Return your Textbooks!

Hello ladies and gentlemen,

It is absolutely imperative that you return your textbooks as soon as possible!  There are still 26 people with textbooks missing, they need to be back by Friday June 5 at the absolute latest!  Let's get them turned in!

Live long and prosper,

Mr. Marchetti

May 29 - Projectd DUE!

Hello ladies and gentlemen,

Don't forget that your End of Year Projects are due tonight!  You must have it shared/submitted to me before midnight tonight or you will forfeit any points for the assignment.  Just a reminder that the projects will be scored according to the rubric below.

Get them done and have a great weekend!

Live long and prosper,

Mr. Marchetti

Category	Distinguished (100% credit)	Proficient (85% credit)	Emerging (70% credit)	Incomplete (50% credit)
Subject Knowledge 50 points	Demonstrates full knowledge (more than required).  Presentation of information is very detailed, accurate, and contains no inaccuracies.  Shows clear evidence of research and thoughtful consideration.	Demonstrates adequate knowledge (minimum required).  Presentation of information is detailed, mostly accurate, and contains few inaccuracies.  Shows evidence of research and thought.	Demonstrates minimal knowledge (less than required).  Presentation of information lack detail, and contains inaccuracies.  Does not show much evidence of research and/or thought.	Does not demonstrate knowledge (far less than required).  Presentation lacks significant detail and/or contains significant inaccuracies.  Shows no evidence of research or thought.
Organization 15 points	Presentation is in a logical, interesting sequence that is easy to follow.	Presentation is in a logical sequence, which is easy to follow.	Presentation is not easy to follow and jumps around.	There is no logical sequence and is difficult to follow.
Graphics 30 points	Contains extensive graphics that represent the information accurately AND are creatively used or go beyond simple images (Gifs or embedded videos for example)	Contains graphics that relate to the information accurately.  Graphics are primarily images and/or backgrounds.	Contains some graphics and/or images do not represent the information accurately.	Contains no graphics or images have no relevance to the information.
Mechanics 15 points	Contains NO spelling and/or grammatical errors.	Contains minimal spelling and/or grammatical errors.	Contains some spelling and/or grammatical errors.	Contains extensive spelling and/or grammatical errors
Historical Interpretation 25 points	Project illustrates depth of historical thought and analysis.  Contains interesting and new look at historical thought.	Project shows some historical thought and analysis.  Attempts to do something new and/or different with historical information.	Project shows minimal attempt at displaying historical thought and analysis.  Does not attempt to do something new and/or different with historical information.	Project shows no attempt at displaying new historical thought and analysis.
Bibliography 15 points	Contains an extensive bibliography (10+ sources) that accurately follows Turabian formatting.	Contains a bibliography (5+ sources) that accurately follows Turabian formatting.	Contains a limited bibliography (less than 5 sources) that attempts to follow Turabian formatting.	Contains minimal bibliography and/or does not follow Turabian formatting.

May 28

Hello ladies and gentlemen,

Just a last reminder that you must turn in your End of Year Project before midnight tomorrow (May 29)!

Also RETURN YOUR TEXTBOOKS!

Have a great weekend!

Live long and prosper,

Mr. Marchetti

Final 5

Topic of the Week

Hello ladies and gentlemen,

So for our last week before Final Exams I am giving ypu a chance to choose what topic we watch/discuss.

Please fill out the form below before Tuesday so that we can have a topic!

You need to use your SJUSD log in to be able to take the survey.

Also don't forget your Textbooks this week ladies and gentlemen!

Happy Memorial Day!

Live long and prosper,

Mr. Marchetti

Return Your Textbooks!

Hello ladies and gentlemen,

Remember to bring your textbooks so that I can check them off and you can return them to the depository!

If you no longer have your textbook (for whatever reason) I recommend replacing it as soon as possible to avoid a fine.

Live long and prosper,

Mr. Marchetti

Europe Trip - Courtesy of Mrs. Paulazzo & Mr. Barros

Hello ladies and gentlemen,

I just wanted to share with you an excellent opportunity made available by Mrs. Paulazzo and Mr. Barros.  See the details below if you are interested!

Europe Tour Brochure

Live long and prosper,

Mr. Marchetti

Dear Students and Families,

International travel is one way to truly bring the classroom to life, offer students a better understanding of the world, enable them to build self-confidence and develop 21st Century skills.  Much of what students will experience will reinforce curriculum presented in the following courses: World Cultures, World History, Government, Economics, all English/Language Arts classes and World Language courses.  In addition, collegiate admissions boards look very highly on study abroad experiences. Student travelers display diversity and show that they aren’t afraid to seek out new challenges or put themselves in difficult situations.  This reflects a level of resiliency colleges are looking for in applicants.

“The Europe trip is an enriching experience that allows you to apply skills you learn in Leland internationally.  It is an incredible experience that I would recommend to any student.”
            ~ Q. Thorne, Class 2018
This program is an educational tour to Dublin, Edinburgh, and London in April 2016.  Several students who have traveled with us before have become repeat travelers. The invitation to participate is based on the student’s desire to travel and an informal teacher recommendation and is open to all Leland students.  There is limited space with only 35 spots available on a first-come basis.

We will be hosting an informational meeting on Thursday, May 28 at 6:30 PM in room G-3 (located in the portables by the front of the teacher lot along Camden avenue) to answer all of your questions. If you are interested in participating in this program the early registration deadline is June 10 and the final deadline to enroll is September 30, 2015.  You can lock in the lowest price and reserve your spot by registering online at the meeting with only $95 towards your tour so please plan to bring a form of payment with you when you attend. During the meeting we will also discuss fundraising opportunities activities we will be doing.

If you would like to look at more details about the tour, please see the attached document and visit our tour website at http://www.eftours.com/1693818CM

Remember that this is meeting for all nominees hoping to participate and space on the tour will be limited. Please Email an RSVP to SPaulazzo@sjusd.org, Subject: Travel 2106 by Wednesday, May 27.
Warmest Wishes,

Suzanne Paulazzo and Christopher Barros
Social Studies and World Languages

May 19 - Return your Textbooks!

Hello ladies and gentlemen,

Today in class we watched a documentary on Atari and the Video Game Crash of 1983 and discussed the history of Video Games.  Afterward you had continued time to work on your end of year project, due on Friday, May 29, No Exceptions!

Don't forget to bring your textbooks to class and check them off my list before taking them to the depository.  Please turn in your textbooks as soon as possible to avoid being fined for the missing textbook.  If you know you are missing your textbook it would be a good idea to attempt to replace it on your own rather than being fined.

Live long and prosper,

Mr. Marchetti

May 18 - Return your Textbooks!

Hello ladies and gentlemen,

Today in class you received time to work on your end of year projects.  End of year projects are due on Friday May 29, no exceptions!

Please bring your textbooks to school and return them as soon as possible!  Preferably by Friday.  If you do not have your textbook, it would be a good idea to find a replacement on your own rather than pay for a replacement.

Live long and prosper,

Mr. Marchetti

Textbook Returns

Hello ladies and gentlemen,

Now that we have finished the AP Text and our Final Exam it is important that you return your textbooks as soon as possible.  We need them returned so we can get an accurate count of textbooks for next year.  Please bring your textbook to class Monday, May 18 so that you can take it to the depository.  

Live long and prosper,

Mr. Marchetti

May 15

Hello ladies and gentlemen,

Today in class you had dedicated work time on your End of Year projects.  Remember that it is due May 29, no exceptions!!!  We are nearing the end of the year so don't leave anything to the last minute.

Live long and prosper,

Mr. Marchetti

End of Year Project

Hello ladies and gentlemen,

Today I will be going over the End of Year Project with you.  This project will have you working either individually or with a partner and is worth 150 points.  

Everyone must do ONE of the following projects (You get to choose which one). All of this work must be completed by May 29^th.  No exceptions.

Make this count!

Project 1:  Five Most Significant Days In American History And Why Project.

• Individual or with partner

• Pick five days (avoid the obvious:  July 4, 1776; August 6, 1945; April 14, 1865; April 30, 1789; etc.) that fundamentally changed the course of American history.
• For each day you choose complete the following tasks
• Explain what happened in detail
• Explain why these dates are important in the broader context of U.S. History 
• What separates these dates from more obvious historical markers?

• You may do a poster, a Power Point, or make a film that introduces your choices and explains why they are significant.

• Include the source material on which your project is based.

Project 2:  Across The Borders Project.

• Individual only

• Begin with the date and place of your birth and build a “tree” of ancestors—parents, grandparents, great grandparents, etc., until you get to ancestors who crossed the borders into America from another country.

•  At the point when your ancestor(s) crossed the border, include a detailed history (no personal information, please!) of what was going on in America in that year.
• Include significant events in various categories of history 
• Economics 
• Politics 
• Society 
• Foreign Affairs 

• You may do a poster, a Power Point, or make a film that presents your roots (or branches).  Get artistic!  Use music, pictures, and/or maps—make this worthwhile, interesting, and informative.

Project 3:  What If? Project.

•  Individual or with partner

• Choose ONE potentially significant “What if?” in American history—i.e. what if Abraham Lincoln had not gone to Ford’s Theater?  What if the British Army would have made George Washington a general in the army at the end of the French and Indian War?  What if the Army of Northern Virginia had turned the union left flank at Gettysburg?
• You should include a brief description of what actually happened in history 
• Choose a key moment of the time period you are examining and imagine if something had occurred differently 
• Create an alternate timeline of events hypothesizing what might have happened if history had been altered at the key moment you chose 
• Explain why you think it would have happened differently.

• Create a poster, a Power Point, or a film that presents your situations and that explains what might have occurred as a result.

• While part of this is speculation, you need to include the source material on which you base your choice and your “predictions.”

Project 4:  Most Historically Significant Individuals That No One Knows Project.

• Individual or with partner

• Choose five individuals whose contributions to American history and culture have been considerable but about whom very little is known.  Avoid the obvious—no presidents, no first ladies!
• For each person you choose complete the following tasks: 
• Explain who they are and what time period they lived in 
• What did they do? 
• Why do you think they are significant in U.S. History?

• Create a poster, a Power Point, or a film that presents your choices, fills in the little known details of their lives, and explains the significance of their contributions.

• You might want to focus on an area of history interesting to you and not dead center in the mainstream—medicine, engineering, art, music, video games, etc.

Project 5: U.S. History through Comic Books (or other popular culture media)

• Individual or with partner

• Choose one Comic Book Superhero (or other approved cultural icon) and create an illustrated timeline showing his or her development and how it has reflected the historical events of the time.
• Provide a brief history of the superhero/popular culture icon 
• Explain how the superhero/popular culture icon was impacted by the course of historical events 
• Explain if/how the superhero/popular culture icon impacted U.S. history 
• Why are comic books/popular culture icons significant in U.S. History

• Create a poster, a PowerPoint, or a film that presents your superhero, fills in the little known details of their lives, and explains the significance of historical events on their development and storytelling.

• Track the history of the superhero through the decades:
• 1930s
  1940s
  1950s
  1960s
  1970s-1980s
  1990-present

• Significant Seven: the seven most historically significant superheroes include:
• Superman (June 1938) 
• Batman (May 1939) 
• Wonder Woman (Summer 1942) 
• Spider-Man (August 1962) 
• Captain America (March 1941) 
• Captain Marvel (January 1941) 
• The Flash (January 1940)

• These represent some of the most historically important superheroes in American history; however, you are encouraged to find another character that you believe better represent the United States in the modern era.

Rubric

Category	Distinguished (100% credit)	Proficient (85% credit)	Emerging (70% credit)	Incomplete (50% credit)
Subject Knowledge 50 points	Demonstrates full knowledge (more than required).  Presentation of information is very detailed, accurate, and contains no inaccuracies.  Shows clear evidence of research and thoughtful consideration.	Demonstrates adequate knowledge (minimum required).  Presentation of information is detailed, mostly accurate, and contains few inaccuracies.  Shows evidence of research and thought.	Demonstrates minimal knowledge (less than required).  Presentation of information lack detail, and contains inaccuracies.  Does not show much evidence of research and/or thought.	Does not demonstrate knowledge (far less than required).  Presentation lacks significant detail and/or contains significant inaccuracies.  Shows no evidence of research or thought.
Organization 15 points	Presentation is in a logical, interesting sequence that is easy to follow.	Presentation is in a logical sequence, which is easy to follow.	Presentation is not easy to follow and jumps around.	There is no logical sequence and is difficult to follow.
Graphics 30 points	Contains extensive graphics that represent the information accurately AND are creatively used or go beyond simple images (Gifs or embedded videos for example)	Contains graphics that relate to the information accurately.  Graphics are primarily images and/or backgrounds.	Contains some graphics and/or images do not represent the information accurately.	Contains no graphics or images have no relevance to the information.
Mechanics 15 points	Contains NO spelling and/or grammatical errors.	Contains minimal spelling and/or grammatical errors.	Contains some spelling and/or grammatical errors.	Contains extensive spelling and/or grammatical errors
Historical Interpretation 25 points	Project illustrates depth of historical thought and analysis.  Contains interesting and new look at historical thought.	Project shows some historical thought and analysis.  Attempts to do something new and/or different with historical information.	Project shows minimal attempt at displaying historical thought and analysis.  Does not attempt to do something new and/or different with historical information.	Project shows no attempt at displaying new historical thought and analysis.
Bibliography 15 points	Contains an extensive bibliography (10+ sources) that accurately follows Turabian formatting.	Contains a bibliography (5+ sources) that accurately follows Turabian formatting.	Contains a limited bibliography (less than 5 sources) that attempts to follow Turabian formatting.	Contains minimal bibliography and/or does not follow Turabian formatting.

American Nations Extra Credit Opportunity

Hello ladies and gentlemen,

You are all done with the AP Exam!  Woohoo!  For the remainder of the semester we will have some smaller assignments and classroom discussions, as well as working on an End of Year project (details to come soon).  I am currently reading the book American Nations and thought it would make for interesting discussion.  If you are interested in some extra credit (10 points), go ahead and read the introduction of the book (you can read a free sample of the introduction on amazon).

American Nations Introduction

After you read the introduction, write a short response answering these prompts:

1. Based on your knowledge of U.S. Culture do you think that Woodard's premise that there are 11 distinct American Nations is valid?  Explain your answer with evidence from the text.
2. How does the diversity of American Nations create a complex political climate?  What challenges does this present for the future of America?

If enough people decide to give it a try we can discuss it during tutorial one day!

Take it easy ladies and gentlemen!

Live long and prosper,

Mr. Marchetti

AP Exam Review Poll

Hello ladies and gentlemen,

Below you will find a poll to heklp guide our review in class the next two block periods that we have before the AP Exam on Friday (May 8)!  Please answer as soon as you can to better inform our results.  Thanks everyone!  Breath easy and keep reviewing!

May 4

Hello ladies and gentlemen,

Today in class we reviewed some sample AP Essay Questions and then you had time to independently review for the AP Test.

Ladies and gentlemen the AP Exam is Friday, May 8!  Study up!

Live long and prosper,

Mr. Marchetti

May 1 - Last day to turn stuff in!

Hello ladies and gentlemen,

Today is your last day to take the presidents quiz and/or turn in your Outside Reading assignments!  If you do not turn it in today they will be marked as missing and will not be allowed to turn in late.

Hope you all have a great weekend!

Live long and prosper,

Mr. Marchetti