CONSTITUTION HOMEWORK NIGHTLY 10/14 - 10/16

Below is a copy of the homework passed out in class today with 9 pages of reading; 3 pages of reading and 2 - 3 questions answered in your journal each evening.

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IN ORDER TO FORM A MORE PERFECT UNION…
Introduction to the Constitution of the United States
The following reading contains 9 pages (more like 6 if you discount the space that’s been removed of pictures that didn’t copy well).

You should therefore read 3 pages each evening – Tue, Wed, and Thu. Hopefully, 3 pages of reading and answering 2 questions an evening should average around a half hour. We need to get this background in order to understand how the government is set up and elections are run to get to the Obama – McCain election soon.

Use all of your study skills for reading comprehension, including:

List new words and important terms, then look them up in the text or a dictionary and write the definition in YOUR OWN WORDS near the section where you found the word.

Highlight main points, interesting and important phrases. Try to look for topic sentences in the text.

NOTICE THE TITLES, SUB-HEADINGS TO UNDERSTAND HOW IT IS ORGANIZED ACCORDING TO MAIN POINTS AND THEMES. YOU SHOULD HAVE SPACE ON THE PAGES TO LIST BRIEF, CLEAR NOTES. ANSWER 1 – 7 IN YOUR JOURNAL AND BRING IT AND THE READING TO CLASS FRIDAY MORNING, 10/17.

1) How is the Constitution organized? What are the main parts of the Constitution in your own words:

2) WHAT ARE THE 3 MAIN BRANCHES OF THE U.S. FEDERAL GOVERNMENT? What is each of the three branches responsible for?

3) What are “checks and balances?”

4) Why are checks and balances important?

5) What powers do states have?

6) What powers does the federal government have?

7) Which powers do the state and federal government share?

8) What are your ideas to structure state and or federal government to guarantee a “balance of power” and avoid corruption or unbalanced power?