Civics                                                                                                                                      Mr. Martin

Course Overview:

This course provides students with a comprehensive understanding of United States Government through the study of theory, history and practice in order to interpret and analyse politics in the United States. Subjects for this course include but are not limited to The Constitution and The Bill of Rights structure of government and landmark Supreme Court cases that have influenced the interpretation of the law.  The development of political beliefs and behaviors, party development and practices, interest groups, PACs, mass media, public policy, and individual rights and freedoms as well as their effects are essential for a full understanding of our government and its functions.

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The student workload includes but is not limited to the textbook, on line media, current events, The United States Constitution and the Bill of Rights. 

Textbook: 

Hartley, Wm H and Vincent, Wm S.  American Civics. Austin, TX:  Holt, Rinehart and Winston. Harcourt Brace & Company, 1998.

Student Evaluation:

1. Quizzes.

2. Unit Tests.

3. Class work/homework.

4. Group Projects/Presentations.

5. Class Participation/Citizenship.

6. Semester Examination.

Classroom Management Policies and Requirements:

1. Students must bring their textbooks, a 70+ page loose leaf or spiral 8.5” x 11” notebook and a pen/pencil to class every day unless instructed to do otherwise.

2. All formal written assignments must be typed (double-spaced) or written in ink on one side of the     paper only. Any formal paper not meeting the above criteria will be returned ungraded and assessed a “late fee”. Formal assignments-being announced days in advance--are due on time whether the student is present in school that day or not unless PRIOR arrangements have been made.

3. All other make-up work must be made up by the number of school days the student missed. (i.e. if a student missed two days, he/she would have two school days upon return to do make-up work before a “late fee” is added.  The “late fee” is 10% per school day late (up to 50%).  Late work will not be accepted after the test over said missing assignments has been given without the instructor’s prior approval!

           All late work is the student’s responsibility.

4. Quizzes cannot be made up.

5. Work missed during unexcused absences may not be accepted.

6. Work beyond 10 unexcused absences will not be accepted!

7. Special cases may be dealt with on an individual basis.

Manners and Consideration for Others:

1. Since the discussion of sometimes controversial topics is an integral part of Civics class, all students are encouraged to respectfully express their opinions in a non-threatening and non-demeaning way. Although freedom of speech may be the most important right of all persons, along with rights come responsibilities. Each student’s right to express him/herself ends when it infringes on the rights of others. It is every students’ responsibility to treat everyone and their opinions with tolerance and respect at all times, even if you do not personally agree with them. All students are expected to have good manners and to attempt to increase their vocabularies in an appropriate way. In other words, short base, overused words (i.e. profanity and slang terms) and rudeness are not tolerated in this classroom!

2. Electronic devises and earbuds are to be placed face down and on silence mode when entering the classroom. There is to be NO use of electronic devises without permission of the instructor. No hats, food, pop, or candy is allowed in the classroom.

Grading Policy:

1. The quarter grade will consist of several components [testing (100+), quizzes (10), homework (5-50), class work (5-50), group work (10-100), class participation/citizenship (100), formal papers/                           projects(200), along with other written/oral assignments(5-50)]. Each will be assigned a point value.             At the end of the marking period, the number of points each student earns will be divided by the                     number of points possible. The posted grading scale will be in effect

2. Citizenship/Class Participation: 100 points will be used to evaluate class participation and classroom   behavior. Factors to be considered include punctuality, following of classroom rules, proper behavior, proper usage of electronic devises and attendance. Points will be deducted for unexcused absences/tardies.

3. Each quarter will be worth 45% of the semester grade. The semester exam is worth 10% of the               semester grade. Percentages, grade points or trending may be used in figuring the final semester grade. 

Course Outline:

The following is the sequence of topics covered in Civics:

Civics, Citizenship and the American People Today

Foundations of Government and our Constitution

Our Constitution and the Bill of Rights

Foreign Policy, The Cold War and Our Place in the World

Legislative, Executive, Judicial Branches and Checks and Balances

State and Local Government

Elections, Politics and Taxes

Economic Challenges Ahead

2017-2018                                      United States History Compendium                                                 Martin

Course Objectives:

By the end of the year, the student should be able to understand the political, economic, social and cultural growth of the United States by:

1. Analyzing the diversity of our nation and state with its relationship to immigration, expansion and industrialization and understanding how that diversity has influenced our way of life.

2. Understanding that we have often resolved our conflicts through the democratic process in order to bring about reforms/change.

3. The realization that the geography and technological advances of the United States have greatly influenced the national character and economic and political development of our nation.

4. An awareness that the “American Dream” has been a driving force in our history.

5. Understanding that today’s society reflects the ideas and beliefs of many different past and present cultures.

6. Interpreting and analyzing historical writings in order to establish the context and importance of events in American History.

Readings:

1. McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. The American Vision: Modern Times. 2010.

2. Current Events: Students will periodically use electronic media in order to supplement and expand on classroom discussion and textbook readings.

Student Evaluation:

1. Open note pop quizzes.

2. Unit Tests.

3. Class work/homework.

4. Group Projects/Presentations.

5. Class Participation/Citizenship.

6. Semester Examination.

Classroom Management Policies and Requirements:

1. Students must bring their textbooks, a 70+ page loose leaf or spiral 8.5” x 11” notebook and a pen/pencil to class every day unless instructed to do otherwise.

2. Students will are to “sign out” and then “sign in” when they need to use the restroom, go to their locker or get a drink. Hall passes cannot be used for any other purpose (like making counseling appointments, using the telephone/cafeteria, etc.). If abused this privilege may be revoked if abused.

3. All formal written assignments must be typed (double-spaced) or written in ink on one side of the paper only. Any formal paper not meeting the above criteria will be returned ungraded and assessed a “late fee”. Formal assignments-being announced days in advance--are due on time whether the student is present in school that day or not unless the instructor has been informed in advance and approved a later due date. A late fee may still be assessed.

4. All other make-up work must be made up by the number of school days the student missed. (i.e. if a student missed two days, he/she would have two school days upon return to do make-up work before a “late fee” is added. The “late fee” is 10% per day late (up to 50%). Late work will not be accepted after the unit test said late work is assigned for unless PRIOR arrangements have been made! All late work is the student’s responsibility.

5. Pop quizzes cannot be made up.

6. Work missed during unexcused absences may not be accepted.

7. Work beyond 10 unexcused absences will not be accepted!

8. Special cases may be dealt with on an individual basis.

Manners and Consideration for Others:

1. Since the discussion of sometimes controversial topics is an integral part of United States History class, all students are encouraged to respectfully express their opinions in a non-threatening and non-demeaning manner. Although freedom of speech is one of the most important rights of all; along with rights come responsibilities. Each student’s right to express him/herself ends when it infringes on the rights of others. It is the student’s responsibility to treat everyone and their opinions with tolerance and respect, even if you do not personally agree with them. All students are expected to have good manners and to attempt to increase their vocabularies in an appropriate way. In other words, short base, overused words (i.e. profanity and slang terms) and rudeness are not tolerated in this classroom!

2. Electronic devises and earbuds are to be placed face down and on silent mode when entering the classroom. There is to be NO use of electronic devises without permission of the instructor. No hats, food, pop, or candy is allowed in the classroom.

Grading Policy:

1. The quarter grade will consist of several components [testing (100+), quizzes (10), homework (5-50), class work(5-50), group work (10-100), class participation/citizenship (100), formal papers/projects(200), along with other written/ oral assignments(5-50)]. Each will be assigned a point value. At the end of the marking period, the number of points each student earns will be divided by the number of points possible. The posted grading scale will be in effect

2. Citizenship/Class Participation: 100 points will be used to evaluate class participation and classroom behavior. Factors to be considered include punctuality, following of classroom rules, proper behavior and attendance. Points will be deducted for unexcused absences/tardies.

3. Each quarter will be worth 40% of the semester grade. The semester exam is worth 20% of the                 semester grade. Percentages, grade points or trending may be used in figuring the final semester grade.