Temecula Valley HS Second Semester 2022

U.S. History Syllabus

Ms. Yvonne England (951) 695-7300 ext: 3219 Room: P17

Email: yengland@tvusd.us

Course Description:
During the second semester of this course, we will survey nearly 100 years of history. We will
examine major developments and turning points in American history. We will examine American
culture, including literature, art, music, drama, architecture, education, and the mass media.
The following themes are emphasized:
● the expanding role of the federal government
● the impact of technology on American society and culture
● changes in racial, ethnic, and gender dynamics in American society
● the movements toward equal rights for racial, ethnic, religious, sexual minorities, and
women
● the rise of the United States as a major world power

History is an investigative discipline that is continually reshaped based on research in primary

sources and on new perspectives. We will read both primary and secondary sources and examine
change over time, cause-and-effect, and the influence of the past on the present.

Year-long essential questions:

● What does it mean to be an American?

● How did the federal government grow between the late nineteenth and twenty-first
centuries?
● How did the United States become a superpower?
● How did the United States’ population become more diverse over the twentieth century?

Units of Study:

● The 1920s
● The Great Depression and the New Deal
● America’s Participation in World War II
● Postwar America
● Cold War Struggles Abroad
● Cold War Struggles at Home
● Movements for Equality
● Contemporary American Society
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Course Texts:

● Impact United States History and Geography: Continuity and Change (available online)
● Any additional or supplemental texts will be made available via Canvas
● All students will be required to read, analyze, interpret, and take notes from a variety of
sources throughout the course including textbooks, novels, short stories, poetry, maps,
charts, graphs, and artwork.

Classroom Essentials
Students are to bring the following each day (assuming we are in direct instruction mode):

● School-issues Chromebook and charger

○ Make sure to charge it at night!
● If you prefer to use pen and paper:
○ 8 1⁄2 x 11 lined notebook paper, college ruled
○ Highlighters in TWO colors

Classroom Behavior:

● To be successful students need to be in class on time, prepared to learn, cooperative class

participants, and working actively with others as a team.
● It is crucial for the benefit of the entire class that we have a learning environment based
on respect for you as an individual, other students and the teacher.
● Continued negative participation, including being tardy or absent, being off-task, defiant,
or displaying a lack of cooperation, will result in one or more of a series of meditations.
● All electronic devices should be silenced and inside a purse or backpack. Unauthorized
classroom use of electronic devices is subject to the behavior code and loss of
participation points.

Class Rules:

● Be Respectful.
○ As stated above, students must show each other respect while in my classroom.
● One Mic.
○ One person speaks at a time when having a classroom discussion.
● Keep it clean.
○ Keep my room clean. Pick up after yourself
○ Do not use rude language

Academic Integrity:

● You are expected to do your own work and not share it with others.
Temecula Valley HS Second Semester 2022

● Downloading assignments, essays, or other work from the internet or sharing assignments
electronically and submitting them as your own, is unethical and will result in a zero.
● If any portion of your work is not your own, you risk notification of administration.
● It is up to instructor discretion to complete a referral which will impact your official
transcripts and some clubs on campus.

Late Work:

● All assignments are due on the scheduled date.

● Late work will earn 1⁄2 credit.
● Late work is accepted within the UNIT we are working, unless other arrangements are
made with the instructor.
● No assignments will be accepted if a student has been truant.

Make-up Work/Exams:

● Missing work will earn a zero in the gradebook.

● If absent, a student has 5 school days from the original date to make up the assignment.
This includes in-class tests and essays.
● All make-up exams must be completed either after school or during Advisement.
● You must make appointment with instructor and complete the necessary steps if you
desire to take during Advisement.
● All make-up work is at the discretion of the teacher and may include different
questions and formats.
● No credit will be earned if the student has been truant.

Assignment/Test Corrections:

● While grades are important, I want my students to learn. Students therefore are allowed to
learn from their mistakes and make corrections to assignments, including tests and
essays.
● Students must coordinate assignments and test corrections with me beforehand.
● Test corrections must take place during Advisement.
● If a student received an A- (or above) on an assignment, no corrections can be made.

Communication (Questions, Concerns, Emergencies):

● Open lines of communication are vital to success. Please do not hesitate to contact me. I
strongly recommend that you communicate with me in person. You are young adults and
need to begin advocating for yourself now.
● PARENTS: email is my preferred method of communication; however, please have your
daughter/son discuss any issues with me first.
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● STUDENTS: It is best to see me before or after school or make arrangements to meet

during Advisement.

Grading Standards

Coursework will be evaluated along the following guidelines:

A (90-100) — Outstanding achievement

B (89-80) – Above-average achievement
C (79-70) – Average, minimal achievement
F (69 or below) – Failure to meet District standards and objectives of the course

Academic Grading System:

The course will be evaluated using the following guidelines:

○ Quizzes and Exams – 30%

○ Essays – 30%
○ Class Notebook – 15%
○ Classwork and Homework– 15%
○ Class Participation – 5%
○ Final – 5%
● Students earn participation points through the daily warm ups, class discussion, asking
questions, positive interaction with their partners, or helping improve the classroom
culture.
● Points may be deducted for inappropriate cell phone use.