Welcome to American Government Welcome to American Government! Please take a seat, grab a drill paper from the middle of your table and complete the drill! Drill: Answer the following questions in COMPLETE SENTENCES What sort of things do good students do in order to be successful? What do low-achieving students do that keep them from being successful?

Welcome to American Government! Let’s first get to know everyone…

Mr. Krzys apkrzys@bcps.k12.md.us Who is this guy?

American Government Class What do you think we will learn about in this class? Why is this class important?

Class Values What are “values”? “Your values are the things that you believe are important in the way you live and work.” So what values should we have for our class year?

Class Expectations So what should we expect of ourselves in order to be successful during the school year? (This includes what you should expect of me too!)

Folder Pass You will have 6-7 minutes to complete each station. Work with your group members to complete the half sheet found in each folder. Folder A: Grab a syllabus (the full sheet) and a scavenger hunt. Read through the syllabus and complete the scavenger hunt. The questions are in order! Folder B: Talk with your groupmates to complete the Classmate Quiz. You can not leave any of them blank! Folder C: Read the bolded statement and circle the answer that best represents you. After you tally your results read the description of the learning style that fits you most

Quick 5 Quick 5’s are short, argumentative responses that we will do throughout each week. They are 3-5 sentences and will deal directly with what we have covered during the lesson. (More on these tomorrow!) Why do you think we teach American Government in school? What are you most excited to learn about this year in American Government class? Why?

Why am I taking this class? The government is making decisions that affect the way you live everyday. This course is about explaining how and why those decisions are made and figuring out how they affect you and how you feel about them. As a citizen in a democracy, you have a responsibility to hold the government accountable for the decisions that it makes. The best way to do that is to become educated about how the government works and participate actively. You are required to pass this class AND the HSA in May in order to graduate, so it is incredibly important to be successful in this class.

What am I responsible for everyday? Each day, when you arrive, you must: Grab your Do Now sheet from Mr. Krzys or one of his student volunteers. If there is homework, put it in the correct bin in the front of the room. On your Do Now, you must copy the Objective AND the question before answering it. Actively listen and participate in class by completing assignments, turning in work on time, and being respectful to others. Try your best, every day. If you are absent, you must make up the work. Missed assignments are located in the front of the classroom.

Drills & Participation How will I be graded in this class? Component Percentage Homework 20% Class work 25% Tests & Quizzes Projects Drills & Participation 10%

What do I do if I am having trouble in class? I am available to provide extra help during the following times: First and foremost is Coach Class, which is held every Wednesday from the end of school until 4:15. This is a MUST if you are struggling in class I am available by appointment before school as well as after school, but you need let me know ahead of time

Cell Phones Cell phones have the potential to be powerful learning devices, but they can also create a number of problems in and outside of the classroom

Pd 1-2 @govu Pd 7-10 @govus Pd 11-12 @govus1 Remind 101 This is a service that allows us to communicate without needing to exchange personal phone numbers In order to sign up, text to 81010 You will receive reminders from me about homework and other announcements Also, you can message me any time (obviously not too late!) with questions or concerns Pd 1-2 @govu Pd 7-10 @govus Pd 11-12 @govus1

Classroom Rules! Now that we have gone through the Syllabus let’s talk about classroom rules With your group, brainstorm 5 of the most important rules that will allow us to be successful in this class! When we come back together we will make a class set!