"The benefits of education and of useful knowledge, generally diffused through a

community, are essential to the preservation of a free government" -Sam Houston

AMERICAN GOVERNMENT
Mrs. Buchholz

Novato High School - Room 2105 Google Classroom:

Email: cbuchholz@students.nusd.org 93fg8i

Course Description
Welcome to the last semester of your senior year! This semester, we will transition from
economics to American government. During this course you will develop an
understanding of how American government works. We will look at its underlying
principles and ideals and see how they are applied in today's rapidly changing world and
we will prepare to be active and informed citizens and voters. Our classroom will be a
space to discuss and debate a great range of fascinating and controversial topics related to
the realms of government and politics.

This Semester in a Nutshell

Unit 1: Foundations, Principles and Institutions of American Government
Unit 2: Civil Rights, Civil Liberties, and Civic Responsibilities
Unit 3: American Political Culture, Political Socialization, and the Role of Political
Parties
Unit 4: Public Opinion and the Mass Media
Unit 5: Campaigns, Elections, and Voting
Expectations and Policies
1. Kindness and Respect - this is a big one
2. Participate! The best way to learn and understand the material is to actively engage
with it
3. Work hard and try your best - if you have questions, don't hesitate to come talk to
me, that's what I'm here for, to help you succeed
4. Limit the phone use - I know it's hard, but lets use our cell phones for academic
purposes only
5. Late work policy will be in keeping with Mr. Searle's from last semester
6. Please don't cheat; neither you nor I want to deal with that

Extra Credit
5 points will be available to you every Friday.
Submit a current event article (no entertainment or sports news), and two written
paragraphs: 1) Summarize the article in your own words 2) Connect the article back to
something we have or are currently learning about in class.

Where to Find Me and How to Contact Me

Since I am a student teacher this semester, I do not have a set classroom that I will be
locked down to. If you need to find me on campus, your best bet is Mr. Searle's
classroom, Ms. Kinnee's classroom or the library. If you cannot track me down, you can
always email me with any questions or concerns you have or to set up a time and place to
chat.