Mr. Doss

Teacher Mr. Doss E-mail rdoss@escambia.k12.fl.us

Room Building 5, Room 510 Voicemail (850) 941-6200 x2646

This course will provide students with an overview of American history while refining reading

comprehension and critical thinking skills. We will discuss some of the important themes in our history

that have shaped our nation: our national identity, American in world affairs, economic opportunity,

science and technology, political power, immigration and migration, states’ rights, voting rights, civil rights,

and geography. We will explore current events in the context of their connection to the past. The daily

class routine will consist of lectures aided by Power Point and multimedia resources, and supplemented

by lesson activities. There will be an independent project this semester during the second nine-week

period.

Goals

1. I intend to assist the student in gaining an understanding of the subject matter that enables him or her

to be conversant in the material and to discern the meaning of current events in the context of history.

2. I intend to prepare the student for success on standardized examinations and post-secondary

education.

3. I intend to foster an appreciation and enjoyment of the subject matter that survives his or her

experience as a student.

Third Nine Weeks

1. The Union in Peril (1850 to 1861)

2. The Civil War (1861 to 1865)

3. Reconstruction and its Effects (1865 to 1877)

4. Life at the Turn of the 20th Century (1877 to 1917)

5. The Progressive Era (1890 to 1920)

6. America Claims an Empire (1890 to 1920)

7. The First World War (1914 to 1920)

8. The Roaring Twenties (1919 to 1929)

9. The Great Depression Begins (1929 to 1933)

Fourth Nine Weeks

1. The New Deal (1933 to 1940)

2. World War II Looms (1931 to 1945)

3. The United States in World War II (1870 to 1914)

4. Cold War Conflicts (1945 to 1960)

5. The Postwar Boom (1946 to 1960)

6. The Vietnam War Years (1954 to 1975)

7. An Era of Social Change (1954 to 1975)

8. The United States in Today’s World

* Bearing in mind that we are attempting to understand many years of history in 18 weeks, there will likely

be some shuffling of the schedule along the way.

1. Each class day will begin with a “bell ringer” where students will work independently to interpret a

quotation that I will post on the board. These bell ringers will be recorded in journals (bound composition

books available at Office Depot) in blue or black ink only.

2. I will present new material in lecture form with the aid of Power Point presentations and multimedia

resources. Each lecture will be supported by relevant independent student activities.

3. At the conclusion of the lecture and activities, I will administer a 5-question quiz worth 5 points.

4. On exam days, students will quietly take their seats, clear away all materials, and prepare for the

exam.

General

Classroom participation, productivity, and conduct will be considered at grade card time. Written work will

be graded for accuracy, completeness, grammar, structure, spelling, and legibility.

Students can make up graded events (daily assignments, quizzes, projects, and examinations) for days

they are absent, provided those absences are excused. Students will be allowed the same number of

days to turn in their work without penalty as they had excused days of absence. After that, penalties will

apply (10% deduction per day) until the third unexcused day of delay; after the third unexcused day of

delay the score will be 0 for the event. Missed assignments and exams on unexcused absences will not

be made up and will count as a 0. Make up work will be completed before school or during 1st period.

Class assignments and bell ringers will be posted on the class web page.

Grade Weighting

1. Examinations and Projects – 100 points – Examinations are normally administered electronically via

the LAN. Anticipate one or two essay questions that will require a complete response in proper

paragraph form and in complete, well-constructed sentences. Deductions will be charged for

misspellings, poor structure, and poor thought development. I provide students with an exam review prior

to their examinations. These reviews capture the material that I am most interested in the students

knowing. The reviews thus contain questions relating to that material and I draw my exams from these

reviews. There is never a good reason to do poorly on one of my examinations.

2. Quizzes – 5 points (normally) – Quizzes are given at the end of each class period and will be

completed by students using blue or black ink. These will normally consist of 5 questions.

3. Bell Ringers – 25 points – Each class period will begin with students taking note of the quotation

posted on the board. They will record the date and the quotation, then explain and comment on the

quotation in their journals. Journals will be collected and graded on exam day; there will be a 5 point

deduction for each day journals are submitted late. Entries must be recorded in blue or black ink.

4. Daily Grades – 5 points – Some days will be “graded days” where contribution, engagement in the

class activity, cooperation, and attentiveness will be evaluated. I will either announce the graded day

verbally or I will write a letter “G” on the board. Those who sleep, are disruptive, or are inattentive will be

assured of below average or worse daily grades.

I will derive final scores by adding points scored and dividing that total by the number of points that were

available.

Grading Scale

100 – 90 = A

89 – 80 = B

79 – 70 = C

69 – 60 = D

59 and below = F

I do not intend to be repetitive about classroom rules. I expect that my students will want to be treated as

adults and that they will likewise behave as adults. I expect that they will comply with school policies

completely and not anticipate that I will permit exceptions to those policies.

My personal policies are simple:

Promptness. I expect students to be prompt: in their seats and quietly at work before the bell rings. They

need to produce their work on time. For my part, I will return their graded work with minimal delay. Most

quizzes and examinations will be graded instantly. Students are expected to be working on their bell

ringers as the bell rings.

Preparation. I expect students to arrive with their assigned work completed and in hand so they can

participate meaningfully and make good sense of lecture material. They need to arrive at class with the

necessary materials. For my part, I will be ready to teach each class.

Productivity. I expect students to work hard to produce the outcomes they, their parents, and I hope to

achieve. I will make every effort to help make the students to succeed and I expect them to take as much

of an interest in this effort as I do. Students are not permitted to read books or work on materials for other

classes during class time.

Politeness. I expect students to show courtesy to their teacher and to each other. Only one person has

the floor at a time. There should be no interruptions or “sidebar” conversations while lectures and other

work are under way. There will be no tolerance for hitting, throwing objects, or anything else of the kind.

Sarcasm and bad social behavior will have no place in this classroom. Students will be called on when

they raise their hands for recognition.

Protectiveness of Property. I expect students to be guardians of school property and to take care not to

damage the personal property of other students or their teacher. I expect that students will not take

property that does not belong to them. Students are not permitted to approach the teacher’s desk without

permission.

Seats. No one leaves their seats without permission. I will dismiss the class at the end of the period.

Students should not anticipate or respond to the bell at the end of class.

Restroom Passes. There will be no restroom visits during the first or last ten minutes of the class period

or during my lectures, except in the event of a dire emergency.

1. Blue or black ink pen. If it is possible that the student will misplace his pen before class, I strongly

recommend he or she have two or three for back-up. (Students are permitted to take notes with a pencil.)

2. Journal (bound composition book available at Office Depot).

3. USB drive to facilitate transporting their work digitally from home to school, and back

(RECOMMENDED ONLY). This will encourage the students help prepare for the mobile technology skills

and habits they will need in college. Please mark and tether your thumb drives!

1. Note taking is a requirement in this class.

2. Organize your notes by chapter, section, and date in a folder dedicated ONLY to American History.

On occasion, I will grade your notes.

1. Students need to create a World History folder in their student drive where they can store class

electronic documents. My teacher web page has a “drop box” where students will deposit their completed

work for me to review. Students should retain a copy of their documents on their student drive.

2. I will keep my teacher web site up-to-date. It will contain the bell ringers, the daily lesson plan, exam

reviews, lesson activities, and more. The teacher web pages are currently accessible from home. If you

ever have trouble accessing the teacher web pages from home, you can find my examination reviews at

3. I recommend that students possess a USB drive to facilitate transporting their work digitally from

home to school, and back (RECOMMENDED ONLY). This will encourage the students help prepare for

the mobile technology skills and habits they will need in college. Students are strongly encouraged to

mark and tether their USB drives!

4. While the personal computer with high speed internet access is rapidly becoming the essential

household appliance of this generation, I’m aware that some students do not have access to them at

home. While computer access is a vastly helpful resource to learning in today’s world, owning one is not

a requirement for this class. That said, the school has made computer access rather convenient for

students with the availability of study halls after school and computers in the school library. If those

opportunities are sufficient, I will be happy to monitor a study hall session in my classroom with two or

more students after school hours on a “by appointment only” basis.

I will be available before school and during first period for students requiring extra assistance and makeups,

by appointment.

August 20, 2007

Dear Parents,

Welcome to the 2007-2008 school year at West Florida High School of Advanced Technology!

As you can see from our syllabus, we have a lot of territory to cover in a relatively short period of time. I

want to make the most of our time so we can achieve the goals I’ve described in the syllabus. That will

require your child to arrive at class every day utterly prepared to learn and achieve. I will arrive at class

every day utterly prepared to teach, mentor, and facilitate your child’s learning and development. Our

success is very important to me and I am looking forward to working with you and your child this year to

create a successful and memorable year.

Very soon, I will have a web page posted on the internet where I will upload information pertinent to this

class. I invite you to visit that page frequently with your child so you can remain familiar with our

assignments, progress, and announcements.

If you have any questions or concerns this year, please contact me via telephone at (850) 941-6200

engineer your child’s success at this great school.

Please take a few moments to review the attached syllabus with your child and ask him or her to

complete the acknowledgement form below. I ask that you sign it as well so I know you’ve had the

opportunity to see what we’re up to this year before we get down to business.

Thanks and best regards,

Rob Doss

American History Instructor

West Florida High School of Advanced Technology

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(detach at the dotted line and return bottom portion to Mr. Doss)

Student Acknowledgement

I have read and I understand the contents of the attached course syllabus. My education is important to

me and I will work diligently to be successful in this class.

Printed Name Signature Date

Parent Acknowledgement

I have reviewed the attached course syllabus with my child.

Printed Name Signature Date