Course Syllabus p.

African American History 101

Course Description
This course provides a fundamental understanding of the history of African Americans from the migration to present day. Students will explore social, cultural, political aspects as well as an understanding from a more personal perspective. Understanding racial implications, paradigms and civil by utilizing mandatory text, quizzes, and technological tools to illustrate knowledge, comprehension and creativity.

Course Objectives
Essential Questions 1. In what ways do the main topics in this unit relate to me? What impact has any one of these topics had on my daily life experience? 2. To what extent is African American History a history of progress? 3. To what extent does art reflect or shape culture? Students will KNOW 1. Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade 2. Antebellum South 3. Reconstruction 4. Harlem Renaissance 5. Civil Rights 6. Religion 7. Politics 8. Culture 9. W.E.B DuBois 10. Booker T. Washington 11. Slavery 12. George Washington Carver 13. Civil War 14. Tuskegee Experiment 15. Privilege

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Enduring Understandings 1. Students will understand that events, people and places have shaped or influenced lives as they know it and how to find meaning (cause and effect) of historical events. 2. Students will understand that the knowledge of their own culture or that of another that develop the ability to explain or empathize with said person or group as a result. Students will be able to (High Prep: Think Tac Toe).

1. Intelligently question and research historical events and their influences. 2. Identify specific people, places or events and connect their existence to modern day culture. 3. Write analytically to describe cause and effect of historical events. 4. Evaluate information for authenticity and validity. 5. Present factual and informative information in a well- developed format.

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Gradebook
Gradebook
Unit # KWL Charts Blog posts: Think Tac Toe Essays Quizzes Presentation (GRASP) Total 1 10 2 10 3 10 4 10 5 10 6 7 8 9 10 Total 50

25 25 25

25 25 25

25 25 25

25 25 25

25 25 25

125 125 125

100

525

Grading Scale
Total Points Letter Grade A AB+ B BC+ C CD+ Percentage 93-100% 90-92% 87-89% 83-86% 80-82% 77-79% 73-76% 70-72% 67-69% Grade Point 4.0 3.7 3.3 3.0 2.7 2.3 2.0 1.7 1.3

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Your Reading Material

This course does use a traditional textbook. You will be reading from The African American Experience in addition to related websites, videos, and powerpoints.

Course Outline
Below is an outline of the content and activities in each unit of the course. Each week students are expected to complete chapter readings, an outline, chapter questions, an essay, a blog post and two responses to classmates blog and a weekly quiz. Projects and expectations will be posted on the Wavelength blog; check weekly as they will be posted two weeks in advance.

GRADING RUBRIC Essays

Essay Questions are posted in the lesson plan on Wednesday. Each essay is to be a minimum of 3 pages in length, double spaced and appropriate MLA formatting. Essays are to be submitted as indicated on the lesson plan. Grade: Grading Criteria
90100% 80-89% 70-79% Responses are on topic, original, and contribute to the quality of the discussion. Responses make frequent, informed references to unit material. Responses are clearly written. Substantial original answers to the questions that furthers the work of the class. Typically in the 3 page length and meet length requirements as posted in the classroom. Two or more thoughtful responses per discussion question to classmates that advance the discussion. Responses are on topic, largely original, and contribute to the quality of the discussion. Responses make some informed references to unit material. Responses are generally clearly written. Substantial original answers to the questions that furthers the work of the class. Typically in the 1-2 page or responses meet only 80% of the length requirements as posted in the classroom. One response per discussion question to a classmate that is thoughtful and advances the discussion. Responses are on topic, but lack originality, and lack a significant contribution to the quality of the discussion. Responses make vague or summary references to unit material. Responses have several mechanical or stylistic errors.

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60-69%

0-59%

Short posting. Normally in the 1 page or responses meet only 70% of the length requirements as posted in the classroom. Response(s) to others does not advance the discussion. Responses are only partially on topic, lack originality, and lack a significant contribution to the quality of the discussion. Responses make little or no references to unit material. Responses have several mechanical or stylistic errors. Minimal postin responses meet only 60% of the length requirements as posted in the classroom. No responses to classmates. If there are two questions, student didnt respond to one. Responses are off topic, lack originality, and fail to advance the discussion. Responses make little or no references to unit material. Responses have several mechanical or stylistic errors. Minimal posting. Normally in the fewer than 25 word range or responses meet less than 60% of the length requirements as posted in the classroom. Response is abusive or inappropriate. Response is plagiarized. Responses are missing. No responses to classmates.

Blog Discussion Guidelines

To ensure your success as a contributor to discussions and as a student in this class, we suggest the following guidelines for posting: Be clear about which message you're responding to. Refer to specific passages or ideas in the course or text that have sparked your interest. Make sure your contribution adds something new to the discussion. A simple "I agree" may be your initial response, but think about how you can take the conversation to the next level. Make your posting clear and easy to follow by dividing longer messages into paragraphs. Address classmates by name or user name, and sign your own messages. Feel free to pose new questions to your classmates within your own message. Use correct spelling, capitalization, grammar, syntax, and punctuation. If you plan on posting a lengthy response, it is a good idea to type your response in Word or Notepad, then copy and paste it into the discussion area. This way you'll always have a record of your communication if for some reason you lose your connection to the course.
Sample Question and Answers

The following are some examples of acceptable and unacceptable responses to Discussion Questions: Sample Question: "The author claims that the Internet has changed teaching. How would you respond to this assertion?"

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Unacceptable: "I agree." Unacceptable: "I think the author is off her rocker on this point. I can't stand it when techies try to write about education." Acceptable: "I agree with beckyw's basic point--that is, I think she's right that the advent of the Internet means dramatic changes in how we teach. But I think she's so concerned with whether technology is going to replace teachers that she misses an essential point. Teachers must change themselves to use the Internet effectively. The Internet will never replace teachers and it will never be a successful tool unless teachers make it one." Acceptable: "I disagree with beckyw. The Internet has not changed teaching any more than the printing press changed teaching, or modern instructional design has changed teaching. New ideas about teaching and new technologies help us deliver good teaching more effectively. They may help us understand more fully what we're delivering. They may help us reach more students. But the essence of good teaching remains the same." GRASP Project The rubric that will be used for GRASP Projects can be found on the GRASP tab of the website.