High United States Government

• Identifying the founding principles of the U.S. government
• Examining historical events that influenced the founding of the United States
• Analyzing the founding documents, including the Constitution
• Evaluating other forms of government in relation to the founding principles
• Identifying the structures and functions of the federal government branches
• Analyzing the impact of government officials and agencies on citizens' lives
• Describing the concepts of judicial review and judicial decision-making
• Analyzing significant U.S. Supreme Court rulings
• Identifying the dynamic nature of federalism and its practical applications
• Identifying the elements of legal citizenship and naturalization
• Evaluating civic duties and responsibilities for the common good
• Recognizing the impact of individual and collective action on civil rights and liberties
• Analyzing the role of different groups in influencing public policy
• Evaluating sources of information and political messaging
• Identifying key concepts and trends related to elections and voter turnout

 

Besides engaging students in challenging curriculum, the course guides students to reflect on their learning and evaluate their progress through a variety of assessments. Assessments can be in the form of practice lessons, multiple choice questions, writing assignments, projects, research papers, oral assessments, and discussions. This course will use the state-approved grading scale. Each course contains a mandatory final exam or culminating project that will be weighted at 20% of the student’s overall grade.***

***Proctored exams can be requested by FLVS at any time and for any reason in an effort to ensure academic integrity. When taking the exam to assess a student’s integrity, the exam must be passed with at least a 59.5% in order to earn credit for the course.  

To achieve success, students are expected to submit work in each course weekly. Students can learn at their own pace; however, “any pace” still means that students must make progress in the course every week. To measure learning, students complete self-checks, practice lessons, multiple choice questions, projects, discussion-based assessments, and discussions. Students are expected to maintain regular contact with teachers; the minimum requirement is monthly. When teachers, students, and parents work together, students are successful.