Advanced Placement United States History La Jolla High School Course Syllabus

Transcription

1 Advanced Placement United States History La Jolla High School Course Syllabus Instructor: Room: Website: Course Description: In addition to providing a basic exposure to the factual narrative, the goals of Advanced Placement United States History are to develop a) an understanding of some of the principal themes in United States history b) an ability to analyze historical evidence, and c) an ability to express that understanding and analysis in writing. Advanced Placement United States History surveys the period beginning with the first European settlement of the New World and ending with international affairs and domestic changes in the post-1945 period to the present. The course is designed to provide a comprehensive overview of U.S. history and to provide students with the analytical skills and factual knowledge necessary to deal critically with the problems and materials in United States history. Semester one will have a special emphasis on constitutional law and its applications within American society. The second semester will emphasize world affairs and American foreign policy. Students should learn to assess historical materials - their relevance to a given interpretive problem, their reliability, and their importance - and to weigh the evidence and interpretations presented in historical scholarship. The APUSH course develops the skills necessary to reach conclusions on the basis of informed judgment and to present reasons and evidence clearly and persuasively in essay format. In addition, the goal is for students to be prepared to take the national college-level Advanced Placement Examination administered in May. Students successfully completing this exam may receive advanced placement and/or credit at many colleges and universities. Preparation for this exam as well as course requirements will include striking a balance between learning factual knowledge and increasing critical thinking skills of analysis, interpretation, synthesis, and evaluation. Texts: America s History, Sixth Edition 2007, by James A. Henretta, W. Elliot Brownlee, David Brody, and Susan Ware; Worth Publishers. Documents to Accompany America s History, Vols. 1 & 2, Kevin J. Fernlund ed. Class Website: The class website (URL listed above) will be an invaluable resource for students and parents. The site should be bookmarked and visited regularly. In addition to providing access to secure, online grades, the site includes school and class announcements, syllabi, information on homework and class assignments, AP testing information, textbook resources, study aids, and a wealth of useful links to course-related resources. The site is updated regularly. Comments and suggestions by students and parents about the site s design and content are welcomed. State Standards and the College Board: Students in APUSH will be expected to exceed their grade 11 peers in a challenging and rigorous curriculum that will cover the state s U.S. history standards for grade 11 as well as the College Board requirements for United States history. The outline for this course was set by the College Board to replicate a full year of United States

2 history in a university level freshman survey course. See the course description below for complete details: The complete California content and performance standards can be located at the California State Department of Education web page at: Course Requirements: Grade Distribution: 1. Tests/Quiz 50% 2. Activities/Essays/DBQ/FRQ 30% 3. Classwork/Homework/Misc. Assignments 10% 4. Final Exam (Each Semester) 10% Grade Conversion: 98+ = A = B = C = D = A = B = C = D = A = B = C = D- Students are expected to maintain an A or B average in the course. Class materials are to be kept in a comprehensive notebook. Do not throw anything away. Homework: AP United States History is a demanding course with homework most nights. For students planning to earn a grade of "A" or "B," a total of six to eight hours per week is minimal. Students should begin preparing now, in September, to take the APUSH Exam in May. In addition to the textbook, assignments include supplementary reading varying from a few pages to book length, research projects, presentations, oral reports, group discussions, quizzes, objective and essay tests, current events, and documentary programs. Because the course covers such a breadth of material, students will be expected to manage sections of the textbook and/or projects independently. Students should print out and keep the syllabus and reading schedule in their three ring binder/notebook. Although I may delay or alter the schedule slightly, lost time will always be made up with independent study. Major assignments will be given with specific due dates and enough advance notice to allow students to organize their time. Student must take reading notes on each of the chapters to help with their study and mastery of the course. Most homework will be submitted online (Google Docs or Canvas). Each assignment will have a due date and time. If there are any technical complications (internet outage etc.) with submitting an assignment, it is the duty of the student to contact me either in person or by before the assignment is due. Informing me after the due date of the assignment will be given a grade of zero. Participation/Citizenship: A significant part of the academic and citizenship grades will be voluntary student participation. Student grades will be rewarded by: Being on time to class Bringing all necessary materials to class Being prepared for classroom discussion and activities Cooperating with the teacher and working well with peers Focusing on the coursework

3 Student citizenship grades may be reduced for: Excessive or unexcused absences Tardiness (LJHS Universal Tardy Policy info available on class website) Failure to bring required materials Being unprepared for class discussion and activities Disruptive or disrespectful behavior Working on non-course related materials Using cell phones, ipods, PDAs, or other distractions in class. Recording (audio or video) is not permitted at any time in the classroom environment. For the protection and privacy of all students and occupants of my classroom, recording of any type will not be tolerated (video, still photo, and or audio) without the consent of the teacher and parents. This includes phones, cameras and any other form of recording device. Some exceptions will be made in the case of student projects (Student made videos etc.) with the teacher s direction. Furthermore no smartphones/ watches (iwatch) or similar devices may be used on testing days. Make-up Work: It is the responsibility of students to determine what work they have missed due to absence. Questions for the teacher about missed work should be asked after school. Truancy will result in a score of 0 on all of the work for that day, and a U in citizenship for the grading period. Students who are excused from class and who miss work will receive a zero on the assignment(s) unless they submit the completed makeup work after school by the day after their return to class. Unless the student has made arrangements with me ahead of time or has an excused absence from class, any work submitted after the due date will be marked down. Tests and quizzes that are missed due to excused absence must be made up on a mutually agreeable day after school or during class depending on the student s schedule. Tests must be made up within three days of the originally scheduled date and may be given in a different format (e.g. essay questions may be given in lieu of an objective test or a different test version). Failure to make-up tests and quizzes as described will result in a grade of zero for that assignment. Being absent on the day or days before the test does not excuse one from taking the test when scheduled. Please refer to the reading schedule for all test days for the school year. Patterns of test avoidance (2-3+ absences on test days) will be handled with the administration and alternative tests will be administered. In order to reduce test avoidance behavior, make-up quizzes and tests will be scored outside the full class scale/curve (if one exists). Academic Honesty: Students are expected to demonstrate the highest standards of personal integrity in every class endeavor, large and small. The academic honesty policy of La Jolla High School will be enforced strictly with regard to cheating and plagiarism. A first time violation will result in a zero on the assignment, a referral to the counselor and a parent conference. The second offense will result in a failing grade for the semester. While I will discuss the matter with a student, my professional judgment with regard to what I observe will be the final determinant of whether cheating occurred. Neither a student s intentions nor awareness of policies is an acceptable reason or mitigating factor in such instances. Homework that is done as part of a group effort should indicate the names of the people that were partners when the assignment is

4 turned in. In such cases the actual writing of the responses should be individual in nature. Sections that are copied verbatim are considered a form of plagiarism. Video/Movie Policy: Movies and Video clips may be shown throughout the school year to introduce concepts, enhance curriculum, and encourage class discussion. Some of these films, such as Lost Battalion and Saving Private Ryan and others may contain R ratings. We believe that these films are appropriate for high school students in the proper instructional setting. Online Grades Please be sure to regularly check grades online. La Jolla High School uses the PowerSchool site for grade posting which can be accessed from the school s website. Student Support: If you are finding difficulty with the content/concepts being studied in class, please never hesitate to ask me for help. Please contact me in class or if you would like to setup an appointment for further support. I will happily meet before or after school. Student support elements will include the following approaches. 1. Before Instruction (Review with student past lessons and concepts to prepare for the upcoming unit of study). 2. During Instruction (Question and Answer / Notebook check to see if student is comprehending our unit of study). 3. After Assessments (Review growth or areas of need based off schoolwork and test scores). Furthermore, other systems of support do exist online such as the textbook site and other online resources. Parent-Student-Teacher Contacts: Prior to ing or calling me, please ask your student to contact me with questions or concerns. Many issues and parent concerns can be resolved by doing this prior to ing or calling the teacher.

5 I have read and understand Mr. Tellers APUSH syllabus and agree to the academic and citizenship criteria outlined. Sign below & return this portion. Student Name (please print) Parent/Guardian Signature Student Signature Date