CLASSROOM EXPECTATIONS:  What you need to do to be successful in this class!

#1—RESPECT

Respect each other!  Everyone in this classroom (teachers, students, guests) will treat each other with respect.  We will listen to each other.  We will discuss ideas with each other.  We will support each other.  We will laugh with each other. We will agree and disagree with each other.  In all cases, we will show RESPECT to each other.

#2—EXCELLENT EFFORT

Work hard!  Excellent effort and hard work will bring you success in this class.  Be on time!  Be prepared!  Do your work!

#3—POSITIVE PARTICIPATION

Participate in class!  A positive attitude and participation in classroom discussions, activities and group work will enhance your enjoyment and your learning in this classroom.
 

When you need help:

I will be available during lunch and after school (by appointment) to assist any students seeking extra help. 

The best way for you or for your parent/guardian to reach me is by e-mail. 

Preparing for class:

       • Complete reading and writing assignments at home.
       • Make a positive contribution during class activities.
       • Make up work, in a timely manner, when you have been absent.
       • Bring your materials to class.

Materials for class:

       •     Spiral notebook for U.S. History
       •     Pens, pencils and a highlighter
       •     B-CC handbook provided by the school

Textbook:

Danzer, Gerald A. et al. The Americans. Boston: McDougal Littell, 1998. Leave your textbook at home.

Assessment:

Quarter grades will reflect student achievement on a variety of assessments. The categories and weights below will be used to determine the quarter grade.
       •     Assignments for Practice – 10%
       •     All assessments such as tests, quizzes, projects, and other assignments – 90%
 

GRADING POLICIES AND PROCEDURES:
We will adhere to the MCPS grading and reporting policy. Details of the policy are available in the classroom, upon request and on the B-CC Webpage.

RETEACHING AND REASSSESSMENT:
Reteaching and reassessment are an integral part of the instructional cycle and offer additional opportunities for students to learn and demonstrate learning.

Students who want to re-assess must:
       •     Attend one TAP session and work with a teacher or do an assignment
             that would help re-teach the information.
       •     Attend a second TAP session on a different day to be re-assessed.
       •     The reassessment grade replaces the original grade.
 

ACADEMIC DISHONESTY:
This applies to both written work and oral presentations. Examples of academic dishonesty include, but are not limited to, the following: the willful giving or receiving of an unauthorized text, unfair, dishonest, or unscrupulous advantage in academic work over other students using fraud, duress, deception, theft, trickery, talking, signs, gestures, copying, or any other methodology.

Plagiarism:

• Submitting or presenting another person's work as your own without proper documentation, including downloaded information from the Internet and lab data.

Cheating:

• Giving or receiving information during a test, quiz, and/or class work assignment without teacher authorization.
• Using hand signals, gestures, and the like during tests or quizzes to obtain/give information.
• Using unauthorized materials during a test or quiz.

 

KNOWING YOUR GRADE:

Students and parents will be able to monitor their learning and keep track of their grades by checking the grade online.

COURSE OUTLINE and OUTCOMES:

Denoted by the Montgomery County Curriculum, course outcomes adhere to the Maryland State Department of Education Standards and Goals.

Semester 1: US History A
Reconstruction (1860s) to The Great Depression (1930s)

Unit One: Continuity and Change
Students demonstrate understanding of the successes and failures of Reconstruction and its enduring impact.

Unit Two: Complex Change Transforms American Society
Students demonstrate understanding of the transformation of the American economy and the changing social and political conditions in the United States in response to the Industrial Revolution up to 1917.

Unit Three: The United States and a World Identity
Students demonstrate understanding of the changing role of the United States in world affairs through World War I (1867-1920).

Unit Four: Culture in Prosperity and Adversity
Students analyze the major political, social, economic, technological and cultural developments of the 1920’s and 30’s.