Prof. Joe Meyer's Poli. Sci. 1 - Online - Assignments Page
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*If you cannot attend all three on campus meetings - all on saturdays at 1 pm - on 9/20, 12/6, 12/13 - DROP THE CLASS NOW!
We will be using eTudes for this semester - learn it - use it - get on it! NOW! There are no prerequisites for this class. However, you should be able to read and write at the college level . Texts : Struggle For Democracy, Greenberg & Page (any edition) AND California Government, Mona Fields, any edition. The custom edition of the Greenberg and Page book comes with the Mona Fields book in the back and may be purchased only at the LACC bookstore. It also comes with the codes for mypoliscilab.com. (for extra credit). You may purchase older non-custom editions online at varsitybooks.com, amazon.com, half.com etc. Make sure you buy both books.) Course Objectives: Students will develop an understanding of and be able to discuss the following concepts: power, federalism, limited government, civil liberties, the pluralist and elite theories of U.S. government, the legislative process, the electoral process, interest groups, the independent judiciary, political parties, domestic and foreign policy and the role of the media in politics. Students will be able to write college level essays on all these topics. Students will be expected to analyze their own political beliefs and others'. Students will also learn to spot "ugly English." Course Learning Outcomes: "Students will be able to synthisize class information so as to be able to critically analize a political process in American politics." You are expected to do the reading (from the text) for each week... Then Go to the Home Page and click on the appropriate "Lecture Page" for each week. You can also access each week's lesson through eTudes . You can read ahead a little - but don't fall behind! (The week starts on Tuesday morning and runs through midnight Sunday (12am). The Class Home Page will be changed every Monday. The week ends midnight Sunday. Late work will be substantially graded down. When the week ends - if you haven't turned in the work due that week - its late! Turn it in asap - some points are better than none. GRADING:
NOTE WELL: You cannot earn a grade higher than a D in the class if you do not take the final or complete the course project or both. ALSO: you must attend all three on campus meetings. No exceptions. **If you buy the custom edition (at the bookstore) it comes with a disc and code and I'll give you the class code and you can take fifteen "Chapter Exams" - they are pretty easy and lame (ten m/c questions each) but it is provided by the publisher and there are other study aids as well on mypoliscilab.com - but you have to buy the custom book to get the codes to use mypoliscilab.com) Start reading your textbooks as soon as you get them. Read the Greenberg text each week. Make sure you have read the California State Government text (by Fields) before the midterm. On Week 1 - send Prof Meyer an email saying you are in the class and sign in on the Class Bulletin Board on eTudes . Class Bulletin Board: Get on eTudes. Go to the College web page, on the left, click on "classes/areas of study" - From there - look to the right - in the light blue area - see where it says "eTudes portal"? - well - first click on "eTudes help" and take the tutorial and learn how to use eTudes. If you can't get on eTudes, maybe you shouldn't take an online class??? Posting work on the Class Bulletin Board (on eTudes ) serves several functions. First, it is an attempt to build a sense of "group" even if it is only "virtual." Second, it allows students to see if any other students are working on similar policy areas. You are encouraged to "make friends" and to work together whenever possible. Of course, every student has to do her or his own work. Third, posting work creates an open environment where we can help each other by sharing ideas. Fourth, it takes advantage being online in a way a traditional class could not. Much class work will be done on eTudes . So you will need to be able to access eTudes by the second week of class (at the latest). If you cannot get on eTudes by the end of week two you will be dropped from the class. I will leave the "Class Bulletin Board" open all semester for students to use to contact each other. You Must send me an email ON THE FIRST WEEK so that I can verify your enrollment status. Do this on the 1st week of class. meyerjn@lacitycollege.edu Week 2: You Must "sign in" on the "Week Two Class check-in Bulletin Board" on eTudes . ALSO - read the Orwell Article and start looking for Ugly English examples. Click here to go to Orwell & Ugly English Assignment Explained. The Quizzes will be "posted" on the week they are given. They are entirely based on the text, supplemented by the web pages. The quizzes will be taken on Moodle. You can take the quiz at any time within the week the test is posted. Quizzes CAN NOT be taken late (nor early) without PRIOR written consent of the instructor. NO MAKE UP TESTS! CLASS DISCUSSIONS: All you do, really, is what you would do in class. Say what you think and why you think it. In a paragraph or two give your opinion and the reasons for it. When commenting on others' thoughts, don't just say "I agree," say why you agree. Contribute to the discussion. You can access the discussions, when they are open and active on eTudes . Remember to include your name and email address on everything you say, or you won't get credit. No anonymous postings, please. The class discussions are graded at the end of the year in their totality. You can earn up to 100 points by simply posting your opinion and responded to some one else's opinion (at least once each discussion). Do what is required and earn 100 points. Do less and earn less. The class discussions can be accessed on eTudes when they are open and active! Here are the topics: Discussion One: How to fix LAUSD? Discussion Two: LACCD - What should be our mission? Discussion Three: LAPD - Have they reformed? Discussion Four: What's the stateof education in our state? Discussion Five: Victory in Iraq? Week 3 - Sat. 9/20, 1pm - We will have our first on campus meeting. It starts at 1pm - be on time or lose points. Location TBA. Bring a picture ID or you will be dropped form the class. You must attend or you will be dropped form the class. It will last about two hours. Due Week 4: YOUR COURSE PROJECT DECLARATION is one page (typed, double spaced) stating which project you picked and the following information, depending upon your choice. Each Project has slightly different information you must tell me on your Declaration. For CP #1 - briefly describe the problem and level of government. For CP #2 - tell what date you are planning on going downtown. For CP #3 - list the films you will watch for the project. For CP #4 - tell exactly which local government you will use for your project. Send this via email: meyerjn@lacitycollege.edu Once you have chosen a course project you CANNOT change it - just make up your mind early and stick with it! The choices for Course Project are discussed in greater detail at the link below, but briefly they are: 1. The Policy Argument - where you propose and argue for a specific government policy at a specific level of government. 2. The Downtown LA Project - where you turn downtown LA and write on what "revitalize downtown LA" means to you. 3. The Leadership Project - where you investigate what "leadership" means in our complex democracy. 4. The State Government Project - where you answers questions about state government and investigate your own State Assembly and State Senate districts. Click here to see details about the Course Projects. Due Week 5: The UGLY ENGLISH EXAMPLE AND TRANSLATION simply involves finding an example of what Orwell calls "ugly English." Then translate your example it into "standard" or "simplified" English. Here's what to do: Find an example (a word or phrase) and type it in quotes. Note the source. Provide the simplified "translation" of how the author (or speaker or whatever) could have better made the point. You can use newspapers, magazines, text books, radio or t.v. broadcasts, even things you hear people. All these are places to find examples of inappropriate jargon, obtuse verbiage, over-used expressions, inappropriate foreign terms and the like. Be creative, this just might be fun! For further information and examples click here to go to Orwell & Ugly English Assignment Explained. The Ugly English assignment must be emailed to me by the end of week 5. (My week starts on Tuesday morning.) If you find an example, attempt a translation, and email it to me when it due, you get 50 points. (It's kind of like a gift!) Due Week 7: The Political Contribution Project: The Political Contribution Project - click here for more details - You have a million dollars to give to either five or ten political groups. This can be done on the web and just might be fun - check it out. Send this via email - do not attach anything - just follow the directions and you'll earn the fifty points!!! Due Week 8: The Party Identification (ID) Project: The Party Identification (ID) Project - click here for details - You are forced to look around your world and find which political party people around you identify with. Then you share our results via email - do not attach anything - just follow the directions and you will earn the 50 points!!! Week 9: The MidTerm Exam: Will be multiple choice, and other kinds of questions and one essay question about state government. You will take it on Moodle. Make sure you have read the California State Government text (by Fields) before the midterm. Due Week 14 (Sat. 12/6 - On campus meeting): The Course Project click here to see details about the Course Projects. THE COURSE PROJECT POSTER AND PRESENTATION: will be displayed for the class, and you will have to do a five minute oral PRESENTATION on your poster, on Course Project Day. The Poster simply displays what you have done for your Course Project. Use a standard Poster size board (or a "scientific" or tri-board) and make it visually interesting. On Sat., 1pm, 12/13, Location TBA: The FINAL EXAM Notice it is worth 200 points! 100 points for 50 multiple guess questions (scantron). those questions will be much like the four reading tests (quizzes). The second half will be (my choice of) TWO ESSAYS from the list provided by clicking here. You may take the final with either of my on campus classes with prior appointment. The Final CAN NOT be taken late. NOTE WELL: You cannot earn better than a D in this course if you do not take the final or you do not turn in the Course project or both. Students are responsible to live up to, and adhere to, all rules and regulations listed in the Student Handbook, the College Catalog, the College Schedule of Classes, and the various regulations, requirements and rules of the College and the District. Students with disabilities or who need any assistance or reasonable accommodation should contact the instructor. Such students are encouraged to contact the Office of Disabled Student Services Note Well: Plagiarism is the serious ethical and legal violation of presenting other people's words or ideas as your own. Plagiarism or any other form of cheating can result in a failing grade for the paper, a failing grade for the course, and a formal report to the dean of students. See the student conduct code in the Catalog and Schedule of Classes. Students are encouraged to form and work in study groups. However each student must do her or his own work. Students who copy, cheat, plagiarize or in other fashion violate the spirit or letter (or both) of the rules of the College or the District (or both) may be excluded from this class, at a minimum. Please do not ask for an incomplete. I will not grant it. Any questions - please email me: meyerjn@lacitycollege.edu |