Reeds Spring High School
American Government Course Syllabus
Instructor:Mr. Scego Email Address:
Conference hour: 4th Hour (1:30-2:20) School Website:
Telephone: (417) 272-8171 Credit: 1 Credit (required, not weighted)
Text and Resources:
Gaggle: Gaggle will be used daily to communicate and download and turn in assignments. Every
student shouldalso check their gaggle email account frequently.
Dyknow: May be used to conduct notes or quizzes
One Note: One note will be used to create an electronic binder for notes and organization
Text: Essentials of United States Government. Books will be checked out upon request as we will utilize only a classroom set.
Class Description
American Government emphasizes the structure and role of the United States government as well as preparing students to become citizens that accept responsibilities in our democracy. Other areas of study will include the structure of the Constitution, an in-depth look at the three branches, state and local government, major legislative and judicial acts and documents/philosophers that help shape our governmental structures. Students will also be required to pass a test over the US and Missouri Constitution in accordance with state and federal law.
Tech Policy
As per board policy, cellular devices are prohibited from use during the school day. The school day will be defined as the time the student enters the building until 3:15 PM. For the purposes of our policy, any cellular device that is seen or heard is considered a violation. Therefore, students are required to turn off their cellular devices and put them “out of site” prior to entering the school building each morning. Any student who does not abide by this policy will have their cellular device taken by a staff member, given to the office, and the student will be subject to the following disciplinary consequences:
•First Offense- Cellular devices taken to the office for the remainder of the day and the student assigned an In School Detention the following day of school. (students may pick up their cellular devices at the end of the school day.)
•Second Offense- Cellular device taken to the office for the remainder of the day and the student assigned 2 days of In School Detention.
Course Objectives
By the time students finish this course, they will be able to do the following:
-pass the Federal and State Constitution test at an 80% level
-correctly label a chart concerning Enlightenment philosophers at a 100% level
-correctly label a chart concerning different types of government, systems of government and economic systems at a 100% level
-construct a venn diagram contrasting powers reserved for the state and federal government
-explain the importance of the following Supreme Court cases: Marbury v. Madison, Plessy v. Ferguson, Brown v. Board of Education, Mapp v. Ohio, Gideon v. Wainwright, Miranda v. Arizona, Ray v. Blair, Gibbons v. Ogden, McCulloch v. Maryland, Roe v. Wade, US v. Nixon, Griswold vs. Connecticut, Hamdan v. Rumsfeld, Dred Scott v. Sanford, Korematsu v. US, Furman v. Georgia, Cooper v. Aaron, Schneck v. US, Brandenburg v. Ohio, Engel v. Vitale, US v. Gonzalez-Lopez, Bush v. Gore, Citizens United v. FEC and National Federation of Independent Businessess v. Sebelius
-design a poster that identifies the checks and balances between each of the branches of the federal government
-provide examples which contrast styles of leadership such as autocratic, democratic and laissez-faire and provide examples of each
-describe and apply knowledge attained concerning key constitutional freedoms and principles
-demonstrate ability to read and summarize non-fiction material from a source or article that is at least eight pages in length with zero grammatical/spelling errors
-compose a research paper of at least five pages using standard MLA formatting
-compose essays of at least one-two pages over various governmental topics
-collaborate with other students to design projects over various governmental topics
Classroom Procedures:
Attendance- If you are absent it is your responsibility to check Gaggle and stay up with material covered during absence. Students have two days following an absence to turn in any work assigned while they were absent.
Tardy/ Sweep- Students will be considered tardy if they are not in the room and seated at the time the bell rings and the classroom door is locked.
Leaving the Classroom- Unless granted permission from another teacher, the student will be expected to remain in the classroom once the bell rings and not leave until class ends unless an emergency occurs. Students must take/wear the appropriate hall pass located at the front of the classroom.
Bell Work: At the beginning of class each student will be required to complete the bell work each day on the class Gaggle message board. Bell work will be turned in within the first five minutes of class and is review from previously covered material. It is important to remember that bell work is given daily and having an excused or unexcused absence does not exempt you from Bell Work.
Late Work Policy: 1 day (1/2 credit), 2 days+ (zero) Any special circumstances will be dealt with on an individual basis.
One Note Binder - Students MUST keep and maintain an organized set of ALL materials, worksheets, tests, and notes done in the classroom. This set of material shouldinclude the syllabus, assignments, projects and quizzes/tests
Quizzes–Vocabulary quizzes will be given every Friday unless a unit test is scheduled. The vocabulary terms will be given to students at the beginning of each week.
Unit Tests - A test will be given at the end of each unit. Tests will contain, but is not limited to, multiple choice questions, interpreting charts/maps/political cartoons, short answer, and essay questions. Makeup tests will be given within two days of student returning after their absence.
Projects – Various projects will be done throughout the year evaluating student’s knowledge. These projects will allow students to be creative while covering important information.
Final and EOC Exams - There will be a comprehensive, final exam at the end of each semester. The comprehensive Final Exam in the Spring will be the End Of Course Exam. These exams will serve as 10% of the student’s overall grade for each semester. Semester finals have no exemptions.
Academic Honesty:
Work done collaboratively in class reflects shared thoughts.
Work done individually in class reflects individual thought.
- Using another persons’ written work, or using another persons’ words in a written report (without appropriate citing) is a form of plagiarism, and is not allowed.
- Cheating is any use of ‘shared thought’ on an assignment that is to be done individually, and is not allowed. (Quizzes, tests are always done individually.)
Cheating, copying or plagiarism of any kind will not be tolerated. Students caught cheating will be given a zero on the assignment and parents will be notified. School policy will be followed and students will be referred to the office and have cheating documented on their permanent record.
Student Name: ______
Parent/Guardian Contact Information:
Email ______
Phone ______
I have read and understand the above information.
Classroom Expectations:
1- Students are expected to be in their assigned seats when the bell rings.
2- Cell phones, Ipods, and other electronic devices will not be tolerated in class.
3-Students are expected to be prepared when class begins. Bring your books, paper, pencil or pen, and any assignments that are due. Students will not be allowed to go to their locker.
4- If a student would like to respond or ask a question during class, they should raise their hand and wait to be recognized by the teacher.
5- Profanity, rudeness, and other generally unacceptable behavior/language will not be tolerated.
6- No writing on the desks.
7- Trash goes in the wastebasket, not your desk.
8- Trips to the restroom will be kept to a minimum (emergencies only).
9- Horseplay will not be tolerated in class.
10- Students are expected to follow all rules outlined in the student handbook.
11- Every situation can not be outlined, so students should use good judgment and act as respectable young adults.
Grading Scale
A93-100C73-76
A-92-90C-72-70
B+87-89D+67-69
B83-86D63-66
B-82-80D-60-62
C+77-79F59- Below