Participation in Government Curriculum Map Unit 1: Purposes and Principles of Government, Politics and the Law (Four weeks instruction, 4 Academic Assessments) * = Recommended academic assessment placement Topic 1: The Nature of Law Section 1: The purpose of laws in society Law and society Organizing a society Developing rules and laws * Section 2: Contributions to the development of laws Rousseau s philosophies Creating written laws Early sets of written laws Hammurabi s Code The Magna Carta Habeas Corpus and civil liberties Section 3: Types of laws Criminal and civil law. The role of a citizen as juror * Topic 2: The Many Forms of Government Section 1: Unlimited and limited forms of government Unlimited government Types of unlimited government: monarchy/divine right theory; dictatorship/totalitarian Oligarchy and how it differs from dictatorship Limited government Section 2: Principles of democratic government Constitutions and their importance to nations. The Constitution in a limited government. Indirect Democracy Direct democracy John Locke s theories on government: Two Treatises of Government/ natural rights of man * The majority rule principle
Section 3: The U.S. Constitution and federalism The Declaration of Independence The Articles of Confederation The U.S. Constitution The three branches of government Separation of power Checks and balances Amendments to the Constitution * Unit 2: Citizenship in Comparative Perspective (Five Weeks instruction, 3 Academic Assessments, 1 Cumulative mid-term exam and One Project) Topic 3: People and their community Section 1: Forces that unite people Nationalism Customs, traditions, values and norms * Section 2: Community Global community Urban community Rural community Section 3: Civic Responsibility Civic life as compared to private life Fulfilling civic responsibilities Pluralistic societies Causes of conflict in pluralistic society * Topic 4: Roles, Rights and Responsibilities of Citizens Section 1: Citizenship in the United States Citizenship in a democratic society Constitutional rights granted citizens 13 th and 14 th Amendments Constitutional rights vs. civic rights [Project] Section 2: Becoming a Citizen Naturalization Steps towards citizenship Oath of Allegiance Section 3: Voting Voting rights as established in the Constitution Voting rights Amendments to the Constitution
Suffrage Civil Rights Act of 1964 * Section 4: The Voting Process Registering to vote Making an informed decision Polling places Ballot casting Absentee ballots [Cumulative mid-term] Unit 3: Citizenship, Participation and the Electoral Process (Four Weeks instruction, 3 Academic Assessments, and One Project) Topic 5: Political Processes Section 1: How the Political Process Works Influencing factors in decision making: economic circumstances; religious preferences; ethnic background; customs; traditions and values. Controversial decisions Creating public policy * Section 2: The Purpose of Political Parties The major political parties: Democrat and Republican Third Parties The organization of political parties Work done by volunteers or political party members. Section 3: Seeking Public Office The incumbent Motivations for seeking office The burdens of and barriers to campaigning * Section 4: Conducting a Political Campaign Candidacy Campaign team Fund-raising Platforms Primaries Conventions Election [Project] Topic 6: Citizen Involvement in the Political Processes
Section 1: The Affect of Special Interest Groups The role of special interest groups Lobbyists Political Actions Committees (PAC) Section 2: The Influence of the Mass Media The First Amendment and free speech Purpose of Free Press Constitutional Limitations on free press Types of mass media Public opinion polls Section 3: Effective Media Consumption Monitoring the news media Identifying key issue research Analyzing varied opinions Criticisms of mass media * Unit 4: The Legal Obligations of Citizenship (Three Weeks instruction, 3 Academic Assessments) Topic 7: Citizens Rights, Responsibilities and Duties Section 1: Differentiating between rights, responsibilities and duties Rights what citizens can do Responsibilities what citizens should do Duties what citizens must do Topic 8: Military Obligations Section 1: The Legal Obligation of Military Registration Revolutionary militias The Second Amendment Conscription and draft Civil Disobedience and Conscientious Objection * Topic 9: Taxation Section 1: The Civic Implications of Taxation Taxation and Revenue No taxation without representation Federal, state and local taxes Income, property and sales tax
The Internal Revenue Service * Topic 10: Rights and Obligations as a Juror Section 1: Jury Duty Juror Summons Juror s Handbook Civil vs. Criminal Cases Section 1: Jury Duty in a Democratic System Trial by Jury Fifth, Sixth and Seventh Amendments Judge vs. Jury * Unit 5: Public Policy and Political Participation (Three Weeks instruction, 1 Academic Assessments and One Project) Topic 11: Doing Public Policy Research Section 1: Finding and Evaluating Information on Public Issues Sources of information on public policy Resource materials Media Specialists Topic 12: Public Policy in a Democratic Society Section 1: Public Policy in Action Three Branches of Government and division of powers State of the Union Addresses Current Affairs * Section 2: Public Policy as a Reflection of American Principles Mechanisms provided by the Constitution Citizen participation Rule by Majority Compromises Topic 13: The Active Citizen and Public Policy Section 1: Becoming Involved in Public Issues Identifying issues Identifying organizations and candidates Methods of participation [Project] Unit 6: Legal Rights and Responsibilities (One Week instruction, 1 Academic Assessment)
Topic 14: Legal Rights and Responsibilities in Civic Life Section 1: Legal rights in the workplace and school Rights an Responsibilities of minors New York State law Precedents Legislative Policy Making Topic 15: Variations on Rights by Locale Section 1: International Rights vs. Domestic Rights The United Nations International Law Extradition and Diplomacy (Cumulative Final Examination) Grading Policy 25% Tests/Quizzes 25% Classwork 25% Participation/Behavior 25% Homework Curriculum Mapping Greenburgh North Castle UFSD has made every attempt over the recent years to enhance curriculum. It has been our initiative to offer our students a comprehensive curriculum that is parallel to the NYS core curriculum in each content area. In 2006/2007 curriculum teams were formed to create curriculum guides complete with course outlines, core curriculum, glossaries and course descriptions. A component that we are adding is curriculum mapping. This should provide teachers, administrators, parents and most importantly the student with a road map as to what to expect in each course. This map is a suggested guide to be used as a reference. All parties involved should be aware that the teachers are obligated by individual student needs to modify curriculum and instruction to best suit each student. Adding these curriculum maps will provide more structure to delivery of instruction and help to better prepare our students for exams, college and most importantly life.