Goodrich Academy
Course: U.S. Government
Teacher: Mr. McNamara
Course Overview:
U.S Government is a course that emphasizes the study of the
American Constitution. The course will examine the U.S. Constitution from its
infancy to current constitutional issues. The three federal branches and the
Bill of Rights will also be studied in great detail.
The objective of the course is to give students a better
understanding of their individual rights and responsibilities in our society.
Hopefully, by providing a thorough understanding of our nation’s system of
government, students will be motivated to participate fully in our democratic
system.
Texts:
1. The Bill of Rights Institute. The Bill of
Rights for Real Life:
2. Fraga , Luis. United States Government.
Holt McDougal,2012.
3. ICIVICS.org
4. Newsela.org
Course Requirements:
Each student is required to prepare a
written synopsis of a newspaper or newsela.org article that is political in
nature. The article reviews will be worth ten points and due every Thursday. Students
will also participate in an on-line current event quiz that will be corrected
as a class. W.B.Z news clips will also be used to initiate class discussion.
Students will also be exposed to an
on-line learning tool ICIVICS.ORG. ICIVICS teaches students how government
works by having them experience it directly. Through on-line games, students will
step into any role – a judge, a member of Congress, and the President of the
United States.
A project will be assigned called “Creating a Constitution”
that requires students to create laws for a newly formed country that will be
presented to the class using power point.
To accommodate student’s different learning styles,
alternative assessments that include on-line discussions, portfolios, and student
produced videos will be presented as viable options for students.
Grading:
Chapter
tests, ICIVICS assignments, class work, Newsela reviews, and class discussion
50%
Attendance
20%
Portfolio 10%
Final
Exam 20%
Goodrich Academy
Course: World History
Teacher: Mr. McNamara
Course Overview:
This elective
course will present a historical overview of World War I, the Holocaust, and
World War II. Students will study the
attempt by the Nazis to systematically eliminate an entire group of people -the
Jews. The root and causes of anti-Semitism will be explored as well as the
tragic results.
Course Objectives:
Students will
1.
Understand how harmful prejudice, stereotyping,
and intolerance can be.
2.
Have an in-depth knowledge about the holocaust.
3.
Be able
to identify key places on a map of Europe.
4.
Demonstrate an understanding of the impact of
WWI and WWII on the United States’ foreign and domestic policies.
5.
Create a
multimedia project on the holocaust and WWII.
6.
Be able to identify and explain the motivations
of perpetrators, victims, bystanders, and rescuers.
Course Requirements:
Every student is
expected to be actively involved in classroom discussions. Your involvement is
evaluated through various kinds of assignments. Examples include interpreting
primary sources, secondary sources, and through Internet research projects.
To accommodate
students’ different learning styles, alternative assessments that include peer
assessment portfolios, and role playing will be presented as a viable options
for students.
Grading:
A student’s final
grade will be determined on the basis of overall performance on tests,
multimedia projects, class work, and attendance. The following percentages will
be used in finalizing grades:
Multimedia projects, class work, tests, and class
discussion 50%
Attendance 20%
Portfolio 10%
Final Exam
20% Goodrich Academy
Course: U.S History I
Teacher: Mr. McNamara
Course Overview:
This course presents and introduction
into early American history. United States History I covers a grand sweep of
history-from the arrival of the first Americans after the last ice age through
the settlement by diverse colonists, the gaining of independence, and the
creation of the U.S. Constitution.
1. Danzer, Gerald and Nancy Woloch. The
Americans. Evanston, IL: Houghton Mifflin, 2012.
2. Zinn, Howard. A People’s History
of the United States . New York, N.Y. : The New York Press, 1980, 1995.
3. Newsela.org
Course Requirements:
Students will be responsible for all
assigned readings in class. Class work assigned during the instructional period
will be due at the end of the period. Your knowledge of the material will lead
to effective class discussions.
A short test will be given at the end
of each textbook chapter. To accommodate student’s different learning styles,
alternative assessments that include web quests, portfolios, and student
produced videos will be presented as viable options.
A project will be assigned called “A
Colonization Tale”. Students will be required to create a story that focuses on
discovering a new colony. A power point presentation will be utilized by
students to present the project to the class.
Grading:
Chapter
Tests, essays, projects, class work, and class discussion 50%
Attendance
20%
Portfolio 10%
Final
Exam 20%
Goodrich Academy
Course: Geography & World Issues
Teacher: Mr. McNamara
Course Overview:
The study of Geography and World Issues gives students the
opportunity to explore significant people, places, events, and concepts in the
study of humankind.
This course includes the study of physical cultural
characteristics of world regions, how they are similar and how they are
different, economic patterns, and population dynamics. Emphasis on today’s
world and major issues that impact on everyday life.
Texts :
Beck, Roger, and Linda Black. World History of Interaction,
Evanston, IL : McDougal Little, INC., 2004.
Pahl, Ron. Breaking Away from the Textbook, Lanham,
Maryland: Scarecrow Press, Inc., 2002.
Newsela.org
Course Requirements :
Every student is expected to be actively involved in
classroom discussions. Your involvement is evaluated through various kinds of
assignments. Examples include maintaining a portfolio folder, interpreting
primary sources, secondary sources, participating in cooperative activities,
and through internet research projects.
A map quiz will be given at the end of each unit. Make - up
quizzes will be arranged between the teacher and student.
Upon completion of this course, the student will be able to
perform the following tasks: 1). Demonstrate an awareness of the major regions
of the world and significant places within those regions, where they are and
what they are like by identifying them on a map and describing them in written
exercises. 2). Locate and label on a printed map the important countries,
cities, rivers, and land forms for the given world regions discussed in the
course.
Grading :
Map
memorization quizzes, class work, class discussion, and internet projects 50%
Attendance
20%
Portfolio 10%
Final
Exam 20%
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