Government Course Syllabus

8/13/2019 Government Course Syllabus

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11th

Grade Government

The American System

2013-2014

Introduction:

Welcome to American Government! In this 10 week, semester long course we will beexploring the United States government; its origins, the documents, the different branches, andthe difference between state and federal governments. Throughout this course, you will learn

important skills that will make you informed and participatory citizens. This class will require

that you think critically about our government and participate in discussions about issues. Itsgoing to be a great semester!

Course Outline:

We will have four units in this semester: one that investigates the origins of Americangovernment, one that analyzes primary government documents that still govern America today,

one that identifies and explains the three branches of government and one that explores the

different responsibilities placed with state and federal governments. In each of these units,students will take a critical approach to each subject always asking questions about why things

are the way that they are and if the current system best fits the needs of the nation. Students will

be asked to hypothesize and predict the outcomes based on changes they make to governmental

policy.

Grading Policy:

The purpose of this grading policy is to see how much you are engaging andunderstanding the material. This grading policy is designed for you, to ensure that you

comprehend the material and are using it to think critically about the government today. The

grading policy aligns with the goals for this course and your grade will reflect the extent to

which you meet those goals. Participation and journaling will be a large part of your grade. Iwant to know what you are thinking about a topic and want to make sure that your voice is being

heard in the classroom. Part of your participation grade will depend on your ability to be

respectful to other students, to complete each assignment, and to be prepared for each classperiod. As long as you are actively engaging in the material, your participation grade will reflect

your effort.

The other components of grading include daily quick writes, weekly check-ups, twogroup projects, one mock Congressional session, one position paper, and one presentation. Each

component will be worth close to the same number of points. Larger projects and assignments

will be worth a little more points in order to accommodate and reward you for the hard work you

put into them. The daily quick writes and participation will count as a little less since theyrequire less outside of class effort and are more based on opinion than content.

For the projects that will be worth a little more points, you will always be given a rubric

that will outline what I expect that project to contain. As long as I can see your effort,

understanding and each required component in said project, you will receive adequate points.The rubrics are meant to help you understand the goals of the project and the aspects I want you

to focus on. If the rubric is unclear or still does not answer questions you have, I am always

available to clear anything up. No one project is designed to significantly bring down your grade,therefore no project will be worth more than 15% of your total grade in the class.


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Grading Components:

Assessment DescriptionTotal

Points

Participation

The students participation grade will be based on their contribution

to class discussions, the respect they show other students, theirpreparedness for every class, and the completion of work outside ofclass. Participation will be calculated on a daily basis and the weekly

total will be 1% of the total points. Students will not be penalized if

they are wrong about a concept, I just want the opportunity to hearthe thoughts of the students and assess where their level of

understanding of the material is.

10%

Daily Quick

Writes

To start each day, students will be asked a general question based on

what we will be learning that day. The general question will often not

have to do with the content itself, but will relate to a larger concept

that will tie into the content to be taught that day. The students will

be required to write at least a quarter page response for each question.These responses will be checked for completion at the end of each

week and will count as 1% of the total points.

10%

WeeklyCheck-Up

Assignments

These assignments will be a formative assessment at the end of each

week to make sure that students are grasping the material beingpresented. These will be in the form of worksheets with varying

forms of questions that the students will have time in class to

complete or can take home if extra time is needed. The students willbe graded based on their answers compared to a key created by the

teacher. Each weekly check-up assignment will be work 1% of the

total points.

10%

GroupProject 1:

Updating the

Constitution

In this project, students will be assigned an amendment in theConstitution and will be required to rewrite it in todays language.

After rewriting the amendment, the group will be required to assessthe quality of the amendment and that specific amendments place in

todays governmentin a two page paper. This will test the students

ability to analyze a primary source, and by having to reword it, willtest their level of understanding of the document. The students will

be graded based on a rubric handed out before the start of the project.

15%

Mock

Congressional

Session

During this mock Congressional Session, students will be placed

into either the Republican or Democratic Party. They will then be

required to vote on a Speaker of the House who will be in charge of

the subsequent activities the House participates in. The Speakerwill call on students to read proposals, everyone will vote on the

proposed laws, and then the law will either be enacted or vetoed.

This will give the students hands on experience with the LegislativeBranch they just spent several days learning about. The students will

be assessed based on their participation in the mock session, as well

as a one page paper reflecting on the process. The students will begiven a set of questions before writing the paper that they will need

15%


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to answer in order to be given full credit.

Group

Project 2:Create a Law

In this project, students will work in groups to create a law that could

possibly govern the classroom. The students will have to use the

lawmaking process that we have been discussing in class. Thestudents will have to make a law, be able to defend it, and then will

put it to the class to vote on it. The students will all present their lawsto the class and the class will then vote on two favorites, Between the

two favorites, the one law that the majority of the class votes in favor

for will be considered for classroom implementation. The studentswill be assessed on their ability to defend their law, the quality of

their proposal, and a one page summary of the law, its benefits, and

why it should be passed. The students will be given a final grade

based on a rubric handed out before the start of the project.

15%

PositionPaper

In this one page position paper, students will be required to take a

stand on an issue. They will be required to research their issue andcreate a paper that summarizes the information, as if they were a

lobby group presenting their position to a Senator or Representative.

It has to be thoroughly explained but also concise because of thelimited amount of time Congressmen and women have to read

through it. This will test their ability to find evidence to support their

position as well as organizing it in a way that conveys their argumentbut fits into a tight page constraint. The position paper will be graded

based on a rubric handed out before starting the project.

15%

Presentation

This 2-3 minute presentation will allow each student to present theirposition paper to the rest of the class. The class will then decide,

based on their previously stated party affiliation, whether they wouldsupport or oppose this issue if it were to come up in Congress andthey were required to vote on it. This will put them in the mindset of

Congressmen and women and will test their level of analysis based

on their party affiliation. The presentation will be graded based on arubric handed out before the presentation is formed.

10%

Grading Approach:

The grading approach will be based on the points from each section being converted into

percentage points and will correlate with the scale below. Students will be graded on an

individual basis and other students work and performance will not affect an individual studentsgrade in any way.

90-100% =A

80-89% =B70-79% =C

60-69% =D

59% and below=F

Documents

Government Course Syllabus