American History & Government
Martin Waldseemüller (1470–1521). Universalis Cosmographia Secundum Ptholomaei Traditionem et Americi Vespucii Alioru[m]que Lustrationes, [St. Dié], 1507. One map on 12 sheets, made from original woodcut. Geography and Map Division, Library of Congress https://www.loc.gov/collections/discovery-and-exploration/articles-and-essays/recognizing-and-naming-america/
American History and Government
Ms. Emami 864-3311 ext. 127
High School Classroom Policies:
RLRS: Classroom behavior is expected to adhere to the student code of conduct.
Cell phones: School time is an opportunity to be free of your Cell phones. Cell phones are allowed in the cafeteria during break and lunch only. Cell phones are NOT allowed to be visible anywhere else in the building. The use of cell phones in a classroom for specific purposes is at each teacher’s discretion.
Hats: Hats are allowed in classrooms at each teacher’s discretion. Students may be asked to remove their hats at any time.
Unit Structure:
Introduce Unit Essential and Enduring Questions
Vocabulary Introduction (Formative Assessments)
Geographic and Historical Context (Formative Assessments)
Content Background Lessons (Formative Assessments)
Close Read (Formative Assessments)
Enduring Issues Check-ins (Formative Assessments)
Unit Synthesis (Summative GRASP Task)
Complete End of Unit Assessment (Summative Assessment)
American History and Government
American History and Government includes extensive investigation and analysis of primary and secondary sources from the past as well as current events. The eleven units: Colonial Foundations, American Revolution, Building a Nation, Sectionalism and the Civil War, Reconstruction, Progressive Era, Rise of American Power, Prosperity and Depression, World War II, Cold War, Domestic Change, and Contemporary America are tied together through a set of nine themes listed below:
⬤ CHANGE
How do systems, ideas, or beliefs change over time?
⬤ ENVIRONMENT:
How does our environment affect us? How do we affect it?
⬤ CITIZENSHIP / CIVIC VALUES:
What are the duties and privileges of American citizenship?
⬤ CONSTITUTIONAL PRINCIPLES:
How does the US Constitution shape our lives as Americans?
⬤ ECONOMIC SYSTEMS:
To what extent does the American economy shape the American experience?
⬤ FOREIGN POLICY:
What motivations and intentions shape foreign policy?
⬤ GOVERNMENT:
How do federalism and democracy shape the American experience?
⬤ REFORM MOVEMENTS:
How do people affect change in their society?
⬤ EQUALITY:
Is there one American experience?
Assessments: Formative check-ins, Stimulus-based Multiple Choice Questions, Short Essay Questions, Civics Literacy Essay Tasks, Deliberations, Enduring Issue Essay, and GRASP Performance Tasks.
Instructional Methods: The course is Inquiry-based and begins with vocabulary, then continues with content background lessons, multiple-choice formative check-ins, close-reads, a unit synthesis task, the end of the unit summative assessment, and GRASP Performance Tasks.
UNIT 1: Colonial Foundations September
UNIT 2: American Revolution October
UNIT 3A: Building a Nation End of October November
UNIT 3B: Sectionalism and the Civil War Mid November
UNIT 4: Reconstruction December
UNIT 5: Progressive Era January
UNIT 6: Rise of American Power February
UNIT 7: Prosperity and Depression End of February Mid March
UNIT 8: World War II March
UNIT 9: Cold War April
Unit 10: Domestic Change End of April May
Unit II: Contemporary America until Mid May
Scoring:
Formative assessments and HOW will be scored for 25% of your grade.
Summative assessments will be scored for 75% of your grade.
Formative assessments:
Formative work: Pieces of work will be scored following the guidelines below.
Turned in on the due date, may receive full credit based on completion
Turned in late, but prior to unit summative assessment, the possible max score drops to 75
Assignments not turned in before unit summative will receive a zero
Unit Quizzes: There will be multiple lesson quizzes during each unit. A missed quiz must be made up in a timely manner. Students are responsible for making a plan with their teacher. Any quizzes not made up will be scored as a zero.
Summative Assessments:
Summative Assessments:
DBQs, SEQs & Inquiry-Based MC Questions
At the end of each era, you will be asked to respond to a historical prompt by answering a short-essay question (SEQ), a document-based question (DBQ), and an Inquiry-Based MC Question set.
Summative assessments are expected to be finished within one class period unless otherwise specified. Students are expected to come prepared on a test day.
It is the responsibility of the student to make up an end-of-unit assessment. The student must follow up with the teacher and make a recovery plan outside of class time. Students have 2 school days per excused day to make up work for full credit.
Summative Assessments turned in after the assigned due date, without communication with the teacher, will have a penalty of 5% per school day taken from the overall score.
Cases of extended absences will be dealt with on an individual basis with consultation with the administration.
End of Unit Assessments:
Summative assessments are expected to be finished within one class period. Students are expected to come prepared on a test day.
It is the responsibility of the student to make up an end-of-unit assessment. The student must follow up with the teacher and make a recovery plan outside of class time. Students have 2 school days per excused day to make up work for full credit.
Unit tests taken after the assigned pace due date, without a pre-approved plan or excused absence, will have a penalty of 5% per school day taken from the overall score.
Cases of extended absences will be dealt with on an individual basis with consultation with the administration.
Summative tests below 85% may be retaken at the discretion of the teacher outside of class time. When a summative is retaken, the two scores will be averaged for the final score.
The final Exam will be worth two Summative scores.