Mr. Daly's weblog

new website

2008-07-03T23:39:00.001-04:00

If you're looking for current Government class information, head to www.mrdaly.com.

City Council and School Board Elections

2006-05-01T14:03:00.000-04:00

Here are several articles from area papers on the City Council and School Board campaigns. Use these for the class activities.

http://www.dailyprogress.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=CDP/MGArticle/CDP_BasicArticle&c=MGArticle&cid=1137835679981&path=

http://www.readthehook.com/stories/2006/04/27/coverfreeelections.aspx

http://www.dailyprogress.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=CDP%2FMGArticle%2FCDP_BasicArticle&c=MGArticle&cid=1137835643664&path=!news

http://www.c-ville.com/index.php?cat=141404064431134&ShowArticle_ID=1332404062544262

State of the Union scorecard

2006-01-31T16:54:00.000-05:00

Alright, as promised, here is my scorecard for tonight’s State of the Union Address. We’ll take a look on Thursday to see how many of you out-predicted me on your scorecards.

State of the Union Scorecard

Topic:

Health Care :

Hmm, while I’m positive Bush will address Health Care, I’m low on specifics. Perhaps individual health care accounts that might be similar to what Bush wanted for Social Security in last years speech. Reducing malpractice suits is another probable answer.
“All Americans deserve good, affordable health-care.”
“we must limit these frivolous malpractice lawsuits that are lining the pockets of trial lawyers and driving up health-care costs for all Americans.”

War in Iraq

I expect an emphasis on why American soldiers are necessary for the prosperity and freedom of Iraqis. He’ll probably refer to the democratic elections from this fall as a sign of progress and a further reason for U.S. involvement

Energy

With the rise in oil prices, another call for reducing Americans dependence on foreign oil is a good bet. Perhaps more tax-incentives for hybrid cars or hydrogen-powered vehicles.

Possible “Lenny Skutniks”

1. Samuel Alito (although he might be seated in the front with other S.C. Justices—he’ll definitely get a mention)

2. a U.S. soldier from Afghanistan (perhaps mentioned during the War on Terror pieces)

3. a Hurricane Katrina victim

Other predictions:

Number of applause interruptions __64
Standing Ovations _14
Total Time of Address __58 min

Using RSS, Bloglines, and Furl

2006-01-18T20:07:00.000-05:00

Okay, we're going to step it up on our blogs this semester. There's a lot of information out there that can be a great asset to our class, but we'll need to find beter ways to use it efficiently. We're not looking to "surf" the web, but rather to use the web to gather information. For our upcoming research paper, we'll use online resources extensively. This will mean much more than just "googling" a topic (although I am a big google fan--google maps are the best.*)

We're going to look at a few online resources that will help you "work smarter, not harder." With RSS, you won't need to spend your time searching in vain. RSS brings the news to you. Bloglines lets you subscribe to your usual websites (and your classmates blogs). We'll look at how to find "feeds" from news media, blogs, google searches and more.

We'll run through some of this in class, and we'll start the Presidency unit with a "baby" online research paper using our blogs, RSS, and bloglines. This will serve as good practice for our upcoming policy projects.

If you get lost, check with a member of your group and consult the website. Some of this will just take a little experimentation as we find what works best.

*Double True

"Sybil Liberty" on Free Expression in schools

2005-12-02T14:18:00.000-05:00

"Sybil Liberty" on Free Expression in schools. A presentation from the ACLU aimed at students free expression in schools. Student newspapers, speech, and dress codes are discussed.

firstamendmentcenter.org: news

2005-12-02T14:15:00.000-05:00

firstamendmentcenter.org: news

12/2/05

A Federal judge ruled that an Atlanta area school district's policy against "gang clothing" was unconstitutional because it was too vague.

firstamendmentcenter.org: Student expression in Speech - Topic

2005-12-02T14:12:00.000-05:00

firstamendmentcenter.org: Student expression in Speech - Topic

A summary of your constitutional rights dealing with free expression and dress codes in schools.

Ben's Guide: How Laws Are Made

2005-11-30T10:13:00.000-05:00

Introduction to how laws are made. Shows the steps from an idea for a bill to a signed law.

CNN.com - Bush defends detainees policy - Nov 7, 2005

2005-11-15T10:30:00.001-05:00

CNN.com - Bush defends detainees policy - Nov 7, 2005

Detainees Deserve Court Trials

2005-11-15T10:30:00.000-05:00

Detainees Deserve Court Trials

General Election- November 8, 2005

2005-11-09T08:44:00.000-05:00

General Election- November 8, 2005

Official Virginia Elections website. Full results for all VA races, including local referendums.

DailyProgress.com Elected school board passes

Daily Progress article on the Elected School Board.

Last Night's Results - New York Times

NY Times editorial on what yesterday's governor races say about President Bush's political capital.

Democrat Kaine Wins in Virginia

Washington Post article on Tim Kaine's win.

Virginia Politics / Election 2005

Times-Dispatch Election blog with the results from last night.

USATODAY/CNN Gallup Poll

2005-10-31T10:45:00.000-05:00

Here is a poll that has tracked approval ratings of President Bush over the last several years. It also has specific questions at the end addressing the CIA leak and Scooter Libby.

CNN.com - Special Reports - CIA Leak Investigation

2005-10-31T09:18:00.000-05:00

http://www.cnn.com/SPECIALS/2005/cia.leak/

cnn coverage of the CIA leak and indictments.

Project Vote Smart - Political Resources - Political Parties

2005-10-25T08:54:00.000-04:00

Here are a list of links to American political parties. Much more than just the Democrats and Republicans. Use these links to find at least four contrasting views to the issues you've identified as important to your platform.

Community Service Opportunities

2005-10-21T11:31:00.000-04:00

Community Service Opportunities

Here are some additional websites to help you as you decide where you will volunteer for you CSIP project.

www.avenue.org/habitat

http://www.charlottesville.org/default.asp?pageID=91B9971E-939B-4A70-96EE-5FD2D10CC695 Teens Give  (with phone and email)

www.avenue.org/groups.htm  (click on “community service organizations” for a list of options in the city)

www.centralvirginia.redcross.org

Community Service Initiative Project Proposal (4th, 5th, and 6th period)

Your proposal will be due no later than October 26, 2005.

Your proposal should include the following in a 1-2 page proposal. This should be typed and must include the following to receive full credit.

Name, Date, Class Period

Location you wish to volunteer (or your own organization)

Their Address, Phone number and contact person.

Explain what the organization does. What is its mission?

Tell me why you want to volunteer at this particular place.

How will your work benefit this organization and/or the Charlottesville Community?

You may design this proposal in any way you wish, but it must include everything mentioned above (1-5). The more time and effort you put into this part of the project, the less you will have to put in on the next. This is only a written proposal and you do not need to complete any volunteer hours.

Your grade on this proposal will be based on the quality of the work you submit.

CSIP Requirements
1st Nine Weeks:        No attendance at City Council or School Board Meetings
Project research and proposal due (25%)

Hurricane Wilma

2005-10-18T13:25:00.000-04:00

http://www.cnn.com/2005/WEATHER/10/18/wilma/index.html

looks like Hurricane Wilma is heading towards Florida.

TimesDispatch.com | Governor's race video page

2005-10-18T09:55:00.000-04:00

Here are some additional resources to find where the candidates stand on the issues. This set of links from the Times-Dispatch has interviews (on video) with each candidate on several different topics.

DailyProgress.com | Can city schools keep diversity?

2005-10-17T10:10:00.000-04:00

- Article in Sunday's (10/16) Daily Progress on the choice of an elected or appointed school board.

Virginia Politics / Election 2005

2005-10-16T22:58:00.000-04:00

RTD's political blog. Friday's entry focuses on the campaigns focus on the death penalty.

The :30 Second Candidate

2005-10-12T13:04:00.000-04:00

The :30 Second Candidate

Here's the site we'll be using today. Be sure to click through the timeline with your partner and write your reaction to some political ads throughout the last 50 years. Also, check out the "Tricks of the Trade" link to see how the same candidate and the same footage can be used for and against in an ad.

http://www.centerforpolitics.org/programs/yli-mediatypes.htm
Here are some more examples of the 8 different types of political ads.

TV ads

2005-10-12T11:40:00.000-04:00

http://www.kaine2005.org/media/tv/

http://www.jerrykilgore.com/contents/media/videos/ads/

http://www.russpotts.com/main.cfm?s=potts

Google Bids to Help San Francisco Go Wireless - New York Times

2005-10-10T21:43:00.000-04:00

In the past few months, Google has really expanded their business. From Gmail, to Blogger, to personalized homepages, google reader, and the visually amazing Google Earth--these innovations have all been top-notch and have made the Google name much more than just a search engine. Now they've offerred free wireless internet access to the city of San Fransisco.

By 2010, I really believe that wireless access will be the norm, not the exception. Google's plan to offer free access (but expect Google ads or some sort of revenue-making plans to come with it) for the entire city. Hopefully this free access will help address the digital divide between those that can afford computers and internet access and those that cannot. Wireless internet access could be a way to "flatten" some of the inequalities and allow everyone access to information and opportunities.

Blogging the Debate

2005-10-10T09:01:00.000-04:00

After the Gubernatorial Debate last night, let's take a look at your opinions on the performance of the two candidates. We'll also look at the reaction of newspapers and bloggers across the Commonwealth.

Read at least 3 of these before you start your blog post on the debate.

Your blog post should focus on your reaction to the debate. If you have not yet seen the debate, describe some of the reactions to the debate from the mainstream media and political bloggers across the state. If you quote another blogger or a newspaper article, please cite your work.

http://www.nbc4.com/politics/5077078/detail.html NBC12 on the debate. Includes the full video of the debate. (you may need to turn off your pop-up blocker to get the video window to open.) Unfortunately, you can’t skip forward or backwards in the video. For those who slacked and didn’t watch the debate: please watch the first 5 minutes so you will know what the rest of class is talking about.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/10/09/AR2005100901171_pf.html Washington Post wrap-up of the debate.

http://timesdispatch.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=RTD/MGArticle/RTD_BasicArticle&c=MGArticle&cid=1128767444571 Richmond Times-Dispatch wrap-up of the debate

http://virginiapolitics.mgblogs.com/index.php/virginiapolitics/blog/there_is_a_morning_after/ RTD political blog with some reactions and links about yesterday’s debate.

http://baconsrebellion.blogspot.com/2005/10/debate-punditry-wrap-up.html A great summary of other political bloggers across VA. Probably the best place to start. This sums up and links to several of the blogs that I’ve listed below.

http://www.timesdispatch.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=RTD/MGArticle/RTD_BasicArticle&c=MGArticle&cid=1128767449738 RTD article about Mary Washington students watching the debate.

http://sicsempertyrannis.blogspot.com/2005/10/debate-thoughts.html

http://www.tk4g.org/?p=232#comments Tim Kaine’s campaign blog. Includes a blow-by-blow of each statement of the debate.

http://www.jerrykilgore.com/cgi-data/press/files/164.shtml Jerry Kilgore’s campaign blog declaring “Kilgore Wins Final Debate”

http://waldo.jaquith.org/blog/2005/10/debate-preview/ Charlottesville’s Waldo Jaquith with a debate preview. Not a long response yet, but I expect he’ll write more throughout the day.

http://onemanstrash.blogspot.com/2005/10/there-was-debate-i-was-under.html

http://vaconservative.com/archives/2005/10/09/debate-post-morten

http://theredstater.blogspot.com/2005/10/tonights-gubernatorial-debate.html

http://baconsrebellion.blogspot.com/2005/10/gubernatorial-debate-draw.html

http://hocicona.blogspot.com/2005/10/debate.html

http://www.3wv.com/storyshow.asp?id=13436 97.5 WWWV short review of the debate.

http://new.wset.com/news/stories/1005/267332.html Potts to be included in the debate replay, answering the same questions as Kaine and Kilgore.

http://www.timesdispatch.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=RTD/MGArticle/RTD_BasicArticle&c=MGArticle&cid=1128767449705 RTD on Potts and the debates.

Gas Prices Webquest

2005-09-02T10:55:00.000-04:00

Gas Prices Webquest

Your Quest is to research gasoline prices, compare the cost of gasoline from 10 years ago to today and determine how these higher prices will affect our lives. You will also learn why gas prices are currently rising rapidly and compare the price of gas throughout the world.

Here are some helpful websites:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gas_Prices Wikipedia has an excellent and up-to-date entry on gas prices in 2004-2005 with links to many related articles.
How Gas Prices Work - You will find a list of historical gas prices here as well as some information on why gas prices are rising.
http://money.cnn.com/2005/09/02/markets/gas_prices/index.htm Today’s CNN/Money magazine article on the current prices.
http://money.cnn.com/2005/09/01/markets/gas_prices/index.htm?cnn=yes Money Magazine article on the current increase in gas prices with an explanation of the pipelines and current prices throughout the U.S.
http://money.cnn.com/pf/features/lists/global_gasprices/ A list of gas prices around the world.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/6948209/ Low down on the rise in current gas and oil prices.
Gas Buddy - Pick any state and learn what gas prices are there, or put in a zip code and find gasoline prices for the cities near that zip code.

Part 1 - Background:
Use the Internet information linked above to research gasoline prices, or find some sites of your own. If you use other websites be sure to write down their addresses for future reference and to turn in to me so I can check them for accuracy. Use Microsoft Word on the computer to type up your ideas and summaries. Read through some of these websites to get a better idea of why gas prices are increasing.

Part 2 – Analysis of Gas Prices
You will be answering the following questions as you develop an understanding on the rise of gasoline prices. These questions are already listed in your Word document on the laptops. Type your responses underneath each question.

Research the impact of Hurricane Katrina on gasoline prices. Why did it cause an increase in gas prices? What are some problems that this increase may cause? What are some things that are being done to control costs?
Research current gasoline prices across the country. Write a summary on why some states or areas have higher gasoline prices than others. Think about the area's location and population, does that affect their gasoline prices? Include current prices in your explanation.
Describe the changes in gasoline prices in the last fifty years.
Compare gas prices around the world. Do certain regions have lower prices than others? Which countries have the highest prices and which have the lowest? How does the current prices in the United States compare to the rest of the world?
Write down or copy/paste the URL of the websites you take information from so you can quickly go back to it if you need to to prove your point. Keep a list of the websites you visited to hand in.

World's Shortest Political Quiz

2005-08-30T09:48:00.000-04:00

Test this out next after you've posted your reactions to the NY Times articles.

What next?

2005-08-29T22:59:00.000-04:00

Alright, so now we have student blogs created, and we even have some students linking, quoting, and ranting about current events on their blogs. That's definitely a good start. We still need to clear up some technical difficulties: inviting me as a co-author, tinkering with the templates to remove the navigation bar, adding the rest of the class as links on the sidebar, and limiting comments to registered users.

I want to find a way to get students used to the mechanism of blogging (links, block quotes, commenting, etc.) without turning them off to the idea of blogs. Yes, there will be some "blog-homework" throughout the year, but I really hope that the blogs become a continuous online discussion and a chance for students to express themselves. We might have a fun "blog meme" this week just to jump start the process and to help us get to know each other.

As a way to encourage our new bloggers, I'm going to try and use this space for more than just daily assignments. (We'll still have our assignments up on www.mrdaly.com and at www2.ccs.k12.va.us/teachers/daly/--click on homework for this week's assignments). I'd like to use this space to "teach transparently" and give a look into my thoughts on blogs and teaching. Ideally, this will also include thoughtful suggestions from students (and maybe even parents).

This week we'll get all of the student blogs listed on each other's blogrolls (links) which should encourage them to read and begin to comment on each others blogs. Hopefully less technical problems than last week. Wish us luck.
- Mr. Daly

Bomb blast in Russian province

2005-08-25T12:01:00.000-04:00

test 3rd period

2005-08-25T11:37:00.000-04:00

here's a place for 3rd period to post their test comments.

- Mr. Daly

UVa special teams

2005-08-25T10:30:00.000-04:00

uva special teams.

1st period comments test

2005-08-25T10:16:00.000-04:00

Here's a place for 1st period to test out the comments function. Please post a comment on this page to let me know that your account is active and working.

thanks for putting up with our technological difficulties this morning!

- Mr. Daly

Welcome to Government & Politics

2005-08-15T13:39:00.000-04:00

Welcome to Government & Politics with Mr. Daly at Charlottesville High School. We will be using this blog and your own blogs to discuss current events, analyze political events, and debate policies and ideologies. These will take a few weeks to really get going, but I envision these blogs as a way to bring interesting articles and essays to the attention of your classmates. I expect that our classroom discussions and debates will borrow from our online blogging and vice versa. We will use this as an additional medium for student expression and collaboration. We're going to keep these blogs outside of the moodle website (www.mrdaly.com) as I am comfortable with Blogger and think that it will allow use to post articles, photos, and links quickly and easily. These blogs will be visible to the public (although I will not be listing them on Bloggers site). Please keep this in mind and conduct yourself in a safe and professional manner. Please do not use full names or include pictures of yourself or fellow classmates. This warning does not mean that you should censor your opinions or beliefs; in fact we should be encouraging each other to be open, honest, and even controversial. Government and Politics is an ever-changing subject and we all should have passionate feelings about many topics that will come up. If you find that some postings challenge your beliefs, you should feel free to respond with your own thoughts and ideas. This free exchange of ideas is vital (both in politics and blogging). I expect classes to start off with "I saw something interesting on _________'s blog last night" or "I linked to an article in the Times that really made me think about something _________ said in class last week." We may wander a bit from the syllabus and calendar, but that's perfectly ok (and a much more realistic way of learning). If these blogs are only viewed as "homework" it will be a great disservice to us all. Again, welcome to Government & Politics at CHS. We're going to have a great year. - Mr. Daly

Solar Cooking: Welcome

2005-05-10T11:54:00.000-04:00

Solar Cooking: Welcome

more solar cooking

Build a Solar Cooker

2005-05-10T11:35:00.000-04:00

Build a Solar Cooker

box-inside-a-box solar cooker

CHS Technology

2005-05-10T11:18:00.000-04:00

CHS Technology

Solar cooker pictures and plans

Build a Solar Cooker

2005-05-09T11:23:00.000-04:00

Build a Solar Cooker

quick and easy solar cooker plans.

Solar Cooker Designs

2005-05-09T11:15:00.000-04:00

solar1.htm

here are some additional solar cooker designs.

Solar Cookers ----Overview

2005-05-09T10:45:00.000-04:00

Thirteen Ed Online - Design Brief

Here's the overview and lesson plan for the week. We'll be using solar power to have a cookout. Please read all of these items before we move on to today's research.

Solar Cookers links and terms

2005-05-09T10:40:00.000-04:00

Thirteen Ed Online - RESEARCH LOG

We will be using these links and terms as we begin our research on solar cookers. The goal is that next week during SOL testing, we'll be able to have a class cookout with the devices that you will create. Today we'll familiarize ourselves with the terms and types of solar cookers. Tuesday and Thursday will be used to build and experiment with different designs.

Energy Webquest

2005-03-17T10:25:00.000-05:00

Introduction:

We've discussed energy resources and have completed the first 2 activities in the Alternate Energy Module. We've learned that energy is a vital part of our daily lives and that the costs, impacts, and amount of energy available are important matters to consider for our future.

Assignment:

- Students in groups of 3-4 will be assigned an energy source.
- Each student will be assigned a role (scientist, mayor, and citizen(s))
- Your role is described on the top of your chart. Keep your role in mind as you will be playing that part when your group presents your PowerPoint to the class.
- Students will research their topic using the internet. Resources are listed below.
- Student groups will use the computer lab to create Powerpoint presentations on their energy surce.

The presentations will include 8-to-10 slides that provide the following information about the energy source:

A title slide
a description of the energy source
where the energy source is found and how it is recovered
advantages and disadvantages of the energy source (pros and cons)
economic impacts of the energy source
environmental impacts of the energy source
any other interesting facts about the energy source
a final comment from each role, and the Mayor's final decision.
A slide listing the resources you used (include weblinks)

Resources

http://www.eia.doe.gov/kids/energyfacts/index.html an intro to different types of energy.

http://www.dailyprogress.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=CDP%2FMGArticle%2FCDP_BasicArticle&c=MGArticle&cid=1031780899628&path=!news Daily Progress article about protests in Fluvanna about the Lake Anna nuclear plant.

www.need.org/infobooks.htm: NEED’s energy sources fact sheets
www.eia.doe.gov/kids: Energy Information Administration’s Kid’s Page
www.energy.gov/kidz/kidzone.html: Department of Energy’s Kids Zone
www.awea.org: American Wind Energy Association
www.acf-coal.org: American Coal Foundation
www.nei.org: Nuclear Energy Institute
www.hydro.org: National Hydropower Association
www.ases.org: American Solar Energy Society
www.propanecouncil.org: Propane Education and Research Council
www.biomass.org: American Bioenergy Association
www.geotherm.org: Geothermal Energy Association
www.api.org: American Petroleum Institute
www.ngsa.org: Natural Gas Supply Association

we'll be adding more links as we find good resources, but this should provide a good start.

2005-02-03T13:27:00.000-05:00

www2.ccs.k12.va.us/teacher/daly/

Here's a snapshot of our class homepage. This was made using Hello, a great program that makes it easy and fast to add pictures and comments to your blog. Combined with Picasa and Blogger it makes webpublishing a snap. (It's fun, too!).

First Flight

2005-02-03T11:03:00.000-05:00

First Flight

Here's a good site on the history of flight, including simulations of early gliders and the Wright Brothers experiments.

2005-01-31T11:14:00.000-05:00

This week, we're looking at flight, Bernouli's principle, and the Wright Brothers.

2005-01-25T01:46:00.000-05:00

Just testing to see how "picasa", "hello" and "blogger" all work together to easily post pictures to a blog. Yes, I'm addicted to Google products.

DailyProgress.com | Bypass bill targets city, county

2005-01-17T23:27:00.000-05:00

DailyProgress.com | Bypass bill targets city, county

Daily Progress article on a Rt. 29 bypass possibility. 1/14/2005

Testing out the new webpage

2004-11-02T16:17:00.000-05:00

Just checking to see if I'm able to "blog" directly to the main page on my ccs website.

Bridge Basics 10/19/2004

2004-10-17T22:56:00.000-04:00

Today’s lesson will be an internet based research project, using several websites that will be linked here in this page. If you get lost, just head back to this page.

Each group will be responsible for:
- filling out the Bridge Questions sheet as they go through the websites
- a 3 minute presentation on one of the major bridge types.

Following the web-based research and group presentations we will be doing a hands-on activity to learn more about bridge designs. This will all be leading up to next week’s bridge-building contest.

1. First, go to http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/buildingbig/bridge/basics.html and read up on the different types of bridge design. Pick a type of bridge design and fill out the information on the Bridge Questions sheet in the Group Presentation section.

2. Next, click on the “Bridge Challenge” link at the bottom of that webpage--or click here: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/buildingbig/bridge/challenge/index.html for the PBS Bridge Challenge. Read each question thoroughly and examine all of your options (don’t just click on buttons). Fill in the Questions for the Bridge Challenge.

3. Go to http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/buildingbig/bridge/index.html and pick one of the famous bridges on the page. Fill in the Questions for the Famous Bridges section.

4. Prepare a brief presentation for the class on the bridge type of your choice. Include the information on your Bridge Questions sheet and explain the features of each bridge type. You will also be discussing the information you found on the Famous Bridges.

5. Now we will be working on a hands-on project that will allow you to design your own bridge in order to support the most weight.

Google

2004-10-14T10:08:00.000-04:00

Google

Google is a great search engine that will be a help when doing online research. Remember to choose your search words carefully, and consider each website before choosing the ones that best fit your needs.

CNN.com

2004-10-14T10:07:00.000-04:00

CNN.com

CNN.com is a great site for news of all sorts. Click on the Technology button on the left side for news about Computers and Technology. It's a great resource for current events.

Test post at NTTI

2004-10-13T10:27:00.000-04:00

Testing a post here at NTTI with blockquoting and other features.

The blog we're using today is http://mcpstech.blogspot.com/

Welcome

2004-10-12T11:57:00.000-04:00

Welcome to my Weblog. This page will allow me to continually update all of you on happenings in the world of Technology Education at Charlottesville High School. I'll periodically post thoughts, lesson plans, activities, and links to interesting articles and websites that we'll be using in class.

Don't forget that a lot of the useful websites we'll be using are listed on www.portaportal.com. Type in "MrDaly" as the Guest login and you can find those sites.