United States Government

Instructor:	Miss Barrie
Phone:	(573) 221-2733
Email:	mbarrie@hannibal.k12.mo.us

Description:

In United States Government we will focus our studies on the principles and foundations of the United States Constitution. This course will prepare you for both the United States Constitution Test and the Missouri State Constitution Test (Missouri State Graduation requirements) as well as the United States Government End of Course Exam.

Resources:

Miss Barrie’s webpage

http://www.hannibal.k12.mo.us/hhs/Faculty/MBarrie/publisher/index.htm

Miss Barrie’s weblog

http://mbarrie.edublogs.org

Evaluation:

Students will be evaluated on the following criteria:

- Daily In-Class Activities

- Homework

- Unit Exams

- United States Constitution Test (10% of first semester grade)

- Service Project (10% of second semester grade)

- Missouri Constitution Test (taken second semester finals week)

Materials Needed:

Please bring the following items to class each day:

- Textbook: We The People; The Citizen & The Constitution

- Writing utensils (pens and pencils)

- Paper (notebook or loose-leaf)

- A package of 100 Notecards to prepare for the United States Constitution Test

- A well-organized binder or folder used just for this class to store handouts, writing samples, and other information

Absences:

If a student is absent from class, all assigned work will be prepared by Miss Barrie and placed in that student’s ‘While You Were Out’ folder. It is the student’s responsibility to pick up the work and see Miss Barrie for questions.

Other important things to know about make-up work:

- When you’ve missed a day of class, the assignment that was due the day you were absent is automatically due the day you return to class! (For example, you were absent from class on Monday when an assignment was due; this assignment must be turned in on Wednesday in class.)

- If you’ve known about an assignment or due date ahead of time, being absent the day BEFORE the due date does not give you extra time to turn it in! (For example, an assignment that you’ve known about for two weeks is due on Friday but you are absent on Wednesday; the essay is still due on Friday!)

- If you are in Recovery Room or OCS, assignments are still due at the regularly scheduled time. It is your responsibility to find a way to get the assignment to me! (For example, an assignment is due on a Monday but you are in OCS; somehow, that assignment still needs to get to me on that Monday!)

Late Work:

Missing and late work will be accepted until the day before grades are reported (see progress report dates). If an assignment is turned in late, students will only receive 72% of the grade on that particular assignment. For example if a student earns 8/10 on an assignment but it is turned in late, the final grade assigned would be a 6/10.

Progress Report Dates:

Minimum Writing Standards:

The Communication Arts department has devised a list of criteria we will use to evaluate student writing. This handout will be given to you at the beginning of class and should be kept in a convenient place throughout the year so you can refer to it whenever you’re working on a writing assignment. All writing will be held to “minimum writing standards.” Major written assignments will not be accepted if they contain errors listed in the MWS.

Tutoring and Extra Help:

- Because of my coaching duties, I am available from 7:00 – 7:30am Monday – Thursday and after school by appointment only.

- I can be reached via email at any time if you have questions about an assignment: mbarrie@hannibal.k12.mo.us.

- Academic Extended Day takes place from 2:45 – 4:00pm Monday through Thursday in the HHS Library. This is staffed by a teacher from each the core areas. This is free tutoring and an opportunity to use the computer lab and library resources.

Grading Scale:

A = 94-100

B = 86-93

C = 73-85

D = 65-72

F = 0-64

Semester Grade = 90% semester work / 10% final exam score

Computer Use:

In order to use the computers during United States Government, students must read and sign the acceptable use policy for Miss Barrie’s Classroom.

Tardy Policy:

Students are expected to arrive on time to each class. It is very disruptive for the instructor and other students in the class if some students come late. Usually the instructor presents material in a systematic fashion. If students miss the beginning of class, it may be hard to catch up. You cannot expect the instructor to repeat what has been said if you come to class late. A student is considered tardy if he or she is not in the classroom when the bell rings. Students who arrive after the bell will need to wait quietly in the hallway until a time that the instructor deems appropriate for the student to enter class.

Travel During Class:

Students will only be allowed to travel to use the restroom/drinking fountain during times that the instructor deems appropriate. All students will be expected to use the hall pass section in their planners if they wish to travel to use the restroom or drinking fountain during class.