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UNITED STATES HISTORY SYLLABUS

General Information:

Dan E. Downey

2918 Pahokee Trace

Birmingham, AL 35243

Tel/Fax: (205) 908-7294

dan.downey@

Required Texts:

* United States History, Heritage of Freedom. (11) ABeka, 2nd or later edition.

[Quiz/test booklets NOT necessary]

[pic]

* Carry a Big Stick, Highland Books. Grant, George. 1996. Used and new copies are pretty easy to find:

[pic]*This book will be used starting in October.*

Required web sites to bookmark:

* Digital History web site:

* Primary Source web site:

Other Requirements:

* Large three-ring binder. This will be your central organizer! We will call this binder the "history notebook." It will be your responsibility to keep all your work in order. Section dividers would be good, but not necessary.

In this binder will be kept ALL WORK: assignments from, primary sources, your written work, maps, on-going lists, etc.

Keep this syllabus in your binder.

Computer

It is essential that students have a computer and printer in peak working condition, which includes access to the Internet, at least Windows 98 or higher. Macs are equally fine.

Our primary tool for posting and turning in assignments is the Google Classroom (GC). Students and parents must be able to work fluently on the GC.

You must be able to open GC assignments and attachments (most often Word docs). Your weekly assignments will be sent via the above-mentioned GC.

Quizzes, tests and exams, when not done in class, will be posted to the GC.

Students must notify Mr. Downey by telephone in case of inoperative equipment and make adjustments to their schedule to complete the assignments by the Tuesday deadline.

[See "Deadlines and Reduced Assignments" below.]

Course Description:

The United States History (USH) II course is designed to cover periods of USH beginning with the post-Civil War years (1870s) through much of the 20th century, including the Age of Terrorism in which we presently live. Students will read and write extensively and develop individual and group projects throughout the course.

The course is designed for motivated college-bound students looking to demonstrate academic achievement, higher order thinking skills, and the ability to work independently.

There is an expectation to not only complete weekly reading and written assignments essential to the classroom lecture and discussion, but students must pursue excellence with openness to an atmosphere of learning. Written quizzes (approximately every other week) and longer tests (2-3 per semester) are an important element to fully prepare students.

The class is 33 weeks (not counting a three-week Christmas break and Spring Break) and begins Tuesday, August 20, 2019. There will be assigned reading over the breaks. Thanksgiving and Easter weeks will have minimal assignments. The week before Christmas break and the final week of the year will be review-oriented.

There is also an assignment due the first class meeting (August 20). See "Summer Assignment" below.

The course relies on primary sources, textbook overview and outside readings. A special emphasis will be given to historical writing through narration (essay) and document-based questions. In addition, objective exams, simulations, and integrated computer-technology assignments will be incorporated into the curriculum.

The USH course is an academically rigorous course that can easily become overwhelming if a student gets behind in the work. There are substantial weekly reading assignments, at home and in-class quizzes. Though the USH course does not require a term paper, students will write 2-3 essays a month, and there will be option to write a research paper in lieu of the first semester exam.

The chronological framework for the course will be in three (3) units:

* Age of Industry 1865-1900

Reconstruction, Westward Railroads, Last Frontier, Free Enterprise, Big Business, “Gilded Age”

* Early 20th Century 1900-1940

Expanding World Influence, Progressive Era, World War I, 1920s, Depression, New Deal

* Late 20th Century 1940-present

World War II, Cold War, 1950s-80s, Terrorism

Class Objectives:

1. Using and evaluating primary and secondary (textbook) sources

2. Outlining subjects and topics

3. Organizing this information using the history notebook.

4. Map labeling

5. Special Topics:

*Theodore Roosevelt *Influence of Christianity

* Eleanor Roosevelt *Origin of Terrorism

* World Wars

General Overview of Weekly Assignments

Class meets every Tuesday, 1:30 – 3:00

By every Wednesday morning students will find on the GC new assignments posted. Students are expected to check their e/mail and the GC every day, as I frequently post comments or edit his/her work and/or assignments.

All assignments are graded on a 10-point scale (90-100 = A), unless otherwise noted. Most work must be submitted on GC by Friday evening (6:00 pm). Assignments received AFTER the Tuesday evening deadline will be considered late and receive a deduction of 1% per hour past 6:00 PM up to 10%. For each additional day (24 hours) an assignment is late, the grade will suffer an additional 10% deduction.

Deadlines and Reduced Assignments:

Unless you ask for in advance and receive an extension from me, your assignments start losing points after Friday evening (6:00 pm). I am usually willing to grant an extension until Saturday, but only with a good reason, and only if you talk to me in advance. Also, if you let me know in advance of a major commitment (family event or college visit, for example), I can reduce your weekly work load slightly. If sick, have a parent phone me and I will reduce your assignment.

Stay away from turning in assignments late with such explanations as "I had a busy week," or "I had to a lot of homework for my other teachers." It's up to you to pace yourself.

Weekly assignments vary, but generally include most of the following:

* Read the textbook, usually one chapter per week, although some weeks two chapters will be assigned. This reading is a focused reading, including all primary documents, graphs and maps.

* Complete the chapter review OR section review questions in writing. Questions must be written (as well as answers).

* Many weeks, instead of the chapter review, I will have a chapter outline handed out in class or e/mailed to you for completing.

* Take an on-line practice quiz.

* Write a "narration" and/or essay at least three times a month, typically on a primary source, major event, or comparison of issues. Specific narrations will be assigned.

The narration/essay is an integral part of the USH course. Gradually students will learn to write the kind of formal essay expected. They will learn about developing a thesis, presenting supporting evidence, and making analytical comparisons.

Narrations/Essays are graded on a 10 point scale. (90-100 = A)

* Research the assigned web site pages by taking notes, answering questions, writing brief bios, exploring animated features, etc.

* Tests are primarily completed at home and sent via e/mail about every other month,

Movie and Multimedia

Students are strongly encouraged to watch movies with historical content relating to all time periods and regions studied.

There will also be assigned documentary films, as well as internet sites to research on a weekly basis as part of the written work.

Extra Credit Work

Students are encouraged to earn extra credit. A maximum of 100 points will add 10% to their final grade. It may consist, but not restricted to, any of the following:

* Extra narrations or essays.

* Writing a review of a book, movie, web site or museum visit.

Grading

Students receive grades on all work: essays, narrations, quizzes, tests and exams. There is a participation element (classroom and on-line) to the final grade.

The final semester grade is broken down approximately below:

* Weekly written assignments, including history notebook 40%

* Quizzes 10-15%

* Tests 10-15%

* Research projects 5-10%

* Semester Exam:10-25%

* Extra Participation 0- 2%

* Extra Credit Work 0-10%

Progress Report

There will be a regular progress report sent via e/mail at every nine-week period. I also usually like to send a preliminary progress report at the six-week period. In addition, there will be a semester grade in December and again in May.

Attendance

* The class has 33 regular meetings that last 90 minutes. Attendance is not required, but ALL WORK (assignments, research, narrations, quizzes, test, etc) must be delivered (in person, via post or e/mail) to Mr. Downey by the due date.

In the event of sudden illness or unforeseen absence from class, you are responsible for getting the class notes from another student. Mr. Downey will be available to discuss a missed class, and an audio of class is available upon request.

*No eating, drinking, or wearing hats in class without permission from Mr. Downey.

*Try to visit the bathroom before class. Emergencies of this kind are fine without permission. Just leave the room, but every student is responsible for missed material. Do not interrupt class with questions if you were out of class.

*Turn off phones before entering class. Emergency calls must be taken outside of class.

*Be on time for class. Repeat offenders of this rule will lose points to grades.

*Lap-top computers in class are fine as long as used for History work. Internet and other activity during class are not acceptable.

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Summer Assignments (approximately five hours):

Because of the large scope of this course, students need a head start in order to cover all the topics. For this reason, USH may be the known as "the course that starts in the summer."

Reading assignment:

1. United States History 11 (heritage of Freedom) textbook, chapter 17

2. Optional assignment: Watch the film Gone with the Wind. Pay special attention to the post-war parts. Be ready to comment in class discussion on the Reconstruction period.

3. Review the first two parts of the growth of the U.S. by watching the animated map here:

Writing assignment:

* Complete all Chapter 17 section reviews including questions and identify. Write each question and save into Google Docs,

Turn in on the GC by Friday night 6:00 PM, August 16.[pic][pic][pic]

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