ap united states government & politics mr. loomis … government syllabus 1… · ap united...

AP United States Government & Politics Mr. Loomis

Syllabus 2015-2016 AP United States Government & Politics Elective – Grades 10-12 AP United States Government and Politics introduces students to key political ideas, institutions, policies, interactions, roles, and behaviors that characterize the political culture of the United States. The course examines politically significant concepts and themes, through which students learn to apply disciplinary reasoning, assess causes and consequences of political events, and interpret data to develop evidence-based arguments. Prerequisites: There are no prerequisite courses for AP United States Government and Politics. Students should be able to read a college level textbook and write grammatically correct, complete sentences. This class is designed for students who are willing to accept the challenge of a rigorous academic curriculum. Students are expected to take the AP U.S. Government & Politics Exam in May.

2 Semesters – 1 Credit A = 5.0 About the Advanced Placement Program (AP) The Advanced Placement Program enables willing and academically prepared students to pursue college-level studies — with the opportunity to earn college credit, advanced placement, or both — while still in high school. AP Exams are given each year in May. Students who earn a qualifying score on an AP Exam are typically eligible to receive college credit and/or placement into advanced courses in college. Every aspect of AP course and exam development is the result of collaboration between AP teachers and college faculty. They work together to develop AP courses and exams, set scoring standards, and score the exams. College faculty review every AP teacher’s course syllabus. Course Goals and Objectives Students successfully completing AP U.S. Government & Politics will:

Describe and compare important facts, concepts, and theories pertaining to U.S. government and politics.

Explain 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).

Interpret basic data relevant to U.S. government and politics (including data presented in charts, tables, and other formats).

Critically analyze relevant theories and concepts, apply them appropriately, and develop their connections across the curriculum

Textbook O'Connor, Karen, and Larry J. Sabato. American Government: Roots and Reform. 12/e, AP Edition. Pearson. Supplemental Resources

The New York Times: Upfront (current events)

America’s Legacy: The Foundation of Freedom. The Student Government Affairs Program. (readings on important American documents and speeches)

Study Island (AP practice questions)

numerous supplemental readings, graphs, maps and charts Course Plan Unit 1 – Constitutional Underpinnings of United States Government

Days 15-20

AP Exam MC 5-15%

O’Conner Text Ch. 1, 2, 3

Study Island Lesson 1; a, b, c

Supplemental Readings Articles of Confederation; US Constitution; Federalist Papers; Preparing Students to Think Critically in AP US

Government and Politics

Sections o 1a. Architecture and Development of U.S. Constitution (Ch. 1 & 2) o 1b. Federalism (Ch. 3)

Topics (O’Conner text pages) o Historical context of the formulation and ratification of the

Constitution (pp. 31-44, 51-55) o Underlying ideological and philosophical traditions of the U.S.

Constitution (pp. 12-13, 44-48) o The Supreme Court’s interpretation of key provisions in the

Constitution (pp. 62, 67, 69, 71-73, 74, 84-85) o Theoretical and practical features of federalism (pp. 46-62-86) o Separation of powers (pp. 46-47, 66-68) o Checks and balances (pp. 30, 47-48) o Theories of democratic government (pp. 7-8, 10-13)

Unit 2 – Civil Rights and Civil Liberties

Days 15-20

AP Exam MC 5-15%

O’Conner Text Ch. 4, 5, *9

Study Island Lesson 6; a, b, c

Supplemental Readings US Constitution – Bill of Rights and Amendments; Supreme Court decisions on civil rights and civil liberties; current news debates on civil liberties; The Incorporation Doctrine (special focus)

Sections o 2a. Civil Liberties (Ch. 4) o 2b. Civil Rights (Ch. 5) o 2c. Supreme Court Decisions

Topics (O’Conner text pages) o Development of civil rights and liberties and their impact on citizens

(pp. 93-122, 129-164) o The workings of the Supreme Court (pp. 274, 281-290) o The Supreme Court’s most significant decisions on: (pp. 96)

Freedom of speech, assembly, expression (pp. 99-106) Rights of the accused (pp. 108-116) Rights of minority groups and women and the legal, social

and political effects of the Court’s decisions on segregation (pp. 129-163)

o The Fourteenth Amendment and the doctrine of selective incorporation (pp. 95-96)

o Strengths and weaknesses of Supreme Court decisions as tools of social change (pp. 293-296)

Unit 3 – Institutions of the National Government

Days 45-50

AP Exam MC 35-45%

O’Conner Text *3, 6, 7, 8, 9, *14

Study Island Lesson 4; a, b, c

Supplemental Readings Federalist Papers (70); charts of major departments and responsibilities; data on federal budget spending; Balance of Power Between Congress and the President (special focus)

Sections o 3a. Congress (Ch. 6) o 3b. Presidency and Federal Bureaucracy (Ch. 7 & 8) o 3c. Federal Court System (Ch. 9)

Topics (O’Conner text pages) o The major formal and informal institutional arrangements of power..

Congress (pp. 187-194) The presidency (pp. 212-217, 219-220) The bureaucracy (pp. 251-255) The federal courts (pp. 270-271, 294-295)

o Relationships among these four institutions and varying balances of power (pp. 199-200, 229-232, 256-260)

o Linkages between Congress and the following: Political parties (pp. 195-197) Interest groups (pp. 198) The media (pp. 444-445) State and local governments (pp. 76, 78-83, 178, 197-198)

o Linkages between the presidency and the following: Political parties (pp. 214, 229, 330, 33-335, 340)

Interest groups (pp. 335-337) The media (pp. 226-229, 442) State and local governments (pp.335, 341-342)

o Linkages between the bureaucracy and the following: Political parties (pp. 240, 250) Interest groups (pp. 251-254, 467) State and local governments (pp. 238, 248)

o Linkages between the federal courts and the following: Political parties (pp. 227) Interest groups (pp. 279-280, 294-295) The media (pp. 445) State and local governments (pp. 268-269, 271-274, 291

Unit 4 – Political Beliefs and Behaviors

Days 15-20

AP Exam MC 10-20%

O’Conner Text Ch. 1*, 6*, 9*, 10, 15*

Study Island Lesson 2; a, b

Supplemental Readings current news debates on political beliefs and behaviors; charts and readings on the political spectrum

Sections o 4a. Political Beliefs and Public Opinion (Ch. 10)

Topics (O’Conner text pages) o Beliefs about the US government, its leaders, and the political

system (pp. 4, 10-13, 21-24, 313) o Formation, evolution and transmission of political beliefs (pp. 315-

321) o Forms, motivations for and effects of political participation (pp. 375-

386) o Causes for differences on political beliefs and behaviors (pp. 372-

376) Demographic feature of the US population (pp. 13-18, 313,

315-319) o Political participation’s influence on the political system (pp. 197-

198, 227-229, 399) Unit 5 – Political Parties, Interest Groups and Mass Media

Days 25-30

AP Exam MC 10-20%

O’Conner Text Ch. 11, 12, 13, 14, 15

Study Island Lesson 3: a, b, c

Supplemental Readings Supreme Court decisions governing elections; charts on political party formation and process; graphs and charts on poll design and construction; maps, charts and graphs of electoral outcomes and political participation; charts showing role of money in politics

Sections o 5a. Political Parties (Ch. 11) o 5b. Voting and Elections (Ch. 12 & 13) o 5c. Interest Groups and Mass Media (Ch. 14 & 15)

Topics (O’Conner text pages) o Political Parties (Ch. 11)

Evolution of the U. S. party system (pp. 329-333) Structure and organization (pp. 333-337) Functions and effects on the political process (pp. 337-344) Ideological and demographic differences between the parties

(pp. 18-21, 344-347) Third parties (pp. 347-349)

o Elections (Ch. 12, 13) Federal and state election laws and systems (pp. 360-371) Party and individual voting behavior (pp. 332-33, 372-373,

399) Campaigns strategies and financing in the electronic age

(pp. 396-400) Role of PACs in elections (pp. 401-406)

o Interest groups, including political action committees (PACs) (Ch. 15)

Political roles of lobbying and interest groups (pp. 455-456) Range of interest represented by interest groups (pp. 456-

458) Interest group activities (pp. 464-474) Effect of interest groups on political process and policy (pp.

474-476) o Mass Media (Ch. 14)

Media relationship to officials and candidates (pp. 406-408), 432-433)

The impact of media on public opinion, campaigns and elections, voter perceptions, electoral outcomes and agenda development (pp. 406-410, 442-448)

Media as an industry (pp. 433-439) Unit 6 – Public Policy

Days 15-20

AP Exam MC 5-15%

O’Conner Text Ch. 3*, 6*, 8*, 11*, 15*, 16, 17, 18

Study Island Lesson 5; a, b

Supplemental Readings Globalization Briefing Paper (AP Central); current news debates on public policy; Foreign Policy: The Powers of Checks and Balances on the US Congress and President; Presidential Power Post-9/11: Comparing George W. Bush and Barack Obama

Sections o 6a. The Economy, Federal Budget, Welfare and Entitlements (Ch.

16 &17) o 6b. Foreign Policy and Defense (Ch. 18)

Topics (O’Conner text pages) o Stages of the public policy process

Formation of policy agendas (pp. 490-492) Enactment of policies by Congress and the president (pp.

493-495) Implementation and interpretation of policies by the

bureaucracy and courts (pp. 251-255) o Policy networks and issue networks (p. 251)

Domestic policy (pp. 86, 190, 480-512) Foreign policy (pp. 548-552, 570)

o Impact on policy processes and policymaking of the following: Federalism (pp. 85-86, 482-484) Interest Groups (pp. 454-456, 488, 492) Parties (p. 339) Elections (pp. 359-362)

o Major public policies Healthcare (pp. 86, 190, 289, 412, 484) Education (pp. 485, 495-506) Environment (pp. 486-487, 506-511)

Unit 7 – AP Review for Exam and Final Exam

Days 10-15

AP Exam MC 100%

O’ Conner Text all

Study Island Lesson 7; a / Additional Resources

Supplemental Readings AP U.S. Government & Politics free-response questions on AP Central, AP U.S. Government & Politics review packet

Topics (O’Conner text pages) o Unit reviews o Key vocabulary o Theme and concept review o AP free-response questions

Unit 8 – Life Beyond the Exam

Days 10-15

Topics Final project and presentation, movie reviews, current events discussions

AP U.S. Government & Politics Exam: Tuesday, May 10; 8 am – room 405

Quarterly Projects (due the last Monday of each grading period unless noted) 1st PowerPoint Civil Rights and Liberties 2nd Video Project Institutions of Government 3rd Movie Review Governmental Films 4th AP U.S. Government & Politics Free-Response Questions (due Wed. 5/4) AP U.S. Government & Politics Assessment Format (2 hours and 25 minutes) Section I: Multiple Choice | 60 Questions | 45 Minutes | 50% of Exam Score

Demonstrate understanding of major course concepts, policies and institutions

Apply skills of comparison and interpretation in addition to factual recall Section II: Free Response | 4 Questions | 100 Minutes | 50% of Exam Score

Define concepts and explain or interpret content across all course topics

Analyze political relationships and evaluate policy changes using examples from the course to support the argument or response

AP Exam Grades The reader scores on the free-response questions are combined with the result of the computer-scored multiple-choice questions; the weighted raw scores are summed to give a composite score. The composite score is then converted to a grade on AP’s 5-point scale: AP Grade Qualification 5 Extremely well qualified 4 Well qualified 3 Qualified 2 Possibly qualified 1 No recommendation

AP Exam grades of 5 are equivalent to A grades in the corresponding college course.

AP Exam grades of 4 are equivalent to grades of A-, B+ and B in the corresponding college course.

AP Exam grades of 3 are equivalent to grades of B-, C+ and C in the corresponding college course

Summative Assessments Points Edmodo Discussions 10 pts each Unit Exams 100 pts each Quarterly Exams 100 pts each – 20% of each quarter Final Exam 100 – 20% of 4th quarter Practices 30 pts each AP Quizzes 20 pts each O’Conner Text Quizzes 20 pts each Study Island Ribbons 10 pts each Quarterly Projects 100 pts each

Additional Class Resources 1. Class Web-page - http://www.coshoctonredskins.com/APUSGovernmentPolitics1.aspx Weekly Agenda / Links / Worksheets 2. Study Island - http://www.studyisland.com/web/index/ *go to High School Site - College Readiness - AP - AP US Gov’t & Politics *id#@ccs / redskins (unless you have changed!) 3. Edmodo – for all class discussion assignments https://www.edmodo.com/home#/join/fc985d234fccc50d4ef309bfe5c3a834 *Create an account and then join AP Government for Mr. Loomis *Join URL - https://www.edmodo.com/home#/group?id=15018271 *Group code - k4irg7 4. Remind101 – for text reminders of due dates from Mr. Loomis * text @043b5a4 to 81010 to join – send full name 5. Email scott.loomis@omeresa.net for questions at any time. Grading Scale

100-98…A+ 97-94…A 93-90…A-

89-88…B+ 87-83…B 82-80…B-

79-78…C+ 77-73…C 72-70…C-

69-68…D+ 67-63…D 62-60…D-

59 or below…F Re-take / Make-up Policy 1. must receive a 70% on O’Conner and AP Quizzes to advance 2. you have 3 days after the quiz or assignment is returned to complete the additional assignment/activities and re-take or re-do the quiz or assignment. 3. you cannot re-take or re-do Unit Exams, Quarterly Exams, Final Exams or Quarterly Projects. Important Dates to Remember 2015-2016… Grading Periods-Grade Cards:

Aug. 25-Oct. 30 (46 days) - mailed or sent home Nov. 6 Nov. 2-Jan. 15 (44 days) - mailed or sent home Jan. 22 Jan. 19-Mar. 22 (44 days) - mailed or sent home April 5 Mar. 29-May 25 (42 days) - mailed or sent home June 9

Interim Reports Sept. 18 - mailed Sept. 25 Dec. 4 - mailed Dec. 11 Feb. 19 - mailed Feb. 26 April 22 - mailed April 29

I have read and understand the expectations for Mr. Loomis’ AP U.S. Government & Politics Class for the 2015-2016 school year. Student ______________________________ Date _____________ Parent/Guardian ______________________________ Date _____________