US History II

Course Description/Overview/Welcome Statement

U.S. History II

• 1.0 Credit
• Grades 11-12
• Credit Type: US, NCAA

United States History II addresses the making of modern America, highlighting the events and issues in United States history from the late Industrial Revolution to modern times. Topics include, but are not limited to, the Industrial Revolution, the Progressive movement, imperialism and foreign affairs, the World Wars, the Great Depression, the Cold War, the civil rights movements, the rise of terrorism, and modern social and political history.

Learning Expectations

Grading will be distributed between four categories:

• Review quizzes: 10%
• Classwork: 30%
• Tests: 30%
• Term Projects: 30%

Review quizzes and tests will, in general, measure student understanding and retention of the content. The classwork and term projects will allow students to apply the content and develop certain historical skills (such as sourcing, contextualization, corroboration, or observation- and inference-based skills).

Assessment of Progress

Daily review quizzes will allow students to test their own retention of the previous day’s content, and will allow me to see how well the students understood the content and whether we need to review.

Additionally, time will be set aside approximately every other week for catching up, class-wide reviews, or individual help.

Tests will allow students to assess how well they understood the essential standards (the most important details). Because these details will serve as the basis for projects, debates, persuasive writing, and creative works, students will need to have these details as a pool of resources from which they may pull. Students may retake tests if they need to until they master the content, but the purpose of this will be to further prepare them for more important tasks.

Course Materials

All students will need the following each day:

• A binder (does not need to be exclusive to history, but we will deal with a lot of paper students need to keep)
• Some spare paper
• A pen or pencil (better have a backup)

Classroom Procedures

Basic outline for a typical day:

• Students have until the bell rings to review the previous day’s content.
• Right when the bell rings, we take a short review quiz.
• Students turn in their quizzes and gather materials for the day.
• We begin with some background information relating to the day’s learning target (usually a controversy or a question for analysis).
• With some guided practice, we begin to investigate the topic.
• Students practice historical skills to develop their own answer to the day’s question or controversy.
• We meet back up for some closing thoughts and to resolve any questions.

Other procedures:

• Talking, cell phones, other more creative distractions—you know the drill. Don’t. There will be time for talking and using cell phones in class.

There will be one hall pass students may use to get a drink or go to the bathroom. I reserve the right to arbitrarily retain items such as cell phones during the student’s absence, though I’ll more likely try to allow it without letting it distract the class.

Calendar of Due Dates for Major Assignments

Actual dates may vary, based on the pacing and needs of the class, but expect the following as a general rule:

• Daily review quizzes (students are expected to use Canvas or their peers to get caught up before the class following their absence)
• Two tests per term, one in the middle of the term and one toward the end

One student project due on the last days of each term

Progress Reports and Report Cards

Grades will be updated on a daily basis, displaying student progress throughout the term. Contact me before or after school or through email to address questions or concerns with the grades.

Connecting Home to School

I will be at school every day from 7:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Any parents or students with questions or concerns may come in during this time before or after school hours. The best way to contact me is through my email: davide@provo.edu

Personal Statement and other items (optional)

I don’t want to diminish the importance of the details (names and dates) in history, but only focusing on these is, as I view the discipline of history, missing the point. History is a tool, a means to an end—not the end itself. History is a tool we use to shape the way we think. Thus, I am not here to teach students a timeline of events. I am here to teach them how to respond when they encounter information. As such, I care most about how students react when they encounter news stories, visual media, rumors friends spread, varying political perspectives, and so on. I care that they can back their opinions with evidence and sound reasoning. I don’t care what those opinions are.