U.S. Government Syllabus

Fall 2012

Instructor ContactInstructor Mr. Drew Steenhausen

Room Q-204

OfficeHours

Tuesday/Thursday 2-3pm (I am my desk, available for iimmediate assistance by phone or e-mail)

Phone (909) 797-0106 x1190

E-mail andrew_steenhausen@ycjusd.k12.ca.us

Course DescriptionStudents in grade twelve pursue a deeper understanding of the institutions of American government. They compare systems of government in the world today and analyze the history and changing interpretations of the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and the current state of the legislative, executive, and judiciary branches of government. An emphasis is placed on analyzing the relationship among federal, state, and local governments, with particular attention paid to important historical documents such as the Federalist Papers. These standards represent the culmination of civic literacy as students prepare to vote, participate in community activities, and assume the responsibilities of citizenship. (CA Dep’t of Education).

Course Objectives· Major Content Standards

12.1 Students explain the fundamental principles and moral values of American democracy as expressed in the U.S. Constitution and other essential documents of American democracy.12.2 Students evaluate and take and defend positions on the scope and limits of rightsand obligations as democratic citizens, the relationships among them, and how theyare secured.

12.3 Students evaluate and take and defend positions on what the fundamental values and principles of civil society are (i.e. the autonomous sphere of voluntary personal, social, and economic relations that are not part of government), their interdependence, and the meaning and importance of those values and principles for a free society.

12.4 Students analyze the unique roles and responsibilities of the three branches of government as established by the U.S. Constitution.12.5 Students summarize landmark U.S. Supreme Court interpretations of the Constitution and its amendments.12.6 Students evaluate issues regarding campaigns for national, state, and local elective offices.12.7 Students analyze and compare the powers and procedures of the national, state, tribal, and local governments.12.8 Students evaluate and take and defend positions on the influence of the media on American political life.12.9 Students analyze the origins, characteristics, and development of different political systems across time, with emphasis on the quest for political democracy, its advances, and its obstacles.12.10 Students formulate questions about and defend their analyses of tensions within our constitutional democracy and the importance of maintaining a balance between the following concepts: majority rule and individual rights; liberty and equality; state and national authority in a federal system; civil disobedience and the rule of law; freedom of the press and the right to a fair trial; the relationship of religion and government.

Required Materials/Technical Requirements● Regular Internet Access● Log-in information for the course’s Learning Management System (LMS)● Each of the following downloads:

○ Quicktime Player for Mac or Windows: http://www.apple.com/quicktime/download○ Windows Media Player: http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows/downloads/

windows-media-player○ Flash Player: http://www.adobe.com/support/flashplayer/downloads.html○ Adobe PDF Reader: http://get.adobe.com/reader/otherversions

● Internet Browsers:○ Mozilla Firefox: http://www.mozilla.com/en-US/firefox/new

And at least one of the following:○ Safari Browser Download: http://www.apple.com/safari/download○ Internet Explorer Browser Download: http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/internet-

ex0plorer/downloads/ie○ Google Chrome Browser Download: http://www.google.com/chrome

NOTE: Firefox works best with the school’s SchoolFusion webpages. If you ever have a problem uploading or downloading anything using one browser, try a different one. Many times, that will solve your problem! :) But please always feel free to contact me to help you troubleshoot a problem you’re having.

Course PoliciesStudents are responsible for adhering to each of the following course policies:

Missed Assignments/Make-Ups/Extra Credit● Assignments are due on the day and time (always listed as Pacific Time) indicated in the LMS● Late work is only accepted along with a parent contact (by e-mail or phone).● There is no extra credit possible in the online section of this course.

Attendance Policy● Attendance is required on each of the following days:

○ First day of school (August 20, 2012)○ Midterm exam (Date TBD)○ Final exam (Date TBD)○ Up to 3 other dates that will be announced at least three weeks in advance

● Failure attend class on each of the required days is only excused with parent excuse. All exams/assignments completed in class must be made up in time period given by the teacher.

● Students are expected to work on the class LMS a minimum of four times per week.

Class Participation ● Discussion Board

○ Please refer to the Discussion Board rubric and policies posted in the class website’s Discussion Board Folder.

○ Students must always be respectful of others when participating on the discussion board. No bullying, harassing, or intimidating comments will be tolerated. However, challenging the viewpoints of others in a respectful, academic way is encouraged!

● Collaborative Assignments○ When working in groups, all students are expected to work hard to complete their

assigned part by any deadline set by the teacher and the time frame agreed upon by the group. Students will earn an individual grade in addition to a group grade for all assignments completed collaboratively.

Academic HonestyPlagiarism and Cheating of any kind on an examination, quiz, or assignment will result at least in an "F" for that assignment. All instances will be reported to the student’s parent(s) as well as the student’s grade level administrator. Repeated violations regarding academic honesty could result in being dropped from the class. See the school’s Code of Academic Honesty and Integrity for further information.

Grading

Letter Grade Points

A+ 98-100%

A 92-97%

A- 90-91%

B+ 88-89%

B 82-87%

B- 80-81%

C+ 78-79%

C 72-77%

C- 70-71%

F 0-69%

Note: A student whose final grade is between 60-69% will pass the course with a C- ONLY IF they pass the final exam.