Gathering News

Today we'll focus in on the current news involving the President and his phone calls and dealings with Ukraine.
Before doing so, we'll take this quiz to ensure that we are clear about the difference between fact and opinion: How Well Can You Tell Factual From Opinion Statements.
After some brief discussion, everyone is going to be responsible for finding one News story and one Editorial about the Trump-Ukraine allegations.  Everyone will fill out their row on this chart:
News Article Chart
When finished, we'll discuss what we learned.

When searching for your articles, be sure to consider potential biases:

1. First, find your source on this chart (although note, the chart itself has some bias as well). Media Bias Chart
2. Next, ask yourself these questions about how to spot media bias:

1. What kind of information is it?

News? Opinion? Ad? Does it appeal to your emotions or does it make you think?

2. Who and what are the sources cited and why should you believe them?

 Is the source given? Is the source associated with a political party or special interest group? (although note, anonymous sources don't always mean fake sources. Free journalism has a long history of using anonymous sources. Consider why a source may have wanted or needed to stay anonymous. Consider if it's one source or multiple sources. Consider the history of the news organization that is publishing the story).

3. What’s the evidence and how was it vetted?

What’s the evidence and how was it vetted? Is the source a document? Witness? Or is it hearsay/speculation?

4: Is the main point of the piece proven by the evidence?

Did the sources provided justify the conclusion or main point of the story?

5. What’s missing?

Was there an aspect or point that was not covered or unclear that you are left wondering about?

Peer Editing

Today, we'll start by discussing yesterday's political events. Here is a timeline of facts:
The Full Trump-Ukraine Timeline as of now. We'll continue this discussion tomorrow in class.
Most of our time today will be spent reading each others' papers and provide feedback for revision and editing.
We'll use this document: Peer/Self-Editing
Here are your partners for your work today. Share your paper with your partner and give them the editing sheet.
NOTE-a complete editing sheet is required for this assignment. If you do not have a complete rough draft today, you will have to self-edit your paper when finished, using the linked form. While you will still get partial credit for a self-edit, full credit is only given for a full peer edit.

Group #1 Stephen Will	Group #2 Savanna Cassandra	Group #3 Ty Bailey	Group #4 Marissa Alexa W.	Group #5 Zach Adam
Group #6 Alexa A. Leah	Group #7 Charlie Nickko	Group #8 Laith Billy	Group #9 Alana Ally	Group #10 Brooke Vittoria
Group #11 Trevor Scott	Group #12 Sophia Hannah	Group #13 Emma Carly

Work Day

Work on Speech in Schools assignment.
Note the Inexcusables and Writing Tips in the Writing and Reading tab above.

Bringing it all together

Today we'll discuss our civic responsibility assignment:
Civic Engagement Experience
We'll also discuss and then have time to work on the assignment that will end this unit:
Speech in Schools Assignment

So tasks for today are:

1. Finish Hate Speech on College Campuses Blog Post
2. Work on Speech in Schools Assignment

Hate Speech Contd.

We'll start today with a look at this news story: A War of Words on College Campuses
Then we'll work on the extended blog post started during yesterday's class.

Hate Speech on College Campuses

Today we'll, start with any additional comments about 7 Days in September.
Then, we'll use what we know about free speech to see how a scenario might play out in a hypothetical situation. We'll follow that with a review of the "Hate Speech on College Campuses" article (here is the KEY)
Next, we'll look at these images and skim these articles ("A September of Racist Incidents" and "With Rise of Racially Charged Incidents on Campus..., "How Colleges are Mishandling Racial Tensions on Campus" for a brief look at racist incidents taking  place on college campuses over the last few years  Begin a new blog post with a response to these incidents? What, if anything should be done about them? Should the students who attended the parties be punished? What about students who use racist language?

Then, we'll work to see how free speech law, speech codes and anti-harassment policies might be applied in settings that you may experience as you head into your college years.  To do so, please follow these instructions:

1. Go to the FIRE website and read their mission statement and what they are about. 
2. Look at the "What are Speech Codes?" article so that you understand how FIRE is defining them.
3. Go to "Using FIRE's Spotlight" in order to understand how to use their database.
4. Go to the database and select a college or university that you have an interest in.
5. On your blog, continue your post by responding to the following:
• Describe your chosen university's speech codes (or lack of them).  How do your university’s policies or restrictions on free speech impact you as a prospective student? Does it influence or change the way you view the school? Do you believe that your university’s speech codes are legal or do they infringe on your rights to free speech?  Make connections to the description of the law that you read for class today.
6. Next, read these stories:
   LSU Fraternity Banners, Controversial Speaker Raise Questions About Speech on Campus, Racist Fliers Posted on San Jose St. Campus, University of Tennessee Rock Vandalized
7. Add to your blog post. Consider how the policies from your chosen university in #5 above may have guided a response to these incidents. Do these incidents support your initial opinion on your university's policies or cause you to rethink them? Explain.
8. Then, recall the images that we began our discussion with here and read these stories that provide some additional detail about them.
9. Then read these stories about controversy surrounding a "Tacos and Tequila" party at the University of Illinois.
• Now, in a continuation of your post that you began above, consider how the university you explored in #5 above might have reacted to these parties on their campuses?  Work to apply their speech codes to these incidents.  Would you agree or disagree with their reaction? 
10. Next, respond:   Do you agree with FIRE's definitions of what constitutes a speech code? Are the “restrictions” and codes they point out necessarily harmful or do they protect students? If you went to a university with a speech code how would you feel; safe or restricted? 
11. Finally, read this article: The Fight Over Free Speech.  Do a concluding thought in your blog post citing specific details from the article: What do you make of the current questions over free speech on college campuses? Should some speech be prohibited? If so, what and why? If not, how do you insure that students' rights to an education and personal safety are protected? How might a school's policy on free speech influence your decision on what university to attend?  
12. Spend any remaining time looking at other class members' blogs.  Try to comment on at least two.

Speech on College Campuses

After our weekly blog review, we'll shift our attention to free speech on college campuses. Our first task will be to get some additional background to the law by reading the article and filling out the chart below.  You may do this work with a partner.
Hate Speech on College Campuses Overview
Hate Speech on Campus Notetaking Chart

Remembering 9/11

Today we paused our look at student rights and free speech in order to remember 9/11.
We started by hearing this article As We Remember 9/11, Let's Not Forget the Mistakes Made in Its Name
(Here are two others if interested: Dear 9/11, Are We Close to an End, The World 9/11 Took From Us)

We spent most of our time today watching 7 Days in September

Speech in Schools (contd.)

Today we'll take a close look at the Morse v. Frederick case. Students will read the case and then answer these questions: Morse v. Frederick Reading Comprehension. Make a copy of the document and submit your responses to Schoology when finished. Responses are due prior to class tomorrow.

Outside Reading and Disruptive Speech (contd.)

Today we'll introduce the Outside Reading Assignment for the semester.
Outside Reading 2019
We'll spend the rest of the period finishing our look at "disruptive speech" from last week, focusing on the "internet cases".

What's Disruptive?

Today, after reviewing the majority and dissenting opinions from Tinker v. Des Moines we'll spend half of the class working in groups to determine what "disruptive" behavior might look like. Here are your tasks:

1. Each group will discuss the scenarios listed in the "How Do Schools Identify Disruptive Speech" activity in your packets from yesterday. 
2. Divide the "For Further Thought" cases among your group. When finished reading, each group member will summarize the following: key facts, ruling, reasoning. Then discuss whether you think this was the right ruling and sound reasoning. 

Group #1 Hannah Adam Carly Stephen Brooke Charlie

Group #2 Nickko Ally Alana Marissa Billy

Group #3 Alexa W. Leah Scott Cassandra Will

Group #4 Emma Laith Vittoria Ty Savanna

Group #5 Zach Trevor Alexa A. Bailey Sophia

Suggested topics for blog posts this weekend: Hurricane Dorian or Democratic Climate Town Hall.

Law Week Contd.

After a brief discussion of yesterday's "Pledge of Allegiance" case, we'll start to look at students' rights to free speech in schools more closely by exploring the Tinker v. Des Moines case.
Everyone should make a copy of this packet: Tinker Reading Packet.

Stand Up (or not)!?

After our spirited discussion about the parking situation last week, today we'll begin to consider free speech in schools. Our first question, can speech be compelled? In other words, can students be forced to stand during the Pledge of Allegiance?
Here is our work for today:
Pledge of Allegiance