Course Description s18

AMERICAN HISTORY

Honors 2013-2014 Tom Beard [email protected] Room 452 Course: American History Honors is an intense look into the formation of and influences on the events that have matured thirteen colonies into the world power that is the United States of America. We will focus on the rights and responsibilities of citizens and their governments from the Civil War to present day.

Course Description: Objectives:  Understand the significance of the past and its influence on the present.  Recognize the personal character traits of people who have made a difference in history.  Read various types of information effectively while learning to ask appropriate questions to distinguish fact from conjecture.  Research information using a variety of sources and communicate effectively.

Class Expectations: In the expanding marketplace and the arena of education, the use of technology has grown exponentially in recent years. Our AP Government class has embraced that ideal and has created an environment for instruction and preparation of our students for the AP exam. Work will be assigned, often submitted and responded to via the web. Students will be asked to have a professional e-mail address and be familiar with our class technology portal (www.teacherpress.ocps.net/tombeard) where all other classroom media is based.

Attendance/Discipline: Students are expected to be in class, on time. It is the student’s responsibility to speak with the teacher about any missed work. Missing any class time to make-up work for another class or “senior skip” days & events does not qualify as an excused tardy or absence and class work will continue as scheduled. All other excused absences will be determined by LNHS. Students will have one day more than the days missed to make-up any work. If a student misses more than ten class days per grading period they will be required to take & pass the final exam to meet graduation requirements. Our classroom attendance & discipline procedures will follow OCPS & LNHS all guidelines, which can be found in the Student Code of Conduct and Student Planner.

Assessment: Students will be assessed in a variety of ways throughout the academic year. Each student will be assessed individually based on his or her preparation and execution of assigned work. Any student submitting work that is not their own will receive no credit for the assignment. Any student allowing another to use their work for submission will receive no credit for the assignment. There will be no comparison of one student’s work to another. Class grades will be based on: AMERICAN HISTORY

Formal Assessments: Students are expected to complete the appropriate unit review for each of the units covered in class. Each unit plan is due on the formal assessment day for that unit. These will need to be hand written! At a conclusion for each unit, students will be required to take a test that may consist of multiple-choice, short answer, matching and free response questions. Students will have an opportunity to Buy the Curve as a way to make up points. Buy The Curve – Student who completes 25 flash cards and submits prior to unit’s formal assessment they will be eligible for assessments curve. Informal Assessments – Throughout each unit students will make presentations, complete classwork; participate in class discussion and more. These will be given an informal grade of 0 to 5. These grades WILL NOT count towards a student’s nine-week grade but instead provide feedback of content comprehension prior to formal assessment. AMERICAN HISTORY

Dear Parent/Guardian: As Lake Nona High School continues to grow in the many arenas of education your student has entered into the amazing world of American History. This class is an intensive look into the formation of and influences on the events that have matured thirteen original colonies into the world power that is the United States of America. We will focus on the rights and responsibilities of citizens and their government from 1850 until today. Many students choose to take the challenge of our Honors class to push themselves as students. Still others do so because they feel it looks better on a transcript as they apply to college. Whatever the reason, all students of Honors classes are better prepared for life after time spent at LNHS. College acceptance committees continue to highlight the value given to student participation in AP and Honors classes. In order for your student to find success in this class they must be willing to work hard. Students will be required to read from textbooks, magazines, news and more. They will be asked to take notes, write and make presentations. In order to reach their potential they will need to push themselves in new and interesting ways. All students in our class are asked to live up to an honor code that we have borrowed from Stanford University. It states: The Honor Code is an undertaking of the students, individually and collectively: 1. that they will not give or receive aid in examinations; that they will not give or receive unpermitted aid in class work, in the preparation of reports, or in any other work that is to be used by the instructor as the basis of grading; 2. that they will do their share and take an active part in seeing to it that others as well as themselves uphold the spirit and letter of the Honor Code. The faculty on its part manifests its confidence in the honor of its students by refraining from proctoring examinations and from taking unusual and unreasonable precautions to prevent the forms of dishonesty mentioned above. The faculty will also avoid, as far as practicable, academic procedures that create temptations to violate the Honor Code. While the faculty alone has the right and obligation to set academic requirements, the students and faculty will work together to establish optimal conditions for honorable academic work. To help along the way I utilize my classroom web portal (www.teacherpress.ocps.net/tombeard) as well as grades & attendance via Progress Book. I have office hours by appointment and am always available via e-mail at [email protected]. I ask that you create an active, at home study area and encourage your student to review current events daily. If you have any questions or concerns please email. I look forward to hearing from you soon and meeting you at our open house night. Sincerely; Tom Beard

By signing below you are acknowledging that you have read and understand the 2014-2015 class syllabus for American History at LNHS as well as this letter paying specific attention to the required Honor Code.

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