****AP Euro students see AP European History page for course syllabus****

21. U.S. History Course Syllabus:
    

Class Rules:

1. Leave objects inappropriate for the classroom at home or in backpack:  iPod/mp3, food, phone, etc. (all electronic devices will be confiscated and turned into an administrator at the end of the school day unless the student is given specific permission to use it for an academic purpose).
   

2. Enter the classroom on time, calmly, and ready to work.
   

3. Respect everyone and everything in the classroom.
   

4. Obey the school rules.
   

Consequences for Breaking the Rules

1. Formal warning.
   

2. Conference with student.
   

3. Detention at lunch or after school.
   

4. Call home and/or parent conference.
   

5. Referral to an administrator.
   

Materials:

Pencil and pen, spiral notebook or the equivalent (preferably with pockets for loose paper), daily planner, textbook, and completed work as assigned.

Make Up Work or Extra Help:

It is the responsibility of the student to conference with the instructor AFTER CLASS or during ADVOCACY whenever the student has missed any class time or needs extra help.  When a student has missed class time it is required that the student conference with the instructor about missed assignments, tests, and deadlines on the day the student returns to school.  Student and instructor will establish a reasonable deadline to make up the work.  It is the responsibility of the student to make up all work missed during the absence by the deadline.  Any work not made up by the deadline will be scored as a zero.  Test make ups can be taken at advocacy and must be arranged with the instructor.  The deadline to make up a test is one week from the day that the student returns to school.  If a student is absent the day something is due, it is due when the student returns to class.

Late Homework, Late Projects:

NO LATE ASSIGNMENTS will be accepted.  Students must use Puma Points to turn work in late (see Puma Points description below).  Students that are absent will be given a reasonable amount of time to make up the work and must make arrangements with the instructor on the day they return to class.  Projects turned in late are penalized 10% per class period (a class period = every time the student’s class meets- Mon, Tues, Thurs or Mon, Wed, Fri).

Homework and Notebook:

Homework will be assigned approximately once per week.  Most homework assignments will consist of reading and answering questions, taking notes into a bound (spiral) notebook, or document analysis.  Absolutely 100% of the homework assignment MUST be completed on-time in order for the student to receive full credit for the assignment.  All classwork will be recorded in the notebook including lecture notes, film notes, and any other in-class assignments.  The notebook should be complete, organized, and neat.

Office Hours:

1. Advocacy (must have Advocacy Pass)
   

2. Directly after the last period of the day (within 10 minutes of the last bell)
   

***If possible, please notify the instructor of your planned attendance.

Puma Points

All students begin each semester with three free Puma Points.  Puma Points expire at the end of each semester and must be used before finals week begins.  On the Friday before finals all PP not used turn into 0.75% extra credit applied to your final grade.

1. o1 point gets you: 
   

1. 1 homework assignment accepted late for full credit anytime before the end of the semester
   

2. Drop lowest quiz
   

3. Turn in a project one class period late without penalty
   

4. 10% extra credit on a test/project
   

5. 3x5 card on unit test
   

2. o3 points:  drop lowest unit test/project
   

***Note:  The best use of a Puma Point is to use it on a missing homework assignment.

Academic U.S. History Grading Policy

•Tests and major projects                                     35%

•Assignments and minor projects                        30%

•Quizzes and Document Analysis                        15%

•Semester Research Paper                      10%

•Final                                           10%

Academic Dishonesty

Academic dishonesty is completely unacceptable in any form and will not be tolerated.  All persons involved will receive a zero on the assignment and a referral to an administrator.  Violations include, but are not limited to, cheating, plagiarism, collusion, claiming work (no matter how small) that is not of your own creation, any act designed to give unfair advantage to a student or the attempt to commit such acts.  Plagiarism is failing to correctly indicate places where you are making use of the work of another person.  Please discuss with the instructor if you need information on quoting and citing properly.  Absolutely no copying-and-pasting!

Skills:

1. 1. oManipulation of maps, globes, charts, graphs
      

   2. oReading:  textbooks, periodicals, primary source documents
      

   3. oResearch
      

   4. oGroup work
      

   5. oCritical thinking/ problem solving
      

   6. oUse of film and technology
      

   7. oOral communication
      

2. 
   

Assignments:

Includes weekly homework assignments, class work, tests, quizzes, projects, and long and short-term group work.

Research Paper:

All students are required to write one research paper each semester.

Donations are always welcome and extremely appreciated!

We are especially in need of the following for classroom use:

1. •Kleenex/hand sanitizer  (biggest need)
   

2. •Poster size paper any color other then white
   

3. •Reams of blank paper any color other than white