American History Course Syllabus

Charleswilliamjones@yahoo.com

Mr. Charles Jones

Office Hours: T/Th lunch; Wed after school

Course Description
American History is truly a fascinating thing to study and research. For being a fairly young country we have a rich
history with many cultures that has impacted the direction of the world around us. In this class you will learn how
the United States came to be founded and about the cultures that already inhabited this new world. You will learn
about a revolution based on ideals and a civil war that tested the very heart of what this nation stands for. As
students you will learn about our involvement in two world wars and how we united again to face the challenges of
the modern world that came from it. This is a course that will teach why the United States is the way it is today and
how our past impacts the way we go about making decisions that control our future. I look forward to meeting you
all and inspiring you to continue to learning more about our past. Feel free to email at the address given on the top
left Monday through Friday before 4pm if you have any questions or need to get in contact with me.
Course Concept Units:

Concept 1: Research Skills for History

Concept 2: Early Civilizations

Concept 3: Exploration and Colonization

Concept 4: Revolution and New Nation
Concept 5: Westward Expansion

Concept 6: Civil War and Reconstruction

Concept 7: Emergence of the Modern United
States
Concept 8: Great Depression and World War II
Concept 9: Postwar United States
Concept 10: Contemporary United States

Classroom Policies and Behavior Expectations

Students will be expected to attend class regularly, be on time with their materials, and ready to work as soon as
the final bell rings. Every student, aid, and the teacher will be treated with respect and dignity. All tests and quizzes
are to be taken on said dates unless arrangements are made in advance (i.e. wedding, funeral, or surgery).
Students should check the white board on a regular basis for the weekly assignments. The teacher can also be
emailed before 4 pm for copies of all handouts or power points done in class. Also know that the teacher dismisses
the class and not the bell so stay in your seat until given dismissal.
Suggested Materials
A note book that is college ruled paper (spiral bound edges prohibited in this class), pencil, blue or black
pen, and hi-liters. No work in red pen will be accepted.
Grading/Assignments
Your grade will be based on the total number of points you earn over the semester and will not be weighted. Points
are received from your class participation, homework, quizzes, projects, one research paper a semester, and unit
tests. Students grades will be posted online for both them and the parents to see at all times. Grades in this class
are not rounded up. You will be given 5 free points at the start of the semester meaning that you did not miss the
next letter grade by a point but instead by 5. The grading scale is below:
A
AB+
B
BC+

100-93%
92-90%
89-88%
86-83%
82-80%
79-78%

C
CD+
D
DF

76-73%
72-70%
69-68%
66-63%
62-60%
59-0%

Tests
At the end of each unit students will be assigned a test to show mastery of the key points and ideas of that
unit. The tests will be a mix of multiple choice, matching, and short answer. Students will be assigned a
review before every test and have a study guide to work on as well to help them prepare.
Test Corrections
Students can make up .25 points on every question they correct as long as they have three sentences
explaining why they got it wrong and what makes the correct answer what it really is.
Quizzes
Weekly reading quizzes will be given to check for understanding on the chapters before the unit tests to
help better prepare students.
Participation
Participation will be based on the students willingness to contribute during class, being respectful, not
being
disruptive, and being a fully participating member of any group work. Students caught on their
phones in class will be docked points.
Class activities
Students will quite often work with classmates to develop better understanding of the content. Activities
can be group or done alone and full credit on a group grade will of happen when all members are
contributing to the task they are doing.
Classroom Standards on Student Work and Rules
Students will succeed when turn in assignments on time and submit quality work. The content should demonstrate
a clear understanding of the content and task at hand. If you dont respect the work you put into your work then no
one else is going to either.
Homework, is due before the start of class in bin marked for your period. Late work is not accepted unless
and excused absence and turning it on my desk is not accepted either.
Major/long term assignments are due at the beginning of the period in the same way. All long-term
assignments must be turned in on the day they due for credit. If this is a group project you will not be
docked for the part missing from a student not there if you have documented proof of who was assigned
and did what for the assignment.
Absences If a student is absent, they must check the weekly calendar on the whiteboard for class work
and homework that must be made up. You can email the teacher for handouts and assignments if not able
to get them in class. Get your missing lecture notes from a fellow classmate. The student is responsible
for the work missed during class.
Tardy students who are late will be marked tardy without a pass. After 5 tardies the student will receive a
lunch detention.
Make-up work is only accepted for an excused absence and you will only be given the same amount of
days as you were absent to make it up.
Missed reading quizzes any student absent on a quiz day must have an excused absence to make it up
and will be at lunch or immediately after school the day they are back to class.
Test make-ups a student can only make up a test with an excused absence or they will receive a zero.
Test make-ups will be the first day they get back to class during their lunch period or immediately after
school. Failure to do so will result in a zero and be the fault of the student.
Unexcused absences will mean that the student will only be able to receive half credit in make up for the
work on those days.
Bonus points/extra credit can at times be earned from some classroom activities. Extra credit and bonus
points will not surpass 2% of the points in a semester. The teacher will not create any personal
assignments to help boost a grade.
Plagiarism/Cheating is not tolerated in this class and will result in an immediate zero on the assignment or
test. The copying or use on someone elses words without permission is not acceptable and should never
be done. If caught doing so again the student(s) will receive a zero and be sent to the principals office
along with a call home about the incident.
Food and Drink there will be no food eaten in classes and only water allowed on desks to help prevent
messes and extra work for the custodians.
Speaking in Class students must raise their hands to be called on and not cause outbursts or disruptions.
Failure to follow rules in this class after a second warning will result in a detention at lunch.

Dismissal the bell does not dismiss students the teacher does. Students will remain in their seats until
dismissed by the teacher.