GREENWICH ACADEMY HISTORY DEPARTMENT: COURSE GUIDELINES
Learning should be interesting and enjoyable, and we hope it will be. In order
to achieve maximum success for your classmates and you, we are all responsible
for a supportive learning environment. To create such an environment, the History
Department has put together the following guidelines, keeping in mind student
input over the years. They spell out our expectations in the areas of attitude,
behavior, and performance.
PRINCIPLES
1. Mutual Respect is most important, between students, as well as between student
and teacher. It is imperative to listen to one another's ideas, to speak one
at a time, and to try to understand the views of others, even when you may disagree.
2. Commitment on the part of each individual means doing your best to meet responsibilities.
Be ready to work up to your capacity, be ready to stretch your mind, and be
ready to communicate openly.
3. Academic Honesty is essential. While we encourage discussion and the sharing
of ideas, we want to nurture independent thinking and writing that is your own
or that is properly acknowledged.
PROCEDURES
1. Class work. The excitement of a class depends on us all. Students are expected
to participate actively in class discussions on a daily basis with informed
comments or thoughtful questions based on adequate preparation.
2. Homework. Students are expected to come to class with the day's assignment
prepared. Quizzes may be given on the homework. We suggest that you follow the
parameters presented in the Student Handbook. If you have not completed your
assignment within that time, please let your teacher know before class begins.
You may need to work on study skills to help you work faster and more effectively.
Students must inform themselves on current events by reading either daily newspapers
or weekly periodicals. Questions on current events may be given on quizzes and
tests. Written homework must be word processed on the computer. Special form
for history projects will be spelled out by your history teacher.
Lack of homework will result in a zero for the day's class work grade, and four
zeros on homework will impact negatively on your effort grade. Penalties for
assignments handed in late will be determined by the Upper School Faculty and
will be announced in class.
3. Papers. For format and stylistic questions, adhere to the A Pocket Guide
to Writing in History.
Papers are due at the beginning of class. If you cannot come to school on the
day the major research paper is due, you are responsible for sending your paper
via email on the day the paper is due. There will be a 5 point penalty for each
day the paper is late.
4. Tests. Students must take tests on time. If a class is cut on the day
of a scheduled test, the student will receive a 59%. Students have 3 days to
make up tests before the 5- point penalty/day is in effect. Lengthy absences
will result in an extension.
5. Collaboration. All individual written or typed work to be handed in and graded
must be done alone. There may be team projects that are jointly prepared, in
which case a description of how the work was allocated is required.
6. Plagiarism. Phrases, sentences or ideas taken from someone else must be attributed
to the author. If not, they are really stolen property. These
plagiarism rules apply to all written work. A plagiarized paper will be brought
to the attention of the History Department Chair and Head of the Upper School,
and the consequences will be in accordance with the Student Handbook.
7. Absences. According to school policy, you may have one day to make up missed
work for each day you were absent. On the day you return to school, you are
expected to have ready the assignment due the first day you were absent. You
are responsible for all work missed while you were absent. Have a friend send
class notes to you via E-mail, then go to the teacher with any questions that
you may have. If you miss a test, G.A. Upper School Policy dictates that it
should be made up on the day you return, except in cases of prolonged absence.
Papers assigned in advance are to be handed in via email, as stated above, unless
there has been an extended absence.
8. Lateness to class. Unexcused lateness will be documented and infraction notices
will be sent according to school policy.
9. Conferences. We will be glad to schedule conferences to help you with any
problems. Please request one whenever a need occurs.
10. Technology. Expectations regarding laptop computer use will be dealt with
on a separate sheet.
HISTORY DEPARTMENT UPPER SCHOOL GRADING PROCEDURES
Grading procedures vary depending on the nature of the quarter's assignments.
A general order of importance of assignments, however, is as follows (ranging
from those weighted most heavily to those weighted least heavily):
1. research papers
2. test, major essays, and long-range projects
3. class participation, homework, quizzes
As a general rule, each research paper counts two units, each test or major
essay counts as one unit, and the average of class work and homework counts
as one unit. To calculate your average, add the numerical average for each unit
and divide by the number of total units. For example:
84 or B
84 or B research paper (2 units)
88 or B+ test (1 unit)
82 or B- essay (1 unit)
84 or B average of quizzes, homework, and class work (1 unit)
422 divided by 5 = 84.4 or B average for the quarter
ESSAY GRADING CRITERIA
A historical essay should contain all of the following elements:
1. A thesis, which is plausible and arguable, stated as the last sentence in
the introduction.
2. Evidence which is relevant and adequate to prove the thesis,
stated in the body of the essay.
3. A conclusion which sums up the major evidence, reaffirms the
thesis, and gives the significance of your findings.
4. Logical organization from section to section, paragraph to paragraph, and
within paragraphs. The beginning of each section in the body of the essay should
link the thesis to the evidence to follow in that section.
5. Proper form and mechanics, including correct spelling and grammar.
6. Factual accuracy.
7. Correct handling of sources.
8. Thoughtful analysis and interpretation.
9. Originality.
The paper is considered as a whole, given credit for strengths as well as weighed
for the degree of weaknesses. The following guidelines are used to assign each
range for the letter grades:
F The paper fails to deal with the requirements of the assignment or contains
plagiarism.
D (D- or D+) The essay contains major errors of fact or misunderstandings of
key issues. It lacks a clear train of thought or expresses ideas incoherently.
Mechanics are poor and essay form is incorrect.
C (C- or C+) The essay summarizes facts accurately but fails to state significance
or it has a thesis but fails to support it with adequate or relevant evidence.
Essay form and mechanics are generally correct.
B (B- or B+) In addition to the factual accuracy and correct mechanics and form
expected of C work, the essay has a point of view and demonstrates an understanding
of major concepts. The thesis developed with relevant and adequate specific
examples.
A (A- or A+) In addition to the expectations of B work, the essay goes beyond
the requirements of the question. It does not merely summarize what the text
and/or the teacher have said on the question, but demonstrates original thinking.
It sets the problem in a broader historical context, sees the relationships
between ideas, and is written in clear and graceful prose.
FORMAL ESSAY STRUCTURE
(Use in conjunction with the Essay Grading Criteria)
The title of your essay should be original, brief, and meaningful in relation
to the topic you cover and your paper's viewpoint on that topic.
Your essay should prove something. The thesis statement is what you will prove.
It answers the question you are asking in your research. Your preliminary thesis
may change as you find more evidence during your research. A thesis statement
should be reasonably true, probable yet arguable. It should be the last sentence
in the introduction. The body of the essay should include evidence to support
the thesis. The conclusion should restate the thesis and include a summary of
all the evidence used to prove it, followed by a statement on the significance
of your findings. Everything should follow logically throughout the paper.
EXAMPLE: If you explore the question "How important was Indira Gandhi?"
and then decide to focus on her effectiveness as Prime Minister, your thesis
might be "As Prime Minister, Indira Gandhi did not carry out her promises
to the Indian people in the areas of economics, politics, and international
relations."
OUTLINE: TITLE (e.g. "Indira Gandhi, Ineffective Prime Minister")
I. Introduction - Should be a paragraph or two in a short
essay, a page or more in a research paper. It should begin with an attention-getter,
then move from the general to the specific in providing background material.
Then lead down to your thesis statement.
II. Body - evidence to support thesis. Each section of the body should begin
by linking the thesis to what will follow as evidence in that section. Evidence
to support the thesis should be followed by your explanation of how it does.
Evidence may be paraphrased or quoted directly, where appropriate, from your
sources. Direct quotes are used to give a flavor to the paper, a sense of the
time period or a person's original phrasing of his or her view. Remember that
source citations are to be used for all direct quotes, specialized information
including statistics, and opinions of authors read.
III. Conclusion - The conclusion should go from the particular to the general.
Beginning with a summary of your major evidence, reaffirm the thesis and end
with a statement on the significance of what you have proven. (e.g. "Since
Indira Gandhi allowed the economy to decline despite her promise to do away
with poverty, since she became more of a dictator than the democrat she first
advertised, and since she lowered the image of India in the eyes of the world,
it is obvious that she did not deliver her original campaign goals. The example
of her rule as Prime Minister should serve as a lesson to the people of India
and any country. A leader must be judged not on campaign promises but on actual
accomplishments in office.")