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AP
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Teacher:
Mrs. Rachel Califf
Email:
rachelcaliff@comcast.net
Note:
Mrs. Califf will be traveling from June 19 – July 10.
If you don’t get a response to your emails, you can call her -
Required Class Materials:
v American Government:
Institutions & Policies by Wilson and DiIulio, 11th
edition ISBN-10: 0618956123 or ISBN-13:
v 2002 AP US Government Exam
(released by the College Board and available through Pennsylvania Homeschoolers
for approximately $5.00 + S/H)
v Subscription to Americans
Governing. (www.americansgoverning.com) ($25.00) Though
the subscription is typically only 6 months in length, Americans Governing will
extend it to an 8 month subscription for the purposes of our course only! DO
NOT register for this subscription until the start of the course in September,
or else your subscription may end before the class does. To register, go to the
above website and choose the “Student Sign Up” link. My course will be listed
under
Optional Texts:
v Fast Track to a 5: Preparing
for the AP United States Government and Politics Examination by David G. Benson
and Karen K. Waples (to accompany American Government
10th and 11th editions by Wilson and DiIulio)
ISBN-13# 978-0-618-95451-3
Tuition fee: $400, plus books.
Registration begins
Class Description:
The
primary purpose of this class is AP exam preparation. In preparing for the
exam, students will study and learn about the constitutional history of the
United States Government, the various political beliefs and their history,
political parties, elections, interest groups, mass media, Congress, the
presidency, the bureaucracy, the federal courts, public policy, civil rights,
and civil liberties. Students will study how these various mechanisms are
organized, interact and are conducive to democracy.
The
syllabus includes text and online supplementary readings; online quizzes; essay
questions taken from previous exams; current and world event discussions; group
projects (like the drafting of a mock legislative bill); two class games;
scavenger hunts; design-your-own-poll; article and political cartoon analyses;
and a full practice exam that doubles as the class final.
The
class syllabus also includes weekly discussions with classmates and teacher.
These discussions (both academic and social) take place via a message board,
where we post messages (like a bulletin board) that can be read and responded
to throughout the week. The web-board is designed to give students a chance to
explore and engage current political issues with openness and civility.
As
the instructor, I closely monitor and provide timely feedback and evaluation
for all course assignments. In addition, a wide variety of opportunities for
student-initiated discussion exist and while it is not always possible for me
to be a part of every such discussion, my students are held to a high standard
of respectful discourse and are encouraged to alert me to any conversations
taking place that may violate discussion guidelines. I’m available to my
students via website, email and phone to answer questions and concerns. I
expect my students to complete their assignments by the assigned deadlines,
take responsibility when they don’t and to maintain high levels of honesty and
openness about their assignments with both myself and with their parents.
I
anticipate that students will spend between 60 and 90 minutes daily on the
course material and study time, Monday through Friday, with written assignments
due on Fridays by
I
do offer, however, at least one (optional) weekly “study chat” (via a
site-based chat client open only to students enrolled in the course) during
which students have the chance to interact with each other, my teaching
assistant and myself and go over the week’s quiz questions for review. It’s
proven to be both an effective study tool and a fun way to get to know each
other better! Unless my schedule changes unexpectedly, I plan to offer these
study chats on Thursday mornings at
A
secondary objective of this class is to encourage students to be thoughtful,
informed, and passionate citizens. Through this class, students will come to
understand the various avenues through which they, as citizens, have the
opportunity to organize and communicate their interests and concerns. Students
are therefore encouraged to seek out civic and political opportunities in their
own communities during the class year, particularly through an extra credit
Civic Involvement Project. This project is student-directed and centers on your
individual student’s interests, time commitment and abilities. In the past,
students have used the project as an opportunity to campaign on behalf of their
favored candidate, write and submit editorials for publication, raise money for
a favorite cause, collect food for a local pantry, launch
a publicity campaign for a non-profit organization and volunteer hours in
service to their community.
Through
weekly discussion questions and careful moderation by the instructor, students
are also encouraged to examine the democratic process in historical context, in
theory and as applied to a variety of current (and historical) events and
issues. The interaction with classmates from a wide variety of political and
experiential backgrounds, in an atmosphere of honest and respectful discourse,
gives students a unique opportunity to (a) evaluate and research their own
political beliefs and the values that form those beliefs, (b) communicate those
beliefs in an intelligent and respectful manner, and (c) gain understanding
about others’ political viewpoints. Students are required to be respectful in
all communications and to have increased knowledge and mutual understanding as
their primary and personal goals for any political discussion. While I moderate
most discussion threads, many avenues for discussion exist beyond my monitoring
ability, so I ask students to alert me to any discussions taking place that may
violate these guidelines. Most such discussion is optional, with the exception
of instructor-initiated curriculum-based weekly questions.
I
also encourage students to maintain an awareness of current political events. To
this end, students are invited and encouraged to share articles with political
relevance on the wwwboard for discussion. I also
regularly post articles relating to current political events. Typically, the
articles that I post will reflect my political interests and views. All such
reading is, therefore, optional. Students are not required to read articles
that are posted, though they are strongly encouraged to make the news venue of
their choice part of their daily routine. If they choose to read the articles
posted, they are invited and encouraged to dissect, discuss and evaluate the
current issue, the viewpoint and the author bias portrayed. My students should
be aware that while I do not leave my political views and bias at the door of
the classroom, they have no impact on my grading, as their political views are
irrelevant to their written assignments and the Collegeboard
Exam. I strive to teach students to recognize bias (as evidenced by the article
and cartoon analyses assignments) and thus believe in being open about my own
personal biases from the start. My students will know my perspectives on some
issues but will always feel welcome and respected enough to share their
viewpoints as well. I will strive to demonstrate for my students how a person may
hold strong convictions while simultaneously being respectful of others’
beliefs.
Parents
should also be aware, before enrolling their student in this class,
that students will sometimes discuss or be exposed to issues of an adult
or controversial nature when it is relevant to current political events. This
is sometimes a result of student initiation or a result of discussion about
news threads online. As the instructor, I will require that students treat
these topics with maturity and appropriateness, but I do not, in most
circumstances, censor either controversial opinions or controversial topics
simply because they are controversial. If you are concerned about the topics
that may be discussed, I would encourage you, as a parent, to choose and remember
your log-in passwords so that you can monitor the course as well as your
student’s activity, progress and participation.
Lastly,
I was extremely pleased with last year’s addition of the Americans Governing
website to our course curriculum, and we will keep it this year! It has added
both depth and vibrancy to the material covered, giving students an opportunity
to explore appropriate individual topics within each chapter with more focus
and thought. I encourage you to check out the website (www.americansgoverning.com) and do
the “tour” for more information.
Who should apply: Reliable Internet and email access is
required. Homeschooled students grades 9 through 12
are welcome to apply. Academic performance must be average or above, and
student should be familiar with basic essay-writing skills. Students must be
self-motivated, punctual with assignments and demonstrate individual initiative
& responsibility. All political perspectives are wholeheartedly welcomed.
Teacher Qualifications &
Bio: This
will be my eleventh year teaching AP American Government & Politics. I am a
Student Teacher
Qualifications & Bio:
3 - Highly Interactive
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here to read class reviews from former participants in this class
Click
here to download a class application
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