Government and Politics Syllabus

Advanced Placement Government and Politics Syllabus 2009-2010

Instructor: E-mail: Room Number: Pamela K. Lamb [email protected] 1008

Conference Period: School Number: 5th Period 2:45 - 3:30 (830) 778-4300 ext. 2088

The Advanced Placement Program is intended for qualified students who wish to complete studies in secondary school equivalent to a one-semester college introductory course in United States Government and Politics. The state of Texas has a one-semester government course requirement for graduation; AP Government and Politics meets that requirement.

Philosophy: AP Government and Politics is an introduction course designed to provide students with a thorough understanding of the principles of government and politics in the United States. This course involves both the study of general concepts used to interpret U.S. politics and the analysis of specific case studies. It also requires familiarity with the various institutions, groups, beliefs, and ideas that make up U.S. political reality.

The course will be conducted in a lecture/seminar manner. All students will be expected to keep up with their reading and to demonstrate their preparedness by active participation in class discussions. The course will emphasize essay writing skills; approximately every two to three weeks students can expect to write a free-response essay in class.

AP Examination: The AP Exam is 2 hours and 25 minutes in length. The exam is divided between a 45-minute multiple-choice section consisting of 60 questions and a 100-minute free- response (essay) section consisting of four mandatory questions. The multiple-choice and free response sections of the exam will have equal weight, each accounting for 50% of the total score. The Advanced Placement Exam in Government and Politics is scheduled for Monday, May 3, 2010, morning session.

Textbooks:

Edwards, George C., Wattenburg, Martin, and Robert Lineberry. Government in America, 10th edition. New York: Addison-Wesley Longman, Inc., 2002.

Woll, Peter. American Government: Readings and Cases, 15th edition. New York: Pearson Longman, 2004.

Required Materials: These items must be brought to class every day: textbook, notebook, paper, pen (blue or black), and pencil.

Notebook: You will be required to keep a notebook for this class. You should put all your notes, assignments, handouts, review sheets etc. in your notebook as you will refer to it on a regular basis and need it to study for the final exam.

Cheating/Plagiarism: At the University level, students are permanently expelled for this offense, and other colleges and universities will refuse their entry. Needless to say, this subject is taken seriously. If a student is caught cheating or has plagiarized, a grade of Zero will be given for the test or assignment and a parent conference will be immediately scheduled

Important Points! Class Rules and Class Procedures

All information not covered here is covered by Campus and District policy and will be strictly adhered to. (i.e., student behavior, appropriate dress, etc.)

Tardies: Please be in the class and in your seat so as not to be counted tardy.

Restrooms/Water: You are encouraged to go to the restroom and get a drink of water before or after class.

Substitutes: In the event of a substitute, it will be your responsibility to cooperate with the substitute. ALL class guidelines should be followed.

Reading: Most of the textual reading will be accomplished outside of the classroom. Class time will be devoted to lectures and discussion of various topics. Students will also be assigned various outside readings. To experience optimal benefit, it is imperative that students read all assignments before coming to class.

Assignments: Assignments are due during class on the date assigned. Work assigned before an absence is due the day the student returns. Failure to turn in a major assignment can seriously affect your grade. All honest attempts are rewarded. Always try. Note: It is better to turn in something that shows you tried than to turn in nothing at all.

Incomplete/Late Work: Incomplete/late work will not be accepted.

Attendance: Attendance in class is critical. There are many learning experiences in class that cannot be duplicated by copying notes or reading a chapter. Students who miss class often (for any reason) are jeopardizing their grade in this course. Those students who do not attend at least 90 percent of the regular class period may not receive credit for this class. Students who anticipate attendance problems should transfer to another government class. If a student is absent, responsibility for obtaining and making up missed work is the student's. Students are encouraged to have a "GOPO buddy" to call in case of an absence. Be here! The grade you save may be your own!

Make up work: The student will have no more than five days to make up any work missed. It will be your responsibility to find out what work was missed and what it is you need to make-up.

Seeking Assistance: Students can improve their learning considerably by being active in the learning process. Questions, carefully formulated and articulated, make a world of difference in learning any subject. Students should seek help as soon as they do not understand the material, rather than waiting just before tests or assignments are due. The instructor is available before school and after school for questions from students.

Grading Criteria: You will be evaluated in various ways. In the course of the semester, you will take tests and quizzes. All class activities, assignments, and homework will be evaluated. Extra credit is rarely available in AP Government and Politics- don't count on it! Grades will weighted as follows:

Six Weeks Grade

Tests 60% Timed Writings (Free Response) 20% Homework, Quizzes, and Video Assignments 20% Total 100%

Projects: Students will be required to participate in various independent and group projects throughout the semester. Projects will include both individual and group presentations. A public policy project will count for 50% of the semester exam grade.

Semester Grade: The semester grade is composed of an average of the three marking period grades and your final examination grade. Marking period grades are not cumulative. Every six weeks you start out with a grade of A and go from there. Use such a system to your advantage.

1st Six Weeks - 25% 2nd Six Weeks - 25% 3rd Six Weeks - 25% Semester Exam - 25% Total 100%

Expectations: You will be expected to do your own work, have it ready on time, attend class on a regular basis, and most importantly, assume the responsibility for your own actions. Your attitude and behavior will determine the way the class is conducted for the semester. Hopefully, we will have an interesting, open, and enjoyable semester.

REMEMBER: This class is geared to the assumption that all students will be taking the AP Exam in May. It requires a tremendous amount of work. It is impossible to touch upon every concept in the text (in a 50 minute class period) that will be relevant for successful completion of this course and the AP Exam. It is up to the student (YOU) to help in this endeavor. We will try to cover as much as possible in class, but as in other college level classes, not all can be covered in the class time, therefore you must be responsible for all assigned readings and assignments. In the "short-run" this requires time and energy galore, but in the "long-run" it will be most beneficial for you when studying/reviewing for the AP Exam- the time has been put forth up-front. The payoff can be enormous.