American History

Stapley Junior High School

Contact Information:

          Christopher Coleman

          Room 101

480-472-2701

          Email: clcolema@mpsaz.org

Course Purpose

          People live in the present and look towards the future.  The study of the past helps us understand the present world better.  Understanding history will help us to make better choices in the future.  Why are gas prices so high?  Well, the answer to that can only be answered by studying past events.  The study of history helps us understand our world and other cultures better.  Why is Arizona a part of the United States when it used to belong to the Native Americans and then the Spanish?

            The purpose of this course is to help our teenagers understand the world in which they live.  The more they understand about how our world evolved to its present state, the better they will be equipped to live in it and change it for the better.

Required Materials

          Students will be required to have the following every day.

·         3-ring notebook to organize papers (this notebook can be used for other classes as well)

·         No. 2 pencil (or equivalent)

·         Lined paper (non-spiral notebook)

·         Two colored pens (any color)

Failure to have the appropriate materials will result in loss of participation points.

Grading

Homework                  10 pts.          Four out of five nights a week

Participation                20 pts.         Participation every day in class.  Twenty points per week.

Bell Work                    15 pts.          Every day (collected once every two weeks)

Tests                            100 pts.       Approx. every two weeks (one per chapter)

Vocabulary Quizzes    40 pts.   Approx. every two weeks (one per chapter)

Projects                       50 pts.         Once a quarter

Rules

1.      Respect others & self

2.      Follow directions

3.      Stay on task

4.      Ask questions

5.      Wait for teacher to dismiss class at end of period