2. Tuesday, January 22, 2013 Take a Diagnostic AP US Government Test. Tomorrow we will discuss course requirements  For this course you will need a notebook (1 or 2 inches) and notebook paper (preferably college ruled)

3.  AP US Government is a one semester survey course. This course is a college level course, designed to prepare you for the AP Exam. We will look at the structures and processes of our government system. We will examine the following: › Constitutional Underpinnings of the U.S. Government › Political Beliefs and Behaviors › Political Parties, Interest Groups, and Mass Media › Institutions of National Government › Public Policy › Civil Rights and Civil Liberties

4.  For reading assignments, there will be a reading quiz to insure you have read and comprehend the material.  Quizzes will mainly consist of multiple choice questions. These will count as a quiz (daily) grade.  In addition to the above text, students will be provided additional readings they are responsible for.

5.  Each unit, students will be responsible for completing evaluations of current news articles that relate to the current topic of study.  These will be turned in at the end of each Unit.

6.  Students will be required to complete four case reviews per Unit. (Exception – Unit Six includes eight Case Reviews)  These case reviews will be an exam grade.  You can use Findlaw or Lexis Nexis to search for the cases.  You will use the standard case review format located at the end of this packet.  At the end of each Unit, each student will complete an analysis sheet for each case.

7.  Citation: List the legal citation for the case. This should be the title of the paper.   Fact(s): Restate the legally relevant facts of the case. Discuss in detail what happened to get this case into the court system.   Issue(s): What is being questioned?   Ruling: What did the courts decide? What were the results?   Rationale: Why did the court make that particular decision? What precedent or social event brought the court to this particular decision? On what did the court base these answers?   Conclusion: How does this case relate to United States citizens? How will our lives be altered by this decision?

8.  For each unit students will complete assignments requiring the analysis of data (tables, graphs, and political cartoons) found in the textbook and other classroom materials.  Students will also be required to analyze and interpret statistical data on unit exams.  Students will complete two “In Depth Data Analysis” assignments (see Unit Four and Unit Five)

9.  Formal evaluation for each unit will consist of at least thirty multiple choice questions and one timed essay.  Essay or free-response questions will be selected from past AP exams and will be evaluated using a prepared rubric focusing on the student’s skill in responding to the required elements of the prompt. 

10.  As you complete each textbook reading assignment, you will need to define the key terms (in bold) that you come across.  Use the following format for vocabulary: TermDefinitionPut the term in YOUR own words, provide examples, historical background, etc.

11.  Classroom and Reading Notes should be taken using “Cornell Note Format”