5/21/2019 AP Syllabus Government/Economics (19-20) - Google Docs

Teacher: Ms. Alvizar

Room: 223
Email: ealvizar@laalliance.org
AP U.S. Government & Economics
2019-2020

Course Description

AP U.S. Government and Politics is a college-level year-long course that not only seeks to prepare students for success on
the AP Exam in May, but also provide students with the poli cal knowledge and reasoning processes to par cipate
meaningfully and though ully in discussions and debates that are currently shaping American poli cs and society. It is
important to note that this course is not a history course; it is a poli cal science course that studies the interconnectedness
of the different parts of the American poli cal system and the behaviors and a tudes that shape this system and are the
byproduct of this system. AP U.S. Government and Poli cs accomplishes these goals by framing the acquisi on of poli cal
knowledge around enduring understandings and big ideas about American government and poli cs that can be applied to a
set of disciplinary prac ces through the use of a set of reasoning processes. Through the development of this set of poli cal
knowledge, disciplinary prac ces, and reasoning processes, by the end of the course, students will be able to analyze
current and historical poli cal events like a poli cal scien st and develop factually accurate, well reasoned, though ul
arguments and opinions that acknowledge and grapple with alterna ve poli cal perspec ves.

Economics is a one-semester course designed to provide students with a fundamental understanding of the principles of
economics. Students will evaluate the role of individual consumers/producers within the economic system
(microeconomics), as well as evaluate the economic system as a whole (macroeconomics). Students will engage with
economics as both study of science and a study of human behavior (emo ons, psychology, etc.). Students will learn to think
like economists, ques on economic choices, and evaluate economic systems.

Course Outline
US Government & Politics: Units/Themes Timeline

Unit 1: Founda ons of American Democracy 3 weeks

Unit 2: Interac ons Among Branches of Government 5 weeks

Unit 3: Civil Liber es and Civil Rights 3 weeks

Unit 4: American Political Ideologies and Beliefs 3 weeks

Unit 5: Political Participation 3 weeks

Economics Timeline

Unit 1: Fundamentals of Economics 3 weeks

Unit 2: American Markets 3 weeks

Unit 3: Government in a Market Economy 2 weeks

Unit 4: Labor & Wages 2 weeks

Unit 6: Personal Finance 3 week

*This course outline is subject to change per teacher’s discretion determined by student need and success.

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Course Expectations
Respect
Students treat everyone with
respect, kindness, and pa ence.
There will be no tolera ng
adverse behavior.
Responsibility
Students must come to class
prepared with completed
assignments and necessary
materials .
Integrity
Students are expected to
complete their work and take
pride in the work they produce.

Policies
1) No Late work. Students may not submit late work for weighted summa ve assignments. Late work for
weighted summa ve assignments will not be accepted. Students are expected to meet grading and assignment
deadlines.

2) A tardy will be assessed to any student who is out of their seat when the bell rings, and/or if a student does
not have necessary materials on his/her desk when the bell rings.

3) Absences, understandably, will happen occasionally, but it is the student’s responsibility to check the class
calendar and “what did I miss” sta on upon return BEFORE speaking with the teacher.

4) Cell phones are not permi ed during class. Any unpermi ed use will result in confisca on of the device.

5) Posi ve classroom conduct, at all mes, is demanded of students. We come to school to learn things we did
not know before. This includes academic informa on, but more importantly informa on about ourselves (i.e. the
way we interact with others, our emo ons, the way we respond to disappointment, etc.).

Course Objectives
All students are expected to accomplish the following objec ves by the end of this course:
● Demonstrate a competency of academic language, wording, and jargon
● Describe the significance of historical chronology
● Use historical data to support an argument or posi on
● Extract, interpret, and apply data from a variety of sources and media.
● Engage in a variety of academic discussion, including socra c seminars, debates, and simula ons
● Apply historical knowledge to the discussion of relevant current events

Class Motto
“[The] work of excellence is transforma onal. Once [you] see that [you are] capable of excellence, [you are]
never quite the same… The key to excellence is this: It is born from a culture.” - Ron Berger An Ethic of Excellence

Materials and Supplies

Students are expected to have the following materials and supplies each day:

1) Folder
2) blue/black pens and pencils
3) colored highlighters (more than one!)
4) headphones for interac ng with media via school devices (if able)

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Ladder of Expectations
We cannot learn effec vely if our classroom is not running smoothly and efficiently. If you choose to not be on
focused and on task, the following disciplinary ac ons will result:
● Level 1: Verbal Warning
● Level 2: Student-Teacher Conference
● Level 3: Parent Contact and Classroom Consequences
● Level 4: Referral to the administrators

Grading Policy
Students will earn a le er grade (A,B,C, or NP) for their courses based on the weighted average of numerical
scores earned on their graded assessments. Each assessment will be connected to one or more specific
standards.
Bloomfield students’ overall academic grade will be determined by averaging scores across all weighted
assignments and then using the following Alliance-wide grading scale:
 
Grade % Letter Descriptor
1
Point Grade
Scale
4.0  97-100% 
A  Above standard on grade-level course 
3.7  94 - 96% 
content 
3.4  90 - 93%  A- 
3.2  87 - 89%  B+ 
3.0  84 - 86%  B*  At standard on grade-level course content 
2.7  80 - 83%  B- 
2.5  77 - 79%  C+ 
Below standard on grade-level course 
2.3  74 - 76%   C* 
content 
2.0  70 - 73%  C- 
1.0  0 - 69%  NP  Far Below standard on grade-level course 
content 
       
D  Only for students who have this as an option 
in their IEP. Use 1.5 - 1.99 for the GPA range. 
    X  Excused- missed assignment or standard not 
taught. Replace upon assessment. 
    S  Support- Accommodation/support not 
2
provided  
    Z  Zero- Assignment not submitted and/or 
blank (which includes only having a 
student’s name on the paper). 
    E  Ethics3 violation and is a grade of zero. 

1
Note on GPA: To convert semester course grades to a UC/CSU GPA, we will use the following: 
A, A- = 4; B+, B, B- = 3; C+, C, C- = 2; NP = 1 
2
Students with Disabilities should be provided accommodations and/or necessary supports on assessments and 
assignments. 
3
An ethics violation is defined as an act of academic dishonesty or plagiarism. Statement on ethics and policy for 
managing instances of academic dishonesty are outline in the Academic Dishonesty/Plagiarism section of this 
document. 

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Students will also receive Life Skills grades regarding behavior, work comple on, working in groups, and
par cipa on. Life Skills will be graded on a 4-point scale.

Grade Category Weights

Classwork 10%

Homework 10%

Quiz 20%

Participation 20%

Culminating Task 40%

Total Percentage 100%

Mastery Learning
Everyone can learn given the right circumstances because learning should be about mastering the standards and
not about how “bright” a person is. Mastery learning is a research-based instruc onal strategy that mo vates
students to be accountable for their own learning. Final grades are based on the student’s level of
understanding of a concept or demonstra on of a skill at the end of a unit or grading period. These include
summa ve assessments, such as tests, quizzes, benchmarks, midterm/final exams, essays, research papers,
projects, performances, and presenta ons.

Reassessment for assignments will not be permi ed. Students are expected to meet grading and assignment
deadlines.

Cheating and Plagiarism

As college-ready students, you are expected to prepare for class by comple ng your assignments and studying
for exams before coming to class. Chea ng and plagiarizing your assignments and assessments are unacceptable
and do not contribute to your overall learning. Whether an assigned project is in a visual, wri en or spoken
format, students are expected to accurately reference all sources of informa on consulted for the project.
Students found chea ng will receive zeros for the assignment or assessment, your parents will be contacted, and
you will be referred to the administrators. All students are expected to adhere to the guidelines outlined in the
Bloomfields Honor Code and Parent-Student Handbook found on the school website.

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