ELEVENTH GRADE UNITED STATES HISTORY
2008 - 2009 COURSE SYLLABUS
INSTRUCTOR: MR. BENEZRA
Rm. #113
Ph: (707) 556-3510 x51514; Email: pbenezra@vallejo.k12.ca.us
Website: http://benezrap.blogspot.com
HOGAN HIGH SCHOOL MISSION STATEMENT:
“We, the staff at Hogan High, will work collaboratively as a learning community to support ALL students in order to¼
Help them achieve high academic standards;
Prepare them for post secondary study and work;
Encourage them to become lifelong learners;
¼so they can continue to grow and become contributing citizens in our democratic society.
COURSE DESCRIPTION: This course is a survey of United States History, with an emphasis on the period of U. S. history from the post Civil War Reconstruction Era to the present day. The course correlates directly with the California Content Standards for 11th grade social studies. The goal of this course is to help provide students with the historical background, including people, stories, and events, which have shaped our country and our world. Through this historical understanding, we hope to encourage all students to become mature, alert members of our society, who will have the ability to contribute positively to the growth of our country and our world.
MAJOR COMPETENCIES TO BE MASTERED: (these competencies correspond to the ESLRs, Hogan High School Expected School-wide Learning Results) 1) Students and staff will demonstrate high standards of professionalism and accountability; 2) Students will be collaborative workers and effective communicators; 3) Students will apply their knowledge and reasoning skills.
MATERIALS NEEDED:
· Textbook: The Americans (McDougal Littell, publishers.)
· In-class notebook: Students will need a composition or spiral notebook to be kept in the classroom for class notes.
· Writing supplies: Binder paper, 2 black or blue pens, and 2 pencils (at all times).
· Colored pencils or highlighters may also be used for extra credit creative note taking.
· Supplementary texts: additional supplemental resources including primary source documents, Internet resources, and news articles will be given as handouts.
HOMEWORK:
Students will typically have the following homework due every week:
· Read the week’s chapter in the textbook prior to the week it is covered.
· Due Monday—Definitions for the “Terms and Names” from sections 1&2 of the chapter.
· Due Tuesday—Definitions for the “Terms and Names” from sections 3&4 of the chapter.
· Due every other Wednesday—a creative historical project, which may include timelines, “one-pagers”, essays, or Venn diagrams.
· Thursday—study for test on Friday.
Please note that this describes a typical week’s homework. The assignments may be changed occasionally and various other projects, or assignments may be given throughout the year.
CLASS WORK:
· Students will take thorough, organized notes on all material discussed in class. Notes will be kept in their in-class notebook. Notebooks will be graded quarterly.
· Video questions: may be given when documentary videos are shown in class.
· Various other in-class projects or assignments may be given.
LATE WORK:
· Receives ½ credit.
· There will be deadlines, to be announced, at the end of each semester after which no more late work will be accepted.
· Valid excused absences: students have 2 days to make up missed assignments for full credit.
IN-CLASS PARTICIPATION:
· Verbal participation in class will be a crucial part of this course.
· Students will be able to earn up to 20 participation points per day.
· During lecture/discussions all students may be called on at any time to answer questions, or to check their understanding of the material being covered.
· All students are encouraged to volunteer information, ask appropriate questions and participate in discussions.
· Students who voluntarily participate will receive the highest number of participation points, and may also earn extra credit points.
· Participation points are not necessarily given for correct answers. Rather, participation points are given for any effort that is appropriate and helpful to the communication of information in the classroom.
· On the other hand, participation points will be deducted from students who come in late, and from students who are talking, or otherwise disrupting the learning environment in the classroom.
GRADES:
Grading percentages will be based upon a straight point system: points earned, divided by total possible points. Grades will include points from the following categories:
· Homework ( Terms and Names, projects, etc.)
· Tests
· In-class notes
· Class participation
· Extra credit
GRADING SCALE:
100%-92.0%=A; 91.9%-90.0%=A-; 89.9%-88.0%=B+; 87.9%-82.0%=B; 81.9%-80.0%=B-; 79.9%-78.0%C+; 77.9%-72.0%=C; 71.9%-70.0%-C-; 69.9%-68.0%=D+; 67.9%-62.0%=D; 61.9%-60.0%=D-; Below 60%=F.
BASIC CLASSROOM RULES:
“Help yourself and others learn”
· Be prepared: bring academic supplies to class.
· Be considerate: raise your hand to speak.
· Be attentive: listen quietly to others.
· Do your work in class. No head down/sleeping.
· Give your best good will to your fellow students and to the teacher each day.
Mr. Santos’ “Non-negotiable Rules”, all school wide and district rules will also be followed in the classroom.
CLASSROOM CONSEQUENCES:
· Warning - loss of participation points.
· Two minutes after class. This is meant to be a quick solution to small problems. Includes positive effort:
o straightening desks
o picking up trash
· 5 minutes cooling off outside. (Stay on the walkway, quietly.)
· ½ hour lunch or after school detention/meeting with teacher.
· Any detention or after class time can be shortened by positive in-class effort, including:
Ø straightening desks
Ø cleaning desktops
Ø picking up trash
Ø making up homework—if needed
· Change seat—Any student who is in a seat that is distracting to the academic work of another student, or who is sitting next to a friend they like to talk to, will be given a seating change to encourage your best participation!
· Phone call to parents.
· Parent/student/teacher meeting – includes agreeing on and signing a classroom behavior contract.
· 2-day class suspension
· Team meeting with counselor and/or other teacher(s).
· Referral to Assistant Principal.
Please note that these are a variety of interventions that will not necessarily be given in this order. Circumstances may vary.
Repeated problems = no more warnings, and firmer consequences.
· Mr. Benezra will do his best to communicate to students and parents the reasons why the consequences were given, and suggestions for student improvement.
· Positive effort, contributing in class, can always help erase or reduce consequences.
· Mr. Benezra is, also, always happy to listen to students’ perspectives and criticisms at arranged times after class.
STUDENT CHOICE:
· No student has to be in this class. Students are always free to choose other educational options. (Independent study, adult school, alternative high school, etc.).
· Students who choose to be in this class are choosing to follow the instructional process and directions of the teacher to the best of their ability.
· If a student does not follow class procedures, the directions of the teacher, or walks out of the classroom, they will not be allowed to return without a parent/student/teacher meeting and a behavior contract.
· The goal of this process is to encourage the safest and most positive educational environment for all students. Making our best effort is what we are seeking here.
CLASSROOM REWARDS:
· Awesome Time - Sometimes the class may earn “free” time at the end of the period if the class has stayed focused during the whole period, we have covered the material we need to cover, and there is still time left. Students must remain in their seats, and can talk quietly.
· 15 minutes of “Awesome Time” plus students’ choice of music on Friday -is awarded to the class that has earned the most participation points during the week.
· “No-Bull” Peace Prize - given to one student in the class on Friday who has contributed the most, improved the most, or done the most to help create a harmonious environment in the classroom during the week.
EXTRA CREDIT:
· “Stars and Stripes Film Festival”--Most Wednesdays (approximately) 3:30 - 5:30 p.m., Room #113
« Viewing of a documentary or feature length film relevant to a historical topic
« You may bring popcorn/refreshments (be responsible to clean up your own trash).
« 30 - 50 points E/C for attending quietly.
« 50 - 80 points E/C for attendance plus answering questions. (Depending on the length of the film.)
« This is an extra credit option available to students who are able to attend and make a quiet focused effort to learn from the film.
· Extra credit book work—Students may earn extra credit by answering extra cr cedit questions from the textbook at the end of each chapter. Mr. Benezra will have more details on this option later.
· Extra credit participation—Students who make an exceptional effort to contribute thoughtful, accurate information verbally in class, or make an extra effort to be helpful can earn extra credit participation points.
· Creativity - Extra credit points will always be given if you make an effort to use your talent (Or just make a good effort, even if you’re not particularly talented!) to do any artistic drawings, graphs, creative coloring, etc. that interact with your notes or communicate your understanding of historical information and concepts. Artwork can be done in the in-class notebook, or turned in as extra credit homework.
· See Mr. Benezra for additional extra credit work. Of course you should complete your assigned homework first!
COURSE OUTLINE CALENDAR
August 20 to August 22 – Student Handbook/ Class Orientation
August 25 to August 29 –/Chapter 1
- “Exploration and the Colonial Era”
September 2 to September 8 - - Chapter 2
- “Revolution and the Early Republic
September 9 to September 12--The U.S. Constitution
September 15 to September 19 - Chapter 3
- “The Growth of a Young Nation”
September 22 to September 26 - Chapter 4
- “The Union in Peril”
September 29 to October 3 - Chapter 5
- “Changes on the Western Frontier”
October 6 to October 10 - Chapter 6
- “A New Industrial Age”
October 13 to October 17 - Chapter 7
- “Immigrants and Urbanization”
October 20 to October 24 Chapter 9
- “The Progressive Era”
October 27 to October 31 - Chapter 10
- “America Claims an Empire”
November 3 to November 7 - Chapter 11
- “The First World War”
November 11 to November 14 - Chapter 8
- “Life at the Turn of the Century” & Chapter 12
- “Politics of the Roaring Twenties”
November 17 to November 21- Chapter 13
- “The Roaring Life of the 1920’s”
December 1 to December 5 - Chapter 14
- “The Great Depression Begins”
December 8 to December 12 - Chapter 15
- “The New Deal”
December 15 to December 19 – First Semester Review and Finals Week
January 5 to January 9 - Chapter 16
- “World War Looms”
January 12 to January 16 - Chapter 17
- “The United States in World War II”
January 20 to January 23 - Chapter 19
- “The Postwar Boom”
January 26 to January 30 - Chapter 18
- “Cold War Conflicts”
February 2 to February 6 - Chapter 20
- “The New Frontier and the Great Society”
February 9 to February 13 - Chapter 21
- “Civil Rights”
February 17 to February 27 (Two weeks) - Chapter 22
- “The Vietnam War”
March 2 to March 6 - Chapter 23
- “An Era of Social Change”
March 9 to March 13 - Chapter 24
- “An Age of Limits”
March 16 to March 20 – Chapter 25
- “The Conservative Tide”
April 6 to April 10 - Chapter 26
- “The United States in Today’s World”
April 13 to April 17
- Review for Star Testing/Semester II Objective Final
April 20 to April 24
- “STAR TESTING”
April 27 to May 20 - Supplementary Readings
- “Current Issues: The War on Terror”
May 21 to June 5 - Supplementary Readings
- “Religion in America”
June 8 to June 10 – Second Semester Final Project
Here’s to a great year of enjoying learning, and accomplishing more than you ever thought you could!!
Please sign, cut, and return this lower strip of paper only. Thank you!
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I have read and understood the 2007-2008 U.S. History Syllabus.
Student’s Name (PLEASE PRINT)___________________________________
Student’s Signature____________________________________________
Parent/Guardian’s Signature_________________________________________
This information may be helpful to facilitate parent/teach communication:
Daytime phone number:___________________ Email:_______________________