Course Syllabus

Units of Study 

The history department at WHS organizes the United States curriculum with a thematic approach.  As a result, content does not always go in chronological order. 

The United States Constitution: The first unit you will learn the structure, strengths, and weaknesses of the Founding documents ; The Declaration of Independence, The Articles of Confederation and The United States Constitution. This unit will introduce the foundational information that is necessary to analyze the complex history of the United States.

Democracy and Authority: This unit will look at the balance that existed (and still exists) between federal and state powers and the impact this balance has on those living in the United States.  

Foreign Policy: We will view the role of the United States on the international stage through the lens of United States’ policies and trends over time. 

Equality and Hierarchy: This theme will explore how marginalized groups in the United States have used their own agency in order to obtain equality. It will also explore the policies created that allowed for groups to become marginalized. 

Supplies Needed 

• A notebook (this can be within a multi notebook if you prefer)
• A folder specific for United States History 
• Writing Utensils 

What do I do when I am absent?

Log onto Canvas. Click on the Monthly Timeline on the homepage. Identify the name of the lesson and if there was any homework. Then go under Modules, click on Daily powerpoints, and identify the name of the lesson you missed. You can work your way through the powerpoint. There will be directions to the work that you missed. If you have any questions or are confused please reach out via email. 

What do I do when Mrs. Sullivan is absent?

If I am absent I will email the class and let them know as such. I will provide you directions with what work you need to complete and where to access the work. 

Laptop Usage

As Juniors and Seniors you need to feel comfortable with your own organization style by the end of the year. As your educator I will be teaching you multiple skills and content through out the year, specifically I will be focusing on note taking and annotating readings. In order to focus on these two skills technology needs to be removed as a distraction so you can focus on what and how to take notes. To this end, Scholars will not be allowed to type their notes during class. Often times scholars are using laptops to replace cell phones when cell phones are not accessible. Scholars who have specific accommodations per official school documents or an agreement with Mrs. Sullivan will be allowed to use laptops. This policy is not to be punitive, but rather to allow scholars to be present. As the year progresses, this policy can be revisited. Scholars will have quizzes and tests during the school year and they will all be open notes. These notes need to be your own, and need to be on paper in order to be used during the assessments. Figuring out what note taking style works for you best early on in the school year is necessary to your success in the class. 

Individual Support

You can receive individual support in person during office hours. You can also access support through the feedback provided to you via canvas.  You have access to a Social Studies teacher when visiting the lab.  If you want to individually check in it is your responsibility to reach out to me via email and set up time(s).

Major Assignments will account for 65% of a scholar's grade. These are intended to be an assessment of your learning after completing a unit or multiple larger topics.  . These assignments can range from, and are not limited to:

Minor Assignments will account for 35% of a scholar's grade. These are intended to be a brief assessment of your learning on an individual skill or topic. Types of assignments may include . These assignments can range from, and are not limited to:

Student Skills will be a category that is meant to be informative and therefore will not count towards a scholar’s final grade. It will be  documented as either Pass/Fail in order to inform the scholar and their support team where they are with their student skills. These skills can range from, and are not limited to:

• Essays
• Discussions
• Visual Metaphors 
• Narrative writing 
• Unit exams 

• Quizzes 
• Shorter writing prompts
• Classwork assignments 
• Reflections
• Open Response Questions 
• Creative challenges 

• Showing to class on time 
• Consistently completing homework 
• Be prepared for class (having notebook, notes, any necessary handouts)
• Consistently participates in different ways(small groups, larger groups, one on one)
• Seeks support when necessary from multiple places (Mrs. Sullivan’s office hours, the Social Studies lab, other students) 
• Consistently takes notes and uses them to inform the work they are doing. 

 Late Work Policies

• Students have up to 3 days past the original due date to hand in an assignment and choosing to take these days results in a student accepting that the highest grade they can receive is a B.

• In that “grace period”, students cannot get extra help from their teacher. However they are encouraged to access the Social Studies lab.

• If an assignment comes in after the grace period, it is up to teacher discretion on whether or not to accept the assignment at all. 

• If a student needs an extension beyond the 72 hour grace period, it must be requested 48 hours prior to the original due date. Due to the fact that our late policy has been abused, this may also require confirmation from adult supporters.

• The teacher has the discretion to deny a student access to this grace period if they have consistently handed in work late. 

Cell Phone Policy

Cell phones and laptops are integral tools in both of our teaching and learning. One of my goals as your educator is to teach you how to use technology in an academic setting in a way that enhances your learning, and does not distract your learning. To this end, all cell phones will be parked for the entirety of the class period and scholars will not have access to their phones. Adult Supporters, please do not expect to talk to your scholar while in class. Per school policy, in an emergency arise please reach out to the necessary house office. 

Extra Time on Assessments 

If you are allowed extra time on assessments per an IEP or 504 it is your responsibility to reach out to me (and the Learning Center teacher) to set up extra time 48 hours prior to said assessment. If you do not do as such you will take the assessment during the allotted time in our classroom (418). 

As AI becomes increasingly integrated into education and daily life, it's essential for adult supporters and Scholars to understand the ethical implications and guide towards responsible use. One of my goals as your educator is to teach you how to use academic skills that will provide you a foundation for success later. If Scholars rely on using AI then they are not learning, or practicing the skills of writing in a critical fashion. When scholars use AI to formulate ideas or write papers often times they are not recognizing the harm in doing as such.

Artificial Intelligence lends itself to:

• Academic Dishonesty: Scholars might use AI to generate essays, assignments, or code without understanding the underlying concepts. AI is pulling information from other sources and not providing the necessary citations and or credit that is due. This is not a skill that will allow scholars to be successful in the future and therefore not one I want scholars to practice. 
• Misinformation: AI tools can produce inaccurate or biased information, potentially leading to harmful consequences. Also, AI can perpetuate biases present in the data it's trained on.
• Privacy Concerns: Some AI tools collect and analyze personal data, raising questions about data privacy and security.

Artificial Intelligence does not encourage Critical Thinking:

• Fact-Checking is a part of being critical of what one is reading or writing. Often times when using AI scholars are not checking the facts that it is generating, and often times those facts are incorrect. 
• Evaluating Sources: Scholars are not evaluating sources when AI pulls them together. For many of the assignments I will assign scholars will be required to use the sources I provided and AI does not know what those sources are. Therefore, scholars are not following the requirements when using AI and will not do well on the assignment