Peri Curtis curtisp@mdusd.org

Jesse Forsland ascotdr@yahoo.com

Josh Bream breamj@mdusd.org

Olympic High School - Serving Students Since 1965
Government & Economics

Texts: Magruder’s American Gov’t.
Economics: Principles in Action - 2006 editions
Credit Policy & Course Description  

Students in grade twelve pursue a deeper understanding of the institutions of American government. They compare systems of government in the world today and analyze the history and changing interpretations of the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and the current state of the legislative, executive, and judiciary branches of government. The standards used for both Economics and Government represent a culmination of civic literacy as students prepare to vote, participate in community activities, and assume responsibilities of citizenship.  In Economics will attempt to master fundamental economic concepts, applying the tools (graphs, statistics, equations) from other subject areas to the understanding of operations and institutions of economic systems. The course is studied in a historic context examining the basic economic principles of micro-and macroeconomics, international economics, comparative economic systems, measurement, and methods.

Productive period credit is awarded according to the school-wide accepted plan. A productive period is defined as one in which the student is on time, participates appropriately in the days activity, and is working on the assigned task. In order to receive the productive period the student is expected to produce a body of work that is reasonable for his/her ability and effort.

Additional credit will be given for the work that is satisfactorily completed. All in-class as well as outside-of-class work has an agreed upon advance value. In order to do individual out-of-class assignments the student must have at least 80% productive attendance the preceding week. Service Learning students are assumed to have at least 80% attendance at their assigned site, and attend Olympic High School on their required attendance day. A fast track can be accomplished by a 90% completion of a challenge test arranged with the instructor.  A partial listing of the individual work available is listed below. The work is done during the academic week and is structured in the following manner:

Monday- Lecture/activity period
Tuesday- work period and individual attention
Wednesday- film activity
Thursday- work period/ examination
Friday- Processing and application

Each course includes an array of learning materials and strategies. A breakdown of various expected performances and their credit value follows:
• 16 successful productive periods – one credit
• completion of assignments in text – one credit
• complete and organized folder including all lecture notes and chronologically ordered activities and lessons – ½ credit
• satisfactory completion of post test - .125 credit
• film write-ups/questions- 16 x 1 = one credit

After three credits have been earned you may elect to complete one of the many critical thinking and/or participation assignments for up to one credit. A grade for credit will also include materials contained in three ring binder
The final credit will be issued upon the completion of the post test.
The greatest level of learning will occur when the student participates in the many activities and is on time, attentive, and by all means productive.

Modern World History - Mr. Bream

World History is a required ten-unit course for high school students that explores 17th century through today. So why is it important to understand our World History? In a shrinking world, understanding and awareness are keystones of our way of life. Without knowing the richness of the nations of this planet we cannot be bound together with a common purpose and destiny. History is not a cruel punishment dreamed up by the standards police to frustrate and bore you. It is not a huge textbook which acts as a muscle developer and/or sleep inducer. And World History is not the study of unrelated names and dates that you must cram into your head for the dreaded “exam”. In this class we will get to the roots of why and how we are here today through a multitude of ways.

Attendance:
Students are expected to attend class and be productive at least 80% of the time; students who are able to meet this requirement often complete the course in less than a year. Students that do not attend class regularly and on time and do not complete their activities in a timely manner will earn credit at a slower pace than at a comprehensive high school. Students that attend class regularly and complete their activities in a timely manner will earn credits faster than at a comprehensive high school. Students enrolled in Service Learning will only earn productive periods only on days when they are in class, but may work on and receive credit on their assignments outside of class.

Credit Structure:
• Attendance and productivity: For every day that you are here on time and productive, you will receive 1/32 of a credit. In other words, for every 16 days that you are on time and productive, you will receive a ½ credit. Over the course of a semester, you can earn around three (3) credits just for attendance and productivity. For every three (3) days you are tardy up to five (5) minutes, you will lose one (1) productive period. For every day that you are later than five (5) minutes for class, you will not receive a productive period for that day.

• Daily Activities: Each daily activity will be worth 1/32 of a credit, and will be combined with your attendance/productivity. For any days that have activities that take more than one day to complete, such as movie-length videos, you will receive activity credit for all the days the activity took to complete.

• Essays: Essays will be worth one (1) credit and will be have three (3) or four (4) throughout the year. I will accept the essays only after you complete them and you cannot receive partial credit. Either you complete them or you don’t.

Daily Schedule:
Typical class periods in World History will include group work, current events, articles, reading, videos, or other activities that will help you apply what you are learning in class to the real world. We will relate these concepts to young adults and school culture whenever possible.

My Five (5):
Respect: Respect for yourself, your peers, and your teachers. Many different opinions will be expressed in this classroom and you must respect the other people that are expressing it, even if you disagree with it.

Responsibility: It is your responsibility to do your work to the best of your ability. If you are having trouble and need assistance, we are here for you, but, you must let us know.

Come on time: Just like in the real world, punctuality matters. Come to my class on time please and don’t loose out on any credit opportunities.

Be prepared: Be prepared when you enter the class because I will start the lesson soon after the bell rings. Take your iPOD out as you come through the door and have and writing utensil ready.

Think, work, and have fun: Most importantly, this course is designed to challenge the way you formulate opinions and to help you become better critical thinkers. I will do my part and what I ask of you is an open mind and the willingness to learn new things.

Plagiarism:
Plagiarism is the use of someone else’s work as your own without citing (giving credit to) the source. There are two types of plagiarism: use of another student’s work as your own and using the work of other sources, such as websites, as your own. If you have any questions about using the work of others, it is your responsibility to ask me or another teacher how to use the information in an ethical manner. If you plagiarize, you will receive no credit and may be subject to further disciplinary actions. Remember: If you can find and copy something from the Internet, I can find it too.

Students are required to sign an agreement which reads as follows:

I have read and understand the requirements for this class. I understand that regular productive attendance is necessary for me to receive any credit for this class.

Career Integrated Academics

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