Honors United States History
Mr. Potter 2009-20010
Email: potter@lcchs.org or mr.potter@comcast.net (preferred)
Voice Mail: 267-2180
I. Textbook
A. The Americans, McDougall Littell (Required text for sophomore history)
II. Course Goal:
A. The overall goal of this class is to familiarize the student with history of the United States of America from pre-Columbian time to the twentieth century. The class will journey through the creation of the United States through to the Civil War and up to the progressive era in the early twentieth century.
By the end of the year the students will have witnessed the birth of the United States and the many challenges that have faced this nation through to the early 1900s.
The students will be asked during the course of the year to participate in a variety of activities that will enhance the overall understanding of the history of the United States. This will include group presentations, mock trials, written assignments and individual oral presentations.
B. Objectives:
1. The student will gain an understanding of the major events and figures in American history.
2. The student will practice their writing skills in the form of five paragraph historical essays and one research paper.
3. The students will be able to understand and make the connections between historical events and their impact on modern society
4. The student will be an active participant in classroom discussions and group work in and outside of class
III. Areas of study:
A. Colonial America (1492 – 1765)
B. The American Revolution (1765 – 1781)
C. The New Nation (1781 – 1816)
D. Nationalism, Sectionalism and Reforming American Society (1815 – 1860)
E. The American Civil War era (1860 – 1880)
F. Entering the Modern Era (1880 – 1900)
IV. Grading Scale:
A 100 – 92% C 72 – 77%
A- 91 – 90% C- 71 - 70%
B+ 88 – 89% D+ 69 – 68%
B 87 – 82% D 67 – 62%
B- 81 – 80% D- 61 – 60%
C+ 79 – 78% E 59 – 0%
V. Semester Grades:
Semester grades will be determined in the following way:
1st Quarter = 40% 2nd quarter = 40% Final Exam = 20%
VI. Grade Achievement:
During the course of each quarter there will be a variety of assignments that will be used to form the student’s grade. These assignments will range from tests, quizzes, research projects, as well as classroom activities and daily participation in classroom discussions.
There will be no weighting of grades; the grades are determined by using a straight point system. To determine the grade in the class, it is necessary to take the total points earned and divide that by the total points available. This will determine the percentage that correlates with a particular grade.
VII. Daily Requirements:
The students are required to be prepared for each class. The students will need to be prepared for each class discussion by reading the assigned readings for each class (which will clearly be announced and displayed within the classroom), as well as having the needed material for each class (such as: textbook, notebook, writing utensils, and daily planner).
VIII. Homework:
Homework will be assigned on a regular basis and will need to be completed prior to the beginning of class. Each written homework assignment will be due at the beginning of class on its due date. Any reading assignment will need to be completed prior to the beginning of class so that all of the students in the class can participate in a critical analysis of an assignment.
IX. Missed Work:
If a student is absent from class, it is that students responsibility to get the assignment. A student will have the same amount of time missed from class to make up the missed material, as well as stay on track with assignments upon return to class.
Example: Suzie Q missed two class periods: she will have two class periods to turn in missed work and make up any quizzes or tests.
X. Late Work:
Any assignment turned in late will lose 10% of its overall value per day for up to five class periods. After the fifth class period that the assignment is late, the assignment will be accepted; however, the highest possible grade will be 50% of the original value of the assignment.
My advice: if you are ill, do whatever you can do to turn in the assignment. Due dates are non-negotiable, so do whatever is necessary to get an assignment turned in on time.
Any project or presentation is due on the assigned date. If you are scheduled to present your assignment on a particular day and are not present your grade will reflect the fact that you were unable to present to the class on your assigned date.
XI. Expectations:
A. General Expectations:
1. Follow the guidelines of the student handbook at all times.
A. no gum, no coats, no backpacks, etc
2. Be in your seat and ready to participate when the bell rings, this includes having all of the necessary material for class.
a. Having to return to your locker for an assignment after the bell sounds will be considered a tardy for that particular class period.
3. Use class time as assigned
4. Respect the opinions of others, as well as their property and space
B. Consequences:
1. The Lansing Catholic High School discipline matrix (located within the student handbook/planner) will be adhered to at all times.
C. Classroom Expectations:
1. Any written work must be typed and follow MLA format. This includes margins, headers and works cited pages.
2. Homework assignments may be hand written, however the assignment must be in BLUE or BLACK ink. The paper that is used for the homework assignment must be a clean sheet of paper. This means that all spiral bound tatters must be removed before being turned in. It might be a good idea to simply purchase loose leaf paper and a binder for the class.