Course Syllabus
“History, as nearly no one seems to know, is not merely something to be read. And it does not refer merely, or even principally, to the past.
On the contrary, the great force of history comes from the fact that we carry it within us, are unconsciously controlled by it in many ways, and history is literally present in all that we do.
It could scarcely be otherwise, since it is to history that we owe our frames of reference, our identities, and our aspirations.”
- James Baldwin, “White Man’s Guilt,” Ebony Magazine, 1965
WELCOME TO U.S. HISTORY!
This course is group-based, discussion-based, and project-based.
My role is to facilitate conversations so that you and your classmates can develop educated opinions on topics that affected people in the past and shape our lives 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.
Some topics discussed in history are controversial, deal with morality and ethics, involve political views, and directly tackle racism, sexism, nativism (anti-immigrant), xenophobia (fear of the "other") and LGBTQ*-phobia. Examining history, therefore, means exploring a diversity of perspectives, with particular attention paid to those from historically marginalized communities.
COURSE OVERVIEW:
Everyone living within the boundaries of the United States and its territories today arrived in one or two or three ways:
1) Your family is indigenous, and/or
2) You are descended from African people who were trafficked to - and enslaved in - the Americas, and/or
3) You or your ancestors are immigrants.
We will explore these three interconnected journeys through four units:
Unit 1: Legacy of slavery: Civil War and Reconstruction; Fight for civil rights; Why are people afraid of you learning US History?
Unit 2: Indigenous history and present: Tribal Sovereignty and US colonization/imperialism.
Unit 3: Immigration: Key immigration policies since pre-US through the 1990s
Unit 4: Bringing it together: Family History Project
Course Rules and Norms:
The period of asynchronous school is over. While there are times when illness or emergencies prevent us from coming to school (I, myself, have a toddler who is never not sick with some kind of something...), the purpose of this class is for you to construct knowledge together with your classmates.
Late work policy:
Late work submitted within the Unit will be accepted except in important circumstances. For example: you're presenting a project or participating in Socratic seminar or debate but haven't completed any of the pre-reading - or if you miss something for a group project that screws over your group. Don’t do that! That’s just rude!
If you miss an in-class debate, Socratic, presentation, simulation, etc. you will not be able to make it up. Exceptions: IF your absence was excused, then you will have an option of completing a make-up assignment.
PLEASE NOTE: If you don't turn in work, I will mark it as a "0". Since I don't take off many points for late work, the trade-off for you is that after you turn in your work late, that "0" is probably going to remain in place for longer than you would like. This is because I need to prioritize moving on to grading more current projects, rather than prioritizing an assignment you've turned in weeks or months after the due date.
Cell phone and use of technology policy:
Having your phone with you during class and/or using your chromebook to read/watch/listen to materials unrelated to class:
1) makes you less likely to engage in academic discussions;
2) less likely to read your course content:
3) and less likely to make meaningful connections with the people who are in your class.
Therefore: Every day, you must place your cell phone in your assigned cell phone holder in the locker and use technology for class-related purposes only (no clandestine baseball streaming...). Appropriate use of technology is worth 20% of your grade. Please make sure your families know this as well! Once lost, these points cannot be made up retroactively.
If your family needs to contact you during class, please have them call the main office: 425-204-4201
Laptop and charger policy:
Bring your chromebook and a charger every day. If you don't have your charger, please ask your classmates to borrow one. If you forget your chromebook, please ask me to write you a pass to Ms. Eide so you can borrow one for the day.
Grading scale:
Appropriate use of Technology: 20%
Assignments*: 30%
Assessments: 50%
*Oftentimes, smaller assignments are REQUIRED before you can submit your assessments. So please don't let the 30% weight belie the importance of completing that work.
The grading scale for this course is the same as the default one in Skyward.
Grade logistics:
For the most up-to-date information on your work, please check Canvas. Think of Skyward as your report card; it is not a daily progress report. If your parents/guardians would like to see your most up-to-date grade and work, please add them to your Canvas page using these directions.
School Information
If you are experiencing stress, anxiety, or thoughts of self-harm call Teen Link at 866-TEENLINK (866-833-6546) and ask to talk to a peer. The phone line is open 6 p.m.– 10 p.m. and chat is available 6 p.m. – 9:30 p.m. daily. https://www.teenlink.org/
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