American Government



Honors American Government

Instructor: Mrs. Jessica Nichols

Email: jessica_nichols@

Website:

WLHS 2014-2015

Course Description:

Welcome to American Government! The American Government class here at Wilde Lake High School is a comprehensive course that presents a study of national, state, and local government. Additional topics of study include law, economics, and current issues.

Course Outline:

Listed below are brief introductions and overall mastery objectives for the units to be studied during this course.

Unit I: Principles of Governmental Systems

• Explain the origins, purposes, and types of governmental systems.

• Defend the origins, foundations, and evolutionary nature of American government.

Unit II: Structures, Organizations, and Functions of American Government

• Defend the structures and functions of legislative branches on the national, state, and local levels.

• Understand the structures and functions of executive branches on the national, state, and local levels.

• Defend the structures and functions of executive branches on the national, state, and local levels.

Unit III: Influencing Government

• Explain the roles played by individual, groups, and institutions in influencing governmental policies and actions.

• Infer how voting and voting behavior influences American government.

Unit IV: Establishing Public Policy

• Understand the role of government in shaping domestic public policy.

• Understand the role of federal government in shaping foreign policy.

Unit V: Establishing Justice

• Understand the role of government in expanding and guaranteeing civil rights for all Americans.

• Appraise the purposes and operations of the criminal justice system in the United States.

• Understand the purposes and operations of the civil justice system in the United States.

Unit VI: The American Economic System

• Apply basic economic concepts and systems.

• Discover the forces, which direct the United States’ market system.

• Understand the role of the government in establishing domestic economic policy.

• Predict the role of the government in establishing economic policies in the global arena.

• Understand the issues associated with personal economic decision-making.

Classroom Expectations:

Suggested Materials:

It is suggested, however, not required to obtain a three ring binder with dividers. The sections may be labeled: Warm Ups, Notes, Classwork, Homework, Additional Supplements

Classroom Rules:

Students are expected to follow all school-wide rules. Lateness will not be tolerated. Cell phone usage will not be tolerated inside the classroom if it falls outside of the HCPSS Bring Your Own Device policy. Always be respectful of other people and their property. Show self control at all times. Any inappropriate behavior will be dealt with in the following ways:

1st offense- Warning

2nd offense- Student Conference/ Possible Detention

3rd offense- Detention

4th offense- Referral and Parent Contact

*At anytime I may contact your parent/guardian. If the inappropriate behavior is severe or repetitive, it will be dealt with differently than what is listed above.

Attendance:

If you are absent, YOU are responsible for getting the work you may have missed. Plan to meet with me after school to get any missing work or information. It is not my responsibility to give you your work during the class period. The amount of time given to make up assignments will be equal to the number of classes missed. If you are absent on the day a long-term assignment is due, it is still due that day.

Heading:

Write your name on your work. If assignments do not have a name on them, they may not be graded and may be ultimately discarded.

Grading:

The grading policy is based on a point system. In most cases, test and projects will be worth the greatest number of points, while quizzes, classwork, and homework may be worth fewer points. Each student will be evaluated on the following grade scale:

A 89.5-100 – Outstanding level of achievement

B 79.5-89.4- High level of achievement

C 69.5-79.4 - Satisfactory level of achievement

D 59.5-69.4 – Low level of achievement

E 0- 59.4 – Failure (no credit awarded)

The following criteria will be used to determine your final grade:

1. Classwork/Homework: Homework and classwork may or may not be collected everyday. It may be graded on completeness or accuracy. Homework should be done at home and is due at the beginning of class. Any homework that is copied from another student will be awarded no credit. Any student that allows a fellow classmate to copy will be awarded no credit for their work.

2. Quizzes: All quizzes will be announced at least 24 hours in advance. Open note quizzes may be given at my discretion.

3. Projects: Project instructions and expectations will be announced well in advance of the due date.

4. Tests: Test will be announced well in advance. Exams may include essay writing, multiple-choice, true and false, short answer, and matching. If you are absent the day before a test, you must be prepared to take it the day you return to class. If you are absent the day of the test, be prepared to take a make-up test when you return.

5. Participation: I expect you to participate in classroom activities and discussions. This will be evaluated by how often you offer meaningful comments, ideas, and/or questions to the topic each day. Behavior will also be considered in your participation grade as well.

Grades Online:

Parents can access the online grading program Aspen, using the following website:

Late Work:

Due dates will be strictly adhered to. One letter grade will be deducted per day for any late assignment received after the due date. I can at any time refuse to accept late work regardless of the circumstances.

Extra Credit:

Extra credit is offered continually throughout the school year. Each student can earn up to 50 points extra credit each quarter.

Honor Code Statement:

All students are expected to abide by the Wilde Lake High School Honor Code at all times and will be held accountable for any violations of the Honor Code.

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