Term 1

Sept. 1^st – Oct. 30^th

Week 1 

8/30&31    Introduction to procedures 

USG 1.1 Distinguish among, civic, politcal, and private life.
USG 1.2 Define the terms citizenship. politics , and government, and give examples of how political solutions to public policy are generated through interactions of citizens and civil associations with their government.

9/1    Chapter 1 section 1, Government and the State, How does it reflect the social contract theory? 

9/2    Chapter 1 section 2, Forms of Government, Organization of Power, Where is the power in each form?  How is it allocated? Class work: critical thinking making comparison between presidential and parliamentary democracy

Week 2
When asked to answer questions about a particular document you must first find the document on the wikipedia link on the table of contents page of the website

9/5 Labor Day

9/6    Chapter 1 section 2, Forms of Government, Organization of Power, Where is the power in each form?  How is it allocated? Class work: critical thinking making comparison between presidential and parliamentary democracy


USG 1.3 Describe the purpose and functions of government.
USG1.6 Explain how a constitutional democracy provides majority rule with equal protection for the rights of individuals, including those in the minority, through limited government and the rule of law.
USG 1.9 Examine fundamental documents in the American political tradition to identify key ideas regarning limited government and individual rights.


 

9/7    Chapter 1 section 3, Basic Concepts of Democracy,  Foundations , Free Enterprise,  Internet Role in Democracy,  Answer the following question using complete sentences in paragraph form. (six to eight solid sentences)
In a democracy, those who are responsible for the day-to-day conduct of government are accountable to the people for what is done in their name.  Which form of government, presidential or parlimentary, do you think comes closer to this ideal? Why?

9/8    Chapter 1 Evaluation:  p.784 read and answer questions analyzing document.( worth 20 points) 10 multiple choice questions.(4 points each) 10 matching questions (4 points each)
 

9/9    Chapter 2 section 1, Our Political Beginnings, Primary Source, The English Bill of Rights, answer questions 1-3 full  sentences (handout given in class) questions at the bottom

Week 3
  

9/12    Chapter 2 section 2, The Coming of Independence,  Classwork: The Declaration of Independence ,read in text p. 43- 47  line and answer the following questions in full sentences,
1.  Which truths in the second paragraph are "self-evident"?
2,. Name three unalienable rights listed in the Declaration.
3.  From what source do governments derive their just powers?
4.  In the series of paragraphs beginning , "He has refused his Assent, "to whom does the word "He " refer?
5.  According to the Declaration , what powers belong to the United States as "Free and Independent States"?
6.  Why do you think the colonists were unhappy with the fact that their judges' salaries were paid by the king?
7.  Do you think that the words "all men are created equal" were intended to apply to all human beings? Explain your reasoning.
8.  What evidence is there that the colonists had already unsuccessfully voiced concern to the king?

USG.1.8 Explain how civil society contributes to the maintenance of limited government in a representative democracy or democratic republic such as the United States.
USG. 2.1 Trace the colonial, revolutionary, and founding-era experiences and events that led to the writing, ratification, and implementation of the United States Constitution (1787) and the Bill of Rights (1791).
USG.2.2 Analyze  

9/13  Chapter 2 section 3, The Critical Period, The Articles of Confederation, weaknesses

           question critical thinking 
        The Articles of Confederation contained several weaknesses.  Why would the States          purposefully create a weak government under the articles? 

 Classwork, The English Petition of Rights with questions p.783 (English Bill of Rights)

9/14  Chapter 2 section 4, Creating the Constitution, Virginia Plan, NJ Plan  Classwork: p.57 insert From the Constituion (with question)
 
Key Terms and Ideas Questions 1-5
1. Indentify the Framers of the Constitution and describe, in general, their backgrounds and experiences.
2.  What momentous decision did the Framers make at the beginning of the Philadelphia Convention?
3.  Why did the delegates from the samller States object to the Virginia Plan?
4.  What was agreed to under the Connecticut Compromise?
5.  What sources influenced the Framers in writing the Constitution?
 

9/15   Chapter 2 section 5, Ratifying the Constitution

9/16   Chapter 2 political dictionary, look up all words, these notes can be used on evaluation

Week #4

9/19   Chapter 2 Evaluation

9/20   Video: The Constitution

9/21   Finish video The Constitution

9/22 Chapter 3 section 1, The Six Basic Principles of the Constitution

9/23  Chapter 3 section 2, Formal Amendment and Informal amendment handout (listed as such on this website) Fill out the chart completely due 9/25

 Classwork:  John Locke, Two Treatise of Government, 1680

Week #5
Week #5 Changes to syllabus (9-26 thru 9-30)
That Used to be Us  Guided Reading and note taking

dates to be updated

9/26 Chapter 3 section 3, Constitutional change by other means

9/27 Chapter three political dictionary, look up all words, these notes can be used on eval.

9/28 Chapter 3 Evaluation

9/29 Chapter 4 section 1, Federalism: The Division of Power 
Federalism Tested, Questions 1-3
1.  Why did the Framers settle on federalism as the system of government for the new nation?
2.  Do local governments have powers other than those granted to them by their State?  Explain your answer.
3.  Identify several public issues in your community that you think are best handled locally, not by the Federal Government.

Classwork : Baron De Montesquieu:  The Spirit of the Laws, 1748 with questions

9/30 Chapter 4 section 2, The National Government and the Fifty States  

 
Week#6

10/3 Chapter 4 section 3, Interstate Relations

 
10/4 Chapter 4 political dictionary, look up words, these notes can be used on evaluation

10/5 Chapter 4 evaluation 

10/6  Chapter 5 section 1, Parties What They Do

10/7  Chapter 5 section 2, The Two-Party System, Classwork: Jean Jacques Rousseau:  The Social contract, 1762 with questions 

Week #7

10/10  Columbus Day

10/11  Chapter 5 section 3, The Two-Party System in American History

10/12 Chapter 5 section 4, The Minor Parties

10/13  Chapter 5 section 5, Party Organization

10/14  Chapter 5 political dictionary, look up words can be used on evaluation

 
Week #8

10/17  Chapter 5 Evaluation

10/18  Video: The Constitution

10/19  Video The Constitution Continued

10/20  Supreme Court Cases:  Distribute, Outline Paper format

10/21  Chapter 6 Section 1 The Right to Vote, Suffrage, Franchise, Electorate

Week #9

United Nations Day 

10/24 Chapter 6 Section 2   Voter Qualifications, The Danger of Voter Apathy Questions 1-4
1.  For what reasons do most States require voter resitration?
2.  What is the Motor Voter Law? What is its purpose?
3.  a. Why do election officials leep poll books? b.  Why is it a good idea to purge them every few years?
4.  How was the polltax used as a voting qualification?
Classwork: Patrick Henry's Speech with questions

10/25 Chapter 6 Section 3 Suffrage and Civil Rights, gerrymandering, injunction, preclearance

10/26  Chapter 6 Section 4 Voter Behavior, off-year election, political efficacy, political socialization, gender gap, party identification,   straight-ticket voting, split-ticket voting, independent

10/27  Chapter 6 political dictionary words to be used on evaluation

10/28  Section 4 Formulating Questions of a Pollster 
Directions: create 10 questions that you could ask ten individuals that will acurately predict the outcome of prom queen and prom king at a high school
You have to ask questions pertinent to the type of student that would be actually voting.
Classwork: Nathan Hale's Speech, 1776 with questions

10/31  Evaluation on Chapter 6

End of Term 

                               Government      Second Term          Syllabus

Week 1

USG 5.1 Explain the meaning and responsiblities of citzenship in the United States.
USG 5.2 Describe the roles of citizens in massachusetts and the united States, including voting in public elections, participating in voluntary associations to promote the common good, and participating in political activities to influence public policy decisions of government.
USG 5.3 Describe how citizens can monitor and influence local, state, and national government as individuals and members of interests groups. 

11/2  Chapter 7 Section 1 The Nominating Process Homework #1 Handout Recognizing Bias p. 61 Questions 1-6  neatly typed or written, full sentences when necessary 
1.  In what ways is the nominating process key to the electoral process?
2.  Which nominating method is the oldest?
3.  In what ways do conventions seem well suited to democracy?
4.  What is the difference between an open and a closed primary?
5.  What is a wide-open primary?
6.  What is a nonpartisan primary?      

11/3  Chapter 7 Section 2 Elections

11/4  Chapter 7 Section 3 Money and the Election Process

11/5  Chapter 7 Guided Review

11/6  Evaluation #1 Chapter 7

Week 2

11/9    Chapter 8 Section 1 The Formation of Public Opinion Homework #2 Handout Distinguishing False from Accurate Images p. 80 Questions 1-5 neatly typed or written, full sentences when necessary        

11/10  Chapter 8 Section 2 The Measurement of Public Opinion

11/11  Chapter 8 Section 3 The Mass Media and Politics

11/12  Chapter 8 Guided Review

11/13   Evaluation #2 Chapter 8  

USG 5.5 Indentify and explain the meaning and importance of civic dispositions or virtues that contribute to the preservation and improvement of civil society and government.
USG 5.7 Analyze and evaluate decision about individual rights of individuals in landmark cases of the United States Supreme Court. 

Week 3

11/16   Chapter 9 Section 1 The nature of Interest Groups Homework #3 Handout Distinquishing  Fact from Opinion p.99 Questions 1-4 neatly typed or written, full sentences when necessary                

11/17   Chapter 9 Section 2  Types of Interest Groups

11/18   Chapter 9 Section 3 Interest Groups at Work

11/19   Chapter 9 Guided Review

11/20   Evaluation #3 Chapter 9

Week 4 Projects presented 11/23-11/24

USG 5.6 Identify specific ways for individuals to serve their communities and participate responsibly in civil society and the poitical process at local, state, and national levels of government.

11/30 Chapter 10 Section 1 The National Legislature Homework #4 How to Develop Profiles of Your Members of Congress p. 14 Questions 1-4 neatly typed or written, full sentences when necessary        

12/01 Chapter 10 Section 2 The House of Representatives

12/02 Chapter 10 Section 3 The Senate

12/03 Chapter 10 Section 4 The members of Congress

12/04  Evaluation #4 Chapter 10

  
USG 3.5 Distinquish among the enumerated and impled powers in the United States
Constitution and the Massachusetts Constitution.        

Week 6

12/07  Chapter 11 Section 1 The Scope of Congressional Powers Homework #5 Defense Spending Primary Source p.36 Questions 1-3 neatly typed or written, full sentences when necessary        

12/08    Chapter 11 Section 2 The Expressed Powers

12/09    Chapter 11 Section 3 The Implied Powers

12/10    Chapter 11 Section 4 The Nonlegislative Powers

12/11    Evaluation #5 Chapter 11

Middle of Term 2: Progress Reports Issued

USG 3.9 Explain the formal process of how a bill becomes a law and define the terms intiative and referendum.

Week7

12/14   Chapter 12 Section 1 Congress Organizes Homework #6 health Care: Primary Source p.59 Questions 1-3 neatly typed or written, full sentences when necessary        

12/15   Chapter 12 Section 2 Committees in Congress

12/16   Chapter 12 Section 3 How a Bill Becomes a Law:  The House

12/17 Chapter 12 Section 4 The Bill in the Senate and the Final States

12/18 Evaluation #6 Chapter 12 

Week 8

1/04   Chapter 13 Section 1The President’s Job Description Homework #7 Testing Conclusions p. 20 Questions 1-4 neatly typed or written, full sentences when necessary 

1/05   Chapter 13 Section 2 Presidential Succession and the Vice Presidency

1/06   Chapter 13 Section 3 presidential Selection: The Framer’s Plan Homework #8 Running for President: Political Cartoon p. 22 neatly typed or written, full sentences when necessary           

1/07   Chapter 13 Section 4 Nominating Presidential Candidates Today

1/08   Chapter 13 Section 5 At the National Convention

Week #8

1/11   Chapter 13 Section 6      

1/12   Evaluation #7 Chapter 13

1/13   Review for mid term exam

1/14   Review for mid term exam

1/15   Review for midterm exam       

Winter Break

 Week #9 
1/18   Martin Luther Kings Day
1/19  Mid term exam
1/20  Mid term exam 
1/21  Mid term exam review

1/22  Make-up Day for Mid term exam