Taylor

Instructor:            Mr. Taylor                                     Phone:     (425)204-4245

Room #: 129                                                                 E-mail:      jeff.taylor@rentonschools.us

Office Hours:        7:00-7:20 am                                 Web: https://rentonschools.instructure.com/courses/13497              

                              2:03-2:33 pm                                      

 

Course Overview: Multicultural/Comparative Ethnic Studies is a trimester long course emphasizing the perspectives of marginalized groups while allowing students from all backgrounds to better understand and appreciate how race, culture, ethnicity, and identity contribute to their experiences. The course seeks to encourage students to be socially, politically and economically conscious about their personal identity and their relationship to mainstream American culture. This course will focus on the experiences of African American, Asian Americans, Latinx American, and American Indians. This course will also include a section of inquiry where students will research concepts related to their own personal history, culture, and/or national identity. Ethnic Studies focuses on themes of culture and identity over time, social justice, and social change. This course will take a comparative approach in evaluating the experiences of groups in American society.

 

Modules of Study for Multicultural Studies

 

Unit 1: Establishing a safe community

Unit 2: Personal Identity, Culture, and Diversity

Unit 3: A comparative analysis: Marginalized groups in American Society.

Unit 4: Multiculturalism in American Society

 

Teacher reserves the right to modify chapters studied and/or order of study.

 

Course Textbook:

White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack - Peggy McIntosh

America is in the Heart - Carlos Bulosan

The Narrative and the Life of Frederick Douglass - Frederick Douglass

A Different Mirror For Young People: A History of Multicultural in America - Ronald Takaki

Strangers from a different Shore: A History of Asian Americans - Ronald Takaki

An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States - Rozanne Dunbar-Ortiz

The Latino Reader: An American Literacy tradition from 1542 to the Present - Harold Augenbraun

Teaching Tolerance Lesson: My Multicultural Self

Facing History Lesson: https://www.facinghistory.org/resource-library/challenging-assumptions-curiosity

 

Course Supplies:

Pens…I hate pencils with the fiery passion of 1000 suns. They are antiquated math sticks

We will mainly operate on computers to better prepare you for the 1to1 switch in 2019

 

 

Classroom Information:

All the class materials (assignments, announcements, resources, test prep, lecture videos) are available on the Canvas class page (see link above)

 

Grading Policy:

Your grades will be divided into 3 categories. Assessments have the greatest impact on your overall grade. Although the grades are not weighted you can expect for assessments to be around 60% of your grade, Assignments 30%, and Citizenship worth 10%

1.)     Assessments (Projects, tests, essays, quizzes)

• Assignments (Classwork and project scaffolding)
• Citizenship (Time on Task, Self-Reflection)

 

 

Grade Scale:

 

 

Grade Mark	High	Low
A	100.00%	93.00%
A-	92.99%	90.00%
B+	89.99%	87.00%
B	86.99%	82.00%
B-	81.99%	80.00%
C	76.99%	73.00%
C+	79.99%	77.00%
C-	72.99%	70.00%
P	69.99	50%
NC	49.99	0

 

 

 

Family Access: 

Students and their parents/guardians are strongly encouraged to use Family Access to monitor grades and attendance. Your parents can even enroll in our class. They will be see everything that you see. This not only includes assignments and announcements, but also any message that you send to me or to each other.

 

Access Information:

Go to www.rentonschools.us/hazen

Click on the Skyward Family Access link (top right corner)

 

Hazen HS Expectations & Policies – Student Handbook

Students are expected to review and follow the school rules, procedures, and processes outlined in the HHS student handbook.

 

Cell Phone Policy

Cellphones are not allowed in class, unless I have granted access to them for class use. You can receive extra credit if you put you cell phone in your assigned pouch. 

 

Food & Drink

I don’t care…don’t make a mess...don’t make a production out of it.

 

Hall Passes

Students must have permission to leave class. Students are not allowed to leave class during the first and last 10 minutes of class.

 

Late Work Policy

Late work will be entered Canvas as a “30%” until completed. Students will lose 10% of the total value of the assignment each day for 7 class days. After 7 days the work will not be accepted. I reserve the right to identify work that will not be accepted late. However, if you speak to me BEFORE an assignment/project is due we can make a no-penalty plan that will work for you.

 

Redo Policy

Redo opportunities are available to students who are working towards content mastery but need an additional testing opportunity to demonstrate proficiency. Students will be required to complete additional practice work to earn a redo opportunity. Certain projects and assessments are not eligible for a redo opportunity, including final exams.

 

WARNING: Some topics discussed in history are controversial, deal with morality and religion, involve political views, or directly tackle racism, sexism, or homophobia. I want to be very clear that at no point am I sharing my own views on these matters or influencing students one way or the other. I am the least important person in the room.  My role is simply to facilitate conversations, helping students to understand issues, so they can develop educated opinions on topics that have affected people in the past and today. Most of history involves humans disagreeing, and as students of history we must analyze issues to understand the actions and motives of those who lived in the past and present. In addition, it is paramount to model that there are multiple sides to every issue and the only way to have an educated opinion is to examine the views of those on both sides. This does not mean that both sides of every issue are ethically equivalent. Creating a false equivalency is just as dangerous as presenting history as a single story. Communication is the foundation of our educational experience so please contact me with any concerns (sooner than later).