1. Welcome to American Government Patrick Scible Back to School Night 2006/2007

2. Course Description This course is designed to introduce a wide range of concepts dealing with national, state, and local government systems.  Foundations of Government  Principles of Government  Structures of Government  Civic Responsibility – Influencing Government  Domestic and Foreign Policy  Law and the Justice System  Macro and Microeconomic principles Consumer economics

3. What students and parents can expect… Interactive learning environment Incorporation of many different types of media including audio, video, photographs, and text Emphasis on current events and political issues Collaborative learning environment Simulations  Elections  United Nations Council Meetings  Economics

4. American Government is an Assessed Course There are 4 county assessments given over the course of the year  1 st and 3 rd Quarter Assessments  Midterm Exam  Final Exam Maryland State Assessments (HSA)  Given in late May  All 9 th and 10 th grade students must pass this assessment to graduate  Scores will be printed on high school transcripts

5. Preparing for Assessments Extensive BCR/ECR (short answer/essay) writing and grading exercises All quizzes, tests, and county assessments are modeled after the HSA Extensive in-class and after-school review sessions Online practice tests Online study guides and resources

6. www.TeacherWeb.com Daily Homework Assignments Announcements Upcoming Quizzes/Tests Study Guides Project Outlines and Rubrics Downloadable PPT Presentations and Copies of Notes Review Jeopardy Games Additional Links and Resources Coming in early October – Online Grades!

7. Working with your children… Discuss local, state, national, and international political issues (ex. elections) Encourage your children to read the front page of the paper, watch the national news, or browse online news sources. Discuss current events

8. Questions?