2015-2015 Advanced Placement History Mrs. Chambers Rules and other stuff! Never use the word “stuff” as a noun, especially in your thesis.

Why Advanced Placement Possible College Credit College Preparatory Work College Admission to Elite Colleges Increased Scholarship Opportunities Because you can!

Advanced Placement is not for you if… You are allergic to hard work You’d rather whine than win You miss a lot of school days You are already overloaded with after school job, sports, activities, social life, etc.

Advanced Placement is for you if… You are competitive You are not afraid of hard work You are willing to learn how to manage your work load and schedule You want to possibly earn college credit You want to be ready to conquer college You want to improve your ACT test scores

What you’ll need… NOT

What you won’t need I wonder if Mrs. Chambers will give me an A if I bring her this Diet Coke?

You Will Need… Notebook paper Good Binder Highlighters in various colors Only black or blue pens Sticky Notes (For annotating text) Textbook, unless otherwise informed Review Book - optional

Test Prep Book

What to Expect Regular Homework To retain information, you must do something with it. So we will… Read it… (actively) Write it… (outlines & notes) Discuss it Test it!

Routine Assignments Read & outline the text Reading quizzes 27 Chapters to cover in approx. 17 weeks Reading quizzes Every week Projects involving research Document interpretation & discussion Extra reading Memorize the most important dates Essays in and out of class, lots of writing

APUSH Exam: 5/6/2016

Grading Policy Grades are based on total points received divided by total points possible. Students will have many opportunities to earn points, but few opportunities for bonus/extra credit. Students who miss more than two homework assignments in a quarter will not be allowed any extra credit. In a typical quarter your will have outlines grades, vocab grades, quiz grades, project/paper grade and test grades. This means that one bad grade will not kill you. You can almost always come back from a mistake.

Grading Scale: 10 Points A=90-100 B=80=89 C=70-79 D=65-69 F=0-64

All AP Tests are College Level And Very Difficult Because these tests are very difficult, you will be given the opportunity to correct tests for partial credit added to your original test score.

Mrs. Chambers’ Code of Acceptable Behavior

Don’t Be a Moocher

Also… Cellphone use will sometimes be permitted in class to look up certain items, etc. Please ask before you use. Cellphone use is NEVER permissible during tests or quizzes.

No, No, No

Probably not…

DON’T BE LATE!

Makeup Policy All homework and tests are due on the day of return to school unless otherwise stated. Assignments are due at the beginning of your class time. Students checking in late must find me and show me the assignment or it will be considered late. Tests will be taken during fourth block or after school. For extended absences due to illness or family emergencies, students will be given the amount of time indicated by school board policy to make up tests and quizzes. Tests and quizzes not made up after 3 days after your return will earn a grade of zero. Students must email me when they know they’re going to be absent on the day of a test. Students who know in advance must inform me they are missing a test.

Pay Attention when Others are Talking…

Honor Code The Honor Code is in full force in my class. Do not plagiarize. Do not cheat. Academic dishonesty is dishonesty.

History is Controversial

Oftentimes Ugly

Controversy in the Study of History In this class we will discuss some topics and ideas about which you disagree, no matter what your religion or background may be. When that happens, try to remember that while you do have to learn this information, you do not have to take it to heart, nor do you have to believe the information. Topics like race and religion are integral to History, but we must all try to be sensitive to the individual views of others. This does not mean we cannot discuss these issues, but it does mean that we will always try to approach these issues with respect. You will probably encounter beliefs and ideas that seem strange to you, and my goal is to approach these ideas academically. If you are really troubled by a topic, come talk to me and we will try to figure something out. In my class I hope you will learn critical thinking. My job is not to teach you what to believe, but to give you the tools to find the answers for yourself. Hopefully, you will become a critical consumer of information.