American Government
Course Rules and Introduction
Spring 2014
Mrs. Lee
(480) 472-8165
calee3@mpsaz.org
The Course at a Glance
This class is designed to give you a relatively in-depth introduction to American
Government. We will focus on not only what the government is, but also what it does
and how it affects the lives of American citizens. We will also look at how you, the
citizen, affect the government. Governmental awareness and participation is the key to
the survival of our system, and will make you a more empowered citizen.
If you come into this class expecting to learn something that will help you get a
job someday, you will learn very little. This class is about much more than just preparing
you for a career. It is about preserving our system, in which educated voters make
decisions that determine the course of history. Without people like us choosing to take an
interest in what is happening and participating, our system would be controlled by wellfunded insiders with no regard for the public’s desires.
This course is divided into 7 Units, with a test at the end of each.
1. Basic Principles and Historical Roots of Government (Ch. 1 and 2)
2. The Constitution and Federalism (Ch. 3 and 4, plus the U.S. Constitution)
3. Major Political Processes (Ch. 5, 7, and 9)
4. The Legislative Branch (Ch. 10, 11, and 12)
5. The Executive Branch (Ch. 13, 14, and 15)
6. The Judicial Branch (Ch. 18 and case readings)
7. Arizona Government (Lecture only)
Class Rules
You could sum up all of my rules into 4 simple ones.
1. Respect – show it to Mrs. Lee and all of your classmates in all circumstances
2. Academic Honesty – work is to be done on your own unless I specifically say
otherwise
3. Active Participation – you must engage yourself in whatever activity I have
prepared for the day with your full attention, or risk loss of credit.
4. Responsibility – you are here to produce results, not excuses. Know when
work is due, pick up your own work after absences, and take control of your
own grade.
Grading Policy
Grades will be determined based on points acquired relative to points possible.
All assignments are worth points, however, no one category of assignments is weighted
differently than another. First and second quarter grades will each count as 40% of your
grade, with the final exam counting as 20% of the total grade.
Any work that is assigned in class is due on the scheduled date. If you are absent,
I will designate a particular number of days for you to complete the work based on your
circumstances.
Tests and quizzes that are missed are expected to be made up immediately upon
return from your absence.
Work that is assigned or due on the date of an unexcused absence will be given a
zero, no questions asked.
I will accept late work for up to half credit until the point at which the class is
taking the test for that unit. No late work will be accepted after that.
You are responsible for knowing due dates for assigned work (listed on the
board), and for picking up your own missed assignments that I place in the respective
folders. I will not track you down to give you the work that you missed.
Weekly National News Assignment
Every Friday, everyone must bring in an editorial from either a major national
newspaper on a national issue, or a local paper on a local issue. A national newspaper
would include the New York Times, the Washington Times, the Washington Post, the
L.A. Times, U.S.A. Today, etc. Local papers include the Arizona Republic and the East
Valley Tribune.
The easiest way to get these editorials is to go to the newspaper’s website:
New York Times – nytimes.com
Washington Post – washingtonpost.com
Washington Times – washingtontimes.com
Wall Street Journal – wallstreetjournal.com
Los Angeles Times – latimes.com
Arizona Republic – azcentral.com
East Valley Tribune – evtrib.com
Editorials are different than a regular news story, in that they express an opinion
about an issue, rather than just stating the facts. To find editorials, click on the editorial
or opinion section at that newspaper’s website. Make sure, though, that the editorial does
not just deal with a local issue for a part of the country that does not affect us here in
Mesa (like the subway system in New York – why would we care about that?).
Bring in a handwritten summary on a hard copy of the editorial, either printed
from the website or clipped from the paper. The summary should tell me about the
article in the following format:
I.
Thesis
1. Supporting point
2. Supporting point
3. Supporting point
One complete sentence for each is all that is necessary. You will get 2 points for
bringing the editorial, and 2 points for each quality thesis statement and/or
supporting point, for a total possible 10/10.
In class, we will take time to pair off and share what was in our editorials, and
then I will call on random students to share what their partner’s editorial had to say.
Your work on the summary and in the discussion/sharing part of the assignment will be
graded for quality and active participation, not just completion! Those who do not come
to class prepared will have an alternative assignment to complete for half the credit.
Furthermore, the editorial assignment is meant to be an enjoyable discussion of
current events, and will usually be a nice break from standard classwork. If less than 2/3
of the class chooses to bring a completed editorial assignment, however, the activity will
be canceled and we will all work on the alternative assignment.
Materials Needed
Every day, you must bring the following:
Your academic planner
Something to write with
Loose notebook paper
Absences/Tardies
Attendance is essential to success, and there is no reason for you to be late. Mesa
Public Schools policy is that any student who misses class more than 9 times is audited,
and I will hold to that.
I sincerely want you to be successful in this class. I will do all I can to make that
possible, but the responsibility remains on your shoulders. Do not hesitate to
communicate with me if you are having difficulty, if I can do something to make the
experience more enjoyable, or if you don’t understand a particular assignment.