COURSE: American Culture 5.0 (1115) INSTRUCTOR: Mr. Borgmann
North Penn Senior High School
AMERICAN CULTURES (Social Studies) GRADING POLICY for 2014/2015
Course Description: Students in the 11th grade American Culture 5.0 program will use a text, maps, charts/graphs, outside readings and the internet to study America's cultural history from the early 20th century to the present. History will be approached by studying the people who made and lived it. Emphasis will be on improved reading and writing skills, analysis of data and research, and the ability to work well with others. Your skills will be used while trying to learn American Culture through a chronological approach. We will start with reviewing World War I to present day. Students will be using both their textbook at home and in class along with a targeted inquiry project method to learn and present material. Instruction has been differentiated to meet the needs of all students.
Text: The Americans, Reconstruction to the 21'' Century. Krieger, Larry S., Wilson, Louis E., and Woloch, Nancy.
Danzer, Gerald A., Klor de Alva, J Jorge., McDougal Little 2005.
Traditional Testing: Major Tests will be given on "A" "C" and "E" days of the teaching cycle. Both objective and subjective methods of testing will be used. Each chapter test is cumulative meaning they contain core questions from previous tests. QUIZZES or formative assessments will be both announced and unannounced and used frequently for evaluation.
Non-Traditional Testing: Short cumulative double take assessments may be given on non-testing days
because double-take means you may use your notes to correct round one mistakes. Testing may occur electronically on a Moodle.
Midterm and Final Exams: A Midterm will be administered at the end of the second marking period and will count as 10% of second marking period grade. The FINAL EXAM will cover the entire year’s course content and will carry the weight of 16% of your final grade. Under the North Penn Renaissance program, students may be exempt from taking the final exam.
Traditional Based Homework: Various types of homework will be assigned at the discretion of the teacher. All assignments will be spot-checked or collected and must be on time. Missing homework can be made up by scheduling an after school appointment to complete the assignment or a student can submit homework on the second day for a fifty percent deduction or submit on the third day with a seventy five percent deduction. Students must communicate their intention to Mr. Borgmann if they plan on scheduling an appointment or plan on taking a deduction. Students who do not attend their appointment will receive a zero for the assignment. Late homework past the two days will not be accepted. If you miss a 10 point homework assignment and we have 700 points for the marking period then that assignment was worth approximately 1.5% of your grade. 700-10=690. 690/700=98.5. Most homework consists of reading the textbook which takes approximately 20 minutes each evening.
Project Based Classroom Work I Homework: Project based classroom work and homework will have a due date and an extended due date. Work will not be accepted after an extended due date. The extended due date has been incorporated to meet the needs of all students.
Class Work: All students are expected to maintain a cumulative American Culture notebook for the entire year. The notebook should be kept in chronological order while including neat and accurate notes of class work, homework, various handouts and well labeled answered objectives.. The notebook must accompany the student to class each day.
Suspension & Vacation: Any Work provided but not completed during a suspension or vacation will result in a zero.
Research Project: During the course of the year a research project will be assigned. The research project must be completed on a teacher approved topic using the format and research methodology outlined in class. The research project will have an expected due date and an extended due date. Projects will not be accepted after the extended due date. Please refer to instructions given in class.
Grading:*The student's grade will be reported every nine weeks, four times during the year.
*Factors used in the determination of quarterly grades include: test grades, quiz grades, project grades, class work, research project and homework completion.
*A project grade will consist of several components such as outline, power point, vocabulary, fact sheets and/or review questions. The quarterly grade will be determined by strictly averaging all grades from tests, quizzes, projects, and homework. Failure to complete work will seriously affect one's grade because those points will be subtracted from total possible points then averaged.
*Homework must be in on time to receive full credit. Homework is both mandatory and voluntary depending upon the skill of the student.
*Research Project will be announced in advance along with written expectations and requirements. The completed research project will probably be due at the end of the second or third marking period. Mr. Borgmann will record the grade either on the third or fourth marking period depending upon when it is graded. Failure to complete a research project will result in a zero in which the paper was graded.
* A Midterm will be administered at the end of the second marking period and will count as 10%
of second marking period grade. The Final Exam: is worth 16 percent of your grade. Neither the
Midterm or Final Exam is double-take.
*Make-Up Work: If you have an excused absence or tardy for only one day, you should be prepared to take or make-up a test or quiz on your first day back from school. If you have an excused absence of two (2) or more days, see the teacher to get back assignments and reschedule tests. If your absence is unexcused, you will receive a zero for the missed assignment /quiz/test and or project
*Extra Credit may be earned but you must come to an agreement with the teacher.
*North Perm School District's new grading scale rounds to the nearest whole number which negates teacher discretion. A grade earned is the grade reported for the marking period and the year.
Grading Scale for Marking Periods Final Course Grades
A+ 97 – 100% A+ - D course averages parallel the marking period grades.
A 90 – 96% E 50 – 64%
B+ 87 – 89% F Below 50%
B 80 – 86%
C+ 77 – 79%
C 70 – 76%
D 65 – 69%
F Below 65%
Final Exams (Full Year Courses) Final Exams (Semester Courses)
21% for each marking period 40% for each marking period
16% for final exam 20% for final exam
All numeric averages will be rounded to the nearest whole number.