A.P. U.S. Government and Politics
Summer Reading Assignment
Mr. Miller and Mrs. Kammerman
Welcome to Advanced Placement U.S. Government and Politics! The goal of this course is to educate you about how the American political system is structured so that you can demonstrate an understanding of the politics and processes of the U.S. government and the formation of public policy.
In order to get you all in the political mindset, we would like you to engage in some reading this summer. At the foundation of our political system is the U.S. Constitution -- a document that you will need to be intimately familiar with over the course of the year. By actually doing a close reading of the Constitution our hope is that you will start the year with a solid baseline knowledge of this important document. However, its also our goal this summer to pique your interest in contemporary American politics. Following current events should get you all eager to delve deeply into a study of our political system in the fall.
______
A. Read, Understand and Annotate the U.S. Constitution:We will be using and referencing the U.S. Constitution throughout the year. Read every word thoroughly - from the Preamble to the end of the Article VII. Keep track of vocabulary that is unfamiliar to you. Look up the words and define them. For content you don’t understand, look up and read commentary on it. We will be checking your annotated copies of the Constitution at the beginning of school.
B. Be Ready for a Quiz on the U.S. Constitution: During the first week of school there will be a quiz on the U.S. Constitution.
C. Follow Current Events: Start following U.S. government and politics-related news stories. Look for daily news stories that portray the national government in action and highlight the issues/crises it must deal with everyday. Especially focus on stories that discuss Congress, the Presidency, Federal agencies, and the Supreme Court. You can also follow stories that involve national elections, politics, and politicians. Do not limit your newly-formed current events habit to just one publication or even type of media -- vary your sources by reading major national newspapers online (New York Times, Washington Post, etc.), politically focused web-only publications (Politico, etc.), any national news program on major TV networks (CBS, ABC, NBC, FOX), the Sunday morning “interview” shows (Meet the Press, Face the Nation) and the specialized 24/7 news channels (Fox News Channel, CNN, or MSNBC). Lastly, spend some time checking out parody news shows like The Daily Show, The Nightly Show with Larry Wilmore, and Last Week Tonight with Jon Oliver. These are comedy shows, but offer insight about politics and current events. Being able to discuss “real world” current events will greatly enhance your understanding of the theoretical concepts in this course.
D. Connect Current Events to the U.S. Constitution: While the U.S. Constitution may be almost 227 years old, dust is far from gathering on this document -- it influences our lives on a daily basis. As a result it is enormously important to have a solid and thorough understanding of the actual content of the U.S. Constitution. However, that is not enough. You must also be able to understand how the document is reflected in our political system in the 21st century.
Your task is to make connections between what is currently happening in politics and governance and the constitutional concepts or provisions in which they are rooted. Specifically, you will find three (3) news articles (or news clips from television, but you must be able to provide a link to the broadcast) over the course of July and August -- these MUST be articles dated from 6/19/15 - 8/26/15 -- that clearly reflect a specific provision or principle of the U.S. Constitution. In approximately 250 words (for each news article) identify the connection and provide insightful analysis of both the event and the constitutional connection being made. (Example: On April 28, 2015 the Supreme Court heard arguments in Obergefell v. Hodges over whether the Constitution guarantees same-sex couples the right to marry. This connects to the Article III of the U.S. Constitution in which the Supreme Court is given jurisdiction over cases arising under the Constitution. Your analysis would consider the larger debate over the power of the Supreme Court.)
E. Upload to Turnitin:
Upload your current events connections to turnitin.com by Thursday, August 27 at 7:30am.
______
Question, concerns?: Please feel free to contact us over the summer about the assignment or any other questions or concerns that you might have about this course. The best way to contact us is via email:
Mrs. Kammerman:
Mr. Miller:
Due Date:Hard copy of current events connections due on first day of class – Thursday, 8/27.
**Turnitin.com: All current events connections must be submitted to turnitin.com by 7:30 am on 8/27. Go to turnitin.com and register for your class. The site will ask for a class ID and password. This information is listed below.
Mrs. Kammerman:
Period 3: Class ID - 10094936, Password - democracy
Period 5: Class ID - 10094927, Password - democracy
Period 6: Class ID - 10094941, Password - democracy
Mr. Miller:
Period 1: Class ID - 10095210, Password - liberty
Period 2: Class ID - 10095212, Password - liberty
Period 4: Class ID - 10095215, Password - liberty
Points: The annotated Constitution is worth 20 points. The current events connections are worth 10 points each, for a total of 30 points. The Constitution quiz during the first week of school is worth 25 points.
Good luck!