Eighth Grade American Studies
Eighth grade American Studies is a course designed to introduce students to the events of the twentieth century. Students will follow an essentially chronological path through the century that saw America’s rise to power. The course begins with a short unit on the American form of government, based on the summer reading assignment, The United States Constitution: A Graphic Adaptation. From there, the course will look at those factors of the late nineteenth century that led to the rise of American power, and then proceed chronologically through the various domestic and foreign events that have impacted the American story. Students will have regular contact with current events during this course. Students will regularly listen to news broadcasts in class and will be expected to take notes on those broadcasts. (News broadcasts will be posted on my website for the students’ convenience.) Those, combined with regular political cartoon assignments, will keep students abreast of current developments even as we study those of the past. Students will be expected to maintain separate journals for both current events notes and political cartoons.
Course Texts:The American Journey: Modern Times
Nystrom Atlas of United States History
Grading Policy:
The purpose of grades in this course is to access each student’s skills and progress. Since we all learn in different ways, students will be given a chance to express their mastery of course materials and concepts in a number of ways. These will be generally categorized and weighted as follows:
Tests and projects:30%
Homework30%
Quizzes30%
Preparation and Participation10%
Preparation and participation will be determined by a student’s daily preparation for class (as outlined in Course Expectations) and his/her active and willing participation in the activities of the class.
Course Expectations:
Students should come to class each day prepared to learn and participate in the day’s activities. This means that everyone needs to be equipped with the necessary tools and materials (pencil/pen, clean notebook paper, text, homework, etc.), should have reviewed the previous day’s assignments, and have ready any questions that need to be addressed. Included in mandatory daily materials is a Current Events notebook, in which accurate notes will be recorded. In class, all students must feel free to express their ideas, without the fear of ridicule or condescension. We will all respect one another’s ideas and the right to express them. Only through a free and uninhibited exchange of ideas can we truly learn. Please respect one another and feel at ease to ask any pertinent questions that come to mind.
Homework, Tests, Quizzes, and Projects:
Students should expect regular homework in this class. While this may involve an assignment due the next day, that will not always be the case. Still there is homework to be done. Students should set aside time each day to review the lesson and activities of the day and take that opportunity to improve their notes and write down any questions that they might have. This is an important part of class preparation that should not be ignored. Not only does this allow daily work to be more firmly impressed into the mind, but also it allows students a chance to review notes and raise questions while the material is fairly fresh and they are not under the pressure of reviewing for a test. Daily review also helps prepare students for unannounced quizzes, the material for which is usually derived from recent lessons or homework. In addition, students must keep an eye on the news. Whether the source is the newspaper, radio or TV, students should try to make regular (i.e. daily) contact with the news. Daily current events discussions and weekly assignments will draw on this.
Tests are given on a regular basis, usually about every two or three weeks. These are always announced a week ahead of time. The test format will vary, but it will usually include some objective questions to test mastery of material and some writing to help develop critical thinking skills. Quizzes can be either announced or unannounced, but students should anticipate a weekly current events quiz. In either case, the basis of most quizzes is either a recent class lesson or an assigned reading. As noted, students will complete several projects. Each of these will be equivalent to a test in weight, but the specific value of each project will be announced when that project is assigned.
Students are expected to write down homework assignments as well as test and quiz dates in their assignment planner. Those will also be posted on PCR Educator. Please note that PCR records only the date that an assignment is due, not the date on which it was assigned.
All assignments are to be completed and ready for evaluation at the beginning of the class period. Those not completed will be graded in proportion to the amount done (that is, if an assignment is half done, it will receive a maximum score of 50%). Those assignments that are messy or otherwise unsuitable will be refused and will need to be rewritten. They will then be accepted and evaluated as late assignments. Students are expected to complete all assignments. For late homework assignments, students will receive a maximum grade of 60%. Major assignments turned in late will be docked 10% for each day that they are late.
Office Hours:
I am usually in the building each day by 7:30. Students who desire extra help should make arrangements to meet with me before school, during a free period or after school. Please do not hesitate to ask for help. You can avoid a lot of confusion and frustration by asking questions as they occur and seeking clarification whenever it is necessary.