COURSE TITLE:    United States History

PROJECT MANAGER: Holly Anthony

PHONE:  505-891-0757        

EMAIL: [email protected]

COURSE DESCRIPTION:  This U.S. History course focuses on developing students’ understanding and appreciation  of American (U.S.) History from Reconstruction forward to the present and its relevance to their life today. The course has students investigate the content of U.S. History from significant events, individuals, developments, and processes in twenty-one historical periods, many of which overlap to ensure contextualization and understanding. Scholars will develop and use the same thinking skills and methods historians use when historians study the past. The course will consist of five continuing and overlapping themes that are rooted in economic relations, race/ethnic relations, and cultural developments, where students may discern patterns and connections in U.S. History.

CLASS EXPECTATIONS:  Respect your project managers, the learning community, the learning space, and yourself. Therefore, you will be expected to:

• Be respectful of all ideas talked about in class. The classroom is a JUDGMENT-free zone.
• Come to class prepared, on time, and ready to learn.
• Be ACTIVE and FOCUSED in your participation and learning.
• OWN your learning: take responsibility for your attitude, skills, and knowledge.
• Be willing to learn from your mistakes.
• Use technology and equipment wisely and appropriately. Remember you/your parents entered into a written technology agreement with The ASK Academy.
• Use manners, clean up after yourself, and put things back where you found them.
• Plagiarism, Cheating, use of Artificial Intelligence (AI), ghostwriters, and any and all other academic dishonesty will not be tolerated. The consequences for such and infraction is listed in the student handbook.
• the learning space unless you are using your cell phone for classwork.
• For focus/noise reduction, CORDED earbuds or headphones only, and they must NOT be plugged into any other electronic device (CELL PHONE).
• Reach out for help; I promise I care and want you to be your best person.
• Other expectations may be added as situations arise throughout the year.

 

Scholars can expect from ME:

• Create an intellectually challenging and fun learning environment.
• Be fair, consistent, and considerate.
• Make mistakes and learn from them.
• Be available to help you on Fridays from 8-10 am or at a prior arranged time.

STANDARDS:  This course is aligned with the New Mexico Public Education Standards.

CRITERIA FOR EVALUATION:

Quarter Grades: Scholar’s semester grades will be calculated as follows:

In class work - 25%           Homework - 25%              Assessments - 50%

Semester Grades - Scholar’s semester grades will be calculated as follows:

Quarter 1 – 40%               Quarter 2 – 40%               Semester Final – 20%

Quarter 3 - 40%                 Quarter 4- 40%                  Semester Final - 20%

 GRADING SCALE:   The grading scale will follow the ASK Academy standards:

A+ = 96-100 %

A = 90-95 %  

B = 80-89 %   

C = 70-79 %   

N/C(No credit) = Below 70 %

HOMEWORK POLICY: You can expect to have occasional homework assignments.  It is imperative that you complete all homework assignments completely and on time.  You will be expected to be prepared for each day’s work.  If you do not complete classwork in the time allotted, you will have assigned yourself homework.

LATE WORK POLICY:  I understand that circumstances happen.  Late work will be accepted only after consultation with me.  A grade of “0” will be put into PowerSchool as a place marker until the work is turned in.  You must communicate your situation to me.  I will not seek you out for an explanation. You will explain why the work is not done and exactly when the work will be turned in. 

ABSENCES: When you are absent, it is your responsibility to complete the work for each day you are absent.  The week’s work will be located in Google Classroom with instructions in the Week at a Glance (WAG) also located in Google Classroom.  If you have questions or need help, it is your responsibility to contact me as soon as possible either by email or upon return.

PROJECT EXPECTATIONS:  Scholar work should be original.  Grading for projects will be based on a rubric that includes dates for completion of specific benchmarks to keep scholars on track for successful completion.  Grades for benchmark due dates will follow the policy listed above for late work and absences.  Because feedback and reflection are essential skills for scholars to develop, a component of the grade will be given on feedback and reflection techniques that we will practice in class.  Grades for group projects will include a collaboration component determined by a peer evaluation rubric.

2024-2025 SEMESTER 1*:  

August	History of United States' conquest of Native American populations and nations.  Reconstruction Era
September	Scholars will learn about the rise of national corporations; corporate rights expanded under the 14th Amendment to the US Constitution; growing labor strife against corporate power, and growing farmer discontent over corporate power; Chinese, Irish, and southern European immigration, and change from the Founders’ more pro-immigrant views to strong anti-immigrant views
October	Scholars will continue to learn about the effect of immigration on American society, America’s economy, and our governmental politics; women’s rights gaining momentum, small town v. large town disputes growing.
November	Scholars will learn about the progressive reforms in civil service, regulation of the economy, and expanded rights of citizens to vote in referendum and recall.
December	Scholars will learn about US interventions and conquering of peoples and nations in Asia (China and the Philippines), Central and Latin America

 

2024-20245 SEMESTER 2 *Subject to change

January	Scholars will learn about the Causes and effects of World War I, arguments over US participation in the war; wartime propaganda, rounding up of “subversives” and “Reds;” reaction in the 1920s, reinvigoration of the Ku Klux Klan, the rise of middle-class power, particularly in larger towns and cities; farmers’ rights and labor unions in decline; an economy built on speculation; and rise of flappers and women’s rights, and some African-Americans’ creative rights and city positions in the 1920s; causes of the Great Depression.
February	Scholars will learn about the various programs FDR and the Congress instituted, the initial rebuffs from the US Supreme Court, and the passage of important elderly, labor, and regulatory legislation; the effects of the New Deal, and whether the New Deal was successful in protecting the nation from Fascism and Communism, and rescuing the nation from the Great Depression effects.
March	Scholars will learn how and why the US entered WWII, how the US fought almost alone in the Pacific Rim theater, while the Soviet Union fought almost alone in Europe—other than the relatively narrow North Africa campaigns—and then after June 1944 (D-Day); how the US and USSR went from wary allies to enemies in a war that was fought indirectly and around the globe, rather than directly against each other; Red Scare (1945-1960) and demonization of liberalism and socialism/communism on behalf of American capitalism.
May	Scholars will learn about post-1968 America, particularly the decline of unions and industry, the rise of the oil cartel, and its effects on US society; the end of the Vietnam War and later US interventions in the 1970s and 1980s where the US did not use troops, but used its training prowess and influence for less divisive domestic results; the economic stratification of American society, and growth of international trade through international corporations, largely based in the US; 9/11; 2008 financial meltdown; and rise of Obama and Trump.

*Subject to change