United States History: Reconstruction to the Present Class Syllabus and Schedule

Instructor: Miss/Ms. Cooney Room #204 Email: cooney.socialstudies@gmail.com Class Website: http://www.cooneysocialstudies.weebly.com

Learning Outcomes:
While this class is focused on learning about the history of the United States there are several skills that I want each student to leave with. 1. Ability to read and analyze textbooks and supplementary material. Textbooks are a major tool in education and regardless of the class you are in or grade level you will be expected to use a textbook. In addition, not all knowledge can be found in textbooks. Especially in content areas like the social studies, supplementary material is important to fully understand varying perspectives on people, places, ideas, events, etc. I expect each student to leave this class having further developed their skills in critical reading. 2. Ability to take different types of tests. Test taking is another important aspect of education that students must learn. However, I will try to introduce various types of testing to help each student develop their strengths and weaknesses in testing. 3. Ability to research. Even though most people do not become professional researchers, the skills that students develop through research are important. Some of these skills that are developed include source analysis, forming questions and theories, developing a way to prove a theory/opinion, and articulating findings, thoughts, and ideas. 4. Ability to write. This may be one of the most essential skills a student can learn. The ability to convey thoughts and ideas are important skills as students and future members of society/workforce. My goal is to have students writing multiple times per week and complete at least one formal paper per semester.

Expectations:
Each of you is only a few years away from careers, college, etc. and with that comes individual responsibilities, both academic and personal. I want you to hold yourself and your classmates to high standards to optimize our learning environment. I expect you to respect the members of this classroom and engage in cooperative learning/behavior. While I welcome constructive input regarding this class, I do have specific expectations for each member of the class. Incorporated into your weekly grades are 50 points that are easy points if you follow the guidelines below. In other words, you can earn up to 10 free points per class period.

1. Attendance Everyone should be in class every day. The more you are in class, the more you will learn. This class will move forward at a quick pace, so the more you miss class the harder it will be to catch up with the material. a. I realize there is life outside of school and sometimes conflicts (family matters, illness, etc.). If you know you will be absent, please come see me ahead of time. Otherwise, talk to me as soon as you return to school. b. 3 points will be awarded for each class you attend i. Tardiness you need to come to the entire class. I will have something planned from the beginning to the end of class and I do not want you to miss anything. Missing class will also affect your participation points. 2. Preparedness Every student is expected to come to class ready to participate and learn. This includes coming to class with certain materials. 2 points will be awarded for the following items: a.Textbook and/or readings for the class (1 point) b. Notebook to take notes with pen/pencil (1 point) 3. Participation School is a place for you to learn and develop as students and individuals. The more you participate in class the more you will learn. As well, it will be a much more enjoyable experience. a. While there will be activities and assignments that will have specified participation requirements, each student can earn up to 5 points for every class if they demonstrate that they are engaged. I realize that everyone participates differently and I will take that into consideration when grading. b. You will lose participation points for disruptions, inappropriate behavior, etc. that affect my ability to teach and your classmates ability to learn. 4. Technology I recognize the variety of technology used today and I will try to incorporate it into class. a. Cell phones are one of these technologies that I would like to use as a tool in our class. It must remain in your pocket unless I say you may use them. This could be for an activity or just to look up the answer to question we do not know. The use of cell phones in the classroom is a privilege. If one student abuses this privilege they will not be used in class. In other words, keep each other accountable. b. Computers will be another tool I will utilize in this class. There is a class website that I have created and I will be asking you to contact me through email. In addition, many of the assignments will require the use of the computer. This does not mean you to go out and purchase a personal computer, having regular access at home and school will be sufficient. If you do not have access to a computer please come see me ASAP so we can discuss ways for you to complete the work.

To summarize, if you come to class on time, are prepared, and make an effort to participate on a daily basis you can earn ten points towards you grade. These points are entirely your responsibility. This is one way I can reward students for their effort regardless of their academic performance in the class.

Grading/Assignments:
1. Journals Keeping track of your thoughts throughout lessons and across units will be important to develop connections and writing skills. These will be used in a number of ways in this class: a. Daily warm-ups: at the start of each class there will be a question or task that you will write in your journal. Try to write as much as possible to sufficiently complete the task. A half a page or more is a general guideline. If you arrive after the warm-up (without a note from a staff member) is complete you will not earn the points. b. Weekly summaries: at the conclusion of some weeks you will construct a summary and reflection of the readings and classes (lecture, discussions, activities, etc.) c. Thinking space: periodically I will have questions for you to think about and record in your journals. Journals will be graded on a credit, not credit basis. I will grade them every Tuesday after school so I will collect them at the end of class that day and you will have them again the next day. The grades will be determined on the effort and thought demonstrated in your writing. I will not grade based on grammar and structure of your writing, however this is an opportunity for you to practice writing. Please see make-up policy about making up journals after excused absents. You may keep your journal in the classroom if you do not need to bring it home for assignments and such; however they may be good review tools for exams and other assignments. Please remember to bring your journal to class everyday because if you do not have it you will not be able to earn the warm-up or preparedness points for the day. 2. Reading Quizzes An important aspect of social studies is reading a variety of texts that contain multiple perspectives that will help readers understand a particular place, time, idea, event, etc. One of these texts is your class textbook and I will be checking your reading and vocabulary comprehension almost every week. Reading quizzes will be 5-10 multiple choice questions about major points/facts from the textbook reading. Basically, if you read the material you will be able to answer the questions. 3. Class Discussions/In-Class Activities Each unit will contain a variety of activities and discussions based on the materials. These will be graded on a scale based on completeness/participation. See point summary for details. 4. Projects/Tests/Final Assessments At the conclusion of each unit there will be an assessment that may come in the form of an exam, paper, project, etc. I will announce the final assessment is at the start of each unit. Directions, expectations, and rubrics will be provided as needed.

Point Summary Attendance, Preparedness, and Participation 10 points/day (50 points/week) Daily warm-up 10 points/warm-up (50 point/week) Reading Quizzes 5-10 points/week In-class assignments (some will be 10 points = completed (everything must be done completed for homework) in order to earn the full points) 5 points = half is completed 0 points = nothing completed or turned in Papers/Projects/Exams Varies (rubrics will be handed out with guidelines) Extra Credit Reviews Varies Note: I will be using the same grading scale provided in the school student handbook. Make-up work: For excused absences students may make up all assignments they missed. I will follow the policy stated in the student handbook. While all assignments, including journals can be made up, participation in class activities and discussion cannot be made up. Under some circumstances students may demonstrate their understanding of the material discussed in class through make up assignments that you will design with me. Please note that I will not seek you out after an absence, I expect you to come see me about your missed assignments. Re-grading: School is a place to learn and it is a process that should allow students to take risks. That being said, any grade (except for reading quizzes) can be redone for partial credit towards your grade. This is not a make-up for something you missed, but rather a chance to improve your grade. A. After every major test I will offer an optional assignment that you may choose to complete to show me that you understand the material. B. It will be due within a few days of the test and I will average the two grades. The average will be your new grade. For instance, if you received a 60 percent on a text and you submit something for re-grading and receive a grade of 90 percent your new grade would be a 75 percent.

Daily Routine:
While there will be variation between class periods there are a number of things that you can expect in regards to routine and classroom organization. 1. Turning in papers when you come to class each day and there are any assignments due please put them in your hours designated folder near the door. This will include any assignments due at the start or conclusion of class. 2. Graded Papers graded papers can be found near the door as well. Please check your folder periodically, before or after class. I trust each of you to respect the privacy of the other class members. 3. Handouts for Class whenever I have a handout for the class you will find it on the table near the door. When you come into the room, please check the table for handouts and then begin the warmup. That way everyone is prepared for class before it begins.

Class Schedule This is a tentative schedule that may change. A more detailed schedule with assignments will be presented at the start of each unit. September 3 and 4 September 5-13 September 16-20 September 23-October 18 October 21-November 15 Introduction to History Unit 1-Review Chapter 1 and 2 Unit 2-Reconstruction Chapter 3 Unit 3-Industry, the Frontier, and Immigration in the Gilded Age Chapter 4, 5, 6, and 7 Unit 4-The Progressive Era and World War I Chapter 8, 9, and 10

November 18-December 20 Unit 5-The 20s, the Great Depression, and the New Deal Chapter 11, 12, and 13 December 23-January 3 January 6-24 January 21-23 February 3-14 February 17-Marach 21 March 24-28 March 31-April 4 April 7-25 April 28-June 6 June 9-11 Winter Break Unit 6-World War II Chapter 14 and 15 Exam Week Unit 7-Post World War II Era and the Cold War Chapter 16 and 17 Unit 8-Social Movements and the Vietnam War Chapter 18, 19, 20, and 21 Unit 9-The 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s Chapter 22, 23, 24, and 25 Spring Break Unit 9-The 1970s, 1980s, and 1990s Chapter 22, 23, 24, and 25 Chapter 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, and 32 Exam Week