The Masters Program

The Masters Program

Email:
428-7320 TMP office phone

470-7471 TMP Tardies and Absences [Fitz]

Scott’s cell phone 505-231-5459 – You can also use this to send me text messages.

Course Description:

US History is primarily a survey course. This means we will analyze and evaluate the impact of major eras, events and individuals in United States history since the Civil War and Reconstruction. Breaking this up into 6 Eras: Era #1 Civil War and Reconstruction (1850-1877); Era #2 Development of the Industrial United States (1870-1900); Era #3 Emergence of Modern America (1890-1930); Era #4 Great Depression and World War II (1929-1945); Era #5 Postwar United States (1945-1970’s); Era #6 Contemporary United States (1968 to the present). Within these eras we will dive deeper into how America was shaped by major events and continues to be influenced by the world around us.

Some Common Objectives: We will learn how to investigate historical questions by using reading strategies such as sourcing, contextualizing, corroborating and close reading. We will not be memorizing historical facts. We will learn now to evaluate the trustworthiness of multiple perspectives on historical issues and learn how to make historical claims backed by documentary evidence.

Required Materials/Principal Texts: All texts will be provided either in photocopy, text (People’s History of the United States by Howard Zinn) or on-line.

Essential Items: Spiral or 3-ring binder notebook access to the Internet.

You will be mastering the following:

1. Outlining – a more formal way of taking notes on what you have read.
2. Creating a thesis statement.
3. Writing a theme (essay).

Grading Policy: Grades will be based upon the following categories:

1) Quizzes, Exams, short assessments. 20%

2) Class participation and engagement – effort on work throughout the semester could increase your grade if you are close to the next letter grade. 15%

3) Writing assignments (Short responses, outlines, thesis statements and essays) will be weighted according to their category. 40%

4) Homework and reading assignments. Keeping up with reading and homework is critical to your success. 25%.

TMP Course Policies:

REVISION OF WORK

Students who turn assignments in on time are allowed to revise them based on the teacher feedback. Papers and projects turned in must meet all minimum requirements of the assignment rubric. If an assignment does not meet the minimum standards of the rubric, it is considered unfinished work and must be completed by the student in order to be graded. If this leads to the assignment being late, the student will forego the opportunity to revise it. Students are allowed three days from the day an assignment is returned to revise an assignment and turn it in for a higher grade. We believe that there is more value in revision than in throwing away a paper that is not very good. Assignments that are turned in after the due date are not allowed to be revised.

Late Work: In order to better prepare our graduates for the strict deadlines and realities of college and work, TMP has adopted a policy that TMP teachers will not accept any assignment for full credit after the due date. An assignment turned in by 4PM the next calendar day after it is due will drop one full grade. After 4 PM that next calendar day, the grade is a zero. Being absent does not relieve a student of the responsibility to check the website and email in an assignment that is due, or to correspond with the teacher about an extension.

School Activities: School trips and events and service learning activities are an integral part of the TMP experience, and they are usually planned at least one week in advance. If an assignment is due the day that a student will be gone for a field trip, event or mentorship activity, the student must turn the work in as assigned, before the end of the day he/she will miss. In the case of an extended field trip of more than one day, individual arrangements must be made with teachers. Further, the student is responsible for inquiring about and turning in on time any homework that is assigned on the day that is missed. “I don’t have my homework because I was on a field trip when you assigned it,” is not a legitimate excuse.

Tardiness to class is disruptive to the learning process and does not reflect excellence. Any student late up to 10 minutes is considered tardy. If you are more than 10 minutes late to class you will have to have a note from the office. Tardies will be tracked in each class. Initially, excessive tardiness will be handled by the Community Life Council. If this is not an effective deterrent and grades suffer, academic detention will be put in place to support the student. Excessive tardiness will also be considered for early intervention and/or habitual truancy.

Make-up work/excused absences: Forclass assignments that were due the day of the absence, the make-up work is due the day that the student returns, not the next time that the class meets. Tests must be made up during free time on the day of return. Each student will have a syllabus and may also look at the course web page on the TMP website for information. If there is a protracted illness that makes this difficult, the student needs to contact each teacher to set a date for assignments to be due. Students may call, text or email teachers for help or to ask questions.

Make-up work/unexcused absences:Students who miss a class without being excused may turn in their work and may receive a penalty as determined by the teacher. Should this happen frequently, the student will be called for a meeting with TMP staff and the student’s parents.

It is the student’s responsibility, not the teacher’s, to ask for homework missed and to make arrangements with each teacher for any work owed. Work not turned in will adversely affect the student’s grade. Any student missing more than six sessions of a particular class, even for excused absences, risks academic consequences.

Engagement: Teachers will measure “engagement” in classes by observing student behaviors including, but not limited to:

1)Showing up on Time (in seat with needed materials ready to go)

2)Being prepared (has pen/pencil, needed materials, homework completed)

3)Being actively on Task (cell phone put away, staying in class, contacting teacher if absent)

4)Having an Appropriate Attitude (willingness to engage, supportive of others)

Engagement will be 15% of your grade.

Teachers may also give out an additional point per day for leadership, an “over and above” participation.

Academic Integrity: Academic integrity is a fundamental principle that is important to SFCC and The MASTERS Program. Students are responsible for ensuring they are honest in their academic pursuits. Academic dishonesty means any behavior that misrepresents or falsifies the student’s knowledge, skills or ability with the goal of unjustified or illegitimate evaluation or gain and includes cheating, plagiarism and falsification of records.

Cheating: Cheating includes using or attempting to use unauthorized materials such as notes, texts, visuals, electronic devices, copies of test materials and presenting the work of others to misrepresent the student’s knowledge, skills or ability. Unauthorized collaboration also constitutes cheating.

Plagiarism:Plagiarism is the intentional or unintentional representation of another’s work as one’s own, without proper acknowledgement of the original author or creator of the work.

Food and drink: no prepared meals in class (breakfast burritos, etc.)Sodas, energy drinks and other drinks with high sugar contents are discouraged. Water is always permitted.

Cellphone: Cellphones need to be silenced and put away during the entire class period except when you are required to use them. Exceptions include taking notes from the board, putting information in your calendar and notes.

GRADING

Grades will be posted on Family Link. Please stay up to date with your Family Link account as teachers do make mistakes!

TMP GRADING SCALE.

TMP grades on a 4.0 scale. This is the scale most colleges use.

A+ (97 –100) = 4.0 A (93-96) = 4.0 A- (90 – 92) = 3.7

B+ (87-89) = 3.3 B (83 –86) = 3.0 B- (80- 82) = 2.7

C+ (77 – 79) = 2.3 C (73-76) = 2.0 C- (70-72) = 1.7

D+ (67-69) = 1.3 D (65-66) = 1.0 F (below 65) = 0.0

Assignments and relevant due dates will be posted on the TMP website:

Pacing Guide and assignment due dates – These will be posted on the website. Each unit will take approximately 4 weeks to complete.