It's going to be a big year. Instead of focusing on a tiny chunk of history in just one country, we're going to be covering the history of the world and humanity through about the year 1500.
Being a historian is like being a detective. This is true when studying the recent past, which has been well documented. It's even more true now: our studies will take us way back into the past, beyond even the invention of writing, and we will use all the disciplines of social studies, plus fields like archaeology and science to help us piece together the past and better understand our world today.
Historical Thinking Skills & World Religions
Human Prehistory
Early Civilizations
Ancient Greece
The Roman World
The Post-Classical World: 500 - 1500 CE
Be nice. Be kind. Be respectful of others' ideas, belongings, and time.
Be prepared. Be on time, bring your (charged) Chromebook every day, have your reading and work completed on time, and keep your phone away.
Be responsible. You're going to have more freedom this year than you've ever had! Some of that freedom is due to necessities of the pandemic, some of it is because that's how I always teach and structure my class. You'll have plenty of opportunities to direct your own learning and how you demonstrate your increasing knowledge, but with that freedom come great responsibility. You are responsible for checking your email, following directions, reaching out with questions, and completing your work in a timely fashion.
Charged Chromebook + charger
Pen or pencil
Notebook
1-subject spiral notebook or a small (1-3 inch) binder with loose leaf paper
Folder (or binder)
Weighting
70% Assessments - tests, quizzes, projects, and essays. Only Unit Tests are eligible for retakes after completing a retake form and all required prep work.
30% Classwork / Homework
Rubrics and Feedback
99% of your assignments this year will be completed in Google Classroom and other digital platforms. Any assignment completed in Classroom will have a rubric attached to assist you in understanding your grade, as well as feedback in private comments on Google Classroom. If you have a question about a grade in OnCourse, I strongly suggest that you double check the assignment on Google Classroom first.
Increasing Expectations and Growth
You will be challenged this year! You will have great successes, and probably more than a few stumbles and failures. That's okay! Thinking critically about the past, writing, reading, presenting - these are all skills that take practice to develop. If you struggle at first at the beginning of the year, don't get discouraged; you'll opportunity after opportunity to fix mistakes, demonstrate mastery, and make new mistakes. Two things though: first, if you're consistently struggling, reach out for help! Second, my standards will increase as the year goes on and your skills develop...an "A" presentation in September will warrant a "C" or lower by June.
Any student who receives a score of 69 or lower on any major assessment (test) may retest at teacher discretion.
A retake will only be granted if a legitimate attempt at the original assessment was made first. Students will receive one retest opportunity per assessment.
The retest procedure is not designed for students to redo everything. Retakes are not permitted on quizzes, homework, classwork, essays, or projects.
Students will receive an average of the original grade and the retake grade.
The retake could include a different assessment format or different questions. Retakes will generally not include the essay portion of major assessments.
The retest should be completed within two weeks of receiving the original test score.
Students must complete the list of teacher-required assignments in order to receive a retest. Credit will not be given for the make up assignments.
It is the student’s responsibility to approach the teacher for a retest, complete all necessary forms and preparatory work, and schedule the retest with the teacher.
Academic Honesty is of the utmost importance, both at Delsea, and beyond. Plagiarism and academic dishonesty can have severe consequences. Google Classroom's Originality Reports feature will be enabled on all written assignments, for student use as well as accountability. Assignments that are found to have been plagiarized will receive a 0, parent notification, and further disciplinary consequences as described in the Student Code of Conduct.
Beyond plagiarism, academic dishonesty also includes sharing assignments and answers with fellow students or inappropriately using technology to enhance your performance in class. While in a virtual and hybrid environment, academic honesty may not be immediately apparent, but larger assessments and projects will require you to demonstrate knowledge and skills that will be lacking without honestly completing prior assignments.
You are responsible for completing your assignments in a timely fashion. The due dates I set are not arbitrary; they are set to ensure that you have learned concepts and material before we move on as a class.
Late Work will be accepted for partial credit only.
If you complete any assignments after the due date, you must fill out the Make Up Work Form on Google Classroom to notify me that it's been completed. No late work will be graded without completing the Makeup Work Form.
Assignments completed late go to the back of the line in terms of grading and feedback. If you do not complete assignments by my schedule, please do not expect immediate grades and feedback when they are turned in.
If you are absent, any missing assignments are your responsibility. A 0 will be entered in OnCourse until makeup assignments are completed.
BEING PREPARED
You must bring your Chromebook FULLY charged EVERY day. It’s just like having your binder, pen, or pencil – except more important, because most of your assignments will be given using Google Classroom.
Repeatedly not bringing your Chromebook or not bringing it fully charged will result in having to complete classwork at home, phone calls home, possible zeros on classwork grades, and further disciplinary consequences, just like being late, forgetting homework, or coming unprepared for class.
APPROPRIATE USE IN CLASS
At all times, you must be using your Chromebook appropriately. This means:
Staying on task and working on whatever the day’s lesson requires.
Not looking at other websites, playing games, watching videos, or getting off-task during a lesson.
Never being on websites that are inappropriate for school. This includes Twitter, Instagram, and other social networks.
CELL PHONES AND OTHER PERSONAL ELECTRONIC DEVICES
Cell phones and other electronic devices (Nintendo Switch, etc.) are not to be seen or used in class.
Cell phone use in class will result in the device being placed in the phone carrier until the end of the period.
Repeated violations will result in a permanent spot in the phone carrier, where the device must be placed during each class, and/or additional disciplinary consequences.