We analyzed the the role of the president , political parties, and lobbyists in influencing Congress. Olivia noted how the president can influence public opinion through press conferences, rallies and speeches. We discussed how even the president's daily briefing on the Coronavirus impacts public opinion and the actions of lawmakers. Olivia then interpreted a graph illustrating how often members of the House vote along party lines. We examined why lawmakers perhaps vote along "the party line' more now than in the 1950s and 1960s. Last, I began an examination of lobbyists and PACs and how they influence legislation. We discussed the role of lobbyists and the function of PACs in the election process. Last, I shared some statistics relating to the amount of money lobbyists contribute to Congress. For homework, I assigned reading a summary of the Citizens Untied Supreme Court decision.

As Nora Thurston made her home in Florida, and as the novel is set in Florida, we examined critical biographical information about the author's role in the Harlem Renaissance of the 1920s and 30s. While most of the artists associated with the Harlem Renaissance believed the role of the movement was to dispel racial stereotypes , Thurston depicted scenes and people she had known as was often criticized for her failure to directly confront racism in her writing . We traced Thurston's rise to fame and tragic end living in a welfare home in Ft. Pierce with not even enough money in her estate to provide for a tombstone. I discussed the role of the oral story telling tradition in African-American literature and the shifting point of views in the novel. Further, we noted the powerful use of figurative language even in the first paragraphs of the novel, reminiscent of the poetry of Langston Hughes, another famed author of the Harlem Renaissance. For homework, I assigned reading chapters 2 and 3.

As Congress' primary function remains raising and spending money, today we examined the process by which Congress raises and spends money,: revenue, authorization, and appropriation bills. With respect to revenue bills, we identified the power of the committees that examine when and how to raise taxes, and the role of each chamber in the enactment of revenue bills. On the spending side, we noted the purpose off the appropriation process, and then discussed how certain spending such as social security and medicare are permanently funded and thus deemed"entitlements". I explained the controversy surrounding entitlements and the intergenerational struggle implicit in continuing these programs in their present form. Last, I discussed "earmarks" and the controversy surrounding these projects which serve local communities rather than the country at large. For homework , I assigned reading and study guide questions regarding lobbying and PACs.

For our concluding lesson on the novel, "Huck Finn" , Olivia identified the significance of the numerous identities and personas of the character, Huck Finn, and tied those observations to Huck Finn's moral and character development as a result of the experiences depicted in the novel. We then listed character traits of Huck Finn, practical ,loyal, and empathetic , and the textual support from the novel evidencing each trait. The take -home exam on the novel was distributed last week, and is due Friday. Olivia indicated she had no questions or concerns with respect to the test. Then , by way of introduction to our next novel, "Their Eyes Were Watching God" by Zora Thurston, we studied two famous poems by Langston Hughes, "Dreams" and "Harlem", and I discussed the Harlem Renaissance of of the 1920's and 30's. as well as Hughe's influence on Thurston. After reading the poems, Olivia identified figurative language and structure in both poems, and the significance of these poems to the African -American community then and today. For homework, I assigned reading the first chapter of the novel.

The plan was to work with Olivia to learn and practice the applications of the properties of logarithms and then to do some practice exercises. Between getting online late and using the restroom, Olivia spent a little less than a half hour learning this topic. We worked examples of: changing logarithmic base to common and natural logarithms; using the product, quotient, and power rules to simpler expressions; expanding and condensing logarithmic expressions. Once we had finished going through the expressions, we had used up the session time. There was no assignment.

I reviewed logarithms and their properties with Olivia and showed her how logarithms are related to exponential expressions. I also told her about common logarithms with base of 10 and natural logarithms with base of e. We did some problems together and she was able to solve them with little help. There was no assignment.

Olivia was absent today.

We discussed the abrupt conclusion to the novel,"Huck Finn", and the function of the elaborate but overdone concluding chapters describing Jim's romanticized escape. We then discussed the numerous reveals at the end of the novel: 1. Jim was freed long ago by his owner. 2. Huck's true identity. 3. Tom's true identity. and 4. The death of Huck's father. Last, we addressed Huck as a mythical "American hero" who in the final lines elects to abandon society and take off to the Western territories of the untamed US rather than again be in the clutches of adults who want to shape his character so that it conforms with everyone else's values. Olivia offered her thoughts and critiques of the final chapters.

I worked with Olivia on problems including matching graphs of exponential functions, matching exponential functions with their graphs, equating exponential functions with different bases, and evaluating exponential functions with different exponents. There was no assignment.

Very few bills become a law. Today, we examined why. Olivia's homework well identified the numerous steps in the process, and we spent time exploring the role of Congressional committees. Olivia commented on the power of committee chairmen who can table or kill a bill and prevent it from even reaching a vote on the floor . While most bills can originate in either the House or the Senate,we discussed why revenue bills must originate in the House. Olivia discussed the historical basis for this provision in the Constitution and made notes on her study guide answers. I explained that even if a bill gets out of committee, the Speaker of the House or the Majority Leader of the Senate can refuse to schedule a debate/vote for the entire body ,thereby killing the bill .We then discussed the benefits and drawbacks of the system while noting that in cases of emergency ,such as the coronavirus pandemic, Congress can and will act quickly. Congress has already enacted 3 Coronavirus relief bills and is considering a fourth. For homework, I assigned reading pages 208-212 and completing the study guide questions.