Sept 12, 2014

Meet the Teacher Night

What to expect in class?
Grading Policies Overview
Government is a required
class for seniors. This is
NOT an Advanced Place-
ment (AP) or Honors
course. Consequently, the
course is structured to be
challenging but with mini-
mal homework commit-
ments.
Students will usually have
a section of reading from
the textbook each night.
Notes are NOT required,
but if they do take notes
those notes can be used on
reflective journal questions
which are graded as home-
work grade. The students
think of these questions as
quizzes, I think of them as
accountability to do the
reading assignment.
My teaching style is a com-
bination of an interactive
lecture (lots of Q&A) and
pair-share. I love to hear
students processing and
internalizing the infor-
mation we cover in class.
For each of the three
branches of government,
the students will have a
simulation to help them
experience what we are
learning. The dates
(month/day) of the simula-
tions and/or big projects
are included on the right.
I try to keep the learning
interesting and fun but I do
expect a high level of en-
gagement and effort.


Sem. 1 grade calculation:
Q3= 45%, Q4= 45%
Final Exam = 10%
Sem. 2 grade calculation:
Q3= 45%, Q4= 45%
Final Exam= 10%
Category Weightings:
Tests: 40%
(roughly 3 a quarter)
Homework: 30%
Projects: 20%
Participation: 10%
Key Dates:
Moot Court Trial 9/26
Congressional
Simulation
12/1-
12/12
HS Final Exams 12/16-
12/18
Foreign Policy
Project Due
2/02/
2015
Senior Project 4/20
Government
1st semester free periods:
3rd and 4th Please stop
by or email me:
mccoskeyj@mca.org.tw
Need Money for College??

Voice of Democracy
Contest:
A 3-5 minute oral essay
contest hosted by the US
Veterans of Foreign Wars.
Topic: Why Veterans are
Important to Our Nations
History and Future
Due date: November 2014
Prizes range from 7000NT
for 1st place at Morrison to
the possibility of a $10,000
USD scholarship
Late Work and Participation Grade
Description from the Course Handbook
class, forgetting important
materials (paper, pen, text-
book), working on other
assignments, sleeping, dis-
tracting or off-task behav-
ior, etc. Participation points
are posted in Power School
at the end of each week.
Excused absences do not
need to make up participa-
tion points. Missing multi-
ple days of class usually
will result in poorer perfor-
mance on assessments.
LATE WORK. Homework
will receive a 10% deduc-
tion for each day that it is
late. A fully and thought-
fully completed late work
assignment will not receive
more than a 50% deduction.
It is still important to turn
in assignments to complete
the course. Excused absenc-
es will be treated according
to the Student Handbook.
Students should be able to
access assignments on Pow-
er School and in the class-
room.
PARTICPATION
POINTS. Each day of class
students can receive 2 par-
ticipation points. The as-
sumption of the teacher is
that those were received
because the student was
actively engaged (asking
questions, responding to
questions, on-task discus-
sion, etc). Points are de-
ducted for arriving late to
Studies or about a stu-
dents country of citizen-
ship is also an important
element in this course.
(Prerequisite: U.S. History,
senior class status)
Government is a year-long
course required for gradua-
tion.
This course focuses on the
philosophical, legal and
historic foundations and
major institutions of gov-
ernment with special focus
on the American state. Stu-
dents are acquainted with
the function of democracy
in the Republic by an in-
depth study of the three
branches of US govern-
ment, political activity,
political parties, and politi-
cal events. In addition, stu-
dents are introduced to the
Parliamentary styles of
government as well as a
special focus on Taiwans
government structure.
A project in current Asian
About the Teacher
in Minnesota, I returned to
Morrison in August 2002.
My parents and one of my
older sisters reside in Iowa.
My other older sister lives
in Maryland. Though I miss
my family, there is no other
place Id rather be than at
Morrison Academy.
Though a US citizen, I have
spent 23 years in Asia
(China and Taiwan). I am a
proud Morrison graduate
(class of 1996) and am be-
ginning my 13th year as the
HS government teacher at
Morrison. In addition, I
teach Psychology, assist in
sponsoring the senior class,
and sponsor the Model
United Nations (MUN)
program. I received my BA
in Secondary Education
and Psychology from Coe
College, IA in 2000. After
teaching two years at a
small Christian high school
Page 2
Government
Let every person be
subject to the governing
authorities. For there is
no authority except
from God, and those
that exist have been
instituted by God.
~Romans 13:1