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Advanced Placement US Government and Politics 2019-2020 Curt RakestrawCourse Overview:AP Government course is a year long course that meets every day for 50 minutes. This course will incorporate several teaching strategies including lecture, class discussions, and cooperative learning activities, among others. This course will be taught on a college level and will require a large amount of reading & standardized test practice. Students are responsible for keeping up with current events as well as the nightly readings in their texts. Students who take this course will develop a critical understanding of the US Government & political system. All students who take this course are required to take the AP US Government and Politics exam on May 12, 2015. Students will be required to attend occasional after school tutoring throughout the year, and especially in March and April. Students successfully completing this course will:? know important facts, concepts, and theories pertaining to U.S. government and politics? understand typical patterns of political processes and behavior and their consequences (including the components of political behavior, the principles used to explain or justify various government structures and procedures, and the political effects of these structures and procedures)? be able to analyze and interpret basic data relevant to U.S. government and politics (including data presented in charts, tables, and other formats)? be able to critically analyze relevant theories and concepts, apply them appropriately, and develop their connections across the curriculumTo help students meet these goals, the course should cover the following topics: 1. Constitutional Underpinnings of the United States Government. 2. Political Beliefs and Behaviors 3. Political Parties, Interest Groups, and Mass Media 4. Institutions of National Government 5. Public Policy 6. Civil Rights and Civil LibertiesCourse Texts:Main Text:Edwards III, George C., et al. Government in America: People, Politics, and Policy. AP 16th ed. Pearson, 2014.Supplemental Readings:Baker, Ross. House and Senate. W.W. Norton & Company, 2008. ISBN: 978-0393930603Matthews, Chris. Hardball: How Politics is Played, Told by One Who Knows the Game. Simon & Schuester, 1999.ISBN: ?978-0684845593Rehnquist, William H. The Supreme Court. Vintage, 2002. ISBN: 978-0375708619Serow, Ann G., ed. The Lanahan Readings in the American Polity. 4th ed. Lanahan Publishers, 2007.ISBN: 9781930398092These readings will be supplemented with readings from The New York Times and magazines, such as Time and The Atlantic. Students will read political analysis from websites including Vox and FiveThirtyEightCourse Schedule:Week 1 Introduction to American GovernmentReadings: Government in America Chapter 1, Time articlesTopics: Theories of Government, Political Culture, Linkages, Policy Making InstitutionsUnit 1 August 10 – 31st Constitutional Underpinnings of the United States GovernmentGovernment in America Chapter 2 & 3; The Supreme CourtTopics: The Constitution, Separation of Powers, Checks and Balances, Powers of the government, History of the Constitution, Failure of Articles of Confederation, Development of Political Parties, Federalism, Grants, Expansion of Federal Powers, Role of Supreme Court DecisionsUnit 2 September 1st – 23rd Political Beliefs and BehaviorsGovernment in America Chapter 6Topics: Political spectrum, Political Ideologies, Political Participation, Socialization, Political Efficacy, Role of Money in Elections, Demographics and Voter PreferencesUnit 3 September 26 – November 11th Political Parties, Interest Groups, and Mass Media Government in America Chapter 7 – 11Topics: Elections, Political Campaigns, Political Parties, Interest Groups, Lobbying of Policy Makers, Mass Media, Decline of Political Parties, PACs and SuperPACs, Changes in Media CoverageUnit 4.1 November 12 – December 15th Political Institutions: Congress and the PresidencyGovernment in America Chapter 12 – 14; House and Senate; HardballTopics: Legislative Branch, Law Making, Committee Systems, Roles of Congressmen, Constituencies, Redistricting and Gerrymandering, Expressed Powers, the Presidency, Expansion of Federal Powers, Bully Pulpit, White House Staff, Separation of Powers, The Federal BudgetUnit 4.2 January 5 – February 11th Political Institutions: The Bureaucracy, The Federal CourtsGovernment in America Chapter 15 & 16; The Supreme CourtTopics: Bureaucracy, Policy making discretion, the Cabinet, Regulatory Agencies, Deregulation, Federal Courts, Supreme Court Cases, Judge selection, Judicial ReviewUnit 5 February 23 – March 12th Public PolicyGovernment in America Chapter 14, 17 – 20Topics: Policy Making, Economic Policy, the Federal Budget, Domestic Policies, Social Welfare Policy, Foreign Policy, Linkages Between BranchesUnit 6 March 14 – April 8th Civil Liberties and Civil Rights Government in America Chapter 4 & 5Topics: Bill of Rights, Civil Rights, Civil Liberties, Supreme Court Cases, IncorporationSuper-Review April 9 – May 9th Review for AP ExamTuesday May 10, 2016 AP US Government & Politics ExamGrading: Students nine week grades and Progress Reports will be based on the following formula.Participation5%Classwork: Outline & Note Checks35%Assessments40% Homework: Arguments 10%Project: Current Events Blog10%Participation: Each student is expected to be prepared to participate in class daily. Students will be expected to give their best effort in answering questions in class or participating in classroom discussions. Participation grades can be affected by classroom conduct, preparedness, and attendance at mandatory AP tutoring.Classwork: Outlines: For each chapter students will be expected to outline the assigned reading and take notes on what they have read. Students will supplement these outlines with notes taken in class. Class notes will be checked before each unit test. Assessments: Reading Quizzes: Students will have a quiz each chapter to check for understanding of important concepts covered in class. This is to ensure that students are keeping up with weekly readings. Questions will be in short answer format to reflect the AP style FRQ questions students will encounter. Tests:After completion of study of each unit within the course framework, students will be tested on the material using mostly AP multiple choice and free response examples. These tests will help students prepare for the AP testing experience. Homework: Argument: Each week, students will be given one topic to explore both sides of form a supplemental text. Most weeks, this will be in the form of a debate in which students will read both sides of an issue and in class we will debate the issue. Students will write an argumentative essay for each topic and most Fridays in class, we will discuss student opinions on the issue. Project: Current Events Blog: Approximately once per week, students are expected to write a response on their blog about an article from a newspaper or magazine that has been assigned. Students are to write a brief summary of the article and respond to any questions that are a part of the assignment. Students will get their assignments on the course website. All students are required to take the AP exam at the end of the course.There will also be two semester exams which will be separate from the AP exam. Semester exams will account for 15% of students’ semester grades, in accordance with Shelby County Schools Grading PolicyContact Information:Curt Rakestraw901.409.7926rakestrawatwork@You may contact me either way, at ANY time. I will return any phone calls or texts as soon as possible. ................
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