American Government
Course Expectations

Course Scope

During this one-year course students will explore the founding, development and current organization of the U.S. Government.  

We will discuss the classical societies of Rome and Greece, the philosophical contributions of contemporary thinkers including the founding fathers, and the political and economic writers of our time.  

We will spend considerable time studying the constitution and its amendments.  We will come to understand how the powers given our government by the people are divided among the many governmental bodies, and how the system of checks and balances works to lend stability to our political structure.  

We will examine state and local governments and how they fulfill the responsibility given them by the people.  Students will come to understand federalism and how it serves to allow people to make political decisions on a local basis.

We will compare our form of government with those of some of the other nations of the world.

We will identify individual rights guaranteed by the constitution and look at some of the landmark cases that have clarified and maintained our freedoms.

We will discuss not only the rights but also the responsibilities of citizens of The United States.  Students will explore how our political leaders are chosen and how they can participate in the process.  Students that are old enough will be aided in registering to vote and we will discuss the upcoming elections.

Course Requirements

Students will be required to participate in class discussions, stay current on reading assignments, complete relevant book assignments, attend at least one public meeting per quarter, and stay updated on current events by watching at least one national newscast each week.  They will be given the opportunity to show their proficiency in the subject matter by taking quizzes and tests on the material being presented.  There will be a quiz every other day or so and tests will be given on each chapter (about every other week).  Late assignments are not accepted unless the student has been absent from class.  If absent it is the student’s responsibility to make sure they contact me within three school days to make arrangements for handing in missed work.  Students should not make these arrangements during class. They must come in before or after school.

Grading

Students will be graded using the standard grading scale required by the Clark County School District that being:
				100% - 90%		A
				80% - 89%		B
				70% - 79%		C
				60% - 69%		D
				59% and below	F

Grades will be calculated using all points possible in each quarter.  Points will be derived from written assignments, class participation, quizzes, tests, written news reports, and public meeting attendance.  Each student may receive up to 10 extra credit points per quarter by completing extra assignments or performing community service or civic activities. (See Mr. Leavitt for details.)

Semester grades will be calculated as follows:
								45% First Quarter
								45% Second Quarter
								10% Final Exam Grade

Important

I take cheating very seriously and any student caught cheating will loose 100% of the credit on the assignment in question and be docked additional points equal to the points possible on the assignment.  For example, if a student was caught cheating on a 10-point quiz they would receive a 0% on the quiz and their point total would be docked an additional 10 points, making the total points lost 20.  This is in addition to the discipline referral to the dean and any punishment that might result from it.

Mr. Leavitt’s Class Rules

1.	Be in your seat ready to work when the bell rings. (Come to class with all required supplies.)

2.	Don’t do anything that distracts from the learning environment. (This includes but is not limited to, talking out of turn and/or making any kind of non-class related noises.)

3.	Respect and do not steal, damage or vandalize the property of others including property of Clark County School District, Mr. Leavitt, and other students.

4.	Do not, under any circumstances, leave the classroom without proper permission.

5.	Clean up after yourself.

6.	Follow instructions.

7.	Observe all school rules regarding dress code, conduct, tardiness, food and drink, the use of  personal electronic devices, etc. as explained in the student handbook.

Violation of the above rules will result in penalties ranging from verbal warnings, to possible expulsion depending on severity and/or frequency.

I have read and agree to follow the class rules as explained above.  I realize that failure to obey the rules as explained above may result in one or more of the following consequences.

Verbal Warning
Individual Teacher Conference
After School Detention
Required Parent Conference
Suspension
Temporary or Permanent Expulsion

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