AMERICAN HISTORY HONORS COURSE
THIS
COURSE IS DESIGNED TO GIVE YOU A SOLID BACKGROUND IN AMERICAN HISTORY IN ORDER
TO PREPARE YOU FOR CITIZENSHIP IN THE 21ST CENTURY. THE WORLD IS CHANGING AT A RAPID PACE
AND YOU MUST BE ABLE TO LEARN FROM THE PAST IN ORDER TO GROW IN THE FUTURE. THE HISTORY OF OUR COUNTRY IS SHORT BUT
VERY DYNAMIC AND EXCITING. YOU
SHOULD APPROACH THE COURSE WITH AN OPEN MIND, ONE THAT LETS YOU SEARCH FOR AN A
PERSON OR AN EVENT THAT MAY HAVE AN INFLUENCE ON YOU, OR JUST SOME TIDBIT OF
HISTORY THAT PIQUES YOUR INTEREST.
AS YOU STUDY OUR HISTORY AND OUR GOVERNMENT, YOU SHOULD FOCUS IN ON
THIRTEEN ENDURING CONSTITUTIONAL ISSUES.
THEY ARE:
1. NATIONAL POWER - LIMITS AND
POTENTIALS.
2. FEDERALISM - THE BALANCE BETWEEN
NATION AND STATE.
3. THE JUDICIARY - INTERPRETER
OF CONSTITUTION OR SHAPER OF
PUBLIC
POLICY?
4. CIVIL LIBERTIES - THE BALANCE
BETWEEN THE GOVERNMENT AND THE
INDIVIDUAL.
5. RIGHTS OF THE ACCUSED AND
PROTECTION OF THE COMMUNITY.
6. EQUALITY - ITS DEFINITION AS A
CONSTITUTIONAL VALUE.
7. THE RIGHTS OF WOMEN UNDER THE
CONSTITUTION.
8. RIGHTS OF ETHNIC AND RACIAL GROUPS
UNDER THE CONSTITUTION.
9. PRESIDENTIAL POWER IN WARTIME AND
FOREIGN AFFAIRS.
10. SEPARATION OF POWERS AND
THE CAPACITY TO GOVERN.
11. AVENUES OF
REPRESENTATION.
12. PROPERTY RIGHTS AND
ECONOMIC POLICY.
13. CONSTITUTIONAL CHANGE
AND FLEXIBILITY.
YOUR
REGENTS EXAM NEXT JUNE WILL USE THESE ISSUES AS A FRAMEWORK FOR QUESTIONS
ASKED. YOU MUST KNOW ALL OF THE
PRESIDENTS, IMPORTANT EVENTS OF THEIR ADMINISTRATIONS, THE CONSTITUTION, THE
AMENDMENTS, KEY SUPREME COURT DECISIONS, THE CONGRESS, AND MUCH MORE, TO DO WELL
NEXT JUNE. BUT DON'T WORRY, WE WILL
COVER ALL OF THE NECESSARY MATERIAL, AND HOPEFULLY YOU WILL FIND THE COURSE
ENJOYABLE AS WELL. TO HELP YOU
PREPARE, YOU WILL BE REQUIRED TO RESEARCH AND SUBMIT THREE TERM PAPERS, ONE A
BIOGRAPHY, ONE A REPORT ON SOME RELEVANT HISTORICAL EVENT OF INTEREST TO YOU,
AND THE THIRD ON AN ISSUE OF IMPORTANCE AND INTEREST TO YOU. THERE WILL ALSO BE TWO QUARTER REPORTS DURING THE FIRST AND
THIRD QUARTERS WHICH WILL COUNT AS TESTS.
THERE WILL BE MAKE UP TIME AVAILABLE, AND I AM ALWAYS AVAILABLE DURING MY
PREPARATION PERIODS AND AFTER SCHOOL BY APPOINTMENT. MAKE UP WORK MUST BE COMPLETED ACCORDING
TO THE GUIDELINES SET FORTH IN THE STUDENT HANDBOOK. WORK NOT TURNED IN, IN A TIMELY MANNER,
WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED. CLASS
PARTICIPATION IS MANDATORY, SO DON'T BE SHY, AS I'LL JUST CALL ON YOU
ANYWAY. YOU SHOULD HAVE A NOTEBOOK
OR FOLDER TO KEEP YOUR WORK IN, AND ESPECIALLY SAVE YOUR QUIZZES AND TESTS. YOUR NOTEBOOK WILL BE COLLECTED AND GRADED
PASS/FAIL PERIODICALLY. YOUR
BOOK MUST BE COVERED AT ALL TIMES,
AS THESE ARE EXPENSIVE BOOKS. YOU
WILL BE GIVEN A WORKBOOK (OPTIONAL), WHICH SHOULD BE USED TO HELP PREPARE FOR
YOUR QUIZZES AND TESTS. HOWEVER,
DON'T WRITE IN IT, AS IT WILL BE USED AGAIN NEXT YEAR. YOU ARE ALSO URGED TO BUY A COPY OF A
REGENTS REVIEW TEXT. YOU CAN BUY
YOUR OWN AT A BOOK STORE, BORROW (BUY) ONE FROM AN UPPER CLASS MAN OR BUY ONE
FROM ME, AS I WILL SEND IN AN ORDER IN JANUARY. THE COST AVERAGES AROUND $6.00 (GIVE OR
TAKE SOME CHANGE). THESE BOOKS HAVE
COPIES OF THE PAST REGENTS EXAMS, AND PROVE INVALUABLE THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, AS
WELL AS IN YOUR PREPARATION FOR THE REGENTS EXAM.
GRADING: EVERYTHING COUNTS ESPECIALLY
HOMEWORK, SO DON'T PROCRASTINATE.
EXTRA CREDIT IS AVAILABLE FOR THOSE STUDENTS NEEDING IT, JUST ASK. LATE HOMEWORK HAS POINT LOSS
ATTACHED.
CLASS
PROMPTNESS - TIMELINESS OF WORK
- 10%
HOMEWORK
- BE PROMPT - LATENESS=POINT LOSS
- 25%-approximate
INCLUDING
NOTE BOOKS AND REQUIRED PAPERS & BOOK COVERS
(PLEASE,
NO RED INK OR SPIRAL EDGES, THANKS)
QUIZZES
(NOT ALWAYS ANNOUNCED)
- 30%-approximate
UNIT
TESTS (AND MAJOR PAPERS)
- 35%-approximate
TERM
PAPER WILL COUNT AS MID TERM EXAM
- 20%-approximate
REGENTS
EXAM IS YOUR FINAL EXAM
- 20% OF YEAR'S GRADE
ATTENDANCE: MISSED DAYS ARE GIVEN A ZERO. AFTER 27 ABSENCES, YOU AUTOMATICALLY
LOSE CREDIT FOR THE COURSE FOR THE YEAR.
HOMEWORK IS DUE DAILY, DON'T BE LATE. PAPERS NOT TURNED IN ON TIME, OR
EXAMS NOT MADE UP RECEIVE A RED
CIRCLE IN MY GRADE BOOK. TWO RED CIRCLES EQUALS ONE POINT
DEDUCTION FOR THE QUARTER (AND SO
ON), SUBTRACTED FROM YOUR PARTICIPATION GRADE. ANY FAILED EXAM MAY BE
MADE UP, AND THE GRADE WILL BE
AVERAGED WITH FAILED GRADE.
IT IS THE STUDENT'S RESPONSIBILITY TO FIND OUT WHAT HE/SHE MISSED DURING
AN ABSENCE. IF YOU ARRIVE LATE TO
SCHOOL, AFTER THE SCHEDULED CLASS, PLEASE SEE ME FOR THE MISSED ASSIGNMENT, AND
TURN IN YOUR HOMEWORK AT THAT TIME.
I'LL BE LOOKING FOR YOU.
WE
WILL HAVE AUDIO-VISUAL MOVIES/TAPES THAT ARE PERTINENT TO THE SUBJECT OF THE
DAY. IT IS IMPORTANT THAT YOU VIEW
THESE WITH THE UNDERSTANDING THAT THEY ASSIST IN PRESENTING THE MATERIAL, AND
SHOULD BE VIEWED WITH THAT IN MIND. YOU ARE ENCOURAGED TO TAKE NOTES ON THE
FILMS. (THESE MAY BE COLLECTED AND
THERE MAY BE A QUIZ ON IT AS WELL)
YOUR
TEXT IS YOUR GUIDE. PLEASE READ THE
MATERIAL ASSIGNED, THEN DO THE HOMEWORK.
WHEN THAT IS DONE, REVIEW THE MATERIAL SO THAT YOU HAVE AN UNDERSTANDING
OF WHAT IS BEING PRESENTED TO YOU AND WHY.
IF YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND SOMETHING, PLEASE ASK A QUESTION IN CLASS. THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A DUMB
QUESTION.
THIS
GUIDE IS NOT ALL INCLUSIVE. AS THE
YEAR GOES BY, I WILL TRY TO UPDATE IT, ADDING INFORMATION THAT WILL MAKE THE
COURSE MORE MEANINGFUL. I HOPE YOU
HAVE A GREAT YEAR.