Bridgeport High School
2015-2016
Early United States History
Mr. Lister
Course Overview: This course is designed to provide 10th grade
students with a strong foundation in United States history by looking at
the theories, themes, events, and historical figures that have shaped our
country and modern world. This course is set up to challenge students
to use critical thinking and analytical skills to interpret history,
understand patterns of interaction, and understand how those patterns
are evident in modern times. Students will be asked to develop an
understanding of historical events and themes and how they impacted
the United States moving forward. This class will focus on early United
States history from European colonization up to roughly the late
1800’s/early 1900’s. The problems and arguments of early United
States history remain very relevant to our world today, hundreds of
years later. We will analyze many historical arguments through a
modern lens. The class will have a focus in multiple areas of study,
including history, geography, politics, economics, and sociology. The
class will also include many aspects of English/Language Arts, to help
students improve in reading, essay writing, and creative writing.
Essential Questions:
 Why study history?
 What does a historian do to understand the past?
 What can we learn from the past?
 How do we use artifacts and primary sources to help understand
the past?
 How does history connect to me?
 How do patterns manifest (show) themselves throughout history?
 What causes change throughout history?
 What are the major revolutions and conflicts that have shaped U.S.
history?
 Did geography greatly affect the development of colonial
America?
 Does the system of checks and balances provide our nation with
an effective and efficient government?
 Is the Constitution a living document?
 Was the Civil War inevitable?
 Was it possible to have a peace of reconciliation after the Civil
War?
Outcomes:
 Understand how to read, analyze, and interpret maps.
 Write a proper thesis statement and be able to defend it with
appropriate evidence.
 Learn what qualifies as credible research/evidence, and how
conduct research in order to use it through verbal and written
communication.
 Learn how history relates to your own experiences and ideas.
 Learn to love history and think about the world around you like a
historian.
Expectations: In this class, you will be held to high expectations.
Following the class rules are part of this high expectation. All Bridgeport
High School and Harrison County policies will be enforced. Along with
the county and school rules, the class as a whole will expand upon these
four basic rules further:
 Be Respectful
 Be Responsible
 Be Accountable
 Be Active
If at any time, a member of our class does not follow the agreed upon
rules, the following steps will be taken:
1. Verbal Warning
2. Documented Warning
3. Referral to the administration
We will always try to handle minor issues in-class, but continual refusal
to follow class rules will lead to a referral to the administration.
Grading System: This class follows the grading scale set up by the
Harrison County Board of Education. Every assignment will be worth
points. Students will have plenty of opportunity to obtain graded work
through a variety of assessments, including:
 Tests, quizzes, projects, hands on activities, bell-ringers, writing
assignments, presentations, and discussions.
 Students will also get a grade for participation.
 Students will be given the opportunity for extra credit in a unique
way that challenges students to remain respectful, responsible,
accountable, and active. Every student will start each 6 weeks
with 15 bonus points. Those points can more than make up for a
poor test result or a few poor assignments. However, points will
be taken away for classroom infractions that break the rules we
agreed upon. In rare occasions, you can add points to your total.
So your extra credit falls on your shoulders!
 Most importantly, the grades you end up with are the grades YOU
ACHIEVED, not the grades you were given. I will provide you with
all the tools, resources, and guidance you need to do well in this
class, but it is up to you to use and apply them.
 The habits and skills you learn in this class will greatly help you
prepare for the rest of high school, as well as higher education.
 Grades will be uploaded onto Live Grades often.
Late Work: Late Work will be accepted, but at the price of 10% of the
total worth of the assignment for every day it is late, up to 5 days, after
which the result will be a 0% for the assignment.
Make-Up Work and Attendance: In order to stay on schedule with the
course, it is essential that you show up for class every day, on time. I do
understand that illness, appointments, and emergencies do happen and
that you may miss school periodically. If this is the case, you will have
the number of days you missed to make up the work. For example, if
you miss 3 days, you will have 3 days to make up the work. Make-up
work is the responsibility of the student. It is YOUR responsibility to ask
for the work you missed. I will always have the work for you, but you
need to take the responsibility of asking for it.
Plagiarism, Cheating, and Academic Dishonesty: None of these
practices will be acceptable in this classroom and will be dealt with
according to School and County policy. We will go into great depth
about plagiarism, what it is, and how to avoid it.
Materials: you will be expected to bring the following materials to class
every day in order to participate in the class and receive credit:
 Notebook and folder. (A binder works well too)
 Textbook. Bring this everyday unless told otherwise by the
instructor.
 A pen or pencil, although a pencil with an eraser is greatly
preferred
 Your Bridgeport High School Daily Planner.
Contact: The best way to contact me is through Live Grades email. I
check this multiple times per day and will always try to respond within
24 hours. Should parents, guardians, or family members need to
schedule a phone call or meeting, my 1st semester planning period is 3rd
block, 2nd semester is 4th.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Parents, Guardians, and Families,
Please sign below to acknowledge that you have read and understand
the course syllabus. If you have any questions, please contact me
through the school or through Live Grades.
Student Name______________________________
Parent/Guardian Name_______________________________
Signature__________________________________________
Date___________