Textbook:  Kennedy, The American Pageant. Additional primary and secondary source readings given by Ms. Krall

Welcome to United States History II Honors! I am looking forward to working with all of you as we learn about recent American History.

FOCUS OF THE HONORS PROGRAM
This honors class was designed specifically for those students planning to attend a four year college or university after graduation. The purpose of an honors class is to give the student the skills necessary to develop critical thinking and writing skills to be successful at an advanced level. Therefore the student should expect a more intense course load than a non-honors course in American history.

Success in an honors class requires commitment from students who are willing to work above the required academic level of a regular high school history class. It is expected that students will come to class prepared, participate in a constructive and cooperative manner, and to take responsibility for their learning.

Does that mean more homework than the non-honors course inAmerican History? Not necessarily! (and not to worry-it will not be every day.) However, homework for the honors course will focus on reinforcing the student’sability to critically think and write on topics discussed in class.

The class is a combination of lecture, discussion and debate, as well as cooperative learning through technology . Therefore it is required that you keep an organized notebook (preferably a 2 or 3 inchbinder) for your notes and should be dated on the day the notes are taken. Organization is a big component to being successful in this class!

TOPICS OF STUDY
The course will be covering US History from 1914 to the Present. Not only will you learn about the past but how these events impact the US and the World today. Topics include: World War I, the “Roaring” 20s, Great Depression and New Deal, World War II, The Cold War and 1950s, Civil Rights, VietnamWar, Kennedy, Johnson, and the 1960s; The presidencies of Nixon, Ford, and Carter; The Regan Era, Recent  US Presidencies (From Bush to Obama.)

GRADING POLICY
Marking period grades are determined by dividing the numberof points earned by the number of points possible. You are advised to keeptrack of your grades. There should be no “surprises” at the end of the marking period.  You are graded on the following criteria…
Tests- Tests willcover lecture and book notes. Tests will be a combination of a free response essay and objective multiple choice questions based on primary sources.
Quizzes- Quizzes will cover lecture and book notes and will serve the purpose of reinforcing information that you have learned in class. Quizzes will comprise of identification of terms and/or a brief document based question response.
Homework- Completing work on time is a characteristic of a well prepared student. If you are absent when homework is due the assignment must be handed in when you return. Please refer to your student handbook regarding the absentee homework policy. Homework(excluding major papers and projects) may be handed in up to three days latefor half credit.
Participation-Class participation is vital to successful class discussion and reflects aprepared student. Class participation is reflected by timeliness to class,being prepared for class, and contributing to classroom discussion.
DBQ Paper- To enhance both critical thinking and writing skills each student will write a brief paper(4-6 pages) on a specific document based question.  There will be two  assigned DBQ’s throughout the school year.