This week, we’ll lay the foundation for the rest of the course, by examining the foundational document of American Government, The Constitution.   You will learn about the structure of the Constitution and by extension the whole structure of the government- how it was designed and why. Written over 200 years ago, but still the highest law in the land, you need to read it and understand it, as much of the rest of your course work will be built on this information. The Constitution can be found here– download it or print it, read it a bunch. It’s the longest continually running written constitution in the world, and the law of the land where you currently reside, so it’s well worth your time.  If you find it challenging to read at first, that’s very understandable- most of it is over 200 years old! It will get easier, I promise. Do your best, and watch Crash Course Videos 2-5 to help. When reading the Constitution, remember to look for examples of specificity, vagueness, and flexibility, as well as for the hidden $20.00.  Bring your questions to class on Tuesday so we can discuss them.

Make sure to check out the Weekly Work Page (and then do everything listed on it) each week (you could even print each section, if you like having physical reminders). Looking through our Introduction Slide Show, we’ve already got a few students (and a really fun collection of animals- a dog, a cat, and a snake so far!)  If you’d like to do a slide, go do one by September 18!  It’s the easiest 5 points you’ll earn in this class ;o)

Speaking of easy but required work, everyone was supposed to write a goal-setting introductory post, making an initial (revocable/changeable) selection of what assignments you will be doing and what your plan for learning is by September 12, and so far, we’ve only got one (well done Muhammad!). It’s okay to be a day or two late on your blogging, but you do have to do it, and you don’t want to fall behind this early in the semester, so get to it. If you’re still unsure about how to blog, read the syllabus, read the blog instructions thoroughly, and check in with your team (once you’ve figured it out, you can offer to help folks on your team). Our first week of team blogging kicks off this week, with Team L responsible for sharing their blog posts by September 19, and the rest of us responsible for reading and writing thoughtful comments by September 22.

If you’re having trouble getting started because of technical challenges, please check out the technical tools section at the bottom of our homepage, for information on how you can reserve computers on campus or even request a loaner laptop you can use at home. You can also email me- I am here to help!