AP Government-Summer Assignment
Ms. Cotton
Welcome to AP Government! My name is Ms. Cotton and I will be your instructor in the fall. This
summer I would like for you to purchase A People’s History of the Supreme Court by Peter Irons. You may
purchase the book new or used, through any vendor you would like. The details are below:
Once you have purchased the book, you will be reading the forward, the introduction, and chapters 1-7.
You will have an essay exam on chapters 1-7 the first week of class, and this will be counted as a first
quarter grade.
There are various ways to contact me over the course of the summer if you need assistance with the
material.
The first is by email [email protected]
The second is by Edmodo. Edmodo is the main platform that I used during the school year to provide
students with their calendar, assignments, practice tests, etc. If you have never used Edmodo before you
will need to create an account. If you already have an account then you will just need the group code which
is 2r2buq
If you have never created an Edmodo Account, you can create a new Student Account by
following the steps below:
1. Obtain a 6-digit Group Code from your teacher.
2. Go to www.edmodo.com and click "Students."
3. Fill out the registration form with the Group Code, a unique username, and
password. An email address is not required to sign up for a Student Account.
4. Select the “Sign up” button to complete the sign up process. You will then see the Group
your teacher created in the left side panel of your account. Note: You only need one Student
Account to join all your Groups
AP U.S. Government Summer Assignment
Ms. Cotton
In order to prepare for the AP U.S. Government class, you will be required to complete the
following summer assignments. There are multiple components, so please take care to read
the directions carefully.
1. U.S. Constitution-Amendments. You will create a stack of vocabulary cards in quizlet
(app and website-quizlet.com) in which you create a card for each of the 27
amendments to the Constitution. Each Amendment should have the number on the
front of the card and then definition on the back. You will send me the link to your stack
via email prior to the school year beginning. Ex. 1st Amendment: Freedom of press,
speech, religion, assembly.
2. Important Supreme Court Cases. You will create a stack of vocabulary cards in quizlet
(app and website-quizlet.com) in which you create a card for each of the 25 most
important Supreme Court Cases of all time. Each card should have the case name on
the front and pertinent information about the case on the back. You will send me the
link to your stack via email prior to the school year beginning. Ex. Roe vs. Wade: In
1973 the Supreme Court ruled unconstitutional a state law that banned abortions
except to save the life of the mother. The Court ruled that states were forbidden from
outlawing or regulating any aspect of abortion performed during the first trimester. This
ruling, although not the most important of all time, was immediately controversial and
to this day, the court’s most recognizable. The 7-2 decision, written by Harry Blackmun
was based upon the fact that the Texas law had violated Roe’s right to privacy as
protected under the first, fourth, ninth, and fourteenth amendments. This is an
example of an incorporation case.
Your cases:
1. McCulloch v. Maryland (1819)
2. Gibbons v. Ogden (1824)
3. Plessy v. Ferguson (1896)
4. Gitlow v. New York (1925)
5. Korematsu v. United States (1944)
6. Brown v. Board of Education, Topeka (1954)
7. Mapp v. Ohio (1961)
8. Engle v. Vitale (1962)
9. Gideon v. Wainwright (1963)
10. Miranda v. Arizona (1966)
11. Tinker v. Des Moines (1969)
12. Lemon v. Kurtzman (1973)
13. Roe v. Wade (1973)
14. US v. Nixon(1974)
15. Buckley v. Valeo (1976)
16. Greg v. Georgia (1976)
17. Regents of California v. Bakke (1978)
18. Hazelwood School District v. Kuhlmeier (1988)
19. Texas v. Johnson (1989)
20. Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Pennsylvania v. Casey (1992)
21. U.S. v. Lopez (1995)
22. Veronia School District v. Acton (1995)
23. Clinton v. New York (1998)
24. Boy Scouts of America et al v. Dale (2000)
25. Grutter v Bollinger (2003)
3. Read A People’s History of the Supreme Court by Peter Irons. You are required to read the
forward, the introduction, and the first seven chapters (or Section 1) of the text over the course of the
summer. You will be given an essay exam the first week of school and this will satisfy this portion
of the summer assignment grade.
AP GOVERNMENT STUDENT CONTRACT
Please fill out the following information accurately and clearly
Print your name as you would like to be called
Name:(Print Neatly)__________________________________________________________________
Parents’ name (s) (first/last):_____________________________Parent Email: _____________________
Parent Phone ___________________________________________
Carefully read each of the following contract terms. INITIAL each item in the space provided.
When finished, both YOU and your PARENT must sign and date the contract.
______ I will read the ENTIRE course syllabus and understand that every part of the syllabus pertains to
me; I know that I will be held directly and immediately accountable for my actions should I
choose to violate or ignore any of those provisions.
______ I understand that this is a college course with college-level expectations, and I understand that my
work will be held to a college-level standard. I understand this class will not be like non-AP
classes, and that I may not earn an A for “effort.”
______ I understand that the teacher is available to help me after school, on Saturday practice/study
sessions and during online office hours.
______ One objective of this course is to prepare me for the AP Government test; therefore, I will make
every effort to prepare for the test on May 10, 2016.
______ I will read the text as assigned, I will take notes on the chapters, and I will bring the book to class
when asked to do so by the teacher.
______ I will not cut/or intentionally be absent from this class to avoid taking tests or writing essays.
______ I will make up or turn in missed tests/work on the next class day and I understand the penalties
for work marked late.
______ I will take notes on class lectures and from the text as required, I will produce essays legible to
the teacher.
______ I will behave appropriately in class, treating the teacher and my fellow students with respect. I
understand that failure to do so will result in disciplinary action per the student code of conduct.
______ I understand the standards for academic and participation grades, especially those that pertain to
cheating, tardiness and absences; I understand the consequences for cheating and for failure to
make up tardies/absences.
______ I understand that this class fulfills a graduation requirement and that I may need to remediate any
part of the course should I fail.
______ I understand that the summer assignment must be completed for the first week of school or I will
receive a zero for the summer assignment as part of my first quarter average and may be removed from
the course. This also goes for the essay exam on the first 7 chapters of A People’s History of the Supreme
Court by Peter Irons.
STUDENT Signature: ______________________________________ Date_______________________
PARENT Signature (please PRINT FULL NAME and then SIGN that YOU have also READ the
contract
Printed Name: ________________________________Signature_________________________________