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AP US Government. Course Introduction. Welcome to AP US Government!. Tuesday, January 22, 2013 Take a Diagnostic AP US Government Test. Tomorrow we will discuss course requirements For this course you will need a notebook (1 or 2 inches) and notebook paper (preferably college ruled).
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AP US Government Course Introduction
Welcome to AP US Government! Tuesday, January 22, 2013 • Take a Diagnostic AP US Government Test. Tomorrow we will discuss course requirements • For this course you will need a notebook (1 or 2 inches) and notebook paper (preferably college ruled)
Overview • AP US Government is a one semester survey course. This course is a college level course, designed to prepare you for the AP Exam. We will look at the structures and processes of our government system. We will examine the following: • Constitutional Underpinnings of the U.S. Government • Political Beliefs and Behaviors • Political Parties, Interest Groups, and Mass Media • Institutions of National Government • Public Policy • Civil Rights and Civil Liberties
Reading Quizzes: • For reading assignments, there will be a reading quiz to insure you have read and comprehend the material. • Quizzes will mainly consist of multiple choice questions. These will count as a quiz (daily) grade. • In addition to the above text, students will be provided additional readings they are responsible for.
Current Events • Each unit, students will be responsible for completing evaluations of current news articles that relate to the current topic of study. • These will be turned in at the end of each Unit.
Case Reviews: • Students will be required to complete four case reviews per Unit. (Exception – Unit Six includes eight Case Reviews) • These case reviews will be an exam grade. • You can use Findlaw or Lexis Nexis to search for the cases. • You will use the standard case review format located at the end of this packet. • At the end of each Unit, each student will complete an analysis sheet for each case.
Case Reviews: • Citation: List the legal citation for the case. This should be the title of the paper. • Fact(s): Restate the legally relevant facts of the case. Discuss in detail what happened to get this case into the court system. • Issue(s): What is being questioned? • Ruling: What did the courts decide? What were the results? • Rationale: Why did the court make that particular decision? What precedent or social event brought the court to this particular decision? On what did the court base these answers? • Conclusion: How does this case relate to United States citizens? How will our lives be altered by this decision?
Data Analysis: • For each unit students will complete assignments requiring the analysis of data (tables, graphs, and political cartoons) found in the textbook and other classroom materials. • Students will also be required to analyze and interpret statistical data on unit exams. • Students will complete two “In Depth Data Analysis” assignments (see Unit Four and Unit Five)
Exams: • Formal evaluation for each unit will consist of at least thirty multiple choice questions and one timed essay. • Essay or free-response questions will be selected from past AP exams and will be evaluated using a prepared rubric focusing on the student’s skill in responding to the required elements of the prompt.
Vocabulary • As you complete each textbook reading assignment, you will need to define the key terms (in bold) that you come across. • Use the following format for vocabulary:
Notes • Classroom and Reading Notes should be taken using “Cornell Note Format”