2016-2017 US History/Geography

Mrs. Burkitt

Contact Information:

Room: 166

School Phone: 635-3839 ext 5809

Email:

Website:

Conference period: 3rd hour, 9:55-10:45

Text: "The American Vision in Modern Times " Glencoe; Appelby et. al. 1998.

Course Content: Prerequisite: None

This course examines the changing role and historical events that face the United States after Reconstruction era (1870s) through present day. It will expose students to such concepts and events as the Great Depression, two World Wars, and changing social and political times throughout our nation’s history.

Each chapter/unit may include:

-short vocabulary assignments, study guides, and other homework

-skills/vocabulary/study guide quizzes

-short research papers/position papers/group or individual projects

-end-of-chapter and end-of-unit tests

-Mapping and geographical exercises

Important note: Students will be allowed to use a note paper for the final exam at the end of semester. This will encourage careful note taking, paying attention in class, and preservation of important information. The test will be designed (like a take-home test) to measure what a student has thoughtfully absorbed throughout the semester, rather than how much a student can memorize the night before. Notes for use on test must be in student's own handwriting, rather than photocopies of another student's notes! Material will "carry over" from beginning to exam. For example, a study guide term may appear on a quiz, then on the chapter test, and then again on the exam.

Other possible projects:

-Creating a political ad based on immigration

-Create a poster/write an essay on how Government affects people’s lives

-Create a memory book or presentation about a person or even from the 1920s

-Create a poster or brochure about new technologies in the 1950s-1960s

-Create a documentary about the Vietnam War

Grades:

Tests – 30%100-93 – A76-73 - C

Quizzes/Projects – 25%92-90 – A-72-70 – C-

Homework -15%89-87 – B+69-67 – D+

In Class Assignments -15%86-83 – B66-63 -D

Participation- 15%82-80 – B-62-60 – D-

79-77 – C+59 and below – E

  • An extra credit opportunity will be given once a semester to students. This extra credit is usually a project that uses vocabulary and grammar concepts we have learned or is a cultural study. No other extra credit is given.

Classroom Expectations

  1. Enter the room respectfully; sit in your assigned seat, get out the required materials, and being the bell work activity.
  2. Actively listen when others are presenting information, this includes the teacher, other students or any guest presenters.
  3. Cell Phones, IPods/mp3 players, and headphones MUST be off and out of sight.
  4. Any violation of this will result in the following actions:
  5. Verbal Warning (first offense)
  6. Cell phone/IPod will be taken from student and turned into the office (second offense)
  7. No Food or Drinks (except water) will be allowed inside the classroom.
  8. No Hats are to be worn at any time and all dress code rules must be followed.
  9. At the end of class, students will not line up at the door or leave the classroom until being dismissed by the teacher. I dismiss you not the bell

Any violations of these Expectations will result in the following actions:

First offense: Verbal warning

Second offense: Short meeting with student after class / Email or call home

Third offense or more: Referral to the office / Email or call home

Tardy Policy:

A) You must be in the room, getting out a book or in your seat when the bell rings otherwise you are tardy, no questions!

B) If you are 10 or more minutes late, you be marked as absent per school policy.

C) Three free tardy per nine weeks. After that, five minutes are owed for each tardy. These tardies must be made up before or after school before the end of the nine weeks.

D) Students will lose one percent of their grade for each tardy after their "free" one they don't make up.

HERE'S AN EXAMPLE: Harry has earned an 85%. He has eleven tardies and hasn't bothered to make up any. His final grade would be: 85% - 10% = 75% C

Passes/Bathroom

Students must wait 35 minutes after class begins before asking for a pass to use the restroom or leave the room for any reason. Any emergencies will be handled on an individual basis between the student and the teacher. Any student who abuses this policy will lose the privilege of leaving class for the remainder of the quarter.

Homework

All homework will be assigned on WEDNESDAY during the week. Homework is due on FRIDAY and will be accepted as late on Monday or Tuesday the following week. There will be exceptions to the Wednesday homework rule, but you will still have 2 days to complete any homework assignment. Students with excused absences must work out how to make up homework with me.

In Class Assignments

Any mapping and geographical exercises, short vocabulary assignments, and some study guides/guided readings will be done in class. These assignments will usually be due at the end of the class period. Students must turn these in that day or they will not receive credit for the assignment. Students who are absent must work out how to make up these assignments with me.

Participation

A participation grade will be given every two weeks based on bell work completion and oral participation in class each day. Bell work should be completed on the same piece of paper for a 2 week time period and will be collected every 2nd Friday. Students absent on the day bell work is collected must turn in bell work the following Monday. Bell work papers will not be accepted after Tuesday.

Make Up Work:

While attendance in school is understood to be a major indicator of student success, I realize there will be times when a student will be absent. Make up work will evaluated on a student to student basis. A student is allowed 10 absences per semester. After 10 absences their work will not be scored. Absences excused by a medical professional, school related absences, and absences excused by an administrator will not be figured into one of the 10.

Online Environment

In this class we will be using the learning platform of Edmodo for several, assignments, quizzes and other learning opportunities in class. You must do the following:

  1. Create an Edmodo account and join our class using the class code: ______
  2. Save your user name and password information here:
  3. User name: ______Password: ______
  4. Read the short summary of proper netiquette at Netiquette Rules Summary (this will also be posted on the Edmodo site once you have joined my class)
  5. Make your first post on Edmodo (one of several to come) about your vision of proper netiquette in class based on the article you have read.

We will also be using other sites like quizlet and socrative in class. All netiquette and classroom rules apply in our online environment.

Materials:

All students will need the following materials for US History

  1. Pencil/Pen
  2. Note Book/ Paper
  3. Students will need paper for Bell Work, In Class Assignments and Notes
  4. A good suggestion is a different note book for each type of assignment
  5. Folder / Binder
  6. Students will need a folder for handouts/returned work
  7. A good suggestion is a binder with dividers to keep paper for each assignments and handouts so they are organized