Exploring Government (Gr. 11-12)

Exploring Government is a well-constructed course with a strong underlying biblical and Christian worldview. Written with the three-fold purpose of educating, inspiring, and (sometimes) warning, there is an emphasis on the biblical basis for government and on understanding the U.S. Constitution. The one semester (1/2 credit) course of 75 lessons is organized into four Parts that are divided into 15 (weekly) Units. Part 1 provides background information regarding the formation of American government, the history and development of the idea of government, as well as the aforementioned biblical basis. It also looks at the U.S. from the standpoint of being an exercise in government formation. Part 2 examines the U.S. Constitution, the three branches of American government, and the constitutional amendments. Part 3 covers state and local governments along with issues related to taxes and budgeting. Part 4 covers the issues currently facing our government both internationally and at home.  Each Unit includes an Introduction Page which gives a brief overview of the Unit, lists the books used, and a list of projects for students to select from. Occasionally, a special assignment is provided. Along with the 1/2-year Government credit, an optional half-year English credit is available. To receive this credit, students read the assigned books and complete the literary analysis in the Student Review as well as one project from each unit. New to the 4^th edition, are updated lessons on election integrity, decisions of the Supreme Court, and international relations. The curriculum includes updated statistics and many new photographs, illustrations, and charts. Students should allow one hour per day to read the lesson as well as the relevant documents and answer the review questions. Additional time is necessary to complete the unit projects, read the recommended books, and take the quizzes and tests. For the teacher/parent there's little that must be done except grading, but both parents and students will undoubtedly profit from related discussions. Due to the changes, the 4^th edition is not compatible with the previous editions.

Curriculum Package includes the Student Text and a collection of historical documents, essays, & speeches called We Hold These Truths (189 pgs, hc). The 494-page, hardcover Student Text provides 4-7 pgs of highly readable, succinctly written text for each lesson along with any additional assigned readings from We Hold These Truths. The course is well illustrated with full color images and photographs, as well as occasional black and white photographs. As the course progresses, the student is continually encouraged to examine the difference between government and politics as well as between what is and what should be.  One of the greatest strengths of this program is the interesting collection of documents found in We Hold These Truths. Included in this compilation are excerpts of "founding fathers" material – the Declaration of Independence, the Articles of Confederation, the Constitution, and others from this time period…as you would expect. There are also some interesting documents highlighting the development of American governmental philosophy (i.e. Magna Carta, etc.) and some key constitutional issues (separation of church and state). It also includes a selection of documents on contemporary issues including the authorization for the use of military force against Iraq, Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols grand jury indictment, public policy thoughts, morality and foreign policy, rights and responsibilities of citizens, and more.   

The suggested Student Review Pack includes The Student Review Book, the Quiz and Exam Book, and the Guide for Parents/Answer Key. Each of these titles are softcover. The Student Review Book includes a note to parents, review questions and literary analysis activities. It also includes brief notes and/or summary analysis on the literature selections. It is not reproducible. No answers are included in the Student Review Book. The Quiz and Exam Book includes a quiz for each unit and three exams (each covers five units). It is not reproducible. Answers are found in the Guide for Parents and Answer Key. The Guide for Parents and Answer Key offers an overview for parents, grading suggestions, literature summaries, and alternate literature options. Along with the answers to the student review questions, literary analysis questions, and the quizzes and exams, the authors have included the page number where the correct answer is located. These three resources are conveniently sold as a Package. They are also available individually. We have also created a literature package with the four recommended books. ~Janice and Deanne