Thomas Jefferson High School
Federal Way Public Schools
Course Syllabus 2016-2017
Class: US History
Teacher Name: Mr. Alex Furlow
Room Number: P-3
Communication:
Phone- 253-945-5793
Email- [email protected]
Course Summary/Goals:
History class is usually associated with names and dates. In 1776, Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence. This is a
date that many of us are familiar with. The memorization of names and dates can turn off many students to the study of history. This
class will not focus on names and dates, and hopefully the class will not be boring. Our class will cover events from the founding of
our nation to 20th century events (Vietnam, the Reagan Era). This class is designed to make the student ask the ever important
question "WHY?" However, you will frequently be asked to determine the answer to this question BEFORE the teacher answers the
question. Don’t worry, we’ll have great history discussions centered on the unit question, but ultimately, you will have discussed the
question (as an individual or as part of a group) before we discuss.
Instructional Materials/Textbooks Used:
• Your scholar will be provided with a spiral bound notebook.
• Colored pencils would be helpful but not required.
• Your student will check out a copy of the textbook from the library to keep at home, so they do not need to bring it to school,
as we have class copies.
• Students have been issued a school planner. Please remind them to write their assignments in it daily and check it often. This
book also has their bathroom passes and a copy of the student handbook for your reference.
• Students must carry their ID card on campus at all time.
• Students are recommended to carry a small amount of change, as printing in the school library costs ten cents. (Free at
Raider Advantage)
• Computers are available for student use. They must have their parent or guardian sign a technology permission form. Please
do this as soon as possible. All student use on the computers is monitored.
Classroom Expectations:
Students at Thomas Jefferson High School will take pride in their efforts and will put these guidelines into action each day.
*Be responsible
*Cooperate with others
*Follow the Raider Code of Conduct
*Respect the rights and property of others
Assessments:
• Formative Assessments allow the teacher to make in-the-moment decisions to adjust future instruction.
o Examples: Discussion, Do-Nows/Exit Slips, Graphic organizers, Peer/Self-assessments, Plickers, Think-Pair-Share,
etc.
• Summative Assessments are evaluative in nature and compare the student's progress against a standard or benchmark.
o Examples: State assessments, Unit exams, End-of-Semester exams, Essays, etc.
Homework Procedures/Expectations:
• Spend 15 minutes reviewing classroom notes and assignments each night.
• Due dates will be posted/discussed in class
Grading Procedures:
The Federal Way Grading System:
• Each course has a set of learning standards (Priority Standards). These can be accessed on the FWPS website
(http://www.fwps.net/teaching/sbe/staff/priority-standards/6-12/)
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Individual assignments are linked to one or more priority standards, and the score for that assignment will be averaged with
all other assignment scores in that priority standard, resulting in an overall score for that standard.
The class grade is the result of the average of all priority standard scores.
Please check your child’s grade frequently using the district app or ParentVue.
You may need to contact the counseling office to get the password for your student ([email protected])
Thomas Jefferson High School Grading System:
Scale and Rubrics
In the gradebook, students will be graded on a 1-4. 1 = Missing work, 2 = Developing, 3 = Proficient, 4 = Highly Proficient. Priority
Standards are the major concepts and skills that will be taught in the class. The teacher will determine a student’s level of proficiency
for each learning target using an MYP rubric to give students more specific feedback.
Late Work Policy:
Teachers will make an effort to note in the grade book if an assignment is missing to help parents and students keep track of what is
missing. Due dates and meeting due dates are an important part of student learning. The teacher will provide students with due dates
well in advance of work to be submitted. There are situations beyond a student’s control that prevent him/her from meeting the
deadlines provided. With this in mind, each student will be provided with two late work passes per class each semester. Students
will be able to submit work up to one week after the due date, with that late pass, with no negative impact on the grade earned.
Late Work Pass
Late Work Pass
This pass is for any situation beyond a student’s control
which has prevented him/her from meeting a deadline.
This late pass is good for up to one week after the due date
with no negative impact on the grade earned.
This pass is for any situation beyond a student’s control
which has prevented him/her from meeting a deadline.
This late pass is good for up to one week after the due date
with no negative impact on the grade earned.
Name:__________________________________________
Name:__________________________________________
Assignment: ____________________________________
Assignment: ____________________________________
Original due date: ________________________________
Original due date: ________________________________
Submission date: _________________________________
Submission date: _________________________________
Mr. Furlow US History 1 of 2
Mr. Furlow US History
2 of 2
Reassessment Policy:
• TJHS students will have multiple opportunities to achieve mastery of a Priority Standard. This includes re-taking portions of
tests (Policy 2420P), recognizing that students learn at different rates and times.
• Students are guaranteed at least two attempts for each priority standard. In some courses, multiple attempts are offered in
class. In other courses, the second attempt takes the form of a retake.
• In this course, we have multiple opportunities built in rather than retakes.
Reassessments fall into two categories: Multiple Opportunities or Retakes.
Multiple Opportunities: Teachers will communicate when a particular standard will be assessed again as part of the
curriculum. These “multiple opportunities”, as defined by the teacher, are offered to all students as part of the designed curriculum.
Students need to show no extra readiness to participate.
Formula for Success:
1. Arrive on time and prepared for class
2. Utilize the goals of the IB Learner Profile - Approach your classes with a growth mindset. The learning is the most important
element. Take pride in your own work, acknowledge when you have fallen short of your capabilities, and learn from your errors.
3. Students take responsibility for their learning by:
• Bring Planner to class daily
• Complete daily work on time
• Check in on Google Classroom regularly
• Communicate with teacher and parents about class information and needs
• Check grades regularly on StudentVue (Grades will be updated at least every 3 weeks)
Attendance and Tardies:
Showing up for school has a huge impact on a student’s academic success. We realize some absences are unavoidable due to health
problems or other circumstances. When students miss too much school— regardless of the reason - it can cause them to fall behind
academically.
Attendance is key to student success. Your child is less likely to succeed if he/she is chronically absent or late (excused or
unexcused). Chronic absence is defined as more than 8 absences a year. Please ensure that your child attends school every day and
arrives on time. Students are expected to be in class when the bell rings. After an absence, students must follow up with the teacher
about missed work. The daily standards, expectations and Do-Now review are shared at the beginning of the period. Students
arriving late to class may miss out on the tools they need to be successful in class.
How to get help:
The Library at TJ will be open after school Mondays through Thursdays from 2:15 to 4:00 for students to work on homework or
projects. Tutors and staff are available during this time. An activity bus is available to take students home at 4:00 on these
afternoons.
Academic Integrity:
At TJ, academic integrity is a guiding principle in all classes. Students must be diligent in protecting their academic reputation and
avoiding all forms of plagiarism, academic misconduct, collusion, and cheating.
Discipline:
District policies apply. Each student is accountable for his/her own actions. To be successful, each student must treat others in a
respectful manner. When a student does not uphold the rules, there will be a fair and clear process to resolve the situation. The
student, teacher, administrator and parent will work together to resolve situations and assign consequences as needed.
School and Classroom Expectations:
All students and staff are expected to respect each other, themselves and their environment at all times.
TJHS is a learning environment where all students and staff must be safe. The following rules are from the TJHS student handbook,
and their purpose is to ensure the safety of all students and the integrity of learning. This is not an all-inclusive list and students and
parents are expected to review the entire student handbook in the planner.
DISRUPTION OR NON-PARTICIPATION Students who are refusing to partake in class activities and students who willfully disrupt
class may be sent to ISS. Being sent to ISS during class may result in administrative detention or other progressive discipline.
ELECTRONICS: Phones, MP3s/Ipods/etc., and headphones are disruptive to the learning environment. BEFORE entering the
classroom, students must have these items stored in their backpacks turned off. They may be used in the classroom ONLY when
directly instructed by the teacher.
CHEATING Students found copying the work of another student or another source without acknowledgment (plagiarism) is a
discipline issue and will be referred to an administrator. Students may be required to come up with another way of proving they can
meet the expectations of the assignment. Cheating includes “working together” unless specifically allowed by the teacher. It might be
noted that most universities, including UW, consider cheating and plagiarism offenses as grounds for suspension for a full year.
Thomas Jefferson High School
Federal Way Public Schools
Course Syllabus 2016-2017
Course Framework
Unit 1: From Colonies to Constitution
Unit 2: Expansion and the Road to Civil War
Unit 3: Reconstruction, The West and Industrialization
Unit 4: Immigration, Culture and Imperialism
Unit 5: The Progressive Era- How Progressive Was it?
Unit 6: World War I and its Effects
Unit 7: The 1920’s- Roaring or Warring?
Unit 8: The Great Depression and the New Deal
Unit 9: World War II, The War and its Effects on the United States
Unit 10: The Cold War in American History
Unit 11: The Civil Rights Movements of the 20th Century
Unit 12: The Vietnam War and its Effects on American Society
Materials
We will interact with online resources, newspapers, magazines, Crash Course, TED Talks, CNN Student News, primary and
secondary sources.
Expectations
This class is primarily discussion and inquiry-based, thus the interdependent relationship among students will be crucial to
both individual and class success.
• Discussions and active participation is key to this class! Plan on a high degree of involvement, whether in scholarly seminars
or creative projects—and prepare accordingly (read, take notes, etc.). Also, communication among peers must be consistent
and ‘professional’—that is, the expectation for mutual respect is standard for our class. Group work is essential, and forming
study groups is encouraged.
• All work in this class will not be graded formally; however, all coursework and projects are valuable and designed to
facilitate the process of critical thinking and exam preparation.
• Effective time management is perhaps the greatest skill to work on this year; learn to manage time realistically, effectively,
and efficiently. Reading and coursework needs to be completed ON TIME.
• Students will participate in oral and written assignments on a daily basis. Regular reading of the textbook and supplemental
readings is required. During class, students will be involved in a variety of individual and group writing, discussions, and
projects. All assignments must be legibly handwritten in blue or black ink unless otherwise specified in writing.