American Government Syllabus
Mrs. Kor
kors@tracy.k12.mn.us
Course Overview
Students will study the purposes, principles, and practices of American government as established by the Constitution. Students are expected to understand their rights and responsibilities as citizens and how to exercise these rights and responsibilities in local, state, and national government. Students will learn the structure and processes of the government. Special emphasis will be placed on how governments operate in today’s society. Current events, topics, and issues will be discussed and analyzed within the context of political science.
The class format includes lectures and discussions, and student participation is expected. Occasionally there may be guest lectures, or films, in addition to standard lectures. To the extent that it is possible, class materials will be considered in light of contemporary political developments.
Course Objectives
1. Understand a variety of political theories and their role in the creation of America’s government systems.
2. Identify and analyze important primary sources that helped shape American society and politics.
3. Demonstrate an understanding that government depends on informed and engaged citizens who exhibit civic skills and values, practice civic discourse, vote and participate in elections, apply inquiry and analysis skills and take action to solve problems and shape public policy.
4. Develop an understanding that the United States is based on democratic values and principles that include liberty, individual rights, justice, equality, the rule of law, limited government, common good, popular sovereignty, majority rule and minority rights.
5. Analyze how the United States government has specific functions that are determined by the way that power is delegated and controlled among various bodies: the three levels (federal, state, local) and the three branches (legislative, executive, judicial) of government.
Texts and Study Materials
Primary Text
Holt McDougal. United States Government: Principles in Practice. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. 2012
Required Material:
Bring the following materials to class EVERYDAY:
· Textbook
· Notebook
· Computer/Computer Charger
· Folder with ALL assignments and/or hand-out material
· Pencil
· Pen
Classroom Rules:
Be respectful of yourself, others, and the classroom.
Be responsible and accountable for your actions. No excuses.
Be prepared.
Attend to personal needs before class.
5. All other school rules apply.
Classroom Procedures:
Please do not bring food, drink, gum, or other personal items into the classroom.
Come to class on time. Standing outside the door and rushing in after the bell has begun to ring will constitute a tardy. You must be inside the door and seated when it begins ringing to be counted on time
Vocabulary:
Each student is required to hand in a complete list of all of the vocabulary words and definitions identified for each chapter/unit on the day of the test. The assigned words are highlighted throughout the chapter. This assignment is to be hand written! Students are encouraged to use this assignment as a study guide for each test.
Late Work
Late daily work will result in a grade of a zero. Daily work includes but is not limited to vocabulary assignments, guided reading, and current event assignments. Other assignments including projects that are turned in late will result in a grade deduction based on the teachers discretion.
Absent Policy:
If a student has been absent, he/she must notify the teacher. The teacher will provide a written note that is signed that includes any missing assignments. See the teacher for additional instructions, explanations, or materials. It is your responsibility to gather and complete any and all make-up work! If no planner is presented to the teacher and you do not receive the make-up work, the assignment is considered late. Please see the Tracy Area High School Handbook for further explanation regarding this policy.
Tests:
Tests will be administered per chapter and/or per unit of study. Each test may contain a variety of sections including: Matching, Multiple Choice, Interpreting Graphs/Maps/Chart/Documents, True/False, Fill-in-the-Blank, Short Answer, and Essay items. In some cases essay questions will be given to students in advance. There may be some questions from previous chapters on each test. Tests are 55% of the total grade.
Current Events:
Each student will find one story in a newspaper or on a television news program each week for class discussion. For each article, the student must complete a one paragraph summary. The summary MUST be in your own words and not copied directly from the article. If a student chooses to copy directly from an article the assignment grade will result in a zero. Each student must also write a one paragraph reaction to the news story. The reaction should include why the student chose to write about the news story and how it affects them. Current Event assignments will be worth five points each. If a student misses any part of the assignment, or does not meet the requirements for the assignment, full credit will not be earned. Current events are due on Friday at 8:00am each week. Current Events are 2.5% of the total grade.
Bell Work:
Each day, students will begin the lesson by completing a short activity or answering questions that will be displayed on the Smart Board. Bellwork will be graded periodically. Be sure to keep record of each question or activity. Tests and/or quizzes may include material from Bell Work. Bellwork is 2.5% of the total grade.
Daily Work:
For most chapters, students will receive a packet of worksheets to be completed using the textbook. These assignments will be graded based on completion. However, on occasion the worksheets will be handed in and graded. Each daily work assignment will be worth five points. If a daily work assignment is not complete when it is due it will result in a zero. No late daily work assignments will be accepted for credit but must be completed. Daily assignments are 5% of the total grade.
Quizzes:
Random quizzes may be given based on topics that have been covered including: daily assignments, bell work, and essays. Quizzes may or may not be announced. Each quiz will be worth 5-20 points. Quizzes are 20% of the total grade.
Projects:
Students will complete projects that will cover a variety of topics relating to the curriculum. Projects may be completed in groups or individually. Projects may require time out of class to complete. The total points for a project will vary based on size and difficulty. Students must complete the project by the assigned due date. Failure to meet that date will result in a grade penalty. Failure to complete the project will result in a zero. Projects are worth 15% of the total grade.
The majority of the projects completed in American Government will be written formal Essays: A detailed description of each essay prompt will be given to the student as well as a rubric outlining the grading scale. Essays are to in Modern Language Association (MLA) format. Coping and pasting information is not acceptable. Plagiarism will result in a zero, no exceptions.
Retakes:
All students have the opportunity to retake any test or quiz given. In order for the student to retake any test or quiz they must prove to the teacher that an effort was made to learn the material. Students must complete the section review assignment located in the textbook for any quiz they wish to retake. In order to retake a test, students must complete the chapter review for the chapter test they would like to retake. The grade the student earned on the retake will be put into the gradebook. All retakes are given and graded at the teacher’s discretion.
Extra Credit Policy:
Extra credit assignments will not be given on a regular basis. However, there may be a few opportunities throughout the year to earn extra credit points. Be sure not to pass up any extra credit opportunity because they are few and far between.
Cheating Policy:
The cheating policy of the school will be followed. In addition, there will be no sharing or collaboration on any assignment in this class unless otherwise directed. All work must be done individually. If work of any type is shared, both parties will be called and an administrator will be informed. All homework must be written by hand. No typing will be accepted unless otherwise directed.
***Cheating will not be tolerated. Copying any type of work is considered cheating, even if it is only homework. Cheating will result in a grade of zero and an administrative referral. Bottom-line – don’t cheat!
***Plagiarism is a form of cheating. Plagiarism is defined as using or passing off the ideas or writings of another as one’s own. Plagiarism will also result in a grade of zero and an administrative referral.
Course Outline
Semester One
Unit 1 – Foundations of Government
Unit 2 – Origins of American Government
Unit 3 – The Constitution
Unit 4 - Federalism
Semester Two
Unit 5 – The Legislative Process
Unit 6 – the Executive Office
Unit 7 – The Judicial Branch
Unit 9 – The Political Process/Elections