08-18 Lecture: History and U.S. Government Course Policies and Island Activity
The instructor opens by taking attendance and outlining the structure of a History and U.S. Government course. Key points include handling sensitive historical materials with context and respect, classroom expectations for smartphone and academic integrity policies, and detailed grading procedures. The grading system rewards on-time formative work, including incentives like quiz retakes for students who meet deadlines or proactively request extensions. The main activity is a group project called the "island activity," where students imagine being stranded on a deserted island and must design a functional society. They receive specific details about the island’s geography and resources and a set of guiding questions to build their societal structure, which they will present to the class for a vote.
Handling Sensitive Historical Content
The course uses primary and secondary sources, including audio and visual materials, which may contain violent, graphic, or offensive content (e.g., terms or images insulting to certain races, genders, or sexual orientations).
This content is presented to understand historical context and is not to be used outside the classroom.
Students are encouraged to approach the instructor, or Miss Pooks, if any material makes them uncomfortable.
Instructor Roles
The main speaker is the content specialist for the class.
Miss Pooks is a strategy expert, focusing on how to teach the material effectively.
Classroom Principles
Students are expected to be kind, respectful, and honest.
Academic integrity is mandatory; students must do their own work and not copy from others or use AI as a substitute for their own answers.
Electronics Policy
Smartphones must be placed in a designated holder.
Smartwatches must also be stored in the holder.
Smart glasses must be powered off and stored in backpacks.
Wireless earbuds must be stored in backpacks.
Personal laptops may only be used for approved educational tasks; gaming is explicitly forbidden.
Electronics Policy Violations
First offense: The student must email their parent/guardian, CC'ing the teacher and an administrator.
Second offense: The device is confiscated by an administrator and can be picked up at the end of the school day.
Third offense: The device is confiscated by an administrator, and a parent/guardian must come to the attendance office to retrieve it.
Absence and Missed Work
It is the student's responsibility to check Schoology or consult a classmate for missed work.
The instructor is frustrated by general questions like "What did I miss?" or "Did I miss anything important?".
Students should first check Schoology and then ask specific questions, such as "I looked on Schoology. I saw the assignment, but I'm a little confused," or ask about a handout not posted online.
Attendance and Tardiness
Students are expected to be on time. Arriving late is considered rude, disrespectful, and disruptive.
Unexcused absences may result in no credit for homework or tests given that day.
Excessive unexcused absences can lead to meetings with parents/counselors, a teacher conference, or an attendance contract.
AI (Artificial Intelligence) Guidelines
AI can be a useful tool for learning, such as clarifying unfamiliar words or rephrasing a complex paragraph.
Using AI to understand content is encouraged.
Using AI as a substitute for one's own work or answers is considered cheating and is not allowed.
Grading Breakdown
15% Formative Assignments: Homework and in-class work.
85% Summative Assignments: Quizzes and unit-end assessments.
Late Assignment Policy
Late assignments are accepted until the last day of the unit in which they were assigned.
Students can request an extension by contacting the instructor before the due date; the instructor rarely declines reasonable, pre-requested extensions.
A request made before the due date is seen as responsible; a request made after is seen as an excuse.
Assignments turned in late (without a pre-approved extension) will be marked "late" in Schoology. This notation does not change the grade but indicates the work was submitted late.
Incentive for On-Time Work
Students who submit all formative work on time for a unit may retake the unit quiz once for a potential score of 100%. The higher score of the two attempts will be recorded.
Work submitted within an approved extension window counts as "on time" for this incentive.
Quiz Policy
Most quizzes allow a 3x5-inch notecard with handwritten notes.
Grading Scale
The class does not use pluses or minuses.
A: 100–90, B: 89–80, C: 79–70, etc.
Schoology automatically rounds up. An 89.5 becomes an A; an 89.4 remains a B.
Scenario
Students survive a shipwreck on a deserted island in the South Pacific after a class field trip. All adults have perished.
The chance of rescue is slim, so they must create a new society.
Island Description
Size: Ten miles long and three miles wide.
Geography: Mountains with two peaks (3,000 ft) run lengthwise, surrounded by forest. A band of fertile land lies between the mountains and sandy beaches.
Resources: The forest has bamboo and palm trees. The fertile land has fruits and wild vegetables. Small animals are present. There is one stream for fresh water and some seafood in the inlets.
Climate: Warm summers and mild winters, with frequent but short thunderstorms.
Setting: Three other unknown islands are visible from the mountains.
Salvaged Materials
Two axes, three large knives, five boxes of matches, and several cases of canned food.
Task Part 1: Group Discussion
Students work in groups of six to design a survival strategy and create a society.
They must complete a worksheet with six key questions covering major tasks, leadership, conflict resolution, consequences, limits on power, and the rationale for their societal design.
Task Part 2: Group Presentation
Groups will create a slide presentation based on their worksheet answers. Each group member is responsible for one slide.
The presentation should be visually persuasive to win classmates’ votes.
At least two members from each group will present their plan to the class.
The class will vote on the best plan; the winning group may receive a reward.
1. Collaborate in groups on the "island activity" to design a new society, addressing all six questions.
2. Create a group Google Slides presentation outlining the plan; each member completes one slide.
3. Prepare to present the group’s plan to the class in the next session.
4. Ensure you have a school-issued Chromebook for future quizzes.