S+Flanagan+Andrew

Office: 517A Frances Allen Black Hall Office Phone: 1-207-850-0081 Office Hours:** Tuesdays and Thursdays (12-3pm) ** E-mail: ** Andrew.Flanagan@maine.edu
 * Teacher: Mr. Flanagan

=Summary of Unit=

Welcome to Introduction to American government! With this course we will dig deep into what makes the American political system tick, covering everything from the function of each branch of government to the structure of how the United States government operates. In this course we will also compare and contrast how the American democracy relates to other forms of government throughout the world, and learn how the government has impact on each of our daily lives. By learning about the government, students will gain better perspective about their role in society, and learn how they can become more active within the community

=Establish Goals=

Maine Learning Results: Social Studies. B: Civic and Government B1: Knowledge, Concepts, Themes, and Patterns of Civics/Government Grade: 9-Diploma //A: Explain that the study of government includes the structures, functions, institutions, and forms of government and the relationship of government to citizens in the United States and in other regions of the world.//
 * Students understand the ideals, purposes, principles, structures, and processes of constitutional government in the United States and in the American political system, as well as examples of other forms of government and political systems in the world.**

= = =Students will understand that=

•they each play a big role in their communities and their thoughts and actions have effects on a much larger scale. •local, state, and national government have effect on their everyday lives. •there are certain individual rights, that are unalienable living under the United States Constitution.

= = =Essential Questions=

•How can an individual within the American political system effect change? •Why did the founding fathers picked our form of government in which to rule our country? •How does the American political system operate?

= = =Students will know=

•**Vocabulary**: //Checks and Balances, Veto, Electoral College, Bill of Rights, Constitution, Democracy, Republic, Senate, House of Representatives, Political Party, Judicial Review//

•**Important events and people**: //King George III, George Washington,James Madison, Thomas Jefferson, First Congressional Congress, Treaty of Paris, Marbury v. Madison, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.//

•**Sequence and time lines**: //Revolutionary War (1775–1783), Ratification of the US Constitution (1788), Bill of Rights adopted (1789), Dred Scott Decision (1857), Emancipation Proclamation (1863), Plessy v. Ferguson (1896), Women's Right to Vote (1920), Brown V. Board of Education(1955), Civil Rights Movement (1960-1965), USA PATRIOT Act (2001)//

= = =Students will be able to=

•describe the purpose, structure, and processes of the American political system

•evaluate important documents such as the United States Constitution, or The Bill of Rights

•exhibit how to effectively argue their position on presented topics

•compare the American political system with examples of political systems from other parts of the world

•role-play through in-class debates with assigned discussion topics

•recognize their role within the political system, and realize how they can effect change

**Performance Task Overview**

Recently the interest group of which you are a member of has selected you and a group of other qualified individuals to represent your cause in an upcoming project. Your new proposition has just received the full support of both Maine's senators but under one speculation, it also has to get the support of Maine voters. The job your group has been assigned is to create a presentation with the right persuasive techniques to win over the collective audience. Something to consider in this task is some of the opposition your idea may face, (for example your proposal about gun control, might not go over well in areas where hunting is a big industry.) Another thing to consider in this task is how are you going to target specific things that apply to all of us as Maine citizens. At the end of your presentation your proposal will be judged by the town meeting meeting members to see if your proposal passes by the effectiveness of your presentation. Once your idea is approved by the Maine voters your proposition can start moving up on a much larger scale.

=Expectations=


 * Respect:** As written in the declaration of independence, "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal." That means within this classroom respect for each other is //mandatory//. We are all working together to attain the same goal, therefore as with any other team we must work together to be successful. Disrespect towards a fellow classmate will be handled with __zero-tolerance__, and punishment will be handed out that is appropriate towards the situation.
 * Preparation:** Students are expected to be prepared for each class, which includes but is not limited to: completed homework, possession of writing utensils, organization of materials, and willingness to learn. A basic rule of thumb to follow here is that if it takes time away from class time, it is not acceptable.
 * Absences/Tardiness:** Again this deals with the preparation of students, if you are not here or you miss a portion of class, you are expected to receive the notes and assignment details by other means. Detailed notes and podcasts will be available for students on the wiki, but this will not make up for activities during class time which will have to be made up during my office hours or after school.
 * Make Up Work and Do-Overs:** Missed work can be made up outside of class for partial credit. Students will also be given the chance on two "second-chance" assignments throughout the semester, which they can use to improve two of their lowest homework scores.
 * Participation:** By signing up for this class, your thoughts and opinions on the material are really important in making the course "come alive." Therefore students participation in things like group work, class projects, mock trials, and discussions is //mandatory//.
 * Plagiarism:** There is __//zero-tolerance//__ to using the thoughts and ideas of others and claiming it as your own. Proper citation of materials will be discussed within the course, but I will not accept students stealing other people's work without giving the original author credit.

=Benchmarks= The following are the major projects and assignments that we will experience throughout the semester. The point value for this system ranges all the way from 0 to 500 possible points.


 * Participation/Attendance (100 Points)-** Being in class and participating is a major component to the material we study within this course. After all, what would a democracy be without people taking part and helping the community grow. Therefore if you are not participating in class or you are not attending class your perspective is lost and your opinion will not benefit the rest of the class.


 * Current Events Blog (50 points)-** Two blog entries a week are required for all students taking part in the class, and will be presented on Tuesdays and Thursdays to other students in the classroom. This will help you learn more about what is happening in the world outside this classroom and will help some of the material we are learning in this class come alive. Students will also put entries about the articles up on their own personalized blog accounts and be asked to do the following:


 * Briefly summarize the article (4-6 Sentences)
 * State how this article has importance in your own life and the effects it has on other Maine citizens (4-6 Sentences)
 * Conclude the entry by including other links related to the article that helped you understand the topic a little more clearly

Students will also be given the opportunity to provide feedback to other students by using the blog's "comment" section to have a discussion about the material that their partners did research on.


 * Federalism Research Report (25 points)-** The United States Constitution, is one of the central documents representing our government. Students will be asked to learn about those who developed the document and asked to write a research report on either the opinions of a federalist or an anti-federalist.


 * Government Brochures (25 points)-** Students will be asked to compare the different types of government and then create a two brochures demonstrating the pros and cons of an assigned type of government.


 * Government Poster Presentation (50 points)-** A poster will be constructed explaining how a certain section of the American government operates and how each branch effects the other.


 * Mock Trial (50 points)-** Students will be given the chance to defend a pre-selected topic against the opposing point of view using different strategies in order to give an effective argument for their cause**.** The mock trial will be conducted in teams of threes for both sides and their presentations will be graded based on the strength/validity of their argument, and their ability to coherrently display this information.


 * Position Paper (25 points)-** Students will be given the oppurtunity to write about a "hot topic" in politics of their own choice and asked to explain their side on the issue. After the paper is completed the students will be asked to give a breif oral presentation to express their opinions to the class.


 * Tests/Quizzes (75 points)-** Assessment is an important part of this course to see how much of the material you have truly mastered. At the end of each week students will be given a quiz to show what they have learned about the material, and the end of the unit will be given a test based on materials covered in past lessons.


 * Performance Task (100 points)-** After the achievements made throughout the semester, students are required to create a presentation in which they take on the role of a lobbyist for a special interest group. The teams have to create a oral presentation as well as a campaign video to support their topic and try to get their "proposition" based through maine's legislation. All the things discussed during the class will help in making sure that their position is heard and effective in swaying public opinion towards their side.

=Grading Scale= A+ (100-97) A (96-94) A- (93-90) B+ (89-87) B (86-84) B- (83-80) C+ (79-77) C (76-74) C- (73-70) D+ (69-67) D (66-64) D- (63-60) F (59 or below)