AP GOVERNMENT COURSE OUTLINE 2000 - 2001 MR. ADDIE

COURSE OBJECTIVE - THIS COURSE IS DESIGNED TO GIVE STUDENTS A CRITICAL PERSPECTIVE ON GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS IN THE UNITED STATES. THIS COURSE INVOLVES BOTH THE STUDY OF GENERAL CONCEPTS USED TO INTERPRET UNITED STATES POLITICS AND THE ANALYSIS OF SPECIFIC CASE STUDIES. IT ALSO REQUIRES FAMILIARITY WITH THE VARIOUS INSTITUTIONS, GROUPS, BELIEFS AND IDEAS THAT MAKE UP THE UNITED STATES POLITICAL REALITY. THE ACQUISITION OF A THOROUGH AND SYSTEMATIC COMPREHENSION OF UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS REQUIRES THAT THE STUDENT LEARN FACTS AND CONCEPTS AND UNDERSTAND TYPICAL POLITICAL PROCESSES. FURTHER, THE STUDENT LEARNS TO USE SPECIFIC INFORMATION CRITICALLY TO EVALUATE GENERAL PROPOSITIONS ABOUT GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS. STUDENTS ALSO LEARN TO PRESENT BASIC DATA RELEVANT TO GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS IN SUSTAINED WRITTEN ARGUMENTS. IN ADDITION, THE STUDENT WILL ALSO GAIN KNOWLEDGE OF THE WORLD’S DIVERSE POLITICAL STRUCTURES AND PRACTICES BY THE STUDY OF BOTH SPECIFIC COUNTRIES AND OF GENERAL CONCEPTS USED TO INTERPRET THE KEY POLITICAL RELATIONSHIPS FOUND IN VIRTUALLY ALL NATIONAL POLITICS.

TEXTS - AMERICAN GOVERNMENT 7^TH EDITION BY WILSON - COST $48.00

PERSPECTIVES ON AMERICAN GOVERNMENT BY LASSER - COST $22.50

COURSE TOPIC OUTLINE -

1ST QUARTER - OUR CONSTITUTIONAL DEMOCRACY IN ACTION - THE PEOPLE, PROCESS AND POLITICS OF ELECTIONS - CAMPAIGN "2000" PORTFOLIO PROJECT - COMPARATIVE GOVERNMENT ASSIGNMENT (CGA)

2ND QUARTER - OUR CONSTITUTION AND FEDERALISM AT WORK - THE CONGRESSIONAL/EXECUTIVE CONNECTION IN POLICY-MAKING (THE BUREAUCRACY, FOREIGN AND DOMESTIC POLICY - LEGISLATION AND LEADERSHIP) - STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENT IN ACTION - MODEL GENERAL ASSEMBLY PROJECT - COMPARATIVE GOVERNMENT ASSIGNMENT (CGA)

3RD QUARTER - THE EXECUTIVE/CONGRESSIONAL CONNECTION IN POLICY-MAKING

(THE BUREAUCRACY, FOREIGN AND DOMESTIC POLICY - LEADERSHIP AND LEGISLATION) - MODEL CONGRESS PROJECT (PUBLIC POLICY POSITION PAPERS/BILLS/PRESENTATIONS) - COMPARATIVE GOVERNMENT ASSIGNMENT (CGA)

4TH QUARTER - THE FEDERAL COURTS - CIVIL LIBERTIES/CIVIL RIGHTS - COMPARATIVE GOVERNMENT ASSIGNMENT (CGA) - AP TEST REVIEW AND TEST - MODEL SUPREME COURT PROJECT -

GRADING AND ASSESSMENT - YOUR FINAL COURSE GRADE WILL CONSIST OF FOUR SEPARATE QUARTER AVERAGES PLUS YOUR FINAL EXAM SCORE. THESE FIVE GRADES WILL BE AVERAGED TOGETHER TO DETERMINE THE FINAL GRADE FOR THE YEAR.

QUARTER GRADES - EACH QUARTER GRADE WILL BE DIVIDED INTO FOUR PARTS; EACH PART BASED ON A 100 PT. SCALE.

1. UNIT TESTS - 60% OF YOUR QUARTER GRADE - ESSAY AND MULTIPLE CHOICE TYPE QUESTIONS - SIMULATES THE AP TEST FORMAT - 4 PER QUARTER - MAKEUP’S WILL BE EITHER IN CLASS THE DAY YOU RETURN OR AFTER SCHOOL WITHIN THE ALLOWABLE MAKEUP TIME. MAKEUP TESTS REQUIRE 4 ESSAYS PLUS THE MULTIPLE CHOICE! IN ADDITION, AN AP 9 WEEKS TEST WILL BE GIVEN AT THE END OF THE 1^ST, 2^ND AND 3^RD QUARTERS. THIS TEST WILL COUNT AS A 5^TH UNIT TEST GRADE FOR EACH OF THESE QUARTERS. THE CONTENT WILL BE ACTUAL AP MULTIPLE CHOICE AND ESSAY QUESTIONS THAT PERTAIN TO EACH QUARTER'S CONTENT MATERIAL

2. PROJECT GRADE - 15% OF YOUR QUARTER GRADE - SEE ASSIGNMENT SHEETS ON THE WEB PAGE FOR EACH QUARTER - ATTENDANCE/PARTICIPATION WILL BE PART OF YOUR ASSESSMENT

3. HOMEWORK - 15% OF YOUR QUARTER GRADE - CHECKED IN CLASS FOR POINTS - MINUS POINTS FOR MISSING OR INCOMPLETE ASSIGNMENTS - IN ADDITION, FOR SENIOR SEMINAR CONNECTING LOGS, 5 PTS OFF YOUR HOMEWORK GRADE FOR EACH POINT DEDUCTED FROM EACH CONNECTING LOG THROUGHOUT THE YEAR.

4. COMPARATIVE GOVERNMENT ASSIGNMENTS - 10% OF YOUR QUARTER GRADE - REFER TO THE CGA ASSIGNMENT SHEET AND THE CGA QUESTION OUTLINE ON THE WEB PAGE

GRADE CALCULATION EXAMPLE:

1. UNIT TEST AVERAGE = 92 x .60 = 55.2

2. PROJECT GRADE = 89 x .15 = 13.35

3. H.W. AVERAGE = 100 x .15 = 15.0

4. CGA GRADE = 90 x .10 = 9.0

TOTAL = 92.55 (B+)

ADDITIONAL GRADES -

1. FINAL EXAM - 10% OF THE COURSE GRADE - AVERAGED IN WITH YOUR FOUR QUARTER GRADES - COMPREHENSIVE - TWO PARTS - PART ONE WILL BE AN ACTUAL AP TEST WITH BOTH MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONS AND ESSAYS - WILL BE GIVEN ON MAY 3(B) & 4(G) - PART TWO COVERS THE TEXT MATERIAL ( MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONS) FROM ALL UNIT TESTS - GIVEN DURING EXAM DAYS IN JUNE - YOU WILL HAVE 90 MINUTES TO ANSWER 50 MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONS, ALL TAKEN FROM YOUR PAST UNIT TESTS - BOTH PARTS WILL BE AVERAGED TOGETHER TO DETERMINE YOUR FINAL EXAM SCORE!

2. EXTRA CREDIT - POLITICAL CARTOONS AND/OR SPECIAL ASSIGNMENTS - SEE ME FOR DETAILS - DOES NOT REPLACE REQUIREMENTS!

3. DAILY PREPARATION - BRING ALL REQUIRED TEXTS, BOOKS, NOTEBOOKS, PEN/PENCIL, ETC. EACH DAY! 5 PTS OFF YOUR HOMEWORK GRADE FOR EACH THAT IS MISSING!

4. LATE WORK AND MAKEUP POLICY - PROJECTS AND OTHER LONG RANGE ASSIGNMENTS WILL BE MARKED DOWN ONE LETTER GRADE FOR EACH SCHOOL DAY LATE (INCLUDES BURGUNDY AND GOLD DAYS). MAKEUP WORK WILL COME UNDER THE COUNTY POLICY (ONE DAY FOR EACH DAY ABSENT UP TO A MAXIMUM OF 10 DAYS) - DUE TO THE ALTERNATING DAY STRUCTURE OF THE BLOCK SCHEDULE, STUDENTS ARE RESPONSIBLE TO MEET AND ARRANGE MAKEUP (BY APPOINTMENT - MON. THRU FRI.) WITH THE INSTRUCTOR PRIOR TO THE NEXT CLASS MEETING IF POSSIBLE. MAKEUP UNIT TESTS REQUIRE 4 ESSAYS PLUS THE MULTIPLE CHOICE! STUDENTS ARE EXPECTED TO TAKE THE MAKEUP TEST THE DAY THEY RETURN TO MY CLASS EITHER DURING THAT CLASS PERIOD OR AFTER SCHOOL!

I HAVE READ THE ABOVE AND UNDERSTAND ITS CONTENTS AND REQUIREMENTS.

STUDENT - ______________________________________________

PARENT - ______________________________________________