Understanding America’s past is an important civic duty that enables the citizenry (yes, you) to comprehend democracy’s place in the world, and recognize challenges made against free societies. Freedom and democracy can only survive through knowledge. You will learn the importance of democracy, including the struggle to maintain it, and the world’s dependence upon free ideas. This is why understanding U.S. history and thinking critically about it is important.

To properly understand America's current place in the world today, it is necessary to understand its varied and complex past. The U.S. is constantly redefining itself based on past events and current trends both domestically and internationally. While these past events cannot be changed they are re-interpreted by historians (and all other citizens) as the U.S. redefines its place in the world. This is why it is important to have a firm grasp on the major events and trends of the past 140 years.

My Beliefs about Teaching U.S. History

In order to appreciate the historian's craft and the necessary skills to create a narrative of past events, I believe:

There is no one "correct" version of historical events. With this in mind...
There are several "correct" interpretations of past events. The viewpoint depends upon the recorder's background and position in society. (Your textbook is one interpretation.)
Not all historical sources are equally acceptable.
Not all history is known as it has been lost to the past.
Despite the popular maxim of why it is necessary to learn history, the U.S. does repeat past mistakes because leaders misjudge current events as being different from past events. (Loss of historical context.)
That students (yes, you) should NOT believe everything I say. (Challenge me if you have a different opinion, but support it with evidence.)

Essential Questions Raised in this Course

Here are a sampling of questions that we'll discuss throughout the next year:

To what extent can history be studied and written about objectively?
To what extent are historical events relevant to the present? Or, to what extent are they irrelevant?
If all historical accounts are subjective to what extent are any historical accounts reliable?
How do you know what is the "best" version of an historical account?
What is unknown about an event and how may this affect the version(s) of it?
Why do historical accounts seem to focus on conflict so much?

Assurance of Feedback Freshness

I pledge to provide timely feedback on all of your assignments so that you can more accurately assess your learning in the course. This means for quizzes you can expect to know your grade and any of my comments within 3 school days. For tests you can expect feedback within 7 school days. On general homework assignments expect feedback within 1 to 2 school days.

Course Goals

Besides learning about the modern era of U.S. history, a major goal for this course is to introduce you to the necessary skills for success in the International Baccalaureate program during your junior and senior years. You will be able to:

Use historical data to support an argument or position
Explain how a cause and effect relationship is different from a sequence or correlation of events.
Distinguish between long-term and short-term cause and effect relationships.
Show connections, causal and otherwise, between particular historical events and ideas and larger social, economic, and political trends and developments.
Interpret the past within its historical context rather than in terms of present-day norms and values.
Distinguish historical fact from opinion.
Research and write a major historical investigation.
Demonstrate having acquired the preparation necessary for the International Baccalaureate program.

You will be required to apply the effort necessary to act as an historian and develop the ability to analyze historical evidence to determine its validity and relevance, identify point of view and the nature of bias, and recognize the necessity of objectivity and substantiation. This course will develop and strengthen skills such as critical thinking, geographical knowledge, statistical analysis, understanding the basis for political thought, and use of diverse resources to realize there are multiple sides to every story. You will also understand the cause and effect of current events and draw the connection to historical events. Development of these skills will be done through questioning, extensive use of several primary sources, such as newspaper articles, personal diaries, and photographs, and time lines to provide chronological sequencing. The study of maps offers you the opportunity to strengthen your geographic comprehension of the United States, the world, and other major land and water features.

Course Objectives

The objectives of this course include identifying, analyzing and explaining the major factors of each of the following eras in United States history: Westward Expansion, the Industrial Age, Imperialism, World War I, the Roaring Twenties, the Great Depression, World War II, The Cold War, the rise of prosperity during the 1950s, Civil Rights, the 1960s and the Vietnam War, Nixon’s downfall, the rise of conservatism, the 2000 election, and domestic and international terrorism. A few historical themes to be explored include the American Dream of immigrants, economic opportunity, democracy, cultural diversity, constitutional crises, and science and technology.

Resources for Learning

You are expected to actively and energetically participate in class discussions. You will both teach and learn from one another as you gather in cooperative learning groups. Graphic organizers such as bar graphs, timelines, and t-bars, along with photographs, maps, and drawings will help provide a multitude of visual information quickly. You can apply what you have learned by writing short essays, creating artwork, and developing timelines. Video clips and PowerPoint presentations will help to reinforce ideas (visual & auditory) about specific subjects as well as important people. Factsheets and worksheets will help to emphasize the main readings within the text and lectures, as well as to assist in completion of essays and projects.

Resources at your disposal include Mr. Hyer, the class website, your Google Docs account, your online textbook, the library, primary documents, the internet, maps, photographs, and videos and DVDs.

Technology Policy

As colleges (and the work world) rapidly expand the reliance on technology for communication it is vital for high school students to learn how best to utilize technology in an educational setting. As such, the majority of resources for my class rely on the use of internet technologies. Students will learn how to use Google Documents as a method of keeping class notes and organizing their learning resources, use an online version of the textbook, create and maintain a blog for homework assignments, and of course, e-mail.

With this technology come new expectations for the submission of assignments. Students are given an ample timeframe in which to submit the homework, therefore excuses such as “my printer is broken” or “the internet wasn’t working at my house last night” are not acceptable. Students have access to the internet and printers at school prior to the start of the day, lunchtime, study halls, and after school.

Assignment due dates are given a day and a time. Usually these assignments are shared with me via the student’s blog or a Google Document. These usually are to be shared with me by 8:20 a.m. or 12:25 p.m., which means students must plan ahead, especially if they don’t have my class until the end of the day.

Also, if students are absent from school for the full day or are dismissed early and miss my class, the expectations for keeping up with the homework or in-class assignments have changed. Students (and parents) have 24/7 access to all assignments, notes, readings, due dates, and now, even the textbook. While the school’s absence policy on makeup work still applies (3 days plus the number of days absent), I encourage students to keep up with the class to the best of their ability because of these new technologies.

If parents or students have concerns about the lack of internet access at home, please discuss this with me as there are alternatives.

Assessment

Quarterly and final grade assessment is based on a variety of assignments given throughout the year, balancing your opportunity to perform well in the class. You are required to maintain an online course notebook (Using Google Documents) containing notes taken in class, homework assignments, and tests and quizzes. Your notebook will be checked often.

Assignment Description

36% Tests: A full-period test consisting of short answer, primary documents analysis, geography, and essay questions are given at the end of each unit. (Multiple choice and matching questions rarely make appearances on tests.) Expect one of these about every four weeks.

31% Quizzes: Expect a five- to ten-minute quiz about twice a week, with an occasional “pop” quiz thrown in to keep you on your toes. Each quiz may contain one or a combination of the following question styles: multiple choice, matching, short answer, extended answer, and geography questions.

24% Historical Investigation / In-Class Projects: Throughout the year you will be working on and practicing several important historical research skills that are necessary to successfully complete the history internal assessment your junior year. These skills will be graded on content, insight, thoroughness, proper writing style, and strict adherence to Turabian style. Additionally, throughout the year you will work in groups developing projects on several historical themes from different eras. Your participation, contributions, and learning from these projects will be assessed in a variety of methods.

9% Homework: (Reading your online textbook is also considered homework.) I consider this assessment category extremely important to your overall success in this class, therefore I grade these based on the amount of effort you put forth.

10% Mid-term exam (January): This is a two-hour major test that will cover material from all units covered during the course of the semester. One half of the exam will be a document-based exam (I.B. Paper 1 style) and the other half will be an essay question. (I.B. Paper 2 style).

10% Final exam (June): This is a two-hour major test that will cover material from all units covered during the course of the semester. Primary documents from the first semester may also appear on the test. A quarter of the test will be a document-based requiring the analysis of two documents (I.B. Paper 1 style (q3) and three-quarters will be two essay questions (I.B. Paper 2 style.)

Remember my late assignment policy: Homework is due on the day and time designated for a chance at full credit. I’ll deduct 50 percent off the assignment if it is not shared with me at the designated date and time. After that, you’ll receive a zero. (It is your responsibility to show me the late work because I won’t ask!) If you are absent (excused or unexcused) the assignment is due three days plus the number of days absent.

Supplies

1-inch three-ring binder: this is required as your “working notebook” while at school. Make sure you keep blank loose-leaf notebook paper in the back of it for notes.
Highlighters are useful tools to mark significant passages when analyzing written primary documents in class.
Flash disk / thumb drive: at least 1mb. While not required, a thumb drive is extremely useful for storing and transporting computer data for the research papers and other class assignments.

Course Calendar

Note: Mr. Hyer reserves the right to amend the following, within the bounds of common decency.

First Semester

1st Quarter

Development of Modern America, 1865 - 1929

Westward Expansion
Industrialization and Labor, 1871 – 1900
Immigration
Progressive Movement
Roaring 20s

Emergence of America in Global Affairs, 1880 – 1929

Imperialistic America - Alaska to Versailles
The U.S. and World War I

2nd Quarter

The Great Depression and America 1929‑39

The Great Depression

The Second World War and America 1933‑45

The U.S. and World War II

Second Semester

3rd Quarter

Political developments in America after the Second World War 1945‑79

Harry S. Truman
Dwight D. Eisenhower
John F. Kennedy and the Camelot years
Lyndon Johnson and the "Great Society"
Richard Nixon
Gerald Ford
Jimmy Carter

The Cold War and America 1945‑1981

The Cold War
The Vietnam War

4th Quarter

Civil Rights and Social Movements in America

Civil Rights
Counterculture
Women's Rights Movement
The Environmental Movement

Into the 21st Century—from the 1980s to the Iraq War

President Ronald Reagan
Persian Gulf War
William Clinton
George W. Bush (43)
The Iraq War

Expectations Regarding Behavior and Responsibilities

Introduction

Respect

History is an exciting and challenging academic discipline that I’m looking forward to sharing with you this coming year. If we all work together to create a fun and comfortable learning environment, the history of the United States during the late 19th century, 20th century, and the past nine years will come alive.

Regarding student behavior and class responsibilities, I believe in one simple word: RESPECT. In order to foster a positive, dynamic learning environment my students and myself will respect each other at all times. If this simple rule is followed, a positive learning environment develops, which you will look forward to being apart of every day. Learning becomes fun.

Respect means being to class on time, following through with your responsibilities with group work, listening to others opinions and realizing that two people can disagree but both be right, and challenging yourself to achieve your highest academic potential. Always demonstrate this respect for you, your classmates, and me.

Please see "Rules for Everyone to Live By" on page 13 in your student handbook. Respect for self and other run through these 11 rules.

Make-Up Work & Extra Credit Policy

If you are absent (excused or unexcused), missed work must be turned in within three days plus the number of days you were absent. i.e., if you missed two days, you have five school days to submit work. If you know you are going to be absent, please see me to make arrangements regarding your homework, etc. I will do what I can to assist you.
Tests and quizzes are to be made up after school on the day you miss class (if tardy) or the next day if absent. You will take a different version of the test or quiz.
Homework is due on the day and time designated for a chance at full credit. I will deduct 50 percent off the assignment if it is late. (If it is due at 8:20 a.m. and isn’t shared with me until 10:30 a.m., it is considered late.) After that, you’ll receive a zero.
Projects and papers are also due on the designated day. For every day late beyond the due date, a letter grade is lost. (DON’T BE LATE!) See me if you need help.
I do not offer opportunities for extra credit so do not allow yourself to fall behind or fail to study for a major test.

Submitted Work

Please follow all instructions for any work submitted in writing or shared online.
Plagiarism of a phrase or an entire paper is unacceptable. You plagiarize, you fail the assignment. Please refer to page 19 of your student handbook on academic integrity for more information.

Extra Help

I’m eager for your success in my class and I’m willing to provide any additional help necessary to make this a reality. As such, I’m available for extra help after school and many times before classes. I usually arrive at school by 7:47 a.m. and don’t leave until 3:45 p.m. Please see me to make an appointment. However, if you need extra help, you must have specific questions for me and be prepared to work.

I reserve the right to amend any expectation and policy listed on this document, within the bounds of common decency. However, you will be given ample warning and written notification of any changes.

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