AP GoPo (US Government & Politics) 2009-10

Mrs. Floyd

 www.schoolrack.com/cfloyd

Course Description:

AP United States Government & Politics will give students an analytical perspective on government and politics in the United States. This course includes both the study of general concepts AND the analysis of contemporary examples. This course requires careful reading of the textbook and assigned readings, class participation and collaboration, outside research, and writing essays. In preparation for the AP exam, students will have additional reading and significant writing assignments.

Texts & Supplemental Readings: 

 1. Government in America: People, Politics, and Policy, by George Edwards III, Martin Wattenberg  & Robert Lineberry (10^th edition)

2. In Our Defense: The Bill of Rights in Action by Ellen Alderman and Caroline Kennedy… *** An open-book exam will be given during the 5^th week of class

3. Selected assigned readings

Assessments:

1.  
   • Free-Response Questions (Timed Writings) – The ability to write effectively for the AP exam or for a college course is a skill developed through practice. For each unit of study, students will be required to produce in-class timed writings that will be evaluated using the rigorous AP grading rubric.
   • Unit Exams – Tests will include information from class discussions, lectures, activities, readings, and the textbook. All assignments, graded or un-graded, are “fair game,” even if the information was not specifically discussed by the teacher.
   • Study Guides – Students will receive unit study guides based on chapters covered in the textbook. Each guide will receive a daily grade.
   • Terms – In order to develop strong FRQs and to answer high-level multiple-choice questions, students will define a targeted list of terms. The terms are due on the day of each exam, and will count 10% of the unit test grade. All terms will be kept by Mrs. Floyd to be used eventually by the students as they prepare for the AP exam in May.
   • Vocabulary Quizzes – To ensure that students understand the specialized terminology of political science, students will have weekly vocabulary quizzes that receive daily grades.
   • PAC Points (Political Activities Choices) –  Learning does not begin and end in the classroom. Students must continue their civic thinking and participation beyond the walls of JBHS! In order to learn in a more hands-on manner, students will complete various tasks of their own choosing. AP students will complete 30 points by the 5^th week of each 6 weeks grading period. Please see my website for more complete details.
   • Other Assignments – A variety of assignments will be given in class and as homework. Some of the assignments will be graded while others will be assigned in order to prepare the student for upcoming instruction and/or evaluation

Current Events:

Students are responsible for keeping up with daily events in the national and international news. Students may use a variety of sources – multiple newspapers, news magazines, NPR or other news programming, TV news programs, or reliable internet websites.

Grading Policy & Procedures:

All tests and major assignments constitute 70% of a six-weeks grade. Quizzes and daily work constitute the other 30%.

• Because I give assignments well in advance, I expect all work to be turned in at the beginning of class on the due date.
• Late work will be accepted at ½ credit within three days of the due date.
• Assignments due on the day of a student’s absence are due on the day of his/her return.
• If an assignment is made or completed during a student’s absence, the student will have two days to make up the work, plus one additional day for each additional day of absence.
• Students who have pre-arranged absences (i.e., athletes, band, other extracurricular activities) should plan to take exams or complete timed writing assignments BEFORE their scheduled absence.
• Students who are absent on a test day will take an alternate version of the test.
• For those students who do not receive a score with which they are pleased, one day will be made available (within in one week of the exam) for students to make test corrections for half credit of each missed answer.

Materials:

Students do NOT need to bring their textbooks to class, but should come prepared with a pen/pencil and notebook paper.

Please bring the following items to class as soon as possible (by last name):

1.  
   • A-F: a box of tissues
   • G-M: crayola markers (big or skinny) OR scissors
   • N-R: air freshener (Airwick plug-in refills) OR hand sanitizer
   • S-Z: a package of glue sticks

 Tutorials:

I will be available before school for tutorials and makeup work.

B204                     cfloyd@austinisd.org           414-7340