American History I and II
2015-16 Syllabus
Teacher: Master Daniel Mitchell
Classroom: A6
Introduction-
Welcome to U.S. History at Randleman High School. This class is designed to help you learn about the history of our country from pre-Colonial America to the period of Reconstruction following the American Civil War. The second part of the class, American History II, is designed to cover the events of American History from the post-Reconstruction Gilded Age up to the present day. Hopefully you will find this class somewhat interesting and important. It is not necessarily my job to make this class fun for you. This class can be as fun or boring as you want it to be. It is my job to do my very best to help you gain a better understanding of the people, events, movements, wars, and political interactions that helped shape this country. Let it be known that I want you to pass this class. I will work with you to help you pass this class. But I will NOT baby you. You are Juniors (Seniors?). You have made it this far, which means you understand what it takes to pass a high school class. Good luck, and let’s have a great semester.
Grades-
The grading scale for the class is as follows:
40%- Tests (This includes large tests given every 2-3 weeks, as well as most projects and some writing assignments)
30%- Classwork/Homework (This includes any work done in class that is not a test, quiz or a project)
30%- Quizzes (This includes weekly vocabulary quizzes, as well as all other quizzes, smaller projects, and most in-class writing assignments)
Note: I will try to warn you before tests/quizzes. Pay attention to the board. Read it every day!
Course Outline:
American History I:
Unit 1: Colonial America
Unit 2: Revolution
Unit 3: Nationalism and the New Nation
Unit 4: Slavery, Social Movements, and Manifest Destiny
Unit5: The Sectionalism Epidemic
Unit 6: Civil War and Reconstruction
American History II:
Unit 1: The Gilded Age
Unit 2: Imperialism and Progressivism
Unit 3: US and WWI
Unit 4: Boom and Bust
Unit 5: US and WW2
Unit 6: The Cold War Begins
Unit 7: 1960-1980
Unit 8: 1980-Present Day
Materials Needed:
-A notebook or binder for keeping notes and other important documents
-A notebook or area of the binder for keeping track of daily warm-ups and “I Can” statements
Important Information Below!!!
In this class we will watch clips from various movies from time to time. Any movie or movie clip selected for viewing has been approved by the administration and correlates with one or more essential standards. However, due to the nature of Hollywood, some of the best movies about history are rated PG-13 or R. None of the movies shown include gratuitous nudity or adult situations. However, some movies may include violence or offensive language. It is not my goal to promote this kind of behavior, instead I only intend to use those situations to improve the student’s understanding of historical events. If you agree to allow your student to watch any movies or movie clips deemed acceptable by both the teacher of this classroom and the administration at Randleman High School, please sign below on the appropriate line. If you do not agree please sign on the appropriate line and your student will be given an alternate assignment dealing with the same subject matter.
Thank you,
Daniel Mitchell
I agree to allow my student to watch any movies or movie clips selected by the teacher and approved by the administration of Randleman High School.
______
I do not agree to allow my student to watch any movies or movie clips that contain an R rating, and I understand that my student will be given an alternative assignment to ensure that they do not miss out on any relevant material.
______