United States History

Class Syllabus:

 

 U.S. History

Course Syllabus 2014-15

 

Instructor: Danielle Jackson

Email: JacksonDA@mukilteo.wednet.edu (Best way to contact me)

Office: E174 (I am available after school)

Social Studies Credit: 1.0

 

Welcome to U.S. History! I am truly looking forward to getting to know you as we learn together over the school year. I am committed to preparing you for future success and helping you grow as an individual and as a learner. Through a cooperative learning model, we will promote critical thinking, group cooperation, responsibility and mutual respect.

 

This course in the history of the United States examines the major events in American history, with in-depth coverage of the twentieth century. Students will have the opportunity to learn to interpret, analyze and synthesize historical documents utilizing primary and secondary sources. Students will complete a Washington State Classroom Based Assessment. This course is required for graduation. A passing grade for both semesters satisfies the state requirement for U.S. History and Government and meets the 1.0 US History credit for a Mariner diploma.

 

 

Course Objectives: Students will…

 

1. Demonstrate an understanding of historical time, chronology, cause and effect; change over time

2. Understand historical development of events, people, places, and patterns of life

3. Analyze the influence of culture on U.S.history

4. Investigate historical sources and analyze historical information

5. Examine representative government

6. Explore the function and effect of law

7. Study economic concepts and economic systems

8. Use and construct maps, charts and other resources

 

Class Expectations:

 

Students are expected to come to class with the intention of supporting and respecting the learning community. Student will accomplish this by…

• Following the Mariner High School Code of Conduct.

• Showing respect for others.

• Coming to class on time prepared to participate and produce their best work.

• Accepting responsibility for themselves and their actions.

• Demonstrating academicintegrity, dedication and focus.

• Not bringing any electronic devices or cell phones to class. (School policy!)

 

Be prepared to work and be challenged each day as we discuss and analyze the history and government of the United States. We will be developing our skills in reading,critical thinking, speaking and writing throughout the year. Be ready to reflect on your own work and progress, to support setting goals for self improvement.

 

If you feel yourself “slipping” or are experiencing great confusion/anxiety, check in with me after school (let me know if you plan to stop by) so we can problem-solve together. Please do not wait until near the end of the grading period to get help if you need it.Have the wisdom to recognize your situation and be willing to take steps to correct it.

 

Student Supplies*:
--Blue/Black ink pens

-- Pencils

--Highlighter
--Loose-leaf paper and/or notebook
--Binder and/or folder and/or assignment notebook (whatever you prefer to use). 
*Public library card, dictionary, and thesaurus are recommended, but not required.  These tools will aid you in your studies off campus.  Keep all of your supplies well-stocked throughout the year.

 

Note:  Students may use an organization system they prefer that allows them to keep their work safe and accessible. Students should not throw out any of their work, handouts or documents. Students are responsible for bringing past work and documents to class each day.

 

Resources:
 

United States History and Geography, Modern Times (McGrawHill, 2014)

 

To develop as historians and critical thinkers, students will examine additional primary and secondary sources such as news magazines, journals, internet resources andart (in its many forms). Appropriate videos maybe used to support print materials.

 

Evaluation:

 

Your semester grade will be calculated as a percentage of total possible points earned for the semester. (390/400 = 98% = A, etc.)

 

If a student has successfully completed and turned in all major assignmentsfor each quarter, the lowest score will be dropped from the calculation of the semester grade.

 

The following scale will be used to determine letter grades:

 

100-94 = A                           86-84 = B                              76-74 = C                              66-60 = D+

93-90 = A­-                            83-80 = B-­                            73-70 = C­-                            59-0 = F

89-87 = B+                           79- 77 = C+                          69-67 = D+

 

Assignment Expectations:

 

Late work will not receive credit. If students have an excused absence, they may turn in assignments within a period of time no greater than the number of days of the excused absence. (i.e. If you are absent for two days, you have two days to complete and turn in missed work.) This applies to all daily assignments as well as major projects and compositions. If students are in school for any part of the day, they are required to turn in any assignments due that day. Assignments are due at the beginning of class, unless designated otherwise.

• Excused absences for school activities do not exempt the student from their responsibilities to the class. In the event of an excused absence, the student is responsible for turning in any work prior to leaving for the activity.

• Should you want me to consider whether or not late work was due to extenuating circumstances, you must submit in writing your reason(s) why I should accept it late: then I will determine if your reason(s) warrant accepting late work as per MSD policy.

• I will only accept work that has obvious evidence of effort. All work must be typed in standard 12 point Times New Roman font and in black ink unless it is an in-class assignment. All work must be presentable and free of stains, wrinkles, or other evidence of negligence.

• The increased dependence on technology has presented us with a new set of potential problems. Please consider the following:

  • DO not wait until the last minute to print documents. Empty ink cartridges and/or faulty printers are not valid excuses for late papers. Plan ahead.

  • If you do run out of ink or have a faulty printer, email me your work prior to the time it is due and the work will be accepted.

  • Back up your work!

  • Save your work to your hard drive, a CD, or a thumb drive, cloud system. Another way to protect your work is to email it to yourself. Take whatever precautions necessary to avoid late work due to technological problems.

  • Determine early if your home computer software is compatible with the school software if you plan on saving your documents to a disk or thumb drive and printing out at Mariner.

  • I will NOT accept a thumb drive in lieu of a hardcopy of an assignment. It is your responsibility to turn in your final, revised, edited, and printed copy at the start of class.

  • Each student is responsible for doing his/her own assignments/tests.  Any misrepresentation of student’s work (i.e.) cheating, changing grade in the grade book, plagiarism, computer plagiarism (cut & paste), assisting with the above, etc. will warrant disciplinary action including a zero on the assignment, administrative referral, a permanent record in your discipline file, and possible loss of credit for the class.

 

Attendance:

 

Absences - Please refer to the school policy. Since participation is a significant part of this course, students are expected to attend class every day.

• Projects requiring attendance will not be allowed to be made up when absences are unexcused.

• Previously assigned work is due upon the student's return to class.

• It is the student's responsibility to notify the instructor when an absence is excused.

• A test or project that is assigned one week in advance is still due even if the day prior is missed.

• Please remember that Mukilteo School District policy states that if you exceed 12 absences per semester, you will lose credit for this course.

 

Tardies - All students must be seated in the classroom and prepared with all materials when the bell rings. Excessive tardies will be dealt with according to school policy.

 

Incomplete grades (INC) will be recorded as a semester grade when a majority of the term projects and papers cannot be assessed due to unusual circumstances. Grades of INC will only be assigned upon recommendation/approval of the building principal. A credit plan, including a time limit, will be designated by the principal.

 

Community:

You are a member of a community of learners. This year we will strive to build a classroom in which we support each other as learners and as individuals. We will accomplish this by respecting each other’s ideas, feelings, opinions, property and cultures.

 

Bullying, discrimination, harassment, and profanity have no place in our learning community and WILL NOT BE TOLERATED FOR ANY REASON.This behavior will be handled according to school policy. For example: individual conferences, seating adjustment, parent phone call/conferences, detention, time-out, administrative/counseling interventions, etc.

 

It is critical that you realize how the choices you make today will influence your future. Your attitude toward learning and school will largely impact your success here. I am so excited to have you as a part of our learning community. With all of us working together and doing our part, we will have a wonderful year!