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Mr. Rice 11^th Grade       American/Arizona History          Law in Society

Room: 633                    

Email: gary.rice@dvusd.org

Office Hours:  Monday – Friday before school 

                          Monday after school by appointment

Flex Time Link:  

Canvas link:  dvusd.org/canvas

                         My Teaching Philosophy:

      I believe that my students should appreciate the importance of change over time and the importance of the context of history. They will have the opportunity to understand primary and secondary historical sources. Be able to participate in group and individual projects, as well as speak from and defend alternate viewpoints and come up with compelling conclusions. My students should leave class with an understanding of not only the content but why it is essential to learn about history. I will use the knowledge of our past to challenge my students to understand all sides of history and respect how it has led to where we are today.

United States History Syllabus

2024-2025

Name: Mr. Rice

E-mail: Gary.rice@dvusd.org

Room #: 633

Office Hours: Monday - Friday before school and Mondays after school by appointment.

COURSE DESCRIPTION AND OBJECTIVES

United States History is a social studies course that covers the history of our country from colonization in North America through events of the 21st century. The material covered in this course is based on the guidelines established by the Deer Valley Unified School District.

This class will help students to:

• Understanding how relationships between individuals, countries, and institutions stay the same and change over time.
• Explain the historical context (background) of certain events and developments.
• Examine the multiple causes and effects of important historical events.
• Develop arguments and support them with evidence from multiple sources.
• Develop critical thinking skills necessary for success in college or the workforce.

CLASSROOM MATERIALS

  Students are expected to have the following materials for the duration of the school year:

1. Chromebook
2. Notebook (One at LEAST 70 pages or greater)
3. Pens/Pencils
4. Highlighters
5. Folder

ATTENDANCE POLICY

All absences count in high school whether they are excused or unexcused.  Students earn credits and are required to be in a class for a certain amount of time to earn the credit hours.  Loss of credit may occur upon reaching any combination of 12 excused or unexcused absences.

New Tardy Policy- if your child is tardy for their first hour, and it is not excused, they will have lunch detention that same day. 

AI Statement

½ð¶à±¦ÐÄË®ÂÛ̳ has determined that the use of Large Language Models (LLMs), such as ChatGPT, is prohibited unless clearly specified by your teacher. Specific guidelines will be provided in the assignment details. If you are unsure if the tool or website you are using is an LLM or if it is permitted on a specific assignment, please contact your teacher before submitting your work.

CLASSROOM EXPECTATIONS

1. Students are expected to show up on time for each class.
2. All students will put phones on the wall in the phone tree for each class.
3. Be active in the learning process (this includes discussion, bell work, etc.)
4. Students are responsible for completing their own work.

**Plagiarism, copying, or cheating of any kind will result in an automatic zero on the assignment, test, or project in question. Students will be given a chance to make up this zero but will be given a different assessment to ensure academic integrity. **

LATE WORK

Students will be able to submit late work up until the end of each unit. End-of-unit dates will be announced in class. The grade on late work will be based on the quality of the work submitted. If a student shows mastery of the skills being assessed, they will earn full credit.

MAKE-UP WORK POLICY

1. When students are absent, they should check the current unit in Canvas. The Canvas module is organized by date so students will know exactly what they missed for each date. 
2. If the assignment is in Canvas, students will read over the directions. If a student has a question, they must come to see Mr. Rice for further explanation!  
3. If the assignment is not in Canvas, students should see Mr. Rice during the first five minutes of class!

TIMED ASSESSMENTS

1. Timed assessments including (but not limited to) short answer questions (SAQ), document-based questions (DBQ), source analysis, multiple choice, etc. will be announced in advance.
2. Timed assessment makeups can be done during the office hours outlined on page one of the syllabus or during flex time.
3. If a student needs to make up a timed assessment, they will have two weeks from the day of their return to make it up.

REASSESSMENTS

1.  Summative assessments (end-of-unit tests, and timed writes) will always be announced.

2.  If a student is absent, summative assessments can be made up during Flex Time or during an appointment made with Mr. Rice. 

3.  After proving new learning, students can complete a reassessment for a summative (end of unit) assessment.  The reassessment will assess the same skills using different questions.  Before reassessment, students must have completed ALL unit work as well as a study guide that reviews important learning from the unit.

4.  Formative assessments (in-class assignments etc.) can be edited and improved after receiving feedback from Mr. Rice.  Students will have one week from the time they receive their feedback to submit edits for full credit.

The marking system for BCHS grading for teachers is as follows:

GRADING SCALE

The student’s semester grades will be determined by their ability to show proficiency in four different skills. Every assessment will have a rubric that outlines what a student needs in order to earn the grade they want.  Grades will be broken down into 80% assessments and 20% coursework. AS A SCHOOL WE ARE RETURNING TO THE 0-100% TRADITIONAL GRADING SCALE.

Context and Causation – Students will be able to explain the historical background and multiple reasons for certain events. Example assessments include discussion boards, 3-2-1 activities, etc.

Continuity and Change- Students will be able to identify and explain developments that represent change and/or continuity in American society. Example assessments include discussion boards, 3-2-1 activities, Venn diagrams, etc.

Source Analysis – Students will be given multiple sources to evaluate. Students will be able to summarize main ideas and draw conclusions about specific events, laws, or developments. Example assessments include interpreting political cartoons, propaganda, documents, speeches, journal entries, graphs/charts, and historical interpretations.

Argumentative Writing – Students will be given documents/resources to form a historically defensible claim/thesis. Students will be expected to support their claim with evidence from the documents/resources provided. Example assessments include timed DBQ (Document Based Question) essays and timed SAQ (short answer question) responses.

ELECTRONICS IN THE CLASSROOM

• It is expected that students have their Chromebook with them daily and that it is charged.
• Students are expected to keep their school-issued Chromebook in a COMPLETE school-issued Chromebook case. Damage to the Chromebook outside of a complete case will void the student’s protection plan.
• Headphones must be put away unless the teacher instructs students that they are needed for an activity.
• Using a Chromebook in an inappropriate manner in the classroom (i.e. recording or taking photos of others without their consent, hacking into another student’s account, or sharing inappropriate material) will result in disciplinary action.

BOULDER CREEK HIGH SCHOOL ACADEMIC INTEGRITY CODE

All students enrolled in United States History will adhere to the framework and guidelines set forth in the Boulder Creek High School Academic Integrity Code. Cheating and plagiarism will not be tolerated. The purpose of this code is to promote a positive learning environment for all involved. Please refer to the Academic Integrity Code in your student handbook for more details.

POWERSCHOOLS ACCESS

The PowerSchool site allows parents/guardians and students to access the student’s grades, attendance, and other information.  If you need your access information, please stop by the front desk during business hours. The web address is: ps.dvusd.org/public