Course Description: The US History course examines the forces which make America a superpower, a battleground of rights in conflict, an industrial giant, and a land of many cultures.  The course examines the rise of America to world leadership and the problems that result from and threaten that role.  A variety of learning opportunities and assessment vehicles are used to accommodate different learning styles, including cooperative groupwork, short and long-term projects, interpretation of primary source material, notes and reading assignments.   US History Topics of Study: Gilded Age Western Expansion US Expansionism World War I Roaring Twenties New Deal / Great Depression World War II - Atomic Bombs Cold War Civil Rights Movement Vietnam Current Events   Student’s Responsibilities: Class Participation and Preparation You are expected to arrive in class ready to work with paper, writing instrument, 3-ring binder, and assignments.  All assignments should be completed on time. Late work will not be accepted after a unit is completed. Late work will be graded down 10 points each day it is late.  If you miss a class for any reason, it is your responsibility to make up the missed work. I will keep extra copies of all assignments on hand.  I will not hunt you down to make sure you have everything you need, but I am more than happy to offer you assistance if you ask.  For missed notes, please borrow a classmate’s.  Behavior Guidelines The main guideline in this classroom is the Golden Rule: treat others the way you would like to be treated.  I expect all students to show respect for each other, the classroom and the class materials. Inappropriate behavior will not be tolerated.  Materials Each member of the class is expected to maintain a three ring binder that contains this syllabus and all class materials. Binder checks will happen periodically and will count as a project grade.     Assessment andEvaluation Homework                                10% Quizzes                                     15% Tests                                          25% Class Participation                     25% Projects and Papers                   25%    Students will be evaluated using the above criteria.  Some units will end with a unit test, while others will culminate in a project. Quizzes will occur almost weekly and the lowest quiz grade each quarter will be dropped. Class participation includes all facets of classroom work, including: group work, in-class assignments, class discussions, behavior and etc.