Honors U.S. History IV5246

Course Description

U.S. History IV is a semester-long course that examines the major events and turning points of U.S. history from World War II through the Modern World. The course leads students toward a clearer understanding of the patterns, processes, and people that have shaped U.S. history. As students progress through each era of modern U.S. history, they will study the impact of dynamic leadership and economic and political change on the United States’s rise to global prominence, the influence of social and political movements on societal change, and the importance of modern cultural and political developments. Recurring themes lead students to draw connections between the past and the present, between cultures, and between multiple perspectives.

Course Objectives

Throughout the course, you will meet the following goals:

Assess the political development of the United States, including the influence of democratic ideals, the changing role of government, and the development of the modern two-party system

Explore the evolution of American culture and society, including the role of reform movements, from industrialization to the present

Describe the role of immigration and migration in the development of the United States, and identify common push and pull factors that have affected these trends in U.S. history

Investigate and understand the reasons behind American involvement in wars and conflicts throughout U.S. history

Trace the economic development of the United States from an agrarian economy

Communication

Your teacher will communicate with you regularly through discussions, e-mail, chat, and system announcements. Through this communication with your teacher, you will monitor your progress through the course and improve your learning by reviewing material that was challenging for you.

You will also communicate with classmates, either via online tools or face-to-face, as you:

Collaborate on projects

Ask and answer questions in your peer group

Develop speaking and listening skills

Scope and Sequence

When you log into the Virtual Classroom, you can view the entire course map, which provides a scope and sequence of all topics you will study. Clicking a lesson’s link in the course map leads to a page listing instructional activities, assignments, and learning objectives specific to that lesson. The units of study are summarized below.

Unit 1: World War II

Unit 2: The Rise of the Cold War

Unit 3: Civil Rights

Unit 4: Era of Cultural Change

Unit 5: The ‘70s and ‘80s

Unit 6: America in the Modern World

Grading Policy

You will be graded on the work you do online and the work you submit electronically to your teacher. The weighting for each category of graded activity is listed below.

5246 US IV Part I / 5246 US IV Part II
Quiz / 35 / 35
Test / 35 / 35
Exam / Yes
Essay / 5 / 5
Assignment / 25 / 25

Student Expectations / Course Structure

This course requires the same level of commitment from you as a traditional classroom course would. Throughout the course, you are expected to spend approximately 5–7 hours per week online on the following activities:

Warm Up- You will be introduced to a new lesson. This is a great opportunity to take eNotes by clicking the + button in the top right corner of the screen. This section will include video as well as questions which you must answer. You are able to use eNotes to answer these questions. If you do not answer correctly you will be given a second attempt with help from the virtual teacher. I will review your answers and look for effort. If you are consistently getting most of the questions wrong you will lose participation points which will affect your grade. The Warm-Up will end with the lesson objectives.

Instruction- You will be given a “Lesson Question” followed by instructional information. Once again this is a great opportunity to take eNotes. After some instruction you will be given questions which you must answer. You are able to use eNotes to answer these questions. If you do not answer correctly you will be given a second attempt with help from the virtual teacher. I will review your answers and look for effort. If you are consistently getting most of the questions wrong you will lose participation points which will affect your grade.

Summary- You will review the information presented in the lesson. Once again you can take eNotes in this section. You will also revisit the lesson objectives.

Assignment- You will be given text, video, or photographs as resources to answer questions. If you do not answer correctly you will be given a second attempt with help from the virtual teacher. YOU MUST ANSWER THESE QUESTIONS IN COMPLETE SENTENCES WITH CAPITAL LETTERS AND PUNCTUATION WHEN APPROPRIATE. THIS SECTION WILL BE GRADED BY ME FOR ACCURACY!!! Please allow me 48 hours to review any assignment and change a grade. If you disagree with a score that has not changed in 48 hours feel free to contact me with questions. ALL SHORT ANSWERS NEED TO BE ANSWERED IN COMPLETE SENTENCES WITH A CAPITAL LETTER AND PUNCTUATION!! Points will be deducted in this Honors course for any misspelled words or grammar errors.

  • Teacher feedback- In the Assignment section you should look for feedback from me where you missed points. This will most oftenbe the case when you miss points on short answer questions. You will know if there is teacher feedback by selecting from the lobby and looking for this symbol for the assignment in question OR by choosing

then then and looking for next to an assignment.

  • Quiz- HONORS CLASSES WILL NOT HAVE RETAKES AND WILL NOT HAVE ACCESS TO ENOTES FOR QUIZZES or TESTS!!! BOTH ARE GRADED FOR ACCURACY! The quiz is graded for accuracy! When you are finished with the quiz you must click.
  • Unit Test Review- You will have a Test Review before each Unit Test. You have one chance to take the Review. You are able to if necessary. When you are finished you must click. The Review is graded for accuracy and is part of your Assignment grade!
  • Unit Test- You will have a test at the end of each Unit. You will have two chances to take the test and you are able to use your eNotes.
  • Essay/Project- Youmay come across Essay questions in “Writing Workshop” Lessons. The Essay process will consist of a Pre-Writing, Drafting, and Revising step (along with instruction and assignments along the way). I will be reviewing all parts of the process. You will receive an immediate grade from the Edgenuity system after your Final Draft is entered. THIS IS NOT YOUR FINAL GRADE ON THE ASSIGNMENT. I will grade your answer and provide my own score along with commentary. Once you arrive at the Project assignment for the course, you will submit the project to the teacher for grading. For all projects and essays, you should cite your sources within your writing and include a works cited page at the end of your document. For an Honors course, higher level writing skills are expected.