Thursday, December 19, 2013

Period 2: Test Debrief and Depositions - Class Recap

Last Winter Break, I went to Phoenix, Arizona for the Fiesta Bowl. This year, I'll be headed to San Antonio, Texas for the Alamo Bowl! :-)

Welcome to your Winter Break!

With the condensed schedule today, due to the 2 hour late opening, we really did not have all that much time today. Here's what happened:

Soundtrack: “Breakfast at Tiffany’s” by Deep Blue Something. Selected because you easily could have had a nice long breakfast today with the late opening and also, it has the word "break" in the title. Lyrics here.

AGENDA 12/19/13:
Tort Reports
Review Test
The Deposition
Finish Notebooks

Homework: Have a wonderful Winter Break! Read the blog. Next tort report assigned to: Patrick and someone else, who wasn't on the original sign up sheet.
---
Tort Reports: Austin selected an article about a class action lawsuit having to do with New York City's "Stop and Frisk" law. He needs to email me or comment with the link for credit.

Review Test: I passed back the test to everyone that took it last class and we went over the answers together. Hopefully, the reasoning behind everything makes sense! I was pleased that the scores were, on average, much higher than in the past. Well done!

The Deposition: For the rest of class, we talked about what a deposition is and then watched an episode of The Office called "The Deposition," which involved a lawsuit by a character against her former employer for wrongful termination.

Finish Notebooks: At the end of class, I had everyone turn in their notebooks from the last unit for a notebook check. I will stay after school today and grade all of these - if you want your notebook back, go ahead and come grab it from the room tomorrow.

Tuesday, December 17, 2013

Period 2: Contracts/Warranties/Credit Test Day - Class Recap

ATTENTION: Today, Thursday, December 19th, Beaverton School District will be operating with a Two Hour Delay due to icy conditions. Please check out the updated bell schedule for Westview here. See you later!

Buckingham Palace, in London, where the Queen resides.

Hi everyone,

Congratulations! If you took the test today in class, you have one less thing to worry about before Winter Break. I am looking forward to going through them and seeing how well everyone did. I hope it was not too difficult - it should not have been, if you studied the review sheet!

Soundtrack: "Kings and Queens" by 30 Seconds to Mars. Selected for today because it is a sort of pump up song for ESPN's tennis coverage and because I hope you are feeling like Kings and Queens now that you are done with the test! Lyrics here.

AGENDA 12/17/13:
Tort Reports
Test
Independent Study

Homework: Bring completed notebook to turn in next class (see below for what you need to have)! Read the blog! Next tort report assigned to: Austin.
---
Tort Reports: Randi selected this article to talk about with the class, of a case involving a frivolous lawsuit: WashingtonPost.com - Man who said he fell on banana peel in Metro station accused of fraud; had seen camera.

Alekzander chose this story to recap: Lawhaha.com - Plaintiffs Say “Boo!” to Haunted Halloween Tort Immunity.

Thank you both!

Test: As promised. And hopefully, as prepared for. I got the sense that this was pretty easy for students that prepared. At least, we had a high rate of students turning the test in with plenty of time to go in the class. I tried to make it a little more simple than in the past.

Independent Study: The rest of the class was devoted to quiet work on completing your notebook, or on work for other classes if you were already finished. Here's what you need to have for next class:

Notebook Check #3:
Chapter 23 (Contracts): Definitions and Answers to 23.1-4
Chapter 24 (Warranties): Definitions and Answers to 24.1-3
Chapter 25 (Credit): Definitions and Answers to 25.1-3 and 7
"The Madoff Affair" Answers

If you did not see the Madoff Affair in class, here it is to watch online. The questions are:
1. How did Bernie Madoff’s scheme work?
2. What was the promised return on investment, per year?
3. What is the “frontrunning” fraud for market makers?
4. How did Madoff originally get cleared by the Securities and Exchange Commission?
5. What were some of the lawsuits that came out of the Madoff fraud being discovered?

Friday, December 13, 2013

Period 2: Contract/Warranties/Credit Test Review, Day 2 - Class Recap

I like the symbolism of this trail full of roots in Hawaii. One more week to go before Winter Break!

Hi everyone,

Welcome to your weekend! I hope you are here in the hopes of studying more for the unit test next class. Let's get right to it!

Soundtrack: “Irreplaceable” by Beyonce. Selected because she released an album last night, with zero advance notice! Lyrics here.

AGENDA 12/13/13:
Tort Reports
Review Sheets (Chapters 23/25)
Jeopardy
Study Time

Homework: Study for the test next class! Read the blog! Next tort reports: Marissa and Alekzander.

Tort Reports: Randi brought in this article today: NBCNews.com - Man wrongly imprisoned in murder case wins $13.2 million in civil rights lawsuit.

Review Sheets: We went over the answers to the worksheets for chapters 23 and 25, which I passed out last class. This will be a similar style to the questions on the test next class.

Jeopardy: As always, a fun time to be had by all. Congratulations to Team 1! If you wanted to review (especially the sections on Contracts/Warranties/Credit), here's the PowerPoint:


Study Time: The rest of class was devoted to independent study for the test next class. Please let me know if you have any more questions that I can help you with! See you on Tuesday for the test!

Wednesday, December 11, 2013

Period 2: Contract/Warranty/Credit Test Review, Day 1 - Class Recap

Lots of water/ice on the ground this morning. This is a waterfall near Multnomah Falls!

Hi everyone,

Here's what we did today in class. Hopefully, you are feeling ready for the test next week!

Soundtrack: “Ice Ice Baby” by Vanilla Ice. Selected because of the freezing fog that gave Portland Public Schools a two hour late opening today, but nothing for us. Lyrics here.

AGENDA 12/11/13:
Tort Reports
Student Loan Debrief
Test Review
Work Time

Homework: Review for upcoming test! Read the blog! Next tort reports assigned: Alondra and Randi.
---
Tort Reports: Today's articles were brought in by Erin, Ellen, and Jaxon. They were:

NBCNews.com - Lawsuit filed against shuttered ambulance service that stranded hospitals in six states.



Student Loan Debrief: We talked about the video that ended last class - student loan debt. I wanted to answer any questions and talk about the importance of knowing your options for college! My point here was to just be aware of debt that you could get yourself into, and different ways to diminish it.

Test Review: As I said in class, for whatever reason, it seems like this period has a difficult time with tests. This time around, I am hoping to make things a little easier for you - with plenty of review time and a sheet that will have all of the vocab you are going to need to know. If you missed class or lost your paper, here it is again to check out:


Work Time: I also passed out a worksheet with vocab from chapters 23 and 25 to work on in class. We will go over the answers (and play Jeopardy to review!) next class. Thank you for studying! Please let me know if you have any questions about the terms that I can go over again!

Friday, December 6, 2013

Period 2: Credit, Day 2 - Class Recap

It's too bad it wasn't this snowy outside this morning. Maybe next week? ;-)

Hi everyone,

Well, that was certainly a fast week. Another three day weekend upcoming, too! We are speeding right along to Winter Break

Soundtrack: “Snowfall Music” by Carbon Leaf. Selected because, even if it was just a little, it was snowing outside during class! Lyrics here.

AGENDA 12/6/13:
Tort Reports
Chapter 25 Work
Answers and Discussion
Default: The Student Loan Documentary

Homework: Review for upcoming test! Read the blog! Next tort reports assigned to: Ellen and Erin.

Tort Reports: Today's tort reports were brought in by Kaitlyn and Miles. They were:


and


Thank you both!

Chapter 25 Work: This should be the last chapter of book work until Winter Break, at least. I just asked students to do 25.1-3 and 25.7 - the chapter is on the concept of credit.

Answers and Discussion: As usual, I found the discussion of answers to be really good here. Lots of interesting perspectives shared. Hopefully, everyone is getting solid on the main points of contracts, warranties, and credit!

Default: The Student Loan Documentary: At the end of class, I showed this mini-documentary that first aired on PBS, about the student loan crisis in America. It really is such an important issue to be aware of, especially for those of you who have college as an option in the future. Knowing what you are getting yourself into and possible ways to avoid it is really critical knowledge. If you missed it in class, or wanted to watch the rest that we didn't get to, the video is here:


Have a great weekend - see you next week, to prepare for the unit test!

Wednesday, December 4, 2013

Period 2: Fraud - Class Recap

In the hopes of some snow later this week (it looks like the forecast is changing to no snow - sad times), here's a picture I like of a previous snowstorm in Portland, 2009.

Welcome back, everyone!

That certainly was quite the break - it was over a week, all told! It was nice to see everyone today and get back down to work. Only 5 more classes until break: really, not that much time left, at all! Here's the class recap for the day.

Soundtrack: “Refuge (When It’s Cold Outside)” by John Legend. Selected because it was really cold outside this morning, for sure. Lyrics here.

AGENDA 12/4/13:
Tort Reports
The Madoff Affair
Debrief
Book Work Catch Up

Homework: Review for upcoming test! Read the blog! Next tort reports assigned to: Jaxon and Kaitlyn.
---
Tort Reports: Brendan and Bertina had articles for today.



Thank you both!

The Madoff Affair: Most of class was devoted to watching and then discussing this PBS Frontline documentary. If you missed class, or wanted to watch it again, here it is. The main point here was a look at what fraud is and the various (huge) lawsuits that came out of this case. I also wanted students to be answering these questions in notebooks:

1. How did Bernie Madoff’s scheme work?
2. What was the promised return on investment, per year? 
3. What is the “frontrunning” fraud for market makers?
4. How did Madoff originally get cleared by the Securities and Exchange Commission?
5. What were some of the lawsuits that came out of the Madoff fraud being discovered?

Debrief: After watching the documentary, we went over the answers and had a good discussion about the documentary and the specifics of the case. I was glad to hear how everyone was engaging in what happened and why.

Thanks, everyone! Next class, we will finish the last book work of the unit: Chapter 25.

Tuesday, November 26, 2013

Period 2: Warranties and Credit - Class Recap

Autzen Stadium in Eugene - site of the Civil War football game this Friday. Go Ducks!

Hi everyone,

Welcome to your Thanksgiving break! I hope you enjoy it and come back ready to work hard until Winter break. Let me know if I can be helping you out with what is going on in class!

Soundtrack: “Return of the Quack” by Supwitchugirl. Selected because it was Civil War day today at Westview and because the Ducks are going to win six straight over the Beavers on Friday. Lyrics here.

AGENDA 11/26/13:
Tort Reports (Girls lawsuit)
Chapter 24 Answers
PowerPoint on Credit
Grade Check/Make Up Time

Homework: Turn in missing/incomplete work! Read the blog! Next tort reports assigned to: Shakti/Bertina.

Tort Reports: We did not have a student tort report today in class, but I did bring in a lawsuit of my own, stemming off of this commercial for "Goldie Blox" - who sued the Beastie Boys (counterintuitive, I know).


I thought this was another interesting case having to do with copyright infringement.

Chapter 24 Answers: The chapter on warranties was pretty short, and so was our answer time here. I did give away a couple of free food coupons from recent sporting events as rewards for answering! :-)

PowerPoint on Credit: Next, I went through the main definitions and concepts from the upcoming chapter on credit (Chapter 25). Here is the PowerPoint if you missed it in class or wanted to see it again:


We will do plenty of work with this next week - it is obviously something that impacts us all!

Grade Check/Make Up Time: The rest of the class was given to checking in with everyone about individual grades and what everyone needs to do in order to improve before progress reports. Almost everyone in the class is in this situation of having work to catch up or complete fully. Students who were done could have moved on to starting the work on Chapter 25 in the book.

Friday, November 22, 2013

Period 2: Warranties, Day 1 - Class Recap

President John F. Kennedy was assassinated 50 years ago today, in Dallas. Here's a quote I really like at the JFK Presidential Library in Boston.

Hi everyone,

I tried as best I could to make the lesson on warranties interesting - I do wonder if the Friday morning malaise made it difficult. Hopefully, we got there in the end! 

Soundtrack: “Wordplay” by Jason Mraz. Selected because specific words are what makes contracts really important. Lyrics here.

AGENDA 11/22/13:
Tort Reports
Introduction to Warranties
Used Car Simulation
Chapter 24 Work

Homework: Read the blog! Next tort reports assigned to: Tim and Brendan.
---
Tort Reports: Marsuk remembered to bring this article in to talk about: MercuryNews.com - Apple vs. Samsung: Jury awards $290 million to Apple in patent feud. We discovered in class that I was mistaken about Samsung delivering the money owed in coins. That's a hoax! Always good to check. :-)

Introduction to Warranties: I thought this was one of the best PowerPoints of all time. With Tommy Boy movie clips that relate to guarantees/warranties/sales! Here it is to review again if you missed class or did not take notes:


Pretty basic stuff, I hope.

Used Car Simulation: Next, I had Daniel, Kham, and Austin do a roleplay of buying a car. Which is helpful, because Kham actually IS going car shopping soon! Here is the mini-lesson to review, if you wanted to check it out again. Remember that you will almost certainly need to be able to read a warranty and decide what it covers as a part of the upcoming test.

Chapter 24 Work: The rest of the class was devoted to answering questions in the book. Not super glamorous, I know, but it means that we can move forward with the next chapter (and probably watch the Madoff documentary) next class, instead of spending two days on a (mostly) dry topic.

Have a wonderful weekend! See you on Tuesday!

Wednesday, November 20, 2013

Period 2: Contracts, Day 2 - Class Recap

My view from the 2011 Pac-12 Championship game. Quite the production, considering that the players do not get paid besides what their scholarship covers!

Hi everyone,

Hopefully today was a more interesting and easy way to complete the book work in class. I'm trying to make things even easier to follow along with, in the hopes that, come test time, it will make much more sense. Please let me know if I can clear up any of the concepts we talked about in class today! On to the recap:

Soundtrack: “Warning” by Incubus. Selected because, frequently, contracts come with warnings about what will happen if they are broken. Lyrics here.

AGENDA 11/20/13:
Tort Reports
As A Class: Chapter 23
O’Bannon v. NCAA
Email Contracts

Homework: Read the blog! Next tort reports assigned to: Marsuk/Miles.
---
Tort Reports: Ryan signed up for today's tort report and brought in this article - HuffingtonPost.com - Black College Student Arrested For Buying A Designer Belt, Barneys and NYPD Slapped With Lawsuit.

Remember that, in order to receive extra credit for doing this assignment now, you also need to fill out the report form that goes along with it (copies are in class and linked to on the upper right side of the blog). Thanks!

As A Class: Chapter 23: Because Chapter 23 was so short, I just read through it and as a class, we answer the questions. Hopefully these all made sense. Make sure to check out the PowerPoint from last class if you missed it.

O'Bannon v. NCAA: To begin this part of class, I introduced this lawsuit by some former (and a few current) athletes that had their likenesses used in video games and with other profitable enterprises with no compensation other than a scholarship. Here's the video we watched in class:


I then passed out this article from the New York Times about the settlement with EA Sports. The litigation with the NCAA is still ongoing. Please note the four questions that I had everyone answer in notebooks!


Make sure to read this and complete the questions if you were not in class today!

We did not have time in class to look at email contracts, but I did have students note the differences between Tort Law and Contract Law, which are as follows:

Kinds of Civil Law


Tort
Contract
What binds individuals
Laws of society, as defined by  statutes and precedents

Specific Agreements

Who is bound
Groups of people (often, everybody) who have a duty
The specific individuals who willfully enter into the agreement, thereby creating a duty for themselves

Next class, we will get into warranties and possibly revisit contracts for a bit.

Monday, November 18, 2013

Period 2: Contract Law, Day 1 - Class Recap

I said in class that there wasn't much to see in Bucharest, Romania. Here was my best effort on Instagram to put together a few cool scenes from the city (June 2013).

Hi everyone,

It felt so good to be back today with a plan of action in mind and a calendar made! Now I feel ready to continue as your teacher for the rest of the year. Hopefully, we will be able to cover some pretty interesting material in that time. On to the recap:

Soundtrack: “Airplanes” by B.o.B. Selected for today because of the famous Pepsi Harrier jet case.

AGENDA 11/18/13:
Tort Reports/Calendar
Pepsi Points
Contract Law PowerPoint
Leonard v. Pepsico Case Study

Homework: Read the blog! Next tort report (extra credit - see below for form) signed up to be:

---
Tort Reports/Calendar: I went over the updated format for tort reports from now on. They will be for extra credit (5 points), but also have a written report component as well. Only students who do not currently have A's in the class are allowed to sign up for these (but if you have an A and your grade slips to a B, yes, you can then do it for extra credit). Here is the form you will need to fill out to do these:


This link will also be on the side of the blog and paper copies will be in class, along with the updated calendar for the class up until Winter Break.

Pepsi Points: To start off this section (before the PowerPoint and activity based on the case), I showed this actual commercial that Pepsi aired in the 1990s:


After showing the commercial, I asked students to think about how contract law might regulate the claim for a Harrier jet that somebody actually made, as I went through...

Contract Law PowerPoint: Featuring pictures from my trip in Europe this past summer! I am switching up the order of what we do, based on your class feedback. From now on, I will do PowerPoints with definitions BEFORE the assigned book work, so you will have many of the key terms written down already. If I went too fast, or you missed class, here it is to look at again:


Next class, we will go through these concepts some more, via examples in the book and probably some other cases.

Leonard v. Pepsico Case Study: For the last part of class, I went over the specifics of the claim (again, this was an actual case) that was made against Pepsi for not selling someone a Harrier jet with the 7 million points collected via purchasing them. It is a really interesting case in contract law! I had students get into groups of four, with two on each side. If you missed class and wanted to see what we did, here it is to check out:


I enjoyed hearing everyone's perspectives on this! In the end, the courts sided with Pepsi, for the "reasonable person" standard, statute of frauds defense, and probably the public policy defense as well.

Next class, we will get into some more situations like this. See you on Wednesday!

Thursday, November 14, 2013

Period 2: Feedback and Mock Trials - Class Recap

Fireworks at the start of the US Open in 2011. Yay, I get to stay as your teacher! :-)

Hi everyone,

I am delighted to be able to say that this will not be the last class recap blog entry for you! Hopefully, you are almost as excited as I am that I will be staying until January 10 or so. It was sort of a whirlwind process this week and I am left not entirely sure what we will be doing in class next (because today was supposed to be my last day), so hopefully I will be better prepared next week. On to the recap!

Soundtrack: “Stay With You” by John Legend. Selected for the obvious reason that I am going to stay as your teacher through January 10, due to Ms. Youngblood extending her leave. Lyrics here.

AGENDA 11/14/13:
Status Update
Tort Reports
Feedback Review
Mock Trials

Homework: Read the blog! Have a great weekend!
---
Status Update: Before I started the rest of class, I wanted to go over the updates with the teaching situation and let everyone know that I will be continuing on and the reasons for why I did not know this for sure until yesterday afternoon (thus, leaving me not a lot of time to plan). Hopefully, I was able to answer any questions you had about what is going on, as well.

Tort Reports: Unfortunately, nobody remembered to bring in a tort report today. Next class, then! At least it isn't a permanent zero, like if I had left today!

Feedback Review: Here is the PowerPoint full of the anonymous feedback that everyone gave me last class. I always love looking at this to see what is going well and what needs to be improved on.


The word clouds (the bigger the word, the more times it was used) were created using Wordle.net.

To sum it up, it appears that the class likes our discussions and debates, thinks that we can improve checking the blog and studying, that I am nice and funny, and that I should assign less book work. I will try to incorporate these into my plans!

Mock Trials: For the rest of class, we had a little fun with some mock tort trials that were from this document. I had students feel free to elaborate and create back stories that would make the jury (the rest of the class) side with them. This was a last minute find last night, but I think it was a pretty fun activity.

I will probably come in tomorrow (Friday) on my own time to try and figure out a long term plan for class, so feel free to come find me in Lower North Teacher Cluster if you need to check in.

Tuesday, November 12, 2013

Period 2: Test Debrief - Class Recap

The lights of a MAX train downtown, going up the Steel Bridge in downtown Portland. This was a long exposure of something like 15 seconds or so. I love the effect!

Hello everyone,

I'm posting this way later than usual - I'm still at school! Normally, I try to get the blog posted during 8th period, but as you can imagine, I am swamped with stuff to grade and look at.  Here's the recap:

Soundtrack: “Come Rain or Come Shine” by Billie Holiday. Selected for today because it was raining out this morning, and also because the test may have gone poorly for some (raining) or gone really well for others (shining). Lyrics here.

AGENDA 11/12/13:
Tort Reports
Review Test/Make Up Test
Class Feedback
Work Time – Notebooks Due At End of Class

Homework: Read the blog! Next tort reports assigned to: everyone that has not done one yet! 
---
Tort Reports: Quinn remembered to bring in this article today - TheGuardian.com - Spike Lee sued over George Zimmerman tweet. What an interesting case!

Review Test/Make Up Test: For most of class, we went over the answers to the torts test from last class. Students who were not present last class were able to complete the test out in the hall. It was fun going through all the answers with everyone. Remember that if you did not do well, a nice and easy (I hope) notebook check was due today at the end of class.

Class Feedback: After a while teaching a class, I like to try and ask for feedback about how everything is going, in the hopes of improving and understanding what is going well. The questions that I asked students to answer anonymously were:

1) What do you like about this class/what is the class good at?

2) What can improve about the class/what can the class get better at?

3) What do you like about Mr. Fritz as a teacher?

4) What can Mr. Fritz improve at as a teacher?

Finally: If you have any general feedback you would like to give (not to be shared with the class) on my time as your teacher, please take a few minutes and write it. This can be on a separate sheet of paper if you want – I guess I would prefer if you put your name for this one, since I can then ask you individually if I have any questions. Thank you!

I look forward to reading these - we will talk about them next class.

Work Time: The rest of the period was devoted to work time for finishing up any notebook work, in order to be turned in at the end of class. I have all of the notebooks that were turned in today graded, so you will get them back at the start of next class. Thank you for your hard work!

Wednesday, November 6, 2013

Period 2: Torts Test Day, Class Recap

Congratulations! If you completed the torts test in class today (and hopefully did well), you have climbed to the top of the torts knowledge pyramid. This is Chichen Itza in the Mexican Yucatan Peninsula, 2010.

Hi everyone,

I hope the torts test went well! I am looking forward to grading them and getting them back to you next week. Other than that, it was a really basic day.

Soundtrack: “Sirius” by The Alan Parsons Project. This song has no lyrics, but I was hoping that you would take the test "sirius-ly" and also be pumped up by the song, which in my mind is most known for being the Chicago Bulls entrance music. Listen here.

AGENDA 11/6/13:
Tort Reports
Torts Unit Test
Quiet Work

Homework: Notebook check next class (see below for the requirements). All missing, late, make up work and tests are due by Tuesday (next class). Read the blog! Next tort reports assigned to: Quinn, Brenda, Shelaleh.

Tort Reports: Alekzander was the only student to bring in a tort report today. He selected this story (not really an article, but a response by OSHU to a civil case, which counts): OHSU.edu - OHSU responds to tort claim trial jury decision.

Torts Unit Test: The rest of class was devoted to taking the torts unit class. Thank you for working hard on this - I hope everyone studied hard and did well!

Quiet Work: After completing the test, it was quiet work time in class. Hopefully, your notebook is all good to go for next Tuesday, but if it is not, here is what needs to be turned in:

Civil Law Notebook Check #2:

Mosely v. Portland Public Schools Answers. If you missed this in class or somehow forgot the questions/case, here it is to look at again: ClassroomLaw.org - Mosely v. Portland Public Schools Handout.
Chapter 18: Torts Introduction Definitions and Answers 18.1-11
Chapter 19: Intentional Torts Definitions and Answers 19.1-19.9
Chapter 20: Negligence Definitions and Answers 20.1-20.7
Chapter 21: Strict Liability Definitions and Answers 21.1-7 (except 21.4 and 21.6)

Thank you for all of your hard work! See you next week - enjoy the long weekend!

Monday, November 4, 2013

Period 2: Final Torts Review, Class Recap

Over the weekend, I went to the Portland Timbers playoff match in Seattle. This was the Seattle fan display before the game. The Timbers won, 2-1. Hopefully, the test next class is a similar sort of awesome nightmare! :-)

Hi everyone,

Next class is your big test on torts, so I hope that you are reading this post carefully! Only three more class periods as your long term substitute, as well. Here's what we did today:

Soundtrack: “Quit Playing Games (With My Heart)” by The Backstreet Boys. Chosen for today because we played a Jeopardy review game in class, as well as the lyric "sometimes I wish I could turn back time" (which we did over the weekend)! Lyrics here.

AGENDA 11/4/13:
Tort Reports
Review Answers
Jeopardy
Study Time

Homework: The torts test is next class! Please do not blow this off - study! Review your notes and this blog. Next tort reports assigned to: Alondra and Alekzander.

Tort Reports: The two articles brought in today were: DailyJournal.net - Mo. judge approves $1.35 million settlement in civil lawsuit involving KC priest (Randi) and ABCNews.go.com - Idaho Inmates Sue Beer, Wine Companies for $1B (Marissa). Both interesting cases, thank you ladies!

Review Answers: In class, we answered the questions on the review sheet, which can be found here, if you need another copy:


Many of these same questions are identical to what is on the test, so please remember/review the answers!

Jeopardy: To review some more, we played a fun game of Jeopardy, complete with questions that relate to both the class content and some fun questions about me and students in the class. I don't think you will be actually able to play the game again, but if you wanted to review, here is the PowerPoint I used:


I hope you had fun with this! I always do. I also hope that you learned a bit more about the concepts and vocabulary that are going to be on the test.

Study Time: The rest of the class was devoted to studying for the test. Here are some resources that might help you do that at home, aside from your notebooks:



Google Drive - Strict Liability PowerPoint

Let me know if you have any questions, or I can help you study further! Please come to class prepared on Wednesday. Thanks!

Thursday, October 31, 2013

Period 2: Strict Liability - Class Recap

My British aunt and uncle's dog, Charlie, featured in the PowerPoint today on strict liability. Charlie wouldn't hurt a soul (even though he sometimes barks up a storm), so it would be unlikely my relatives could be sued under strict liability if he all of a sudden started biting someone.

Hi everyone,

Happy Halloween! It was fun to see everyone that dressed up today. I think we were able to get much more clear about what strict liability is, as well. On to the recap!

Soundtrack: “Thriller” by Michael Jackson. Selected because of it being Halloween related. Lyrics here.

AGENDA 10/31/13:
Tort Report
Chapter 21 Review
Strict Liability PowerPoint
Torts Test Review

Homework: REVIEW! The torts final is next Wednesday. All late/makeup work needs to be in to me by 11/12 at the very latest. Read the blog. Next tort reports assigned to: Marissa and Randi.
---

Chapter 21 Review: For the first 15 minutes or so of class, students answered the questions posed in Chapter 21 of the Street Law textbook (except 21.4 and 21.6). We then went over the answers to most of the questions together, before moving on.

Strict Liability PowerPoint: Short and to the point. This was almost identical to what the book had to say, but hopefully I was able to explain it in a way that made it make more sense. Here it is to download/look at, if you want:


I will also post all the other tort related PowerPoints below.

Torts Test Review: Again, you have a huge torts test next Wednesday. This is not a surprise. I passed out a review in class - we will go over it next Monday. If you missed class or lost the paper, here it is to download:


Many of the questions on that guide will be on the test. Some of them we did not go over in class, so I will make sure to explain the answers on Monday. Here are the PowerPoints that might help with studying over the weekend. Your notebooks should help, as well.




Please be studying! Next class, we will play Jeopardy to review, which should be pretty fun. Have a great and safe Halloween weekend!

Tuesday, October 29, 2013

Period 2, Negligence, Day 2 - Class Recap

The view from the top of Diamond Head, Oahu, Hawaii, in 2011. To get to this stunning vista point, you have to climb up a very steep set of stairs and tunnels - one with all sorts of warning signs. I think one of the reasons that the signs are there is that the park service is hoping they will not be liable for any damages as a result of neglecting to warn visitors.

Hi everyone,

We are SO close to being done with book work! I think just a little more time next class, then we will go over Chapter 21 answers and a Strict Liability PowerPoint, before I give out a final torts test review.

Soundtrack: “Who Let The Dogs Out?” by Baha Men. Selected because an easy example of strict liability is animals that are so dangerous that they injure others, without the owner having anything to do with it. In those sorts of cases, the owner is always liable for damages. Lyrics here.

AGENDA 10/29/13:
Tort Report
Blog Recap
Chapter 20 Review
Strict Liability: Chapter 21 (Not 21.4 or 21.6)

Homework: Study for upcoming unit final test! Turn in missing work. Read the blog! Next tort reports assigned to: Luke/Marsuk.

Tort Report: Jaxon brought in this article (which is over a decade old, but I guess I will take it, mostly because it is a ridiculous example of a lawsuit): TheSmokingGun.com - Another Ass Sues Viacom.

Bertina selected this article, which is directly related to a unit I did last year in Economics here: ChicagoTribune.com - Bank of America liable for Countrywide mortgages fraud.

Finally, Tommy chose this article about a lawsuit from July against Delta Air Lines: DailyMail.co.uk - Paralyzed man sues Delta Airlines claiming he was forced to crawl from plane while wearing his 'best suit'

Thank you, everyone! As always, I always like hearing about various different lawsuits and what your takes on them are.

Blog Recap: I showed the class the blog entry for last time, making sure to note that the PowerPoint could be downloaded for help in preparing for the upcoming test.

Chapter 20 Review: I gave everyone more time to try and finish up Chapter 20 in the textbook. If students were able to complete this before I went over it, I gave out a Chapter 19/20 worksheet and assigned Chapter 21 (except answers to 21.4 or 21.6).

I had fun going through the book answers with everyone here! Such great responses and questions. Hopefully, the concepts of the four elements of negligence are getting clearer: duty, breach, causation, and damages.

Strict Liability: Chapter 21: The rest of class (after the review time) was devoted to working on Chapter 21. If you were able to finish, congratulations! No more book work for me the rest of my time as your long term substitute. If not, I will give you more time to work at the start of next class.

Let me know if you have any questions in the comments or by email. See you on Thursday!

Friday, October 25, 2013

Period 2: Negligence, Class Recap

This is me in pre-school. If I had kicked over an elderly lady's chair and caused her to fall and break her hip (like in the book), yes, I could be held liable for damages in a civil court, if the plaintiff could prove a reasonable person at my age would know that my act was wrong.

Hello everyone,

Shockingly, today was my last Friday class with you all before my tenure as your long term substitute is over! I hope you are enjoying the class as much as I am. Here's what we did today:

Soundtrack: “Brain Damage” by Pink Floyd. Selected because sometimes, brain damage can be a result of negligence. Lyrics here.

AGENDA 10/25/13:
Tort Report
Chapter 19 Answers
Negligence PowerPoint
Finish Chapter 20

Homework: Turn in missing work. Check the blog! Review for unit final. Next tort reports assigned to: Jaxon, Bertina, and Tommy.
---
Tort Report: We did not have this section today, as it was "neglected" to be remembered by a student. Next class! :-)

Chapter 19 Answers: Yeah, there were a lot of questions that I asked you to do in Chapter 19. This is a fact. We reviewed most of them as a class and talked about what makes a tort intentional. Hopefully, this sort of stuff is becoming really obvious.

Negligence PowerPoint: Next, we started moving on to the concept of negligence, which is Chapter 20 in the Street Law textbook. Here is the PowerPoint that I went over in class, which should help explain many of the concepts.


Please be reviewing this material for your upcoming unit final, which is November 6.

Finish Chapter 20: The rest of class was devoted to trying to finish the answers in Chapter 20, so we can go over them and then complete our book work by doing Chapter 21 next week. 

Have a great weekend, everyone!

Wednesday, October 23, 2013

Period 2: Intentional Torts and Negligence, Class Recap


This is me in front of the Grand Canyon in 2007 (I was a junior in college). If my parents (who I made the road trip with) had just left without me from here, that could be considered a negligent action.

Hey everyone,

Yeah, as I explained in class, it seems like we are getting a bit behind schedule with everything, just with the amount of book work needed to be done as we are talking about these important concepts. As such, be ready to just work on finishing and discussing Chapters 19 and 20 next class, along with a PowerPoint on Negligence/Chapter 20. If you are already almost done with both chapters, bring

Soundtrack: “The District Sleeps Alone” by Postal Service. Selected because "the district" refers to Washington, DC (where our federal government is based), and again, being left alone could be considered to be a negligent action. Lyrics here.

AGENDA 10/23/13:
Tort Report
Quiz
Chapters 19 and 20
Review

Homework: Turn in missing work, retake the unit one test if needed. Study vocabulary for upcoming torts test. Read the blog! Next tort report assigned to: Tommy.

Tort Report: Tim brought in this article about various lawsuits against Tylenol that have been filed in federal court: ClassAction.org - Tylenol Lawsuits Claim Drug Caused Liver Failure. Interesting case, as always. It looks like this website is also helping people who believe they have a similar claim to join in with the case - creating a "class action" lawsuit.

Quiz: Hopefully, this wasn't too difficult (it was 16 questions related to intentional torts). I will have these entered in the grade book and back to you on Friday. If you missed class, expect to take this (make sure to ask me) when you get back.

Chapters 19 and 20: As I wrote above, since we are so behind on our work calendar, I gave the rest of class for work time in the book. I think most people will be ready to talk about Chapter 19 on Friday. I will also give more time to do answers to Chapter 20 and talk about those, as well. I will probably start off class with a PowerPoint on Chapter 20/Negligence. It is unfortunate that I can't assign the book work as homework due to just having a class set of textbooks, but we will make it work. Thank you for staying with it!

Monday, October 21, 2013

Period 2: Intentional Torts, Day 2 - Class Recap

One of the slides in my PowerPoint on intentional torts was about false imprisonment. I used the example of my job at the airport - here's a place I wouldn't mind being in for long stretches of time: the flight deck of the Boeing 747 Dreamlifter, in the pilot's seat!

Hello all,

Welcome to another blog recap! This one may be looked at a bit more than usual, seeing as you have a quiz next class on intentional torts (Chapter 19 in the textbook). Hopefully, this will help with studying!

Soundtrack: “Sweet Emotion” by Aerosmith. Selected for today because one of the intentional torts we talked about was intentional infliction of emotional distress. Lyrics here.

AGENDA 10/21/13:
Tort Report
Intentional Torts PowerPoint
Chapter 19 Review
Study for Quiz

Homework: Study for intentional torts quiz, next class! Turn in missing work. Check the blog! Next tort report assigned to Tim.
---
Tort Report: Ryan brought in this article: WFAA.com - Women sue over product they say 'melted' hair. Another interesting lawsuit! Ryan mentioned the pain (both mentally and physically) of losing hair as a possible cause for remedy. Thanks, Ryan. Tim, you are up next. 

Intentional Torts PowerPoint: Most of class (this took longer than I anticipated, I apologize), we spent looking at various ways of defining intentional torts and thinking of a few examples. If you missed class, or wanted to review for your quiz, here are the slides:


There were a few torts related vocabulary that I did not go over, which yes, you will need to know (they are in Chapter 19): compensatory damages, nominal damages, and punitive damages, as well as copyright and infringement. 

Chapter 19 Review: Actually, we still did not really get to review this yet. I know that there are a lot of questions and problems to go through. After the quiz next class, I will give everyone more time to finish this, then we will talk about it, then move on to Chapter 20. So yes, expect a fair amount of book work in class. I want to have us catch up to where we are on the calendar, and this is really the only way to do it.

Study For Quiz: Again, next class, there will be a quiz on intentional torts at the beginning. See above for help on what will be on it. The quiz will have some fill in the blank and some "identify the tort" questions. An example of one that will be on the test is: "Mo Muckraker tells a group of Pentagon officials that Senator Howard is such a drunk that she can’t be trusted with military secrets. Muckraker knows this isn’t true, but he doesn’t agree with the politics of the Senator. Senator Howard becomes the subject of a Congressional inquiry because of this and loses her seat on a powerful committee." What kind of intentional tort is this? Guess in a comment and I will tell you if you are correct or not.

Sound like a plan? Thank you for your focus and attention today. Let's make it a good week.

Thursday, October 17, 2013

Period 2: Intentional Torts, Class Recap

The Rocky statue in Philadelphia. Boxing is usually not considered any sort of crime or tort against either party, since both fighters usually agree (or consent) to take part.

Hello all,

Today was another one with a decent amount of book work, in learning about intentional torts. Hopefully we can continue to dive into the details of these next class, so you know the main concepts a bit better.

Soundtrack: “Bring it on Home” by Led Zeppelin. Selected for today because some intentional torts are torts that harm property, like homes. Lyrics here.

AGENDA 10/17/13:
Tort Report
Worksheet Answers
Chapter 19 Definitions/Questions
Review

Homework: Know tort vocab! Read the blog. Next tort report is assigned to Ryan.

Tort Report: Erin brought in this article about a woman suing for harassment: DailyMail.co.uk - Advertising exec sues boss for $6MILLION for saying she looks like Susan Boyle. As I said in class, I wonder about the specifics of the case. The number of damages sought for a remedy is quite high, which prompts us to think it might be frivolous in nature, but I hope we learned in the Hot Coffee case to withhold judgement until we know the details. Thanks, Erin!

Worksheet Answers: This was in regards to the Chapter 18 worksheet most students completed in class last time. There were some true or false statements and a fill in the blank about various concepts related to our torts introduction. Use these to help study for a probable upcoming quiz next week (not Monday).

Chapter 19 Definitions/Questions: For much of the rest of class, students were working on a sheet of definitions from Chapter 19 and answering the "You Be The Judge" and 19.1-19.9 questions. It seemed like everyone was working really hard on this, so we will pick it back up next class (I wish we had the books to allow you to check them out and do it as homework, but alas, we do not) and go over the various answers to the scenarios.

Review: We will review next class, but please be studying and looking over your notes on the various vocabulary terms we are learning about.

Have a great weekend - see you next week for the last three-B-days week of my time as your long term substitute!

Tuesday, October 15, 2013

Period 2: Introduction to Torts - Class Recap

One of the slides in the presentation today was from my trip to Vietnam in 2011. This is one of my favorite pictures from that trip - a man and his child in Hanoi.

Hi everyone,

First off, here is the calendar of what we will be doing in class until November 15th, which is my last day. This is a rough guide, but should definitely help you in planning and knowing what you will be doing. Please refer to this!


Soundtrack: “Chasing Cars” by Snow Patrol. Selected for today because we were talking about various forms of car insurance. Lyrics here.

AGENDA 10/15/13:
Tort Report/Debrief Hot Coffee
Torts PowerPoint
Chapter 18 Worksheet
Start Chapter 19

Homework: Study terms for possible quiz upcoming. Turn in missing work. Read the blog! Next Tort Report assigned to Erin.

Tort Report/Debrief Hot Coffee: To begin class, Ellen brought in this article about an interesting recent lawsuit: DailyNews.com - North Hollywood woman sues her psychic.

What a case! Love curses, expensive paintings, gift cards... what more could you ask for? Fascinating. Thank you, Ellen!

We also went through the answers on the Hot Coffee worksheet, which is here, if you missed this:


Hopefully you found this interesting. I thought we had a good discussion about it.

Torts PowerPoint: This was over the concepts and terms addressed in Chapter 18. I'm not sure if the video embedded in the presentation will play, but here is the document again if you wanted to check it out (or missed class).


Most of these should not be new concepts, but some of the ways of explaining them might have helped you understand better. These terms will be on a test, for sure.

Chapter 18 Worksheet: We started this at the end of class - I think many people were able to finish. Next class, we will go over it, then start on the work in Chapter 19.

See you on Thursday!

Thursday, October 10, 2013

Period 2: Intro to Civil Law, Day 7 - Class Recap

A look at the White House, in Washington, DC. We talked today about the federal government shutdown in class.

Dear class,

Welcome to your three day weekend! Here's what we did this morning.

Soundtrack: “Waiting on the World to Change” by John Mayer. Selected because we are waiting on the U.S. government to end the shutdown. Lyrics here.

AGENDA 10/10/13:
Tort Report
Shutdown
Continue Hot Coffee
Grade Check/Work

Homework: Turn in any missing/late work by the end of the day (today), in order for your progress report grade to be updated. Read the blog! Have a great weekend. Tort Report assigned to: Ellen.

Tort Report: Antonio had an article that he talked about, in regards to a lawsuit, but he hasn't emailed it or given me the printout yet, so I can't post it or give him credit (yet) for the assignment. Get it to me, Antonio!

Shutdown: I wanted to be sure to take a little time to address the current U.S. government shutdown and how it is related to what we talked about at the start of the year. Why can't President Obama simply declare a new national budget? Answer: because the legislative branch of the government is what decides new laws and passes the budget. Why can't the Republicans in the House of Representatives get what they want in terms of reforming (or defunding) the Affordable Care Act (also known as "Obamacare")? Answer: because President Obama would veto the legislation if it made it to his desk to sign.

Those are two very simplified examples, but hopefully the class understood that our system of limited government and checks and balances means that sometimes, we have conflicts like this. Hopefully, it will get resolved soon.

Continue Hot Coffee: For the rest of class, we watched (and finished) the documentary "Hot Coffee," which looks at four different problems with the civil justice system. The film finished right at the end of class, so we will have a discussion on it next time. If you somehow lost the assignment, here it is:


Hopefully, you found this film interesting. I saw a few attempts to disengage from it, but most of the class looked into it. For me, it is a really excellent way to show interesting aspects of what we are studying.

Grade Check/Work: We did not have any time left over after the documentary was done for this. However, your grades are always posted (by student ID number) in the room. Unless you do something to change that grade by the end of the day, that is what it will be for your progress report.

Let me know if you need any help or support! Have a great weekend.

Tuesday, October 8, 2013

Period 2: Intro to Civil Law, Day 6 - Class Recap

I don't drink coffee (I have enough energy as is), but here's a delicious morning treat that I once had at JFK airport in New York, in 2010. Jamba Juice is amazing!

Dear class,

As I have said before, I really enjoy exploring different cases and possible outcomes with you all. Yes, this process is somewhat time consuming, but it is also very important to gaining knowledge about how particular laws impact our study. Thanks for following along! Here's what we did today in class.

Soundtrack: “Nobody’s Fault But Mine” by Led Zeppelin. A great song for referencing the concept of liability! Lyrics here.

AGENDA 10/8/13:
Tort Report
Finish Mosely Case
Chapter 18 Review
Hot Coffee

Homework: Start reviewing terms. Turn in missing work. Check the blog! Tort Report assigned to: Antonio

Tort Report: Patrick brought in this article about one of the largest settlements in California history. SourceFed.com - Brutal Beating Victim Awarded $58 Million Settlement. The picture that accompanies the article gives you an impression of just how bad the man's injuries were. We talked in class about the concept of punitive damages, which is to try and ensure that the entity at fault in a civil case has a big enough incentive to never have something like it happen again.

Finish Mosely Case: Last class, we started looking at Mosely v. Portland Public Schools, which is a case about a student suing the district for negligence in not protecting her from a knife attack. Here is the actual Oregon Supreme Court ruling in the case. Basically, because of the statute cited in the handout, the school was not found responsible. We talked about why this was and then I had students answer a few questions in notebooks, which are on a handout in class.

Chapter 18 Review: Next, we continued our look at the answers to the questions posed in Chapter 18 of the textbook, about various kinds of torts. We still have a few more sections to get through - thank you for working hard on this and contributing to the class discussion.

Hot Coffee: To end class, we started watching the documentary Hot Coffee, which has to do with all sorts of aspects of the civil justice system. In the beginning, it is about the infamous case of a woman spilling McDonald's hot coffee on herself and how that case was misconstrued (in the eyes of the filmmaker) to encourage the concept of tort reform.

Here are the questions that the class is completing as part of watching the documentary. We will occasionally pause and talk about them.


We made it through about the first 15 minutes of the film in class - hopefully we will be able to finish it next class. Usually I do not show entire movies, unless I think they are very good and relevant to what we are learning about. This is definitely one of those circumstances.

We will get back to it next class! Thank you for reading and doing your homework.

Friday, October 4, 2013

Period 2: Intro to Civil Law, Day 5 - Class Recap

One of the topics addressed in today's reading was about civil lawsuits relating to airline bombings. This is a picture I took of a famous airline - Air France - flying in over Maho Bay, St. Maarten in the Caribbean (2009).

Hi everyone,

Hopefully the book work today was not too boring and you are feeling good about where you are in class and the upcoming weekend. Here's what happened today.

Soundtrack: “Remedy” by The Black Crowes. Selected because "remedy" is one of our vocabulary words, as in the restitution owed to make up for a harm done. Lyrics here.

AGENDA 10/4/13:
Tort Report
Finish Chapter 18
Review
Mosley v. Portland Public Schools

Homework: Start reviewing vocab from Chapter 18. Turn in missing work. Check the blog! Tort Report assigned to: Patrick.

Tort Report: Brenda brought in a news article about the incident in Washington, DC yesterday. It did not have to do with civil law (at least, at the moment), but here it is to check out: Yahoo.com - Attempt to Ram White House Gate Ends With Female Suspect Dead.

Patrick is up next class and he already emailed me an article. Thanks!

Finish Chapter 18: For much of the class, it was quiet work time to be looking over various definitions relating to torts and thinking about different situations they could apply. As I said in the room, we do not have enough Street Law books for every law class, so we just have a class set, which means that sometimes, we will just have to sit and focus on book work. Not my favorite, but necessary so that we get a sense of the terms and situations. I will present the same information in other formats, as well.

Review: I always love talking about these sorts of situations (which came up as the answers to 18.1-11). We went through the answers up to 18.4 in class today, and we will continue this next class. To be honest, I value the discussion and critical thinking from students way more than just the answers in the notebook. That you are actively engaged and thinking about these situations is so important for understanding the content.

Mosley v. Portland Public Schools: To end class, I handed out an actual case that occurred about 20 years ago at Jefferson High School in Portland, having to do with a student getting knifed and then suing the district. I divided the class in half and then had the two sides debate. Next class, we will look at the actual result and answer the questions related to the case.

Have a great weekend!

Wednesday, October 2, 2013

Period 2: Intro to Civil Law, Day 4 - Class Recap

This is a picture of me with my friends Scott and Clarke before a Portland Blazers playoff game in 2009. If a fight had broken out at this moment and I knocked both of them unconscious with my superhuman strength, I could be tried both as a criminal (for battery) and in a civil court (for damages related to the incident, like medical bills). It's a good thing I have the restraint not to commit such actions!

Hi everyone,

I am glad that we are starting to finally get into specifics of the class! I know it might be tedious at first to learn vocabulary from the book, but it is definitely necessary in order to know what we are talking about. Thank you for the participation today.

Soundtrack: “Royals” by Lorde. Selected for today because it is a very popular current song and royals/rulers are people that oversee laws. Lyrics here.

AGENDA 10/2/13:
Tort Report
Student Bill of Rights
What is a Tort?
Torts Chapter Work

Homework: Start reviewing terms. Turn in missing work. Check the blog! Next Tort Report assigned to: Brenda.

Tort Report: We actually had two tort reports today, due to Sarah being able to present hers. They were: TheGuardian.com - Police accused of bias over culling of badgers (brought in by Brendan) and NBCnews.com - Man wrongly imprisoned in murder case wins $13.2 million in civil rights lawsuit. I think the second article may relate to our class a bit more (being in the US and dealing more with people), but both were interesting to talk about. Thanks!

Student Bill of Rights: We continued thinking about various rights that students should have (remember that last class we read this article about how high school students were being treated like prisoners) and came up with the following:

1. The right to defend yourself.
2. A process to evaluate and possibly remove ineffective educators
3. No cruel or unusual punishment.
4. Students will be treated equally, regardless of distinction.
5. Students should have the ability to self-govern.
6. Students have freedom of speech.
7. Students should be able to wear whatever they want.
8. Students should be able to choose what work to do.
9. The campus should be open for students to come and go as they please.
10. Students should have the ability to organize groups that are related to any topic they want.

I really appreciated the discussion that these generated as we were thinking about them! In the future, I might ask you to recall this for a test question, or something along those lines.

What is A Tort? Ahh, yes. Finally, we are getting into the details of the class. To begin, I asked the class to think of all the actions that could potentially result in a lawsuit. We created quite a list! This was to get the that there are many different possible lawsuits as a legal remedy for a situation.

Torts Chapter Work: Next, I started going through Chapter 18 in our Street Law textbook (there is an in class set), which is an introduction to torts. We went through a few situations and analyzed whether or not it could be a viable lawsuit as I read the first pages of the chapter aloud. The rest of the class was student directed, as it was going through as much of the rest of the chapter as possible, writing out definitions (aside from what we already know), and attempting to solve the problems presented.

Next class, we will continue on this and talk more about the concept of torts and how they work in practice with examples.