SYLLABUS
U.S.GOVERNMENT
Course Description:
The opportunity for most United States citizens to learn concepts essential
for informed effective citizenship occurs during school years. Therefore,
United States Government is designed to equip you to be able to be a
responsible and informed participant in civic life. Key themes include the
purpose of government and heritage of United States government,
comparative governments, the Constitution as a living document, political
parties, citizenship roles, rights and responsibilities, state and local
government and government involvement in world affairs
REQUIRED MATERIALS:
Lap top, Folder, course syllabus accessed on student’s U drive, (Other
sources when necessary).
COURSE LEARNING OUTCOMES:
Upon completion of this course, students will be able to:
 Discuss multiple perspectives on local issues and options for
participating in civic life
 Analyze and discuss multiple perspectives on state issues and
option for participating in civic affairs by shaping policies
 Explain how to monitor and influence public policy
 Analyze goals and tools used by the United States in developing
foreign policy
 Illustrate how various governments and leaders interact and
evaluate how interactions among nations affect domestic and
world events
 Compare and contrast how different systems of government
function
GRADING STANDARD: 100-90=A, 89-80=B, 79-70=C
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SYLLABUS
CLASS EXPECTATIONS:
 Students will be engaged and working the entire class period.
 Appropriate behavior in the workplace.
 Students will use the computers for school work i.e. no games etc, (this
could result in revoking computer privileges)
 THE FOUR AGREEMENTS
 MANAGE YOUR TECHNOLOGY
COURSE OUTLINE: 25% per Unit

ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS:
Students will research the questions using the unit outline to assist in answering the questions.
This research will be used in the project for each unit.

VOCABULARY:
Define all vocabulary words in Unit outline.
Student restates the description, explanation, or example in his/her own words
Student designs a visual representation using clip art, hand drawn, vocabulary map, word map or
power point, matching quiz. (Student ideas are encouraged)
 SOCIAL STUDIES WEB SITES:
Students will use the links on the unit outline. Pick two sites to watch and write an essay for one
and a reaction paper for the second. (Rubric)
 ACTIVITIES:
Students will read and follow the directions to complete each activity.
 PROJECTS: The project will consist of the essential questions research. Students will create a
prezi, podcast, slide cast or power point. There are many options when it comes to the final
project for each unit. Feel free to come up with your own idea. (Project Rubric).
 ASSESSMENT: Students will be assessed using specific Rubrics for each piece of the unit.
Students will be quizzed on the learning outcomes at the beginning of the unit for pre data and
after for post data. (KWL)
Students will be checked for understanding with Authentic Assessment (interview and
demonstrative) formative assessment (checks throughout credit) and summative assessment
(overall project for unit).Students will need to redo any part of the unit if the score is less than
70% correct.
Grading is as follows: A = 100% - 90%
B=89% - 80%
C = 79% - 70%
All makeup work is the student’s responsibility. Students can look up necessary information on
Student Connect
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SYLLABUS
U.S. GOVERNMENT
ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS UNIT ONE:




How can local, state, or national issues or policies be addressed by
researching, formulating positions, and engaging in appropriate civic
participation?
How can the purposes of and limitations on the foundations,
structures and functions of government be described? and analyzed?
How can public policy - domestic and foreign - that is developed at the
local, state, and national levels be analyzed?
How can policy-making that occurs in other forms of government be
compared to that of the US?
VOCABULARY:
Electorate Democracy Checks & Balances Rule of Law Limited Government
Popular Sovereignty
Constituent
Judicial review
Congress
Due Process Majority Minority Budget Liberal
Conservative Interest group
Legislation
Foreign Policy Jurisdiction Veto
Separation of Powers Amendment
Electoral College Federalism Civil Rights Civil Liberties
Political Parties:
[Republicans
Democrats Tea Party Independents]
Branches of Government: [Judicial Branch, Executive Branch, Legislative Branch]
Expressed Powers Implied Powers Initiative Referendum Budget
WEB SITES:
RIGHT CLICK ON SITE AND OPEN HYPERLINK
Unit one:
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SYLLABUS
http://www.d11.org/doi/Discovery/SE%20September%20Work/Comparative
%20Government%20&%20Politics%20AP%20Q2.wmv
U.S. GOVERNMENT
ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS UNIT TWO:




How can local, state, or national issues or policies be addressed by
researching, formulating positions, and engaging in appropriate civic
participation?
How can the purposes of and limitations on the foundations,
structures and functions of government be described? and analyzed?
How can public policy - domestic and foreign - that is developed at the
local, state, and national levels be analyzed?
How can policy-making that occurs in other forms of government be
compared to that of the US?
ACTIVITY:
Outline a citizen's legally required duties: serving on jury or as witness in
court, paying taxes, obeying laws, registering for selective service (males
only), attending school.
Outline a citizen's responsibilities: voting, being informed, defending the
civil rights of all Americans, contributing to the common good. Distinguish
between duties and responsibilities, i.e. duties are legally required.
Create a Venn diagram comparing and contrasting duties and
responsibilities of US citizens
U.S. GOVERNMENT
ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS UNIT THREE:


How can the purposes of and limitations on the foundations,
structures and functions of government be described? and analyzed?
How can public policy - domestic and foreign - that is developed at the
local, state, and national levels be analyzed?
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SYLLABUS

How can policy-making that occurs in other forms of government be
compared to that of the US?
ACTIVITY:
Have students view the Discovery video, Federal Government: the Presidency
and take notes on the various roles of the office, then create a project to
illustrate the various roles. The project should include explanation and
example of how the president carries out the roles.
U.S. GOVERNMENT
EVIDENCE OUTCOMES UNIT FOUR:



Identify the structure, function, and roles of members of government
and their relationship to democratic values.
Compare and contrast how different systems of government function.
Evaluate the effectiveness of our justice system in protecting life,
liberty, and property.
WATCH VIDEO:
http://www.d11.org/doi/YouTubeVideos/VotingMatters.wmv
WRITE A LETTER ON AN IMPORTANT ISSUE TO A COLORADO
SENATOR.
U.S. GOVERNMENT ACTIVITIES OUTTLINE
VOCABULARY = 10 POINTS
Study words on flash card printout and take online quiz (80% or better to get points)
Open hyperlink to take quiz.
http://www.vocabtest.com/vocabulary_word_test.php?tid=165861
5 points: Civic participation http://www.icivics.org/games YOU MAY PLAY 3 OF THESE
GAMES, (I NEED TO SEE THE RESULTS FOR POINTS)
ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS IN ESSAY FORMAT: TOPIC SENTENCE, INFORMATION PARAGRAPHS,
CONCLUSION= EACH ESSAY IS WORTH 5 POINTS FOR A TOTAL OF 10 POINTS
MUST CITE SOURCES FOR EACH ESSAY FOR POINTS!!!!!!!!!!! IF THE ESSAY IS NOT IN PROPER FORMAT
IT WILL HAVE TO BE REDONE
1ST Essay:
What is the purpose of government? What are the limitations? How is the U.S.
Government structured? (Use this essential question as your thesis statement)
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SYLLABUS
Cites:
Purpose of Government


http://www.promiseofamerica.com/constitutional/purpose-government/
http://www.buzzle.com/articles/purpose-of-government.html
Limitations of Government
http://www.buzzle.com/articles/advantages-and-disadvantages-of-democracy.html
http://www.buzzle.com/articles/advantages-and-disadvantages-of-federalism.html


Structure of Government
http://www.buzzle.com/articles/3-branches-of-the-government.html
2ND Essay:

How is foreign policy developed? How is domestic policy developed? (use this
essential question as your thesis statement)
http://faculty.ucc.edu/egh-damerow/US%20Foreign%20Policy.htm
http://www.wisegeek.com/what-is-foreign-policy.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Domestic_policy
http://www.whitehouse.gov/administration/eop/dpc
http://www.whitehouse.gov/issues/foreign-policy
Venn diagram assignment 5 points
Compare another countries form of government to the U.S... You can do this on a
Venn diagram or bullet format. (Vic has the Venn diagrams available on request for
research purposes) 5 points
For example: China vs. U.S. Or Russia etc…..5 examples per country.
INDEPENDENT PRACTICE = 5 POINTS
http://www.diffen.com/difference/Democrat_vs_Republican
GET A VENN DIAGRAM FROM VIC YOU NEED TWO
http://www.historyguy.com/Politicalparties.html use this cite.
Research all of the political parties in America today. Choose four Parties and chart their
similarities and differences on two Venn diagrams. (Provided by Vic) You will compare two on
one Venn and two on another.
Step one: do an internet search (using the cite provided) on each individual party and their
political views.
Step two: make a bulleted list of views. (5 each)
Final step: chart the differences and similarities. (5 each)
POLITICAL CARTOONS:
10 CARTOONS ANALYSIS FOR 10 POINTS
Students will: Using SCAMS Handout
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SYLLABUS
PICK A CARTOON: Pick 10 cartoons for a total of 10 points. Copy and paste the
cartoon on a word document and analyze the cartoon using SCAMS
http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=todays+political+cartoons&qpvt=todays+political+
cartoons&FORM=IGRE
ACTIVITY ONE = 5 POINTS
Outline a citizen's legally required duties: as many as you can find
outline a citizen's responsibilities Distinguish between duties and responsibilities, i.e. duties are
legally required.
Create a Venn diagram comparing and contrasting duties and responsibilities of US citizens
http://www.nytimes.com/ref/college/collegespecial2/coll_aascu_defi.html
http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_are_the_responsibilities_of_a_US_citizen
http://www.ehow.com/facts_5903095_civic-duties_.html
ACTIVITY TWO = 5 POINTS
Take the political spectrum survey and interpret the results on a word document with the
graph.
http://www.gotoquiz.com/politics/political-spectrum-quiz.html (clicks on link and open
hyperlink to get to cite.)
VISUAL ACTIVITY 5 POINTS
Directions: gather 30 images of foreign leaders and images of interactions between
leaders of different countries. Create a collage using technology. Try glogster, slide
rocket or prezi.
For example:
http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=of+diplomatic+interactions&qs=n&form=QBIR&pq=of
+diplomatic+interactions&sc=0-19&sp=-1&sk=
ACTIVITY THREE = 5 POINTS


Create a graph of the three branches of the U.S. Government. Explain in your
own words what each branch represents. Use the websites and information
provided to create your graph. On word document there is insert which will
help you to create the graph. Questions contact Vic.
Write a short essay on the checks and balances. (Topic sentence, information
paragraph, conclusion, site source or REDO).
http://americanhistory.about.com/od/usconstitution/a/checks_balances.htm
http://www.congressforkids.net/Constitution_threebranches.htm
http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=example+of+3+branches+of+government+graph&i
d=3D3B7EAC2375F50E5C291B0066E54AD1E70AFCBE&FORM=IQFRBA
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SYLLABUS
http://infousa.state.gov/government/govt_branches.html
U.S. Government Acrostic Poem
Do 3 for 5 points must relate to government! An acrostic poem is one where you choose a
word or name and use each letter in the name as the beginning of a word or line that tells
something about that topic. A thesaurus will be a help!
http://www.allwords.com/governance-government-glossary-O-words-131-59-2238.php
Example: An acrostic poem using the word veto
Viable government of the people
Enabling its citizens to have a voice
The best country in the world
Obstruction or impeding the legislative progress.
Write an Acrostic Poem using a word below.
Constitution
Veto
Democracy
Congress
Amendment
Liberal
Conservative
Republican
Democrat
Foreign Policy
PRIMARY SOURCE ACTIVITY = 5 POINTS
1. Use the constitution and handout provided.
2. Take the inaugural quiz http://www.archives.gov/education/lessons/inaugural-quiz/
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SYLLABUS
http://www.archives.gov/education/lessons/civil-rights-act/ read and write a summary
of the information.
3. Handout: Federalism Venn diagram / what does liberty mean?
CREATE A BIOGRAPHY ACTIVITY = 5 POINTS
Directions: Pick a philosopher, president, founding father or any other important
political figure. This person can be from the past or present. Create a brochure on
their life and contributions to the United States.
Identify the structure, function and roles of members of government and their
relationship to democratic values. 5 POINTS:
Directions: Using cites below find 4 congress members. Research their political
background. Create a bulleted list for each person of their views. Compare and
contrast each member on a Venn diagram.
http://www.contactingthecongress.org/
http://www.ehow.com/info_8329161_role-political-parties-democracy.html
PROJECT = 10 POINTS
Pick an interesting governmental issue that you would like to know more about. Here are
a few sites for project ideas. Students will present their projects to Victoria using the
rubric provided THE PROJECT SHOULD CONTAIN INFORMATION WRITTEN
ORIGINALLY, (NO CUTTING AND PASTING). THERE WILL BE A COVER PAGE,
INFORMATION, AND CITES VISITED. THE PROJECT CAN BE DONE IN A VARIETY
OF WAYS: POWER POINT, PREZI, POD CAST, SLIDE CAST AND NUMEROUS
OTHER WAYS. MANY IDEAS CAN BE FOUND ON THE BIJOU WEB PAGE UNDER
STAFF RESOURCES
Prezi.com
www.sliderocket.com
http://www.slideshare.net/
https://www.sliderocket.com/signup/?utm_source=sliderocket&utm_medium=player&utm_campaign=play
er&redirect=100
John Stossel: the Psychology behind Political Parties Video and notes = 3 points
LETTER TO CONGRESSMAN : 2 (points)
The letter must be written to a specific senator in Colorado or some other state. Copy and
paste letter template onto a word document and fill in your information.
Example: Sample Letter to a Senator:
The Honorable (full name)
United State Senate
Washington, DC 20510
Dear Senator (last name):
The legislation addressing (describe issue concisely, or use exact name of bill before legislature) is of paramount
interest to me because I am a (Certified Academic Language Therapist, parent, teacher, etc.) This issue directly
impacts (my students, my profession, the way we as professionals will be able to function effectively, my child, etc.)
I am primarily concerned about (describe major specific concern within the larger issue) because (state reasons or
examples briefly, with only as many relevant details as necessary to make your point clearly.) Other aspects of this
same issue that affect (my student, profession, child) are (describe briefly and secondary concerns and supporting
situations, reasons, examples, etc.)
Although I have read reports of your position in the newspapers, I realize this may not fully represent your
viewpoint. Therefore, I will look forward to your reply expressing your opinions, and your current stance on the
issue.
Thank you for your consideration of my viewpoint on this matter. I believe it is an important issue, and would like
to see the legislation (pass, fail, or be amended) to ensure effective educational services for the students
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SYLLABUS
involved.
Sincerely,
Your name,
Address
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