US History
Ms. Nelson, 2019-20
“American history is longer, larger, more various, more beautiful, and more terrible than anything anyone has ever said about it.” –James Baldwin
About the Course:
In this course we will explore the foundations of our country, the conflicts that tested its limits, and the events that shaped its future. For this class we will be following the scope and sequence for US History as outlined by the Issaquah School District:
1st Quarter – The Birth of a Nation, Establishing a Government, Westward Expansion
2nd Quarter –The Civil War, Reconstruction, Emergence of Modern America, Imperialism, WWI
3rd Quarter – The 1920’s, the Great Depression, WWII, Early Cold War
4th Quarter – Civil Rights, the 1960’s-1970’s, Contemporary America
Class Materials:
Throughout the semester you will be maintaining a history binder. All notes, classwork, and homework will go into this binder. In addition to your binder, you must bring a pencil or pen to write with. Your notes will be taken by hand in your history binder. Every few weeks your binders will be checked so it is your responsibility for keeping it up to date.
Grading:
Your grade in this class is determined by a total point system. On Skyward, you will likely be seeing these categories:
-
Tests/Quizzes
-
Projects – The late policy outlined under Classwork/Homework does NOT apply to projects or essays.
-
Notebook - This is your binder check grade. Binder checks will likely occur toward the end of each unit. I will give you advance notice of binder checks so you have time to organize. However, if I notice a class has been slacking on work, I may randomly call for you to turn in your binders. It is in your best interest to keep your binder up-to-date and organized.
-
Participation/Classwork –Participation is a vital part of this class. Participation includes joining discussions, engaging in class activities, and completion of general classroom tasks.
-
Classwork/Homework – The majority of your classwork will be submitted in your binders. Because of this, anything you do not finish in class will be on you to finish before the next binder check. All work is due on the day indicated, unless you have made prior arrangements with me. Late work (whether two minutes or two weeks) will only be able to earn 50% of the total points available for the assignment. Depending on the absence or nature of the assignment, this deadline may be shortened or extended at my discretion. Late work can be submitted at any until the end of the current unit.
Classroom Rules & Expectations:
-
When you enter the classroom, check your class box on the table inside the door. In it you might find papers or instructions that we will be need for class that day.
-
The day’s topics and any homework will be posted on the white board. It is your responsibility to write down your homework.
-
Seats will be assigned and may not be changed. (If there is a serious issue about where your assigned seat is please come see me.)
-
Come to class prepared. That means with a pencil or pen (blue or black ink), your binder, and any homework.
-
Turn in homework at the beginning of class in your class’ inbox folder (unless otherwise instructed). Your name must be on all work you turn in. I will hold onto “no names” until the end of the week. If “no names” have not been claimed by then, the work will be thrown away.
-
Be respectful and full of academic grit.
-
Music may only be listened to when I have given permission for you to do so. Headphones and AirPods may not be shared between students and must be taken off at the beginning of class.
-
Cell Phones – I do not want to see them out during class time. Before you walk into the classroom, make sure your phone is on Silent/Do Not Disturb and put your phone away. There may be days or specific times when your phone may be out. For example, during class work time you may listen to music or when your work is finished and has been checked by Ms. Nelson, you may be on your phone. This will be indicated by a sign on the board. If you are on your cell phone against clear instructions saying for it to be put away, I will take your phone and hold onto it for the rest of the period. The second time this happens will be a conversation with me. Third offense will be an email/phone call home. Fourth offense will be a discipline referral to the office.
-
Late to Class – Attendance will be taken each class period. Students who arrive to class after the bell rings will be marked late/tardy. Students who arrive to class less than 10 minutes late will be marked late. Student who are more than 10 minutes late will be marked tardy. Students are expected to remain in class for the entirety of the period. If a student leaves class, without a pass, and is gone for more than 10 minutes they will be marked tardy. In addition to the assigned the consequences and interventions outlined in the student handbook, students who are repeatedly late or tardy will be required to make up any work they missed on their own time outside of class.
-
I will allow drinks in class but not food. There may be times when I make exceptions to this rule (i.e. as a reward or for a class party).
Content Warning:
Our study of U.S. History, especially as we examine primary source documents, will touch on some sensitive topics—slavery, racism, sexism, violence, homophobia, period-typical slurs, etc.—to the level any survey of the subject would. I will generally try to give content warnings in class for potentially upsetting language or imagery, but students who have concerns about specific kinds of content are urged to contact me privately early in the year. Also, in this course we will discuss a range of topics, including content that may be controversial. I WILL NOT UNDER ANY CIRCUMSTANCES TOLERATE DISRESPECT, AGGRESSIVE BEHAVIOR, BULLYING, AND BIGOTRY. Any display of this in my class may result in a call home, a detention, and/or a visit to the principal.
Classroom Library:
The books on the bookshelf in the back of the classroom are available for students to borrow. If you wish to borrow a book, bring the book to me and I will let you know when its due date is. You also have the option to read during any free or down time in class. If you damage or lose one of my books, you will be responsible for replacing the book. Note, these are my books that I have spent my money to purchase. While I love sharing my books and encourage you to read them, I WILL NOT BE HAPPY if you disrespect or damage them.
Extra Credit:
Students will only have one extra credit option throughout the school year. For extra credit, students may volunteer to teach the class about a subject relevant to the unit we are currently in. Prior to each unit, I will provide a signup sheet for students wishing to pursue this extra credit option. For extra credit, students will be required to create then teach a lesson to their class. Besides classroom management, the student will be responsible for teaching content and leading a classroom activity related to that content. Students will work with me to develop this lesson, however the bulk of the responsibility will be on the student.
Contact Me: NelsonM@issaquah.wednet.edu
Students – If you have a concern or question, please come see me. Do not hesitate to ask! I will be available before school, during Nest Time, and after school. If something comes up once school is out, send me an email.
Parents – If you have a concern or question, send me an email. From there, we can either continue talking over email or arrange a phone call or in person meeting at a time that works best for you.
Grades will be updated weekly and grades can be checked in Skyward. If you need to know what you missed in class or need another copy of an assignment, my class website will have that information: http://micsnelson.wixsite.com/history .A copy of this syllabus will also be available on this website.
PDF Copy of Syllabus
APUSH Syllabus 2019-2020 Ms. Nelson
Purpose
APUSH is a college level course that examines the political, diplomatic, intellectual, cultural, social, and economic history of the US from 1491 to the present. We will use a variety of instructional approaches throughout the year, and will supplement our college level textbook with primary and secondary sources. The capstone of the class, of course, is the APUSH EXAM in May. Financial aid is available to students who communicate their needs with their counselors.
The course requirements for APUSH assume a high level of interest and ability. It requires committed students who are willing to work far above the level required in a “regular” high school history class. Students should expect that the reading and writing load would be heavier than most high school history classes. Students are expected to attend class consistently, to come prepared at all times, to participate regularly in a constructive and cooperative manner, and to shoulder the responsibility for the class work in a mature and diligent way. Students must be able to keep up with the course because it moves rapidly and covers a lot of ground. The intellectual skills and interests you can develop in AP history courses ‐‐ critical reading, analyzing data sets, synthesizing evidence to develop new insights‐‐ will prove beneficial in a wide range of college courses and will equip you for lifelong learning.
Skills Developed: In each unit, students will develop the following content driven skills: Crafting Historical Arguments from interpreted Historical Evidence, Chronological Reasoning and Causation, Comparison and Contextualization, and Historical Interpretation.
In addition, class activities and assignments will address the following academic skills: reading for comprehension and recall, effective study skills in preparation for assessments, APUSH-specific formal writing skills, public speaking skills in class discussions and activities, and map reading and interpretation.
Resources
Textbook : America: A Narrative History, 9e, Vols. 1 & 2, George Brown Tindall & David Emory Shi.
A wide range of online primary and secondary sources will be used to supplement our textbook.
Units of
Study & Key
Concepts
Period 1: 1491-1607 The Collision of Cultures
Period 2: 1607-1754 Britain and Its Colonies
Period 3: 1754-1800 Building A Nation
Period 4: 1800-1848 An Expansive Nation
Period 5: 1844-1877 A House Divided and Reconstruction
Period 6: 1865-1898 Growing Pains
Period 7: 1890-1945 Modern America
Period 8: 1945-1980 The American Age
Period 9: 1980-Present
Each unit of study will address the themes and concept questions related to the time period.
American & National Identity: How and why has the American national identity and values changed over time?
Work, Exchange, and Technology: What are the factors behind the development of systems of economic exchange, particularly the role of technology, economic markets, and government?
Geography & the Environment: What is the role of geography (both natural and human-made) in the social and political developments of what would become the United States?
Migration & Settlement: Why and how did the various people who moved to, within the USA adapt to, and transform their new social and physical environments?
Politics and Power: How have different social and political groups influenced society and government in the United States? How have political beliefs and institutions changed over time?
America in the World How did interactions between nations in the colonial period affect North American history? How has the United States influenced world affairs?
American & Regional Culture: How and why have national, regional, and group cultures developed and changed? How has cultured shaped government policy and the economy?
Social Structures: How and why have systems of social organization developed and changed? What impacted do these systems have on the broader society?
Content Notice: Our study of U.S. History, especially as we examine primary source documents, will touch on some sensitive topics—slavery, racism, sexism, violence, homophobia, period-typical slurs, etc.—to the level any survey of the subject would. I will generally try to give content warnings in class for potentially upsetting language or imagery, but students who have concerns about specific kinds of content are urged to contact me privately early in the year.
Grading
Grade Categories
Period Tests (AP format)...………….....45%
Quizzes (Reading)...................................... 20%
Assignments (Timelines/6 Degrees of Separation, writing practice, simulations, historical thinking skills exercises, etc.) …..... 15%
Final exam(s)…………………….… 20%
No extra credit assignments will be given.
Period (Unit) Tests will consist of two components:
1. A stimulus-based multiple-choice portion taken from, or designed after, released AP test questions.
2. A written portion, where students will respond to prompts similar to actual AP exam prompts (SAQ, LEQ, or DBQ).
As a college level class, with the ultimate goal of preparing you for college curricular expectations and the AP exam itself, your grade in AP U.S. History is heavily weighted towards assessments.
Classwork assignments make up little of your grade. While I believe that homework, (in this class mostly reading and notetaking,) has great value, it is just the BEGINNING of studying and preparing for the assessments.
Grading Scale
A 91 – 100 B 80 – 83.99 C 70 – 73.99 D 60 – 63.99
A- 87– 90.99 B- 77– 79.99 C- 67– 69.99 F Below 59.99
B+ 84 – 86.99 C+ 74 – 76.99 D+ 64 – 66.99
As an incentive to take the AP Exam, and to do your best, with an exam score of a 4, I will retroactively increase your grade for the SECOND semester by 2/3 of a letter grade (C+ to B, or B to A-). With a 5, I will retroactively increase your grade for the SECOND semester by a full letter grade (for example, C+ to B+, or B to A).
Rounding Grades: Grades will only be rounded if they are .02% within the next higher grade. For example, if you have an 86.98%, that would be rounded to an A-, but if you have 86.97% that stays a B+.
Grades will be posted to Skyward once every two weeks, often more frequently.
Classroom
Expectations
&
Attendance
Reading
There will be extensive reading that must be completed in advance of the material being covered in class. Students are expected to have a comprehensive understanding of all topics covered in the text, online resources, supplementary readings, and the classroom. Students may be spending 45-90 minutes daily on reading or homework outside of class time. Students are expected to maintain a reading log of their textbook and assigned readings. Quizzes and unit exams will be used to assess student learning of various topics and reading logs may, at the teacher’s discretion, be used to assist students on these assessments.
Late Work & Makeup Tests
All work is due on the day indicated, unless circumstances prevent you from working or accessing the weekly calendar. It is your responsibility to check for any calendar and assignment updates. If you are in class to receive an assignment, but then are absent, your assignment will still be due on the date indicated. Have a classmate turn in your work or email it to Ms. Nelson. Late work (whether two minutes or two weeks) will only be able to earn 50% of the total points available for the assignment. Late work can be submitted at any until the end of the current unit.
If you have an excused absence on a test day, you must make an appointment with me to make up the test. Keep in mind, Wednesday morning is the largest block of uninterrupted time to make up tests. Time after school is very limited.
Attendance
In order to succeed, regular attendance is just as important as the work you do at home. Therefore, IHS attendance policies will be followed. If you are not in your seat when the bell rings, or until the bell rings at the end of class, you will be marked tardy. If you arrive to class more than 15 minutes late, you will be marked absent. Too many absences, and you will lose credit in the class. Leaving the classroom during class will be limited.
Behavior
My expectation is that you will come to class ready to learn and stay engaged in class. Therefore, there will be no cell phone use. If cell phone make an inappropriate appearance, they will be confiscated and may be picked up at the end of the day. In addition, completing work for other classes while in APUSH will not be permitted. If seen, the work and associated materials may be confiscated until the next day.
Contact
Email address: NelsonM@issaquah.wednet.edu