Home
High School
U.S. Government (Civics)/U.S. Government Honors (Civics)
Open
Responsible citizenship means more than just paying taxes. It means understanding the principles and practices of government. It also means defining your beliefs as to what good government is. In this course, you will take on the role of a Washington D.C. intern and spend time working throughout the nation’s capital with all three branches of the government- and beyond. As you progress through the internship you will gain a greater understanding of the history of the country’s beginnings, and knowledge of how government functions at the local, state, and national levels. This is a virtual experience and will not involve going to Washington, D.C., or actually interning.
The purpose of this course is to help you become an informed and active citizen. In part, the Constitution asserts that “Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just Powers from the Consent of the Governed.” Make yours an informed consent.
Major Topics and Concepts
Segment 1:
- Origins of Modern Government and Types of Government
- Enlightenment Influences
- Declaration of Independence
- Articles of Confederation
- The Constitution
- Branches of Government, Checks and Balances and Federalism
- Judicial Branch, the Court System, and the Supreme Court
- The Amendments and the Bill of Rights
- Jury Duty
- Civil Rights, Civil Liberties and the Patriot Act
- The Legislative Branch, Powers of Congress and Congressional Elections
- Role of Political Parties and Interest Groups
- How a Bill Becomes a Law
- The Executive Branch, Presidential Elections and the Cabinet
- The Media and Politics
- Foreign, Domestic and Economic Policy
- Modern Day Presidents and Presidential Impeachment
- State Governments and State Constitutions
- Citizenship and the Rights and Responsibilities of United States Citizens
- Voting Rights and Responsibilities
- Function and Role of Local Governments
Competencies
Rights and Responsibilities of Citizenship
Students will demonstrate an understanding of the rights and responsibilities of citizenship by describing the impact of active citizenship in a representative government, explaining natural and legal rights of citizens, and explaining the responsibilities of citizenship.
Foundations of the United States and New Hampshire Government
Students will demonstrate an understanding of the foundations of the United States and New Hampshire government by describing political philosophies of the founding documents, explaining the impact of perspectives on government and individual rights, and comparing the United States and the New Hampshire Constitution.
Legislative and Executive Branches of the United States and New Hampshire Government
Students will demonstrate an understanding the legislative and executive branches of the United States and New Hampshire government by explaining the organization and function of the legislative branches of the United States and New Hampshire, explaining the organization and function of the executive branches of the United States and New Hampshire, and describing the methods for citizens to impact public policy.
Judicial Branches of the United States and New Hampshire Government
Students will demonstrate an understanding of the organization and function of the judicial branches of the United States and New Hampshire government by explaining the organization and function of the United States and New Hampshire judicial branches and explaining the impact of the judicial branch on civil rights and universal human rights.
Open
Projects allow students to demonstrate competence and understanding of concepts and skills by completing a career-related task. For example, the assignment might be to create a mural, a package design, a speech, a film review, or a movie set – you name it! These creative projects are about applying your learning acquired through in-depth research to real-world career tasks.
Each competency will be addressed through a project that is based on a real-life career task. Here are the careers you will explore: Community Service Manager, Playwright, Communications Specialist, and Social Science Research Assistant.
Projects
Competencies
Rights and Responsibilities of Citizenship
Students will demonstrate an understanding of the rights and responsibilities of citizenship by describing the impact of active citizenship in a representative government, explaining natural and legal rights of citizens, and explaining the responsibilities of citizenship.
Foundations of the United States and New Hampshire Government
Students will demonstrate an understanding of the foundations of the United States and New Hampshire government by describing political philosophies of the founding documents, explaining the impact of perspectives on government and individual rights, and comparing the United States and the New Hampshire Constitution.
Legislative and Executive Branches of the United States and New Hampshire Government
Students will demonstrate an understanding the legislative and executive branches of the United States and New Hampshire government by explaining the organization and function of the legislative branches of the United States and New Hampshire, explaining the organization and function of the executive branches of the United States and New Hampshire, and describing the methods for citizens to impact public policy.
Judicial Branches of the United States and New Hampshire Government
Students will demonstrate an understanding of the organization and function of the judicial branches of the United States and New Hampshire government by explaining the organization and function of the United States and New Hampshire judicial branches and explaining the impact of the judicial branch on civil rights and universal human rights.
Open
Experiences allow you to explore a career field you’re curious about while mastering competencies for school credit. Through career-focused experiential learning, you will develop and learn skills for application to tasks typically completed as part of a career rather than using traditional assessments like essays or tests. During your Experience, you’ll work with a professional in the field to support your learning whom we call an “outside expert.” You’ll earn a badge for your accomplishments to share on social media and higher education platforms, or with colleges, potential employers, peers, and colleagues to display your qualifications.
Here’s how Experiences work:
- Each competency you work on is addressed through a separate deliverable (final product) predetermined by you and your instructor.
- Guided learning for each module consists of research and/or work with a professional in the field. Your instructor will coach you through this process.
- Each module culminates in a final demonstration of understanding, which includes a deliverable and a discussion-based assessment with your instructor.
Here’s an example:
Let’s say you’re curious about a career in healthcare. You decide you’d like to learn about this career area, make a professional connection, earn a badge, and meet competencies for your 9th-grade English requirement. While enrolled in English 1 Experiences, you conduct research to better understand language and structure in writing. Then you may work with an Occupational Therapist to help apply your writing skills to create an informational video about adaptive equipment for patients. The video aims to advise family members of patients regarding the use of accommodations and equipment to help patients perform daily tasks. Now you’ve earned the Language and Structure in Writing competency! This is just one example of the many ways Experiences can bridge competencies to careers.
Obtaining an Outside Expert: Prior to enrollment, please have an idea for an outside expert in mind or consult with our counseling department by emailing [email protected] for help in identifying one.
*A parent/guardian permission form and background check of the outside expert are both required to work with outside experts without parental supervision.
Competencies
Rights and Responsibilities of Citizenship
Students will demonstrate an understanding of the rights and responsibilities of citizenship by describing the impact of active citizenship in a representative government, explaining natural and legal rights of citizens, and explaining the responsibilities of citizenship.
Foundations of the United States and New Hampshire Government
Students will demonstrate an understanding of the foundations of the United States and New Hampshire government by describing political philosophies of the founding documents, explaining the impact of perspectives on government and individual rights, and comparing the United States and the New Hampshire Constitution.
Legislative and Executive Branches of the United States and New Hampshire Government
Students will demonstrate an understanding the legislative and executive branches of the United States and New Hampshire government by explaining the organization and function of the legislative branches of the United States and New Hampshire, explaining the organization and function of the executive branches of the United States and New Hampshire, and describing the methods for citizens to impact public policy.
Judicial Branches of the United States and New Hampshire Government
Students will demonstrate an understanding of the organization and function of the judicial branches of the United States and New Hampshire government by explaining the organization and function of the United States and New Hampshire judicial branches and explaining the impact of the judicial branch on civil rights and universal human rights.
