Email: jluedke@usd107.org
Parents please email me if you have any questions
Reflective Writing
Reflective Writing Process
Worth 25 Points
Exploration: Research a current event. In your paper write about any prejudgments that you have about the event. Prejudgements are things that you think about when intially reading the headline of the article
Explanation: Summarize what happened in the event or article Include what happened in your event
Conjecture: List any questions that you have thought about on what happened. Questions could be about anything that occurred during or surrounding the event
Analysis: Research and cite other news resources (CNN, Fox, Time or Newsweek) that you used to try to find the answers to your questions. Here is where you find at least two different sources. These spurces may or may not talk about the same things that occurred in the event or social issue. Make sure you summarize and cite each article
Synthesis: Answer your questions and then state your opinion about what happened. Talk about your questions? Did you find those ansewers? Do you agree with the research that you completeed? Why? Why not? What have you learned about the event or social issue?
American History Lesson Plans
Monday:
No School Teacher Inservice
Tuesday:
Work On Progressivism Project
Wednesday:
Work On Progressivism Project
Thursday:
Complete Progressivism project and begin Presentations
Friday:
Complete presentations
Bonus: Food the Built America
World History Lesson Plans 9th
Monday:
No school Teacher inservice
Tuesday:
Work in Industrial revolution project
Wednesday:
Work on Industrial Revolution Project
Thursday:
Complete project and Present in class
Friday:
Begin 2nd part of the Industrial revolution project
January 19th-January 23rd 2025
Current Political Issues Lesson Plans
Monday:
Objective:
Students will identify major stories from the past week and evaluate source credibility.
Activities:
Warm-Up (5 min):
Quickwrite: “What news story caught your attention recently?”
News Briefs (10 min):
Teacher shares 3–5 major headlines (local, national, global).
Source Evaluation Mini-Lesson (10 min):
How to detect bias, credibility, and purpose.
Article Hunt (20 min):
Students browse approved news sites to find one credible article.
Fill out Source Analysis Sheet (bias, evidence, purpose).
Exit Ticket (5 min):
Rate the article’s reliability and explain why.
Tuesday:
Objective:
Students will summarize and analyze a selected news article.
Activities:
Warm-Up (5 min):
Vocabulary pull: students define 2–3 key news terms from yesterday.
Mini-Lesson (10 min):
How to write an effective news summary (5 W’s + significance).
Article Summary Work (20 min):
Students read their chosen article more closely.
Write a 5–7 sentence summary plus Why this event matters.
Small-Group Discussion (10 min):
Students share summaries; groups compare topics and viewpoints.
Exit Ticket (5 min):
“What new perspective did you hear today?”
Wednesday:
Objective:
Students will understand a major ongoing issue and its background context.
Activities:
Warm-Up (5 min):
Prediction: “What might happen next with ___ issue?”
Teacher Mini-Lesson (15–20 min):
Overview of an ongoing topic (example: elections, conflict zones, economics, climate, Supreme Court decisions).
Include maps, timelines, and background information.
Guided Discussion (15 min):
Students answer guiding questions in pairs.
Focus: impact, stakeholders, consequences.
Reflection (5 min):
One-paragraph response: “What is the most important takeaway?”
Thursday:
Objective:
Students will practice civil discourse using evidence from reliable sources.
Activities:
Warm-Up (5 min):
Review discussion norms: respect, evidence, no personal attacks.
Preparation (10 min):
Students gather supporting evidence for a debate topic selected earlier in the week.
Structured Debate or Socratic Seminar (25–30 min):
Formats can vary weekly:
Fishbowl discussion
Pro/Con debate
Four Corners opinion activity
Exit Ticket (5 min):
Students write one thing they learned from an opposing viewpoint.
Friday:
Objective:
Students will demonstrate their understanding of current events through writing and assessment.
Activities:
News Quiz (10 min):
Covers the major stories of the week (multiple choice + short answer).
Weekly Reflection (15–20 min):
Prompts:
What event this week do you think will matter 10 years from now? Why?
Which event did you find most confusing and why?
Share-Out (10 min):
Volunteers read their responses.
Preview Next Week (5 min):
Teacher gives a teaser topic or major issue to follow.
Materials:
Quiz, reflection sheet.
January 19th-January 23rd 2026
American Government
Monday:
Learning Objectives
Explain the Founders’ vision for Congress and explore the key debates and compromises at the Constitutional Convention.
Describe the role that Congress plays in the national government.
Identify the powers that the Constitution grants to Congress.
Discuss how the Supreme Court has interpreted the powers of Congress over time.
Compare the Founders’ vision for Congress with how Congress works in practice.
7.1 Activity: How does Congress Work?
Student Instructions
Teacher Notes
Purpose
In this activity, you will explore how Congress works and learn about how the founders expected it to work. You will discuss the value of using a slow and deliberative process to make national laws. However, you will also debate the tradeoffs of this system.
Process
What is the first thing that comes to your mind when you hear the word Congress? Next, review the Visual Info Brief: Political Cartoon image and explain what the political cartoonist is trying to say about Congress. Finally, list three words or terms that you hear people say about Congress outside of this class. Think about the ways that the news portrays Congress.
After reviewing the image, answer the following questions:
What is the cartoonist trying to say about Congress?
List three action words that explain what you hear people saying about Congress.
Now, review the following quotes about Congress’s lawmaking process by a leading scholar of the founding era and of the constitutional thought of James Madison and Alexander Hamilton, Federalist No. 70
“Madison’s overall aim was not to stymie the will of the majority, but rather to place obstacles in the path of factions, including majority faction. At the same time, he sought to facilitate the development of a just majority, or in other words, the reason of the public. . . . Too swift and facile political communication allows the mere will of the majority, or sheer power, to rule in the regime. The slow, measured process of the communication of ideas, however, refines and modifies the will of the society, subjecting power to the test of right reason.”
- Colleen Sheehan Professor, School of Civic and Economic Thought and Leadership, Arizona State University
“The differences of opinion, and the jarrings of parties in [Congress], though they may sometimes obstruct salutary plans, yet often promote deliberation and circumspection, and serve to check excesses in the majority.”
Alexander Hamilton, Federalist No. 70
Reflect on the quotes and record your answers to the following questions:
What is the scholar trying to say about Congress and the value of a demanding political process?
List three ideas that explain how Congress is supposed to work.
Tuesday:
7.2 Activity: Structure, Powers and Limits of Congress
· Student Instructions
· Teacher Notes
Purpose
Article I establishes the national government’s legislative branch—Congress.
Article I is the longest part of the Constitution. That’s because the Founding generation expected Congress to be the most powerful—and most dangerous—branch of government. Article I also sets out the powers of Congress and lists certain limits to those powers.
In this activity, you will explore the structure, powers, and limits of Congress.
Process
As a group, read and review the Article I, Section 8 text, on the Powers of Congress from the Interactive Constitution. Then read the Common Interpretation essay Article I, Sec. 8: Federalism and the Scope of National Power by Randy Barnett and Heather Gerken and answer the questions in the Activity Guide: Powers and Structure of Congress worksheet.
Next, your group will then be assigned an additional Interactive Constitution Common Interpretation essay on Congress. Read the assigned essay and complete the final section of the Activity Guide: Powers and Structure of Congress worksheet for your group.
As a class, read the following article:
Then read the following sections:
Group I: Article I, Section 1–Legislative Power
Group 2: Article I, Section 2–U.S. House
Group 3: Article I, Section 3–U.S. Senate
Group 4: Article I, Section 4–Elections
Group 5: Article I, Section 7–Lawmaking Process
When finished, work with your groups to create a class poster that shows how Congress works.
Define the structure, powers, or limits on a Post-it note and add it to the correct circle.
Add elements to the poster to support main ideas and contribute details, for example, drawings, videos, or QR codes.
Add combination jobs to the center of the diagram.
Wednesday:
7.3 Video Activity: Powers of Congress
· Student Instructions
· Teacher Notes
Purpose
In this activity, you will explore how Article I of the Constitution sets out the powers of Congress and also establishes limits on those powers. You will also explore how Supreme Court cases have interpreted those powers over time.
Process
Watch the following video about the powers of Congress.
Then, complete the Video Reflection: Powers of Congress worksheet.
Identify any areas that are unclear to you or where you would like further explanation. Be prepared to discuss your answers in a group and to ask your teacher any remaining questions.
Thursday:
7.4 Activity: Tests of Congressional Power
· Student Instructions
· Teacher Notes
Purpose
In this activity, you will explore how various Supreme Court cases have interpreted the scope of congressional power in the Supreme Court’s own words. Examine these three cases to understand how the Court’s rulings shaped these powers over time.
Process
Work in your group to review one of the following cases:
After you review the case brief, complete the Case Brief: Tests of Congressional Power worksheet.
After you have completed the worksheet, create a podcast (3-5 minutes) with your group covering the following topics:
What is the main topic of the case?
What is the constitutional question in the case?
Tell us what happened and who are the people in the case.
How did it affect the powers of Congress back then and today?
Friday:
7.5 Activity: How a Bill Becomes a Law
· Student Instructions
· Teacher Notes
Purpose
The role of a member of Congress is to craft laws that are consistent with the Constitution and that promote the common good. However, the Constitution itself lays out a demanding process—one that slows politics down, promotes deliberation and debate, and (often) requires compromise. In this activity, you will explore what the Constitution says about how Congress works and get to experience how a bill becomes a law and more importantly how to build consensus.
Process
You are a U.S. senator. Work with your team to complete the Activity Guide: Building Consensus worksheet.
After you write your law, you can begin to work with other teams to persuade, re-write, and compromise to make a law that is consistent with the Constitution and works for the entire country.