Instructors:
Ms. Salvado
Mr. Gilmore
and Mr. Zehner

(240) 497-6300

 

 

General Course Guidelines

Characteristics:

1.        This is a college-level course.  College-level attitudes, work habits and products are expected of all 10^th grade students.

2.       This class requires more reading than the typical high school honors class.  Students who want to do well must complete all assignments on time.

3.       Class time is important!  Students who want to do well must attend and participate in class regularly.  To participate effectively, all assigned work must be completed on time, even when absent.

4.       Evaluations are based exclusively on tests, quizzes and papers (traditional and other).

5.      Learning is ultimately the responsibility of the student.  In an advanced placement course, students are expected to be interested in their own learning and willing to devote the time necessary to explore the course content as fully as possible.  A reading schedule and calendar are provided, so students can plan and prepare for the classes. Readings, papers and tests are listed on the date that they are due.

 

What is the payoff for all this extra effort?  Students who do well in this course will be prepared to take the AP American Government and Politics exam in May 2004.  A score of 3 or better is considered a passing score.  Students who earn a score of 4 or 5 on the exams usually also earn six or more college credits.  Many colleges grant credit for a score of 3. 

 

Philosophy

Advanced placement courses, in general, have three purposes:

 

1.        To meet the NSL curriculum requirements of MCPS/MSDE (and prepare for the HSA in the spring).

2.       To provide students with the opportunity to closely examine and evaluate the intricacies of the course.

3.       To provide students with the content and writing skills necessary to pass the College Board Advanced Placement Exam.

 

Although this course is not meant to be an English writing laboratory, the student is expected to be able to develop an idea or defend a position in a logical manner, using proper sentence and paragraph form.  Writing is a vital part of the course; students will write a position paper, will be asked to respond to essay (free response) questions on every quiz and test and participate in many activities.  The teacher recognizes and acts on the assumption that these students have demonstrated a capability to handle the concepts of a freshman college-level course.  One-half of each AP exam consists of free-response essays and one half multiple choice.  All tests and quizzes in this course mirror this model.

 

Readings

Burns et. all, Government by the People, 2002.

 

The textbook will be used as a departure point for further reading and investigation.  We will also be using a variety of supplementary readings and students will be expected to engage in research.

 

The opinions of students are important.  Possible answers to questions might challenge students’ long-held beliefs.  Students will be urged not to sacrifice their own point of view, but to try to understand it and its background before they support, revise, or abandon it. Many times there are no “correct” answers.  Balance and objectivity are very important components in this class, it should be recognized that balance often comes over a long term.  Students should question, but they should also:

 

1.        Have a basis for disagreement.

2.       Be willing to pursue their point and do research to gain the necessary background.

3.       Be willing o try to understand opposing points of view, even if they don’t agree with them.

4.       Demand that their opponents provide support for their views, but also expect to be asked to provide support for the views they espouse.

 

Readings should be completed prior to class.  In many cases, class time will be spent reviewing the readings.  In other cases, we may not discuss the readings at all, except as they apply to other concepts or ideas.  Typical to college courses, students are responsible for the content of the readings, whether they are discussed in class or not!!!  It will be presumed that the readings have been completed, and, unless questions are raised, understood.

 

Class time at least twice a week will be devoted to discussions on concepts covered in the textbook, seminars/discussion (student-centered) will fill the other day/days.  Discussions and activities will center on ideas that are different from, critical or affirming of, or amplifying basic concepts. 

 

Partners and Study Groups

Students are encouraged to select a partner for the course.  The partner can provide the essential information (homework/classwork) that will be needed on the few occasions when you must be absent or do not understand.  Study partners will assist when review for the AP exam in the spring.  The partner idea should be expanded to the study group concept.  Study groups are created to tap others’ insights and give mutual help in understanding readings and concepts.  Study groups should plan to complete the assigned readings a day ahead of time so there will be time to discuss them before they are discussed in class.  The group can raise questions that need to be raised in class as well as brainstorm answers.   A study group’s purpose is not simply to divide up the workload, but to aid everyone in understanding the content of the course.  If you find you are constantly giving and not receiving leave and join another group.  A study partner will be chosen the first week of school.

 

Study groups should plan to meet once a week around test time.  Because there is more to read and less time to discuss readings in class, study groups are essential if students are going to participate fully (some class time will be provided).

 

2005 AP Examination

The AP US Government and Politics exam is divided as follows:

 

            45 minutes (50%):           60 multiple-choice questions

100 minutes (50%):          4 mandatory (no choices) free-response questions (25 minutes each)

 

All students taking this course are encouraged to take the AP exam.  All quizzes and tests in this course follow the format and language usage patterns found on the AP exams.  Therefore, students will be comfortable dealing with the questions that will be on the exam.   

 

First Semester:

 

Topics I. Constitutional Underpinnings of United States Government

The study of modern politics in the United States requires you to examine the kind of government established by the Constitution, paying particular attention to federalism and the separation of powers. Understanding these developments involves both knowledge of the historical situation at the time of the Constitutional Convention and an awareness of the ideological and philosophical traditions on which the framers drew. Such understanding addresses specific concerns of the framers such as:, Why did Madison fear factions? What were the reasons for the swift adoption of the Bill of Rights? Familiarity with the Supreme Court’s interpretation of key provisions of the Constitution will aid your understanding of theoretical and practical features of federalism and the separation of powers. You should be familiar with a variety of theoretical perspectives relating to the Constitution, such as democratic theory, theories of republican government, pluralism, and elitism.

 

II. Political Beliefs and Behaviors

Individual citizens hold a variety of beliefs about their government, its leaders, and the U.S. political system in general; taken together, these beliefs form the foundation of U.S. political culture. It is important for students to understand how these beliefs are formed, how they evolve, and the processes by which they are transmitted. Students should know why U.S. citizens hold certain beliefs about politics, and how families, schools, and the media act to perpetuate or change these beliefs. Understanding the ways in which political culture affects and informs political participation is also critical. For example, students should know that individuals often engage in multiple forms of political participation, including voting, protest, and mass movements. Students should understand both why individuals engage in various forms of political participation and how that participation affects the political system. Finally, it is essential that students understand what leads citizens to differ from one another in their political beliefs and behaviors, and the political consequences of these differences. To understand these differences, students should focus on the different views that people hold of the political process, the demographic features of the American population, and the belief and behavior systems held by specific ethnic, minority, and other groups.

 

III. Political Parties, Interest Groups, and Mass Media

Students should understand the mechanisms that allow citizens to organize and communicate their interests and concerns. Among these are political parties, elections, political action committees (PACs), interest groups, and the mass media. Students should examine the historical evolution of the U.S. party system, the functions and structures of political parties, and the effects they have on the political process. Examination of issues of party reform and of campaign strategies and financing in the electronic age provides students with important perspectives. A study of elections, election laws, and election systems on the national and state levels will help students understand the nature of both party and individual voting behavior. Treatment of the development and the role of PACs in elections and the ideological and demographic differences between the two major parties, as well as third parties, form an important segment of this material. Students must also consider the political roles played by a variety of lobbying and interest groups. Important features of this section of the course include an explanation for why some interests are represented by organized groups while others are not, and the consequences of these differences. Students study what interest groups do, how they do it, and how this affects both the political process and public policy. Why are certain segments of the population, such as farmers and the elderly, able to exert pressure on political institutions and actors in order to obtain favorable policies? The media has become a major force in U.S. politics. Students are expected to understand the role of the media in the political system. In addition, the impact of the media on public opinion, voter perceptions, campaign strategies, electoral outcomes, agenda development, and the images of officials and candidates should be explored and understood by students. Understanding the often symbiotic, and frequently conflictual, relationship between candidates, elected officials, and the media is also important.

 

IV. Institutions of National Government

Students must become familiar with the organization and powers, both formal and informal, of the major political institutions in the United States— the Congress, the presidency, the bureaucracy, and the federal courts. The functions these institutions perform and do not perform, as well as the powers that they do and do not possess, are important. It is necessary for students to understand that power balances and relationships between these institutions may evolve gradually or change dramatically as a result of crises. Students are also expected to understand ties between the various branches of national government and political parties, interest groups, the media, and state and local governments. For example, a study of the conflicting interests and powers of the President and Congress may help explain recent and repeated struggles to adopt a national budget.

 

Requirements:

Ø       Groups of four students will lead seminars (Either one issue or one reading review) for the purpose of starting debate, challenging ideas, or presenting new information over a theme and in some cases the assigned readings.  Each student in the class will help lead the seminar/discussion session once a marking period.  Your group will research issues to facilitate discussion.  An outline of the structure of the seminar/discussion is due one day prior to class…no exceptions!  You are expected to lead the discussion for the day including current analysis of the issue/topic.  Those not teaching that day will be required to be prepared for discussion (by reading and preparing questions).  All groups will end the session with some form of assessment. 

Ø       Formal evaluation for six units will consist of multiple-choice exams (30ish questions) and free response questions (a.k.a. essays), a comprehensive midterm and final will be given.  If I notice a lack of preparation for class, (readings/text) quizzes will be given.   Tests are written based on the text.

 

Research/Position:

Ø       In the spring you will do a research paper….during the fall/winter there will be multiple writing assignments:  constitutional newspaper, editorials, current events assignments.

 

Grading Percentages (may change if I see fit):

 

Formal Assessments                                  50%             

Alternative Assessments                             30%

Classwork/Homework                                  20%

 

**These as well as other activities will constitute a final grade for the course.

 

 

 

The following B–CC policies are consistent with the new MCPS Grading and Reporting Policy as outlined in Learning, Grading and Reporting Guidelines (MCPS, 2004).  These will apply in all courses offered at B–CC.

 

l        Teachers will assign grades to reflect individual achievement on course objectives.

l        Teachers will determine grades based on a variety of assessment methods.

l        Teachers will issue progress reports at the 4½ week mark in each quarter.

l        Teachers will establish clear due dates and deadlines.  The maximum penalty for work submitted after the due date but before the deadline is one letter grade on an A-E scale or 10% on a 100% scale. Any assignment not turned in by the deadline will receive a score equal to 50% of that assignment.

l        Teachers will record 50% as the lowest possible grade if percentages are used except in cases of academic dishonesty.

 

 

This applies to both written work and oral presentations.  Examples of academic dishonesty include, but are not limited to, the following: the willful giving or receiving of an unauthorized text, unfair, dishonest, or unscrupulous advantage in academic work over other students using fraud, duress, deception, theft, trickery, talking, signs, gestures, copying, or any other methodology.

 

Plagiarism:

·          Submitting or presenting another person's work as your own without proper documentation, including downloaded information from the Internet and lab data.

·          Using another student's material without prior approval.

      

 Cheating:

·          Giving or receiving information during a test, quiz, and/or class work assignment without teacher authorization.

·          Using hand signals, gestures, and the like during tests or quizzes to obtain/give information.

·          Using unauthorized materials during a test or quiz

·          It is considered cheating to share information or an answer about a quiz/test that you have taken that another student has not yet had the opportunity to take.

 

 

 

Semester One Focus:

 

*Use www.collegeboard.org for more information throughout the semester

 

 AP Government - Summary Outline (from The College Board)

 

I.  Constitutional Underpinnings of US Government                                                                    5-15%

      A.   Considerations that influenced the formulation/adoption of the Constitution

      B.   Separation of Powers

      C.    Federalism

      D.   Theories of democratic government

     

II. Political Beliefs and Behaviors                                                                        10-20%

      A.   Beliefs that citizens hold about their government and leaders

      B.   Processes by which citizens learn about politics

      C.    The nature, sources, and consequences of public opinion

      D.   The ways in which citizens vote and otherwise participate in political life

      E.   Factors that influence citizens to differ from one another in terms of political beliefs and behaviors

     

III. Political parties, interest groups, and mass media                                                10-20%

      A.   Political parties and elections

            1.    Functions

            2.    Organization

            3.    Development

            4.    Effects on the political process

      B.   Interest groups, including political action committees (PAC’s)

            1.    The range of interests represented

            2.    The activities of interest groups

            3.    The effects of interest groups on the political process

            4.    The unique characteristics and roles of PAC's in the political process

      C.   The mass media

            1.    The functions and structures of the media

            2.    The impacts of media on politics

 

IV.  Institutions of National Government:  The Congress, the presidency, the bureaucracy, and the federal courts  35-45%

                 

      A.   The major formal and informal institutional arrangements of power

      B.   Relationships among these four institutions, and varying balances of power

      C.    Linkages between institutions and the following

            1.    Public opinion and voters

            2.    Interest groups

            3.    Political parties

            4.    The media

            5.    Sub national governments

 

 

 

ESSAY TERM DEFINITIONS:

 

ANALYZE:                          determine the nature and relationship of the component parts of; explain the importance of; break down

 

ASSESS:                            judge the value or character of something; appraise; evaluate

 

COMPARE:                          examine for the purpose of noting similarities and differences, focusing more on the similarities

 

CRITICIZE:                        make judgments as to merits and faults; criticism may approve or disapprove or both

 

DEFINE:                            give the meaning (a word, phrase, concept); determine or fix the boundaries or extent

 

DISCUSS OR                       talk over; write about; consider by argument or from

EXAMINE:                         various points of view; debate; present the different sides

 

ENUMERATE                       mention or itemize separately; name one after another

OR LIST:

 

EVALUATE:                        give the good points and the bad; appraise; give an opinion regarding the value of; discuss the advantages and disadvantages

 

ILLUSTRATE:                      make clear or intelligible as by examples

 

INTERPRET:                       explain the meaning; make plain; present your thinking about

 

JUSTIFY:                          show good reasons; present your evidence; offer facts to support your position

 

PROVE:                             establish the truth of something by giving factual evidence or logical reasons

 

RELATE:                            show how things are connected or how one causes another

 

SUMMARIZE:                      state or express in concise form; give the main points briefly

 

TRACE:                             follow the course; change over time

 

 

 

 

EVALUATE CRITERIA FOR A.P. ESSAYS (I use either a 4 or 9 point rubric)

9-8 Strong analytical focus.   Exhaustive breadth, responds to all elements asked in the question.  Uses convincing evidence to support a thesis.  In some cases, shows signs of original thinking and creativity.  

7-6 Presents a thesis.  Uses evidence in an organized fashion to support thesis.  Adequate in breadth in responding to most of the important issues raised in the question.

5   States rudiments of a thesis.  Cites facts appropriate to the development of a thesis but does not clearly link these to the thesis.  Discusses some of the major issues.  Incorrect factual illustrations and or faulty or incomplete logic may be encountered.   Argument appears incomplete.

4   Demonstrates comprehension of pertinent concepts and facts.  Presents descriptive narrative with little reference to an organizing principle.  Responds to some of the issues raised in the question.  May contain some factual errors.

3   Weak or implausible thesis.  Breadth of coverage and depth of information may be adequate but contains many factual errors.  Information may not fit into thesis.

2   Weak thesis that is unsustained in discussion.  Offers few, if any, factual illustrations to support thesis.  Includes irrelevant information.

1   Attempts to respond to question.  However, fails to provide detail and breadth of coverage.

0   No attempt to answer to the question in any meaningful way.