U.S. History: 2012-2013 Syllabus
Hello; welcome to 6th-grade American history, the
story of our country. Please read this
syllabus, come to me with any questions, comments, or concerns, sign it, and
bring it back to school on Monday. A syllabus
signed by you and a parent will be your entrance ticket to class.
Curriculum
Please note this is a general guideline; as the pacing is
established and the prior knowledge of the students is assessed, it may change. This year, we will study America, our country,
from the Bering Land Bridge Theory to present day. I believe history is most exciting and
accurate when we read the words of the great persons involved, therefore, we
will be using class time to digest the words woven into the fabric of our national
identity. This isn’t all, though. Careful study of the textbook will help paint
a comprehensive picture of events. A
firm grounding in the facts (capitals, names, dates) will render a richer
reading of primary sources.
Discussion skills will be developed in this class as well,
for which we will use the texts of the Touchstones Discussion Project. There will be one class period a week set
aside for building and practicing discussion skills. This will help prepare students for Humane
Letters in 9th grade, foster critical thinking, and give students a
common language for civilized discussion.
In the first quarter, we will look at the forces leading to
America’s independence from Britain, and the forces leading to the
establishment of our particular Constitution.
The second quarter will lead right up to the Civil War and will include
time spent on Westward Expansion. The
third quarter will cover the Civil War through World War I. The fourth quarter will cover the Great
Depression, World War II, the Korean and Vietnam wars, and everything else that
rendered us the nation we currently are.
Objectives:
I. To develop habits of (1) intelligent, careful, critical
reading;
(2) rational, precise, courteous discussion;
and
(3) logical, fluent, textually-supported
writing.
II. To become familiar with the key people, events, dates,
causes, and effects in American history.
III. To foster a sense of wonder, a love of learning, and
the pursuit and attainment of truth.
Behavioral and Academic Expectations
There is an essential difference between liberty and
license. True freedom of mind can only
happen under limited conditions. The
distractions rendered by freedom of language and freedom of body are impediments
to freedom of mind. This philosophy has
led me to the following policies.
Missing Homework
A student will not be admitted to class without his/her
homework, unless he/she was absent the day prior. The student with missing homework should
still come to class, and then I will excuse him/her to another teacher’s
classroom to complete his/her homework.
When the homework is done, he/she will come to class. If the student misses more of class than
simply the time we spend reviewing the homework, he/she will be responsible for
making up any content or activities missed, likely resulting in an increased
homework load for that night. This alone
should be enough of a deterrent, but I will also send a brief e-mail by the end
of that school day to inform his/her parents that the student’s homework was
missing. Additionally, late homework
will only be eligible for 50% credit.
Absences
The student is responsible within a time equivalent to the
absence to make up any work.
Furthermore, that student is responsible for finding out what the
homework, in-class assignments, and notes were for that day from a friend. For instance, if a student is absent on a
Tuesday, he/she will need to have the homework on Thursday when he/she enters
class.
Assessment
Students will occasionally be required to get a test or quiz
signed. This could be as a result of low
performance, high performance, or for some other reason. If the student does not come back with it
signed the next day, he/she will receive a lunch detention on that day. If it remains unsigned on subsequent days, I
will continue to assign detentions until it is signed.
Communication
I want the student and his/her parents to feel comfortable
communicating with me. For students, the
easiest way will be to talk with me during my tutoring hour: Tuesday morning at
7:30am. I am also available by
appointment.
For parents, the easiest way will be to e-mail me:
lfischer@northphoenixprep.org
I also maintain a blog to inform and excite: http://www.npphistory.blogspot.com/
Leaving Class
Due to safety concerns, students will not be able to leave
class in order to use the bathroom. If
it is an absolute emergency, I will call Headmaster Topper and he will come and
escort the student to the bathroom.
Students will have plenty of time to take care of bathroom concerns
during the day, so hopefully he will not have to be inconvenienced.
Grading Policy
The Great Hearts approach to assessment necessitates that we
treat each student as an individual. We
write evaluations because we do not believe students can be wholly represented
by numbers. Roughly speaking, I will
give:
30% to tests and quizzes
20% to homework
30% to participation
20% to essays and projects
Signing this indicates you have read and agree to this
course’s general content and policies:
______________________ ________________________
Student’s name Parent’s
name
______________________ ________________________
Student’s signature Parent’s
signature
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