Honors 4-5

United States History Survey: 

Text: The American Journey

v  Geography- mapping skills, atlas skills, vocabulary

v  Exploration

v  Cultural encounters

v  Colonial America

• Colonial settlements e.g. Jamestown
• Colonial life as represented in Williamsburg
• Expansion along Eastern Seaboard

v  Revolutionary Period

• Key events which caused conflict
• Important historic figures
• Outcomes and influence on current nation

v  Establishing a Government

• Articles of Confederation
• US Constitution and Bill of Rights
• Civil Rights
• Current events
• Citizenship

v  1800-1850 Survey

• Immigration
• Slavery and abolition
• Westward expansion

v  Civil War

• Key events which caused conflict
• Important historic figures
• Reconstruction and aftermath’s influence on current nation

v  Historical Inquiry

• Use of primary and secondary source materials
• Analysis of historic documents
• Research skills
• MLA research paper format
• Project based learning
• MyCap-Culture Fair

Language Arts:

Text: Expert 21, Touchstones

v  Writing Workshop:

• Writing process- developing idea, drafting, revision, editing, publishing
• Genre study-writing across function and genre-
  • Narrative: literature response, book review, personal narrative, poem, letter, picture book, historical fiction
  • Expository: informational article, essay, compare/contrast, cause/effect, process, research paper (CBA), interview, letter, timeline, literary analysis
  • Persuasive: essay, editorial,

 

v  Writing Conventions- definition and application in writing tasks

• Spelling
• Grammar- parts of speech
• Punctuation
• Capitalization

 

v  Reading Workshop:

• MSP Preparation
  • Literary text
  • Informational text
  • Comprehension, analysis and extended response
• Genre study-
  • Non-fiction: reading for purpose- instruction on how to approach a variety of text, knowledge of text structures
  • Fiction: book study- independent, book group and whole class, poetry
• Content area reading- strategies for reading social studies texts, research
• Socratic Seminar- response to text

 

v  Vocabulary Building:

• Content vocabulary
• Challenging vocabulary

 

v  Communication:

• Socratic Seminar
• Presentation skills
• Use of technology

Behavior and Expectations

 

My classroom follows the Alki and District guidelines displayed in the student handbook. I believe it is also important for students to develop their own rules and expectations to create a greater self worth. At all times, students are expected to respect the classroom and everyone in it.

            Once students have helped create rules and expectations for the classroom, the next step is developing consequences.  It is important to remember that Alki and District guidelines supersede all rules if student consequences cannot apply (i.e. fighting, threats, bullying, etc.). All consequences are discussed and voted on by the class.

           

Class Assignments

 

            All assignments given in and out of class will be assigned due dates and students will be given a suitable amount of time to complete them. If a student fails to turn an assignment in on time, they will have one week to turn in (with a 150 word response on the purpose of assignment). If absent, assignments can be found online or in the classroom upon students return. Students on an independent educational program (IEP, 504) will have deadlines based on individual plans and assignments. If student is having difficulty and speaks to Mr. Greco prior to due date, may result in additional time. Test and exams are usually in an essay form or presentation model with no retakes unless told prior to assigning.

 

A weekly calendar of assignments can be viewed on Canvas on your student’s iPad

 

            Grade Scale

 

A	100- 93	C+	79- 77	D-	62- 60
A-	92- 90	C	76- 73	F	59- 0
B+	89- 87	C-	72- 70
B	86-83	D+	69- 60
B-	82- 80	D	66- 63