Teacher Contact Info:

Mr. Timothy C. Brennan

Email: tcb21@scasd.org

Phone: 814-231-1011 ex. 4687

Course Title:  The United States in a Global Society 

Course Number:  S586

Course Description: This course is an inquiry into American studies through a historical lens (1945 - Present) that includes a global perspective with an emphasis on practical application.  In this course, students will be examining different developments politically, socially, and economically. Topics will include the Cold War, the Civil Rights Movements, the Vietnam Era, Conservative Movements, Economic Globalization and other events of the 21st century.  Students will engage in an examination of primary source documents, debates, simulations, Socratic circles, internet-based assignments, and research projects.  A majority of the course requirements will be fulfilled during class time. Students will engage in reading and writing, with a strong emphasis on literacy skills and the analysis of primary and secondary sources.  The purpose is to critically analyze past events and developments in order to think and act as members of a global society. 

Course Textbook: 

Units Taught:

UNIT 1: Post-War Confidence and Anxiety:  A Quest for Consensus

UNIT 2: Rights & Reform:  Movements for Equality

UNIT 3: Protest & Change:  Tumultuous Times

UNIT 4: Conservative Resurgence:  A Battle of Ideologies

UNIT 5: New World, New Crisis: Challenges of the 21st Century

Course Layout:

Class Website - All class materials including Bell Ringer, Objectives, Ticket Out, Current Event Article Summary Schedule, CQ Researcher Summary and Opinion Article, Projects and Readings are accessible through the Google Classroom.  

Students are encouraged to check Google Classroom prior to that day's lesson and are expected to check and complete all daily assignments if absent.

Section Quiz- Chapter quizzes will be given at the end of each chapter/topic.  This can be a verbal, multiple choice, short answer, essay or project-based assessment.  

Unit Project- A project will be assigned to each chapter/unit.  Projects may include group work, reading and/or writing assignments, multimedia presentations, etc. An outline of all projects will be introduced in class by the teacher with hands out and examples.

Homework- Homework may consist of watching the news, reflecting on current topics covered in class or researching background information about topics covered the next day.  Any assignment that is not completed in the given class time is considered homework.  Homework will be due the next day.

Current Event- Each student will be responsible for presenting a current event to the class each marking period; four times throughout the year.  This includes a copy of the article, can be hard copy or web link, a 8-10 sentence summary/opinion of the article and a verbal presentation to the class. Current Event Article Summary can be found on the class website.  

CQ Researcher Article Summary- Throughout the year, past events will be connected to current events.  Students will be responsible for reading current event articles, including pros and cons, and writing a summary and their personal opinion.  CQ Researcher Article Summary and Opinion Assignments are found on the class website and class calendar.

Participation- We will be doing in-class activities throughout the school year.   A large part of student's grade is participation and completion of in-class activities.  Participation also includes classroom behavior and the student’s ability to follow rules, in addition to active participation in class.

Absences- Students are responsible for finding out what information, activities, assignments, etc. they have missed. Students must make up assignments within the SCASD policy set time period.  Unless a student missed instruction prior to a test, he or she will take the test the first day back to school (during class or study hall). Students must also present their Current Event Article Summary on their first day back to school.  Students may check the calendar on the class website at any time to see missed material. All materials will be available and accessible on Google Classroom.   

Behavior- Students are expected to follow all school rules during class and throughout the day.  This includes contributing to a positive respectful learning environment and appropriate school conduct, including plagiarism.  Please refer to the class website for more information regarding plagiarism.

SCHS Bathroom Procedures
The bathroom procedures are in place for the safety of students. Should you need more allowances, please speak with individual teachers, administration, or counselors. We are here to support you.

● We discourage trips during class/instructional periods, but if you find it necessary to use the restroom, please try to minimize your time away from class and return within five minutes (with exceptions, of course)
● 1 student may leave the room at a time
● Students must sign out on the yellow sheet, sign back in, and take pass
● Students should use the closest appropriate bathroom to their assigned classroom

Grade Calculation – All work assigned in class is evaluated by points earned out of points possible.   

A-   90%+

B-   80% - 89%

C-   70% - 79%

D-   60 – 69%

E-   59% and below

*Any and all questions can be answered by contacting Mr. Brennan at the above mentioned contact information or found on the SCASD Student Handbook Webpage - https://www.scasd.org/Page/10409.