Enrolling Now for 2026-27 School Year.
Enrolling Now for 2026-27 School Year.
AP® U.S. Government and Politics Learning Coach Guide Contents Part C Unit Information12 Foundations of American Democracy Unit13 Interactions Between Branches of the United States Government Unit14 Exploring Civil Liberties and Civil Rights Unit15 Political Ideologies and Beliefs in the United States Unit16 Political Participation in U.S. Politics Unit17 Part AWelcome to AP® U.S. Government and Politics Welcome Letter Dear Learning Coach, Thank you for partnering with CCA and investing in your learner’s education. This Learning Coach Guide is intended to help you support your learner in their AP® U.S. Government and Politics course. Within this guide, you will find the goals, components, and features of the online course. Please take time to read and review this information so you understand how to help your learner interact with all the course’s elements. The Learning Coach Guide also includes information about each of the units in this course. On each page of unit information, you will discover the following. The Unit Overview will tell you what the focus, content, and skills of the unit will be. The Unit Assessment section is a place for you and your learner to preview the graded work in the course. At the start of each unit, work with your learner to look at the unit in edio and find out which types of graded work are in this unit. Write them in the box and use it as a checklist. You can check off each one as your learner completes it. The Unit Materials section tells you the materials your learner will need to complete the activities in this unit. You will also find the materials list repeated within each lesson so that your learner has exactly what they need at the right time. The Unit Discussion Questions are optional questions that you may want to ask your learner during the unit to increase home and school connections about what your learner is studying. In the Unit Notables section, you may find optional activities, career connections, technology tips, ideas to help your learner if they get stuck, or safety tips. CCA wishes you and your learner a terrific school year! Supporting Your Learner Your role as a Learning Coach is very important. Here are a few ways you can help your learner do their very best in the course. Help your learner know what time guided or live class instruction is scheduled for, and prompt them to attend sessions or watch recordings. Remember, it is okay for your learner to get stuck. Learning new material takes time. Encourage them to take breaks, keep trying, and even ask the teacher for help. Help your learner navigate technology. That may mean helping them type information or upload work into edio. Always encourage your learner to do their very best. Review the course syllabus for your learner’s course. Advanced Placement® (AP) courses require more from the learners than other courses. You may find that your learner needs more practice, more review, and more support to be successful when compared to non-AP® courses. Excellent AP® learners should strive for mastery. Think of athletes and musicians. They practice until they are excellent. AP® learners should follow that kind of work ethic. Maintain communication with your learner’s teacher. Part BCourse Information Course Goals In AP® U.S. Government and Politics, your learner will study the various institutions, groups, beliefs, and ideas that are involved in government in the United States. Your learner will study the institutions of government, the political beliefs of the American people, and the way the two interact. By the end of the year, your learner will be able to: explain the ideas, experiences, and debates that contributed to the drafting of the United States Constitution; describe the structure, powers, and functions of the three branches of government in the United States; explain federalism, checks and balances, and the separation of powers; understand and explain key Supreme Court decisions and their effects on civil liberties and civil rights; explain the major political ideologies and beliefs of the American people; evaluate the factors that contribute to the development of political ideology and political beliefs; use charts, tables, graphs, and maps to draw conclusions about U.S. government and political processes; read and analyze foundational documents in U.S. government; and write persuasive arguments about U.S. government and politics and use evidence to support those arguments. Course Format Lesson Components: Each day, your learner will spend approximately 50–60 minutes completing an AP® U.S. Government and Politics lesson. Some days may take less time, while other days may take a little more time. It is common for learners taking AP® courses to spend time outside of the scheduled class time completing course reading or studying. This section will help you to understand how your learner’s course is structured in edio. Lesson Bundling: Often, your learner will see a bundle of lessons within one day. A lesson bundle is a collection of lessons that stack up to equal one full class period. The first lesson in every unit is often a bundle of lessons that introduce your learner to a new unit. See the example below. Additionally, quizzes and knowledge checks in this course often come in a lesson bundle with another lesson. Within the lesson bundles, there are different components your learner will interact with. These components will not be used every day. 1. Getting Started Lesson: There is one Getting Started lesson in this course. It can be found on Day 1 of Unit 1. This lesson includes important information about the course and contact information for your teacher. 2. Unit Overview: Each unit will include a unit overview. This describes what your learner will learn in the unit and how many assessments the unit will have. 3. Prep for Success: At the beginning of each unit, your learner will find a Prep for Success. This component offers your learner tips to be successful in the course, such as study tips, important software information, safety reminders, and more. 4. Knowledge Check: There will be at least two Knowledge Checks in each unit. The Knowledge Check is designed to check prior learning and understanding about key skills and concepts that will be taught in the unit. The Knowledge Check is not a graded assessment. Each lesson has its own components to help guide your learner through the lesson. 1. Lesson Overview: At the beginning of every lesson, your learner will see the lesson overview. This section contains lesson objectives, lesson vocabulary, materials your learner will need for the lesson, and the suggested lesson length. 2. Engage: The first section of the lesson is Engage. In this section, your learner will be introduced to the lesson by making a connection to past and present knowledge and will get ready for the lesson’s instruction. 3. Discover: New content and instruction is presented in the Discover section. Your learner will interact with the lesson content through defined vocabulary terms, videos, audio, and Pause and Think activities. Your learner will be able to practice and answer questions as they work through the lesson. 4. Show: Your learner will demonstrate what they have learned in the lesson through a series of practice questions. 5. Summary: This section recaps the day’s objectives and prepares your learner for a future lesson or assessment. The course includes assignments and projects. These graded assignments allow your learner to show what they have learned and apply their new skills. All CCA assignments and projects include these components. 1. Assessment Overview: At the beginning of each assessment, your learner willsee the assessment overview. This section contains the goals of the assessment, materials your learner will need, the length of the assessment, and directions for completion. 2. Plan: In the Plan section, your learner will be introduced to the assignment or project. Your learner may be provided with a review of content from the previous lessons, strategies for completing the activity, graphic organizers, and grading rubrics. 3. Do: Your learner put their plan into action and work to complete the assignment or project successfully. This section also provides the grading expectations and/or rubric the teacher will use to grade the work. 4. Reflect: In Reflect, your learner will think about the work they completed. They will reflect upon the experience and analyze how well they completed the task. These moments of reflection are important and allow your learner to think about their learning and their work habits. In addition to assignments and projects, this course also includes quizzes, tests, and exams. Quiz: A quiz may be given at the end of a topic or the end of a unit. Test Review: Before a test, your learner will have the opportunity to review the content they will be assessed on in the test. Test: A test will assess learning across topics or at the end of a unit. Exam Review: Before an exam, your learner will have the opportunity to review the content they will be assessed on in the exam. Exam: An exam assesses learning over multiple units. Exams are usually seen asmidterm and final exams in Advanced Placement® courses. Course Features In addition, the AP® U.S. Government and Politics course will include lessons designed to prepare your learner for the types of questions they will encounter on the AP® exam in May. In particular, your learner will complete lessons designed to develop their skills in answering the four Free-Response Questions (FRQs). The FRQs are questions on the exam that require a written response. The four types of FRQs are: Concept Application: This FRQ presents your learner with a scenario that requires an explanation of the effects of a political institution or behavior on that scenario. Quantitative Analysis: This FRQ requires your learner to analyze a chart of a graph and describe both the information on the chart or graph and its impact on government and politics. SCOTUS Comparison: This FRQ requires your learner to compare the results of two Supreme Court cases. Argument Essay: This argument essay requires your learner to create an argument in response to a question and defend the argument with reasoning and evidence. This course will include writing workshops in every unit that will assist your learner in mastering the skills necessary for success on the FRQs. The AP® U.S. Government course also requires your learner to have knowledge of 9 foundational documents and 14 required Supreme Court cases. The nine foundational documents are: The Declaration of Independence The Article of Confederation The Constitution of the United States Letter From Birmingham Jail The 14 required Supreme Court cases are: Marbury v. Madison (1803) McCulloch v. Maryland (1819) Schenck v. United States (1919) Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka (1954) Baker v. Carr (1961) Engel v. Vitale (1962) Gideon v. Wainwright (1963) Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District (1969) New York Times Company v. United States (1971) Wisconsin v. Yoder (1972) Shaw v. Reno (1993) United States v. Lopez (1995) McDonald v. Chicago (2010) Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission (2010) This course will include lessons focusing on these documents and cases in order to ensure that your learner has knowledge of all the required content for the exam. Part CUnit Information Foundations of American Democracy Unit Unit Overview In this unit, your learner will focus on the ideas and events that led to the Declaration of Independence and the writing of the United States Constitution. Topics of study will include the events that led to independence, the writing and ratification of the Constitution, and the major principles in the Constitution. Unit Assessments Quiz _________________________ Test _________________________ Assignment ________________ Project _____________________ Exam _______________________ Have your learner identify which assessment type they see in their unit. Check all that apply. Unit Discussion Questions What did you find surprising about the Articles of Confederation and the Constitution? What foundational document do you understand the most and the least? Unit Notables Your learner will read and analyze several difficult and complicated primary documents in this unit. Your learner might need support and encouragement. Remind your learner to focus on understanding the big picture. Learners interested in this unit might enjoy visiting Independence Hall in Philadelphia. Information can be found on their website. Kit Materials none Household Materials connected device, highlighters, notebook/binder, pencils, and pens Interactions Between Branches of the United States Government Unit Unit Overview In this unit, your learner will focus on the three branches of United States government. Learners will study the make-up and constitutional powers of the executive, legislative, and judicial branches. In addition, the unit will focus on the role all parts of government play in policy-making in the United States. Unit Assessments Quiz _________________________ Test _________________________ Assignment ________________ Project _____________________ Exam _______________________ Have your learner identify which assessment type they see in their unit. Check all that apply. Unit Discussion Questions Which branch of government do you believe has the most power in the United States? Why is the process of policy-making so complicated in the United States? What aspects of the writing process are you finding to be the most challenging? Unit Notables This is a long unit with a lot of information about how government functions in the United States. Encourage your learner to study a little bit at a time during this unit. This unit is also a great opportunity to discuss current events at home. Talking about what the government is doing can help learners apply what they are learning in class. Kit Materials none Household Materials connected device, highlighters, notebook/binder, pencils, and pens Exploring Civil Liberties and Civil Rights Unit Unit Overview In this unit, your learner will focus on how the Bill of Rights has been interpreted in order to balance the power of government and the civil liberties of individuals. It will also focus on how the amendments have been used by social movements to protect civil rights. Topics of study include the freedom of expression, the freedom of religion, the right to bear arms, and protections for the criminally accused. Unit Assessments Quiz _________________________ Test _________________________ Assignment ________________ Project _____________________ Exam _______________________ Have your learner identify which assessment type they see in their unit. Check all that apply. Unit Discussion Questions Which Supreme Court case did you find the most interesting to study in this unit? Why is the freedom of speech and the press essential to a democracy? What do you need to work on in order to prepare for the midterm exam? Unit Notables Your learner will take a midterm exam at the end of this unit. Reminders about time management and studying over several days might be helpful to your learner. This is also a great unit to discuss the current state of civil rights in the United States and the impact of social movements. Kit Materials none Household Materials connected device, highlighters, notebook/binder, pencils, and pens Political Ideologies and Beliefs in the United States Unit Unit Overview In this unit, your learner will focus on the various political beliefs held by Americans, how these beliefs are formed, and how these beliefs impact the policies that Americans support. Your learner will study cultural and social factors that affect Americans beliefs, how polling is used to gather data about public opinion, and the major ideas of the Republican and Democratic parties. Unit Assessments Quiz _________________________ Test _________________________ Assignment ________________ Project _____________________ Exam _______________________ Have your learner identify which assessment type they see in their unit. Check all that apply. Unit Discussion Questions What do you think has had the largest impact on the development of your political beliefs? Why? What was your favorite part of the public policy project? Unit Notables In this unit, your learner will explore their political beliefs and how they were formed. This is an opportunity to discuss the values of your family and your community. Your learner has had several writing workshops in the course. Encourage them to continue to develop these writing skills in this unit. Kit Materials none Household Materials connected device, highlighters, notebook/binder, pencils, and pens Political Participation in U.S. Politics Unit Unit Overview In this unit, your learner will focus on the ways that Americans can impact politicians and the decisions that they make. Your earner will study how citizens engage in government through linkage institutions. The linkage institutions that learners will study are elections, political parties, interest groups, and the mass media. Unit Assessments Quiz _________________________ Test _________________________ Assignment ________________ Project _____________________ Exam _______________________ Have your learner identify which assessment type they see in their unit. Check all that apply. Unit Discussion Questions What did you find the most interesting about the unit? What did you find the most surprising or confusing about this unit? What do you need to work on in order to prepare for the final exam? What is your plan? Unit Notables This is the final unit in the course. Your learner is preparing for the AP® exam and the final exam. Consider helping your learner with time management and studying. This unit also covers ways that Americans participate in their government. This is a great opportunity to discuss ways that your family has been involved in the political process or research ways to become more involved in it. Kit Materials none Household Materials connected device, highlighters, notebook/binder, pencils, and pens
Enrolling Now for 2026-27 School Year.
