FALL 2015

US HISTORY 1:
From Unity to Sectionalism
Fall 2015
MR. JAMES LANGAN CONTACT: jlangan@caldwellschools.org OFFICE HOURS: Tuesday 1500-1630
Early US History
How did the native populations react to
contact with Europeans?
How did Europeans react to contact
with native populations?
How might these understandings conflict?
How did early settlers create a nation
and then lay the foundation for a
divisive civil war?
Often, Social Studies classrooms all over this
nation depict the early history of the United States as a
story about underdogs overcoming impossible odds against
a tyrannical Britain. For example, popular representations
of the Pilgrims or Founding Fathers depict these men
championing liberty and virtue in the face of an oppressive
regime. This class will take a slightly different approach:
rather than echo the popular history that most Americans
are exposed to through early education and popular media
this course will attempt to place the conventional story into

Top: The signing of the Declaration

of Independence.

historic context. We will seek to understand how historical

Bottom: Christopher Columbus

makes contact with Amerindians.

time period they were created and seek to understand the

readings were created, contested, authored, etc. within the

changing forces of interpretations regarding issues of intent
and consequence. Throughout this course, you should
notice an intentional effort to raise critical questions and
debunk conventional narratives of US history.

Fall 2015

Course goals:

Develop historical methods of research and interpretation.

Place historical content into proper context through analysis.

Create and adapt argument to support analysis.

Improve reading, listening, and writing skills.
Practice research techniques essential for academic success.

COURSE
METHODOLOGIES
Critique
You will hear the word critique often in this
class, As youll notice, well dedicate a great
deal of time to critique, including some formal
assignments. Often, the every day
connotation of critique suggests merely being
negative, fnding the bad in something, etc. In
this class, we do not mean the everyday
usage of critique. Instead, in this course we
use critiques more academic meaning.
Critique is an analytic tool that draws from
multiple disciplines, sources, and perspectives
to interpret, draw conclusions, consider
implications and consequences, question
issues of power, etc. This course will help you
develop critique as a powerful analytic tool.
Discussion style

Lectures are present but, typically, are

purposefully kept short in this class. A
successful discussion requires a few key
ingredients:
1) Presencenot just a physical presence
but here present in mind as well.
2) Active listeningresponses are
productive, reactions are usually a
distraction.
3) Respectlearning requires us to
critique, challenge, and engage with
different perspectives without diminishing
the integrity or attacking the character of
those with whom we disagree. We must
honor anothers right to experience and
speak the world as equal to our own.

Fall 2015

Policies and Procedures

Tips for Success:
Attendance
Your consistent attendance is important and
expected. A discussion based class cannot
work for anyone, but especially not for you, if
you dont attend.
Special Learning Needs
Students who require special
accommodations for their learning must
register with the office and bring to my
attention any accommodations they need to
successfully learn.
Academic Integrity
This course gives you the opportunity to act
as a scholar of History. Consequently, it also
demands that you adhere to some core values
that root intellectual practice. Academic
integrity, as a manifestation of personal
integrity, is essential. You will practice
academic integrity by citing sources, giving
credit to others work, and only seeking credit
for work that is your own. Violations of
academic integrity are serious and can hold
serious academic consequences.
Open Door Policy
If you wish to discuss anything, whether it
be academic, personal, or a concern with me
utilize my open door policy. My office hours
are Tuesdays from 1500-1630 in addition to
the school mandate of 0730 until frst bell and
from last bell to 1515 every day of instruction.
If any of these times conflicts with your
schedule please notify me via email and we
can set up an appointment to accommodate
your needs. I pledge to be your greatest
advocate and establishing a line of

1. Keep up with the reading- readings

will be assigned often and are
typically short enough that they
are not impactful to students with
busy schedules.
2. Participate in discussions and
activities with enthusiasm, with
enthusiasm comes more learning
and enjoyment.

communication is critical to enabling

me to do so.
Contacting Me
The most effective form of
contacting me will be through email
correspondence. I will reply within 24
hours of receiving an email. I might
not have time to respond completely
to an email but will send a reply
indicating that I acknowledge that I
have received the email. If you do not
get a reply within 24 hours, assume
that I have not received the email.

CELLPHONE POLICY
Cellphones will not be allowed in class.
Every student will receive one warning
upon discovery of a device. The device
will be collected for that class period and
will be given back at the end of class
followed by a discussion with me. If the
device is discovered a second time in
class then it will be retrieved and can
only be collected by a parent or legal
guardian.

Fall 2015

ASSIGNMENTS
Word of the Week 25pts
All students will turn in 1 Word of the Week assignment.
The word will be indicated on the main white board in class.
To complete the assignment you must turn in a piece of
paper either hand written or typed that includes: your name,
period, date, title of assignment, the definition of the word
and the source used to create the definition, and finally a
short paragraph or sentence that uses the word correctly. I
will accept the first 5 assignments turned in per week and
indicate when the quota has been filled for the week.

While assignments are few

students will complete skill
practice activities and
participate in small group and
whole group activities. These
are designed to enrich the
learning experience and will
represent the bulk of daily
lessons.

This is a review of major

assignments and is not
representative of everything
that will be assigned
throughout the course.

History of Me Essay 100pts

Each student will complete an essay in which they reflect upon
their own history and how that history is connected to course
content. Further guidelines will be given to all students at date
of official assignment.
Attendance (1pt daily) and Engagement 50pts
Attendance is expected and mandatory for full credit. Students
will receive 1pt for every day they are present or have an
excused absence. As noted elsewhere in the syllabus, students
are expected to engage fully. Part of each students grade will be
determined by their engagement. Not to fear! This is not merely
about you talking in class, though that is certainly part. There
are many different ways in which you can engage in learning
with the course content inside and outside the classroom and
much of it may not be clearly quantifiable to the instructor.
Examples include: completing homework; responding to
discussion board forums (as assigned); making connections to
ideas outside our curriculum; etc.
Assessments 750pts total

If you have read through this

syllabus as instructed please,
AFTER THE BELL RINGS, sign
your name on the clipboard on
Mr. Langans desk before

Assessments of learning will be given at the close of a unit of

study. These assessments will be open resources, which means
that students will have the opportunity to refer to notes or texts
to assist in their answers. Students may not refer to each other
for assistance. Assessments are designed to assess the
individuals skill development and content knowledge. Students
must complete the assessment within the given block of time
allocated for the assessment.
Students who receive a low score may retake an assessment
within a reasonable amount of time after initial assessment. A
crucial note on retaking assessments: in order to qualify for a
retake, the student must have received below an 80% on the
initial assessment and demonstrate that they have been active
in his or her studies. Active studying is indicated by attendance,
engagement, and completion of a majority of practice
assignments from the unit being assessed. The highest grade
achieved will be the grade recorded.