AP United States Government and Politics



AP United States Government and Politics

Mr. DeCosmo

D205

410-757-1300

adecosmo@

Course Overview/Description:

This course explores the political theory and everyday practice that directs the daily operation of our government and shapes our public policies. The express purpose of this course is to prepare students to take the AP Exam for U.S. Government and Politics. This course is for all intents and purposes taught on a college level and it requires a substantial amount of reading and preparation for every class. The objectives of this course go beyond a basic analysis of how our government “works.” Students will develop a critical understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the American political system, as well as their rights and responsibilities as citizens.

Course Content: Percentage of Topics on the AP Test

• Constitutional Underpinnings of U.S. Government 5-15%

• Political Beliefs and Behavior 10-20%

• Political Parties, Interest Groups, and Mass Media 10-20%

• Institutions of National Government 35-45%

• Public Policy 5-15%

• Civil Rights and Civil Liberties 5-15%

What the teacher will do to support the students:

• Create engaging and rigorous learning activities that help students build their understanding of US Government and social studies skills.

• Ensure students have pre-reading activities to help with comprehension and purpose.

• Chunk reading into manageable amounts and include time in class to debrief outside readings.

• Provide and explain rubrics for essays and other assignments

• Spiral necessary skills for successful essay writing and provide time for editing and revising writings in order to meet standards.

• Provide additional help to revise essays and receive support for other assignments and assessments so that students meet course standards. This help will be provided in class, during tutorials, and after school (after school sessions to be determined by teacher).

• Notify parents at any point during the marking period if a student is in danger of failing or dropping two or more letter grades.

What the student will do to be successful:

• Complete all assignments as required. During reading, students will take notes on their readings and may have to reread sections in order to fully understand them. Students must be willing to merge their reading notes with their classroom notes in order to understand the course content.

• Outline, write, edit, and revise essay assignments so that they meet the rubrics.

• Take advantage of opportunities for additional help. Students should attend these sessions with rough drafts or specific questions so that the teacher can most effectively help the student.

What parents can do to support the student:

• Ensure that their student has supplies and that they complete homework and study for tests.

• Encourage their student to seek additional help when it is needed.

• Check Parent Connect regularly to monitor student grades. Parents can expect grades to be updated at least once a week.

• Contact the teacher with any questions about assignments, grades, or other issues in a timely manner.

Common Core Literacy Standards:

These standards can be accessed in full at .

Grading for this Course:

Broadneck High School Social Studies Department Grading Protocol 2016 – 2017

A minimum of 9 separate assignments exclusive of homework and quarterly assessments in the following categories will be used to report student grades.

Grading Categories

|Category |Percentage of Overall Grade |

|Formative Assessments |40% |

|Summative Assessments |40% |

|Homework (Not Open for Redo & Resubmission) |10% |

|Quarterly Assessment (Not Open for Redo & Resubmission) |10% |

|Total |100% |

Formative Assessments include class assignments, warm-ups, drills, in-class projects, journals/warm-ups, in-class quizzes, in-class writing (practice FRQs or constructed response), exit tickets, peer assessments, computer lab activities, and other assignments that contribute to the in-process evaluation of student progress and learning needs. Students will have chapter reading quizzes on a regular basis to check for understanding and assure they staying on pace with course content. Students may choose from this category to redo and resubmit an assignment.

Summative Assessments include all major unit assessments and cumulative projects used to evaluate skill acquisition and academic achievement at the conclusion of a defined instructional period. There is one major content assessment per unit of study. Most include multiple chapters. Each unit exam will include selected and written response components and the questions, structure, and pacing will mimic the AP Exam administered by College Board. FRQ written essays will be scored using the appropriate rubric and standards set forth by the College Board. Students may choose from this category to redo and resubmit an assignment.

Homework includes both individual and group assignments (short term and long term) necessary for class participation and preparedness. Each unit students will receive a schedule of due dates and assign reading questions to help them keep pace with the content of the class and prepare them for the AP Exam. Students MUST READ if they wish to be successful in the course and on the exam. It is recommended that students take typed reading notes along with answering their assigned reading questions in order to be successful in the course. All items in this category are ineligible for resubmission.

Quarterly Assessments shall be cumulative in nature, they will be consistent for all students taking each course and shall provide students with the opportunity to demonstrate their understanding of the knowledge, concepts and skills embodied in this course. Quarterly Assessments are ineligible for resubmission.

Rubric for the Assignment of Grades

|Grade |Scale |Description |

|A |90 –100% |The student has demonstrated an exceptional understanding of the knowledge, concepts, and skills embodied in this|

| | |course. |

|B |80 – 89% |The student has demonstrated complete understanding of the essential knowledge, concepts, and skills embodied in |

| | |this course. |

|C |70 – 79% |The student has demonstrated basic understanding of the essential knowledge, concepts, and skills embodied in |

| | |this course. |

|D |60 – 69% |The student has demonstrated limited understanding of the essential knowledge, concepts, and skills embodied in |

| | |this course. |

|E |50 – 59% |The student has not demonstrated adequate understanding of essential knowledge, concepts, and skills embodied in |

| | |this course. |

|E |0% |The student has not demonstrated a good faith effort by attempting to understand the essential knowledge, |

| | |concepts, and skills embodied in this course. |

Good Faith Effort

Teachers shall assign a minimum grade of 50% to assignments or assessments for which the student has made a good faith effort to meet the basic requirements. If a student does no work on an assignment or an assessment, or demonstrates a behaviorally they are not committed to putting forth good faith effort then the teacher shall assign a grade of zero. No grades of 1%-49% will be recorded in the grade book. Either a student made a good faith effort and scored 50%-100% or no effort was made and a score of 0% will be recorded. This does not prevent a student from earning a grade of 1%-49% on the report card. For example, if a student received an 80% and a 0% on two equally weighted assignments/assessments, the overall grade earned would be 40%.

Procedures for Re-do & Resubmission

Consistent with Anne Arundel County Board of Education policy on grading, Broadneck High School students who have not yet met mastery standards shall have one additional opportunity to improve their scores on 4 assignments of their choosing with the exception of homework, quarterly assessments, and assignments due during the last week of the marking period. Teacher facilitated re-teaching is recommended before a student uses his or her opportunities for mastery (re-do) but is not required. Students must complete and submit re-do assignments within 10 days of receiving returned original graded work and the highest score earned will be recorded. For re-dos, the teacher may elect to create an alternative assessment that measures student mastery of the same content standards. Redo opportunities are to be scheduled by the student with the teacher after school by appointment on Tuesdays. Students may only redo one assignment per meeting.

General Grading Guidelines:

• All grades, with the exception of lengthy assignments, such as projects and extended writing assignments, will be entered into Parent Connect within seven school days, with exceptions to lengthy assignments such as essays and projects.

• With exception to the last week of each marking period, students may select only FOUR assignments of their choosing to redo after school that were submitted on the original due date and assigned at least a good faith effort. Students may redo on assignment Tuesdays after school only after setting up an appointment with the teacher prior. Teacher facilitated re-teaching is recommended before a student uses his or her opportunities for mastery (re-do) but is not required

• Students may NOT revise or redo homework or quarterly assessments*

Late Assignments

• Assignments that are not turned in on time for any reason will be recorded as a 0% in the gradebook until being submitted. Late assignments will be accepted with a penalty of 10% applied to the final grade for every class period past the due date. Please take notice that students enrolled in AP US Government and Seminar will see their teacher every day, thus students will be deducted 10% each school day/Period. Late assignments must be submitted within 5 school days and may not be resubmitted for re-dos except in cases of excused absences.

Classroom Procedures:

• Absences and late assignments: On the day of the return, please grab your work from the make-up been and ask the teacher the due date. It is your responsibility to make up missed work and copy notes. All work must be completed within the number of days equal to the number of days absent. If present on a quiz day students are still responsible for the content at home and must sit for the quiz. Missed quizzes/tests will be given either before or after school.

• Tardiness: Tardiness is handled according to school policy. First is a warning, second a detention, and the third is a referral to your administrator.

• Leaving the classroom: You may only leave the classroom with a pass for emergency situations. Please take care of needs before class. If you have a guidance or administrative pass please let me see it at the beginning of class.

• End of class: Please push in all chairs and remove all trash on and around the desks.

Academic Dishonesty

As defined in the AACPS Board of Education, academic dishonesty refers to any form of misconduct that occurs in relation to all academic exercises. Cheating includes, but is not limited to: copying, allowing other to copy, use unauthorized resources for assessments, giving or receiving test information, and working collaboratively on independent assignments. Plagiarism refers to the deliberate presenting of ideas, works, or statements of another as one’s own, without the acknowledgement of the source. This includes, but is not limited to: presenting work, language, ideas, or computer programs of another person without proper acknowledgment of source or downloading, copying, and/or buying work and submitting it as the student’s own work. Academic dishonesty also includes actions of fraud, fabrication, and falsification of academic work. Additional specific prohibited behaviors of academic dishonesty are outlined in AACPS instructional policy AR613 IN-RA.

Materials Needed:

Highlighter Loose leaf paper Pens/pencils

Colored Pencils/markers Three-ringed binder Agenda book

Classroom Procedures:

• Absences and late assignments: On the day of the return, please grab your work from the make-up been and ask the teacher the due date. It is your responsibility to make up missed work and copy notes. All work must be completed within the number of days equal to the number of days absent. If present on a quiz day students are still responsible for the content at home and must sit for the quiz. Missed quizzes/tests will be given either before or after school. Do not wait until you find out an assignment is graded to then turn it in or you will lose credit.

• Tardiness: Tardiness is handled according to school policy. First is a warning, second a detention, and the third is a referral to your administrator.

• Leaving the classroom: You may only leave the classroom with a pass for emergency situations. Please take care of needs before class. If you have a guidance or administrative pass please let me see it at the beginning of class.

• End of class: Please push in all chairs and remove all trash on and around the desks.

• Extra Help: Thursdays are reserved for after school help, but an appointment must be confirmed with the teacher prior. This would be an ideal time for students have an essay conference with the teacher, review a test together, re-teach, or review the students reading notes. Students may also take advantage of the resources on the online google classroom and .

Return this portion to teacher.

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I have read and understand the course outline and the academic integrity policy as defined in the Anne Arundel County Public Schools student handbook

______________________________ ______________________________

Student’s Printed Name Class Period

Parent/Guardian Signature: _______________________________________________________

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