Greetings,
Congratulations on your acceptance into the IB program here at Central High School. As a freshman in IB you are
required to take AP U.S. Government and Politics. The following below is from my syllabus stating the
requirements for this course.
AP U.S. Government & Politics is a rigorous collegiate-level survey course developed by the
College Board designed especially for the highly motivated high school student. It is a year-long
course compacted into one semester using the block scheduling method. Using a philosophical
approach and through guided lectures, cooperative learning activities, class debates, and group
simulations, students will spend approximately 18 weeks, dissecting and learning the
fundamentals of American Government as well as the American political system, while
preparing for the AP Exam to be administered in May. If successful on the AP exam, (generally
a 3 or higher) students can possibly earn credit for an introductory Political Science course taken
in college. Moreover, by the end of the course it is hoped that students will have gained an
appreciation for the values and ideals of a ‘constitutional republican’ form of government. In
preparation for the demands of other IB and AP history classes taken, students will also be
expected to complete extensive reading and writing assignments. All assignments will afford
students an opportunity to develop both critical and analytical thinking skills and to strengthen
their writing ability.
Summer Assignment:
This summer you will be reading Gideon’s Trumpet by Anthony Lewis. The ISBN is 0-679-72312-9. The book is
available for under $12.
Gideon’s Trumpet describes the story behind the classic Supreme Court case of Gideon v. Wainwright. Clarence
Gideon fights for his 6th Amendment right, that criminal defendants have the right to an attorney even if they cannot
afford one.
The details for this assignment is as follows:
For every chapter, students are to type a full page (double-space) summary and reflection. Each summary should be
1 paragraph (at least half a page), as should the reflection. Using standard format students should ensure that their
format contains the following:
- Times New Roman (not bolded)
- 12 inch point font
- 1 inch margins (top, bottom, left, right, no header, footers, or gutters)
- double-spaced.
Date each entry and include the chapter you are writing on. Be concise – more is not always better. No, you may
not write more than 1 page per entry, and definitely not less. The reflection is simply your own personal thoughts on
st
what you have read. While 1 person is acceptable for reflections, students should only use third person for the
summaries (no I’s or we’s, etc.)
Students will receive several homework grades for this summer assignment. Failure to complete and turn in on the
st
1 day of school (Room 1015) will result in students receiving several zeros, making it extremely difficult to end the
semester on a favorable note, academically. As a reminder, if you find yourself struggling with your reading this
summer (and indeed, next school year), put down your pride and pick up a dictionary. If you have any questions my
email is below.
Mr. Andrew S. Grodecki
AP U.S. Government & Politics
Agrodecki.central@bibb.k12.ga.us