

I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: "Wehold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal."
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abraham_Lincolnhttp://www.archives.gov/exhibits/featured_documents/emancipation_proclamation/http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/featured_documents/emancipation_proclamation/http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abraham_Lincoln


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I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia, the sons of former slaves and the sons offormer slave owners will be able to sit down together at the table of brotherhood.

I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a state sweltering with the heat of injustice,sweltering with the heat of oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.

I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judgedby the color of their skin but by the content of their character.

I have a dream today!

I have a dream that one day, down in Alabama, with its vicious racists, with its governor having hislips dripping with the words of "interposition" and "nullification" -- one day right there in Alabamalittle black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls assisters and brothers.

I have a dream today!

I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, and every hill and mountain shall be madelow, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight; "and theglory of the Lord shall be revealed and all flesh shall see it together."2

This is our hope, and this is the faith that I go back to the South with.

And this will be the day -- this will be the day when all of God's children will be able to sing withnew meaning:

My country 'tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing.

Land where my fathers died, land of the Pilgrim's pride,

From every mountainside, let freedom ring!

And if America is to be a great nation, this must become true.

And so let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire.

Let freedom ring from the mighty mountains of New York

But not only that:

Let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia.

Let freedom ring from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee.

Let freedom ring from every hill and molehill of Mississippi.

From every mountainside, let freedom ring.


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And when this happens, when we allow freedom ring, when we let it ring from every village andevery hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God'schildren, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to joinhands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual:

Free at last! Free at last!

Thank God Almighty, we are free at last!


1. What is the Emancipation Proclamation?

2. What is the context of this speech? What was happening in the U.S. in 1963?

3. Name three of Dr. Kings criticisms of American society.

4. Rewrite two of Dr. Kings dreams in your own words.

The Times They are A-Changin (1964)

by Bob Dylan

Come gather 'round peopleWherever you roamAnd admit that the watersAround you have grownAnd accept it that soonYou'll be drenched to the boneIf your time to youIs worth savin'

Then you better start swimmin'Or you'll sink like a stone


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For the times they are a-changin'.

Come writers and criticsWho prophesize with your penAnd keep your eyes wide

The chance won't come againAnd don't speak too soonFor the wheel's still in spinAnd there's no tellin' whoThat it's namin'For the loser nowWill be later to winFor the times they are a-changin'.

Come senators, congressmenPlease heed the call

Don't stand in the doorwayDon't block up the hallFor he that gets hurtWill be he who has stalledThere's a battle outsideAnd it is ragin'It'll soon shake your windowsAnd rattle your wallsFor the times they are a-changin'.

Come mothers and fathersThroughout the landAnd don't criticizeWhat you can't understandYour sons and your daughtersAre beyond your commandYour old road isRapidly agin'Please get out of the new oneIf you can't lend your handFor the times they are a-changin'.

The line it is drawnThe curse it is castThe slow one nowWill later be fastAs the present nowWill later be pastThe order isRapidly fadin'And the first one nowWill later be last

For the times they are a-changin'.


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1. What is the context? What was happening in 1963?

2. How have times changed in America, according to Bob Dylan?

3. What does he ask his audience to do?

The Occupy Movement (2011)

Revolution Number 99 Vanity Fair, Feb 2012http://www.vanityfair.com/politics/2012/02/occupy-wall-street-201202

Direct Democracy New York City General Assembly

www.nycga.net/about

Statement of Purpose

Source: www.occupwallst.org

Occupy Wall Street is leaderless resistance movement with people of many colors, genders andpolitical persuasions. The one thing we all have in common is that We Are The 99% that will nolonger tolerate the greed and corruption of the 1%. We are using the revolutionary Arab Spring tacticto achieve our ends and encourage the use of nonviolence to maximize the safety of all participants.

This #ows movement empowers real people to create real change from the bottom up. We want tosee a general assembly in every backyard, on every street corner because we don't need Wall Streetand we don't need politicians to build a better society.

Call to Action (September 17, 2011)

This statement is ours, and for anyone who will get behind it. Representing ourselves, we bring thiscall for revolution.

We want freedom for all, without regards for identity, because we are all people, and because no

other reason should be needed. However, this freedom has been largely taken from the people, andslowly made to trickle down, whenever we get angry.
http://pococcupywallstreet.tumblr.com/http://wearethe99percent.tumblr.com/http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arab_Springhttp://takethesquare.net/2011/07/31/quick-guide-on-group-dynamics-in-peoples-assemblies/http://takethesquare.net/2011/07/31/quick-guide-on-group-dynamics-in-peoples-assemblies/http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arab_Springhttp://wearethe99percent.tumblr.com/http://pococcupywallstreet.tumblr.com/


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Money, it has been said, has taken over politics. In truth, we say, money has always been part of thecapitalist political system. A system based on the existence of have and have nots, where inequalityis inherent to the system, will inevitably lead to a situation where the haves find a way to rule,whether by the sword or by the dollar.

We agree that we need to see election reform. However, the election reform proposed ignores thecauses which allowed such a system to happen. Some will readily blame the federal reserve, but thepolitical system has been beholden to political machinations of the wealthy well before its founding.

We need to address the core facts: these corporations, even if they were unable to compete in theelectoral arena, would still remain control of society. They would retain economic control, whichwould allow them to retain political control. Term limits would, again, not solve this, as many in thepolitical class already leave politics to find themselves as part of the corporate elites.

We need to retake the freedom that has been stolen from the people, altogether.

And so we call on people to act

1. We call for protests to remain active in the cities. Those already there, to grow, to organize,to raise consciousness, for those cities where there are no protests, for protests to organizeand disrupt the system.

2. We call for workers to not only strike, but seize their workplaces collectively, and to organizethem democratically. We call for students and teachers to act together, to teach democracy,not merely the teachers to the students, but the students to the teachers. To seize theclassrooms and free minds together.

3. We call for the unemployed to volunteer, to learn, to teach, to use what skills they have tosupport themselves as part of the revolting people as a community.

4. We call for the organization of people's assemblies in every city, every public square, everytownship.

5. We call for the seizure and use of abandoned buildings, of abandoned land, of every propertyseized and abandoned by speculators, for the people, for every group that will organize them.

We call for a revolution of the mind as well as the body politic.


1. What is the main purpose of the Occupy Movement?

2. Who are the 1%? The 99%? Explain why this concept is important.

3. Name three actions encouraged by the Movement.


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Education in America

The Pledge of Allegiance (1942)I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which itstands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.

Major Debates in Education

AssessmentsWhat Do School Tests Measure?The New York Times, August 3, 2009

What We Really Needby James Comer

Test scores are widely accepted in our country as a measure of student and school effectiveness. Butthe expressed purpose of education is to help prepare students to be successful in school and in life;to protect and promote their own health, development and learning, to be highly competent workers

in school and beyond, to be competent and responsible family members (parents if they choose)community members and citizens capable of finding gratification and meaning in life. Theseoutcomes are the product of a good developmental experience, and varied and rich curricular,instructional and assessment programs, in a caring school environment or culture created by adultswho are selected, prepared and supported well in doing so.

There is significant evidence that teachers and administrators, adequately prepared and supported,can provide such experiences, raise test scores and meet the true purpose of education, and in turnthe needs of society.

An almost exclusive focus on raising test scores usually leads to teaching to the test, denies rich

academic content and fails to promote the pleasure in learning, and to motivate students to takeresponsibility for their own learning, behavior, discipline and perseverance to succeed in school andin life. Test driven, or force-fed, learning can not enrich and promote the traits necessary for lifesuccess. Indeed, it is dangerous to focus on raising test scores without reducing school drop out,crime and dependency rates, or improving the quality of the workforce and community life.

Students, families and groups that have been marginalized in the past are hurt most when the truepurposes of education are not addressed. The focus on raising test scores without an even greaterfocus on preparation and support of the education workforce will continue to distract from providingthose in greatest need and the nation with the world-class education system we all need.

What Do School Tests Measure?


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The New York Times, August 3, 2009

What Tests Can and Should Doby Lance T. Izumi

In the wake of widespread state testing following the enactment of the No Child Left Behind Act,critics have claimed that teachers are simply teaching to the tests. Yet this argument is overlysimplistic and ignores the benefits that come from good tests.

Opponents of testing try to have it both ways. When test scores are low they argue for a holistic viewof student achievement that focuses on non-test indicators of performance rather than teaching to thetest. When results are high, as in the recent rise in New York City scores, they counter that the scoresare suspect because teachers are just teaching to the test. If a state test is well conceived, both thesearguments fail to hold water.

If tests are reliably aligned with rigorous state academic content standards, then teachers are right to

teach to the test.

Susan Philips, a professor of education at Michigan State University and one of the nations leadingtesting experts, has testified that well-developed standardized multiple-choice tests give moreindividual examples of student knowledge and skills, are more consistent in scoring, are capable ofmeasuring higher-order thinking and are fairer than other non-standardized assessments. Sincestandardized testing can accurately assess the whole student, low test scores can be a real indicatorof student knowledge and deficiencies.

If tests are reliably aligned with rigorous state academic content standards, then teachers who teachto the standards are teaching to the test, and there is nothing wrong with that. E.D. Hirsch, author andUniversity of Virginia education professor, notes that grade-by-grade standards and some form offair grade-by-grade tests are logically necessary for monitoring and attaining grade-by-gradereadiness. Many teachers at high-performing, high-poverty schools have said they use student testscores as diagnostic tools to address student weaknesses and raise achievement.

While inappropriate use of test materials should not be countenanced, a valid standardized test linkedto tough standards is a critical tool for measuring and improving student performance. Assuming

New York has such a test, when Joel Klein says that if test prep means teaching people to read andunderstand paragraphs, thats what I think education is about, then hes right.

Language

Is Learning a Language Other than English Worthwile?The New York Times, January 29, 2011

Getting By Isnt Enoughby Clayton Lewis

The assertion that English has become the global language may be true, but the notion that nativeEnglish speakers will get by relying either on their Chinese, Brazilian or German counterparts' abilityto speak English or on machine translators is shortsighted.

Knowing two or more languages is an advantage, not a burden.


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Setting aside any of the numerous studies showing the benefits of bilingualism, knowing a languageis key to understanding culture -- a skill that is often underestimated. The American who has anuanced ability with languages will hold a distinct advantage in negotiations or social exchange, andwill thereby attain a deeper, richer experience. Years of learning a language, as well as the historyand society of places where that language is spoken, develops a student with a truly multicultural

outlook. Our global society is increasingly in need of individuals who look at issues with a broadperspective.

Getting by with languages simply isnt good enough. Would we apply the same kind of thinking tolearning science and mathematics?

Learning a second or third language does require a significant investment of time, but the payoff isundeniable, both in terms of how it enriches the learner and in the example it offers. For English-speaking Americans to acknowledge the value in learning Spanish or Japanese also belies thecultural imperialism that has too often incensed others. Lets recognize what the Chinese, Braziliansand Germans have learned: that knowing two or more languages is an advantage, not a burden.

Evolution

In Texas, a Line in the Curriculum Revives Evolution Debateby James C. McKinley, Jr (The New York Times, January 21, 2009)

The latest round in a long-running battle over how evolution should be taught in Texas schools beganin earnest Wednesday as the State Board of Education heard impassioned testimony from scientistsand social conservatives on revising the science curriculum.

Dick Neavel also attended the hearing in Texas. Legislators in six states have considered legislationrequiring classrooms to be open to views about the scientific strengths and weaknesses ofDarwinian theory.

The debate here has far-reaching consequences; Texas is one of the nations biggest buyers oftextbooks, and publishers are reluctant to produce different versions of the same material.

Many biologists and teachers said they feared that the board would force textbook publishers toinclude what skeptics see as weaknesses in Darwins theory to sow doubt about science and supportthe Biblical version of creation.

These weaknesses that they bring forward are decades old, and they have been refuted many, manytimes over, Kevin Fisher, a past president of the Science Teachers Association of Texas, said aftertestifying. Its an attempt to bring false weaknesses into the classroom in an attempt to get studentsto reject evolution.

Equality

Do We Spend Too Much on Education?The New York Times, August 23, 2011

Is it a Priority to Teach to the Poor?by Pamela Burdman
http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/national/usstatesterritoriesandpossessions/texas/index.html?inline=nyt-geohttp://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/national/usstatesterritoriesandpossessions/texas/index.html?inline=nyt-geo


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To understand what value our society actually places on education, we can start by asking howAmericans with money spend it on their childrens schooling: generally, they either invest in privateschool education or buy homes in more affluent communities with the best public schools. Theirchildren don't qualify for financial aid, and yet they go to college, paying full tuition.

We should ensure that all schools and colleges deliver better learning, especially for the leastadvantaged.

These families apparently think education is worth the money, that it will enhance their childrensfutures, ensuring not just economic security but also a fulfilling career and civic life.

To ask whether we are spending too much time and money on education is really to ask whether thechildren of less-advantaged Americans are also worth educating. For them, public schools are theonly option and student loans are often necessary to finish college (lest a full-time workload interferewith their studies).

The answer depends on what kind of society we wish to inhabit. If some degree of equalityeconomic and politicalis important, we need more education, not less. Under-educated Americansnot only struggle to earn a living wage, but also are ill-equipped to exercise their political rights.Furthermore, they are more likely to pose costs to society for social welfare and incarceration.Disinvesting in their education is not a solution.

At the same time, money alone will not cure all the ills of public education, especially when existingresources are not always well spent. Too many students who graduate from U.S. high schools lackthe skills they need to participate meaningfully in public life or support their families. And manystudents earn college degrees with no evidence that theyve learned anything. Resources need to befocused on building strong schools with visionary leaders and teams of educators who arecontinually innovating and improving their practice so that students learn more.

Rather than looking to spend less on education, we should be focusing on ensuring that all schoolsand colleges use the resources they have to deliver better learning, especially for the leastadvantaged.


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Education Debates- Chart

Directions: Complete the following chart, using what you have learned from the previous articlesAND your own reasoning or research.

TOPIC THE QUESTION POSITION #1 & REASONS POSITION #2 & REASONS

Assessments Are standardizedexams an accurateassessment ofstudents andschools?

Yes, exams can be an accurateassessment because

No, exams are not an accurateassessment because

Language Should Americansbe required tolearn foreignlanguages?

Evolution Should DarwinsTheory ofEvolution betaught in schools?

Equality Is it a priority toteach to the poor?


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US Economy

Advertising & Consumerism


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Corporate Taglines

Apple

Think Outside the Box.

Ebay

The Power of All of Us.

FedEx

The World on Time.

General Electric

Imagination at Work.

Google

Dont be Evil.

Toms

One for One.


1. What is a tagline?

2. What do all of these companies sell? or do? Research online if needed.

3. Explain what each tagline means. What American philosophy, value or trend might each taglinerepresent?

Visual Guide to the 2008 Financial Crisis(See following two pages)source: http://www.mint.com/blog/trends/a-visual-guide-to-the-financial-crisis/


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1. Define the following words:bailoutmortgage

investmentrecessionmania

2. Name two causes of the recession in America.

3. Why would a crisis of confidence hurt the economy?

4. Why do you think the government bailout was so controversial?


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2012 Elections: Parties,

Debates and Special InterestsRepublican Party History

Source: www.gop.com

It all started with people who opposed slavery. They were common, everyday people who bristled atthe notion that men had any right to oppress their fellow man. In the early 1850s, these anti-slaveryactivists found commonality with rugged individuals looking to settle in western lands, free ofgovernment charges. Free soil, free labor, free speech, free men, went the slogan. And it was thus

in joint opposition to human enslavement and government tyranny that an enterprising people gavebirth to the Republican Party.

In 1856, the Republicans became a national party by nominating John C. Fremont for President. Fouryears later, with the election of Abraham Lincoln in 1860, the Republicans firmly establishedthemselves as a major political party. The name "Republican" was chosen because it alluded toequality and reminded individuals of Thomas Jefferson's Democratic-Republican Party.

In 1861, the Civil War erupted, lasting four grueling years. During the war, against the advice of hiscabinet, President Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation that freed the slaves. TheRepublicans of the day worked to pass the Thirteenth Amendment, which outlawed slavery; the

Fourteenth Amendment, which guaranteed equal protection under the laws; and the Fifteenth, whichhelped secure voting rights for African-Americans. All of these accomplishments extended andcemented the fundamental freedoms our nation continues to enjoy today.

The Republican Party also played a leading role in securing women the right to vote. In 1896, theRepublican Party was the first major political party to support women's suffrage. When the 19thAmendment finally was added to the Constitution, 26 of 36 state legislatures that had voted to ratifyit were under Republican control. The first woman elected to Congress was a Republican, JeanetteRankin from Montana in 1917. So it was by hardworking Republican hands that color and genderbarriers were first demolished in America.

Republicans believe individuals, not government, can make the best decisions; all people are entitledto equal rights; and decisions are best made close to home. These basic principles are as true today asthey were when the Party was founded. For all of the extraordinary leaders the Party has producedthroughout its rich history, Republicans understand that everyday people in all 50 states andterritories remain the heart and soul of our Party.

Presidents during most of the late nineteenth century and the early part of the twentieth century wereRepublicans. The White House was in Republican hands under Presidents Dwight D. Eisenhower,Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush. UnderPresidents Ronald Reagan and George H.W. Bush, the United States won the Cold War, releasing

millions from Communist oppression, in true anti-big government Republican spirit.


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The symbol of the Republican Party is the elephant. During the mid term elections in 1874,Democrats tried to scare voters into thinking President Ulysses S. Grant would seek to run for anunprecedented third term. Thomas Nast, a cartoonist forHarper's Weekly, depicted aDemocratic donkey trying to scare a Republican elephant - and both symbols stuck. For a long time,Republicans have been known as the "G.O.P." with party faithful believing it meant the "Grand Old

Party." But apparently the original meaning (in 1875) was "gallant old party." When automobileswere invented it also came to mean, "get out and push." That's still a pretty good slogan forRepublicans who depend every campaign year on the hard work of hundreds of thousands ofeveryday volunteers to get out and vote and push people to support the causes of the RepublicanParty.

Abolition. Free speech. Women's suffrage. These were all causes the Republican Party adopted earlyon. So, too, were reducing the size of government, streamlining bureaucracy, and returning power toindividual states. With a core belief in the primacy of individuals, the Republican Party, since itsinception, has been at the forefront of the fight for individuals' rights in opposition to a large,intrusive government.

Democratic Party History

Source: www.democrats.org

The history of our country is a history of change. Year after year, we have evolved, innovated, andovercome the major challenges of our time. Americas genius throughout has been its ability torenew our promise to provide citizens the opportunity for a better lifeand though our own historyisnt perfect, the mission of the Democratic Party has been to make that promise a reality.

Founded more than 200 years ago, the Democratic Party was born in response to the idea thatgovernment should represent the people and that wealth and status should not be an entitlement torule.

Change is the inescapable driver of history in the United States. Our partys founders believed then,just as we do now, that being a Democrat means meeting the challenges of changing times so that allAmericans can prosper. Thats why the people of this county have always turned to Democrats whentimes got tough.

In the 1930s, Americans turned to Democrats and elected President Franklin Roosevelt to end the

Great Depression. President Roosevelt offered Americans a New Deal that put people back to work,stabilized farm prices, and brought electricity to rural homes and communities.

Under President Roosevelt, Social Security established a promise that lasts to this day: growing oldwould never again mean growing poor.

In 1944, FDR signed the G.I. Bill -- a historic measure that provided veterans with the opportunity togo to college and help move our country forward.

These investments helped restore Americas promise to be the land of opportunity and offered new

avenues to expand the middle class.


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Harry Truman helped rebuild Europe after World War II with the Marshall Plan and oversaw theformation of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. By integrating the military, President Trumanhelped to bring down barriers of race and gender and pave the way the way for civil rightsadvancements in the years that followed.

In the 1960s, Americans again turned to Democrats and elected President John Kennedy to tackle thechallenges of a new era. President Kennedy dared Americans to put a man on the moon, created thePeace Corps, and negotiated a treaty banning atmospheric testing of nuclear weapons.

And after President Kennedys assassination, Americans looked to President Lyndon Johnson, whooffered a new vision of a Great Society and signed into law the Civil Rights Act and Voting RightsAct.

President Johnsons enactment of Medicare was a watershed moment in Americas history thatredefined our countrys commitment to our seniorsoffering a new promise that all Americans havethe right to a healthy retirement.

In 1976, in the wake of the Watergate scandal, Americans elected Jimmy Carter to restore dignity tothe White House. He created the Departments of Education and Energy and helped to forge a lastingpeace between Israel and Egypt.

In 1992, after twelve years of Republican presidents, record budget deficits, high unemployment, andincreasing crime, Americans turned to Democrats once again and elected Bill Clinton to get Americamoving again. As President, Clinton balanced the budget, helped the economy add 23 million new

jobs, and oversaw the longest period of peacetime economic expansion in history.

And in 2008, Americans turned to Democrats and elected President Obama to reverse our countrysslide into the largest economic downturn since the Great Depression and undo eight years of policiesthat favored the few over the many.

Under President Obamas direction and congressional Democrats leadership, we reformed a healthcare system that was broken and extended health insurance to 32 million Americans.

We reined in a financial system that was out of control and delivered the toughest consumerprotections ever enacted.

We reworked our student loan system to make higher education more affordable and won the fight

for equal pay for women.

We passed the Recovery Act, which created or helped to save millions of jobs and madeunprecedented investments in the major pillars of our country.

From Americas beginnings to today, people have turned to Democrats to meet our countrys mostpressing challenges. We are America's best hope to foster the promise and opportunity ingrained inour history. And we will succeed if we continue to govern by the same principles that have madeAmerica the greatest nation on earth.


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American Political Parties- Chart

Directions: Fill in the following chart, using what you know from the previous two articles about thehistory of the Democratic and Republican Parties AND your own research.

REPUBLICAN PARTY DEMOCRATIC PARTY

SYMBOL

BEGINNING OF

THE PARTY

MAIN BELIEFS

PREVIOUS

ACHIEVEMENTS

2012 PLATFORM

2012

CANDIDATES

Barack Obama


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Stump Speech, Mitt Romney (2011)

Mitt Romney (December 20, 2011)Audio: http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2012/01/03/us/politics/gop-stump-

speeches.html?ref=politics

Thanks you guys. Thank you so much for being here this evening. I appreciate your coming out on acold winte

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