Units

Units		U.S. Government
The Presidency	12.4 Students analyze the unique roles and responsibilities of the three branches of government as established by the U.S. Constitution. 12.6 Students evaluate issues regarding campaigns for national, state, and local elective offices.	Overview This is a one-semester course, which fulfills half of the twelfth grade history/social science requirement. In this course, students will apply knowledge gained in previous years of study to pursue a deeper understanding of the institutions of American government. They will draw on their studies of American history and of other societies to compare different systems of government in the world today. This course prepares students to vote, to reflect on the responsibilities of citizenship and to participate in community activities. Course Standards The State of California has determined that all students will be proficient in the History/Social Science content standards for American Government. Students explain the fundamental principles and moral values of American Democracy. Students evaluate and take and defend positions on the scope and limits of rights and obligations as democratic citizens, the relationships among them, and how they are secured. Students evaluate and take and defend position on what the fundamental values and principles of civil society are, their interdependence, and the meaning and importance of those values and principles for a free society. Students analyze the unique roles and responsibilities of the three branches of government. Students summarize landmark U.S. Supreme Court interpretations of the Constitution and its amendments. Students evaluate issues regarding campaigns for national, state, and local elective offices. Students analyze and compare the powers and procedures of the national, state, tribal, and local governments. Students evaluate and defend positions on the influence of the media on American political life. Students analyze the origins, characteristics, and development of different political systems across time, with emphasis on the quest for political democracy, its advances and its obstacles. Students formulate questions about and defend their analyses of tensions within our constitutional democracy and the importance of maintaining a balance.
12.9 Students analyze the origins, characteristics, and development of different political systems across time, with emphasis on the quest for political democracy, its advances, and its obstacles.	Totalitarianism
Communism	12.9 Students analyze the origins, characteristics, and development of different political systems across time, with emphasis on the quest for political democracy, its advances, and its obstacles.
12.1 Students explain the fundamental principles and moral values of American democracy as expressed in the U.S. Constitution and other essential documents of American democracy. 12.3 Students evaluate and take and defend positions on what the fundamental values and principles of civil society are (i.e., the autonomous sphere of voluntary personal, social, and economic relations that are not part of government), their interdependence, and the meaning and importance of those values and principles for a free society.	Democracy in the U.S.
Congress	12.4 Students analyze the unique roles and responsibilities of the three branches of government as established by the U.S. Constitution. 12.6 Students evaluate issues regarding campaigns for national, state, and local elective offices.
12.5 Students summarize landmark U.S. Supreme Court interpretations of the Constitution and its amendments.	The Supreme Court
Newsweek Quizes	12.7 Students analyze and compare the powers and procedures of the national, state, tribal, and local governments. 12.8 Students evaluate and take and defend positions on the influence of the media on American political life.
Grades-My Gradebook.com	Syllabus Course Outline How to do an Outline Study Guides
Projects/Assignments Project #1-Epitaph Project Project #2-Wanted Poster Guidelines-Totalitarianism Integrated Essay Project #3-Communism Presentation Project #4-In Search of Utopia Project Project #5-Presidential Resumes Project #6-Current Issues Debate	Student Examples Get Flash Player 6 Project #1-Epitaph Project Project #2-Example A-Wanted Poster Totalitarianism Example B-Wanted Poster Integrated Essay Project #3-Communism Presentation Project #4-In Search of Utopia Example B Example C-Bill of Rights Project #5-Presidential Resumes Project #6-Current Issues Debate Example B