DAVID CUTLER · 2025–2026 ARCHIVE
Public reading edition · October 10, 2026. Read the daily classwork and homework here; no school login is required. These dates and directions belong to the archived course. Classwork and homework from the 2025–2026 course.
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Friday, January 23, 2026
Class Activity #1 — Congress: House vs. Senate
Analyze “What Do the Facts Say?” graphs (p. 133)
Complete House vs. Senate comparison chart
Discuss Great Compromise and representation
U.S. Constitution, Article I
CrashCourse: Congressional Structure
Read Chapter 4, pp. 150–160
Monday, January 26, 2026
Enumerated & Implied Powers of Congress
Article I, Section 8 scenario matching
Elastic Clause demonstration
Review McCulloch v. Maryland
Article I, Section 8
CrashCourse: Congressional Powers
Continue Chapter 4 reading
Begin InQuizitive — Chapter 4 (Congress)
Wednesday, January 28, 2026
Class Activity #2 — How a Bill Becomes a Law
I’m Just a Bill
Compare “How It Works: In Theory vs. Practice”
Begin Civil Rights Act of 1964 law-tracking poster
Schoolhouse Rock: I’m Just a Bill
Read Chapter 4, pp. 160–169
Thursday, January 29, 2026
Why Bills Fail
Committees, filibusters, holds
Continue CRA posters
Vox: Why Congress Can’t Pass Laws
Continue InQuizitive — Chapter 4
Friday, January 30, 2026
Class Activity #3 — Rules, Committees & FRQ Skills
House vs. Senate rules
FRQ task-verb practice (describe vs. explain)
Reflection questions from pacing guide
Finish InQuizitive — Chapter 4 (Congress)
Monday, February 2, 2026
Class Activity #4 — Redistricting & Gerrymandering
PBS gerrymandering video
SCOTUS case comparisons:
Baker v. Carr
Shaw v. Reno
PBS: Is Geometry Silencing Your Vote?
Read Chapter 4, pp. 169–171
Wednesday, February 4, 2026
SCOTUS & Congressional Behavior
Documentary
Study for Congress MC Quiz
Thursday, February 5, 2026
Congress Review Day
Review Topics 2.1–2.3
MC practice
No homework assigned.
Friday, February 6, 2026
Congress MC Quiz
Multiple-choice quiz on Congress
Read Chapter 5, pp. 184–201
Monday, February 9, 2026
Continue Chapter 5 reading
Schenck v. United States
SCOTUS Activity
No separate homework directions retained in this public reading edition.
Wednesday, February 11, 2026
Class Activity #6 — Checks on the Presidency
Flint AI overview of Executive Powers
Identify congressional & judicial checks
Activity: Tinker v. Des Moines
Begin InQuizitive — Chapter 5 (The Presidency)
Thursday, February 12, 2026
Class Activity #7 — Expansion of Presidential Power
Read Federalist No. 70
Watch Imperial Presidency video
Argue for or against modern executive power
Federalist No. 70
Finish InQuizitive — Chapter 5
Friday, February 13, 2026
Presidential Communication
Going public and agenda setting
No homework assigned.
Monday, February 16, 2026
No School — Presidents Day
No separate homework directions retained in this public reading edition.
Wednesday, February 18, 2026
Class Activity #8 — Judicial Review & Federalist No. 78
Article III bell ringer
Analytical Reading Activity on Federalist No. 78
Introduce Brown v. Board of Education
Federalist No. 78
Read Chapter 6, pp. 231–241
Thursday, February 19, 2026
Class Activity #9 — Precedent & Judicial Reasoning
McDonald v. Chicago
Introduce Tinker v. Des Moines
Read Chapter 6, pp. 242–250
Friday, February 20, 2026
Class Activity #10 — The Court in Action
Flowchart how a case reaches SCOTUS
Deep dive: New York Times v. United States
Read Chapter 6, pp. 251–262
Complete InQuizitive — Chapter 6 (The Courts)
Monday, February 23, 2026
Class Activity #12 — The Federal Bureaucracy
“How It Works: In Theory vs. Practice”
Define discretionary authority
A Day in the Life of Federal Regulations
Read Chapter 7, pp. 294–303
Wednesday, February 25, 2026
Class Activity #13 — Holding the Bureaucracy Accountable
Take-a-Stand activity
Congressional oversight examples
Complete InQuizitive — Chapter 7 (The Bureaucracy)
Thursday, February 26, 2026
Class Activity #14 — Policy and the Branches
Seven stages of policymaking
Policy flowcharts and gallery walk
No homework assigned.
Monday, March 2, 2026
Unit 2 Review
No separate homework directions retained in this public reading edition.
Wednesday, March 4, 2026
Unit 2 Test — MC & FRQ
No separate homework directions retained in this public reading edition.