HONORS U.S. HISTORY
Course Syllabus
1960 – 1982
www.worlandhighschooldctrip.wikispaces.com
Mr. Randy Durr – Instructor
CLASS CURRICULUM
This course will address events that shaped United States History from the Presidency of John F. Kennedy through the early
Presidency of Ronald Reagan. This course will address the time period from 1960 – 1982 and will discuss a number of
problems and concerns of interest to serious students of American history. Course participants are encouraged to pose
questions and problems of their own as they interact with required and optional reading assignments outside of class with the
instructor and classmates during class time. Because of controversial events during the time period, the course content does
include some discussions that might be considered ‘non-conservative’ in nature. This could include discussion, language,
and/or viewing of content that might be rated higher than “PG-13.” Please take that into consideration prior to committing to
the course. The following are the Course Objectives:
Unit 1: The Election and Administration of President Kennedy: 1960-1963
Topics Covered: The Election of 1960; the Early Presidency of JFK; The Cuban Missile Crisis; Civil Rights.
Unit 2: The Assassination of President John F. Kennedy: 1963
Topics Covered: Pre-Assassination; Assassination; Post-Assassination; Interrogation and death of Lee Harvey Oswald; The Burial of a President; Examining
Lee Harvey Oswald and Jack Ruby; The Warren Commission.
Unit 3: The Presidency of Lyndon Baines Johnson – Part 1: 1963-1969
Topics Covered: Profile of LBJ; The Election of 1964; The Great Society; Legislation during the Great Society; The Gemini Space Program.
Unit 4: The Presidency of Lyndon Baines Johnson – Part 2: 1963-1969
Topics Covered: Civil Rights including, Freedom Summer Project; Selma, Alabama; Riots in Watts and Detroit; ‘Black Power;’ Protest at the 1968 Summer
Olympic Games; Assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr.; Profile on Dr. King.
Unit 5: The Presidency of Lyndon Baines Johnson – Part 3: 1963-1969
Topics Covered: The Vietnam War including, Background; American Involvement; Fall of Diem; Gulf of Tonkin; American Commitment; Strategy in the Vietnam
War; the TET Offensive; The Fall of LBJ; The Assassination of Robert F. Kennedy.
Unit 6: The Colorful and Colorless 1960’s: 1960-1969
Topics Covered: Violence in the 60’s; Counter Culture Movement; Sexual Revolution; Haight-Ashbury; Woodstock; Fashions; Movies; Marilyn Monroe; Sports
in the 60’s.
Unit 7: The Presidency of Richard M. Nixon: 1969-1976
Topics Covered: Election of 1968; Nixon’s First Administration; Man Landing on the Moon; The Manson Family Murders; Nixon and Vietnam; The End of the
Vietnam War; Inflation and the Energy Crisis; The Election of 1972; The Watergate Scandals.
Unit 8: The Ford Presidency: 1976-1977
Topics Covered: Profile on Gerald Ford; The Nixon Pardon; Ford’s Amnesty Program; The Energy Crisis and Inflation; The Election of 1976; 1976 – At a
Glance.
Unit 9: The Carter Presidency: 1977-1981
Topics Covered: Beginning an Open Administration; The Energy Crisis continues in America; Unemployment; Foreign Affairs and Challenges Abroad; The Middle
East Settlement; Trouble in Iran; Russians in Afghanistan; The End for President Carter; 1980 – At a Glance.
Unit 10: The early Administration of Ronald Reagan: 1981-1982
Topics Covered: Profile on Ronald Reagan; Early years of the Reagan Administration; 1981 – At a Glance; Balancing the Federal Budget; The Attempted
Assassination of President Reagan; The Labor Crisis; The American farmer in the early 1980’s; Fighting Communism in Central America; Marines in the Middle
East; The Invasion of Grenada.
CLASS LECTURES AND DISCUSSION
Each student is required to take careful notes on a daily basis, recording them in the three-ringer binder for this class only.
Each unit should be divided in the binder with marked sections.
The general rule is this - When the teacher is lecturing you are taking notes and are not engaged with casual conversation with
others. Your input and participation is encouraged when the teacher is not directly lecturing.
Raise your hand and be recognized and you will be acknowledged as soon as it is feasible for questions and/or comments
pertaining to the subject area. Each student will be expected to answer questions throughout the lectures and exam reviews.
Each lecture will be video recorded and available on the Worland High School United States History website:
www.worlandhighschooldctrip.wikispaces.com
The videos will be under: VIDEO LECTURES – HONORS U.S. History. Students can view the lectures daily on that website
beginning at 4:00 pm nightly.
Students who miss lectures are expected to watch the video series for any days of school missed. Students will not be given
extra time to complete lectures, reviews, or exams upon return when absent. Students are expected to participate fully upon
return at the point of the course curriculum.
CLASS PARTICIPATION / ATTENDANCE
Students are encouraged to participate fully and enthusiastically. The instructor will draw upon his own experience, reading,
and knowledge to bring students into contact with materials beyond those in the text. Students with sincere questions
prompted from their notes or reading should make a point to raise such questions during class.
Students are expected to attend class on a regular basis. If a class must be missed for any reason, including school activities,
the student concerned is expected to:
1 - Give the instructor prior notice, if possible.
2 - Make arrangements to view classroom lectures through the class website. Students are responsible for lecture notes,
reviews, handouts, etc. for their notebooks.
3 - All unexcused absences from class will result in no credit for the day(s) missed.
ATTENDANCE POINTS
Students will have the opportunity to accumulate five (5) attendance points per day for each day of the semester. To earn
such attendance points, each student must:
1 – Be in class daily; arriving on time.
2 - Participate in classroom discussions while taking organized notes.
3 – Bring all materials required to class daily.
4 – If a student is absent for a school-sponsored activity, they will be given their attendance points for the day but will be
responsible to pick up any lecture information given the day(s) of the absence, being prepared for class immediately upon
return. Any assignments due on the day a student is gone for school sponsored activities will be turned in prior to leaving to
avoid a late penalty.
ASSESSMENT PROCEDURES
Assessment for the class will be based on:
1 – Formative assessments – Quizzes, Biographies, Assignments
2 – Summative assessments – Exams
3 – Classroom Attendance & Participation
GRADING PROCEDURES
This course will be graded on a point total. Total points earned will be divided by the total points available to come up with a
percentage. Percentage grades will be given as follows:
90 - 100% = A = 4.0; 80 - 89% = B = 3.0; 70 – 79% = C = 2.0
** Any student who receives a grade of less than “B” for first semester, will be removed from the class.
CLASSROOM RULES
1. BE TO CLASS ON TIME!
Because tardiness is a disruption to all students, please be on time when class starts. This class is right after lunch so make
sure you budget your time and be in class on time! Tardiness will result in loss of attendance points for the day.
If you need to go to the restroom, please request permission prior to class beginning. Leaving the classroom during
instruction will result in loss of attendance points for that day.
2. BRING ALL PROPER MATERIALS TO CLASS!
Make sure you have a pen and/or pencil, paper, binder, and highlighter each day. You will not be allowed to go to your locker
to retrieve materials without loss of attendance points for the day.
3. LATE AND/OR UNACCEPABLE PAPERS
Late or unacceptable papers will not be accepted for full credit unless special circumstances are approved by the instructor.
1 - All late and/or unacceptable papers will be accepted within two (2) school days at a reduced rate.
2 - Assignments turned in within two (2) school days after the due date will be graded at 50%.
3 - Assignments not submitted within two (2) school days will result in grade of 0%.
4. CELL PHONES
DO NOT bring your cell phone to this class. If you are caught using your cell phone; or it engages at any time during class, you
will receive a grade of “0” for the week on daily attendance points. In addition, your phone will be confiscated and turned over
to the office for disciplinary procedures outlined in the Student Handbook.
5. FOOD, DRINKS
You are allowed to bring beverages that are in a plastic bottle with a cap to avoid unnecessary messes for custodial staff.
Students are not allowed to bring food of any kind to class with the exception of ‘special’ days designated by the instructor.
6. BE AWARE OF PROPER TESTING PROCEDURES!
All testing will take place in the Commons area of the high school. Students are to sit two students per table, facing forward
toward the instructor. No talking once the instructor announces testing has begun; body posture straight ahead. Students
who miss the day of an exam for any reason will take the exam upon the first day back to school following the absence during
Orange Period or after school.
FINAL NOTES
Remember - Life is a “give and take” proposition!
If you are willing to give your instructor your time and cooperation, he will take you to higher levels of learning in
the field of United States History and your grade will reflect great success with the possibility of college credit.
If you are determined to provide your instructor grief and a non-cooperative attitude, he will remove your
opportunity to learn about the history of our country in a very unsuccessful manner.
Your instructor can be your “best friend” or “worst enemy” – there will be no “in between.”
His job is to help you LEARN and he will do his very best to insure that you do!
All you need to provide is a great attitude and willingness to listen!