Sacopee Valley High School
10th Grade Civics
Welcome to 10th Grade Civics! I hope to make this year both fun and challenging for you. As with everything, we must first start with my expectations for you individually and as a class. The following are your responsibilities in my classroom:
· To attend Classes regularly and on time
· To be cooperative and not disruptive
· To study and do your work (success = effort
· To learn and master the required content
As a student, you should have some expectations for your teachers. I owe you the following:
· To treat you with respect and care as an individual
· To provide you a safe and orderly classroom environment that facilitates learning
· To provide the necessary discipline
· To provide the appropriate motivation
· To teach you the required context
CIVICS OUTLINE:
Civics will be divided up into four major categories: Understanding the core democratic values of American constitutional democracy, studying our Constitution and Amendments; modern day politics and economics; world geography and how it affects culture; and preparing students to become responsible citizens.(Gateway Project) Students should be able to explain their roles as citizens of our country by learning knowledge about important issues of the world today. Additionally, they will learn to interpret information concerning graphs, charts, data, television, newspapers, internet, etc.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
1. Describe how the federal government serves the purposes identified in the Preamble of the Constitution and explain how American citizens benefit from the rule of law, representative democracy, and limited government.
2. Understand the basic ideas of the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the 27 Amendments.
3. Learn how our government protects our individual rights, and that citizens can overthrow a government that abuses these rights.
4. Be able to trace the origins of our government back to colonial self-government and the English political tradition.
5. Explore the roles of law and political activity in American society.
6. Understand both the legal and political processes that help Americans resolve conflicts and reach decisions.
7. Be able to distinguish between civil and criminal procedures in our courts.
8. Be able to identify disparities between the ideals of American democracy and the realities of American society, and be able to propose ways of bringing our ideals and realities closer together.
9. Explain how the Constitution operates as the supreme law of the land and be able to know how the U.S. Supreme Court interprets the Constitution and strikes down unconstitutional laws.
10. Understand the election process and be able to evaluate information from various sources in order to judge candidates for public office.
11. Be able to describe the functions of major international organizations, such as the United Nations, NATO, and the European Union.
12. Describe some of the means used by the United States to resolve international conflicts.
13. Understand the Core Democratic Values of American Constitutional Democracy. Be able to use one or several of these values to argue one's position concerning a public policy question.
GRADING CRITERIA:
Grading will be divided into 4 categories. Major tests with comprise 30% of a students grade. Quizzes and homework make up 35%. In class project and papers are worth 25% of your grade. Participation/attendance comprises the final 10%. I do not curve tests or assignments. I do however offer limited opportunities for extra credit. All late work will automatically be reduced by 50%.
MAKE UP POLICY:
All make-up work will follow Sacopee Valley High School policy. However tests will NEVER be a surprise and students will have two days upon their return to schedule a make up date. Students with an unexcused absence on test day will take an “all essay” version of the test.
PARENTS' NOTES:
Your role in making your child's progress in school successful is very important! Make sure that your child knows that you are aware of my class expectations and rules. Try reading my expectations and rules together! Be aware that your child should have approximately one to two hours of homework for all of their classes every night! Students will have approximately ten to twenty minutes of homework every day from my class, except on the night before the review as well as the night before the test. Sometimes they will not be able to finish their homework from my class in school since it involves reading, taking notes from reading, cooperative groups, reviewing, and studying! Communicate daily with your child about their school day. If you believe that your child is not bringing home their text book, notebook, assignment
book, or homework, on a daily basis, or if you believe they are not doing their best, then please call or write me. If they are having difficulty, help them by quizzing them with using their flash cards, key words, or notes. If your child still needs extra help, tell them to see me either before or after school. I am usually available one hour prior to the beginning of the school day and two hours after school. To make this school year successful, I need your help and support! Please call 207-233-3117, or email me at munderwood@sad55.k12.me.us if you ever have any questions. Thanks for your help.
Sacopee Valley High School
10th Grade Civics
Syllabus
Mr. Matthew Underwood
1. August 29thst thru September 3rd (You will know classroom standards and expectations)
· Admin Notes-Fire Evacuation, Student Bios, Seating Plan
· Class expectations- Attendance policy, Make up guidelines, Grading policy
· Future Projects-Gateway Project, Level two projects, Group projects
· Civics Outline-What is Civics?? Why should I or you care??
· About me- Who is this person talking to me about Government and Citizenship?
How to organize your notebook.
2. September 1st thru 7th (You will know what is Government and where it came from)
· Into Film to Government! Notes and more notes
· What is government and how did we get where we are today?
· Some of our unsuccessful attempts at past governments (Articles of Confederation)
· Differences in governmental philosophies (US vs. other World Governments)
· What’s in it for numero uno (that’s you)
· Flight 93 film and how September 11th affects you.
· Government Work sheet (HW)
· Review for quiz/current event assignment
3. September 8,11th (You will know how to take a quiz and the details on the Gateway Project)
· Your first quiz!!(10Pts) Foundations of our government
· Current events- Each students will present their current event article
· Introduction to the constitution (yeah!)
· Career Day explanation and your 5/5 assignment! Get ready for the Gateway project
4. September 11th thru Oct 16th (You will know the US Constitution and the Bill of Rights)
· Preamble of the Constitution
· Articles of the Constitution
· Constitution Film
· Read pages 109-130 the US Constitution in your book
· Amendment Project description(see below)
· Teams of three, Description of the Amendment and its history
· Court Case that has been affected by the Amendment
· Presentation, Visual Aid and or Hand out.
· Six Constitution work sheets (HW)
· Short film on the executive branch (narrated by Morgan Freeman/Wicked good video)
· Job Shadow Project description
· September is career day fair
5. October 16th thru October 20th (You will demonstrate the history of our government, the US Constitution and its history, the first 10 amendments to the Constitution and how to take a MR Underwood exam)
· Quiz Bowl/Test Review
· Current Events Presentation
· Amendment project Presentation
· After school test Review for the MOAT(Mother of all tests)
· Chapter 1,2 Test (you better study)/(MOAT)
· Brief History of our Government, The Articles, Your Notes, the two movies and the Amendments
6. October 20th thru December 20thth
· Modern day politics
· What are the differences between Democrats and Republicans
· Purposes of Government, their evolution and their relationship with the people.
· Interpreting Political cartoons assignment.
· CAN DRIVE! Lets help those who can not help themselves!
8. January 2nd to March 2nd (You will know the basics of World Geography and become very familiar with one country’s characteristics)
· World Geography and its impact on global politics
· Knowing where major places are and why they are important
· Measuring distance on a global scale
· Population and density
· Physical characteristics of the earth and how they impact cultural
· Map HW and quiz
· Opening day 28 October (stay clear of the woods!!)
· Current events and quiz bowl November 16th and 17th
· World Country Project description
· 50 points/15 minute video/Describe Culture/Geography/ Primary Imports and Exports/Food Products/ clothing/ and Compare and Contrast US Government and Your Countries!!
9. March 2nd to April 27th (You will have a plan for the future)
· Planning for the future
· Gateway Project update and brief
· Knowing how to take care of yourself (physically and mentally)
· Current events and their trends
· How to survive your Junior Year
· Political candidates for 2008??
· Reviewing the steps to become a good citizen
· Giving back to the community (how and when)
· Understanding how local issues affect you and what you can do about it!!!
· Why should I uphold the law and encourage others to do the same??
10. April 30th to June 8th (You will be able to demonstrate that you have the knowledge to become a
good citizen and productive member of society)
· Through your gateway project you will demonstrate the following attributes.
· A Portfolio that includes the following items, Your career day 5/5 assignment, College Visitation reflection, Testing results, (PSAT and ASVAB) Academic Goals (copies of work accomplished placed in the portfolio), Charts and graphs depicting your goals and how to get there, and Presentation and Celebration
· World and US Economies
· What is money and how to I get my hands on some!
· Once I get money how do I manage it!!!!
· Economic Worksheets
· Stock Market Game(wicked fun)
· Gateway Project update(where you are and where you need to go)
· The US Economy to include its principles, its development and institutions
· February 14-16 Economic projects due
· Commercials enticing fellow students to buy your product to include marketing techniques
How to write an "Underwood Essay"
GENERAL GUIDELINES
Most of my essays are at least 2 or 3 parts long. Answer them ONE at a time. Do NOT try to address the whole essay in one large answer.
Do not answer questions not asked of you (i.e. stick with the questions).
Do not try to impress me...inform me, but do not attempt to impress me.
Do not add a lot of "fluff"...answer the question(s) in a clear and concise manner.
Remember: Length DOES NOT equal success. There is no answer to the question "how long should it be?" My non-answer answer: "as long as it takes to do the job."
Budget your time. You should leave yourself at least 15-20 minutes to write the essay.
Do not give me your opinion, unless specifically asked for. Give me what you know, not want you think. (P.S.: Part 2 or Part 3 is almost always an opinion selection.
If you are not prepared to answer the essay, don't attempt it. It is easy to discern within the first few sentences if you have actually prepared your answer. If you have not prepared, and you try to write it, chances are pretty good that you will be wasting a good deal of my time. Not good.
Construct an ARGUMENT to answer the question.
HOW TO CONSTRUCT AN ARGUMENT
First, let's dispel a common myth about the definition of the word "argument." An argument is not a fight between 2 or more people. Instead, an argument is a form of communication that begins with an assertion which is then systematically proven true through a series of facts that support the assertion.
Second, notice the use of the word construct. An argument must be constructed around the assertion. The assertion itself is often self-evident: but it must be proven by facts and truths that back it up in full. If you simply assert that the sky is blue, that is self-evident. Now you must prove it to be true. Answer the "why and how" part of the question (i.e. WHY is the sky blue?).
Graphically, an argument should look like this:
I. Assertion
Fact that supports it
Fact that supports it
Fact that supports it
Fact that supports it
Only answer ONE assertion or construct ONE argument at a time.
So what does this look like in writing? Let’s use this sample question: “Explain the social, political and economic difficulties facing delegates to the Continental Congress (1775-76) and how they contributed to the challenge of penning the Declaration of Independence.” How I would answer it:
Contrary to what most of us were taught, the Declaration of Independence was not an easy document to write, and, in retrospect, the challenges we faced seem almost insurmountable. (ASSERTION) The colonies were, at the time, vastly different in several aspects. The economy of the North centered around trade and money, while that of the South was centered on agriculture, primarily tobacco and cotton. (FACT 1) Each was financially dependent on Britain to some degree, but the South was much more so. This meant that when Northerners (particularly Boston merchants) began talking independence, the South (particularly landed Virginia planters) would hear none of it, since the market for their crops was Britain. (FACT 2) The
Southern economy was also heavily dependent on slaves (since tobacco and cotton are both labor intensive crops), while the Northern economy required very little (if any) labor at all. This contributed to a great moral rift between the regions over the issue of slavery. (FACT 3) The typically uneducated New Englanders required nothing material from Britain, while the educated aristocracy of the South looked to Britain for the finer things in life that could only be gotten through British trade (fine china, pianos, etc.). (FACT 4) The North viewed Britain as an enemy (due to repeated invasions of the Port of Boston), while the South viewed her as a mother and protector (since Britain had several times fended off French ambitions of moving north from New Orleans). (FACT 5) This meant that there was a huge rift in opinion concerning open revolt against the mother country. Combine these with vast regional differences
in money, language and religion, (FACT 6) and it is hard to imagine how it was even possible to achieve a consensus about declaring independence, much less have it succeed. (REPEAT OF ASSERTION, SHOWING IT TO BE PROVEN)
Seems rather short, doesn’t it? And when you consider that I over-proved my assertion to illustrate depth to you, it should be easy for you to find many places to “nip and tuck” my argument and make it even shorter and more to the point. Again, length does not equal success. If you are clear and concise, your assertion can be proved in a rather short period of time and space.
Reiterated important comments about writing an essay for me:
Be clear and concise. You need not address things not asked of you…it’s a waste of your time and mine to do so. State what you wish to state in as few words as possible. In this case, less is more.
You will notice I did not waste my time with an introductory and/or conclusion paragraph. You need not do this. I introduced my assertion in one sentence, and concluded my argument with another. This is all you need to do. Anything more is redundancy and a waste of your valuable time.
AGAIN, do not try to meld the 2 or 3 parts together. Deal with each separately. If there had been another part to the sample question I modeled above, I would have dealt with it in another paragraph, using the same formula as I used to answer the first part. Make clear distinctions when moving to the next portion of the essay. Do not try to answer them all at the same time, or in one long paragraph. If you do so, your essay will lose clarity and become quite confusing to the reader.
You will notice that most of my essays are theoretical in nature. I do not grade them looking for a concrete answer. In fact, most of the essays I write to not have a right or wrong answer. I am looking for you to think critically, applying things we have learned in class. This requires divergent thinking, not necessarily fact recitation.
FUTURE ASSIGNMENTS AND STANDARDS
Your Name------------------------------------This Heading
My Name Mr Underwood) on all papers
Class/Period (Civics)(Period 1)
Date
Current Event Project Standards
· Current events will be due every Thursday or Friday of each school week.(except ones I excuse you from)
· Every Current Event is worth 10 points. The first time it’s late; your grade will be docked by 5 points. The second time, you will receive a 0.
· Current events should be typed, double-spaced, 12 point font, Times New Roman, 4 paragraphs per page.
· The first two paragraphs will include the location where you found the information, and a summary of the current event.
· The current event will relate to any governmental structure, to include local, state, federal or global.
· The vast majority of current events/news related stories can be attributed to government/citizenship.
· The last two paragraphs will include the “so what” factor.
· The “so what” factor is how the current event relates to your fellow classmates. Explain why they should care.
· Making this connection is the whole point of the assignment.
· Failure to accomplish this project or submitting the current events late will severely affect your grade.
· NOTE if you do not have a printer or a computer you CAN hand write it! Something is better than nothing.
Amendment Project Standards
· The Project is worth 30 points.
· Students will work in groups of 2-3.
· The Project can be broken down into 3 parts. The first part should include a summary of the Amendment of the Constitution of the United States, a description of its history/origin, and a summary of the Amendment as a whole.
· The second part/second page should include a Supreme Court case that has been affected by the Amendment of the Constitution. You will fully describe the court case in all of its aspects, and more importantly, describe the ramifications that the court case had on US law.
· The third portion of the project will include the SWF, or “So What Factor”. You and your group need to fully discuss why your fellow students should care, and what impact this Amendment has on them.
· Finally you will develop two brochures that will be used to brief the class on your amendment. You will be grade on your presentation techniques and the quality of your brochure.
Geography Project
· Each student will choose a geographical feature on the plant (from a list I provide you)
· You will create a 15 keynote slide show including the following information: the location of your geo feature, who discovered it, what is it, who uses it and for what, how is it important to the country it is in, how does it effect weather or culture, and most importantly, WHY WE SHOULD CARE ABOUT IT.
· You will need to include a picture or map of your geographical feature.( you will need to produce a works cited and introduction page)(prior to starting your presentation point to your geo feature on the map)
· During your presentation you will write one facts on the board for your classmates to take away from your presentation. (you will stress that if your classmates take anything away from your presentation it will be this one fact)
· This project will be worth 20 points. 15 points for content and 5 for presentation
techniques
WORLD EXPLORATION PROJECT
· The World Exploration Project consist of groups of 3-4 students. ( you may work with students from other classes) The project will be worth 50 points. (see world exploration project rubric)
· Students will choose any country in the world a produce a 15 minute video on the following subjects
· You group will need to describe the countries culture, geography (mountains, rivers, deserts, weather ect) exports and imports, compare and contrast the US government with your countries.
· YOU CAN be as creative as you wish to communicate this information with the class and myself. Past projects have performed songs, skits, plays, reenactments, and other entertaining methods.
· Make sure the technology you use is reliable and available!!! Do not wait to the last minute to work on this project. I have a camera you can sign out.
· On the day of your presentation your group needs to bring in a food from that country for everyone to sample. (hint: keep it simple) If you and the members of your group dress in clothing representative of your country you will receive extra credit.
