After you read the following information and advice, please feel free to go to my download page, http://www.sjusd.org/pioneer/high/school/staff_info/C8209. Here is a summary of the available materials that could be of further help:
Please see “Green Sheet 11th Grade US History,” our green sheet of class policies and further advice for success. “11th Grade US History Year Plan” is our course outline for the school year, giving an overview of each thematic unit; “11th Grade US History Year Plan Exam Questions” details the one, over-arching learning objective for each thematic unit, which, not coincidentally, is the essay exam question for each unit. Essay exam questions should never be a surprise! I want you to know the questions for the whole year right now. Together, they constitute the major questions students must answer to know their places in the American past and present, for this year and the rest of their lives.
The files named “11th Grade US History Unit # Outline” (with “#” being each unit number) are our Unit Outlines that we use daily. They are students’ best friends for staying organized, preparing for exams and essays, and succeeding in class overall! They also contain a complete list of our daily learning objectives and content lists, facts for which to listen during note-taking sessions during class. Please refer to the information further down on this page for advice on how to maximize use of these Unit Outlines. These documents are also available on Google Docs to be downloaded in editable formats: students may take notes on laptops, iPads, or other technology if they wish. I estimate that about 80-90% of students’ notes can be successfully taken on the Unit Outlines.
Please follow the following links to download the Google Docs versions of the Unit Outlines:
Unit 0: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1AXYxhXSVSOihdq1UxR6ZDlUfrRI3JPEnkXpZ5D6GFHI/edit
Unit 1: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1B0fUc1sQeoyHCQBdqQHiesW7D_t6K28mJtnzK4iQwmc/edit
Unit 2: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1WYkjjU187lbSos_vR8Jl6OsmrMcdBcNZcev6jul9zOw/edit
Unit 3: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1RHNwD7mplhBmK_iQ5tTbkX_ft4f9Es7_CPrDEj2Qbbs/edit
Unit 4: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1SmgKezOWd42Toy-g6MqCT9bQjVbJvTfMP6NvINyKNns/edit
Unit ∞: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1S-ZYQXLOGkNiGzQK8qW73lxbWuy59xwOiikw-4NVj_A/edit
Additionally, the complete structure of our US History curriculum at Pioneer is available on my download page; these files enable the reader to see how, whether a particular teacher uses a chronological or thematic course structure, every teacher at Pioneer uses the same learning objectives and teaches the same content. For this information, please refer to the files “US History Learning Objectives and Prioritized Content Chronological Map,” “US History Learning Objectives and Prioritized Content Thematic Map,” “US History Learning Objectives Chronological Map,” and “US History Learning Objectives Thematic Map.” Additionally, the three files that begin “US History Standards…” detail the three sets of California and SJUSD standards that form the basis for our course.
If you are interested in my teaching philosophies, particularly why I have chosen to teach a thematic course structure for over a decade and why I use extensive documents as opposed to a textbook, please see, “Course Philosophies 11th Grade US History.”
***Advice on Homework Success***
Each Monday, students are provided a syllabus detailing all homework assignments for the coming week, and frequently, more notice about major assignments and exams. With the exception of periodic binder quizzes (testing students’ note-taking and binder organization), there will never be a pop quiz or test. Students, I recommend using the syllabus to plan your week. Preview all of the assignments. Assess which are longer and shorter; assess which seem more difficult and easier. Estimate how much time is needed for each, and fit that time into your weekly schedule with your other commitments. Try to anticipate on which assignments you may need help, and then come in for help with Mr. Glasser. A weekly schedule of lunchtime and after-school help times is posted each Monday morning in the classroom. Times and days will rotate, but generally I am available every day, either at lunch or after school. Parents, in helping your student stay organized and current with homework assignments, my best advice is to review the weekly syllabus with him/her each Monday evening. You can talk over which assignments seem to be longer (and will therefore take more time and planning), more difficult (therefore enabling your student to get an early start or to come in for a help session with me), or more potentially frustrating (definitely not an assignment to save until the last night before it’s due).
Students are responsible for keeping all weekly syllabi in either 1. their daily planners or 2. a special section in their binders marked “Syllabi.” At the end of the semester, students will have a running list of every assignment due for the entire semester. There are several purposes of keeping this running list; the most important two are to help the students prepare for exams and to allow students to make up missing homework assignments. Please note that if a student wants to make up missing homework, I will not give assignment information again. Students are held responsible for knowing the specific instructions for each assignment. Work that does not meet assignment criteria will not earn credit. Virtually all homework assignments can be made up until the end of the semester for 75% late credit. The only exceptions are assignments that are specifically denoted as “On Time” at the beginning of the assignment name in the grade book. Completing these assignments on time serves some sort of important purpose for class, and therefore, these assignments are not eligible for late credit. All other assignments, though, can be made up for late credit, and I highly encourage students’ doing so!
I also highly recommend that students and parents not wait until grade updates have been posted on line before addressing missing homework. Students’ syllabi list all assignments given in class; I recommend that you use the syllabus to plan proactively instead of reacting to grade reports that show zeros!
Please note that I do not post weekly syllabi on the school website as it is important for me to hold students accountable for keeping their semester syllabi current and organized.
My best advice of all is to refer to our class’s Green Sheet! In it is an entire section on the criteria for strong homework assignments. Here are some excerpts from that section of the Green Sheet. Please refer to the Green Sheet for the full text.
Strong grades are earned on homework by meeting the following criteria:
- Answering the required questions directly and thoughtfully, including critical analysis and creative thinking
- Supporting conclusions with evidence (quoted and paraphrased) from the readings; make it clear that you read the assignment and use the text as proof for your ideas
- Putting answers in your own words: simply copying large chunks of text is unproductive; rather, please use small passages from the readings as evidence and make the rest of the writing your own original words and thoughts
- Being reasonable in the length of your answers: please don’t be a minimalist—be sure to sufficiently develop your answers—but be reasonable and don’t write two pages for a question that can be answered in one paragraph
Important notes about homework grading include the following:
- If you do not meet the requirements of a homework assignment, you will earn an “NC,” which stands for “not complete” and “no credit.” All NCs will be converted to zeros in the grade book at the end of the semester. If you get an NC, you must finish the assignment and hand it back in to get credit. Make-up NCs can earn only late credit, not full credit. Please be aware that I am strict in my definition of “complete.”
- Please note that having the right answers is not part of your homework grade. It is important for you to understand your reading, and we will discuss the accurate answers in class, but please feel free to guess and take risks in your thinking in your homework. General Douglas MacArthur once said, “if everyone in the room is thinking the same thing, then someone isn’t thinking.” Please get out of the habit of feeling compelled to be “right” and into the habit of being curious and willing to experiment with ideas.
***Advice on Major Assessments: Tests, Essays and Projects***
The following is my best advice on how to succeed on tests and essays, as well as being able to enjoy as much success as possible in class in general. The Unit Outlines to which I refer below are available on my download page, http://www.sjusd.org/pioneer/high/school/staff_info/C8209, under the file names, “11th Grade US History Unit # Outline” (with “#” being each unit number).
Generally, there are two kinds of assessments given in this class: content tests and unit assessments (essays and projects).
Content tests are given periodically throughout the year to assess students on their progress regarding the California 11th-Grade US History Content Standards; the same questions are given at points throughout the year in all 11th-grade history classes to ensure that students are effectively learning this same, most important material regardless of which Pioneer teacher leads their US History class. Since this class is organized around the standards being tested, following the same advice for unit assessments listed below is the best way to study for content tests. The main difference is that, since content tests are not open-binder, students will need to spend more time memorizing information regarding items from content lists. The preparation process is exactly the same as for unit assessments, though.
Unit assessments (essays, projects) are those that are unique to Mr. Glasser’s US History class. They are not meant to surprise or fool you! In fact, at the beginning of each unit, students will receive a Unit Outline that includes, among other useful information, the key learning objective(s) / exam essay and project question(s) for that unit’s assessment(s). In other words, students will learn on the very first day that we begin a unit the exam essay question that ends that unit, as well as other projects or expectations of them over the course of the unit. All unit assessments are entirely open binder: my goal is not for students to use their time memorizing information; it is rather to master the information and use it to excel in all three levels of critical thinking.
I therefore recommend organizing your assessment preparation—preparing for an essay, doing a project, etc.—by levels of critical thinking:
Low-Level Critical Thinking
Low-level critical thinking means understanding information, knowing who people are and what happened in certain events, etc. In your unit outline, you will see two helpful resources to aid you in your low-level critical thinking.
- Content Lists—These lists of people, places and things are the most important facts we have studied in class. Some have come from homework readings, others from lectures and class discussions. Your first step in content test preparation is to know what/who these things/people are. Items on these content lists are also great pieces of evidence for essays and projects. These content lists will also help you in your note-taking during class. Try to listen for things on the list. If you hear something in class, and it is on the list, prioritize it in your note-taking.
- Lists of sources—This list tells you all of the readings (and other visual and auditory sources) we have used for homework and during class throughout the unit. Reviewing each source and understanding a few main ideas from each is a great way to study for content tests. Taking quotes from these sources is a great way to collect evidence (quotes and facts) for essays and projects.
Mid-Level Critical Thinking
Mid-level critical thinking means finding patterns in the history we study—similarities and differences, themes and big ideas. Mid-level critical thinking allows you to tie together everything we learn, to create categories of information. Being able to understand patterns in the history is a huge step in your preparation for content tests and in creating themes for essays and projects. (For example, as we will discuss in class, a solid theme is what makes a great topic sentence in an essay.) Your best tool for mid-level critical thinking is the learning objectives in your Unit Outlines. To prepare for content tests and unit assessments, practice answering each learning objective by using
1. things from your content lists
2. quotes and main ideas from sources
3. notes from class
My biggest piece of advice is to appeal to your learning style in this mid-level critical thinking. If you are an auditory learner, form a study group and talk through your answers to these learning objectives with friends. If you are visual and/or haptic, create second drafts of your notes. Go over your notes from class and old homework assignments. Create subject headings for each learning objective and/or themes that you define as being important to them. Write items from the content lists, main ideas and quotes from homework readings, and information from your class notes together according to the learning objective to which it pertains. Use graphic organizers, charts, and other visual formats. Understand the way your brain works and take advantage of your strengths!
Upper-Level Critical Thinking
Upper-level critical thinking means making judgments and creating original conclusions. All unit assessments are centered around upper-level critical thinking questions. Once you have done your low- and mid-level thinking, you are well on your way to making responsible, reliable, well-proven judgments!
Being able to accomplish these three levels of thinking takes dedication, throughout the semester, to daily homework assignments and a commitment to keeping an organized binder (see “Green Sheet 11th Grade US History” for binder instructions). Having all of your sources from throughout the unit organized in your binder is a must. I cannot stress enough that without these two commitments to success, any success at all in class will be extremely difficult if not impossible.
Above all else, students must do their homework daily and keep an organized binder.
