Welcome to Young Historians
Course Syllabus
Teachers: Mr. Julian Barkley Contact: 520-439-3536 or jbarkley@cpic-cas.org
Website: barkleyeclass.pbworks.com
Goal of Young Historians
History is an important subject for all to learn. It allows us, the future of the world, to learn and
understand about our past so that we can not only avoid making the same mistakes our ancestors
did, but also understand how our past can help guide our future. “Young Historians” is a studentled research- and project-based course in which students will discover U.S. History following the
Civil War.
As the course progresses, students will design or implement the following in the classroom:
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Group v. Individual work/projects
Subjects discussed
Materials used
Pencils/Pens (provided)
Notebook (provided)
Loose paper (provided)
Planner (recommended)
Folder (recommended)
Graded Course Components
A- 100-90%
B- 89-80%
C- 79-70%
D-69-60%
F-59-0%
In this class, letter grades are broken down as seen above. Students only need a “D” to
pass this course, however we will be providing options to students for re-doing work, including
assignments, quizzes, tests, and the like.
Assignment Weight
Notes
30%
Lino Collaboration
15%
Essay
15%
Presentation
15%
Assignments
5%
Participation
20%
Notes/Class Journal
Notes are a required part of Young Historians. As students are doing their research, their notes
need to reflect what they are researching. In this, students will be answering the following six
questions- in detail—in their notes as they research: 1) What events led up to the occurrence, 2)
what happened and how did it happen (in detail), 3) when did this occurrence happen and how
long did it last for, 4) who all was affected/involved by this occurrence, 5) what was the outcome
of this occurrence, and 6) what was the long-term impact or legacy of this event? Notes will be
graded on a weekly basis.
As well, your name, the date of entry, and the topic must always be at the top of each new
journal entry. Students should also try to keep track of where they are finding information.
Wikipedia should not be used.
Bellwork
Bellwork is going to be a daily part of the Young Historians class and is going to cover
something that students have either become familiar with, or will become familiar with.
Bellwork should only take the first 5 minutes of class and will be written (and dated) inside of
the notebooks. Bellwork is graded on (1) Effort, (2) Content and (3) Relevance to topic.
Lino Collaborative Board—www.linoit.com
As part of Young Historians, students are required to post no less than 1 (one) note to the
collaborative board weekly in this class. Each post must be relevant to what is being discussed in
class that week and much include no less than 1 paragraph (5 sentences) of explanation as to
what the article, video, picture, etc. is of. Students must also be sure to include their first initial,
last name on every post to ensure credit is given. When students make their account, they
need to be sure to send their account information to the teacher so they can be added to the
collaborative board.
Essay Project
On the early days of the class, students will decided on two different topics that they want to
learn about separately from the rest of the class. The first topic will be the essay project. Students
will research and write an essay regarding the topic of their choice. More detail will be seen in
the instructions given by the teacher.
Presentation
The Final project of this course is a presentation. The presentation can be done in any way
students wish to present it and will be covered the second topic they chose at the beginning of the
class. Students will be required to present what they found concerning the six questions as seen
above in the “Notes” section. More details will be given as the class moves forward.
In-class Assignments
In-class assignments are any work done within the classroom (or possibly sent home). This
includes worksheets, activities, and every end of lesson review. More information will be given
about these assignments when we get to the specified assignments themselves. In this particular
class, such assignments are going to be unlikely, as the class is mostly spent discussing, reading,
and researching.
Participation
Participation in this class is graded on how involved you appear to be throughout the course each
week. This means that you show initiative when you research, ask questions, work with fellow
classmates, promote discussion, and, at the end of each week (Thursday), you write a short
paragraph reflection on what you learned that week about any topic in the class. Your reflection
should be based on the following factors:
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What did you learn?
What did you think about the material?
What would you have liked to learn about the material that the class did not cover?
Field Trips
Field Trips are not a graded portion of this course, but are highly recommended to students. As
of this writing, I am estimating about 4-5 field trips this semester. Students may be required to
provide some funds for the field trip, although I am working with the school and private services
to provide an experience to students that is either free of charge or at a low cost. Students are
required to try and reflect on their fieldtrip experiences and learn from them.
Rules and Procedures
Rules
1.
When you enter class, quietly take your assigned seat and begin working on the computer
(unless otherwise instructed).
2.
Tardiness is unacceptable. Please do not be late to class.
3.
Pick up trash before you leave.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
Raise your hand if you have a question or comment.
Keep your hands and feet to yourself.
Do not use foul language.
Treat others the way you would want to be treated.
Be prepared and ready for class.
Do not leave class without permission.
Do not talk when others are talking.
No cellphones- no texting, use of apps, Facebook/Twitter, or calling.
DisciplineFirst Tier- Minor offenses. In this category falls talking, disruptions, and other minor offenses.
If a student starts with a minor offense, the student should simply be redirected towards proper
behavior.
Second Tier- Mild offenses. In this category falls insulting, intimidation, cursing, repetitive
minor offenses, and other similar offenses. In this case, a referral may be required to curb such
behavior.
Third Tier- Serious offenses. This category includes fighting, bullying, cheating, and other
serious offenses. In this situation, a student will be removed from the classroom, written up, and
administrative action will be necessary.
Tutoring and Friday Policy
If a student has a failing grade (“D” or below), I have been given the power to require students to
come in during Friday hours which are from 8:00-3:30, every Friday. I may also help a student
afterschool if necessary. If a student has been consistently absent to this class, I would
recommend that the student come to school on Friday to complete any necessary coursework
they may have missed. If this necessary, either I or the school will contact the parents/guardians
to inform them that their child should come to school.
Re-do Policy
If a student receives a “D” or lower on an assignment—or wishes to try for a higher grade—this
class offers options for students to redo an assignment for a higher grade. If a student redoes an
assignment, they will receive the higher grade between two (or more) grades. There is no time
limit on redoing an assignment, but the teacher does recommend that redoing an assignment be
done within at least a week of the assignments due date. Students cannot, however, redo the
Current Event assignments.
Cell phone Policy
In this class, cell phones are banned from use in the class. First time I see a phone, it is subject to
a warning. The second time, the phone will be confiscated and returned to the student at the end
of the period if they do not argue with the teacher. However, if the student does argue, the
cellphone will be taken for the rest of the day and can only be picked up by a parent or guardian,
if it applies.
Borrowing Policy
To borrow items in the classroom, the student must sign the item out and return it the same
period. There is a sign-out sheet on the teacher’s desk. Items not returned from students will
prevent them from borrowing any materials in the future until the original item is returned or
replaced.
Exceptional Needs Policy
If students have special needs, please inform me, the course instructor, and/or the school. We
will take steps to ensure that every possible accommodation is made to assist students with
needs.
With that said, we look forward to working with all our new students this upcoming school year.
Mr. Julian Barkley