U.S. Government and Civics
Syllabus
Course Essential Questions:
- What does it mean to be a citizen?
- What are the obligations and responsibilities of citizens?
- Has the United States acted to narrow discrepancies between the founding principles and reality?
- How can I participate in my community?
Course Learning Objectives:
- Identify the values and attributes of an active citizen.
- Evaluate the role of citizens in influencing public policy.
- Compare the founding principles of America with the current lived reality of the country.
- Create a plan to participate in democracy.
Week 1: Introduction to Civics and U.S. Government
Weekly Essential Questions
- What are the rules, policies and expectations of this course?
- How do I want to be treated and how do I want to treat others as I interact with my teachers and classmates?
- What does it mean to be a citizen?
Weekly Learning Objectives
- Understand the rules and policies of the course, and expectations of you as a contributing member of our learning community
- Begin to build community by sharing important information with your teacher and classmates about yourself and your school and creating a social contract together for guidelines on interacting throughout the class.
- Develop your skills for navigating the course environment and using the various course tool
- Define Citizenship.
Unit 1: Foundations of Local, State, and Federal Government (Weeks 2-5)
Week 2: Philosophical Foundations of American Government
Weekly Essential Questions
- What ideas and traditions are the American government rooted in?
- How did the framers of the Constitution attempt to address issues of power and freedom in the design of the new political system?
- How is the Constitution designed to ensure civic participation?
Weekly Learning Objectives
- Identify the historical and philosophical bases for the American government.
- Explain how the government works to balance the rights of the individual with the overall wellbeing of the society.
- Evaluate how participatory the design of the American Constitution is.
Week 3: Federal Government
Weekly Essential Questions
- What is the structure and function of the federal government?
- How are the founding principles reflected in the contemporary federal government?
- Who has the power to influence the federal government?
Weekly Learning Objectives
- Explain how power and responsibility are distributed, shared, and limited in a government to meet the needs of its people.
- Identify and explain historical and contemporary efforts to narrow discrepancies between foundational values of American democracy and realities of American political and civic life.
- Evaluate which people and groups have the power to influence the federal government.
Week 4: State and Local Government
Weekly Essential Questions
- What is the role of state and local government in the U.S. political system?
- How do state and local governments affect citizen's lives?
- How can citizens participate in local government?
Weekly Learning Objectives
- Explain how state and local governments are structured to meet the needs of its people.
- Compare and contrast the effectiveness of different levels of government at meeting the needs of its people.
- Identify ways citizens can influence local government.
Week 5: Comparative Government
Weekly Essential Questions
- How does the role of the citizen vary in different places in the world?
- What forms of government exist in the world?
- How do different forms of government meet the needs of its citizens?
Weekly Learning Objectives
- Compare and contrast the effectiveness of different systems of government at meeting the needs of its people.
- Explain why different forms of government exist in different parts of the world.
- Evaluate which type(s) of government best meets the needs of its citizens.
Unit 2: The Lawmaking Process (Weeks 6 & 7)
Week 6: Federal Laws
Weekly Essential Questions
- How are federal laws made?
- How do laws both shape and reflect American society?
- How does the lawmaking process provide for choice and participation?
Weekly Learning Objectives
- Explain the role that deliberation and compromise plays in the lawmaking process in the United States.
- Evaluate how laws both shape and reflect characteristics of American society.
- Explain how the American political system provides for choice and opportunities for participation.
Week 7: State Laws
Weekly Essential Questions
- How do state laws coexist with federal laws?
- How do state laws and governance shape and reflect the local community?
- How does the state law making process provide for choice and participation?
Weekly Learning Objectives
- Identify and explain how state laws affect local residents.
- Analyze how communities shape the priorities of local governments.
- Create a guide to becoming involved in your local government.
Unit 3: Political Parties and the Media (Weeks 8 -11)
Week 8: Development and Structure of Political Parties
Weekly Essential Questions
- What are political parties?
- How have American political parties developed and evolved over time?
- What persons or organizations hold the power to influence political parties?
Weekly Learning Objectives
- Identify the qualities of political parties in the US.
- Trace the evolution of political parties in the U.S. governmental system.
- Analyze political parties' organization and functions in elections and government at national and state levels.
Week 9: Influence of Political Parties
Weekly Essential Questions
- What is the role of political parties in influencing public policy?
- How does America's two-party system shape public policy and elections?
- Can the American political system function without political parties?
Weekly Learning Objectives
- Describe the role of political parties and factions in the U.S. political system.
- Evaluate the necessity and effectiveness of our current two-party system.
- Create a new system for nominating and electing officials, independent of the two-party system.
Week 10: Freedom of the Press
Weekly Essential Questions
- Is a free press essential for democracy to exist?
- What is the role of the media in influencing public policy?
Weekly Learning Objectives
- Evaluate the role of a free press in a democracy.
- Describe how the media both shapes and reflects political and social interests.
Week 11: 21st Century Media
Weekly Essential Questions
- What role does social media have in influencing public policy and opinion?
- How has the emergence of new forms of media changed the political landscape?
- How does social media impact our democracy?
Weekly Learning Objectives
- Explain how new technologies broaden the influence of the media and public interest groups.
- Evaluate the benefits and disadvantages of new technologies in politics.
- Analyze current research on the impact of media on civic discourse and the importance of an informed citizenry.
Unit 4: Elections, Voting, and Getting Involved (Weeks 12-15)
Week 12: Elections
Weekly Essential Questions
- How are elected representatives chosen in American democracy?
- To what extent do Americans have choice at the ballot box?
- Why do citizens choose to vote?
Weekly Learning Objectives
- Describe how the American political system provides for choice and opportunities for participation.
- Evaluate voters' ability to choose leaders and shape policy.
Week 13: Voter Participation and Behavior
Weekly Essential Questions
- Is voting accessible to all citizens?
- How do demographics predict voting participation and behavior?
- What are the political and economic impacts of gerrymandering on political decision-making?
Weekly Learning Objectives
- Identify and explain the factors that influence voter participation.
- Explain the roles that individual choice and state laws play in voter turnout in elections.
Week 14: Protest and Activism
Weekly Essential Questions
- Is protest protected in the Constitution?
- What role does protest have in a democracy?
- What makes particular types of activism effective?
Weekly Learning Objectives
- Identify actions that can be classified as activism.
- Evaluate the importance of activism in American democracy.
- Analyze the effectiveness of particular forms of activism.
Week 15: Being an Active Citizen
Weekly Essential Questions
- What are the responsibilities of citizens in a democracy?
- What does it mean to be a citizen of the United States?
Weekly Learning Objectives
- Evaluate the obligations and responsibilities of citizens.
- Explain what it means to be a citizen of the United States.