A.P. Government & Politics
(U.S. Capitol Bldg. ~ Washington DC)
Welcome to Mr. Wimsett's A.P. Government Class
2023-24 Syllabus for Students (click)
(This is our road map for the year.)
(Must be signed and returned ASAP)
Recent Assignments/Activities:
(The newest items are always towards the top)
IF YOU HAVE NOT TURNED IN YOUR GOVERNMENT MEETING
FOR 2ND SEMESTER, GET IT DONE ASAP!!!
May 17, 20, 21 ~ Watch "Hamilton"
May 14-16 ~ Watch the movie, "McFarland USA"
May 13th ~ Work day
May 10th ~ Pass back Ch. 15, 4, and 5 Test
and go over them
May 9th ~ Finish, "Darkest Hour"
May 7th & 8th ~ Watch the movie, "Darkest Hour"
Study Guide for Ch 15, 4, and 5 (click)
May 6th ~ AP Government Exam Nationwide!
May 2nd & 3rd ~ AP Gov Review
May 1st ~ AP Government Test Prep Review (click)
April 30th ~ Test over Ch 15, 4, and 5
April 26th & 29th ~ Review for the test
April 25th ~ 2 items:
~ Amendments Test (click)
~ Review of Key Terms for Ch 15, 4, and 5 (click)
April 24th ~ 2 videos:
April 23rd ~ Letter from a Birmingham Jail (click)
April 19th & 22nd ~ Required Supreme Court Cases (click)
April 18th ~ Guest Speaker, Coach Nelson (BHHS Athletic Director)
~ the impact of Title IX on American society
April 17th ~ Will not see you guys because of the schedule
April 16th ~ Constitution USA--Built to Last (click)
Impact of Title IX (click)
April 15th ~ Guest Speaker--Robert Kondrat, Prosecutor for Washington
State Dept. of Financial Institutions
April 12th ~ Analyzing the 14th Amendment (click)
April 11th & 12th ~ Constitution USA--Created Equal (click)
April 10th ~ Finish up the Bill of Rights;
complete the following: Bill of Rights Activity (click)
April 9th ~ History of the Jury System Video Program (click)
April 8th ~ Continue going over the Bill of Rights
April 1st - 5th ~ Spring Break!
March 29th ~ Bill of Rights Lecture Notes (click)
March 28th ~ no class (Sr. Exit Interviews)
March 27th ~ Finish watching Constitution USA
March 26th ~ Go over Ch. 12 Tests,
then watch: Constitution USA--It's a Free Country (click)
Go to this link to watch the program:
March 25th ~ The Courts in America (click)
March 22nd ~ A Conversation with Chief Justice John Roberts
To watch this program, go to this link:
March 21st ~ Work day
March 20th ~ U.S. Supreme Court Internet Assignment
March 19th ~ Federalist No. 78--Independence of the Courts
March 18th ~ Supreme Court Special (click)
(only watch the first 45 minutes of the show,
the part that talks about the importance of John Marshall)
March 15th ~ Discuss news articles
March 14th ~ Work on the following:
~ News article for Friday
March 12th & 13th ~ Lecture Notes:
Creating the Federal Budget (click)
March 11th ~ Watch the State of the Union Address;
March 8th ~ power outage; students & staff released at 10:15 AM
March 7th ~ Federal Budget 101 Assignment (click)
March 6th ~ Test over Ch 12
March 4th & 5th ~ Finish the following:
1. Crash Course Gov Episodes 11 thru 14
2. Finish Ch 12 Key Terms Review
3. Finish the Study Guide for Ch 12
March 1st ~ Discuss News Articles
Feb. 29th ~ Crash Course Gov Episodes 11 through 14
Feb. 28th ~ Power & the Presidency Smithsonian Article & Questions (click)
Feb. 27th ~ Roles and Responsibilities of the President (click)
Feb. 26th ~ Mandate ~ the President and the People (click)
Go to this link to watch the program:
Feb. 23rd ~ Work on Federalist No. 70 assignment
Feb. 22nd ~ Finish up discussion about Presidential rankings;
begin reading Federalist No. 70 by Alexander Hamilton
Feb. 21st ~ Presidential ranking activity
Feb. 20th ~ Finish watching, "The White House--Inside Story"
Feb. 19th ~ President's Day (No School)
Feb. 16th ~ Eat birthday cake! Thank you, Freya!
Feb. 15th ~ Snow Day
Feb. 14th ~ Test over Ch. 11 ~ Congress
Feb. 12th & 13th ~ Review Days
Feb. 8th & 9th ~ Begin watching:
"The White House--Inside Story"
(takes a behind the scenes look at the Presidency)
Feb. 7th ~ 2 items for today:
~ Key Terms Review for Ch. 11 Congress (click)
Feb. 5th & 6th ~ Congress ~ Powers & Structure (click)
Feb. 2nd ~ Early Release 10:15 AM,
End of 1st semester
Jan. 31st & Feb. 1st ~ Work days
Jan. 30th ~ Watch Crash Course Gov't Episodes 6-10
Jan. 29th ~ Hand back & go over Ch. 10 Test,
finish lecture notes from the previous week
Jan. 26th ~ News article discussion
Jan. 25th ~ Work day
Jan. 24th ~ Intro to Congress Lecture Notes:
Jan. 23rd ~ Congress Internet Assignment
Jan. 22nd ~ Finish watching "The Congress"
Jan. 19th ~ Continue watching "The Congress"
by Ken Burns
Jan. 18th ~ Test over Ch. 10
Jan. 17th ~ Because of the shortened periods,
we will take the Ch. 10 test tomorrow.
~ Instead, we'll begin watching the program on
Congress by Ken Burns
Jan. 16th ~ Review Day:
~ Turn in your news article write-ups
~ Finish up your study guide for Ch. 10
~ Review for the Ch. 10 Test on Wed.
Jan. 15th ~ Dr. Martin Luther King Holiday
Jan. 12th ~ News Article Discussion
Jan. 11th ~ Work Day
~ Finish news article reviews for Friday
~ Work on the Ch. 10 Study Guide
Jan. 10th ~ Finish "Boeing's Fatal Flaw",
go over the Ch. 8 & 9 Test
Jan. 9th ~ Explain "Iron Triangles", then
watch: "Frontline-Boeing's Fatal Flaw"
Jan. 8th ~ Finish up lecture notes;
then watch, "In It to Win: The Jack Abramoff Story"
Jan. 4th & 5th ~ Lecture Notes:
Special Interests in America (click)
Jan. 3rd ~ Crash Course Government 42 & 43
Dec. 20th thru Jan. 2nd ~ Winter Break
Dec. 19th ~ Happy Holidays!
Dec. 18th ~ Special Interest Group Assignment (click)
Dec. 15th ~ Test over Ch 8 & 9
(reminder study guides are due before you take the test)
Dec. 13th-14th ~ Work Days
~ Finish your Ch 8 & 9 Study Guide
~ Review for the Ch 8 & 9 Test on Friday
Dec. 12th ~ Return Chapters 6 & 7 Test
Dec. 11th ~ "Big Sky, Big Money"
Dec. 8th ~ Discuss News Articles
Dec. 6th & 7th ~ Lecture Notes:
~ Campaigning in Modern America (click)
Dec. 1st, 4th, & 5th ~ Video: Electoral Dysfunction
Nov. 30th ~ Money in Politics
~ Money in Politics Internet Assignment (click)
Nov. 29th ~ Political Parties
~ Crash Course Government 40 and 41 (click)
Study Guide for Chapters 6 & 7 (click)
Nov. 28th ~ TEST over Chapters 6 & 7
Nov. 27th ~ Review Day for Chapters 6 & 7
~ Review of Key Terms for Chapters 6 & 7 (click)
Nov. 23-24 ~ No School--Thanksgiving Break
Nov. 22nd ~ Early Release--10:15 AM
(No assignments for this day)
Nov. 21st ~ Thanksgiving/Holiday Puzzles
Nov. 20th ~ Political Parties Assignment:
~ Political Parties Internet Assignment (click)
Nov. 17th ~ News article discussion
Nov. 16th ~ Work Day
Nov. 15th ~ News Analysis Assignment:
Nov. 14th ~ Assignment:
~ Local Newspapers are Dying (click)
Nov. 13th & 14th ~ Lecture Notes:
~ The Media and Politics (click)
Nov. 10th ~ No School (Veteran's Day Observed)
Nov. 9th ~ Where Media and Politics Meet
Nov. 8th ~ 2 Crash Course Gov't Videos 44 & 45
Nov. 7th ~ Read the following article & answer the questions:
Nov. 6th ~ Finish lecture notes from last week
Nov. 3rd ~ 2 items for today:
Nov. 2nd ~ continue with lecture notes from Tuesday
Nov. 1st ~ Work day
Oct. 31st ~ Lecture Notes:
~ Public Opinion & Political Action (click)
Oct. 30th ~ 2 items:
~ Handout the study guide for Chapters 6 & 7
~ Watch DVD--Inside Washington's Elections
Oct. 27th ~ Discuss news articles
Oct. 26th ~ Work on new article reviews
Oct. 25th ~ Healthy Youth Survey
Oct. 24th ~ Test over Chapters 2 & 3
~ Study guides must be turned in BEFORE you
take the test!
Oct. 23rd ~ Review Day
~ great day to finish up your study guide
as well as review the key terms from Chapters 2 & 3
~ You might want to bring your textbook to class!
Oct. 20th ~ News Article Discussion
Oct. 18th & 19th ~ Federalism Venn Diagram Activity
~ see Mr. Wimsett for this assignment
Oct. 16th & 17th ~ Lecture Notes on Federalism
~ US Constitution & Federalism (click)
Oct. 13th ~ News Article Discussion
Oct. 12th ~ Finish watching the video from Wed.
Oct. 11th ~ Federalism
~ Begin watching: "Constitution USA ~ A More Perfect Union"
~ Video Question Sheet (click)
Oct. 9th & 10 ~ Lecture Notes
~ The Constitutional Convention Slideshow (click)
Oct. 6th ~ Work day
Oct. 5th ~ Presentation by the Counseling Dept.
Oct. 2nd thru 4th ~ Constitution
Federalist 10 and 51 questions (click)
Brutus No. 1 questions (click)
Exploring the US Constitution (click)
Sept. 29th ~ News Article Discussion
~ Be ready to share your news article write up
~ Remember your article needs to focus on something related to Congress
Sept. 27th & 28th ~ Constitution Video
~ Liberty! The American Revolution, Part 6 (click)
Chapter 1 Study Guide (click)
Sept. 26th ~ Test over Chapter 1
~ Study guides must be turned in before the test
Sept. 25th ~ Review Day for the Test
Sept. 22nd ~ News Article Discussion
~ Roundtable discussion for students to share articles
they wrote about
~ Be sure to turn them into the basket at the front of the room
Sept. 21st ~ Work Day
~ Finish up your news article reviews
(due tomorrow--be ready to discuss your article)
~ Work on your Chapter 1 Study Guide
~ Friendly reminder...Chapter 1 TEST on Tuesday!
Sept. 20th ~ Finish up lecture notes
Sept. 19th ~ Lecture continued
~ finish up lecture notes from Monday
Sept. 18th ~ Intro to Government & Politics
~ Crash Course Government Episode 1 (click)
~ Intro to Politics Lecture Notes (click)
Sept. 15th ~ Discuss News Article Review Assignment
~ Find an article to write about for next Friday, Sept. 22nd
~ Focus on local and/or state government
~ Sample News Article Write-up (click)
Sept 14th ~ Discussion about political ideology results
Sept. 13th ~ Political Ideology Tutorial & Quiz
~ Political Socialization & Political Ideology (click here for the assignment)
~ You will need your Chromebook to complete this assignment
Sept. 12th ~ Go over the following:
~ Class expectations
~ Course Syllabus
~ Sign up for AP Classroom & Exam (thru the College Board site)
~ Share "My Story" slideshow
Sept. 11th ~ Several items for today:
~ Go to the library to pick up textbooks
~ Handout Chapter 1 Study Guide
~ Picture day--students head to the mat room to have their picture taken
Sept. 8th ~ As a group, share out discussions that happened in small groups
Sept. 7th ~ Exploring our political beliefs
~ Government Meeting Assignment (click)
~ AP Gov Student Questionnaire (click)
~ Break into groups for discussion
Sept. 6th ~ Welcome Back
~ Opening Day Student Questionnaire (click)
~ Summer News Quiz 2023 (click)
~ Followed by a discussion about the importance of paying attention to the news
The first day of school is Wed. Sept. 6th. Looking forward to meeting all of my students!