U.S. HISTORY
COURSE SYLLABUS
This course consists of the study of American History, from the settlement of the American continents by the Native Americans and the Europeans, to the Revolutionary War and the founding of the nation, the subsequent establishment of the government of the United States, the administrations of the first four Presidents of the United States, and the Louisiana Purchase and War of 1812.
Materials: For this course students will need a textbook, a notebook or loose leaf binder, a pencil (#2) or pen (black or dark blue), and colored pencils. The textbook and writing materials should be brought to class every day.
Research Projects: There will be 1 or 2 research projects during the course, for which students will be required to use the Internet, library sources, etc. Research projects must be type written with either a 12- or 14-point font, and must be turned in in a folder, with a title page at the front. Presentation will count as part of the grade on any research project.
Grading: My grading system is simple. Each assignment, project, test, etc. will be worth a certain number of points. Whatever percentage of the possible points a student earns for each assignment will determine his grade. 93%-100% will be an A, 90%-92% will be an A-, 87%-89% will be a B+, 83%-86% will be a B, etc.
Extra Credit: Students may do projects to earn extra credit, if they wish, but only if they are current with all of their assignments, tests, etc. If a student is not current with his work, he may not do extra credit to bring up his grade or make up for missing work. If all of a student's assignments have been done, he may do extra credit to improve his grade. Extra credit may include reports, crossword puzzles, wordfinds, posters, drawings, etc.
A Few Things to Remember: Cell phones and I-pods are strictly forbidden in the classroom. If a student is caught with either, it will be confiscated and returned at the teacher’s discretion. Normally, if it is a first offense, the student will get the item back at the end of the class period. If it happens again, the item will be taken to the office and will have to be picked up from the principal or vice-principal. Sometimes, parents will need to come in and pick it up. The best policy is—don’t bring a cell phone or I-pod to class, but if that is not possible, the item should be kept in the pocket, backpack or binder. And remember, a ringing cell phone will be confiscated, even if it is put away. Also, treats and drinks are not allowed in class, with the exception of bottles of water. Treats and drinks will be confiscated and not returned.
Other Things to Remember: Please be nice to your classmates and to your teachers. Respect other people’s right to learn, and don’t disrupt their learning environment by inappropriate behavior. If you respect others, they’ll respect you.