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VIRGINIA AND UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT 2006-2007

Mrs. Melissa Green (mgreen@ycsd.york.va.us)

 This course is designed to help you explore the government of the United States and Virginia so that YOU can be a participant in the political process. The goal is NOT to have you simply memorize a bunch of facts. Everyone needs certain knowledge and skills to be well-informed citizens who can participate in and enjoy our community, state, and nation. The goal of this course is to help you develop knowledge and skills that will help you be successful both in and out of school. In the process, we will discuss important questions such as: What is the role of government? How and why did our government form? Why are people always complaining about the government and what can we do to make changes? This is a course that you MUST pass in order to graduate! This is what you need to know to complete this course successfully:

 
MATERIALS: You will receive a textbook that you will use frequently. For class you will need to ALWAYS have with you:

• A pen or pencil

• A note book (paper for notes, pockets for materials )

• Your assignment book (agenda/planner)

• Your textbook (McClenaghan, William A. MacGruder’s American Government. Prentice Hall: Boston, 2006) 

BE ON TIME: If you are in the room, seated, and beginning the opening activity when the tone sounds, you are on time. After three unexcused late arrivals to class, ATS (In School Suspension) will be assigned for all future tardiness.

 
BE PREPARED: You will have reading assignments frequently. Doing this reading will help you understand what is going on in class and should make the activities we do more interesting to you. There will be DAILY quizzes over vocabulary and main ideas. Being prepared also means having all assignments completed on time. Late work will be accepted ONLY with a substantial penalty (10 points per class late.) It is YOUR responsibility to bring late work to Mrs. Green at the beginning or end of class.

 PARTICIPATE: Come to class. Offer comments. Ask questions. This will help you and your classmates understand the material better. Take notes. Taking notes will help you organize and study the information. We will do group activities and projects that will require your active participation.

 
GRADING: Your grade is based on points. You will get points for homework, in-class assignments, projects, quizzes, and tests. The points assigned correspond to the amount of effort you have to put into the assignment/activity. The total points you earn will be divided by the total points possible resulting in a percentage.

 
ABSENCE AND MAKE UP POLICY: It is to your advantage to be in every class. Unfortunately, things happen which make it impossible for you to attend. YOU are responsible for finding out what you missed. Extra copies of assignments will be located in the missing work binder. Assignments for each week will also be posted on the board in the classroom. Late work will only be accepted for EXCUSED absences and tardies (see YCSD Policy or Student Handbook)

You should copy the homework into your agenda/planner at the beginning of each class. You can also e-mail me with questions and concerns (my e-mail is checked daily). I am available after school by appointment. Tests and assignments must be made up the day you return to class. For make up work to receive credit, your absence must be excused.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Unless otherwise indicated, all work assigned is to be completed individually. There will be opportunities for you to work with your peers and parents/guardians, but they will be explicitly stated on the assignment sheet/rubric.

Semester One:
                     Foundations of American Government (3 Weeks)
            Institutions of American Government (13 Weeks)

 
            Semester Two:

                                            American Political Processes (4 Weeks)
          Public Programs and Policy Making (4 Weeks)
                  Rights, Liberties and Responsibilities (4 Weeks)
             Political and Economic Systems (4 Weeks)
             State and Local Government (4 Weeks)

 
Virginia Department of Education Standards: The content of this class follows the Virginia SOL requirements. Please visit the following site for more information about the SOL requirements for Virginia and United States Government: http://www.pen.k12.va.us/VDOE/Instruction/sol.html

 

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