Parents and Students - Listed below is the course syllabus for when we are seated live in class on a regular basis. I will put any changes in 'red' that are currently in place for remote / virtual learning. I will work with you on any and all of your needs if you will politely communicate with me.
Course Overview
10th Grade students should be expected to: cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of primary and secondary sources, determine the central ideas or information of a primary or secondary source; provide an accurate summary of the source distinct from prior knowledge or opinions, identify key steps in a text's description of a process related to history/social studies, determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including vocabulary specific to domains related to history/social studies, describe how a text presents information, identify aspects of a text that reveal an author's point of view or purpose, integrate visual information with other information in print and digital texts, distinguish among fact, opinion, and reasoned judgment in a text, analyze the relationship between a primary and secondary source on the same topic. By the end of grade 10, students should read and comprehend history/social studies texts in the grades 10 text complexity band independently and proficiently.
Blended Courses at Holly Springs High School
Our American History I class is a blended honors and academic level classroom. All students are expected to engage in challenging learning oppurtunities each day. Academic students/parents may request a move to the honors section at any time during the first nine weeks of instruction.
Late Work Policy
If due to an absence: All students who are not present for class, due to an officially approved excused absence, will be able to make up all missing work with no point deduction. If due to not doing the assignment: Students who are unexcused absent or choose not to do work will be allowed to submit work for a deduction of 10 points of the of the original value per day until the value reaches 0%. Students are allowed to make up work until a two week period has expired. If a student cannot finish any project or homework assignment by the due date, they may ask the teacher for an extension where no points will be deducted for turning in late. I will not deduct any points as long as the student asks for an extension at least 24 hours in advance of being due and shows me ALL the work they have done to that point. This will prevent students who do all of their work last minute and cannot complete the assignment from abusing the system. If a student does not turn in 100% completed work, it will be given back for completion and earn a grade of 0%. Any work not turned in at the beginning of class is considered late. To help you make up the lost points, please consider doing the weekly extra credit listed on this page.
Remote/Virtual - If you have any technology related issues, please email me directly with the details and I will not let it negatively impact your grade in any way. Just communicate with me. As for now, HSHS will accept all late work up until each progress report and with full credit.
Extra Credit
Extra credit is available every week for every student. Every Friday you may turn in a current event for 5 extra credit points added to any grade you wish. Your current event must be about something we are currently studying or something of a historical nature about North Carolina and only North Carolina (please do not do extra credit on your favorite sports team or topics that are from prior units). Simply attach the article to your hand written work (1 paragraph explaining what the article is about, 1 paragraph with your personal opinion). You may only do one per week, totaling nine per quarter. As each Friday passes, that opportunity is gone - so you must do one per week to get full credit, you may not skip a week and then turn in multiple assignments on the same day. PLEASE DO NOT ASK FOR ADDITIONAL EXTRA CREDIT OPPORTUNITIES OR EXTRA CREDIT FOR YOUR STUDENT ONLY, AS THESE REQUESTS WILL BE DENIED. What I do for one I do for all and already have in place 18 opportunities for the students to get extra points.
Remediation Opportunities
Teachers will offer remediation opportunities at student request for students who are at risk for failing the assessment. Students must attend the "hot lunch" tutorial to make up the work. The "hot lunch" tutorial will be held "B" lunch on Wednesdays and "A" lunch on Fridays. While these two tutorials are set for each week by the school, you will find that I allow you to do tutorials every day of the week as long as you let me know you are attending and do actually work while you are in attendance. The assignment must be made up within the week it is collected.
Remote/Virtual Hours - Monday and Weds 2:30 to 3pm, but you can always join me in class live for help.
Academic Dishonesty
At no point this year should students copy work from another student or give another student your work to be copied. Students are not permitted to cut and paste from the internet. Students may not copy passages from our reading text and attempt to claim those as their own work. Students who attempt to engage in the above listed activities will receive a grade of zero on that assignment and parents will be notified either directly on the phone, via email or through the online grade system comments section. I am also asking that students do not use the website "wikipedia" for any assignment - those who do, will receive a grade of zero until the research has been redone from a creditable website and resubmitted for review. Once you have redone the assignment it will be regraded and posted to Powerschools.
Email Contact
As per Wake County Public School Policy, I will only reply to emails sent from your approved WCPSS email address with a parent copied on the original email. I am sorry for any delay in communication response this may cause, however by board policy I can only reply to your email questions if these conditions have been met. I do not check school email from home, and in meetings during several days of the week, with that said please allow up to 48 hours for all return of emails.
Remote/Virtual - You can also launch all course information from our Google Classroom site. I have already sent an invite to that to all students. There is a separate link for advisory, world history and American history.
Websites and Hyperlinks
All of the websites listed on this website have been previewed prior to the 2020 school year, with that said you know how technology works and the positives/negatives that can occur as well as how fast content can change from something safe to something questionable. So please have a parent pre-view anything on the internet prior to your own personal viewing unless we use it in class that day. If anything ever changes to something not age appropriate for our course, I will do my best to take that site down immediately. Please do not ever use Wikipedia for this course. Any work submitted with Wikipedia as a resource will be given back to the student to redo. Finally some videos that are shown closer to the end of the year may be very graphic in nature as many of them are real documentary footage from WWI, WWII and the Cold War (Amer Hist II). I will do my best to edit out anything above and beyond what the state allows us to show just to err in favor of good judgement. How ever at times our opinion of what is too much for students to see may differ. If that occurs, I am happy to provide an alternate assignment for your students during the viewing of said videos.
Remote/Virtual - If any website or video link ever goes down or is not viewable on your device, you have my full permission to pick another video and/or website of your choice as long as it's on the same topic, educational and with your parent's permission. You may also add parody or spoof type videos in addition to any of ours that are listed as long as they are educational and school appropriate - of course also with your parents permission first.
Notebook
A daily notebook will be kept by every student. Students will keep this notebook until the end of the quarter, where a random sampling of notes will be used as a project grade. Topics on the daily notebook will include: Unit Cover Sheet, Unit Essential Questions, Unit Vocabulary, notes, and worksheets. These notebook entries are to be kept in a neat and organized manner. If you are absent on any given day, YOU should check any other student's notebook PRIOR to meeting with the teacher to find out what you have missed. Because our notebook is used as a study and communication tool for all students, I do not mind you using anyone else's notebook to catch up. If you are absent, YOU are responsible to get all missing work on that day and complete before notebooks are checked at the end of the quarter. A master copy of the notebook is available for you by simply emailing directly to the teacher and asking a for a copy. Students please copy your parents on all email communication to the teacher. At the end of each quarter, do not throw away the notebook as this year you will have a midterm and final exam.
"BYOD" - Bring Your Own Device
This year, our learning team will be a "Bring Your Own Device" or BYOD school. Holly Springs High School does allow for students to use their own personal phones, tablets, IPads, laptops, etc... for academic reasons only. If at all possible, make sure your laptop or tablet either has flash installed or if on an Apple product use a browser that will simulate flash (Puffin for example). Most if not all of the SAS Activities we will use will require flash. Before students may bring those devices, the school will need to have a BYOD permission form on file and students need to understand that their devices are for learning purposes only. Failure to comply with the guidelines of their usage, texting, making calls, playing games or using social media sites is strictly prohibited and will result in the loss of ability to use their device in the future. If a device is confiscated, you the parent must arrive at the front office of the school to pick up those items.
Content and Discussions
As you know we as a nation have become a group of people where many would rather hide the truth about historical events so that someone's feelings don't get hurt. We sugarcoat the truth so that it fits our perception of others religious, economic and social standing. We reinvent the details of history to fit our own narrative and agenda. With that said many of the topics this year are very in depth, have real world connections and can be uncomfortable to talk about if you are someone as mentioned above. Please know that I will stick to the curriculum, discuss all topics and allow for students to express their opinions as long as that opinion can be backed up with evidence. We will not avoid any historical topics that the state department of education has allotted for us to teach to fit the personal agendas of social justice warriors. Please also know that in order to discuss the history of North Carolina and America, we need to talk about the religious views and social events that have occurred. I will never tell any student that any religion is good/bad, right/wrong, real/fake, helpful/hurtful, etc... The decision to answer those situations is up to you the parent, but please know that from time to time we will speak in a historical sense about religion, politics, economic systems and social events to show what has occurred and how they connect to today's world.
Annotations
Please take a moment to review how annotation can help you understand social studies reading texts. At various times this year we will read worksheets, answer questions and then annotate. This study guide can help you if you forget how to annotate. Click here
Grading Scale
100 - 90 A 89 - 80 B 79 - 70 C 69 - 60 D 59 - 0 F
This year, all American History classes across campus will use the same grading policy and late work policy. We will use percentages (major, minor, homework). You should expect a quiz, an exam and a homework or two for each unit. There will be the occasional project as well. If you have not done so, please sign up for a PowerSchools account so that you can check your grades every day on your own.
Remote/Virtual - We are awaiting official word on the status of midterms and final, last year your breakdown was as follows: 1st Quarter - 40% Homework - 15% 2nd Quarter - 40% Minor Grades - 35% Final Exam - 20% Major Grades - 50%
Class Supplies
You may always use the same supplies with your other classes. If you have purchased the same supply for another teacher, please do not feel the need to re-buy; just bring the supplies with you to class all the time: - coloring pencils - ruler - #2 pencils - blue or black pens - multiple colored highlighters - paper clips - glue sticks - white out - scissors - 3 ring binder (1 section for social studies only) - flash/jump drive (if you like to start work in class and finish as home) not required but helpful
10th Grade Units
Unit 1 - Colonial America through the Revolution Unit 2 - Confederation, Constitution, Compromise Unit 3 - Rise and Fall of the Federalist Unit 4 - Nationalism, Sectionalism and Expansion Unit 5 - Civil Crisis and Civil War Unit 6 - Reconstruction, Redemption, Growth and Reflection
*** Several of the units will be subdivided into smaller sections to help with student learning and academic achievement ***
Hot Lunch & Tutoring
Wednesday during "B" lunch Friday during "A" lunch
Remote/Virtual - you can always join me every class of every day for live help on our google classroom meet up link. I will also be online for help after school on Mondays and Wednesdays from 2:30 to 3pm. Virtual students I'm happy to help you in class as well.