Cory Colby ACP Final Portfolio

CORY colby

adjunct certification program portfolio

Cory Colby ACP Program Portfolio

Table of Contents

 What is ACP? 1
 Syllabus Snapshot 2–3
 Student Preparation Strategy 4–7
 BOPPPS Lesson Plan 8 – 11
 Test Questions
 Rubric 12
 Showcase Presentation 13 – 14
 Reflective Essay 15 – 23
24 – 26

What is the Adjunct Certification Program at Lone Star College?

Purpose: The purpose of the Adjunct Certification Program is to recognize and reward adjunct faculty who
make a commitment to the System and to provide an opportunity to enhance their teaching effectiveness.

Who can participate: Adjunct faculty who have taught at LSC for at least 2 semesters may apply. Participants
are chosen based upon recommendations from their department chair.

Course structure and objectives: The Adjunct Certification Program is structured around 5 components of
successful instruction. After successfully completing this program participants will be able to

 Plan for Learning
o Create a syllabus snapshot
o Create a lesson using the BOPPPS lesson planning moel
o Write SMART lesson objectives
o Identify the levels in Bloom’s cognitive taxonomy
o Employ effective strategies to encourage students to prepare for class

 Employ a Variety of Teaching Strategies
o Define teacher-centered, interactive, experiential, and independent learning techniques
o Locate online lesson repositories and resources
o Incorporate at least one new instructional strategy in a lesson plan
o Create questions that address various levels of Bloom's cognitive taxonomy

 Assess Effectively
o Develop an assessment strategy that aligns with the course outcomes
o Utilize various formative assessment tools that are quick, engaging, and informative
o Create effective subjective and objective tools and processes.
o Cite the principles of effective evaluation.
o Develop an assessment rubric

 Use Instructional Technology
o Explain how technology can enhance teaching and learning
o Employ at least one new instructional technology to encourage student engagement
o Locate instructional technology resources

 Foster a Positive Learning Environment
o Utilize effective strategies for dealing with various student challenges
o Employ motivational theory to structure classes that foster student motivation to learn

In order to successfully complete the program, participants must:
• Attend ALL 5 face-to-face meetings with the initial cohort and complete all on-line lessons. This occurs
over a nine week period with a time commitment of 26-30 hours.
• Actively participate in online discussion topics.
• Present a 10 minute overview of a completely new lesson
• Complete a reflective essay
• Compile and submit an electronic portfolio of all completed assignments
• Score a minimum of 80% on all required elements of the course

GOVT 2305

Colby – Fall 2018

Meeting Location and Time Teaching Philosophy
GOVT 2305-XXXX
Tuesday/Thursday 8AM  We are teaching people
Room S269 who are learning and
growing to be what they
Professor Cory Colby, M.A. can be.
Professor of Political Science
Civic Engagement Internship Coordinator  Standards are clear and
Phone: 281-351-3324 consistent so that everyone is operating under
Email: [email protected] the same set of expectations.
Office: S204-G
Office Hours:  Students First. This means that the opinions,
MW – 9:30AM to 10:45AM (Creekside Center) time, and work of students will be treated with
T/TH – 11AM to 1:30PM (LSC-T) value, resulting in meaningful feedback,
Other Hours by Appointment intentional products, and opportunities for
authentic engagement with myself and peers.
We The People: An Introduction
to American Politics, Eleventh Important Semester Dates
Edition
Benjamin Ginsberg, Theodore J.  Official Day
Lowi, Margaret Weir, and  Thought Paper
Caroline J. Tolbert  Project
W. W. Norton & Company, Inc  Holiday
ISBN: 9780393622881  Current Events Part 1
* DO NOT get the Essentials Edition  Current Events Part 2
 First 3 Discussion Posts
 Project
 Last 2 Discussion Posts
 InQuizitive Assessments
 Final Exam
 Drop Date

Send Message: 2305tmbl

to 81010 to enroll

All About Exams Food and Drink in Class

Unit Exams Food and/or drinks are allowed in
the room as long as you clean up
 40 to 50 Mult. Choice Questions after yourself and are not
 Scantron form 19641 Required disruptive. Do not crinkle your
(Light Blue) bags and wrappers or spill your
 One 3”x5” Note Card w/ Notes crumbs and liquids. There is no one here to clean up
after you. Leaving a mess will end this privilege for
Final Exam everyone.

 70 to 90 Mult. Choice Other Resources for You in This Class
Questions
 Quizlet Flash Cards
 Scantron form 19641  Video Lectures
 Two 3”x5” Note Cards w/  Study Groups
 Online Q&A
Notes  Commons Visit
 Extra Credit
InQuizitive
Final Average in Percent Letter Grade
This tool from W.W. Norton 89.5 - 100 % A
Publishing is an adaptive 79.5 – 89.4 % B
learning tool, meaning that it 69.5 – 79.4% C
adjust to you as you take the 59.5 –69.4% D
assessments in order to 0– 59.4% F
improve your base of knowledge and your overall
performance on exams and in the course.

You are required to complete one assessment for each
chapter of study and can work on each assessment until
you feel that you are ready or until you get a grade of
100. The goal is that you learn, not to just answer a set
of questions.

Assignment Weight % ______ out of
100
Unit 1 Exam 15%
Unit 2 Exam 15% ____ of 15
Thought Paper 10% ____ of 15
Current Events 10% ____ of 10
InQuizitive Assessments 10% ____ of 10
Project 10% ____ of 10
Scenarios/Discussions 10% ____ of 10
Final Exam 20% ____ of 10
____ of 20

Donald Trump, meet the Founding Fathers

On one level, it seems individuals are thwarting the president's legislative agenda. But seen more broadly, it's America’s system of
governance that the president is running up against.

By Francine Kiefer, Sta writer AUGUST 4, 2017

Washington

America’s senators scattered to the winds for their summer recess on
Thursday, leaving behind a big unfinished agenda and a peeved
president.

The chief executive has lambasted lawmakers for failing to repeal and President Trump attends an event at the White House in
replace the Affordable Care Act, for their investigations into Russia and Washington on Aug. 3. The president's achievements in
his campaign, for their arcane voting rules, and for passing sanctions his early months in o ce have been thwarted by a
legislation against Russia. contentious relationship with Congress. (Joshua
Roberts/Reuters)
He took a parting shot in a tweet Thursday morning, saying “You can
thank Congress” for a US­Russia relationship that is at an “all­time &
very dangerous low.”

President Trump may think his problem is with members of Congress and the way they run things. In one sense, the
decisions and behaviors of individuals in Washington – not least, himself – account for his threadbare legislative
accomplishments, despite Republican control of both ends of Pennsylvania Avenue.

But in the broadest sense, the resistance he's encountering is due to America’s system of governance. The story of his early
presidency might easily be called “Donald Trump meets the Founding Fathers,” as a beginner politician runs up
against the checks and balances that are designed to prevent tyranny and forge consensus.

Trump and his team are “surprised at the intransigence and resistance they’re meeting, when in fact, every other
president has met them,” says Don Ritchie, former Senate historian. This outsider White House “didn’t anticipate these
things because they hadn’t experienced these things,” as former governors or legislators, like other presidents and senior
White House officials.

During the honeymoon phase of a new administration, presidents can make significant headway. Barack Obama and
George W. Bush scored some major legislative wins, when their parties, too, controlled both the House and Senate.

By the first August recess, a Democratic Congress had passed President Obama’s big economic stimulus package,
confirmed a Supreme Court justice, and was deep into the policy weeds of health care, which would become law early the
next year. In his first year, President Bush got a $1.35 trillion tax cut and Congress passed landmark education reform
with bipartisan support.

But Trump's marriage with the GOP has been rocky from the start.

He has been able to appoint a Supreme Court justice – a biggie – and roll back 14 Obama­era regulations, which
Republicans say has helped to fuel the stock market to a record high. Still repeal­and­replace failed, the president’s
budget is being strongly resisted by his own party, the border wall is a disputed budget line, tax reform is a set of talking

points, and Democrats have panned his infrastructure plan.

Resistance from Congress is common

It’s not uncommon for presidents to meet resistance in Congress even when their party is in control. Democrats Franklin
D. Roosevelt, Harry Truman, John Kennedy, and Jimmy Carter all faced pushback, even though they had Democratic
majorities.

Party members rebelled against FDR’s attempt to pack the Supreme Court. They spurned Truman on his domestic agenda,
though they agreed with him on key foreign policy issues. President Carter was too conservative for many Democrats –
witness Massachusetts Sen. Edward Kennedy’s decision to challenge him in the 1980 primary.

The common notion is that it’s presidents versus the opposition party in Congress, “but it’s really presidents versus
Congress as an institution,” says Mr. Ritchie, the former Senate historian, recalling President Kennedy’s observation that
he didn’t realize how powerful Congress was until he was no longer just one of its 535 members.

Trump saw that in a very tangible way when Sen. John McCain (R) of Arizona became the unexpected third Republican to
vote down, and thus kill, the Republican effort to pass a “skinny” repeal of the Affordable Care Act in the wee hours of
July 28. Senator McCain also strongly supported punishing sanctions against Russia for attempting to influence US
elections last year and for its military actions overseas – as did most members of Congress.

“We are an important check on the powers of the executive,” Senator McCain said in a speech before the full Senate
earlier last week. “Whether or not we are of the same party, we are not the president’s subordinates, we are his equal,” the
senator emphasized, as he urged a return to the “regular order” of hearings and the painstaking business of consensus­
building between the parties.

Learning curve with the judicial branch, too

That flexing of congressional muscle by Republicans – even against their own president – was on display again this week
as two Senate bipartisan bills were introduced to protect against a possible firing of independent counsel Robert Mueller
by the president. Trump calls the investigation by the counsel into possible collusion between members of his campaign
and Russia a “witch hunt.”

Firing the independent counsel would create a constitutional crisis by undermining the rule of law, lawmakers of both
parties say.

Republicans and Democrats have circled the wagons around Mr. Mueller and around the embattled attorney general,
former Sen. Jeff Sessions (R) of Alabama. Senator Sessions has been one of the president’s most loyal supporters, now
scorned by Trump for having recused himself from the Russia investigation.

Early on in his administration, Trump complained bitterly about the judicial branch. He chastised judges and lower­court
rulings that went against his immigration travel ban, though he exulted when the Supreme Court partially upheld the ban
in June.

As Ritchie points out, while just about everything in this young presidency is unprecedented, the pushback from the
legislative and judicial branches is not.

“I can’t name a single president who has not been frustrated by the courts at some time,” he says, pointing out that it is
usually only after a crisis – the Great Depression, Pearl Harbor, 9/11 – that the legislative, judicial, and executive
branches all come together.

Opportunities for civics lessons

While the resistance from the other parts of government might frustrate the president, many Americans have a newfound
appreciation for it.

“Thank God we have three branches of government,” said Stephen Benjamin, the Democratic mayor of Columbia, S.C., at
a Monitor breakfast on Wednesday. Mr. Benjamin was part of a delegation from the nonpartisan US Conference of
Mayors, which visited Washington this week to meet with legislators about the president’s proposed budget cuts, among
other things.

“It’s great to have strong leadership and outspoken leadership in the White House,” said John Giles, the Republican
mayor of Mesa, Ariz., in an interview after the breakfast. But he also hearkened back approvingly to McCain’s speech of
last week.

“Senator McCain gave us a great civics lesson … that the Senate and the Congress is not subservient to the president. They
are the president’s equal.”

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Colby – Getting Them to Read Doc

Goal: Students use the frustrations expressed by Donald Trump and the challenges to the constitutional
government structures he has also brought to identify the origins of those structures and explain in
short responses how those structures were intended to serve as a mechanism to thwart individuals who
sought to consolidate power in government.

Students Read the Article: Donald Trump, Meet the Founding Fathers from Christian Science Monitor

In this assignment the students would be given the article and a set of questions online in D2L, but I
would ask them to turn in their thoughts in a drop box and also bring a copy to class to use in a class
activity that broke them into groups of three or four to create a group display of their findings to share
with the class.

Questions to be used with the reading:

1. Senator John McCain comments that “We are not the president’s subordinates. We are his
equals” in the article. Explain the constitutional context that could serve as the foundation for
his comments and what unique elements are built into Congress, particularly the Senate, by the
Founders that allow it to be an effective check on the executive.

2. The president has often blasted the federal courts when they rule in opposition to his
administration’s policy positions. Explain how the constitutional structures of the judicial branch
has enabled it to withstand the attacks of presidential policy agendas throughout our history.

3. In what other ways have the current president and previous administrations been able to
circumvent the constitutionally embedded structures that create our systems of checks and
balances and separation of powers?

4. Describe how the structures of how members of Congress (House and Senate) and how the
president are elected further enable Congress to resist pressures from the president even if they
are from the same party.

BOPPPS LES

COURSE: Government 2305 – Federal Government
Lesson Title: The Thinking Man’s Constitution: Philosophical Roots and Applica

Bridge: NEW TECHNOLOGY: Administer Socrative Quiz. Students will engage w
assessment to trigger their memory of what they already have learned about th
8 multiple choice questions that will assess students at various levels of Bloom’s
students must Create an argument that a particular development in our modern
around the idea of rights that was enshrined by the Framers. The questions will h
their philosophies to American democracy. Socrative Quiz https://b.socrative.co
BLOOM QUESTION: (Evaluate) “Give one example, with support, in our modern
defined rights in a way that can change with society's priorities and values.”
Estimated time: 10 minutes
Course Student Learning Outcome:

SLO 1: Explain the origin and development of constitutional democracy i

Learning Objectives: By the end of this lesson, students will be able to
1. Review the Declaration of Independence, Constitution, and Bill of Right
2. Each student create a brief emaze or prezi on the influences of their ass

Pre-Assessment: I will hand each student an index card with one of the philosop
must write their own name at the top of the card When students all have a card
has as much information as they can remember about that individual. At the end
different philosopher than they do. After the exchange, the students will have th
they just received. Students will return the card to the person that originally had
presentation about n the participatory piece. At the end of class, they will turn t
easily and what they struggled with. Their brains should have already been deve
BLOOM QUESTION: (Apply) “Create a graphic organizer with information you ha
democracy”
BLOOM Question: (Analyze) “After evaluating the graphic organizer you receive
adding information that you have found to be missing.”

Estimated time: 15 minutes
Participatory Learning:
HIGHLIGHT AND LABEL THE FOLLOWING:

• 4 questions with Bloom’s level identified
• New instructional technology you are trying
• At least one classroom assessment technique (CAT)

SSON PLAN

ations

with the material by completing an interactive Socrative as a formative
he political philosophers in the original introduction to the content. There will be

from Apply to Analyze. The 9th Socrative Question will be a short answer where
n political history (since 1930) is a reflection of the flexibility in the Constitution
hit on ideas from each of the philosophers we discussed and the application of
om/teacher/#import-quiz/34005995
political history (since 1930), that exemplifies the way the Constitution has

in the United States.

ts to find influences of the philosophers we have studied. (Analyze)
signed philosopher in the founding documents. (Create)

phers’ names on it that they must not look at until everyone has a card. They
d they will turn it over and have five minutes to create a graphic organizer that
d of the five minutes they must pass their card to another student who has a
hree minutes to expand on the information about the philosopher on the card
d it. The students will use these cards as the philosopher they will create a
the cards into me and then give me feedback on what they felt they recalled
eloping ideas as a result of the review in the bridge activity.
ave learned about a particular philosopher’s influences on the American

ed, expand on the information by revising the information that is there and

Time Instructor Activities Learner Activities

9 Min Emaze and Prezi introductory videos. Show Students watch the vide
30 Min students the orientation videos to let them of the particular video fo
decide which format best fits how they want to complete the as
want to present.
Supervise the creation activities in which Students evaluate the D
students will be engaging to answer Independence and Cons
questions and give directions influences of their assign
create a presentation fo
they are given. When th
presentation, it must be
discussion board in D2L.
BLOOM Question: Evalu
founding documents for
philosophers and create
identifies these influenc
CREATE)

Post-assessment: I will evaluate the submissions in D2L and provide students w
Estimated time: NA
Summary: Students find one philosopher they feel that they know the least abou
The student then must comment in video (as a sort of peer review) on the presen

Estimated time:15 minutes

ATTACH ANY LESSON MATERIALS (SLIDES, HANDOUTS, ETC.)

Lesson Materials

eos to determine which Emaze Tutorial
ormat best fits how they https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I-9nHq9ld6Q
ssignment. Prezi Tutorial
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aiY8Imwk9WQ
Declaration of
titution to find the Philosophers Slide
ned philosopher and Philosophers Presentation Directions doc
ollowing the guidelines
hey have created the
e submitted to the
.
uate the provided
r influences from the
e a presentation that
ces. (EVALUATE and

with feedback.

ut in the discussion posts and review the presentation that has been posted.
ntation with something they learned from the presentation.

Philosophers PPT Slide to give students a visual reminder of the philosophers the

ey will be practicing with.





THE CONSTITUTION IN PLAIN ENGLISH

The Constitution consists of a preamble, 7 articles, and 27 amendments. The preamble
explains why it was written. The seven articles lay out the three branches of government
and the rules they have to follow, and the basic way the U.S. government will operate. The
27 amendments guarantee the rights of the people and give more specific rules under
which the government will operate.

The 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 defense, promote the general
Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and
establish this Constitution for the United States of America.”

The Preamble to the United States Constitution is a brief introductory statement of the
fundamental purposes and guiding principles which the Constitution is meant to serve. It
expresses in general terms the intentions of its authors, and is sometimes referred to by
courts as evidence of what the Founding Fathers thought the Constitution meant and what
they hoped it would achieve (especially as compared with the Articles of Confederation).
Here is a list of the clauses in the Preamble in plain English.

• We the people of the United States – these words make it clear that the authors of
the Constitution wanted “the people” to be the ultimate authority – “popular
sovereignty” or people power.

• form a more perfect Union – to create a better government than the Articles of
Confederation, which was the constitution that existed at the time.

• establish Justice – to create a justice system, including courts, to bring order to the
nation

• insure domestic Tranquillity – to bring peace at home, inside the country
• provide for the common defense – to create and maintain a national defense against

other countries
• promote the general welfare – to help establish and maintain a healthy economy,

population and society
• to secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity – to bring freedom

and liberty to the people now and in the future
• do ordain and establish – to invest with authority, to create and give The People’s

power to

Article 1

The first article sets up the national legislature and details its powers.

Section 1: The Legislative Branch
This section grants to the congress the power to make laws, and states that it will be made
up of two parts, the Senate and the House of Representatives.

Section 2: The House of Representatives
This section decides how often representatives are chosen, how long a representative can
stay in office, how many representatives per state, what will happen if a senator vacates

his/her post, how a speaker is chosen, and the house's ability to impeach.

Section 3: The Senate
This requires that each of the states has two senators in the Senate, there will be a new
election for one-third of the Senate every 2 years, describes the age, residency and
citizenship rules to become a Senator. The Vice President is designated the President of
Senate and can vote in case of a tie. The Senate is given the power to choose its own
officers and a temporary president in case the Vice President cannot fill his/her duties, and
finally, it describes the Senate’s power to act as a jury during the impeachment of officials
of the executive or judicial branches of the national government.

Section 4: Organization of Congress
Says the method used to choose U.S. Senators and Representatives is up to the states.
Congress is required to assemble at least once a year.

Section 5: The House's Jobs
Each house will be the judge of their own elections and qualifications of it members. Each
house may determine the rules of its proceedings, and punish it's members for disorderly
behavior. Both houses of Congress must keep a journal of daily proceedings.

Section 6: Money and War-Time Jobs
States that each senator and representative will receive compensation for services to their
country to be paid out by the U.S. treasury. They will also be immune from arrest, except
for treason, felony, and breach of the peace, during an attendance to a session of their
respective house, and traveling there and back. Last no senator or representative will be put
into any civil office during the time of war.

Section 7: Bills
All bills for raising revenue (and the paychecks for members of Congress) shall originate
in the House of Representatives, any bill passed in the two houses will go to the president
and pending approval become a law. If the president disapproves of a bill then it goes back
to the Congress and if two-thirds of the members of the House and Senate vote for it, it
becomes a law.

Section 8: Powers Granted to Congress
Congress can:
1. Collects taxes, duties, imposts, and excises to pay debts and proved defense.
2. Borrow money on the credit of the United States.
3. Regulate commerce with foreign nations.
4. Make laws regarding neutralization and bankruptcies.
5. Coin money and establish standards for weights and measurements.
6. Provide punishment for counterfeiting U.S. money
7. Establish post offices and roads.
8. Promote commerce and the arts by granting copyrights and patents.
9. Punish pirates out in international waters
10. Declare war.
11. Raise and support armed forces for national defense.
12. Call forth the militia (the National Guard, in modern times) when necessary in order to
maintain order.
13. Exercise legal control over all places owned by the U.S. (territories such as Puerto Rico

The Constitution in Everyday English 2

and Guam).
14. Make all laws that are necessary and proper to carry out their responsibilities under the
Constitution.

Section 9: Powers Forbidden to Congress
1. Congress cannot prohibit the immigration of a person to the U.S. but can charge them
money.
2. It cannot ban the process of habeas corpus* during times of peace.
3. It cannot pass a bill of attainder -- one that punishes a person without a trial.
4. It cannot pass a law that criminalizes an act that happened in the past.
5. It cannot pass any direct tax (tax collected directly from the people).
6. It cannot pass a law providing for a tax on items exported from any state (from one state
to another).
7. It cannot treat states unequally, giving preferences to one state or another, in passing
laws.
8. Money cannot be taken from the national treasury unless Congress votes to do so.
9. Titles of nobility may not be granted by the Congress to any citizen of the United States.

* The basic premise behind habeas corpus is that you cannot be held against your will
without just cause. To put it another way, you cannot be jailed if there are no charges
against you. If you are being held, and you demand it, the courts must issue a writ or
habeas corpus, which forces those holding you to answer as to why. If there is no good or
compelling reason, the court must set you free. It is important to note that of all the civil
liberties we take for granted today as a part of the Bill of Rights, the importance of habeas
corpus is illustrated by the fact that it was the sole liberty thought important enough to be
included in the original text of the Constitution.

Section 10: Powers Forbidden to the States
No state shall enter treaties with any foreign nation, issue their own money, or grant any
title of nobility. No state can lay duties on imports or exports without the consent of
Congress. No state can raise and maintain a military force during time of peace without
congressional consent.

Article 2: The Executive Branch

The second article sets up the executive branch of the national government and
details its powers.

This article includes rules to be followed by the executive branch. It includes the
presidential term limit, requirements to become president, how elections of the president
will be carried out, what to do if a president is removed from office (through death,
impeachment or other reason). It states that the president will receive a salary for his
service to the United States and as head of the military. The president is required, from
time to time, to give information about the condition of the nation to Congress (this is
usually referred to as the President’s State of the Union Address, an annual ritual that takes
place in front of a joint meeting of the Congress, televised and watched closely by millions
of persons around the world).

The Constitution in Everyday English 3

Article 3: The Judicial Branch

The third Article sets up the national judiciary and details its powers.

Article Three states that the highest power in the federal court system is the supreme court
and any other federal courts that Congress decides to create. Judges and justices will
receive lifetime appointments to their positions “during good behavior.” Judges’ salaries
cannot be lowered during the time they serve in office. In trials the person shall be tried in
the state in which the crime was committed. Treason is described as waging war against
the nation and/or taking the side of an enemy or giving them aid and comfort. A
conviction of treason can happen only if there are at least two eye witnesses to the crime.
Treason is punishable by death but only the person guilty of treason shall lose his/her life.

Article 4: Relations of the States to Each Other

Article Four establishes relations among the states and with the federal government.

Full faith and credit shall be given from one state to another in the public acts, records, and
judicial proceedings of each state (each state must recognize other states’ legal documents,
such as marriage certificates and drivers’ licenses). A criminal fleeing from one state to
another after committing a crime, if apprehended, must be returned to the state from which
he/she fled, at the request of the legal authorities in that state (a process called extradition).

New states shall be admitted by Congress, but no state can be formed under the control of
another. Congress can dispose of or change any boundaries of one state whenever it is
needed. Every state in the union is guaranteed (state constitutions are required to establish)
a republican form of government (a representative democracy), and shall be protected by
the national government against invasion and/or violence within the state.

Article 5: Amending the Constitution

The Fifth Article describes how the Constitution can be changed (amended).

Whenever two-thirds of the members of both the House of Representatives and the Senate
deem it necessary, they can propose amendments to the Constitution. To become part of
the Constitution an amendment must be ratified by the legislatures of three-fourths of the
states (often, in special ratifying conventions held within each state). Also, amendments
must be ratified in a reasonable amount of time (in modern times, that means seven years).

Article 6: National Debts, Supremacy of the National Government

National Debts
All of the debts made by the United States government before the ratification of the
Constitution will be the responsibility of the national government, just as they were before
that time.

Supremacy of the National Government

The federal government has supreme power over state governments. All federal laws,
treaties agreed to by the national government with other nations, and the Constitution are

The Constitution in Everyday English 4

supreme over state laws. For example, that means if the state of California passed a law
that brought back slavery in some form, it would be void because it's against federal law
(under the 13th Amendment, slavery is prohibited in the U.S., unless it comes “as a
punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted”).

Article 7: Ratifying the Constitution

The constitution had to be ratified by at least nine of the thirteen states present in 1787 to
become law.

THE AMENDMENTS

(The first ten amendments were ratified in 1791.)

1st. Guarantees freedom of speech, religion, and press, and the right to assemble
peaceably and petition the government for redress of grievances (to ask it to fix something
that it’s responsible for).

2nd The belief was strong that a well regulated militia (such as the National Guard, in
modern times) was necessary for maintaining our national security, so the political leaders
in Congress guaranteed that the right to bear arms would not be infringed (violated). (In
the context of the Constitution, phrases like "shall not be infringed," "shall make no law,"
and "shall not be violated" sound pretty unbendable, but the Supreme Court has ruled that
some laws can, in fact, encroach on these phrases. For example, though there is freedom of
speech, you cannot slander someone; though you can own a pistol, you cannot own a
nuclear weapon.)

3rd No soldier in time of peace shall be quartered in a private citizens home without the
homeowner’s consent.

4th People and their personal property cannot be searched without a warrant, issued by a
judge.

5th No person may be held to answer for a crime unless he or she has first been officially
and legally charged (through an indictment by a grand jury or a presentment from a
prosecutor). No person can be tried for a crime, found not guilty, then tried again for that
same exact crime. (Double jeopardy is the term used in law. Double jeopardy is forbidden
by the Fifth Amendment.) Persons cannot be deprived of life, liberty, or property, without
due process of law (see below for more on due process). Private property cannot be taken
for public use unless the owner is fairly compensated for it.

Generally, due process of law as it applies to the 5th Amendment guarantees the following
(and this list is not exhaustive):

Right to a fair and public trial conducted in a competent manner
Right to be present at the trial
Right to an impartial jury
Right to be heard in one's own defense
Laws must be written so that a reasonable person can understand what is criminal
behavior
Taxes may only be taken for public purposes

The Constitution in Everyday English 5

Property may be taken by the government only for public purposes
Owners of property taken over by the government under its power of eminent domain
must be fairly compensated

6th. A person accused of a crime has the right to a fair and speedy trial by an impartial
jury of his/her peers, to be informed of the accusations against him/her, to be confronted
with the witnesses against him/her, to be able to subpoena (summon) witnesses to give
testimony in his/her favor, and to have legal counsel (an attorney) for his/her defense.

7th In any legal case involving a civil suit (lawsuit between two persons or groups), the
defendant has the right to a trial by jury if the amount in question is over twenty dollars.

8th No excessive bail or fines, or cruel and unusual punishment shall be used against a
convicted criminal.

9th No one shall be denied their basic constitutional rights.

10th Powers that are not specifically granted to the national government are to be retained
by the states and people.

11th A citizen from one state cannot sue a citizen in another state in federal court. (1795)

12th Electors will vote for President and Vice President on separate ballots. (1804)

13th Involuntary servitude – slavery – was abolished, unless it was the result of a
sentence passed by a court of law upon conviction of a crime. (1865)

14th This is the basic guarantee of civil rights for all Americans. It defined “citizenship”
as anyone born or naturalized in the U.S. (this automatically granted citizenship rights to
former slaves). States were prohibited from enforcing any law that took away the rights,
privileges, and immunities guaranteed to U.S. citizens without first making certain that
“due process of law” had been carried out. All persons were now guaranteed “equal
protection of the laws,” regardless of who they were or what their race, religion, or country
of origin happened to be. No person who served in the government of the southern
confederacy during the Civil War was allowed to hold federal office. The U.S.
government refused to accept any debts incurred by the Confederate States of America,
including claims for the loss or emancipation of any slave. (1868)

15th African American males were guaranteed the right to vote, and “race, color, or
previous condition of servitude” could not be used as a reason to refuse anyone the right to
vote. (1870)

16th Congress shall have the power to lay and collect taxes on incomes. (1913)

17th Election of Senators was granted to the people of each of the states. (1913)

18th Prohibition – the manufacture, transportation or sale of alcoholic beverages was
prohibited. (1919) (REPEALED)

19th The right to vote cannot be denied because of a person’s sex. (1920)

The Constitution in Everyday English 6

20th Shortened the period of time between federal elections (first week of November in
even numbered years) and the day that officials were sworn into office. Called the “Lame
Duck Amendment” because it gave “lame duck” officials (those who were not going to be
sworn in, but were still in office) a shorter period of time to pass laws that tended to enrich
their lives or the lives of their friends and political allies. Presidential inauguration day
(when he/she is sworn in) moved back from March 4 to January 20. Members of Congress
are now sworn into office on January 3 instead of March 4 of odd numbered years. (1933)

21st Repealed the 18th Amendment. The Prohibition Era in America was over. (1933)

22nd President of the U.S. now limited to serving no more than two terms in office, and
no more than a total of ten years (in the case where a Vice President moves into the
presidency as the result of a vacancy in that office, and is re-elected to his/her own terms of
office). (1951)

23rd People who live in Washington, D.C. are allowed to vote for President and granted
three electoral votes, the minimum number of Electoral College ballots. (Before this
amendment, residents of the District of Columbia were prohibited from voting for
President.) (1961)

24th People can not be denied the right to vote in federal elections – either primaries or
general elections – because they had not paid a tax on voting. (Before this amendment,
poor people, and most particularly ethnic and racial minorities, were effectively kept from
voting by such “poll taxes” that they simply could not afford to pay. This prohibition on
poll taxes was later extended to state and local elections, as well.) (1964)

25th Established procedures to follow in the case of presidential death and/or disability.
States for the first time in the Constitution that the Vice President, when taking over the
office of President after a vacancy occurs, has all of the powers and responsibilities of the
presidency. In case of presidential disability, the Vice President and a majority of his/her
Cabinet officers may send written notice to the Speaker of the House of Representatives
and the President Pro Tempore of the Senate that the President of the U.S. is “unable to
discharge his duties and responsibilities,” the Vice President becomes Acting President.
When the President is able to resume the duties that his office requires, he may send
written notice to the congressional leadership that he is returning to his office. If the Vice
President and a majority of the Cabinet officers disagree, they may send written notice to
the leaders of Congress. Congress will then decide who should take office as President.
(1967)

26th Established the minimum age requirement for voting in federal elections at eighteen
years. (1971)

27th Congress may pass a law increasing their salaries, but cannot collect it until after he
or she has been through a federal election. (1992)

The Constitution in Everyday English 7

Declaration of Independence (simplified) – United States

————————————–

Sometimes one group of people decide to split off from another group, and to become an
independent country, as the laws of Nature and of God say that they can. But when this
happens, if they want other people to respect them, they should explain why they are
splitting off.

We think these things are obviously true:

• That all men are created equal
• That all men have some rights given to them by God
• That among these rights are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

So whenever any government is getting in the way of these rights, people have the right to
change it or get rid of it, and to make a new government, in whatever way seems most likely
to make them safe and happy.
People should not change their government without a good reason, so people usually suffer
as long as they can under the government they have, rather than change it. But when there
have been a lot of problems for a long time, it is their right and their duty to throw off that
government, and to set up a better government.

We here in America have suffered for a very long time, and now we should change our
government. The king of England has done many bad things to us – here is a list:

• The King won’t let us pass laws we need for everybody’s good.
• Even when we do pass laws, he won’t sign them so they can go into effect.
• He tried to force men to give up their right to make laws.
• He calls men together to make laws in the most inconvenient times and places, so that

they won’t be able to go discuss the new laws.
• The King won’t let new settlers come to America, and he won’t let the settlers take over

new land from the Native Americans.
• The King won’t let us choose our own judges, and instead he chooses them all himself, so

they’re all on his side.
• He sends lots of new government officials that we don’t want, and he makes us pay for

them.
• The King sends lots of English soldiers here when there isn’t even a war, and makes us

let them live in our own houses.
• He tells us these soldiers can do whatever they want and don’t have to obey the law.
• The King won’t let us buy and sell things from wherever we want. We can only buy

things from England.
• The King makes us pay all kinds of taxes without asking us about it.
• He won’t let us have a jury for our trials, only a judge.
• He sends people accused of crimes far away to England for their trials.
• The King tries to get the African-American slaves to revolt against us and tries to get the

“Indian Savages” to attack us.

When we ask him to stop, he just keeps on doing more bad things. We have tried to talk to
the other people who live in England. We asked them to stop these crimes against us, but
they have acted as though they were deaf. So we have to separate from England, and they
will be our enemies during the war, though we hope they’ll be our friends when there is
peace.

So we think that God will see that we are doing the right thing when we declare that the
United States are now completely independent of the King of England. We have no more
political connection to England at all. And as independent states, we say that each state has
the right to make war, to make peace, to make alliances with other countries, trade with
other countries, and do everything else that countries do. And we promise that we will fight
for our independence with the help of God – we promise by our lives, our property, and our
sacred honor.

Influences of the Philosophers on American Founding Documents

1. Get a copy of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution (Plain English Versions)
from Professor Colby.

2. After viewing the intro videos to Emaze and Prezi, select one of the tools you will use to create a
short presentation on the influences of your preassigned philosopher on the founding
documents.

3. Create a short presentation that includes all of the following items in at least four separate
slides/slide-equivalents:
a. A picture of the philosopher with their name
b. A short description of the major ideas that they promoted that were adopted into
American democracy
c. Identification of the structures and ideas in either/both the Declaration of
Independence and the U.S. Constitution
d. Two multiple choice questions at the end to review the viewer of your presentation on
the influences.

4. Load your presentation into the Drop Box in D2L.

(Evaluate) “Give one example, with support, in our modern political history (since BLOOMS Questions
1930), that exemplifies the way the Constitution has defined rights in a way that
can change with society's priorities and values.”

(Apply) “Create a graphic organizer with information you have learned about a
particular philosopher’s influences on the American democracy”

(Analyze) “After evaluating the graphic organizer you received, expand on the
information by revising the information that is there and adding information
that you have found to be missing.”

(Evaluate and Create/Synthesize) Evaluate the provided founding documents for
influences from the philosophers and create a presentation that identifies these
influences.