Blog 4: Gerrymandering

Check out my Thinglink interactive image here:
https://www.thinglink.com/scene/995482724074520579

During this semester I have focused on the topic of political parties and how they have evolved over time. I have covered how the Republican party evolved into the major conservative party and how the Democratic party has evolved into the major liberal party. My focus has revolved around the Executive Branch for much of my analysis. For blog 4 I wanted to shift the focus from the Executive Branch onto the Legislative Branch. As students enter 9th grade they have little understanding of politics and the structure of government. As part of my job, I introduce a lot of concepts that can be very difficult for students to understand. Gerrymandering is a topic that a lot of students struggle with. The idea of districts and boundaries seems out of reach for many of my students. Visually representing gerrymandering through Thinglink with an interactive image allows students to better understand the material while also providing tools for deeper understanding.

I begin my interactive image with a context for learning. Bubble 1 allows students to comprehend and understand the image before them. I explain that each image represents a set of voters in each full square and that each square is divided up into districts. The imagery allows for students to understand that congressional districts contain people from both political parties while still maintaining a certain majority and minority. Image 1 shows students the breakdown of how the population votes. The 2nd and 3rd image shows how gerrymandering can disproportionally shift power towards a certain political group. Image 2 displays how all of the districts go to blue even though 40% of the squares are red. Image 3 allows for students to see how the majority of districts go to red and how blue ends up as the minority even though blue has a 60% majority. The images are strong tools for students who prefer visual aids. When first learning about gerrymandering in high school I struggled with the concept of how districts were meticulously divided up. Seeing a visualization allows for comprehension of a topic that can be somewhat tricky for students to understand. In bubble 2 and 3 I define and explain how gerrymandering occurs by providing a definition and context for how gerrymandering is carried out. I explain how gerrymandering is designed to favor one political party over another and how it weakens democracy. I also explain how districts are divided up using the national census data that is collected every Ten years. Bubbles 1 through 3 allow the students to gain an understanding of what gerrymandering is before exploring the bubbles in Image 2 and 3.

Image 2 and Image 3 explain through visualization and media aids how gerrymandering impacts democracy. Image 2 allows students to see how a majority can take over an entire area (state) without taking into the consideration the concerns of people who voted for the minority party. Image 3 on the other hand allows students to understand how the minority can actually become the majority by squandering the votes through cracking and packing of district lines. The video aid found in Image 2 created by New World gives students an in-depth look at gerrymandering while providing real life examples. Image 3 contains the New York Times article The New Front in the Gerrymandering Wars: Democracy vs. Math which provides students with an in depth look at gerrymandering in state of Wisconsin while also providing examples of how gerrymandering can be eliminated.

Creating a visualization of how gerrymandering impacts democracy absolutely allowed me to gain a better understanding of how gerrymandering impacts democracy. Thinglink allowed me to better organize and present the information that I will be teaching to students. Being able to visually layout the material allowed me to develop strategies that I can use to better teach my students. Originally when I learned about gerrymandering in high school and college teachers would rely on drawings that they drew on the board. Thinglink is far more superior tool for students to use. Creating a Thinglink allows the student to learn with a sense of curiosity that a board drawing cannot garner. Having the images, video clip, and article at hand allows for students to learn more interactively with the material. Creating an interactive tool allowed for me to gain a better understanding of gerrymandering. Having interactive tools available in the classroom is a great way to ensure curiosity, collaboration, and comprehension.

Sources:

Bazelon, E. (2017, August 29). The New Front in the Gerrymandering Wars: Democracy vs. Math. Retrieved December 08, 2017, from https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/29/magazine/the-new-front-in-the-gerrymandering-wars-democracy-vs-math.html

Spakovsky, H. V. (2017, November 16). Von Spakovsky: Playing politics is not unconstitutional. Retrieved December 08, 2017, from https://www.jsonline.com/story/opinion/contributors/2017/11/16/gerrymandering-playing-politics-not-unconstitutional/870434001/

T. (2015, May 11). What Is Gerrymandering? Retrieved December 08, 2017, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&v=1qDCGTlF0r0

Remy, R. C. (2010). Civics today: citizenship, economics, & you. Columbus, OH: Glencoe/McGraw-Hill.

 

Political Parties Blog #3

American politics are all about political parties but few people are aware of the history of political parties in the United States. The lessons I’ve prepared are for 9th grade students in an urban environment. Prior historical knowledge is scarce and the majority are unaware of the political history of the United States. In my lessons I plan to use multiple formats to reach the student and teach them about American political parties.

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Source 1
Fireside Chat Outlining The New Deal
Bibliographic Information:
Roosevelt, Franklin D. “Fireside Chat Outlining the New Deal .” National Archives and Records Administration, National Archives and Records Administration, catalog.archives.gov/id/197303.

Summary:
The Fireside Chat Outlining the New Deal is an annotated primary source taken from one of President Roosevelt’s speeches that he delivered to the people of the United States during the Great Depression. The source outlines the steps the government would be taking in order to stabilize the economy. In relation to political parties the source is a good example of the transitional shift between the Democratic and Republican parties. The source highlights the Democratic party’s movement towards big government. The article highlights key initiatives such as the Public Works Initiative and the Farming Relief Bill. Both are quality examples of how the Democratic party began to favor big government over minimal government involvement.

Text Complexity:
After analyzing the text and using the StoryToolz function I came up with the following quantitative results. The grade level ranged between grade 11 and grade 16 with an average of 14.3. Although the text contains information that is at a higher level I still think the text can be made approachable to students in the 9th grade with added instruction. Through qualitative analysis I have reached the conclusion that further assistance would need to be provided. The article does contain language features and vocabulary that would need to be addressed. For example, students would need to have general information regarding the Great Depression and the economic functions that surrounded it. I would state that the language functions are moderately complex but not overbearing. I would need to prepare students for the reading with a lesson regarding the Great Depression. Key ideas and terms would need to be defined such as legislation, congress, economics, and economic relief. Overall, the text does present some difficulties for students; however, I would never assign such a reading without thorough preparation. The students would need to be provided with background knowledge regarding the Great Depression and political party stances at the time.

Task & Reader Complexity:
The reading of the fireside chat will serve as an example of how the political parties within the United States shifted ideologies. The text will provide students with background knowledge regarding the political shift during the 1920s and 1930s. The article highlights the shift of the Republican party becoming the more conservative party and the Democratic party becoming the liberal party. The primary source emphasizes the shift within the Democratic Party from favoring small government to large government. Ideally I would use this text (pages 1 through 5) in a compare/contrast activity. Students could compare the Democratic parties ideals in the 1920’s with their ideals during the Civil War. The complexity of the task in comparison to the accessibility of the text is highly contingent on the prior knowledge that would be provided to students. In no way could students be presented with this task without background knowledge being provided. That being said, I know that with the background knowledge my students would be able to approach the tasks and complete the activity with the objective of comparing and contrasting political party shifts.

Source 2
Calvin Coolidge (Article and Video)
Bibliographic Information:
History.com Staff. “Calvin Coolidge.” History.com, A&E Television Networks, 2009, http://www.history.com/topics/us-presidents/calvin-coolidge.

MULTIMEDIA
Source 3
From white supremacy to Barack Obama: The history of the Democratic Party
Bibliographic Information:
voxdotcom. “From white supremacy to Barack Obama: The history of the Democratic Party.” YouTube, YouTube, 7 Nov. 2016, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z6R0NvVr164.

Summary:
The video From white supremacy to Barack Obama: The history of the Democratic Party provides a short in-depth historical analysis on how the democratic party became the liberal political party that it is today. The source outlines the historical viewpoints and shifts within the party such as its views on slavery during the Civil War and its shift to racial activism. The video also highlights the important shifts in how the Democratic party became the party of large government and the Republican party became the party of small government. The video is a quality source that is able to engage students upon viewing while also giving them historical knowledge they may be unaware of.

Text Complexity:
After annotating and analyzing the video using the StoryToolz function I came up with the following quantitative results. The grade level ranged between grade 11 and 13 with an average of 13.1. Although the video contains information that is challenging I still think the video is approachable to students in the 9th grade. Considering that the video is narrated to the students the readability should not negatively impact the students experience with the film. Through qualitative analysis I reached the conclusion that further assistance would need to be provided due to the vocabulary and historical concepts/time periods that the video discusses. For example, students would need to have a general understanding of information regarding the Civil War and the treatment of African Americans during the time period. Students would also need to have an understanding of the Democratic party’s views in the 1920s and 1960s to thoroughly understand the political shift in ideology. I would state that the language functions are moderately complex but not hindering due to the provided narration. I would, however, need to prepare students for the video with background knowledge relating the Civil War, the 1920s, and the 1960s. Key ideas and terms would need to be defined such as Democratic, Republican, economic inequality, discrimination, political policy, manifest destiny, and Trail of Tears. Overall, the film does present some difficulties for students; however, with proper preparation the video is a great tool to explain the ideological shifts within the Democratic party.

Task & Reader Complexity:
The viewing of From white supremacy to Barack Obama: The history of the Democratic Party will serve as an opening activity to foster discussion regarding the shifts in political ideology while also providing students with a visual aid and explanation of historical shifts. The video highlights the racist past of the Democratic party and the current liberal views of the party. The video highlights integral shifts within the party such as the Trail of Tears, the Civil War, the Great Depression, and the 1960s Civil Rights movement. The complexity of the task in comparison to the accessibility of the video is contingent on the prior knowledge of the students. Before teaching the lesson and having them view the video I would need to make sure that the students have prior knowledge of the concepts and time periods being discussed. That being said, as an opener activity the purpose is to facilitate discussion and dispel common historical myths that students may have.

Source 4
How the Republican Party went from Lincoln to Trump (Video)
Bibliographic Information:
voxdotcom. “How the Republican Party went from Lincoln to Trump.” YouTube, YouTube, 20 July 2016, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s8VOM8ET1WU.

MULTICULTURAL
Source 5
Teen Vogue: Are You A Democrat or A Republican?
Bibliographic Information:
Pennell, Julie. “Quiz: Are You A Democrat or A Republican?” Teen Vogue, TeenVogue.com, 25 May 2017, http://www.teenvogue.com/story/political-party-quiz.

Summary:
The Teen Vogue quiz Are You A Democrat or A Republican? is a multicultural questionnaire that provides users with questions regarding political affiliation. The questionnaire poses questions regarding gay rights, abortion, taxes, and the role that government should play in the daily lives of citizens. The questions highlight ideological cornerstones that are attributed to the Democratic and Republican party. The quiz highlight the issues that are currently happening in the United States while providing a context of questions that directly relate to the ideological leanings of the parties they represent. The quiz is a quality questionnaire that allows students to think about the issues that are important to them and how their own thoughts align with the Democratic and Republican party.

Text Complexity:
After analyzing the questionnaire using the StoryToolz function I came up with the following quantitative results. The range consisted of grades 8 through 14 with an average of 11.2. Although the questionnaire does contain certain questions that deal with politicized topics, the readability falls within the 9th grade reading level. Through qualitative analysis I reached the conclusion that further instruction would need to be provided. Certain terms and topics would need to be discussed prior to the questionnaire. I would state that the language functions are moderately complex due to some of the topics discussed in the questionnaire. For example, students would need to be made aware of what gay rights are and what terms like pro-choice and pro-life mean. Other terms that would need to be defined are abortion, immigration, environmentalism, and school choice. Overall, the questionnaire is an approachable source that deals with issues that students are interested in. Some preparation would need to be prepared in order for students to understand certain key ideas found within both parties but overall it is an approachable source that deals with current topics.

Task & Reader Complexity:
The questionnaire Are You A Democrat or A Republican? serves as a multicultural source that discusses key issues such as LGBT rights and women’s rights. The questionnaire is approachable to all demographics and serves as a closing activity to engage students. The activity allows students to reflect upon current issues and decide which way they politically lean. The former activities allow them to put into perspective the historical and current issues that each party stands for and how their own opinions fall within those diameters. The complexity of the task in comparison to the accessibility of the questionnaire is contingent on the views of students and how they think the government should impact the nation. Before giving the questionnaire I would state that the quiz is based on a fraction of political issues that are associated with both major political parties and that the quiz is only a small representation of what each party stands for.

Source 6
Political Parties Rap-Smart Songs
Bibliographic Information:
smartsongsmusic. “Political Parties Rap – Smart Songs.” YouTube, YouTube, 20 June 2009, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1lt-f3QQ7-A.

Blog #2

For my inquiry blog I am considering a few different topics. The first topic I am considering is political parties and how they evolved throughout time. The second topic I am considering is the War On Crime and how it has impacted African Americans. In the past I have studied both topics but would like to gain a deeper understanding. Political parties and the War On Crime are topics that will be covered throughout the school year at my placement. Being able to research either of these topics will allow me to prepare better lessons and pick primary sources that encourage literacy and literary practices.

In the past I have studied political parties and the ideological shifts that have taken place. Many people are aware that president Abraham Lincoln and president Teddy Roosevelt belonged to the Republican party but are unaware of the ideological shifts. The Republican party was the progressive party while the Democratic party was the conservative party. During the 1920’s both parties went through a massive shift in ideological perspectives. If I chose this topic for my inquiry blog I would like to explore how these changes came about. Why did the parties shift ideologies, what happened during the 1920’s specifically that shifted ideologies, where do the parties stand today, and what can the past tell us about the future of political parties? These are all questions I would want to explore.

In the past I have also studied the War on Crime. Many people associate the War on Crime with the War on Drugs. Both ideological wars stemmed from the Great Society carried out by president Lyndon B. Johnson. The War on Crime was originally intended to lower crime but ultimately ended up subjugating African Americans and people of color. The War on Crime militarized American police forces while creating a system of federal prisons that now house unequal numbers of minorities. If I chose this topic for my inquiry blog I would like to explore why the War on Crime was instituted and how it ultimately lead to the subjugation of many minorities. Why did the program shift to militarize police forces, why were massive prisons created, how were minority communities targeted, and why does the War on Crime continue? These are all questions I would want to explain.

Both topics present interesting challenges that would allow me to further explore primary sources. Being able to decipher which sources are the most valuable for my students would be highly beneficial. Many sources exists for both topics. Listed below are a few that I have found.

Political Parties
https://www.livescience.com/34241-democratic-republican-parties-switch-platforms.html
https://tedtheeconomist.wordpress.com/2015/07/06/when-exactly-did-the-political-paradigm-shift-happen/
Smith, Jean Edward. FDR. New York, NY, Random House, 2008.

War on Crime
Vorenberg, James . “The War on Crime: The First Five Years.” The Atlantic. May 1972. Accessed September 22, 2017. https://www.theatlantic.com/past/docs/politics/crime/crimewar.htm.
“Disasters.” NYCdata: Harlem Race Riots of 1964. Accessed September 22, 2017. http://www.baruch.cuny.edu/nycdata/disasters/riots-harlem_1964.html.
Flamm, Michael W. Law and order: street crime, civil unrest, and the crisis of liberalism in the 1960s. New York: Columbia University Press, 2005.

Welcome to my blog! Blog Post #1

Hi, my name is Dakota and I am a student in the EAA Social Studies program. Before I became a student at the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee I worked as a paraprofessional in my hometown. Part of my job was helping third grade students with reading, writing, and math. While working, I realized my love for teaching and the rest is history as they say. I am now working as a student teacher and I am teaching ninth grade Political Science. Being able to teach Civics (Pol Sci) has been a blast. I have always enjoyed the topic of Social Studies and History throughout my entire life. I love getting to learn about other cultures and analyzing historical themes while presenting them to students in a meaningful way. One resource I have found to be very helpful in my student teaching is www.gilderlehrman.org which contains a bunch of great materials for planning Civics lessons.

In the future, my goal is to teach either Middle School or High School aged children. I would love to be able to teach either Political Science, U.S. History, or World History. My long term goals not only include teaching at the adolescent level but possibly one day teaching at the college level. I think it is highly important that teachers help produce the next generation of educators in order for students to achieve the best possible education. Overall, the field of education is something I am very passionate about. We can’t have a bright future if we don’t have bright minds!

First blog post

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