Syllabus 2008

Upper Dublin High School Honors US Government – grade 12 Mr. Greenberg [email protected] Objective: The purpose of this syllabus is to give students (and parents) an understanding of what they can expect in my class this year. Course Description: This course will focus on important aspects of the American political process. Some topics include the following:      

The principles and origins of American government. The United States Constitution and Federalism. Political parties and the electoral process Voters and voter behavior. The Legislative, Executive and Judicial branches. Civil Liberties and Rights in our government.

Education Goals: I want to focus on the following goals in my class:   

Improve critical thinking skills of students. Strengthen reading comprehension and writing skills. The use of technology by student/teacher to enhance learning.

Grades: Each quarter there will be (5) major grades with a possibility of 500 points Test #1 Test #2 Test #3 Home/class work Quarterly Project Total of =

100 points 100 points 100 points 100 points 100 points

A B C D E F

450 – 500 400 – 449 350 – 359 300 – 349 250 – 299 0 – 249

Tests  Will be based on the class notes and text readings.  A variety of questions will be used  Students will be given a minimum of (1) weeks notice of when the test will be given Home/class work  Students will be given written assignments that when totaled up will count as a major grade.  Assignments may be given in class to work on, or they may be for home completion.

Quarterly Projects:  Each quarter a project will be given at the beginning of the term.  This may be an individual assignment or a cooperative learning assignment.  These would include formal writing assignments, group presentation to the class, etc. Extra Credit  Extra credit points will be given for class participation.  Students may accumulate extra credit points each quarter by correctly answering questions in class. Class Website: We will be using the following website in our class this year: http://mrgsclassroom.wikispaces.com/ Some of the features of this website include:      

All class notes are available for students to download and print out for class if they so choose. All review sheets, assignments and projects will be posted for students. All grades will be available to student/parent to check progress. A schedule of due dates will be available. Links to websites that will reinforce class material Link to my email address to contact me with any questions.

My expectations •

I expect to have a great school year! I want my students to enjoy my class while improving their knowledge of the US political system.

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I expect my students to stay on task, cooperate with me, and be engaged in the learning process in my class.

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I also expect to be available to students and their parents if there is a problem or need for extra help!