DHS United States History



|United States History |

|10 AND 11th Grade |

| |

|Instructors |

|Mr. Sommer - jsommer@ |

|Ms. Embry – kembry@ |

|Mr. Davis - chdavis@ |

|Coach Copp – ccopp@ |

|Coach Gathany – sgathany@ |

| |

I. Course Description: All US History courses at Decatur High School focus on acquiring historical knowledge and understanding while communicating and developing critical thinking about history. Students, in addition, will be asked to research and analyze historical documents. Our goal is to prepare students so that they can understand present day controversies, the position of the US in those events, and the connections between modern conflicts and historical events using the skills of a historian. This course is designed to provide each student with the knowledge and skills necessary to meet the Georgia Performance Standards for 11th Grade US History.

IB Aims: The aims of all MYP subjects state what a teacher may expect to teach and what a student may expect to experience and learn. These aims, therefore, suggest how the student may be changed by the learning experience. The aims of the teaching and learning of MYP humanities are to encourage and enable the student to:

• Appreciate the range of human and environmental commonalities and diversities

• Understand the interactions and interdependence of individuals, societies and environments in different contexts

• Understand how both environmental and human systems operate and evolve over time

• Identify and develop a concern for human and environmental well-being

• Act upon opportunities to be a responsible global citizen

• Develop effective inquiry skills to achieve conceptual understanding in humanities.

Areas of Interaction:

• Approaches to learning

The most prominent A.O.I., Approaches to Learning (A.T.L.) is present in every unit across all the subject areas of the MYP. ATL focuses on students becoming aware of how they learn. This includes student understanding of the role organization, collaboration, research and reflection play in their learning. The goal is for students to be aware of how they learn, so they become self-directed, effective learners.

• Community and service

Learning doesn’t take place in isolation, nor should merely intellectual growth be the goal of education. In the MYP Program, students are encouraged and required to apply their learning to serve the community of which they are a part. The Community & Service AOI provides this link to the subject content.

• Human ingenuity

This AOI focuses on human activity (inventions, creations, discoveries) and their impacts on the world around us. Students examine positive, negative and unintended consequences of human actions in our world.

• Environments

Formerly called Environment, this AOI focuses on the natural, built and virtual environments that impact our lives and have impacted history. Issues such as preservation of our planet as well as environmental impacts on culture and history are a few of the topics examined through this AOI.

• Health and social education 


The goal for student development is not merely academic, but growth as a whole person. Health & social Education focuses on the ways we define and educate ourselves as to what is a healthy, balanced life. Students also examine how this perception has changed over time and in various cultures.

II. Texts and Resources: The primary text for the course is Paul Boyer, et al. American Nation. Austin, Texas. Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 2005. The cost to the student for replacing a lost or damaged text will be $61.85. In addition to the primary text, a number of additional sources may be read and studied. Students need to provide a three-ring notebook for keeping notes and handouts; three-hole notebook paper for the notebook, and pencils and blue or black pens (no erasable pens please). Handouts will be provided to go into your notebook, so spiral notebooks will not be appropriate.

III. Methodology: This course will be student-centered and standards-based. Specific knowledge and skills necessary for meeting the Georgia Performance Standards will be introduced and modeled via a number of formats, after which students will have multiple opportunities to apply and practice specific knowledge and skills individually and in small and large groups. Throughout this learning process, students will receive specific and meaningful feedback and guidance aimed at assisting them in revising and/or improving their work in order to meet the requisite standards.

This is a course that will challenge all students to stretch in their historical understandings and knowledge. Students may have varied assignments and their level of challenge may change throughout the semester.

This course will consist of 12 units based on historical eras. Each unit will be focused on periods and trends throughout history and will also include historical facts required for the United States History EOCT.

| |Unit |Standard |Dates |

| |Colonial |SSUSH1-2 |Aug. 1st – 14th |

| |Revolution-Constitution |SSUSH 3, 4, 5 |Aug. 15th- Sept.-7th |

| |Early America |SSUSH 6 |Sept. 17th-28th |

| |Opportunity and Oppression |SSUSH7, 8, 9 |Oct. 1st- Nov. 1st |

| |Civil War- Reconstruction |SSUSH 9, 10 |Nov. 2nd- Nov. 16th |

| |Industry and Progressive Era |SSUSH11, 12, 13, 14 |Nov. 26th- Dec. 20th |

| |SEMESTER BREAK | | |

| |World Power-WWI |SSUSH 14, 15 |Jan. 3rd-Jan. 15th |

| |Tweens- Depression |SSUSH 16, 17, 18 |Jan. 16th- Jan. 29th |

| |WWII |SSUSH 19 |Jan.-30th –Feb. 8th |

| |Cold War |SSUSH20 |Feb 18- Feb 28 |

| |Social Change Civil Rights |SSUSH21, 22, 23, 24 |March 1-25 |

| |70s, 80s and 90s |SSUSH25 |March 26- April 26 |

| |The American Voices Project | |April 22- May 24 |

| |EOCT Review times | | |

IV. Methods of Assessment:

Students will be assessed on a variety of learning, and they will receive specific feedback and guidance during the learning process; but students will receive fewer grades and those grades will come later in the learning process after the student has had the opportunity to utilize the feedback.

A variety of formative or informal assessments such as reading verification quizzes, drafts, anticipation guides, and various activities will be used during the learning process to monitor and adjust student progress, and points may be assigned for interim steps on larger projects or research assignments.

Major assessments used to evaluate student progress will include essays, standards based tests, debates, research projects, and other culminating performance tasks that provide evidence of conceptual understanding of the learning targets for that unit.

V. Grading Policy:

Grades will be calculated on total points under the following categories.

The grade for the course will consist of the following: 80% of the course is a class grade while 20% is for the United States History End-of-Course-Test.

Class Grade:

Knowledge and Understanding = 25 %

Investigating = 25%

Thinking Critically = 25%

Communicating = 25%

Class summative grades will be based on the Humanities Guide IB rubric (0-8) for the four categories:

Rubric Score: Humanities Grade

8 100

7 94

6 89

5 85

4 79

3 75

2 68

1 63

0 60

Detailed rubric scoring can be found on the United States History website.

V. Grading Policy (Cont.)

An added component to the grading system this year is effort. The category of effort will replace conduct and allow parents/guardians keep track of their students effort in a particular class.

|Level |Effort |

|4-Consistently |Student is self-directed, displays initiative|

| |in his or her own learning, and exhibits |

| |accountability for his/her own work. |

|3-Usually | |

|2-Some of the time | |

|1-Rarely | |

Students are expected to redo major assignments to achieve a predetermined level of proficiency.

No extra credit will be given to offset poor performance on assigned work.

VI. Other Procedures:

Missed work: The length of the absence and the nature of the work missed determine the amount of time allowed to make-up the work; however, ALL arrangements for making up work need to be made the day you return to school. Field trips and other scheduled times away from school do not count as absences. Please see me for assignments prior to these scheduled times away from school.

Tutoring: Academic assistance is ALWAYS available upon request. You may see me before or after school or email me if you need help with an assignment.

Parent conferences should be scheduled through the counselor (404) 370-4423

A-I: Ms. Harpring, H-P: Mr. Jackson, Q-Z: Ms. Jones.

VII. Classroom Rules and Expectations:

Students are expected to follow the rules and regulations as outlined in the Decatur High School Student Handbook. You are expected to comport yourself in a manner conducive to the transmission of knowledge and the development of relevant concepts. While in this class you are expected to treat yourself, your peers, your teacher, and all materials and school property with respect. The school's discipline and honor codes will be adhered to in this class.

Electronic Devices, Phone Use, Food and Drink Policy

Use of any such devices during instructional or teaching time, including test or other formal evaluation is prohibited. Any use of phone, music device during summative and formal assessments will result in a score of zero as well as other consequences. Laptops computers should be used for instructional purposes only.

Please do not bring food or drinks into the classroom per Decatur High School policy.

VIII. Academic Honesty:

Cheating and plagiarism are not permitted. Students will have points deducted from the Non Academic Factor standard and will receive a “No Grade” for that assignment. The student will need to complete the assignment again.

IX. Academic/Discipline Expectations:

It is imperative that students realize that the classroom is an academic environment, and she/he is to conduct herself/himself accordingly. All students are expected to contribute to the learning environment in a positive manner.

Success in this class must be a joint effort. I will do everything I can to help you be successful. I am usually available after school. In turn, I expect you to come to class on time and prepared, to participate in class activities, and to seek extra help if you need it. It goes without saying that your attendance is imperative. Much of what transpires during this class period through discussion cannot be duplicated and, therefore, cannot be made up. Please make every effort to be in class.

Students are expected to treat themselves, their peers, the teacher, and all materials and school property and equipment with respect. I will strive to treat you with the same courtesy and respect that I appreciate from you. Kindness, courtesy, and personal responsibility on both our parts make for a more pleasant class and a better world.

***The teacher reserves the right to adjust this course syllabus at any time during the school year.

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