M/J Civics Course Outline
This course follows Florida’s Next Generation Sunshine State Standards for 7th grade social studies. This course focuses on the government of the United States, including federal, state, and local governments.
The students will learn about the rights, duties, and liberties that come along with citizenship. They will learn about the documents and values that the American government is founded on. The students will learn about the federal government, including the three branches and their purposes.
Next the students will learn about state and local governments and how they shape laws. The students will learn about elections, political parties, and the history of voting rights. American’s foreign policy will be explained, along with how the United States takes on global issues.
Finally, the students will learn about economics, the three main types of economics, and supply and demand.
Course Outline
Introduction
- Introduction
- Course Description
- Understanding Plagiarism
- Pretest
- Pretest
- MLA Formatting MSWord 2007
- MLA Documentation updates
- MLA Citation
- MLA Incorporating Sources
Geography
- 5 Themes of Geography
- Essay: Themes of Geography
- Vocabulary
- Maps
- Cartography
- Handout: Cartography Presentation
- Quiz: Cartography
- Types of Maps
- Earth’s Hemispheres
- Continents
- Handout: World Map
- Assignment: World Map
- Physical Features
Citizenship: Duties, Rights, and Liberties
- Civics Introduction
- Worksheet: What is Civics?
- Gaining Citizenship
- Handout: Naturalization
- Assignment: Naturalization
- Melting Pot
- Worksheet: Citizenship
- Duties and Responsibilities of Citizenship
- Assignment: Positive Story
- Worksheet: Duties and Responsibilities of Citizenship
Foundations of American Government
- Chapter Intro
- The Purpose of Government
- Worksheet: Purpose of Government
- Values and Rules
- Essay: Social Groups
- The Roots of American Democracy
- Worksheet: America’s Political History
- The Articles of Confederation
- The Constitutional Convention
- Essay: Important Men in US History
- The Constitution
- Worksheet: The Constitution
- The Preamble
- Bill of Rights
- Worksheet: Bill of Rights
United States and its Federal Government
- Executive Branch
- Executive Cabinet and Agencies
- Worksheet: Executive Branch
- Vice President
- The Federal Budget
- Lesislative Branch
- Handout: Congressional Leadership
- Assignment: Congressional Leadership
- Powers of Congress
- Congress Meetings
- Worksheet: Legislative Branch
- Judicial Branch
- Assignment: Supreme Court Virtual Tour
- Authority of Judicial Branch
- Assignment: Judicial Branch
- Essay: Supreme Court Decision
Midterm
- Midtest
- Assignment: Midtest
- Quiz: Midterm Exam
State and Local Government
- State Governments
- Handout: State Constitutions
- Assignment: State Constitutions
- Worksheet: State Governments
- State’s Executive Branch
- State’s Legislative Branch
- Essay: State Legislator
- State Judicial System
- Worksheet: State Judicial System
- Correctional Facilities
- Handout: Juvenile Crime
- Assignment: Juvenile Crime
- Worksheet: Correctional Facilities
- Local Government
- Handout: Local Government
- Assignment: Local Government
- Worksheet: Local Government
- Community
- Essay: Community Programs Report
Elections, Parties, and Pressure Groups
- Political Parties
- Worksheet: Political Parties
- Public Polls
- Assignment: Public Opinion Poll
- Voting History
- Voting Rights for Minorities
- Voting Rights for Women
- The Right to Vote
- Handout: The Right to Vote
- Assignment: The Right to Vote
- Worksheet: Voting
The United States and the World
- American Foreign Policy
- Assignment: Early Foreign Policy
- Taking on Global Issues
- Handout: World Trade Organization
- Essay: Vocabulary Essay
- Assignment: World Trade Organization
- Essay: Global Issues Essay
Economics
- What is Economics?
- What Do We Have to Work With?
- Three Main Types of Economies
- Supply & Demand in a Market Economy
- Handout: Supply and Demand Web Lesson
- Assignment: Supply & Demand Web Lesson
- Assignment: Economics Project
Final Exam
- Post-test
- Assignment: Post-test
- Quiz: Final Exam
Course Evaluation
- Handout: Course Evalulation
- Assignment: Course Evaluation
