United States History and Government I

Stephanie Potito
spotito@falmouth.k12.ma.us

Overview
This course surveys US History from the Colonial Era through the Industrial Revolution. Topics such as
the intellectual origins of the United States during the Constitutional era; Americas westward expansion;
the causes and consequences of the Civil War; and the transition of Americas socio-cultural landscape
are studied. The continuous development of the powers and responsibilities of the 3 branches of the
national government are included throughout the course. Themes such as economic and social
transformations; politics and citizenship; technology and innovations; American identity and culture;
and war and diplomacy are studied. Throughout the course, students will participate in a mixture of
written work, research projects, class discussions, oral presentations, group work, quizzes, and tests.
In the end, this course should help students begin to understand the roots of modern America.
Finally, this course will help students develop strong academic skills such as: effective research,
writing, reading comprehension and analytical skills. Students will also develop skills to understand,
analyze, and evaluate primary and secondary source documents throughout the course.

Topics
Unit 1: Colonial Ways of Life
Unit 2: American Revolution
Unit 3: Constitution
Unit 4: First Presidents
Unit 5: Nationalism, Sectionalism, and Reform
Unit 6: Westward Expansion
Unit 7: The Road to and the Civil War
Unit 8: Reconstruction
Unit 9: Industrialization and Urbanization

Expectations
This course is designed to prepare students for college. The following academic behaviors are
essential for academic success in this course and will count towards 30% of the semester grade:
1. Actively engage in and take responsibility for your own learning; you are organized,
prepared, and willing to ask for help.
2. Ask questions to acquire understanding in class and seek additional instruction
outside of class when necessary to clarify understanding.
3. Consistently and thoroughly complete homework assignments on time.*
4. Actively and voluntarily participate in daily classroom projects and work
independently and enthusiastically on individual projects.
5. Enjoy and participate in evaluative and analytical discussions.
6. Pursue opportunities for revision or extra-credit, if presented.
*Assignments and homework submitted late during the same unit receives partial credit.
Bring Your Own Device Policy
1. You must come to class with your laptops/devices charged
2. Lids down unless your teacher indicates otherwise
3. You must remain on task while using your laptop/device; otherwise the privilege may
be revoked.
4. Consequences
a. First inappropriate usage warning
b. Second inappropriate usage teacher detention
c. Third inappropriate usage office attention
d. Fourth inappropriate usage loss of laptop/device privilege at teacher
discretion

Grading Policies
Grades are based on a point system. Each assignment has a point value. At the end of each
grading period, total student points will be divided by total possible points to calculate the grade
for each of the following categories:
40% of the semester grade will be based on performance on major/summative assessments
such as tests, papers, projects, etc.
30% of the semester grade will be based on performance on formative/minor assessments
such as quizzes, classwork, small projects, etc.
30% will reflect academic effort based upon homework completion, class participation,
personal organization, and group contributions. Please note, that this class requires a heavy
amount of participation as it is largely based on class discussions and group work.

Call Back Days
Wednesday: 2:00 2:45
Thursday: 2:00 2:45


Remind 101

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