Open Disclosure Statement
Course: U.S. History I
Teacher: Jeramia Pessetto
Room: 134
Email:
jepessetto@wsd.net (Please feel free to email me with any questions or concerns you have!)
Course Description:
United States History I includes events and issues in United States history from the Age of Exploration through Reconstruction, emphasizing the 18th and 19th centuries. Topics include, but are not limited to, American Indian life, European exploration and colonization, the Revolutionary War, constitutional issues, nation building, expansion, the Civil War, and Reconstruction. (Taken from the Utah Core Standards of Social Studies, which can be found online on the Utah Education Network website, or by using the following link:
https://www.uen.org/core/core.do?courseNum=6420)
Student Expectations:
Respect yourself
Respect your classmates
Respect your teacher
Respect your school
While this is a short list, there are a lot of different expectations coming from this. A full breakdown of the expectations of this class can be found at this link:
https://docs.google.com/drawings/d/1Csb81GAtQW-8qrdQCpU1jisUzZOgA7eCCDB3fe3svVU/edit?usp=sharingCourse Work:
This class is unique because it's mostly self-paced. This means students can work through the coursework at their own speed. This gives flexibility for completing assignments and tasks. Those who need extra time can have it, while those who work quickly can move ahead.
Students will have a variety of assignments and activities they do. This will include question-answer, reading and writing assignments, projects, note-taking, watching short video clips, learning academic skills such as summarization, and a variety of other assignments.
Videos:
There will be a variety of clips shown from various movies and documentaries throughout the year. Every clip shown will have an instructional and educational purpose, however per district policy, permission must be given for 7th and 8th graders to watch any clip from a movie that has a PG rating. Below is a list of movies from which clips will potentially be played, if a student (or their parents) wishes to abstain from viewing clips in class from any film on this list, please contact Mr. Pessetto by email or in person. Mr. Pessetto will respect the wishes of any parent or student in this regard, and an alternative assignment will be given.
America: The Story of Us
Gettysburg
Monty Python and the Holy Grail
Sacagawea - Heroine of the Lewis and Clark Journey
Various History Channel and PBS documentaries with a G rating
Hall Passes:
Each student will be given four hall passes per quarter. They may be used to take a short bathroom break.
In addition to using up a hall pass, students who leave the classroom are required to leave their cell-phone in the class while they use the hall pass, per school policy. (It will be returned to them when they come back to class.)
Absence and Make-up Work:
All coursework will be posted on Canvas, available for all students (and parents) to view at any time. It is the responsibility of the student to get and make up any work they are missing.
If a student is unsatisfied with the score they received on an assignment, they are able to re-do the assignment for full credit. However, this option is only available to students until one week before the quarter ends.
Grading Procedures:
Grades will be calculated using the following scale:
100% - 90% = A
89% - 80% = B
79% - 70% = C
69% - 60% = D
59% - 0% = F
Students are expected to keep all graded work until they have received a grade for the quarter and verified it is correct.
Electronics Policy:
Cell-phones and other electronic devices (including wireless headphones) may not be used during class and should not be seen. (Students are welcome to keep the devices in their pocket, but it must stay there during class time.) Any violations of this will result in their immediate confiscation with consequences adhering to the school policy (1st offense: Cell phone returned at the end of class + parent contact, 2nd offense: Cell phone is picked up at the end of school from the office + parent contact. 3rd offense: A parent or guardian is required to pick up the cell phone from the office.)
Citizenship
Students have the right to learn in an environment as safe and free from distractions as possible. Consequently, behavior which detracts from this type of environment will not be tolerated. The school’s tardy and truancy policies will be enforced. Citizenship grades will reflect in-class behavior (including work ethic). Repeated failure to meet the student expectations listed will also result in a lowered citizenship grade. Parents/guardians will always be informed of any change in citizenship.
Other policies
Any policy not directly mentioned in this disclosure follows the Student Handbook, available on the school’s website.
