IB HL/SL History Class procedures

1. IB HL/SL History Class procedures Daniel W. Blackmon Coral Gables Senior High 2012-2013

2. IB HL History will: • prepare students for the IB examination in May • .foster the research, writing, and analytical skills required for successful collegiate work • .encourage students to examine their world, past and present, critically, constructively, and intelligently

3. IB HL History: • Tests, papers, assignments, and grading will, to the greatest extent possible, imitate the IB examinations themselves.

4. IB History: • IB HL History requires a serious commitment of time and energy, above and beyond what is expected in a general high school course:

5. IB History: • While in class, students will work on HL History, and only HL History.  Work from other classes will be confiscated and destroyed. Students should be attentive and involved in the lesson at all times.

6. IB History: • While in class, students will work on HL History, and only HL History.  Work from other classes will be confiscated and destroyed. Students should be attentive and involved in the lesson at all times.

7. IB HL History: • Students are expected to complete each and every assignment given during a grading period!

8. All assignments given in this course are purposeful; I abhor "busy work" and I evaluate every assignment by whether or not it contributes to preparing students for the examinations.

9. Failure to complete an assignment will adversely affect the weekly participation grade.

10. Uniform Policy • I intend to enforce the school uniform policy • .I intend to enforce the school ID policy

11. Attendance • All school policies pertaining to excused or unsatisfactory absences will be strictly enforced!

12. Attendance • .Students are reminded that a total of 10 unsatisfactory absences over the course of the entire school year may result in a final grade of "No Credit", as per School Board policy.

13. Attendance • Please recall that, when a student is marked “Absent,” the default Attendance Code is “U2”—”Unexcused Block Class” • That means two unexcused absences. • I have to manually change the U2 to A2 (Excused Block Class) and that means that it is important for you to give me your note from the office.

14. Attendance • .Poor attendance is the fastest way to fail this course! You are all juniors or seniors--do not foolishly jeopardize your graduation and entrance into college by carelessness over your absences!!!!

15. Attendance • It is the student's responsibility to keep track of how many absences, satisfactory or otherwise, which he or she has.

16. Attendance • .Any assignment due or written on a day when a student is unsatisfactorily absent will be counted as an "Z." No make up will be permitted.

17. Tardies • "Tardy" is defined as not being in one's own seat and ready to begin work when the tardy bell begins to ring. • Each and every unexcused tardy will result in: • a ½ letter grade cut in conduct • a weekly participation quiz grade of "F"

18. Make Up Work • Make-up work is ENTIRELY the student's responsibility!

19. Make Up Work Class notes which are not already on the class website should be obtained from another student. • .Assignments should be obtained from another student or from me upon the student's return to class or from the class website.  This is especially important in the case of take-home essays.

20. Make Up Work • .If a student is absent on the day an assignment is due or on the day an assignment is written in class, the default grade is automatically a “Z.” • .If the absence is satisfactory, and when the assignment is made up, then the “Z” will be changed to whatever grade is earned.

21. Make Up Work • .Assignments due the day of an absence are due upon the student's return to class.  • . If a student is in school at any time during the day when an assignment is due, the student is expected to bring the assignment by before leaving school.

22. Make Up Work • .Tests must be made up on the next make up day following a student's return to class, unless specific arrangements with me have been made in advance.  • A job or extra-curricular activities are not legitimate reasons to miss a make-up day. • Typically, one day per week will be designated for make-up tests after school. If you can't attend my make-up day, you must make prior special arrangements with me.

23. Make Up Work • .Failure to make up an assignment will adversely affect the weekly participation grade.

24. Preparation • Each student must keep a three ring binder with at least three sub-divisions: Class Notes, Bellringersand Handouts.

25. Preparation • Each student must keep a three ring binder with at least three sub-divisions: Class Notes and Handouts.

26. Preparation • The Class Notes section will contain each day’s class notes. Using the Cornell Notes System is strongly recommended!! The section should always have a sufficiency of loose leaf paper for in-class assignments. Each day’s notes shall be dated. Class notes are subject to teacher review and may be graded.

27. Preparation • TheHandouts section will contain any and all hard copy handouts that I distribute. This would include a print out of a hand out from my class wehsite. • Regardless of which method used, students must be able to access any relevant class handout in class.

28. Preparation • It is, of course, remotely possible that a student might be accessing an electronic device (such as an iPhone) but is not using my website. • (Gasp! No, Mr. Blackmon! Not OUR students!) • .Should I discover that a student is wasting class time and attention on some other site than the school site, I shall regard that as both an academic and a disciplinary offense.

29. Preparation • The Homework Section will contain all reading comprehension and other homework assignments.

30. Preparation • .Students are expected to have read all assignments in a timely fashion

31. Preparation • .All assignments written in class and handed in must be in blue or black ink. • .All assignments written at home must be typed and must follow MLA style.

32. Preparation • .Work completed in pencil will not be graded at all!  This is not a whim.  Pencil is extremely difficult for me to read. • .Assignments not in MLA style will not be read at all! No excuses, and no second chances. If you can’t remember MLA, create a template for yourself.

33. Classroom Rules • I generally allow students to sit where they wish prior to making my seating chart. But in the end, the seating chart belongs to me.

34. Classroom Rules • Courteous language is to be used at all times.  Vulgar, obscene, profane, insulting, or provocative language is not to be used

35. Classroom Rules • Cards are strictly forbidden.

36. Classroom Rules • Generally speaking, I will tolerate food and / or drink so long as students clean up after themselves

37. Academic Grades • The Dade County grading scale is: • .4.00-3.50=A • .3.49-2.50=B • .2.49-1.50=C • .1.49-1.00=D • . .99-0.00=F

38. Grades will be calculated using summation percentage taken out to two significant digits.

39. Academic Grades • Essays will be graded on a 20 point criterion referenced scale using the markband descriptors used by IB for history. A copy of the descriptors will be given to you.

40. Academic Grades .The IB markbands are not to be interpreted as a percentage. Conversion from the numeric IB mark to letter grades takes this into account.

41. Academic Grades .Numeric scores for essays will converted to letter grades based on the following scale: • 15-20 A • 12-14 B • 07-11 C • 05-06 D • 01-04 F • 0 Z

42. Academic Grades • IB DBQs are radically different from AP DBQs. They are marked on a 25 point scale, but each DBQ carries its own internal weighting for marks. The Examiner has no latitude as to what weight to give any component

43. Academic Grades • Numeric scores for DBQs will converted to letter grades using the following scale, which is based on the IB scale for Paper 01: • 25-21 A • 20-17 B • 16-10 C • 9-6 D • 5-1 F

44. Academic Grades • The Internal Assessment must be graded according to a 25 point criterion referenced scale which is imposed by IB.

45. Academic Grades • Numeric scores for the Internal Assessment will converted to letter grades based on the following scale: • 25-21 A • 20-17 B • 16-10 C • 9-6 D • 5-1 F

46. Academic Grades • The IB HL / SL History Examination does not include a multiple choice section. It is all essay. Therefore, I try to use multiple choice evaluations as little as possible–typically 10 question quizzes on reading comprehension. Objective tests and quizzes are marked on the scale given below: • 100-90=A • 89-80=B • 79-70=C • 69-60=D • 59=F

47. Weighting grades • Typically, a quiz grade is weighted as 1 (W=1) • An essay is typically weighted as 5 (W=5) • A DBQ is typically weighted as 8 (W=8)

48. Weighting grades • Typically, a quiz grade is weighted as 1 (W=1) • An essay is typically weighted as 5 (W=5) • A DBQ is typically weighted as 8 (W=8)

49. The Internal Assessment, since it is 25% of the IB History mark, is weighted very heavily: 18 for Content (W=18) • Failure to complete the Internal Assessment by the last day of the Third Marking period will result in failure of the entire course!

50. Participation Grade • There will be a weekly participation grade weighted as 1 (W=1) given on the last day of each week.