American Government

Length: 18 weeks
Content-type: Text-based
Age/Grade: 7th – 12th Grades
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How to Use This Course

American Government is an 18-week course that traces the development of the nation’s federal government from its creation to the present day. The roles of state and local government as well as that of citizens are explored. The class includes daily lessons and assignments as well as quizzes and a semester research project.

Course Introduction

American Government is an 18-week course that looks at the question, “What is government?” It traces the history of the government of the United States from the Declaration of Independence through the Bill of Rights. It explores the three branches of government, key Supreme Court rulings, the role of state and local governments, the duties of a citizen, the history of political parties and elections, and concludes with a look at the history of several key presidents and a research project for students to complete.

Course Outline

Unit 1: The Foundations of Government
Unit 2: The Declaration of Independence and the Constitution
Unit 3: Federalists, Antifederalists, and the Bill of Rights
Unit 4: Executive Branch
Unit 5: Legislative Branch
Unit 6: Judicial Branch and Supreme Court Cases
Unit 7: State and Local Governments
Unit 8: Role of the Citizen
Unit 9: Elections and Political Parties
Unit 10: Key Presidents

Transcript Information

If this course is taken in full, completing all reading and written assignments, and if the student does careful research for the semester project and spends approximately 90 hours completing the entire course, the course is worth .5 social studies credit.

*Please be informed of your state’s academic requirements.

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