Samantha Schultz
Mrs. Schultz
Room 2228
American History II Syllabus 2010-2011
Course Description: American History II is a fully year social studies course. The course will examine the various contributions from numerous individuals and groups throughout society. The changing social, political and economic developments of each major time period will by studied in depth as well.
Course Structure: Listed below are the units taught during the course
Unit 1: Pre Civil War and Reconstruction Era, 1848 - 1877
Growing tensions between states, westward expansion, major events in the Civil War
Unit 2: Birth of Modern America, 1865 - 1901
Settling the West, industrialization, urban America
Unit 3: Imperialism and Progressivism, 1890 – 1920
Becoming a world power, the progressive movement, World War I and the aftermath
Unit 4: Boom and Bust, 1920 - 1941
The jazz age, the Great Depression, Roosevelt and the New Deal
Unit 5: Global Struggles, 1931 - 1960
Tensions across Europe, America and World War II, the Cold War, post-war America
Unit 6: A Time of Upheaval, 1954 - 1980
The New Frontier and Great Society, the Civil Rights movement, the Vietnam War, Protests
Unit 7: A Changing Society, 1968 – present
Politics and economies, resurgence of Conservatism, major changes, the modern years
Classroom Expectations:
1. Be on time. You need to be in class, ready by the time the bell rings. Every time you are late I make a note of it. These tardies not only affect your participation grade in class but will also cause further consequences. If you receive 3 tardies within a 1 month time period you will be written up for a detention and your parent/guardian will be called.
2. Be prepared – Have your social studies folder in class. Have your passport with you. Bring a writing utensil. Come to class ready to learn and to give your best effort. Do not try to do other homework in social studies; I will take your homework until the end of the period. Do not use your phone or IPod in class either; you can do that before or after school.
3. Be respectful towards your peers – Do not talk when one of your peers are talking, it’s rude and obnoxious. Do not say rude/inappropriate statements to your peers, at the very least I will call home.
4. Be respectful towards your teacher – Do not talk when I am talking, do not give me attitude and do not sleep in class.
5. Do your homework – Homework is the primary grade for this class. If you make the poor decision to not do your homework your grade will be dramatically affected and parents will be notified. If you are consistent with your homework you will not only receive a high grade but I will give your parent/guardian a fabulous phone call home.
6. Do not use inappropriate language – This is a school wide rule, do not swear in class. Do not say derogatory racial statements in class. Please refer to your handbook for further explanation
7. Do not call out – I understand your opinion in important, I will call on you, you may just have to wait an extra minute.
8. Do not draw on the SmartBoard without permission – This is distracting and obnoxious don’t do it.
9. Do not take anything from my desk, sit at my desk, go on my computer or adjust the temperature without permission – my desk is off limits, I don’t go through your things do not go through mine.
10. Do not line up at the door – If you leave my classroom without permission it is considered an “unassigned area” this will result in a meeting with your designated assistant principal.
11. Do not cheat – this will always result in a “0,” a parent phone call and an office referral
12. Stay in your assigned seat. If there is a problem with your seat you need to let me know so I can adjust it in the seating chart. Moving seats without permission will have consequences
**Consequences will vary depending on the severity of the offense. Consequences that may be given are: verbal reprimand, private conference in the hall, loss of participation points, call home, detention, silent work period, or office referral.
Daily Requirements and Expectations:
-Everyday you will need to bring a notebook or binder, a pen/pencil, and your economics folder. It is up to you to make sure you do not lose papers and assignments.
-Participate in class – ask questions, complete assignments and take notes, this will only help you achieve the highest grade possible.
Grading:
-Everyday you have the ability to earn participation points.
As long as you ask questions, participate in class or share current events. You will receive double points if you are able to relate the current event to something we have studied in class. This will be a 100 point grade at the end of the quarter – sleeping in class will seriously hurt this grade.
-Every week you will have a current events assignment due.
This assignment will be worth 20 points every week and will always be due on Friday. In the back of the syllabus I have attached a sample assignment for you to reference. The current event must be credible
-Current events presentation
Twice a semester you will have to present your current event to the class. You will have to explain the basics of this current event, your opinion of it, how it affects society and how it relates to economics. This will be worth 30 points; you will get to pick your dates
-Unit folder
At the beginning of the year you will be given an economics folder. During each unit I will give you a table of contents. Each table of contents will have 10 papers that you are expected to hang on to throughout the unit. The day of your unit test is that day that your folder with the table of contents and 10 papers are due. The folder will always be worth 100 points – please see the sample attached in the back.
-Notes
On random days I will do notebook checks for that particular class period. These checks will ranges anywhere from 10 – 20 points. These checks will always be unannounced.
-Pop quizzes
Randomly I will give you open note pop quizzes. These quizzes are always worth between 10-20 points, and you can always use your notes for these. If you use someone else’s notes this will result in a zero
-Homework
You will be given homework assignments throughout the week. Homework is a large part of your grade, failure to complete homework will affect your grade dramatically.
-Tests/Projects
For each unit you will have some type of project. Most of the time we will do these in class and you will have several days notice when they will be due. Most of the units you will have an end of unit test. These tests are closed note and we will always spend the class period before reviewing in some way.
-Discussion
During certain class periods we will have open discussions about various economic topics. You need to participate in these discussions to ensure that they will be successful. Be prepared to share your opinion respectfully with the class. Please do not ask me about my opinions on these subjects, the goals of the discussions are to allow you to develop your own opinion, not learn from mine.
-Extra credit
I will occasionally give student an extra credit opportunity – these do not happen often. I will always go over the extra credit assignment with you to make sure you understand the assignment. Extra Credit will in no way be accepted late.
Late work policy: You are given due dates for a reason and it is your responsibility to stick to them. Late work will only be accepted for 2 days after the assignment was due. During this 2 days period you will only receive a maximum of 50% of the original grade. After 2 days the assignment becomes a zero and cannot be made up. If you are absent on the day of the assignment you need to turn it in the next day for full credit. For extended absences you must see me to make sure we set up new due dates.
Extra Help: If you get confused or are struggling with an assignment please see me for extra help. I have a 1st period study hall and a free 3rd period. I also come into school early and stay late. If you need help and can meet during these times please let me know with some notice.
