1

Pol Sci 321
Democracy & Citizenship I
(2 credits) / Pols 322
Public Achievement I
(1 credit)

Fall 2006

PROFESSOR

Dr. Joe Kunkel Phone: 389-6930

222 B Morris Hall FAX: 389-6377 http:krypton.mnsu.edu/~jak3

OFFICE HOURS

Mon
10:00-11:00 am
2:30-4:00 pm / Tue
10:00-11:00 am / Wed
10:00-11:00 am
2:30-4:00 pm / Thurs
10:00-11:00 am / Fri
10:00-11:00 am
2:30-4:00 pm

OBJECTIVES OF THE COURSES

1. Motivation: Students should develop an increased sense of civic responsibility and want to be more involved in public activity.

2. Empowerment: Students should feel more powerful and effective. They should become more optimistic about their potential to influence public events.

3. Skill: Students should improve their political skills and be more able to influence public affairs.

4. Understanding: Students should better understand and appreciate democracy and related concepts.

PAIRED COURSES

Both courses must be taken together. Students must also register for these courses spring semester.

READING TO PURCHASE

Erlanson, Bridget and Robert Hildreth. 1998. Building Worlds, Transforming Lives,

Making History: A Coaches Guide to Public Achievement. (The “Green Book”). C.D.C. $11.95

Boyte, Harry C. 2004. Everyday Politics : Reconnecting Citizens and Public Life

University of Pennsylvania Press. $29.95 new/$22.50 used

Kunkel, Joseph. 2005. Mankato Public Achievement: A Manual for Coaches. Purchase from Morris Hall

Copy Shop (first floor). $4.75

Mankato Free Press,13 week subscription. Give $32.50. Give check and delivery address to Dr. Kunkel Thursday September 7. Daily subscription begins Monday September 11.

GRADING

You will receive a separate grade for POLS 381 and for POLS 382.

Grades will follow these percentages of the total points.

A = 90-100 B = 80-89 C = 70-79 D = 60 - 69 F = below 60

REQUIREMENTS

Pols 381
Democracy & Citizenship / Points / Pols 382
Public Achievement / Points
Papers on reading
12 of 13, 10 points each. / 120 / 10 PA Reports in Journal
(5 points each) / 50
Discussions on reading / 50 / Attendance at 12 DMMS Events
(5 points each) Workshop Required / 60
Newspaper Notes
12 of 13 weeks, 5 points each. / 60 / Good PA Coaching Practice
(5 points per team meeting) / 40
Attend 2 hours of political events / 20 / Email Paragraph on team / 25
Final Examination / 50
TOTAL / 200 / TOTAL / 175

LATE PENALTIES

Late penalties can be excused at professor's discretion. You should discuss circumstances with him.

Papers
anytime after class when they are due. / -3 / PA Reports in Journal
Full credit if signed off in class.
3 points if completed when collected. / - 2
News Notes
anytime after class when they are due. / -3

COACH PA

As part of your citizenship experience in POLS 321 and to prepare for PA coaching in POLS 322 students will form their own PA teams and hold five or six team meetings. Hopefully you will be coached by a mentor (coach from last year) and will go through the early stages of the PA process. In this amount of time you will at least create an action plan, if not actually engage in some action or project.

POLS 321 Democracy and Citizenship

PAPERS

You need write a short paper on 12 of the 13 of readings. This paper should include an outline of at least one to one and one-half pages, and a paragraph of about one-half page. The outline should summarize and organize the main points. The paragraph should express your reaction. Reaction includes your opinion of the value of the reading, what you learned, what was important or not, any criticisms. The papers should be typed, and single spaced.

DISCUSSIONS

We will use class discussions to assess and enhance your learning. Sometimes these may be whole class discussions. Sometimes these may be simultaneous small groups. Sometimes only part of the class will discuss before the rest of the class. The professor will apportion the points

NEWSPAPER NOTES
The newspaper notes will all consist of the same set of questions. Based on your reading of the Mankato Free Press the notes will ask you for the stories or features you found in four categories.

1)Examples of citizenship and democratic action.

2)Included youth-oriented information.

3)What you learned about the local community.

4)Other state, national or international items of interest.

Your student-colleagues will sign off on these before you turn them in to the professor.

FINAL EXAMINATION

The purpose of the final is to encourage you to remember and integrate the learning from week to week. There will be a comprehensive final exam at the end of the class. The exam will focus on learning from readings. It will be mostly essay and short essay with some "objective" type questions. The details of the exam will be announced with plenty of time to prepare.

POLS 322 Public Achievement

PA REPORTS / JOURNAL

The PA Reports should be placed in the journal.

Your writing should address all of these four areas in identified sections.

1)Experiences /Descriptions
What did you (and/or your team) experience? What happened? What did you do?

2)Reflections /Evaluations
What is the meaning of the experiences? Evaluate: What's going well? What needs improvement? How do you (and/or your team) feel?

3)Connections/Generalizations
What are you/your team thinking and learning about democratic citizenship? Use core concepts. Mention your reading for PA or the more academic reading for Democracy and Citizenship.

4)Applications/Experiments/Strategies
What are your plans and strategies? What skills are you and your team developing?

Required Details:

  • All PA reports should be typed/word processed.
  • Write your name clearly on the front cover. If you use a dark color binder your name must be easily legible.
  • Pages must be bound together. No loose pages accepted.
  • Please label the PA reports following these examples:

PA Report #1.0 Orientations

PA Report #5.3 Team Meeting #3

  • Length: Write a minimum of 600 words (one page single spaced, two pages double spaced) for each PA Report.
  • Include the Journal Cover Sheet as the first page of your journal.

Scoring of PA Reports

  • On Tuesdays your student-colleagues will check and sign off on the Journal Cover Sheet. If you have not completed the previous Thursday’s PA report you will lose 2 points penalty. You can still earn partial credit of 3 points per report by turning it in when the professor collects them.
  • The Professor will collect your journal twice. For the first collection the class will be divided into two groups due on different days. If you complete a piece of writing that you did not have completed when colleagues checked you can earn 7 points for reading summaries 3 point for PA reports.

ATTENDANCE AT DMMS EVENTS

You must attend and participate in the Public Achievement Site Orientation, Student Orientation, Issues Assembly, and all PA Meetings, unless excused because of dire emergency only. You must let the professor know as soon as possible if you must be absent. Absences happen only very rarely if at all. Your PA students will be depending on you and the professor and mentors may not be able to effectively arrange for a substitution. You must be on time for your PA meetings.

PA SCHEDULING

On most Thursdays we will go to Dakota Meadows Middle School for PA.

First shift/8th grade: leave 1:00 pm, team meetings 1:20-2:00 pm, coaches’ meeting 2:00 to about 2:30; return to MSU for 3:00 class.

Second shift/7th grade: leave 1:50 pm, team meetings 2:05-2:55 pm, coaches’ meeting 3:00 to about 3:30; back at MSU for 4:00 class.

We will do our best to arrange car-pooling to Dakota Meadows.

GOOD PA COACHING PRACTICE

The professor and your mentor will visit your team meetings nearly every week. We will be trying to discuss what we observe with you in order to be helpful. We presume that if you meet with your team and give your best effort you will get the points for good coaching practice.

Your grade does NOT depend on the success of your PA team in accomplishing any particular goals. We recognize that your efforts are important, but are only part of the equation. But YOU are the part of the equation that YOU CAN CONTROL

1)Conduct yourself in a professional manner.
Observe all school rules. Be a good role model and the adult authority in the group.

2)Be reliable, prepared, active and show initiative.

3)Make a consistent effort to use the essential elements of PA.
Follow directions and respond to feedback.

4)Your team should write in the weekly log reports and keep other records.

EMAIL PARAGRAPH FOR WEBSITE AND SCHOOL NEWSLETTER

Submit a short update on your PA team. You may write this or have your team write it with your supervision. These should be well written paragraphs of 150 -250 words. These should tell a public audience about the mission and activities of the team. These will be posted on our PA website and send home in the school newsletter to families. See our PA website for examples from past teams.

TWIN CITIES EVENT

You are encouraged to participate in any workshops sponsored by the Center for Democracy and Citizenship at the U of M's Humphrey Institute. A "Public Work Institute" is scheduled for Saturday September 30.

BACKGROUND CHECK

Without a background check you will not be allowed to be a PA coach. Professor Kunkel or a staff person from the College of Education will distribute forms and collect your checks for $15 (cost may have increased).

ASSISTANCE TO STUDENTS The professor is here to help students learn. All students are encouraged to visit with the professor if they need help. Students with disabilities are particularly invited to meet with the professor to discuss any special instructional needs they may have, or to contact the office of Disability Services.

TUESDAY
POLS 381 at MSU / THURSDAY
POLS 382 at Middle School / Other
August 29
Course Introduction / August 31 1:00-1:50 pm
Intro to Public Achievement
PAPER #1
Kunkel, Mankato PA: Coach Manual
Kunkel, Johnson et al. Collaboration,
Action, Civic Education

Coach PA: Issues Discussion
September 5
Read: Green Book pp. 1-81
Coach PA: Issues Assembly / September 7 1:00-1:50 pm
Read: Green Book chaps. Pp. 83-172
PAPER #2 Green Book, all
Payment due for Free Press Subscription
First day of school at DMMS /

Sept. 9

9:00-3:00

@ DMMS

MSU Student PA Orientation Workshop
Coach PA: Team Meeting #1 & #2

September 12

Site Orientation @ DMMS 1:15-2:15
In class: First Look at Toolbox

Write News Note #1 - no class discussion / September 14
DMMS PA: Orientation & Issue Brainstorming: Temporary Small Groups
(Temporary coach shift assignments)

September 19

PA Report #1.0

Reaction to Sept. 9 and 12 Orientations
PAPER #3
Toolbox Sections of

Coach PA: Team Meeting #3
News Note #2/ Discuss Local News / September 21
DMMS PA: Issues Assemblies
(Temporary coach shift assignments)

September 26

PA Report #2.0
Reaction to Small Group Day and Issue Assembly
PAPER #4
Boyte, Chapter 1. The Stirrings of a New Politics
Coach PA: Team Meeting #4
News Note #3/Discuss Local News / September 28 1:00-1:50 pm
No DMMS PA
Coach PA: Team Meeting #5

October 3

Choose PA Teams & Shifts / October 5
PA Team Meeting #1
NWEA Testing
7th grade normal period
8th grade no PA

October 10

PA Report #3.1
Reaction to Team Meeting #1
PAPER #5
Boyte, Chapter 2. Populisms
News Note #4/Discuss Local News / October 12PA Team Meeting #2
7th grade No PA - Courage Retreat
8th grade meets

October 17

PA Report #4.2
Reaction to Team Meeting #2
PAPER #6
Boyte, Chapter 3. The Growth of Everyday Politics
News Note #5/Discuss Local News / October 19
No PA Education Minnesota Conference

October 24

PAPER #7
Boyte, Chapter 4. Citizenship as Public Work
News Note #6/Discuss Local News / October 26
PA Team Meeting #3

October 31

PA Report #5.3
Reaction to Team Meeting #3
PAPER #8
Boyte, Chapter 5. Citizen Education as a Craft, not a Program
JOURNAL TURNED IN PA Reports 1-5
News Note #8/Discuss Local News / November 2
PA Team Meeting #4

November 7

PA Report #6.4
Reaction to Team Meeting #4
PAPER #9
Boyte, Chapter 6. The Jane Addams School for Democracy

News Note #9/Discuss Local News

/ November 9
PA Team Meeting #5
Music Rehearsals ?
Orchestra & Band students

November 14

PA Report #7.5
Reaction to Team Meeting #5
PAPER #10
Boyte, Chapter 7. Professions as Public Work
News Note #10/Discuss Local News / November 16PA Team Meeting #6

November 21

PA Report #8.6
Reaction to Team Meeting #6
PAPER #11
Chapter 8. Architects of Democracy
News Note #11/Discuss Local News / November 23No Classes - Give Thanks
November 28
PAPER #12
Boyte, Chapter 9. Spreading Everyday Politics
News Note #12/ Discuss Local News / November 30
PA Team Meeting #7
PA Report #9.7
Reaction to Team Meeting #7

December 5

PA Report #9.7
Reaction to Team Meeting #7

PAPER #13

Boyte, Chapter 10. The Commonwealth of Freedom

News Note #13/Discuss Local News
Submit email Paragraph on team / December 7
PA Team Meeting #8
Music Rehearsal - Choir students
MONDAY December 11
POLS 321 FINAL EXAM
10:15 a.m.-12:15 p.m.

JOURNAL DUE

PA Reports 6-10

PA Report #10.8
Reaction to Team Meeting #8
TENTATIVE SPRING 2007
TUESDAY / THURSDAY
Jan 2
MSU Semester Break
DMMS Returns from Winter Break / Jan 4
MSU Semester Break - NO PA

Jan. 11

DMMS in session

MSU Winter Break- NO PA

January 16 / January 18
PA Team Meeting #9
January 23 / Jan 25
PA Team Meeting #10
January 30 / February 1
PA Team Meeting #11
February 6 / February 8
NO PA Early release Day
February 13 / February 15
PA Team Meeting #12
February 20 / February 22
NO PA DMMS WINTER BREAK
February 27 / March 1 PA Team Meeting #13Music Rehearsal - Band students
March 6 / March 8 PA Team Meeting #14
March 13 MSU Spring Break / March 15
No PA - MSU Spring Break
March 20 / March 22
PA Team Meeting #15
Music Rehearsals - Choir students
March 27 / March 29 PA Team Meeting #16Spring Concert Rehearsal
April 3 / April 5
PA Team Meeting #17
April 10 / April 12
PA Meeting #18
April 17 /

April 19

PA Team Meeting #19

April 25 / April 26
PA Assemblies
May 1
May 8
MSU Final Exam Week