Tuesday, January 22, 2013
• Take a Diagnostic AP US Government Test.
Tomorrow we will discuss course requirements
 For this course you will need a notebook
(1 or 2 inches) and notebook paper
(preferably college ruled)

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AP US Government is a one semester survey course. This course is a college level course, designed to prepare you for the AP Exam.
We will look at the structures and processes of our government system. We will examine the following:
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Constitutional Underpinnings of the U.S.
Government
Political Beliefs and Behaviors
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Political Parties, Interest Groups, and Mass Media
Institutions of National Government
Public Policy
Civil Rights and Civil Liberties

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For reading assignments, there will be a reading quiz to insure you have read and comprehend the material.
Quizzes will mainly consist of multiple choice questions. These will count as a quiz (daily) grade.
In addition to the above text, students will be provided additional readings they are responsible for.

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Each unit, students will be responsible for completing evaluations of current news articles that relate to the current topic of study.
These will be turned in at the end of each Unit.

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Students will be required to complete four case reviews per Unit. (Exception – Unit Six includes eight Case Reviews)
These case reviews will be an exam grade.
You can use Findlaw or Lexis Nexis to search for the cases.
You will use the standard case review format located at the end of this packet.
At the end of each Unit, each student will complete an analysis sheet for each case.

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Citation: List the legal citation for the case. This should be the title of the paper.
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Fact(s): Restate the legally relevant facts of the case. Discuss in detail what happened to get this case into the court system.
Issue(s): What is being questioned?
Ruling: What did the courts decide? What were the results?
Rationale: Why did the court make that particular decision?
What precedent or social event brought the court to this particular decision? On what did the court base these answers?
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Conclusion: How does this case relate to United States citizens? How will our lives be altered by this decision?

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For each unit students will complete assignments requiring the analysis of data (tables, graphs, and political cartoons) found in the textbook and other classroom materials.
Students will also be required to analyze and interpret statistical data on unit exams.
Students will complete two “In Depth
Data Analysis” assignments (see Unit Four and Unit Five)

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Formal evaluation for each unit will consist of at least thirty multiple choice questions and one timed essay.
Essay or free-response questions will be selected from past AP exams and will be evaluated using a prepared rubric focusing on the student’s skill in responding to the required elements of the prompt.
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As you complete each textbook reading assignment, you will need to define the key terms (in bold) that you come across.
Use the following format for vocabulary:
Term Definition Put the term in YOUR own words, provide examples, historical background, etc.

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Classroom and Reading Notes should be taken using “Cornell Note Format”