11th Grade Government The American System 2013-2014 Introduction: Welcome to American Government!

In this 10 week, semester long course we will be exploring the United States government; its origins, the documents, the different branches, and the difference between state and federal governments. Throughout this course, you will learn important skills that will make you informed and participatory citizens. This class will require that you think critically about our government and participate in discussions about issues. Its going to be a great semester! Course Outline: We will have four units in this semester: one that investigates the origins of American government, one that analyzes primary government documents that still govern America today, one that identifies and explains the three branches of government and one that explores the different responsibilities placed with state and federal governments. In each of these units, students will take a critical approach to each subject always asking questions about why things are the way that they are and if the current system best fits the needs of the nation. Students will be asked to hypothesize and predict the outcomes based on changes they make to governmental policy. Grading Policy: The purpose of this grading policy is to see how much you are engaging and understanding the material. This grading policy is designed for you, to ensure that you comprehend the material and are using it to think critically about the government today. The grading policy aligns with the goals for this course and your grade will reflect the extent to which you meet those goals. Participation and journaling will be a large part of your grade. I want to know what you are thinking about a topic and want to make sure that your voice is being heard in the classroom. Part of your participation grade will depend on your ability to be respectful to other students, to complete each assignment, and to be prepared for each class period. As long as you are actively engaging in the material, your participation grade will reflect your effort. The other components of grading include daily quick writes, weekly check-ups, two group projects, one mock Congressional session, one position paper, and one presentation. Each component will be worth close to the same number of points. Larger projects and assignments will be worth a little more points in order to accommodate and reward you for the hard work you put into them. The daily quick writes and participation will count as a little less since they require less outside of class effort and are more based on opinion than content. For the projects that will be worth a little more points, you will always be given a rubric that will outline what I expect that project to contain. As long as I can see your effort, understanding and each required component in said project, you will receive adequate points. The rubrics are meant to help you understand the goals of the project and the aspects I want you to focus on. If the rubric is unclear or still does not answer questions you have, I am always available to clear anything up. No one project is designed to significantly bring down your grade, therefore no project will be worth more than 15% of your total grade in the class.

Grading Components: Assessment Description Total Points The students participation grade will be based on their contribution to class discussions, the respect they show other students, their preparedness for every class, and the completion of work outside of class. Participation will be calculated on a daily basis and the weekly Participation total will be 1% of the total points. Students will not be penalized if they are wrong about a concept, I just want the opportunity to hear the thoughts of the students and assess where their level of understanding of the material is. To start each day, students will be asked a general question based on what we will be learning that day. The general question will often not have to do with the content itself, but will relate to a larger concept Daily Quick that will tie into the content to be taught that day. The students will Writes be required to write at least a quarter page response for each question. These responses will be checked for completion at the end of each week and will count as 1% of the total points. These assignments will be a formative assessment at the end of each week to make sure that students are grasping the material being presented. These will be in the form of worksheets with varying Weekly forms of questions that the students will have time in class to Check-Up complete or can take home if extra time is needed. The students will Assignments be graded based on their answers compared to a key created by the teacher. Each weekly check-up assignment will be work 1% of the total points. In this project, students will be assigned an amendment in the Constitution and will be required to rewrite it in todays language. Group After rewriting the amendment, the group will be required to assess Project 1: the quality of the amendment and that specific amendments place in Updating the todays government in a two page paper. This will test the students Constitution ability to analyze a primary source, and by having to reword it, will test their level of understanding of the document. The students will be graded based on a rubric handed out before the start of the project. During this mock Congressional Session, students will be placed into either the Republican or Democratic Party. They will then be required to vote on a Speaker of the House who will be in charge of the subsequent activities the House participates in. The Speaker Mock will call on students to read proposals, everyone will vote on the Congressional proposed laws, and then the law will either be enacted or vetoed. Session This will give the students hands on experience with the Legislative Branch they just spent several days learning about. The students will be assessed based on their participation in the mock session, as well as a one page paper reflecting on the process. The students will be given a set of questions before writing the paper that they will need

10%

10%

10%

15%

15%

to answer in order to be given full credit. In this project, students will work in groups to create a law that could possibly govern the classroom. The students will have to use the lawmaking process that we have been discussing in class. The students will have to make a law, be able to defend it, and then will put it to the class to vote on it. The students will all present their laws to the class and the class will then vote on two favorites, Between the two favorites, the one law that the majority of the class votes in favor for will be considered for classroom implementation. The students will be assessed on their ability to defend their law, the quality of their proposal, and a one page summary of the law, its benefits, and why it should be passed. The students will be given a final grade based on a rubric handed out before the start of the project. In this one page position paper, students will be required to take a stand on an issue. They will be required to research their issue and create a paper that summarizes the information, as if they were a lobby group presenting their position to a Senator or Representative. It has to be thoroughly explained but also concise because of the limited amount of time Congressmen and women have to read through it. This will test their ability to find evidence to support their position as well as organizing it in a way that conveys their argument but fits into a tight page constraint. The position paper will be graded based on a rubric handed out before starting the project. This 2-3 minute presentation will allow each student to present their position paper to the rest of the class. The class will then decide, based on their previously stated party affiliation, whether they would support or oppose this issue if it were to come up in Congress and they were required to vote on it. This will put them in the mindset of Congressmen and women and will test their level of analysis based on their party affiliation. The presentation will be graded based on a rubric handed out before the presentation is formed.

Group Project 2: Create a Law

15%

Position Paper

15%

Presentation

10%

Grading Approach: The grading approach will be based on the points from each section being converted into percentage points and will correlate with the scale below. Students will be graded on an individual basis and other students work and performance will not affect an individual students grade in any way. 90-100% =A 80-89% =B 70-79% =C 60-69% =D 59% and below=F