Mr. Bodenhamer’s US Government

Dear Students,

Welcome to our US Government class. You’re here just in time! As we read this together most of you are rapidly approaching full-fledged membership in “the People.” Those famous first words of the US Constitution make clear exactly who is in charge of this country: not a hereditary monarch, not a capricious tyrant or an exalted group of out-of-touch aristocrats but us, the People. That means that you – as a current or future taxpayer - will suddenly have a lot of employees. The mayor? That guy works for you. The president? Yep. Police? Road crews? Teachers??? Maybe a little less directly but, yeah. If one or more of those people or groups are not getting the job done then it’s up to us to fix it or replace them. In that case, we better figure out how this whole government thing works. There are problems to be solved. That’s what we’ll do here.

This class will give you the opportunity to understand exactly what government is and is not. We’ll attempt to demystify a huge, old system that is designed to serve you. We’ll compare our form of government to other governments from different times and places and consider ways to reform what we have now and, hopefully, prepare you to put some of those reforms into action.

In the pages that follow you’ll find out something about the basic workings of this class but, if you have any further questions, please let me know. This class will go by quickly and it is tremendously important to me that, by the time you are done, you are better prepared to take your place among “the People.”

Sincerely,

Reynolds Bodenhamer

What Is This Class About?

This nine-weeks class will be broken down into seven objectives. These objectives will overlap and build upon one another so they may not come up in this order in class. That said, it’s worth listing them here so we know what we’re doing:

  • We will understand the key documents of American democracy – how they came to be and what they say.
  • We will examine the way the federal government is organized.
  • We will analyze the rights & responsibilities of citizens and how those rights and responsibilities are constantly being negotiated.
  • We will compare governments from different times and places and with emphasis on the growth of democracy
  • We will examine the benefits and limitations to civil and human rights that governments have been responsible for
  • We will analyze the connections between the US government and the US economy and compare these connections to those found in other systems
  • We will consider the fundamental values and principles that have helped to shape our government and consider the extent to which a society’s values and principles can be determined by an examination of its government.

Class Rules

(There Are Only Two So This Part Should Be Easy)

  • Be Respectful

- Treat others the way you want to be treated. Respect your teacher and classmates at all times in words and actions.

- Respect the property of others. Do not take or touch anything that belongs to another student or your teacher without their permission. Donot damage the property that you are being allowed to use while you are in this class (your textbook, your desk, etc…).

- Respect the people who are working hard to keep you informed. Don’t talk during announcements or Channel 1.

  • Be Prepared

- Be in your seat when the tardy bell rings and throughout the period.

- Have the materials you need for class (paper, pen, a three-ring binder). These are your responsibility.

- Have all assignments that are due ready to turn in at the beginning of class. I will not accept late work.

Mr. B’s Behavior Policy

(How Disruptions Will Be Handled)

  1. Students will, at all times, follow the rules of Gulfport High School & Mr. Bodenhamer’s classroom as explained in the school handbook and class syllabus.
  1. Students who do not follow behavior rules may be warned by having their names written on the board.
  1. If a student misbehaves after having his or her name written on the board, he or she may be given a check (√) by their name.
  1. A student with a check by their name will serve a thirty-minute detention with Mr. Bodenhamer on the next Monday or Wednesday following the day of the offense.
  1. If a student receives a second check (√√) by their name or if a student fails to report to their assigned detention, that student will be written up at the end of the day.
  1. If a student continues to misbehave after receiving a second check he or she will be written up and referred to the office immediately.
  1. In the case of adistracting or dangerous situation, Mr. B may skip any of these steps.

Expectations

(What you can expect from the teacher and what the teacher expects from you)

  • A classroom safe for open and honest discussion. You will be expected to ask questions and give your opinions. This is an important part of your final grade. You don’t have to agree with your peers but you do have to show respect towards them. All questions and opinions will be respected.
  • Any personal problem that is serious enough to interrupt class time or class work will be communicated to the teacher before a disruption is caused. I will do anything I can to make your day easier but I will not allow distractions.
  • Questions will be encouraged. If you don’t understand something ask!
  • Honesty. I will be honest with you. You will be honest with me. Honesty is part of respect and we will respect each other enough to be honest.
  • You will not cheat. Cheating will not be tolerated.
  • Your work is your responsibility. I will make it very easy for you to keep track of graded material. You will do your part by keeping up with your assignments, your notebook checklist and your lesson plans. Make up missed assignments promptly.
  • There is a trash can in the room for your use. This is the only acceptable place for your trash. Respect our environment.
  • Students will be awake and attentive in class at all times.
  • Cell phones will not be a disruption in our classroom.
  • Digital devices will be used professionally and only with permission. You will lose permission to use these devices if you fail to use them respectfully.
  • Students will not be allowed to eat in the classroom.
  • Students can bring a bottle of water with them to class but no other beverages will be allowed in the classroom.

Contacting Mr.B

I try to make myself as available to students and parents as I possibly can. Students can find a monthly “Office Hours” calendar posted on my classroom door that indicates when I will be available for tutoring or make-up work. I keep an updated gradebook that is accessible through the gulfportschools.org “Parent Center” & “Student Center”. You can also reach me through guidance at 896-7525 or email me at . I usually respond to email very quickly. To get in touch with me even more quickly, follow me on Twitter @GHSrbodenhamer. Finally, I maintain a website that contains lesson plans as well as a variety of classwork, homework, enrichment materials and links to other useful sites. We will also use this site for discussions and blogs that you will be required to participate in. You can find this site at This site is updated regularly and by request

Grading

70% - Major Assessments & Projects

30% - Daily Grades, Journal Entries & Quizzes

All assignments will be scored on a “1-4” grading scale. This class will be project-focused. While we will have traditional assessments, the majority of your grade will be determined by your efforts on long-term assignments and projects. You will need to be a productive group member to do well on these. Additionally, students will be expected to keep up with small assignments and review materials to be checked periodically. It is essential that students remain aware of their assignments and are organized to keep up with required assignments for the entirety of a project or even an entire quarter. Please be careful to keep an eye on lesson plans, notebook checklists, and my school rack page to be certain that you are on track to succeed.

Late Work & Absences

Be certain to review the GHS policy regarding make-work and absences as Mr. B will stringently adhere to this policy

While I am very willing to work with students to make certain that they take advantage of the opportunity to learn as much history as they can, I cannot accept assignments that are turned in exceedingly late. Those that are accepted late will incur a penalty. Any work received more than a week late will not given a grade greater than 2.4. Also, be aware of the strict deadline that will come for any make up assignments or re-tests at the end of the quarter. This will be posted well in advance.

What Do I Need?

- The majority of the materials you will need for this class will be handed to you by Mr. B. You should have a three-ring binder, a pen, and a little bit of loose-leaf paper. Some of our assignments will require access to an .mp3 player or computer with an internet connection. Your smartphone, nook tablet, or an on-campus computer will suffice.