American Government: Day 1

Welcome to American Government: 

This year we witnessed yet another election that showed the inner workings of our democracy for better or worse. This class is intended to help you make sense of American government and teach you how the government works, what your role as a citizen is, and why government does some of the things that it does. We will start with the fundamentals and history of American government, then get into the Constitution and the rights of Americans, then we will get into the branches of government, policies, and procedures that United States government and its citizens must follow.

Syllabus:

UNIT 1 (Foundations of Am Gov) 
          Chapters 1, 2, 3, 4 and chapters 6 and 7 (Congressional powers), 9 (Pres Powers), 11(Courts)

UNIT 6 (Participating in Gov)
           Chapters 16, 17, 18, 19 and chapters 5 (Congress), 8 (Executive), and 23 (State and Local)

UNIT 7 (Policies and Services) Thru the end of the semester
           Chapters 20, 21, 22, and chapter 10 (Bureaucracy)


Rules of the Classroom:

1.) Treat others as you would like to be treated. 

2.) Respect each other and each other's opinions.

3.) Do not talk while others are talking.

4.) Create an open and safe environment for ideas and opinions.

5.) No hate speech, ever. Do not put people down for their views.

6.) No cell phones unless authorized. If I see them, I will take them.

7.) No free riding. Everyone does everything.

8.) "I don't know" is not an acceptable answer. If you don't know, take a guess.

Getting to know you:

Answer all of the following you are comfortable with: (put your name on it)

1.) Spiritual Beliefs....

2.) Planning on College?

3.) Race/ Ethnic background...

4.) Age:

5.) Social Class (Low, Middle, Upper etc.):

6.) Political Beliefs:

7.) Live at home or on your own?



Assignment:

Instructions:

1.) Get into groups of 4 (there may be one group of 5)

2.) Get large sheet of white butcher paper.

3.) On the sheet, brainstorm (with key words, phrases, or whole sentences) everything that you know or think you know about government, how it works, and what you think of it.