US History - Mr. Fricke

Course Outline and Expectations 2007-2008

 

"I don't know much about history, and I wouldn't give a nickel for all the history in the world. History is more or less bunk. It is tradition. We want to live in the present, and the only history that is worth a tinker's damn is the history we make today."  - Henry Ford to the Chicago Tribune,1916

 

"Anyone who stops learning is old, whether at twenty or eighty. Anyone who keeps learning stays young. The greatest thing in life is to keep your mind young." - Henry Ford

 

Why did Henry Ford both disdain and value the study of the past?  It all depends on how you study.

 

Ford disdained the rote memorization of an "America the Beautiful" story, but he recognized the value of understanding our mistakes and our accomplishments.  In this course we will move beyond the "bunk" and dig deeply into the story of the United States.  We will examine the way that this story has been told in the past and why the story has been revised.  Most importantly, you will learn to construct and defend your own interpretation of history using a wide range of resources. 

 

The primary objective of this course is the development of critical thinking skills and the habits of historical inquiry.  We will engage in large group, small group and individual investigations that involve the analysis of both primary and secondary sources. 

 

Topics

Trimester I

Trimester II

Historical Significance and

Review 1450-1865

Great Depression

Reconstruction and the Constitution

World War II

Industrialization

Cold Prosperity

Populists, Labor and Progressives

Civil Rights Movements

Immigration and Urbanization

Vietnam

Imperialism

Ending the Cold War

World War I

 

Twenties

 

 

Class Work

You will need a 3 ring binder for taking notes and organizing your materials.  We will be using the American Odyssey textbook, and you are expected to have your text in class for every lesson.  Your active participation in discussions and class activities is expected and essential for success in this course.  We will spend a significant amount of time and effort to develop your writing skills; however, it is also a goal of this course to strengthen communication skills in oral presentations and audio/visual media.

 

Completed homework assignments are due at the beginning of the class period and are vital for classroom activities and your participation grade.  Late assignments will not be accepted at the end of the period, so please don't work on your homework during class.  There will be a late penalty of one letter grade for each school day that an assignment is late.  Make-up work and late assignments must be turned in to me personally.   Do not leave papers on my desk or in my mailbox. 

 

Evaluation
Your cumulative grade includes homework, class tests, major assignments and class participation.  Grading is done a total point system; the number of points assigned to an activity will determine its weight in your final grade.  Tests and research assignments are typically worth 80-100 points and the trimester total will be approximately 800- 900 points.

 

Approximately 15 percent of your cumulative grade is based on class participation.  The quality of the class depends on the level of your daily involvement.  I am interested in hearing how you think, analyze and understand what we read and discuss in class.  Asking provocative questions is important to class discussion.  Frequent absences and failure to come to class prepared with completed readings, assignments and other materials will hurt your level of performance.  The following is a list of criteria that I take into account when I evaluate class participation.  I will observe that you:

 

-  attend regularly and do not come late to class

-  are prepared for class having done assigned reading or homework

-  ask questions about the material or ideas under discussion

-  volunteer responses to questions by teacher or classmates

-  offer thoughts and opinions

-  treat every member of the class with respect

 

Attendance

If you are not in the classroom when the bell rings, you will be marked late for the period.  Frequent late marks will negatively affect your participation grade.  When the bell rings you should begin work on daily outline without being asked to do so.  Failure to begin your work promptly will also be reflected in your participation grade.

 

If you have an excused absence on the day that an assignment is due or a test is given, it is your responsibility to arrange your make-up assignment.  Failure to see me and arrange make up work will result in a late penalty for the work you do turn in or zero credit for assignments you fail to make up.  Barring extenuating circumstances, I will expect you to turn in assignments on the day of your return to school.  I am flexible in granting extensions.  However, any student seeking additional time on any assignment must do so at least one day prior to the due date; the sooner you come to see me, the more I will be inclined to grant you an extension.

 

Plagiarism

We will discuss academic honesty at the beginning of the course.  It is vital that you understand the importance of giving credit when you use other people’s words or ideas.  Research and group work require that you share ideas and depend on other people’s insights as well as your own; the crucial concept is that you should never present someone else’s work as if it were your own and that you understand how to cite sources accurately.  Students who knowingly cheat or plagiarize will receive a zero for the assignment; parent/guardians and the assistant principal will be notified.

 

Conferences, Student Help and Contact Information

If you would like to meet with me to discuss any aspect of the course, I will be available for conferences before and after school by appointment.  Just let me know when you want to meet, and we will make arrangements on an individual basis.  I can be reached on email at fricket@arps.org or by phone at 362-1523.