Meeting Time: Daily / Duration: August 15, 2016–June 2, 2017
Contact information:
/ Extra Help: Daily before school 7:30 –8:05 A.M., Tuesdays from 3:15 –4:00 P.M., or by appointment as needed
C.P. U.S. History & Constitution
Course Description:
U.S. History & Constitution is a survey course designed to provide you with an in-depth overview of U.S. history from its beginnings through the modern day. This course is required for graduation and will focus especially on preparing you for the end of course exam that counts as 20% of your final course grade. Topics to be covered in this class include:
➢Colonial America & the American Revolution
➢Formation of government
➢Western Expansion
➢The Civil War & Reconstruction
➢The Industrial Revolution
➢American Imperialism
➢World War I
➢The Roaring 20s
➢The Great Depression
➢World War II
➢The Cold War
➢The Civil Rights Movement
➢Modern America
Instructional Philosophy:
All students have the right to learn in an environment that is safe, inviting, and tailored to their particular learning styles. Since students are known to learn in several different ways, a variety of instructional strategies will be used in an attempt to maximize all students’educational experience. Students will be actively engaged in lectures, readings, discussions, projects, and activities. All students are expected to participate in class and to give 100% each and every day.
DBQ Project:
All students will be required to complete four (4) document-based questions (DBQs) this year in alignment with CCSD’s plans for implementing the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) for reading and writing. The goal of these assignments is to immerse students in primary source documents while seeking to have students answer research-based historical questions.
Required Supplies:
You must have a writing utensil and a notebook with you each and every class. Please see me if obtaining a notebook is difficult for you.
Text Books:
Textbooks are provided by the state department of education and school to assist you in this course. We will work from the required South Carolina hardcover book,as well as Passing the South Carolina U.S. History & the Constitution End of Course Test texts. All lost or damaged books become the financial responsibility of the student they were assigned to.
Attendance:
Class attendance is mandatory. You will have great difficulty meeting course objectives and passing the EOC if you are not present and actively engaged in the learning process. Please do your best to be present and prepared to learn each and every day. If you need to be absent for an illness or other emergency please remember to bring a written excuse upon your return. Students who miss more than ten (10) unexcused absences may be denied course credit. It is your responsibility to see me for work that you missed on the day that you return to school.
Homework:
Homework will be given regularly to help prepare you for topics that we are going to cover or to help strengthen concepts that we have already completed. You are expected to have all homework completed and turned in the day that it is due. Failure to complete assigned homework on time will hinder your ability to pass exams and will lower your overall class average.
Late Work:
Late work will be penalized for each day that it is late, up to 50% of the total number of points possible. It is much better to turn in late assignments than to accept a zero for not turning it in. EOC prep assignments will not be accepted late.
Tests/Quizzes:
Tests and quizzes will be given regularly to assess your understanding of key concepts and state standards. You are expected to prepare adequately in advance by studying course materials prior to the date of assessment.
Extra Help:
PLEASE do not hesitate to see me if you are having problems in class. I will be more than happy to work with you before school, during lunch, or after schools hours. Keep in mind that I may not necessarily know that you need the help unless you ask for it.
Extra Credit:
Extra Credit will be offered when appropriate for educational purposes and reinforces what we are learning in class. Any extra credit is completely optional and will not harm your grade if you choose not to complete it. Please do not rely on extra credit to save your grade.
Plagiarism (cheating):
Cheating can be defined as acting dishonestly by claiming credit for something that you did not do on your own. Anyone caught cheating on any assignment will be given a zero for this assignment, including the person who you cheated from. Please make sure to do your own work and to give credit to others’work when conducting research
Class Rules:
➢Be on time & prepared for class every day
➢Keep a positive attitude at all times
➢Give your best effort in all that you do
➢Treat everyone with respect
➢Try your best to have fun!
Reward for Positive Behavior:
➢Positive praise/student recognition
➢Positive notes/calls home
➢Increased academic achievement
Consequences for Inappropriate Behavior:
➢Verbal warning/rule reminder
➢Parent contact
➢Teacher detention/parent contact
➢Administrative referral
Grading Scale:
Grades will be distributed often through progress reports and report cards. The South Carolina-approved grading scale is as follows:
90– 100 = A
89 - 80 = B
79 - 70 = C
69 - 60 = D
0 – 59 = F
Quarter Grades
Quarter grades will be calculated using the Social Studies Department formula, as described below.
30% Tests
25% Projects
20% Class work
15% Quizzes
10% Homework
Final Grade Formula:
Students must earn a 70 % or better final course average in order to receive credit for successful completion of the course. Final course grades are computed as follows:
1st quarter = 20%
2nd quarter = 20%
3rd quarter = 20%
4th quarter = 20%
End-of-course exam = 20%
South Carolina Standards for U.S. History & Constitution (adapted 2011):
Standard USHC-1:The student will demonstrate an understanding of the conflicts between regional and national interest in the development of democracy in the United States.
Standard USHC-2: The student will demonstrate an understanding of how economic developments and the westward movement impacted regional differences and democracy in the early nineteenth century.
Standard USHC-3:The student will demonstrate an understanding of how regional and ideological differences led to the Civil War and an understanding of the impact of the Civil War and Reconstruction on democracy in America.
Standard USHC-4: The student will demonstrate an understanding of the industrial development and the consequences of that development on society and politics during the second half of the nineteenth and the early twentieth centuries.
Standard USHC-5:The student will demonstrate an understanding of domestic and foreign developments that contributed to the emergence of the United States as a world power in the twentieth century.
Standard USHC-6:The student will demonstrate an understanding of the conflict between traditionalism and progressivism in the 1920s and the economic collapse and the political response to the economic crisis in the 1930s.
Standard USHC-7:The student will demonstrate an understanding of the impact of World War II on the United States and the nation’s subsequent role in the world.
Standard USHC-8:The student will demonstrate an understanding of social, economic and political issues in contemporary America.