U.S. Civics & Government - Middle School- Unit 1 - Constitution & Bureaucracy
Unit 1 of this semester-long course takes a neutral, factual, and interactive approach to the Constitution, 3 branches of government, key amendments, the bureaucracy, and more, all through the lens of 21st century issues!
Erica Gardner (Army, Masters in Law)
Average rating:
5.0
Number of reviews:(87)
What's included
8 live meetings
8 in-class hoursHomework
1 hour per week. Homework will be assigned on specific weeks, after the first day of instruction that week. Homework may consist of a worksheet, online activity, or research assignment. All homework is designed to reinforce the concepts, to solidify understanding, and to allow students the opportunity to apply these concepts to real life situations. Students will be expected to complete the assignments individually, by Day 2 of that week. We will then review the assignment as a class during Day 2. Some homework assignments may also be submitted via GoogleDrive to be reviewed by the instructor and returned with comments.Assessment
I will provide an informal assessment of your student upon completion of this course. If a student completes all four units, a formal letter grade can also be provided.Grading
includedClass Experience
US Grade 6 - 8
**WHAT WILL BE TAUGHT? Civics is the study of the rights and responsibilities of U.S. citizens, and of the government's function and role in our lives. In this course, we'll marry classic civics with contemporary concepts to more accurately explore the modern state of our government. In addition, civics is best understood when students understand HOW we got here. Immersed in this civics curriculum are countless bits of forgotten US history so they see the full story! **HOW WILL CLASS BE STRUCTED? This is a semester-long course that's broken up into four individual units. Each unit is 4-weeks long, and each week we'll meet twice. Each unit is independent of the others, which means that students can take just one, a few, or all of them. However, I do recommend taking all of the units, and in chronological order, in order to get the most out of the material. Each week, we'll cover a different topic. Day one will include instruction using videos, PowerPoint presentations, Nearpod activities, polls, games, and more. Day two will vary week-by-week, but the aim will be to complete the instruction, discuss the concepts, complete class activities, and review homework assignments (if applicable). Some weeks will include a short homework assignment or quiz, but not all. Homework assignments are short, but practical, and designed so that students have an opportunity to apply new concepts to real life situations and practice critical thinking skills. Every lesson is interactive, and specifically designed with teens and tweens in mind. **UNIT 1 - TOPICS BY WEEK Week 1 - The U.S. Constitution Purpose and Structure / Bill of Rights Week 2 - Three Branches of Government Legislative, Executive, and Judicial Week 3 - Fourth Branch of Government? Administrative Agencies Week 4 - The U.S. Constitution, Part II Key Amendments A basic knowledge of the U.S. government will be helpful for this course, but is not required. All instruction will be thorough and fact-based. My goal is to make civics as interactive and exciting as possible, so I ask lots of questions and do my best to keep students engaged! **For those seeking to take more than one unit, the remaining units include the following topics: Unit 2: Law & Criminal Justice, Parts I -IV Unit 3: Economics, Part I - IV Unit 4: Politics & Current Events
Learning Goals
The purpose of this course is truly to gain a more realistic understanding of how the government is structured today, the role it has in our daily lives, and how to be a more knowledgeable, responsible citizen. In this unit, students will gain a thorough understanding of the constitution, learn about the three branches of government in detail, and then learn about the purpose and role of administrative agencies.
Other Details
Language of Instruction
English
External Resources
In addition to the Outschool classroom, this class uses:
Sources
We will refer to the U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights, as well as the following sources:
'A Republic, If You Can Keep It' by Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch
Federal Code of Regulations
www.usa.gov
Joined May, 2021
5.0
87reviews
Teacher expertise and credentials
2 Degrees
Master's Degree from Kaplan University
Bachelor's Degree from Kaplan University
A veteran of the U.S. Army Military Police Corps, I hold both bachelor and masters degrees in Legal Studies and spent the last two decades working with various government agencies, attorney's, victims rights advocates, judges, and law enforcement officers.
I'm also a homeschool mom of two and I run a small business offering live civics courses to teens and tweens in the local community. Please refer to my teacher profile, or feel free to message me with further questions! Reviews
Live Group Class
$85
for 8 classes2x per week, 4 weeks
60 min
Completed by 25 learners
Live video meetings
Ages: 12-14
3-6 learners per class
