American Government Scope and Sequence, 1st Semester

Unit 1 Essential Standards: 

• Examine the foundations of democracy and how the American government works

• Justify how the amendment process enables the Constitution to be a living document

Week 2-5 Unit 1: Foundations of American Government

Chapter 1: Foundations of Government 

Lesson 1: Purposes & Origins of Government

• Functions of govt, Divine Right & Social Contract theories

Lesson 2: Types of Government

• Federal system, constitutions, types of govt., principles of democracy 

Chapter 2: Origins of American Government

Lesson 3: The Articles of Confederation

• Govt. under the Articles, problems with the Articles

Lesson 4: Creating the Constitution

• Virginia Plan/New Jersey Plan/Great Compromise, 3/5 Compromise, Federalists vs. Antifederalists

Chapter 3: The Constitution

Lesson 1: Structure & Principles of the Constitution

• Principles of the Constitution

Lesson 2: The Three Branches of Government

• Branches of govt., Separation of Powers/Checks & Balances

Lesson 3: Amendments

• Bill of Rights, most impactful 11 - 27 

Unit 1 Test: 9/18-19, 20 Multiple Choice (40 points)

Unit 2 Essential Standard:

• Evaluate the political process and the roles of citizens in the American democracy

Week 5-8 Unit 2: Participating in Government

Chapter 17: Political Parties

Lesson 1: The Development of Political Parties

• Functions, Party Systems, & Evolution of Am. parties

Lesson 2: Party Ideology & Identification

• Ideologies & Affiliations, Party platforms, Polarization

Lesson 3: Party Organization & Nominating Candidates

• Primaries vs. Caucuses (open & closed), National Conventions

Chapter 18: Voting & Elections

Lesson 1: Expanding Voting Rights

• Limitations, Suffrage for minority/sub groups

Lesson 2: Influences of Voters

• Political Socialization

Lesson 3: Campaigns & Financing

• Spending, Hard & Soft money, Propaganda, Interest Groups/Lobbyists (19.3)

Chapter 10: Choosing the President

Lesson 3: Electing the President

• Electoral College

What’s on the Ballot Project - propositions, measures, etc. (BallotPedia; Voter’s Edge)

Unit 2 Test: 10/10-11, 20 Multiple Choice Questions (40 points)

Unit 3-5 Essential Standard:

• Understand how each branch of government operates collaboratively and independently with a system of checks and balances

Week 8-10 Unit 3: Legislative Branch

Chapter 5: The Structure of Congress

Lesson 1: Congressional Membership

• Membership of the House, Senate

Lesson 2: The House of Representatives

• House Leadership

Lesson 3: The Senate

• Leadership in the Senate, Filibuster

Lesson 4: Congressional Committees

• Kinds of Committees

Chapter 6: Congressional Powers

Lesson 1: Constitutional Powers

• Constitutional Provisions, Types of Powers

Lesson 2: Investigations & Oversight

• The Power of Oversight

Chapter 7: Congress at Work

Lesson 1: How a Bill Becomes a Law

• Fundamentals

Week 10-12 Unit 4: Executive Branch

Chapter 9: The Presidency

Lesson 1: Sources of Presidential Power

• Constitutional Powers, Growth of Powers, Presidential Roles

Chapter 10: Choosing the President

Lesson 1: Presidential Qualifications & Leadership

• Qualifications & Succession (10.2)

Chapter 11: Structure & Functions of the Executive Branch

Lesson 2: Cabinet Departments & Independent Agencies

• Departments

Unit 3 & 4 Test: 11/6-7 (Mon/Tues because of Veteran’s Day), 30 Multiple Choice Questions (60 points)

Week 12-14 Unit 5: Judicial Branch

Chapter 13: Federal & State Court Systems

Lesson 1: The Judicial System in Our Democracy

• Principles of Democracy in the Judiciary 

Lesson 2: Trials

• Function of Trial Courts, Steps in a Trial, Juries

Lesson 3: Appeals

• Procedural Due Process, Procedures (types opinions), Precedent

Chapter 14: The Supreme Court of the United States

Lesson 3: Selecting Supreme Court Justices

• Nomination & Confirmation, Ideologies 

Lesson 4: Constitutional Interpretation

• Judicial Restraint vs. Judicial Activism

Unit 6 Essential Standard: 

• Investigate how the Constitution protects individual liberties and civil rights 

Week 14-15 Unit 6: Constitutional Freedoms

Chapter 15: Constitutional Freedoms

Lesson 1: Freedom of Speech

• Types of Speech, Limitations/Restrictions, Free Speech in Schools

Lesson 2: Freedoms of Press, Assembly, & Petition

• Prior Restraint, Petition vs. Assembly

Lesson 3: Freedom of Religion

• Establishment clause vs. Free Exercise (include examples)

Lesson 4: The Fourteenth Amendment

• Citizenship, Due Process, Equal protection, Incorporation Doctrine

Lesson 5: Equal Protection & Discrimination

• Discrimination based on race, origin, sex/gender/orientation, age, disability, Affirmative action

Chapter 16: Constitutional Right to a Fair Trial

Lesson 1: Constitutional Rights Before Trial

• Search & Seizure, Exclusionary Rule, Interrogations, Miranda Rights

Lesson 2: Constitutional Rights at Trial

• Presumption of innocence, Right to: jury, attorney, Other Rights

Lesson 3: Constitutional Rights After Trial

• Ex post facto, Cruel & Unusual Punishment, Double Jeopardy 

Unit 5 & 6 Quiz: 12/7-8 30 Multiple Choice Questions (30 points)

Finals Week - Cumulative Exam week of 12/18, 40 multiple choice questions (80 points)

THERE ARE NO EARLY FINALS!

Economics Scope and Sequence, 2nd Semester

Unit 1 Essential Standards

• Explain how scarcity forces individuals to make economic choices that result in trade-offs and opportunity costs.

• Compare and contrast the various economic systems.

Week 1-5 Unit 1: Basic Economics/Economic Systems

  Chapter 1: What is Economics 

Lesson 1: Scarcity and the Science of Economics

• Scarcity, Types of Goods, Utility, Three Economic Questions

Lesson 2: Our Economic Choices

• Factors of Production, PPC, Opportunity Cost, Trade-Offs, Consumer Rights (TP)

FOP Project

Chapter 2: Economic Systems and Decision Making

Lesson 1: Economic Systems

• Traditional, Command & Market: Examples, Advantages/Disadvantages

Lesson 2: Mixed Economies

• Examples, Advantages/Disadvantages

Chapter 3: The American Free Enterprise System

Lesson 1: American Free Enterprise Capitalism

• Characteristics, Benefits, Disadvantages

Lesson 3: Evaluating Economic Performance

• Economic Goals

Unit 1 Test: 2/6-7, 25 multiple choice (50 points) on Illuminate

Unit 2 Essential Standard

• Demonstrate how supply and demand impact markets, prices and competition.

Week 5-9 Unit 2: Demand and Supply

Chapter 4: Demand

Lesson 1: What is Demand?

• Demand: schedule & curve, Law of Demand, DMU

Lesson 2: Factors Affecting Demand

• Change in Demand

Lesson 3: Elasticity of Demand

• Elastic, Inelastic: Determinants

Demand Quiz

Chapter 5: Supply

Lesson 1: What is Supply?

• Supply: schedule & curve, Law of Supply, Change in Supply, Elastic, Inelastic: Determinants

Supply Quiz

Chapter 6: Prices

Lesson 2: The Effects of Prices

• Supply & Demand, Equilibrium, Surplus & Shortage, 

Lesson 3: Price Floor/Price Ceiling

Unit 2 Test: 3/5-6, 30 multiple choice (60 points) on Illuminate

Unit 3 Essential Standard

• Examine monetary policy and understand how the nation’s economy works.

Week 9-12 Unit 3: Macroeconomics

Chapter 12: Evaluating the Economy

Lesson 1: Measuring the Nation’s Output and Income

• GDP, Measures of National Income, Economic Sectors

Lesson 3: Poverty and the Distribution of Income

• Poverty, Income Inequality, Anti Poverty Programs

Chapter 13: Economic Instability

Lesson 1: Business Cycles and Economic Instability

• Phases, Causes, Great Recession & current situation (as examples)

Lesson 2: Inflation

• Measuring Prices and Inflation, Causes (stop at Consequences)

Lesson 3: Unemployment

• Unemployment rate, Sources of Unemployment

Chapter 16 Monetary Policy

Lesson 1: Structure and Responsibilities of the Fed

• Definition (Ch. 10, Sec. 1), Structure, Responsibilities

Lesson 2: Monetary Policy

• Fractional Reserves, Interest rate, Loose & Tight Money 

Unit 3 Test: 4/4-5 - 20 multiple choice questions (40 points) on Illuminate

Spring Break between week 11 and 12, March 25-April 1

Unit 4 Essential Standard

• Apply personal and financial decision-making skills to your life. 

Week 12-17 Unit 4: Personal Finance

Personal Finance Unit w/Everfi (Microeconomics) & Budget Project

Money Moves: Intro to Finance

• Banking Basics

• Income & Employment

• Budgeting

• Consumer Skills

• Credit and Debt

• Financing Higher Education

• Insurance

Budget Project Due 5/2-3 or 5/9-10 (120 points total, assessment weight)

Everfi Quizzes throughout Unit 4, (70 points total, assignment weight)

Cumulative Final Exam: 5/21-22, 40 multiple choice questions (80 points)

White Card Day, May 24th? 

Graduation, June 6th, 2024

Graduation ceremonies will be held May 29, Clovis High; May 30, Clovis East; May 31, Clovis Online School; June 4, Clovis North; June 5, Clovis West; and June 6, Buchanan.