Honors Sophomore World History – Fall 2007 – James Couture

Email: jmcouture@seattleschools.org Class Web Site: www.fashionzombie.net

September 5, 2007

Dear parents and students,

I, James Couture, am the teacher of ____________________________________ in their World History class.

Contact: I am most easily and reliably contacted by email at: jmcouture@seattleschools.org. I also maintain a web site that provides nearly all of the plans and notes that I use in class. In addition to being a study resource, the web site also offers vocabulary lists, useful web links, writing hints, class rules, and a link to “The Source”, where one can find student grades and attendance. If you know your student number, you can keep up on your assignments, grades, and attendance. My web site address is: www.fashionzombie.net

Course summary: Honors Sophomore World History tells the story of European, Asian, African, Latin American, and Middle Eastern history from the end of the Renaissance until yesterday. Obviously, the class will have to cover only key periods and events rather than attempting to touch on every name, date, and place. In general, the class will focus on how and why key historical events came to be. Primary source readings, art slide shows, a few movies, research work, and simulation games will be more important than lists or memorization. Be prepared to write essays, summarize readings, use complex vocabulary, read for bias, do research, and analyze how paintings and movies describe people’s lives. By the end of this class, you should know why some important parts of history happened the way they did. Hopefully, you will then be able to understand why today’s world is as it is, and what it is likely to be like tomorrow. As an honors class, students will be expected to do more reading, more complex reading, more writing, and more independent studying. The content is essentially the same as my regular classes, but the standards and resources put to use will be more academically rigorous.

Books and readings: There will be no take-home book for this class. In the first few weeks, we will read Candide by Voltaire. Some of the units will have reading packets. I will post every reading that I can on the web site as well. I will provide links to useful web sites for each unit so that students can study outside of the assigned readings. All of my lecture notes and all of vocabulary lists will also be posted on the web site. Any reading that cannot be posted on the web site for copyright reasons will be available in class or as a take-home photocopy as needed.

Attendance Policy: I will follow the attendance policy as defined by West Seattle High School and posted at: http://www.seattleschools.org/schools/wshs/attendance.htm

Class Rules: See the web site. (http://www.fashionzombie.net/2_small_subs/framework.htm)

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James Couture's Class Rules and Basic Syllabus

I have read the letter above (September 5, 2007):

Parent Signature _______________________ Name Printed __________________________ Date:_______

Student Signature ______________________ Name Printed __________________________ Date:_______

Initial if… Student has easy access to the web site: _____ Parent has easy access to the web site: ______

Assignment Grading Policy:

• Homework assignments are due at THE BEGINNING of the period on the day on which they are due.
• Late homework will lose 20% of its total possible points.
• No assignment may be turned in more than two weeks late. It is the student’s responsibility to ask for late work. The web site is exceedingly handy here.
• I will not take in more than three late assignments in any given quarter.
• Any missed tests must be made up before school, after school, or during lunch within a week of the missed test. Students are responsible for scheduling the missed tests.

Class Grade Policy:

• "The depth of coverage of material in our courses require active student engagement and participation. The failure to attend class prevents active student engagement. Because active student engagement is a necessary component of our classes, attendance and class participation will be considered as a basis for grading in our courses." (sic) - WSHS
• My grades are based on a simple points system. Each assignment is worth a certain number of points. On some assignments it is easy to get all of the points. On others getting even half of the points may be satisfactory.
• I do occasionally assign extra credit, but never in the last two weeks of each quarter. Plan ahead.
• I post grades on the web site as often as I can. It is your responsibility to check the accuracy of my grading and grade recording. I grade approximately 2,700 assignments a semester (90 students, 30 assignments). It would be a miracle if I didn't blow it occasionally, so check your papers when I return them, and check your posted grade often. Don't wait until the end of the semester to bring a problem to my attention; I may not believe you.
• Approximately 35% of each student's grades come from various sorts of in-class work.
• I will assign a paper or major project of some sort (research, persuasive essay, etc.) every few weeks. There will also occasionally be reading homework. Approximately 25% of a student's grade will be homework and essays.
• Approximately 15% of each student's grade will come from tests.
• Each student will have to read two or three books this semester worth about 15% of their grade.
• Each quarter will end with a final that will be worth 10% of the student’s total grade. Each quarter grade is a final grade and will have its own final.
• In my class, 90% and above is an A, 80% to 89.99% is a B, 70% to 79.99% is a C, 60% to 69.99% is a D, and anything below that fails to meet standards.
• In general, an "A" means that a student has done all of the work in exemplary fashion as has shown remarkable intelligence. A "B" means that a student is performing above average. A "C" means that the student has turned in either a spotty amount of excellent work or average work. A "D" means that the student has performed well below average, but still deserves not to have to retake the class. We call an failure an "N" here in Seattle. I do not grade on attendance, on potential, or on how hard a student works. I grade the work turned in, period.