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The A+LS Social Studies curriculum is a comprehensive, completely integrated Social Studies curriculum for grade levels 4-12. A sequence of eight titles provides for an extensive, integrated solution that is fully correlated to major mastery standards and leading, adopted textbooks.
The Social Studies titles deliver knowledge using a four-step approach: Study, Practice, Test and Essay modules are utilized to define the instructional environment. The Study module provides a text and graphics based delivery of knowledge. In this module, pictures and diagrams are utilized to present and reinforce important concepts. Each of the lessons in the Study modules contain a wealth of content and graphic support. The graphic images all magnify to full screen size to concisely present and reinforce these concepts. The Practice module provides the student an opportunity, in a non-scored and non-graded environment, to practice skills acquired through studying. Engaging, interactive feedback prompts the student to right answers when wrong answers to questions are entered, and the student has instant access to the Study material for reference. All questions in the Practice module are drawn from a bank of approximately 30 questions through an algorithm which randomizes question selection to prevent duplication. In the Test module, the student takes a scored examination, the results of which are recorded in the A+LS Management System. Upon completion of the Test, the student electronically "turns in" their test and may instantly see test results and the correct answers to questions missed. Questions can be in "multiple-choice" or "fill-in-the-blank" format. The Essay module allows the student to compose individual, free-form answers to a wide variety of questions and problems.
| LESSON # | LESSON TITLE | LESSON CONTENT |
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Government Functions | Why a country needs a government, what is government, what government provides for the citizens, the purposes of laws, the six goals of the American system. |
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The Nation State | Definition and examples of the nation state, population, territory, sovereignty, and the origin of government. |
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Systems of Government 1 | Identification and examples of various types of governments. |
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Systems of Government 2 | A discussion of the relationship of traditional, controlled, and market economic systems to various models of government, including anarchy, oligarchy, and democracy. |
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Origins of Government 1 | The original sources of American democracy, Greeks, Roman, Hammurabi Code, Magna Carta, and the English Bill of Rights, |
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Origins of Government 2 | The founding of the thirteen original colonies, and the relationship between England and colonial America, the Mayflower Compact, John Locke, Jean Jacques Rousseau, Montesquieu, and Thomas Paine. |
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Origins of Government 3 | The early attempts to unify the colonies, Albany Plan of Union, causes of the Revolutionary War, Proclamation of 1763, Intolerable Acts, and the First Continental Congress. |
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Origins of Government 4 | The development of a national government following the Revolutionary War, Second Continental Congress, State Constitutions, Articles of Confederation, Shay’s Rebellion, and the Constitutional Convention. |
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Origins of Government 5 | Development of a federal model of government at the Constitutional Convention, Virginia Plan, New Jersey Plan, Connecticut Compromise, 3/5 Compromise, separation of powers, and a system of checks and balances. |
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Applied Government | The creation of a student government based on the U. S. Constitution, including the use of parliamentary, confederate, unitary, federal, and presidential models of government. |
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The U. S. Constitution 1 | The origin and guiding principles of the Constitution, Preamble, Articles, Amendments, six goals of government and the Bill of Rights, popular sovereignty, separation of powers, limited government, judicial review, and federalism. |
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The U. S. Constitution 2 | The constitutional powers of the federal system that are guaranteed to the national, state, and local governments, concurrent, exclusive, expressed, implied, and inherent powers. |
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The Ratification Process | The ratification of the constitution between 1787 and 1789, State conventions, debate over a national bill of rights among the states, formal and informal amendment process, executive, legislative, and judicial powers. |
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Bill of Rights Debate | The debate in the First congress over the Bill of Rights, Federalist, Anti-federalists, states’ rights, Supremacy Clause, the ratification of the Bill of Rights by the states in 1791. |
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Amendments 1 | An examination of the twenty-seven Amendments to the U. S. Constitution in the area of basic rights, protection from the federal government, power of the states, power of the federal government and the changes to the structure of the federal government. |
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Amendments 2 | An in-depth analysis of the origin and meaning of each of the first ten Amendments including the freedoms of speech, religion, eminent domain, double jeopardy, and the reserved powers of the states. |
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Amendments 3 | An in-depth analysis of the origin and meaning of Amendments Eleven through Eighteen, including the abolishment of slavery, due process, poll taxes, income taxes, the direct election of senators, and prohibition. |
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Amendments 4 | An in-depth analysis of the origin and meaning of Amendments Nineteen through Twenty-seven, including the right to vote for women, limits on presidential terms, District of Columbia, and Presidential disability, 18-year old votes, and congressional pay. |
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Review 1 | Review of government functions, origins of government, the Constitution, and the Amendments. |
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Origins of Congress | The historical origins and development of legislatures, British parliament, Great council, Magna Carta, Petition of Right, English Civil War, English Bill of Rights, Constitutional Convention, and the Connecticut Compromise. |
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The Legislative Branch | The enumerated powers and prohibitions of the power of Congress, including taxes, regulation of commerce, necessary and proper clause, bills of attainder, writs of habeas corpus, and ex post facto laws. |
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Senate | The rules of the U. S. Senate, qualifications of the Senate, elections, salary, approval of the appointment of judges and treaties, impeachment, committees, leadership positions, how a bill becomes a law. |
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House of Representatives | The rules of the U. S. House of Representatives, qualifications for the Senate, election, salary, approval of the appointment of judges and treaties, impeachment, Rules committee, standing committee leadership positions, census and the apportionment of representatives, how a bill becomes a law. |
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Origin of the Presidency | The development of the executive branch of the national government, historical origins, autocracy, dictatorship, parliamentary model, presidential model, Constitutional convention. |
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Presidential Powers | The historical development of the Presidency, George Washington, Franklin Roosevelt, the vice Presidency, term limits, qualifica6tions for office, expressed and implied powers of the president. |
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Office of the President | The Executive Office of the President, including the Vice Presidency, Presidential succession, Presidential disability, White House Office, Bureau of the Budget, council of Economic Advisors, National Security Council, and the U.S. Trade Representative |
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Presidential Cabinet 1 | The origin and responsibilities of the President’s Cabinet, Department of State, Department of Foreign Affairs, United Nations, National Security Council, Ambassadors, Department of Defense, Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines. |
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Presidential Cabinet 2 | The origin and responsibilities of the President’s Cabinet, Department of Energy, Department of Health and Human Services, Social Security, Department of Education, Department of Housing and Urban Development, Rent Supplement Program, Department of Transportation, Department of Labor |
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Presidential Cabinet 3 | The origin and responsibilities of the President’s Cabinet, Department of the Interior, National Park Service, Department of Commerce, Census, Department of Agriculture, Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Department of Treasury, Bureau of Alcohol , Tobacco, and Firearms, Department of Veterans Affairs |
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Executive Agencies | The federal bureaucracy of the executive branch, independent agencies, commissions, corporations, Interstate Commerce Commission, Federal Communication Commission, Federal Reserve System, Consumer Product Safety Commission and others. |
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The Judicial Branch | The development of the American system of law, English Common Law, Parliament, statute law, colonial courts, judicial authority of the colonial governor and council, sovereignty, Articles of Confederation, Constitutional Convention, Judicial Act of 1789, Supremacy Clause |
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The Supreme Court | The Constitutional origin of the Supreme Court, inferior courts, judicial review, John Marshall, and special court cases. |
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Lower and Special Courts | Inferior courts created by Congress, Federal District Courts, original jurisdiction, appeals, territorial courts, Court of Federal Claims, Tax Courts, Court of Veterans Appeals |
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Federal Taxation Power | Constitutional Division of powers, federal system, delegated, reserve, and concurrent powers, expressed powers, power to tax, Protective tariff, limits on taxation, currency bankruptcy. |
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Fiscal and Monetary Policy | An explanation of fiscal policy and taxation, monetary policy and money and banking, income taxes, consumption tax, sales tax, tax base, tax rate, regressive, progressive, and proportional taxes, excise tax, personal property tax, Federal Reserve Board, discount rate, and the money supply. |
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Political Parties | Origin and development of political parties, influence on government, party organization, Federalists, Whigs, Third Parties, split-ticket voting. |
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Political Campaigns | The process of a Presidential campaign and election, winning the party nomination, closed primary, open primary, blanket primary, caucus, media coverage, and campaign finances. |
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Political Elections | Examination of campaign finances, public and private funds, finance laws, Political Action Committees, voting history, Amendments, general elections, electoral college |
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State Government 1 | The legal basis and historical origins of state government, Mayflower Compact, Virginia House of Burgesses, Fundamental Orders of Connecticut, reserved and concurrent powers |
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State Government 2 | Structure and responsibilities of state government, state services, organization of state government, constitutions, legislatures, bicameral and unicameral houses, elections, governors, powers of governor |
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State Government 3 | State agencies, Secretary of State, Attorney General, Auditor and Treasurer, Economic agencies, licensing agencies, judicial branch, Supreme Court, Trial Courts, taxes, petition, referendum and recall |
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State and Local Taxes | Relationship of federal government and state and local governments, counties, cities, villages power to tax, tax rates, business taxes |
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Local Government | The legal basis and structure of county government, county commissioners, elected county officials, sheriff, clerks, assessor, and city government including strong-mayor model, commission form of government, council-manager model and weak mayor model |
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Review 2 | Review of previous material |
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Comprehensive Exam | Comprehensive examination covering entire course content |
