Spring 2025

Instruction & Coursework

Content is provided with the McGraw-Hill Textbook and online portal, with some posted on Google Classroom and other online resources.  Work is done in various ways and locations, so the best place to find assignments is on MrKarr.com.  There, students can also subscribe to have assignments sent to their Google Calendar.

Lesson Assignments

Each lesson will have textbook readings with reading guides posted on Google Classroom.  Students must handwrite their responses on a sheet of paper.  Work will not be accepted by email or typed, unless special permission is acquired.  The McGraw-Hill curriculum has supplemental activities that will be assigned to reinforce learning.  A lesson may also include assignments from other internet curriculum, such as articles on Newsela.  Some of the supplemental work might be done using typing, MrKarr.com will have those details.

Lesson Presentation & Notes

One part of each lesson will be an in-class teacher presentation of the key points.  Students are required to take notes, and are encouraged to discuss topics and ask questions from their reading.  These notes pages are due at the end of that period and won’t be accepted late.  Students get to use these notes on quizzes and tests.  Students absent that day will be excused, but should get the notes from a classmate afterward.

Assessments: Quizzes & Tests

Quizzes are given for each lesson and tests for each unit.  Quizzes have multiple-choice, matching, fill-in-the-blank, or true/false questions.  Tests have multiple-choice, matching, short answers, extended descriptions or analyses, and other responses. Study Guides are posted on Google Classroom for each quiz and test.  Students are allowed to use the notes and study guide papers on assessments.  Study Guide papers are due after the quiz or test is taken, and won’t be accepted afterward.  Students will score well if they find guide items in the textbook (not the internet) and spend a little time reviewing beforehand.

Writing & Projects

During the semester there will be some group and individual study assignments with research and historical interpretation.  Details about these assignments will be posted on MrKarr.com.  

Classroom Norms

Our classroom is designed to be a productive learning environment, so the following rules should be followed:

Be Attentive and Courteous to Instructions, Presentations, & Discussions

In school these days, there are some who care much more about social life and the media on their phones than they do about learning for the future.  I am lenient about talking & smartphone use during independent work time, but it is expected that people be courteous and not disrupt class while a leader is giving instruction, leading discussions, or answering questions.  Inattentive and disruptive students miss instructions and breakdowns of the textbook readings, hurting their grades.  More importantly, they unfairly hinder other students who want to interact with the material and learn its skills.

Use Work Time Given in Class

Students are given independent work time each week to do assignments in class.  They are encouraged to work together with classmates at their group tables.  Some students finish all their assignments in class, but some instead spend all their time talking and using their smartphones.  Those students often end up with a lot of late assignments and missing work piles up.

Be Courteous About our Classroom Environment

Students should leave the classroom neat and ready for the next class. Trash should be picked up, chairs pushed in, and power strips & books in their places.  Eating is allowed in class, but any spills or food dropped on the floor must be cleaned up right away.

Grading

All scores & grades are in Aeries, and all graded assignments, non-graded ones, along with extra explanations for all, are listed on MrKarr.com.  Google Classroom is used for posting some work, but does not have grades nor all the assignments. Quizzes and Tests will get a score matching the grade earned.  Most other assignments and notes are not graded for correct responses, but get full credit if the student made a reasonable effort to engage the material.  Incomplete and poorly attempted work will have points deducted.  

Category weights may change slightly depending on semester importance, but will be similar to these numbers:

Assignments- 36%

Writing/Projects- 5% 

Quizzes- 33%

Tests- 16%

Notes- 10%

Absences, Late & Missing Work

Students are responsible to check MrKarr.com to see what was missed if they are out of class, and ask questions if unsure.  Attendance is important, because some class discussions and group activities simply cannot be made up, such as the presentation notes.  Teachers are not required to offer make-up work for unexcused absences or school activities.  Students missing class due to sports or other school functions are expected to have their work completed when they return. Despite these policies, I generally accept work for a long time after the due date.  The downside of that is students waiting too long to get caught up, running out of time, and ending up with low grades.  

To motivate students who wait so long, I am adding the following policies this semester:

Notes from class activities that were not done, even though the student was here, will not be accepted late for a grade, however, the student can make themselves a copy to use on assessments.  

Assignments that are more than 2 weeks late will incur a 30% penalty, and 50% for more than 3 weeks.

Near the end of the semester a final deadline for late work is posted;  any submitted later can only get 10%.

Extraordinary events may be cause for exceptions, but only if the issue was quickly & clearly communicated.

Students are responsible to schedule a time with the teacher for taking make-up tests and quizzes. 

A FINAL NOTE:   No one should get less than a B in this class!

Lower grades result from:

(1) not paying attention to instruction, (2) not using class work time,

(3) missing/late assignments, and (4) not having notes & study guides ready for assessments.

This document was updated on 1/14/2025