Course Syllabus

American History I

Mr. Leath

“Yeah, about the test...

The test will measure whether you are an informed, engaged, and productive citizen of the world, and it will take place in schools and bars and hospitals and dorm rooms and in places of worship. You will be tested on first dates, in job interviews, while watching football, and while scrolling through your Twitter feed. The test will judge your ability to think about things other than celebrity marriages, whether you’ll be easily persuaded by empty political rhetoric, and whether you’ll be able to place your life and your community in a broader context. The test will last your entire life, and it will be comprised of the millions of decisions that, when taken together, will make your life yours. And everything, everything, will be on it.
...I know, right?”

― John Green (Links to an external site.)

Description:

Students will examine the historical and intellectual origins of the United States from European exploration and colonial settlement to the Revolutionary and Constitutional eras. Students will learn about the important political and economic factors that contributed to the development of colonial America and the outbreak of the American Revolution as well as the consequences of the Revolution, including the writing and key ideas of the U.S. Constitution. American History I: The Founding Principles will guide students as they study the establishment of political parties, America’s westward expansion, the growth of sectional conflict, how that sectional conflict led to the Civil War, and the consequences of the Civil War, including Reconstruction.

American History 1 HN is an honors level course. This course is also available in the Program of Studies at the College Preparatory level. Students earning credit for an Honors level course receive an elevated number of Quality Points for their Grade Point Average. Students choosing the Honors level course should be aware that this Honors level course will include:

· Required extension opportunities that are directly related to the Standard Course of Study. This includes additional content beyond that covered in the College Preparatory level.

· More challenging coursework and assessments. Students will be expected to demonstrate higher levels of understanding for grades.

· Projects and presentations will be more in depth.

· Students will have to focus and study regularly to master the content.

· The expectation that students can move through the coursework at an accelerated pace and students experiencing difficulty should quickly seek guidance from their teacher on how they can be more successful.

Examples of Honors Differentiation in this Course”

Below is a sample of how the Honors level objectives may differ from those in the College Preparatory level: HONORS level objective COLLEGE PREP level objective

Below is a sample of how the Honors level objectives may differ from those in the College Preparatory level: HONORS level objective COLLEGE PREP level objective

Bio. Example Bio.1.2.3 Analyze how specific cell adaptations help cells survive in particular environments (focus on unicellular organisms and specific cell types in multicellular organisms).

 Bio. Example.1.2.3 Explain how specific cell adaptations help cells survive in particular environments (focus on unicellular organisms).

Am. History Example AH1.H.2.2 Evaluate key turning points from colonization through Reconstruction in terms of their lasting impact (e.g., conflicts, legislation, elections, innovations, leadership, movements, Supreme Court decisions, etc.), project how these issues may influence current or future events.

 Am. History Example AH1.H.2.2 Evaluate key turning points from colonization through Reconstruction in terms of their lasting impact (e.g., conflicts, legislation, elections, innovations, leadership, movements, Supreme Court decisions, etc.).

North Carolina Standards: American History 1

Pacing

In order to master all of the NC Standards we will work to master one unit per six-weeks.

1st Six-Weeks 2nd Six-Weeks Third Six-Weeks

Unit 1

  • Three Worlds Meet 
  • The American Colonies Emerge
  • The Colonies Come of Age
  • The War for Independence

Unit 2

  • Shaping a New Nation
  • Launching the New Nation
  • Balancing Nationalism and Sectionalism
  • Reforming American Society

Unit 3

  • Expanding Markets and Moving West
  • The Union in Peril
  • The Civil War
  • Reconstruction and Its Effects

Classroom Procedures and Expectations:

With the challenges inherent to the upcoming school year, my procedures and expectations have evolved to adapt to these changes. Your time in this class will be split between in-person and remote learning. Even with this challenge, we will strive to achieve as much of a routine as is possible.

In-Person Expectations Remote Learning Expectations
  • Students should arrive on time and prepare for class.
  • Students should remain quiet and attentive during the lesson.
  • Students should remain on-task until the work for that day is completed.
  • The remainder of class should be used to to conference with me or recieve any direct help that is needed.
  • Students will arrive to the class feed via Microsoft Teams on time.
  • Cameras should be on and microphone muted until recognized
    • If you have a question, use the raise hand function on teams, or type your question into the chat.
  • Students should remain attentive, and engaged throughout the guided instruction.
  • Students are expected to complete any work assigned once released

Failure to meet these expectations:

  1. Verbal Warning
  2. Parent Contact
  3. Write up
  4. Office referral

*Most disruptions will follow this progression of correction. However, as the teacher I do reserve the right to skip steps based on the severity of the disruption.*

Assignments and Assessments:

Assignments this year will look a little different, but only on the surface. These will include daily assignments like warmups and exit tickets, vocabulary assignments, document breakdowns via CommonLit, as well as various projects. Assessments will mostly take place on Fridays, to be completed during the remote learning days. They will be short answer and essay tests.

Grading Scale:

Each type of assignment or assessment will be assigned a certain amount of points that will reflect the impact of the assignment:

  • Daily Assignments (Between 1 and 20 points)
  • Projects (Between 25 and 50 points)
  • Assessments (Between 25 and 50 points)

*When checking Powerschool, it will show the points possible and the points earned for each assignment*

*Final grade of each six-weeks will be the percentage of points earned divided by points possible*

*Progress reports/report cards go out every 3 weeks, but grades can be accessed any time through PowerSchool*

Make-up/Late Work

Make-up work must be completed within 3 days of the missed class, as per the PRHS rule.

Late work must be completed before the end of the six-weeks to which the assignment was due. All late assignments will only recieve a maximum of 60% of the points possible for that task. (Ex. If an assignment is worth 10 points, the maximum possible score if it is late would be 6/10)

Office Hours

I will be available on Microsoft Teams for the first 30 minutes of each scheduled block. If you need extra help, or a conference, please email me and we can meet virtually on our Microsoft Teams feed. I will also be available, by appointment, on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 3:15-4:00.

Supplies/Resources

Students will need their Chromebooks, pen/pencils, and paper. Resources needed will be accessible through Canvas.

Canvas

The majority of assignments not completed on paper must be submitted on our learning platform, Canvas. Assignments can be submitted a variety of ways including, uploading files, typing into text boxes, and sharing Google documents/presentations. Students will be shown how to submit assignments on Canvas as needed. Individual assignments will indicate which method of submission on Canvas is expected. If students need a refresher or have questions, they can access the Canvas Student Guide for specific instructions. It is the student's responsibility to ensure assignments are submitted on time and to contact the instructor if there is a problem. Please note that student activity is logged while in Canvas so instructors will be able to see if the student opened the assignment, if there was any activity including a log of student activities during on-line tests and quizzes. Students are not allowed to leave the testing window during assessments. Doing so is considered cheating and will be handled as set forth in the Porter Ridge HS handbook.

NOTICE: Although many assignments are submitted and graded in our learning platform, Canvas, the "final" grades shown may not be properly weighted and do not contain assignments that were not graded in Canvas. For the student's official grades, please continue to access the parent portal through Powerschool. Login information should be the same as last year. If you need assistance accessing the parent portal, please contact the school.”

 

I am excited for the upcoming semester and I hope you are too. If you have any questions or concerns please feel free to contact me and I will respond as soon as possible.

Email: Justin.leath@ucps.k12.nc.us

Phone: 704-292-7662 ext. 7080