United States History 8 Syllabus Instructor Information: Teacher: David Divelbliss Room

United States History 8 Syllabus

Instructor Information:
Teacher: David Divelbliss

Room: Belle Vernon Area Middle School, Room 208

Contact: Phone: [phone]; ext. 3208

Email: [e-mail]

Website: http://www.bellevernonarea.net/bvams
Course Description:
Social Studies 8 will cover American History from the Presidency of George Washington to the Progressive Era and the rise of America as a power in the Spanish American War in 1898.
Course Objectives:
The students in this class will discuss topics throughout the school year that include, but are not limited to, the early years of the American Republic, the War of 1812, Manifest Destiny, the California Gold Rush in 1849, the Antebellum South and the Industrial North, the American Civil War, Reconstruction, the Industrial Revolution, the wave of Immigration in 1900 from Europe, and American reforms during the Progressive Era. This course will prepare the student for high school Social Studies through reading, writing, higher level questioning, and projects throughout the school year.
Academic Honesty:
Any work submitted by the student shall be his/her own. Work taken from others shall be deemed as unacceptable. Any doubts will initiate the completion of an alternative assignment or a zero on the required effort, depending on the severity of the infraction.
Class Policies and Expectations:
1. Raise hand to speak at all times. There are NO exceptions to the rule.

2. Respect the people, furnishings, and all materials in Room 208.

3. Listen carefully and follow directions the first time that they are given in class.

4. Observe all rules in the student handbook in class each day.

5. Have all appropriate materials (textbook, pencil, notebook, unit packet, and homework) out and be seated when the bell rings.

6. Students are expected to remain quiet and seated unless otherwise told to do so by the teacher.

7. The textbook, Discovering Our Past: A History of the United States, is expected to remain covered during the entire school year. NO plastic or “stretchy” covers are permitted. Only paper covers are allowed. Book checks will randomly occur during the school year.
Course Grading Criteria:
All quizzes, tests, and projects will be graded according to the Belle Vernon Area School District grading policy. Total points will be accumulated for all evaluated efforts in this class rather than having letter grades per each effort. The grading scale is as follows:

A - 90-100

B - 80-89

C - 70-79

D - 60-69

F - 0-59
Emphasis will be on formal assessments. Therefore grades will be weighted in this course.

Formal Assessments will account for 90% of a student’s grade (quizzes, tests, projects, performance-based rubrics, essays, and graded homework.)
Informal Assessments will account for 10% of a student’s grade (homework for completion, class participation, or exit slips)
Assignments per Quarter:
Students will be graded by means of quizzes, unit assessments, projects, and completed work in class. All work that is assigned will be graded. A student may have up to (20) or more graded assignments per Quarter.

Academic Standards:
Students will be reacquainted with the Pennsylvania Academic Standards that have been adopted by the Department of Education, along with the Common Core Standards that are in the process of being implemented nationwide. Students will be made aware of the importance of the standards and the efforts to meet them.

eSchoolPLUS:


If

Grades will be updated weekly on eSchoolPLUS. If you lost or cannot remember the log in information, please contact our Child Accounting Department at 724-808-2500 ext. 1108.

Assignments and upcoming tests/quizzes will also be posted on this site on Fridays for the following week.

Course Outline:
The course will follow the outline below:
Unit I-Washington’s Presidency and the Early Years of the United States
Unit II-Thomas Jefferson, Lewis and Clark, and the War of 1812
Unit III-Trade, Transportation, and Innovations in the United States
Unit IV-Andrew Jackson’s Presidency and the Status of Native Americans in the 1820s
Unit V-Manifest Destiny, the California Gold Rush, and the Mexican American War
Unit VI-The Industrial North, Antebellum South, and Causes of the American Civil War
Unit VII-The American Civil War: the Early Years (1861-1862)
Unit VIII-The American Civil War: the Final Years of the War (1863-1865)
Unit IX-“Gettysburg” Video Unit (July 1863)
Unit X-Reconstruction
Unit XI-Immigration and Industrialization in the United States
Unit XII-America’s Rise to Power and the Progressive Era in the 20^th Century
Unit XIII-Causes of World War I/Rise to World War

The following signatures state that all parties are aware of the preceding syllabus.

Student Signature____________________Date_______________

Parent Signature_____________________Date_______________

Method the parent prefers to be contacted:

E-mail address-_________________________________________

Phone number-_________________________________________