Spring 2019 Course Syllabi

POLS 115: American Government 2 in class activities. Your preparation will be essential to the proper functioning of the class and to earning your final grade. Unexcused absences will negatively affect your grade. If need to miss a class for any reason, please notify the professor as soon as possible. It may be possible to complete an alternative assignment with prior approval from the professor. If you have to miss a class due to DBC obligation (for example, travel for a game or Leaderjack event), then your in-class or writing assignment will be due before the next class section. Critical Assessment Essays  All essays are submitted as a Microsoft Word document on Blackboard via Safe Assign. o All essays will be assessed on the thesis/issue and claim statements, source analysis, content requirements, and writing mechanics. o All essays can be rewritten for a new grade  Issue Papers (IP): o Students must submit three 2-page IP essays during the semester. o Students are required to complete at least one IP for each course section; except for the course section your essay is due. o IP Due Dates: Fridays at 8:00 pm, the week the issue is covered.  Analytical Essay : Students must submit a 5 page essay o Students are required to submit a prospectus, outline, and rough draft before the final draft. o Students are required to meet with the professor weekly to review their prospectus, outline, and rough draft before the final draft. o Essays will analyze at least 3 sources from the class schedule. o Alternatives to an essay may be possible with prior approval from the professor.  Essay alternatives include, but not limited to, amicus brief, art project, film/video, historical fiction, interpretative dance, museum exhibit, website, or photography. o Essay Due Dates: Tuesdays at 8:00 pm during the course section for your essay. In Class Evaluations (ICE) Students are responsible for participating and completing all in-class evaluations. ICE includes, but not limited to, group presentations, debates, essays, source analysis, interactive notes, and quizzes. ICE group assignments are graded individually and as a group. You will be given further instructions on how complete the assignments well before they are due. Final Project The final project is a 15 to 20-minute group presentation during finals week. Groups will create a thesis, provide claims, analyze sources, and end with a conclusion. Each student will be responsible for 3-5 minutes of the overall presentation. The instructor will assign students to groups. Visual Presentations Due Date: Monday May 6 at 10:00 am Final Project Due Date: Monday May 6 from 3:00-5:00 pm Extra Credit Students may complete 5 extra credit assignments. The professor will offer various extra credit opportunities throughout the semester, including public lectures, secondary sources, primary sources, etc. Each paper should follow the requirements for an issue paper (IP). You will be assessed on the thesis/issue, analysis, requirements, and writing mechanics. Due on Fridays at 8:00 pm, the week the issue is covered. Late Assignments No late assignments will be accepted. If you have other significant commitments (for example, a midterm scheduled the same day) that will not allow you turn in your best work, let me know ahead of time to set an alternate deadline for the assignment. If an unexpected emergency arises, such as a major illness or family emergency, let me know as soon as possible and we will reschedule. Grading Guidelines A is an exceptional grade reserved for work of exceptional quality. This assignment has all the qualities of B work, and in addition are well written, edited closely, display analytical skills and/or originality. The last two criteria are extremely important.