AP United States Government and Politics Course Syllabus
2021-2022
Teacher: Clay Crump
Course Website: https://tinyurl.com/y6xsqone
Email: crumpc1@fultonschools.org
Room: 3225
RISE Hours: Thursdays-7:30-8:15-by appointment
COURSE DESCRIPTION-
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This is a year-long Advanced Placement course. As per Alpharetta High School policy, only students subject to a significant hardship will
be allowed to transfer out of the course at the end of the fall semester. Those who do will be required to take the semester-long on-level
American Government/Civics course to satisfy a graduation requirement.
This course explores the political theory and everyday practice that direct the daily operation of our government and shape our public
policies. The express purpose of this course is to prepare students to take the AP Exam for U.S Government and Politics. The course is
taught on a college level and requires a substantial amount of reading and preparation for every class. The objectives of this course go
beyond a basic analysis of how our government operates. Students will learn to think like political scientists and evaluate the following 5
Big Ideas: Constitutionalism, Liberty, and Order, Civil Participation in a Representative Democracy, Competing Policy-Making Interests,
Methods of Political Analysis
The U.S. Constitution establishes a system of checks and balances among branches of government and allocates power between federal and
state government. This system is based on the rule of law and the balance of majority rules with minority rights.
Governmental laws and policies balancing order and liberty are based on the U.S. Constitution and have been interpreted differently over
time.
Popular sovereignty, individualism, and republicanism are important considerations of U.S laws and policy making and assume citizens
will engage and participate
Multiple factors and institutions interact to produce and implement possible policies
Using various types of analysis, political scientists measure how U.S. political behavior, attitudes, ideologies and institutions are shaped by
several factors over time.
Per Fulton County and College Board policy, any student that does not take their A.P. exam for any excused or unexcused reason is
responsible for the returned/unused exam fee of $13. Any student that is passing their A.P. class MUST take the corresponding A.P. exam.
COURSE MATERIALS-
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Laptop- Fully charged with power cord
Blue and/or black pens
Pre-sharpened #2 pencils
Highlighters
College-ruled, loose-leaf lined paper
3-ring binder
BEHAVIORAL POLICIES AND EXPECTATIONS-
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Motivated and Engaged- Be self-motivated and actively engaged in classroom activities
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Respectful- Be respectful of others’ opinions.
Honorable- Be honorable in all phases of academic requirements (homework, tests, research).
Hardworking- Be able and willing to work hard and ask questions when needed.
Personally Responsible for Assignments- Submit all work by the posted due date.
Personally Responsible for Absences- Contact the teacher directly if you are absent or are planning to be absent. If you are absent, you are
responsible for checking our course website calendar for what you missed.
Personally Responsible for Missed Work- You must submit the work you missed during an absence upon your return to class.
Prepared- Be prepared for learning by bringing the required materials to class.
CLASSROOM POLICIES AND EXPECTATIONS
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Participation- Students will participate actively and meaningfully in class activities and discussions.
Electronic/ Mobile Devices and Earbuds/ Headphones- Many times, we will use headphones, Dell Laptops and other mobile devices for
academic purposes. Mobile devices should only be used for academic purposes and should remain out of sight during all other times.
Dress Code- Students are required to abide by the AHS dress code during class time.
Classroom Rules- Students will show respect for themselves, others, and the learning environment.
School Rules- All school rules will be enforced. (See student handbook and AHS Common Syllabus).
CLASSROOM RULE: RESPECT-
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Respect for Yourself- We expect that you will respect yourself by working hard and making time to see us if a lesson or assignment
requires further clarification
Respect for Others- We expect that you will respect others by raising your hand, actively listening, protecting personal space, and
respecting personal belongings.
Respect for Us- We expect that you will respect us by coming to class on time and prepared, having your homework finished, and being
attentive throughout the lesson.
ACADEMIC HONESTY AND COLLABORATIONStudents should read and understand the school’s Academic Honesty Policy as published in the AHS Common Syllabus. Students are responsible
for always adhering to these policies and on all assignments, assessments, projects, or tasks. The teacher will use the following collaboration levels to
clearly communicate to students the amount of acceptable collaboration permitted for each summative assessment.
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Collaboration- means the act of working together with other people or organizations to create or achieve something.
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Collaboration Levels- Throughout this year, students will be assigned collaborative assignments. To determine the appropriate level of
collaboration, students may refer to the following scale for guidance:
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Level 0: Independent
● Students may not discuss or collaborate about the assignment with any other students, family members, or friends.
Level 1: Consult
● Students may discuss ideas with other students, family members, or friends, but the completion of the assignment or
task is independent. Product submission must be in student's own words.
Level 2: Coordinate
● Students may work in pairs to discuss ideas with other students, but the completion of the written assignment or task is
independent.
Level 3: Collaborate
● Students may discuss ideas with students in the group, and students will complete the entire assignment together in the
group.
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Always Assume Level 0- students should treat all work (unless otherwise noted) as “Level 0” and complete it on their own to avoid
possible Honor Code infractions
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Turnitin.com- Students should always assume that assignment submissions will be checked for plagiarism through turnitin.com. Whenever
applicable, students should include accurately formatted MLA citations and Works Cited pages.
RECOVERY POLICY●
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Eligibility- Eligibility for redo/retake is for students who receive a 79 or below on a specific major assignment/assessment. Students are
eligible to earn a replacement grade on a redo/retake no higher than 79 on one major grade each 9 weeks.
Student-Initiated Recovery Request- Students must promptly initiate the recovery process with the teacher (verbally or by email).
Recovery Deadline- Student redo/retakes must be completed before the next major assignment/assessment is given or five school days
before the end of a marking period if there is not another major assignment/assessment given.
MAKE-UP WORK POLICYStudents should make every effort to complete any missing work in a timely manner. Students must complete any make-up work at least ten (10)
school days prior to the end of the grading period. It is the student’s responsibility to contact the teacher about any missing work.
GRADE REPORTING POLICY●
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Progress Reports are sent home every four and half weeks.
Report Cards will be sent home every nine weeks.
GRADES
Category
Major
Grades
Minor
Grades
Weight Notes
4 tests (each with one MC grade and one FRQ grade). 2 of these tests will be in the first 9 weeks
80%
and 2 tests will be in the second 9 weeks.
1 project in the first 9 weeks
20%
Approximately 4 quizzes
There will also be opportunities for students to submit work that will not be graded for teacher evaluation and feedback at various times during the
semester. Students should take advantage of these optional opportunities.
FULTON COUNTY GRADING SCALE:
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A = 90-100
B = 80-89
C = 70-79
F = 69 and below
COMMUNICATION WITH FACULTY
Due to limited access to phone during the day, please email faculty members with questions and concerns, so they answer inquiries and resolve
issues. Parents and guardians may arrange individual teacher-parent conferences teachers; however, if a conference with more than one teacher is
desired, the student’s counselor can help coordinate the meeting. The teacher will respond to email within 24-48 hours (Monday-Friday).