Doing school in the middle of a pandemic will no doubt be a challenge, but I am SO glad to get to work with you in person this semester and see half your face. I also cannot think of a more important and relevant time to dig into the world of government and politics than right now. So let's dig in...

Our Essential Question for this course is how is power distributed and used within our US government and how can I use my power to affect change for myself & my community?

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This first module will focus on an introduction to government & civics, along with an opportunity to examine the primary work of government - Public Policy creation & implementation.

Learning Targets for this Module:

Know what government means for this course
Know the rights and responsibilities of citizenship
Understand how various levels of government interact with us in our lives
Know what Public Policy is
Analyze & Evaluate Public Policy
Create Public Policy

Overview of Lessons in Module 1:

Wed 9/1 - Power is... we will take a look at what power means, who has it, and how it is demonstrated in our society and by ourselves.

Thur 9/2 - Government is... we will define some key terms and learn about what government is and does and why we study it.

Fri 9/3 - Citizenship is... we will discuss what it means to be a citizen, but more importantly your role as a citizen in our civic life.

Tues 9/7 - Government in Our Lives - we will dig into just how present government is in our day to day life and throughout our lives... for good, bad, overt, and covert.

Thurs 9/9 Public Policy Pt. 1 - Public Policy is the primary work of government. We will practice analyzing & evaluating policy.

Mon 9/13 - Public Policy Pt. 2 - you will practice public policy analysis on your own and have a chance to create some public policy of your own for this class.

Wed 9/15 - Class Policy Pitches - Share your idea for Adding, Removing, or Revising a Class Policy for Civics this semester.

Thurs 9/16 - Module I Wrap up - Figure out how to get your policy a majority of the class's votes and onto Ms. Kim's desk for signing (or veto). And we will practice our first Socratic Seminar as we look back on the learning targets and main ideas of Module 1.

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Follow along with my pacing, rather than moving ahead. Also avoid getting too far behind, though keeping up daily should be the goal, ALL materials for a module are due by the close of that module.

If you do miss class, email me to let me know you're gone and then go back to the lesson on your own and follow the steps of the assignment. Reach me by email to get clarification and follow up when you return.