Overview of History XI

Course Description

History XI: United States History is a thematic survey of American history, from settlement to the Cold War. The course is broken into four themes and unit structures:

1. The Constitution
2. Slavery, Civil War, and Reconstruction
3. The Second Industrial Revolution
4. The American Century

Although the class does feature a thematic approach to the study of America's past, it does preserve a chronological narrative.

Skills over Content

It has long been my practice as a teacher of history at this level to emphasize the development of skills over the internalization of content. That is not to suggest that the content is meaningless. Only that it is a vehicle through which far more meaningful skills can be delivered. To that end, we will work a great deal on research, writing, and critical thinking, which are fundamental to the way in which history is practiced at the next level.

A note on the AP

This is not an Advanced Placement class, and I will not be preparing the girls for the APUSH exam. That does not mean, however, that they can't sign up to take the test, nor does it preclude me from offering what help I can for individual preparation. Please contact me if you have questions.

Required Text

Cohen, Lizabeth and David M. Kennedy. The American Pageant, 15th ed. Cengage

Grades Breakdown and Policies

• Tests/Papers/Projects: 50%
• Quizzes/Homework/Journals: 30%
• Participation: 20%

Late assignments will be penalized one-third of a letter grade per day. I will require a note from parents and/or tech support if you cannot turn in an assignment because of computer issues.

Academic dishonesty will not be tolerated under any circumstances. Please see the Baldwin School handbook, pages 231-232 for additional guidelines. 

Class Expectations:

Students are expected to attend class every day, and to arrive on time. Notebooks, journals, a writing utensil and the textbook are required in class every day.

Journals:

Quizzes:

The Blog:

Reports:

Reports will be sent to advisors and parents in the case of bad behavior or, more likely, for low performance. In general, if a student's grade falls below a 75, or if she scores below a 75 on any major assignment, I will send a report. Of course, if I am concerned about inconsistent or atypical academic performance that does not meet the above criteria, I will send a report.