Teacher: Mrs. Bauer

Teacher: Mrs. Bauer Course: History I Phone number: Bauer ext: 4412 Email address: [email protected]

Goal: The goal of this class is to create a safe, fun, and nonjudgmental learning environment that will help foster a greater understanding of history, government, geography, economic, and your rights and responsibilities as an American citizen.

Preparation: Bring these every class or face inflexible consequences!  Textbook: The Americas, Reconstruction through the 21st Century.  Binder or folder for storage-It is not acceptable to store papers in your book.  Notebook of lined paper.  Pencil or pen (Black or blue ink only. No other colored inks).

Be aware:  Do not use symbols (/, & or +) for the word “and”. This will result in an automatic loss of one point.  Two missing assignments will earn you homework lab everyday until they are done.

Types of activities: In this class we will be doing many interesting exercises that bring the people and events of the past alive and into real life in order to help us examine the impact and relevance of people, places, and events on our society and world as a whole. Some of these activities include: 1. Act-it-outs: Students will take an event or scenario from history and recreate it in a mini play to be preformed in front of the class. Make sure if you are playing a southern sharecropper or an Irish immigrant that you have your accent ready! 2. Drawing: Students will create an annotated picture of different places or people. Examples include your take on the appearance of a Northern Carpetbagger or a World War I soldier. Pictures must include written facts (historical evidence) to support details. 3. Song performance: Students will take their favorite songs and change the lyrics to suit a historical person or event. Groups perform the song for the class using their voices, movement, and any instrument you may play. Singing ability not needed, all participate. 4. Cartoons: Students will create political and other cartoons complete with drawings and dialog between characters to help illustrate tensions and attitudes of the past. Examples include a cartoon of what life would be like without the Bill of Rights or other Freedoms. 5. Journals: After learning about what life was like for different people of the past, you will take their place and write journals or letters as if you were living in those conditions. For example, you will write from the perspective of an immigrant adjusting to the harsh living conditions of the U.S. or the boat that brought them here. 6. Experiential Exercises: How would you react to putting Uncle Sam on trial or trying to figure out how to pay off your debts as a western farmer? Students will experience events like these to help gain the perspective of those who came before us.

*While we will be doing many of the activities listed above, you can still count on seeing your fair share of tests, quizzes, pop quizzes, and homework. If classroom behavior becomes an issue, we will not do any of the above activities and stick completely to the typical tests, homework, and quizzes (including daily pop quizzes). Rules: 1. Respect the teacher and each other: This means that you will not talk back, physically or verbally intimidate, make fun of, or judge any person in any way. You are to be open- minded and consider other opinions. The inside of these four walls is to be a safe sharing environment, so be respectful and do not go into the halls after class and mock each other. This is a zero tolerance policy. 2. Come prepared to class: This means bringing everything listed under “materials” to class every day. Do not show up without them or you will be sent back after them and given a tardy. After two tardies, a Disciplinary Report will be issued. No exceptions. 3. Start working immediately: This means that when you enter the room you’re ready for business and you go to your seat and start working. You will have a “warm-up” assignment waiting for you every day. Do not socialize after the bell. The result will be a loss of your production points, pop quizzes and more. 4. Dismissed by teacher only: This means that you stay in your seat until I dismiss you, not the bell. Do not start putting things away two minutes before class ends. If you waste valuable teaching time doing this, I will keep the class in to the passing time. 5. Food/Beverages/Gum: Water only. No food at any time, so finish it in the commons. If gum is seen or heard, it’s gone. So, chew silently.

Procedures: 1. Speaking in class: I highly encourage lively class discussions. They are vital in aiding understanding and learning. To make sure all voices are heard, respected, and that any discussion is productive, make sure to do the following: *Raise your hand to speak. *One speaker at a time. Do not interrupt anyone. 2. Material preparation: Sharpen pencils before class begins. Get any paper or materials you think you may need from a friend or the shelves before class. Do not interrupt my lecture or teaching to do so, you must wait for a pause. 3. Bathroom Breaks: Do not interrupt my lecture to go to the bathroom. If you must go, wait until an appropriate time to ask. You will not be permitted to leave either the first or the last twenty minutes of class. 4. Assignments: All assignments are due on the date specified at the beginning of class. After that they are considered late and will be penalized as such. Do not work on late homework during class time, if seen it will be thrown away. You may not redo any assignment to add more points and there will be no extra credit given to make up for missing work. If you disagree with any grade see me after class with a rational explanation as to why and it may be reconsidered. *Write clearly: If your writing is illegible, it will be marked incorrect. *Your name must appear in upper right corner of all work unless told otherwise. No name work will be stapled to the board and 50% taken off your score. All papers on the board will be thrown out periodically, so check them if you have a missing assignment. *Late Assignments: See student handbook. Only students with excused absences will be able to turn work in. *Any infractions of these rules will result in an automatic loss of your daily production points. A subsequent warning a call may be placed home or to a guardian. Students and reports will be sent to the office at the teacher’s discretion. *Parents may be asked to sit with a student during class until the behavior is resolved (also at the teacher’s discretion).

Absence Policy: You are all young adults and will be treated as such. Please let me know as soon as you know that you will be absent. If you tell me at noon that you are leaving for a week at the end of the day, there will not be enough time to gather all of the information you will need to take with you. *Planned absence: Get all class work ahead of time. Do not ask me during class; come in before, after, or during seminar. Your work will be considered late after the given amount of time to turn it in expires. *Unplanned absence: Retrieve any missed assignments from the assignment bin and ask a peer for further directions and notes before or after class time. You may see me with further questions and due dates that will be issued on a case-by-case basis before or after class.

Grading Scale: Grades will be posted weekly on the back wall. Students are responsible for knowing their grade and what, if any, assignments are missing.

96-100%=A 88-89%=B+ 78-79%=C+ 68-69%=D+ 90-95% =A- 83-87%=B 73-77%=C 63-67%=D Less than 60%=E 80-82%=B- 70-72%=C- 60-62%=D-

Parents/Guardians: I do not take the duty of educating your student lightly. If there is anything that you think I should be aware of, please let me know. I will be sure to be in communication with you to fill you in on how your child is doing or discuss any matters that may arise. I encourage you to stay involved in what it is that your student is up to for class and you are always welcome in my room if you would like to come in and see what it is that we are doing. Please let me know if you have any questions.

**This syllabus is subject to change at any time without previous notice** ************************************************************************************* Your Very First Homework Assignment!!

Students and Parents, If you have any questions please contact me at the phone number or email address given on the first page. Please sign to indicate you have read, understand, and agree to the attached information:

______Student Signature Date

______Parental Signature Date

*The class will watch portions of movies illustrating events or concepts from different units. These may contain language or violence that are accurate to a specific historical event. If you would not like this student to view this work, please check the box and an alternate assignment will be issued to them.

No, this student does not have permission to view this material. Please issue them alternate assignments. Return this section, signed and dated, by the beginning of the next class.