General Description
United States Government is a 9 week course taught during the senior year of high school. Each class is 90 minutes in length and class size can range from 30-37 students. Due to the lack of time available, content must be taught efficiently. The goal of this course is twofold: to give students a strong foundational view of government and to give students the skills to master complex literature which they will encounter in college. Content in this class is broken down in the following thematic units: foundation in government, comparative governments, federalism and democracies, tenants of the US Government, the Executive Branch, the Judicial Branch, the Legislative Branch, Bill of Rights, elections, political parties, local …show more content…
Evaluation Plan: Formative evaluations are listed in the lesson descriptions. They will include class participation, completion of reading guide, note checks that will occur on the third day, and Bell Ringers. Summative evaluation will include exit slips, in class projects, extended writing activities, and a quiz following the thematic unit.
Curriculum Map/Time Frame:
This unit begins during the first week of class. It will last 4 ninety minute blocks. The unit is built to relevant and assessable to all students because it will be the student’s first exposure to government. It also accomplishes major goals of the subject in a limited time frame because the class is 45 days long, assuming there are no interruptions to the normal schedule, yet the content is extensive.
Course Textbook:
Magruder, F., & McClenaghan, W. (2007). Magruder 's American government. Boston, Mass.: Pearson/Prentice Hall.
Lesson One- Nature of Government and Its Relationship to its …show more content…
Evaluate the nature of government and its relationship to its citizens.
Lesson Introduction:
Students will answer the following questions upon entering the class:
1. What is a government?
2. What is the job of a ruler?
3. What motivates people to obey their government?
Three minutes after the bell has rung the class will discuss these questions and then turn in their Bell Work.
Instructional Activities:
• Bell Work
• Goals and Objectives explained
• Brief introduction to Machiavelli
• Teacher will model how to unpack complex text using the reading, The Prince.
• Students will complete reading guide as the text progresses with the aid of the teacher.
• Students are allowed to complete the last paragraph on their own and remaining questions of the reading guide.
• Class discussion of the reading
• Exit Slip/ Extended Writing o Do you agree with Machiavelli, specifically his opinions on human nature and how leaders should rule?
Technology Component:
• Reading will be projected unto the Promethean Board for the teacher to model unpacking complex text.
Activities for Differentiation
• Whole Group Instruction
• Guide for the Reading
Formative Assessment
• Participation during whole group
United States Government is a 9 week course taught during the senior year of high school. Each class is 90 minutes in length and class size can range from 30-37 students. Due to the lack of time available, content must be taught efficiently. The goal of this course is twofold: to give students a strong foundational view of government and to give students the skills to master complex literature which they will encounter in college. Content in this class is broken down in the following thematic units: foundation in government, comparative governments, federalism and democracies, tenants of the US Government, the Executive Branch, the Judicial Branch, the Legislative Branch, Bill of Rights, elections, political parties, local …show more content…
Evaluation Plan: Formative evaluations are listed in the lesson descriptions. They will include class participation, completion of reading guide, note checks that will occur on the third day, and Bell Ringers. Summative evaluation will include exit slips, in class projects, extended writing activities, and a quiz following the thematic unit.
Curriculum Map/Time Frame:
This unit begins during the first week of class. It will last 4 ninety minute blocks. The unit is built to relevant and assessable to all students because it will be the student’s first exposure to government. It also accomplishes major goals of the subject in a limited time frame because the class is 45 days long, assuming there are no interruptions to the normal schedule, yet the content is extensive.
Course Textbook:
Magruder, F., & McClenaghan, W. (2007). Magruder 's American government. Boston, Mass.: Pearson/Prentice Hall.
Lesson One- Nature of Government and Its Relationship to its …show more content…
Evaluate the nature of government and its relationship to its citizens.
Lesson Introduction:
Students will answer the following questions upon entering the class:
1. What is a government?
2. What is the job of a ruler?
3. What motivates people to obey their government?
Three minutes after the bell has rung the class will discuss these questions and then turn in their Bell Work.
Instructional Activities:
• Bell Work
• Goals and Objectives explained
• Brief introduction to Machiavelli
• Teacher will model how to unpack complex text using the reading, The Prince.
• Students will complete reading guide as the text progresses with the aid of the teacher.
• Students are allowed to complete the last paragraph on their own and remaining questions of the reading guide.
• Class discussion of the reading
• Exit Slip/ Extended Writing o Do you agree with Machiavelli, specifically his opinions on human nature and how leaders should rule?
Technology Component:
• Reading will be projected unto the Promethean Board for the teacher to model unpacking complex text.
Activities for Differentiation
• Whole Group Instruction
• Guide for the Reading
Formative Assessment
• Participation during whole group