Curriculum map: American Government
Teacher: John Downs
School:Girard
Month
August
Content
Chapter 1 – Principles of
Government.
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Sept.
Chapter 6 – Voters and
Voter Behavior
Chapter 7 – The Electoral
Process
Chapter 10 – Congress
Chapter 13 – The
Prsidency
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Skills
Identify the
different
forms of
government.
Understand
how
governments
came about
and the
functions of
government.
Realize how
the
government
functions in
the US.
Identify the
five stages of
voting in
America.
List the
voting
qualification
s in the US.
Identify how
voting rights
changed
because of
civil rights
laws.
Assessment
-Daily homework
-Quizzes
-Tests
-Notebooks
-Lab assignments
Essential Questions
-What is a government and
what are the basic powers
governments have?
-What are the theories that
explain the origin of the
state?
-What are the purposes of
government?
-What are the different forms
of government and what are
the differences between the
executive and legislative
branches?
-What are the basic concepts
of democracy/
Standards
Goal 14
A,B
-Daily homework
-Quizzes
-Tests
-Notebooks
-Lab assignments
-How has the right to vote
changed?
-What are the voting
qualifications for people in
the US?
-How did Civil Rights
legislation expand suffrage?
-What are the factors that
influence the way people
vote?
- What are the main methods
used to nominate candidates
for office?
- What are the key terms
Goal 14 C
Goal 14 A
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Identify the
reasons
people vote
and the
factors that
influence
who they
vote for.
Understand
the
nominating
process in a
democratic
government.
Name the
five major
nominating
methods
used in
American
politics.
Understand
the actual
election
process.
Understand
how money
is
contributed
to political
campaigns.
Identify the
structure
and
functions of
Congress.
Understand
pertaining to elections?
- What are the different types
of ballots in our country?
- Why is money such an
important factor in American
politics?
- How does bicameralism
reflect the principle of
federalism?
- Why does Congress have to
be reapportioned every 10
years?
-What are the qualifications
of a senator and a
representative?
- What are the formal
qualifications for the
Presidency?
- How is Presidential
succession
established?
- How does the
electoral college
function?
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October
Chapter 16 – Financing
the Government
Chapter 17 – Foreign
Policy and National
Defense
Chapter 18 – The Federal
Court System
Chapter 19 – Civil
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the
backgrounds
and roles of
members of
Congress.
Understand
the roles and
qualification
s of
President.
Understand
how the
Constitution
determines
succession
and the role
of the VP.
Describe the
role of the
convention
in
nominating
the
President.
Understand
the function
of the
electoral
college.
Acquire
knowledge
about how
the
government
taxes its
citizens.
Understand
-Daily homework
-Quizzes
-Tests
-Notebooks
-Lab assignments
- What are the different types
of federal taxes?
- What is the main method
for borrowing money?
- What is the role of the
President and Congress in the
budget process?
- What are the main goals of
Goal 15
A,E
Goal 14 E
Goal 15 B
Goals 14
A,15 B
Liberties: First
Amendment Freedoms
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how the
Federal
government
borrows
money.
Explain the
process of
the budget
for the
federal
government.
Outline the
foreign
policy of the
US in the
last 150
years.
Explain the
purpose of
the CIA and
NASA.
Understand
the goals of
NATO and
the UN.
Explain the
basic
concepts of
the federal
judiciary.
Identify the
functions of
the Supreme
Court.
Understand
how cases
come before
American foreign policy?
- What are the function of
NASA and the CIA?
- What are the really critical
foreign policy interests for
America?
- Why did the framers see a
need for a national judiciary?
- What is the process for
nominating federal judges?
- Where do most cases that
reach the Supreme Court
come from?
- How is the Bill of Rights not
absolute?
- What is the separation of
church and state?
- Why are free exchange of
ideas so important in our
society?
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Nov.
Chapter 20: Protecting
Individual Rights
Chapter 21 - Civil Rights:
Equal Justice Under the
Law
Chapter 22-Comparative
Political Systems
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the Supreme
Court.
Understand
the
importance
of the 14th
Amendment
and the Bill
of Rights.
Determine
why the Bill
of Rights is
not absolute.
Explain how
the
Constitution
allows for
the freedom
of religion.
Understand
the concepts
of free
speech and
the press.
Examine the
times when
free
assembly is
applicable in
our country.
Understand
the two basic
types of due
process in
our legal
system.
Explain the
-Daily homework
-Quizzes
-Tests
-Notebooks
-Lab assignments
- What is due process of law?
- What are police powers in
our legal system?
-How are people protected
from unfair searches?
What are the elements of a
fair trial?
Goal 14
A,C
Goal 14
B,D
16 C
Goal 14 B
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Court’s
decision
about the
right to
privacy.
Understand
the
application
of the 2nd,
3rd, 4th, and
13th
Amendments
Identify the
rights of the
accused in
our legal
system.
Understand
what rights
persons have
who have
been
convicted of
a crime.
Understand
how diverse
our society is
and what
types of
discriminatio
n people
faced.
Distinguish
how
everyone is
equal before
the law.
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How have minority
groups been treated
over our nation’s
history?
- What kind of
equality does the
Constitution
guarantee?
- Under what
circumstances have
affirmative action
programs generally
been allowed by the
courts?
- How can a person
become a citizen?
- In what ways does
Great Britain’s
constitution differ
from the US
Constitution?
- How was the
Japanese constitution
written?
- What is the
composition of the
Mexican
government?
- How has the Russian
government changed
over history?
- What was the
government of China
like under Mao?
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Dec.
Chapter 23 – Comparative
Economic Systems
Chapter 24 – Governing
the States and the Illinois
Constitution
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Identify
Civil Rights
laws.
Understand
the process
of US
citizenship.
Compare the
political
system in the
US with
those of
Great
Britain,
Japan,
Mexico,
China and
Russia.
Understand
how the
above
countries
political
systems have
developed
over time.
Understand
the economic
principles of
capitalism,
socialism,
and
communism.
Identify the
fundamental
differences
in each
-Daily homework
-Quizzes
-Tests
-Notebooks
-Lab assignments
- What are the hallmarks of a
free enterprise economy?
- What is the laissez-faire
theory of economics?
- What are four
characteristics of communist
countries?
- What are the basic
principles of the Illinois
Constitution?
- Who are the leaders of the
Goal 16 C
Goal 14
B,C
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system.
Identify the
pros and
cons of each
economic
system.
Understand
the basic
provisions of
the state
constitutions
with an
emphasis on
the Illinois
constitution.
Identify the
structure of
state
legislatures.
Understand
the
importance
of state
governors in
our political
system.
Study the
makeup of
the state
court
systems.
different branches of
government in Illinois?
- What are the powers of the
governor?
- What powers does the
Illinois General Assembly
have and how are they
chosen?
- What are the functions of
the different types of courts in
Illinois?