US Government

Course Description: The National Council for the Social Studies articulates that the purpose of the social studies is to “help young people make informed and reasoned decisions for the public good as citizens of a culturally diverse, democratic society in an interdependent world.”[1] To this end, the overarching theme of this year will focus on citizenship. What does it mean to be a citizen in the 21^st century? How has citizenship changed since the founding of the nation? What is the difference between American and global citizenship?

This required semester course is worth .5 social studies credit and focuses on the role of government in the history, organization, and operation of American local, state and national government. While we will journey through topics such as the constitution and campaigns/elections, units will require critical thinking rooted in problem solving and perspective taking. Students will be asked to examine problems and themes from multiple perspectives and challenge previous conceived notions.

[1] National Council for the Social Studies. (1992). National Curriculum Standards for Social Studies:Executive Summary. Retrieved on October 22, 2010 from http://www.socialstudies.org/standards/execsummary