Ms. McNutt Texas History
Kealing Middle School
Welcome to Texas History! Your presence in this class identifies you as an exceptional person, and our expectations for exceptional people are correspondingly high. In general, you are expected to be honest, dependable, and thorough in all that you do. This course is designed to provide students with the modes of thinking and factual knowledge necessary to deal critically with the issues and materials in Texas history. Students will learn to assess historical materials – their relevance to a given interpretive problem, their reliability, and their importance – and to weigh the evidence and interpretations presented in historical scholarship. This course is designed to train you in developing the skills necessary to arrive at conclusions on the basis of an informed judgment and to present reasons and evidence clearly and persuasively in different formats; essay, debate, projects, etc. This class is heavily group and project based, and it is essential that you are here EVERYDAY to work with your class/group. This class is a lot of work, but it will also be A LOT of fun!!
It is the chronicle of historical events that teaches us – bit by bit, like a mosaic that eventually forms a picture – about civilization and human nature and its consequences. We study history to see a complete picture and what it means for us as individuals living in society.
ARTICLE I-CLASSROOM PROCEDURES
You are expected to show respect for your teacher, your peers, yourself, and the classroom materials and resources.
Your individual work is expected to be your own; plagiarism and cheating will not be tolerated and will result in automatic zeros. We will review how to properly cite materials.
Being in class on time, with your materials, and ready to learn will facilitate the learning process.
I dismiss class; the bell/clock does not. All paper, trash, and student materials must be picked up and all students seated and quiet before anyone will be dismissed from class. We follow the Leave No Trace program policies in the classroom.
Computer use in the classroom is ONLY for assignments given by a teacher. If a student is using a computer for non-academic purposes, the following actions will be taken:
a First offense, you will receive a warning
a The second offense, computer privileges will be revoked for 2 weeks
a If you continue to violate the policies, it will result in a parent/teacher conference and/or possible 4 week to permanent loss of ALL computer privileges
You will be responsible for bringing the following materials to class everyday:
· Texas History spiral notebook or binder (at least 70 pages with 2 divided sections)
· Pen (required for quizzes and tests)
· Loose leaf paper
You are to use the restroom between classes. Unless it is an emergency, you are not allowed to use the pass during the first and last 10 minutes of class, during lecture, test or quiz taking.
Be on time to class everyday. If you arrive late, you will be required to sign in with the teacher. According to school policy, chronic tardiness during the six weeks will result in disciplinary action in the form of a phone call/letter home and/or a referral.
You are expected to actively participate in class activities. Class work provides a great opportunity to solidify the content and therefore it is important to show up and be prepared to work in class. Students will be responsible for fact checker and word wall duties, individual work, small group activities, and a participation grade (based on the student’s involvement in class discussions, completion of daily individual and group activities, and how closely the student is following classroom rules and procedures). Class work grades will be given either as a daily grade or based upon work assignments completed in class.
All work is expected on time in this class.
You are expected to turn in work on the given due date. If you do not have your work when you come into class, it is not complete. You are held responsible to:
It is your responsibility to pick up and/or turn in any missed assignments due while absent from class. Check the class website, www.kealing.org/mcnutt, for missed homework assignments; however always follow homework instructions from class first. Make-up work handouts and notes may be found in the ‘Make-Up Work’ file in the student resource center. If you are turning in work late due to an absence, please write ABSENT at the top of your work so that it is not marked late. Make sure to ask me if you have any questions concerning missed work. It is highly recommended you attend office hours to make up missed work.
If you need additional help with homework or have any questions or concerns, I will be available on Wednesdays from 3:00 to 4:00 after school. If you cannot attend on Wednesday, come see me to schedule another time. When you come for tutorials, you must sign the tutorial log and then get to work.
Students caught cheating; sharing information or plagiarizing will receive zero points for that assignment. Allowing your paper to be copied or plagiarized by another student constitutes as cheating and will be dealt with in the same way. Be careful of this when you are researching an assignment together with a partner. You bear the burden of proof when it comes to plagiarism.
The following actions will be taken if you choose to violate the classroom guidelines and expectations on an as needed basis: verbal or written warnings, phone call or notes home, if you continue to be disruptive, you will have a parent/guardian/teacher conference, detention, and/or a referral to the office.
Grades for each six weeks will be broken down in the following manner:
30% Class Work/Quizzes
40% Mastery Assignment
Class Work- short activities and assignments that cover a small portion of the learned material; includes individual work, small group activities, fact checker responsibilities, word wall responsibilities, and a participation grade (based on the student’s involvement in class discussions, completion of daily individual and group activities, and how closely the student is following classroom rules and procedures). Class work grades will be given either as a daily grade or based upon work assignments completed in class.
Quizzes: Quizzes are designed to assess small portions of learned material and gauge student understanding. They will cover a smaller section of notes or a reading. Students will also take a notebook quiz once every six weeks. Students are required to keep a notebook in class for daily warm-ups, note taking, and other brainstorming or response activities.
Homework: Homework will be assigned throughout the year. The assignments will often be short and should reflect on the day’s activities or prepare you for the upcoming lesson. Homework is due at the beginning of each class and will be considered late if turned in later during the class period or that day.
Mastery Assignment: Mastery assignments are designed to test the student’s overall understanding of a given unit. These assignments often take the form of a debate, project, paper, or exam. Each six weeks may contain up to two mastery assignments. Some mastery assignments are done in groups and involve an individual as well as group grade.