Your work for this year will be comprised of the following pieces:
Reading Quizzes
In order to prepare for the Advanced Placement exam, you will be required to read assigned pages from the text on a daily basis. A multiple choice quiz (based on the reading from the night before) will be given every day. Daily readings will be posted for the week. It is vital to complete the readings in order to understand the material being presented in class.
25% of your total grade- each quiz is worth 8 points-total of 240 points
*Note- the quizzes have 5 questions, you will see a % for number correct
5/5 = 100%
4/5=80%
3/5=60%
2/5=40%
1/5=20%
*Note- There are opportunities to "re-take" low scoring quizzes for a higher grade- IF you attend office hours and we review quiz and demonstrate your "NEW" understanding in a documented format. For your demonstrated "NEW" understanding you will receive no more than 80% on the quiz in PowerSchool.
Essential Knowledge Statements (Lecture Notes Review)
For every concept learned via lecture, readings, and any other resource, you will demonstrate REAL understanding of those concepts. These "Essential Knowledge Statements" will be connected to Units and Big Ideas. The format of these demonstrations will vary and will depend on certain concepts and units. These are meant to ensure accuracy of knowledge and assure that you are comfortable with all of the material learned.
6% of your total grade- Each evidence is worth 2 points- there will be approximately 30 per semester. The total for semester will be 60 points.
Conceptual Flow Graphs (Big Ideas, Enduring Understanding, Learning Objectives, Essential Knowledge)
After every unit, chapter, supplemental reading or video you will be asked to complete a conceptual flow graph. These summaries are meant to help you return to the conversations of the week and extract the main points and key details. As discussed in class, the research shows that if students do nothing with new material learned on any given day, you lose 40-60% of the information by the next day. These graphs also help you to connect the different concepts in a given unit.
9% of your total grade-Each conceptual flow graph is worth 15 points- There will be approximately 3 per semester. The total for semester will be 100 points
Unit Tests
There are a total of 5 units covered in the AP Exam. We will be taking a unit test for every unit to prepare you for the exam. Here is the breakdown for every unit test. You should become familiar with what these units are and how they are connected:
Unit 1- Foundations of American Democracy
Unit 2- Interactions Among Branches of Government
Unit 3- Civil Liberties & Rights
Unit 4- American Political Ideologies & Beliefs
Unit 5- Political Participation
*For every unit test- the following will be the exam format
-Multiple Choice Questions
-1-2 FRQs
30% of your total grade-Each test is worth 100 points- There will be approximately 3 per semester. The total for semester will be 300 points
Projects
In order to better help you contextualize the theory and concepts in the course, there will be projects assigned to make the experience help you anchor the concepts.
20% of your total grade-Each project will be worth 100 points-There will be approximately 2 per semester. The total for semester will be 200 points
Discussion
In order for us to really hammer out the ideas being presented in class in the different ways, we need to ALL talk about it. This is how our brains work in general, we look at something, we talk about it, we have something to say. Discussion will vary, but occasionally we will have formal academic discussions (what you may know as Socratic Seminar). I will be helping your grades by sometimes giving you points for these discussions.
10% of your total grade- Each discussion will be worth 10 points. There will be approximately 10 per semester. The total for semester will be 100 points.
Assignments Breakdown
Reading Quizzes (30)- 24% 8 points each total of 240 points
Essential Knowledge
Statements (Lecture Notes Review) (30)- 6%-2 points each total of 60 points
Unit Conceptual Flow Graphs (5) 9% - 15 points each total of 100 points
Unit Tests (3)- 30%-100 points each total of 300 points
Projects (2)- 20%-100 points each total of 200 points
Discussion (10)- 10% -10 points each total of 100 points
Total Points for Semester = 990 points
Attendance
If you are absent on any given day, IT IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY to make sure you know what the next steps are. Here are your options:
Late Work
There is no late work that is accepted. The verified absence is the only exception. Special circumstances need to communicated via email or in person in order to make arrangements.
Academic Dishonesty
Animo Leadership Charter High School does not tolerate academic dishonesty. For further clarification of school policies regarding academic honesty consult the Animo Student Handbook. Remember—your instructor has spent years reading the work of professional historians,political scientists, economists, grading student papers, and knows how to use Google. It is NOT easy to fool him.
- Reading Quizzes (Chs 1-20)
- Essential Knowledge Statements
- Unit Conceptual Flow Graphs
- Unit Tests
- Projects
- Discussions
Reading Quizzes
In order to prepare for the Advanced Placement exam, you will be required to read assigned pages from the text on a daily basis. A multiple choice quiz (based on the reading from the night before) will be given every day. Daily readings will be posted for the week. It is vital to complete the readings in order to understand the material being presented in class.
25% of your total grade- each quiz is worth 8 points-total of 240 points
*Note- the quizzes have 5 questions, you will see a % for number correct
5/5 = 100%
4/5=80%
3/5=60%
2/5=40%
1/5=20%
*Note- There are opportunities to "re-take" low scoring quizzes for a higher grade- IF you attend office hours and we review quiz and demonstrate your "NEW" understanding in a documented format. For your demonstrated "NEW" understanding you will receive no more than 80% on the quiz in PowerSchool.
Essential Knowledge Statements (Lecture Notes Review)
For every concept learned via lecture, readings, and any other resource, you will demonstrate REAL understanding of those concepts. These "Essential Knowledge Statements" will be connected to Units and Big Ideas. The format of these demonstrations will vary and will depend on certain concepts and units. These are meant to ensure accuracy of knowledge and assure that you are comfortable with all of the material learned.
6% of your total grade- Each evidence is worth 2 points- there will be approximately 30 per semester. The total for semester will be 60 points.
Conceptual Flow Graphs (Big Ideas, Enduring Understanding, Learning Objectives, Essential Knowledge)
After every unit, chapter, supplemental reading or video you will be asked to complete a conceptual flow graph. These summaries are meant to help you return to the conversations of the week and extract the main points and key details. As discussed in class, the research shows that if students do nothing with new material learned on any given day, you lose 40-60% of the information by the next day. These graphs also help you to connect the different concepts in a given unit.
9% of your total grade-Each conceptual flow graph is worth 15 points- There will be approximately 3 per semester. The total for semester will be 100 points
Unit Tests
There are a total of 5 units covered in the AP Exam. We will be taking a unit test for every unit to prepare you for the exam. Here is the breakdown for every unit test. You should become familiar with what these units are and how they are connected:
Unit 1- Foundations of American Democracy
Unit 2- Interactions Among Branches of Government
Unit 3- Civil Liberties & Rights
Unit 4- American Political Ideologies & Beliefs
Unit 5- Political Participation
*For every unit test- the following will be the exam format
-Multiple Choice Questions
-1-2 FRQs
30% of your total grade-Each test is worth 100 points- There will be approximately 3 per semester. The total for semester will be 300 points
Projects
In order to better help you contextualize the theory and concepts in the course, there will be projects assigned to make the experience help you anchor the concepts.
20% of your total grade-Each project will be worth 100 points-There will be approximately 2 per semester. The total for semester will be 200 points
Discussion
In order for us to really hammer out the ideas being presented in class in the different ways, we need to ALL talk about it. This is how our brains work in general, we look at something, we talk about it, we have something to say. Discussion will vary, but occasionally we will have formal academic discussions (what you may know as Socratic Seminar). I will be helping your grades by sometimes giving you points for these discussions.
10% of your total grade- Each discussion will be worth 10 points. There will be approximately 10 per semester. The total for semester will be 100 points.
Assignments Breakdown
Reading Quizzes (30)- 24% 8 points each total of 240 points
Essential Knowledge
Statements (Lecture Notes Review) (30)- 6%-2 points each total of 60 points
Unit Conceptual Flow Graphs (5) 9% - 15 points each total of 100 points
Unit Tests (3)- 30%-100 points each total of 300 points
Projects (2)- 20%-100 points each total of 200 points
Discussion (10)- 10% -10 points each total of 100 points
Total Points for Semester = 990 points
Attendance
If you are absent on any given day, IT IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY to make sure you know what the next steps are. Here are your options:
- Make sure you look at the course site in the tab labeled Schedule, so you know exactly what work you missed
- Come to Office Hours to speak to Mr. Morgana so that you can make arrangements
- You have the same amount of days absent to turn in missed work. (Ex. absent 2 days = 2 days to turn in work)
- Readings, thinking logs, and blogs are still your responsibility to complete. An absence is not an excuse to not turn in work at all
Late Work
There is no late work that is accepted. The verified absence is the only exception. Special circumstances need to communicated via email or in person in order to make arrangements.
Academic Dishonesty
Animo Leadership Charter High School does not tolerate academic dishonesty. For further clarification of school policies regarding academic honesty consult the Animo Student Handbook. Remember—your instructor has spent years reading the work of professional historians,political scientists, economists, grading student papers, and knows how to use Google. It is NOT easy to fool him.