Latham, Kevin J. - Social Studies

This course is an honors-level exploration of the American system of government – its origins, structure, and processes.  We will examine the origins and enduring importance of the U.S. Constitution, analyze the functions and interactions of the three branches of the federal government, explore the processes of public engagement, and consider ways in which you can influence the actions of government.  Toward the end of the semester we will undertake an in-depth exploration of some of the more important issues in government, such as the nomination of a new Supreme Court Justice, the future of the Social Security program, and implications of the federal debt and deficit spending. 

-    Unit 1:  Foundations of American Government

–        Principles, Origins, The Constitution, Federalism

-     Unit 3:  The Legislative Branch

–        Structure, Members, Organization, Powers, and Processes

-    Unit 4:  The Executive Branch

–        Presidency, Bureaucracy, Money, Foreign Policy, and Defense

-    Unit 5:  The Judicial Branch

–        Federal Courts, Cvil Rights and Liberties

-    Unit 2:  Political Behavior

–        Parties, Voters, Electoral Process, Media and Public Opinion, Interest Groups

-    Unit 6:  Comparative Political and Economic Systems

–        How Other Countries Work

-    Unit 7:  Participating in State and Local Government

–        How It Works and How to Influence It

The main goals of this course are:

-    to develop an understanding of the foundations and operation of the U.S. government

-    to instill in students an appreciation for the importance of government to their everyday lives

-    to build skill in using government to solve problems

-    to strengthen students’ ability to read critically, research methodically, and write clearly

-    to enable students to apply the lessons of the course to build the government of the future

McClenaghan, William A.  Magruder’s American Government, 2010 Edition.  Pearson:  Upper Saddle River, New Jersey, 2010.

Additional readings will be distributed in class throughout the semester.

Pens, pencils, and a notebook of your choice.  Part of the semester grade will be based on teacher evaluation of note-taking in class.

The basics.  You are seniors.  I expect you to act as adults and set an example for the underclassmen.  I will treat you as adults so long as you continue to earn the privilege.  Arrive in class prepared and on time; respect yourselves, your classmates, and your teacher; complete reading and other homework assignments on time; participate in class discussion and activities; always strive to act honorably.  The class ends when I dismiss you, not when the bell rings.  You remain responsible for adhering to the requirements contained in the Student Handbook.

Honor.  Honor is a word that describes one’s good name or reputation, and is one of the most important of personal qualities.  Honor develops slowly, but can be lost in an instant.  It is painful and difficult to regain lost honor and the trust of others.  I expect you at all times to act honorably – in your academic work and in your personal interactions with your peers and with me.  On all written assignments in this class, you will be asked to write and sign a pledge that you have acted honorably in completing the assignment.

Homework.  Homework will be assigned daily.  You should consider this as regular an occurrence as the rising and falling of the tides.  Homework will include both reading and written assignments, and you will be quizzed periodically on the material assigned as homework.

Essays.  Writing is an important skill.  Short essays will be assigned throughout the course, either as homework or classwork, to help students develop skill in writing clearly and with purpose.

Research projects.  A requirement of this course is the completion of a 2500-word research paper (about 8-10 pages, not counting references.  One or more smaller projects, including a group multi-media project, will also be assigned to build student experience in conducting and presenting the results of basic research.  Topics and due-dates will be assigned as the class progresses.

Class presentation.  Each student will be required to prepare a class presentation of approximately five minutes, covering an issue of interest to the student and relevant to the course.  Additional details will be discussed in class.

Assessment and Grading.  Students will be tested after each unit in the text.  Short quizzes will be given daily, covering assigned reading and/or material covered in the previous day’s class.  Grades for each quarter will be determined as follows:

• Tests:  50%

• Research Paper:  25%

• Quizzes, classwork, presentations, and other projects:  25%

Work not submitted on-time will receive a reduced grade. 

There is no such thing.  All students will receive full credit for the work they do; no student will receive credit for failure to complete a required assignment.  Students working to achieve a superior grade will be challenged and assisted by the teacher, and given every opportunity to demonstrate their capability. 

Students who are struggling in the course (and any other student) may approach me at any time for clarification of any point or to review and reinforce the material being covered.  I will also support students' efforts to improve study habits, note-taking skills, and time management.  Struggling students will not be given additional work.  Such a practice tends to cause students to get further behind in the course, reduces the student's sense of responsibility to complete assigned work, and creates an erroneous expectation that the student's grade will improve simply because he or she completed some assignment not covered by the syllabus.  That is unfair to the struggling student and to his or her classmates.

Class lectures, discussion, and other assignments will generally follow the sequence of the text.  The schedule will remain somewhat flexible to accommodate developing issues as well as the interests and needs of students.  Some topics may be compressed or combined, others expanded.  We will explore every opportunity to make your government more understandable so that you can become active in shaping the future of that government.  

See the basics under “Course Requirements.”  Additional rules, to the extent they become necessary, depend on you.

Students and parents can contact me anytime by phone or email to arrange a meeting.  Also, feel free to email me anytime to pass information or to seek clarification on anything you are uncertain about.

• phone:  410-570-5037

• email:  klatham@stmarysannapolis.org