American History Syllabus (Printer Friendly Document)

 

American History
Class Syllabus & Course Objectives 2007-2008

 

American History
Course Syllabus 2007-2008
11th Grade

"Every student begins this class with an 'A.' It is up to the student to maintain it."

Educational Objective: To motivate students to acquire an appreciation and well-rounded understanding of American History while making the study of the past more than just a collection of dates, but a comprehension of events, social attitudes, personalities, and circumstances. To encourage social responsibility and academic achievement by increasing intellectual curiosity, reading comprehension, and critical thinking abilities. To make learning fun!

Contact information: I can be reached at 407-905-5572. My email address is petersp@ocps.net, and is the preferred form of contact.

Optional Comprehensive Class Website: http://www.mrhistoryman.com
* With parental permission only. Read website disclaimer online.

Textbook: "The American Vision", Glencoe; 2005 Edition.

Grading Policy

15% Presidential Quizzes & History Detective Assignments: Comprehensive quizzes will be given on U.S. presidents in each unit of study. History Detective Assignments that test student's critical thinking and reading comprehension abilities will be assigned as homework.

15% Essays, Projects, & Opinion Papers: Essays, both expository and persuasive, will be assigned. Opinion Papers and Projects on a variety of historical and societal topics will also be assigned.

15% Book Report: There will be one typed report per nine weeks. Within a clearly defined time period in American history, students will be given 3 weeks to complete their book report.

25% Assignments (daily work, homework, readings, fact of the days, & participation): Assignments will include group activities, thinking maps, essays, chapter/unit questions, role playing, artwork, worksheets, group presentations, simulations, and special assignments.

30% Unit Tests & Midterm Exam: Periodic evaluation of student knowledge regarding the material covered. (2 semester exams worth 20% of your final grade will also be given)

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Required Materials & Expectations: Students are expected to bring your textbook, a highlighter, pen or pencil, coloring materials (markers, pencils, crayons), and a glue stick/tape with you to class.

Tutoring: I'm here to help, period! If a student is willing to give up their time, I'm more than willing to give up my time. Get with me as needed and we'll set up the date & time.

Tardy! Students not in their seats when the bell rings will be marked tardy. Referrals and detentions will be assigned after the third tardy.

Attendance Policy: Regular school attendance is mandatory if students are to be successful. AHS believe a strong attendance policy supports the achievement of all students. A natural consequence of an absence is missing the opportunity to participate in classroom activities.

Students Absences: Student absences are recorded as unexcused. Please see your student handbook for further explanation on excused absences. Remember, each two-hour block is equal to two absences. Caution! Students with ten or more unexcused absences in a semester must pass the semester exam with a grade of a C or better to receive the earned semester grade.

Late Work & Homework: A student's grade will be greatly affected if assignments are not turned in on time. Completion of your work is vital to your success in my class. Late work will not be accepted unless I have personally given you an extension. If a student has an excused absence, the assignment is due the next class day. In accordance with school policy, no make up work is given for unexcused absences.

Make-up Work: It is the responsibility of the student to ask for their make-up work after an absence. All make-up work will be completed outside the regular class period. Remember, you have the number of days absent plus one to turn in your make-up work. You will not be allowed to make-up work if you skipped class!

Make-up Tests & Quizzes: You have one week from the day we take a quiz/test to make it up, provided that you didn't skip class. It is the responsibility of the student to schedule a time with me.

Extra Credit: If you wish to earn extra credit, see me for a handout that includes all your options or you may access the extra credit assignments on the class website.

Units of Study

Unit 1: The New World & the Colonies
Unit 2: War, Revolution, and Union
Unit 3: The Articles of Confederation, U.S. Constitution, and Bill of Rights
Unit 4: The Young Republic & Age of Jackson
Unit 5: Manifest Destiny & Antebellum
Unit 6: The Civil War & Reconstruction
Unit 7: The Gilded Age & Imperialism
Unit 8: The Progressive Era & Great War
Unit 9: Roaring Twenties
Unit 10: The Great Depression & New Deal
Unit 11: World War II (& Holocaust)
Unit 12: The Cold War, Korea, and the 1950s.
Unit 13: The New Frontier and the Great Society
Unit 14: Vietnam, Watergate, and the 1970s
Unit 15: The Late 20th Century & New Millennium

Mr. Peters Open Door Policy: If you have any type of problem in my class, please come and speak with me about it. I can't help if I'm unaware there is a problem!

Mr. P's Classroom Rules

1. Come to class! : "There is no substitute for actually being there."
2. Be on time everyday. You should be in your seat when the bell rings.
3. Bring your "A" game everyday!
4. Come to class prepared (materials, textbook, assigned readings, homework, etc).
5. Respect and cooperate with others. Manners are VERY important in my world.
6. Follow the dress code. "If I want to see exposed underwear or midriffs, I'll watch more M-TV."
7. Acceptable language & behavior are expected at all times.
8. Please cleanup after yourself. "The nice lady who cleans my room works hard enough."
9. I hate repeating myself. I hate repeating myself. I hate repeating myself. Listen, Listen, Listen!



Grading Rubric:

100-90 = A
89-80 = B
79-70 = C
999999999 2.0 GPA is necessary to graduate! 999999999
69-60 = D
59-50 = F

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C

Course Objectives

 

WHAT IS HISTORY AND WHY DO WE STUDY IT?

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YOUR FIRST EXPERIENCE WITH MR PETERS' THINKING

 

What is History?

 

(1.) There is the past - An incredibly complex set of facts.

(2.) There is evidence of the past - things created during the time under consideration. For example, first hand accounts of events by people who witnessed them, or census reports, or buildings, or works of art, or legislation, or all the stuff found in archeological digs.

(3.) Evidence of the past is not the same as the past. It doesn't tell the whole story.

  • It's incomplete - we don't have everything from the past, just pieces
  • Because it's incomplete, it's out of context - we don't know how the evidence we have related to things we don't have (How does it fit into the big picture? Think of a jigsaw puzzle with only half the pieces.)
  • This evidence may have been subject to bias and perspective in its creation (written records of events, paintings or photographs, literature, even "eyewitness" testimony)

(4.) The historian's job is to use the evidence of the past to construct an understanding of the past. The historian does this by considering the evidence of the past and interpreting it. In doing this, the historian makes choices about the evidence he/she considers significant, and filters that evidence through his/her biases and perspective. The scholarship produced is ultimately the historians interpretation or story about the past. History, then, is a story of, an interpretation of, an understanding of the past.


(5.) Despite their aura of scholarly objectivity, writings about the past must not be confused with the past.

  • Don't forget that your textbook and any scholarly works you read are merely interpretations of the past, their authors' understanding of the past - so when a historian OR A TEACHER claims that there were three neat and tidy causes for some event, or that such event had four neat and tidy results, remember that's just an interpretation. This is not to say that such interpretations are not valuable. But it is to caution you that they are not to be confused with an objective record of the past, and to remind you that the evidence of the past is always open to reinterpretation.

(6.) As you read history, you must maintain a healthy skepticism and employ a critical filter: keep questions of the following kind in mind.

  • Why was the work written (or painted, etc.)? What is the author trying to accomplish?
  • Whose viewpoint is presented? Where does the author fit in the general social structure?
  • Is the account believable? Does it have people behaving reasonably - as we might if we were in such position? Does the work have internal contradictions?
  • Is the account backed up by other sources? What other sources?
  • How is one supposed to feel about the subject after reading the words or seeing the images? What meanings and associations resonate from the words or images chosen?

(7.) Also, when we study history, we tend to study it in neat little chunks such as U.S. history (my fav), European history, or World history, however, things don't happen in neat and isolated chunks. History is very interconnected and messy, yet we structure our study of history this way because it's easier to wrap our minds around chunks.

 

Why study U.S. history with Mr. Peters?

 

(1.) To prepare for the decision-making responsibilities of citizens in a participatory democracy (example: the ability to vote without flipping a quarter) A familiarity with the problems we've faced and the solutions we've attempted can help us in efforts to solve problems we currently face. We can better understand where we are by understanding how we got there. A solid understanding of history serves as a defense against the myths and lies of demagogues who misstate history for their own political purposes.An awareness that things have not always "been like this" brings recognition that we have the power to make change.

(2.) To develop critical thinking skills. Studying history - especially when we examine and evaluate historical evidence for ourselves - can help us master critical thinking skills. And good critical thinking skills are another line of defense against demagogues.

(3.) To become empathetic and contemplative. Bringing the past alive requires imagination. When we imagine how past people felt about their lives and the events unfolding around them, we hone our ability to empathize with those around us today, to understand how they are affected by the decisions we make today. And by examining the lives of those who came before us, we develop the ability to examine our own lives.

(4.) Because it's fun! At the conclusion of the year, if you feel you didn't have any fun, I'll jump from a first floor school window.

"I'm Paul Peters and I approve this message"