Course Description
This course is the first half of the American History series offered by Hayfield High School. The course will cover from pre-Columbian America through Westward expansion and the rise of industry. We will discover the impact Europeans had on the Native American population of the continent and how the Native Americans influenced the European cultures. We will also see the signing of the Declaration of Independence and the resulting War of Independence gave birth to the world’s first truly representative government. The struggle between the roles of the federal and state governments in the newly established federal system will result in the Civil War once and for all completing the great American Revolution.
Course Outcomes
Students will have a working understanding of the major events and patterns of development in American history. The students will have an appreciation of how the events during their lifetime may be viewed by history students of the future. This course will also incorporate the new State of Minnesota Graduations Standards for Social Studies.
What Students should know and understand
This course is designed to give the students an understanding of the events which have made the United States the country is it today; but more importantly, the events that have made us, the American people, the people we are today.
Instructional Strategies
Students will spend their time in class doing a variety of activities. There will be times that the students will be participating in small group projects, large group discussions, and individual learning activities. I feel that it is important the students have as many opportunities as possible to interact with the material being covered.
Assessment Strategies
There will be many different types of assessments given in the course. Daily work and homework will be given from time to time to check student progress through the material. Tests will be given at the end of chapter and units to assess the students’ comprehension of the material.
Assignments
Students will be faced with a variety of work to complete in this course such as:
I-Pad Integration
The students will be able to download each chapter from the textbook from the Hayfield Moodle page. There will be other resources and links to valuable content on the site as well. All assignments will need to be turned in on paper. Since the IPads can’t print at school and would require wireless printing capability at home, there will be paper copies of all worksheets as well as the textbook available in the classroom.
Real World Application
The concepts presented in this course will enable the students to better understand the world around them. They will be able to see how the past events were overcome and dealt with, which will allow them to make educated decisions about similar circumstances the students may experience in the course of their own lives.
Classroom Policies
Grading
Hayfield High School has implemented the Grading for Learning policy. The course grades will be weighted 10% on formative assessments (daily work and worksheets) and 90% on summative assessments (projects, quizzes and tests). Grading scale is in accordance with percentages established by the district.
Internet Resources
The Internet is an important source of information; however, there is a certain degree of caution, which must be used when searching the Internet for information. There are no policies concerning what information can be put out for public decimation. It is possible to find information that is not factual and in many cases information that serves only to advance an organization’s agenda. The Internet sites I direct the students to are sites that I feel are appropriate for the students and are relevant to the given project.
The school has an Internet usage policy in place that all students and their parent or guardian must sign and return to the high school. This agreement states that the student will not use the school resources to conduct illegal activities or any activities that violate school district policies.