US History: Mr. Rother

US History: Mr. Rother

Syllabus & Class Expectations

This is a required Social Studies course. You will need to earn credit for the course in order to qualify for your high school diploma. I want to see you succeed and will help you whenever possible to do so. First of all, I want you to know that I love the subject of American History and the discussions, exchange of ideas and debates that accompany this subject. I hope you do too. If you don’t then maybe I can help you to learn to. It is as interesting and as fun as you let it be. My goal is to help you understand how our nation was created and has evolved over nearly 250 years and how the events and ideas of the past shaped the world that we live in today and how it continues to shape our daily lives. I will treat you as responsible, honest individuals and will expect you to behave as such. I will not enable your bad habits. Disruptive behavior of any kind will not be tolerated. You have spent many years in classrooms and you know exactly what is expected of you. Because we will be discussing and often debating topics that some may find sensitive I will expect everyone to respect the rights and values of others. Profanity, bigotry, sexism and other acts of intolerance will not be permitted in this class. Please advise me if you are the object of any words or actions that you feel are a violation of this policy so I may take the appropriate steps.

Will be using a variety of sources for the class including: video, computers and the Internet. Should you need to borrow a text please ask to check one out or you may check our textbook out from the BHHS library. This is the preferred option. I will expect every student to maintain valid computer access for the BHHS computer system. The class will stress research, presentation and thinking skills. Some of the activities you will be expected to complete will include a number of group and individual presentations and individual research papers and essays.

Attendance: While attendance is not an official part of your grade, it can have a major impact on your success in this class. Because classroom participation is crucial to being successful in this class, you need to be here as much as possible. Generally, missing work is due when you return from your absence. If you have an extended absence, you need to come and talk to me about setting up a reasonable timeline for turning in the work you missed. As a student you are responsible for making up any missing work. I will not chase you down to give you your work! If you miss a quiz or test, you are responsible for making it up. Check with your teacher and the class webpage.

Bathroom Breaks: During the first ten minutes of class and last ten minutes of class, I do not allow individuals to go to the bathroom. This allows me an opportunity to give you important instructions about what you need to accomplish for the day or for the next day. Throughout the class period, I will allow individuals to go to the bathroom. Be sure to ask and receive permission before you leave the classroom. I will let students go at my discretion, and it is not up for debate!

Late Assignments: Students who turn in work that is late (daily assignments/homework) will only receive a 10% deduction for the first day. Work more than 2 days late receives a maximum of 70% credit for the assignment. Late assignments must be turned in one week prior to the end of the grading period to receive any credit. For major projects/essays/reports, see the scoring rubric to determine the deduction for being late. The penalty will be clearly spelled out.

Deadlines for late work: Qtr 1: Nov. 6th Qtr 2: Jan 22 Qtr 3: March 25 Qtr 4: June 3

Grades: The Tumwater School District has adopted a new grading policy for all secondary schools (high school and middle school). Grading for this class will follow this new policy. Please refer to this document for specifics.

93% to 100% = A

90% to 92.99% = A-

87% to 89.99% = B+

83% to 86.99% = B

80% to 82.99% = B-

77% to 79.99% = C+

73% to 76.99% = C

70% to 72.99% = C-

67% to 69.99% = D+

60% to 66.99% = D

59.99% & below = F

*Students will have one opportunity to retake tests and quizzes. However, this must be done within one week of receiving the assessment back, and is conditional based upon completion of work from that particular unit. Re-testing must be done before or after regular classes, during PACK or by appointment with the teacher.

Responsibilities: As an educator, my responsibility is to: (1) share my knowledge and passion of history with you, and (2) help you to succeed in this class & in life. I will put forth my best effort in these endeavors.

As a student you have responsibilities. These include:

Giving your best effort daily.
Treating everyone with civility (you don’t have to like me or your classmates, but you must be respectful).
Coming to class on-time and prepared to learn (that includes having all of the materials needed for class). Following the expectations that have been outlined in this syllabus. Finally, please keep all of your personal electronic devices out of sight! These include cell phones, i-pods & headphones, etc. Please note that the school has a new policy about cell phones. Having your phone out in class the first time will lead to me taking it and keeping it until the end of the day. A second offense will result in the phone being taken from you and taken down to the office. You will only get it back when your mom or dad comes in to pick it up.
Cheating and Plagiarism: I have no tolerance for people who cheat! The first time you are caught cheating or plagiarizing, you will receive an “F” on that assignment. You will not be permitted to recover any grade associated with the assignment until we have met with a school administrator and a parent/guardian.

After reading the syllabus and class expectation sheet, sign it. Also, have one of your parents read it and sign it. Return it as soon as possible. It is your first assignment and is worth 10 points.

______

I have read the syllabus & class expectations for Mr. Rother’s US History class.