Campbell, Matthew
Mr. Matthew Campbell
US History Teacher
Phone Number: 623-445-8801
Classroom: 635
Degrees & Certifications: Bachelors degree: History and Education; Masters Degree: Education
About the Teacher:
My name is Matthew Campbell and the 2024-2025 school year will be my 13th year teaching and my 10th at BCHS. My main experience resides in teaching American History and Government, but I have also taught Economics, World History, Science, English, and Math at the Middle School level. Along with teaching, I have also coached a variety of sports here at Boulder Creek. I was a JV Football Coach, a Freshman, and JV Softball coach, a boys basketball coach and I ran the Varsity Badminton program for two years.
I was born in Denver, Colorado, but I moved to Arizona at a young age. I did all of my schooling in the Deer Valley Unified School District, and it was here that I discovered that I wanted to be a teacher. I received both my Bachelor's and Master's degrees from Arizona State University.
For fun, I like to travel, spend time with my family, and root for my Denver Broncos!!
Teaching History is both my passion and calling in life. I cannot imagine having a different profession.
Course Syllabus:
Office Hours: By appointment only before or after school.
COURSE DESCRIPTION AND OBJECTIVES
United States History is a social studies course that covers the history of our country from colonization in North America all the way through events of the 21st century. The material covered in this course is based on the guidelines established by the Deer Valley Unified School District.
This class will help students to:
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Understand how relationships between individuals, countries, and institutions stay the same and change over the course of time.
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Explain the historical context (background) of certain events and developments.
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Examine multiple causes and effects of important historical events.
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Develop arguments and support them with evidence from multiple sources.
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Develop critical thinking skills necessary for success in college or the workforce.
CLASSROOM MATERIALS
Students are expected to have the following materials for the duration of the school year:
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iPad and Portable Charger
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Notebook (One at LEAST 70 pages or greater)
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Pens/Pencils
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Highlighters
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Folder
ATTENDANCE
It is our goal to help your student learn habits to prepare him/her for a lifetime of success. Prompt attendance at school is an important lesson for us to teach all students.
In high school, all absences count, whether they are excused or unexcused. Students are earning credit and are required to be in a class a certain amount of time to earn the credit hours. Loss of credit may occur upon reaching any combination of 12 excused or unexcused absences.
New Tardy Policy- if your child is tardy to first hour and it is not excused, they will have lunch detention that same day.
CLASSROOM EXPECTATIONS
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Students are expected to show up on time for each class.
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Phones will be in the holder on the wall as students walk into class.
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Be active in the learning process (this includes discussion, bell work, etc.)
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Students are responsible for completing their own work.
**Plagiarism, copying, or cheating of any kind will result in an automatic zero on the assignment, test, or project in question. Students are to do their own work**
DVUSD AI Policy
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DVUSD has determined that the use of Large Language Models (LLMs), such as ChatGPT, is prohibited unless clearly specified by your teacher. Specific guidelines will be provided in the assignment details. If you are unsure if the tool or website you are using is an LLM or if it is permitted on a specific assignment, please contact your teacher before submitting your work.
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Any assignments submitted using LLMs will be considered plagiarism.
LATE WORK
Students will be able to submit late work up until the end of each unit. End of unit dates will be announced in class and posted on Canvas. The grade on late work will be based on the quality of work submitted. If a student shows mastery of the skills being assessed they will earn full credit.
MAKE-UP WORK POLICY
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When students are absent, they should check the current unit in Canvas. The Canvas module is organized by date so students will know exactly what they missed for each date.
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If the assignment is in Canvas, students will read over the directions. If a student has a question, they must come see Mr. Campbell for further explanation!
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If the assignment is not in Canvas, students should see Mr. Campbell during the first five minutes of class!
TIMED ASSESSMENTS
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Timed assessments including (but not limited to) short answer questions (SAQ), document based questions (DBQ), source analysis, multiple choice, etc. will be announced in advance.
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Timed assessment makeups can be done during the office hours outlined on page one of the syllabus or during flex time.
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If a student needs to make up a timed assessment they will have two weeks from the day of their return in order to make it up.
SUMMATIVE AND FORMATIVE ASSESSMENTS
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Summative assessments (end of unit tests, and timed-writes) will always be announced!
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If a student is absent, summative assessments can be made up during Flex Time or after school on the days outlined on the first page of the syllabus.
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After proving new learning, students can complete a reassessment for a summative (end of unit) assessment. The reassessment will assess the same skills using different questions. Before reassessment students must have completed ALL unit work as well as a study guide that reviews important learning from the unit.
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Formative assessments (in class assignments etc.) can be edited and improved upon after receiving feedback from Mr. Campbell. Students will have one week from the time they receive their feedback to resubmit edits for full credit.
GRADING SCALE
The student’s semester grade will be determined by their ability to show proficiency in four different skills. Every assessment will have a rubric that outlines what a student needs in order to earn the grade they want. As a school we are returning to the 0-100% Traditional grading scale
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Context and Causation – Students will be able to explain the historical background and multiple reasons for certain events. Example assessments include discussion boards, 3-2-1 activities, etc.
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Continuity and Change- Students will be able to identify and explain developments that represent change and/or continuity in American society. Example assessments include discussion boards, 3-2-1 activities, Venn diagrams, etc.
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Source Analysis – Students will be given multiple sources to evaluate. Students will be able to summarize main ideas and draw conclusions about specific events, laws, or developments. Example assessments include interpreting political cartoons, propaganda, documents, speeches, journal entries, graphs/charts, and historical interpretations.
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Argumentative Writing – Students will be given documents/resources in order to form a historically defensible claim/thesis. Students will be expected to support their claim with evidence from documents/resources provided. Example assessments include timed DBQ (Document Based Question) essays and timed SAQ (short answer question) responses.
Grading Scale
A- 89.5→100%
B- 79.5→89.4%
C- 69.5→79.4%
D- 59.5→69.4%
F- 0→59.4%
ELECTRONICS IN THE CLASSROOM
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It is expected that students have their iPad with them daily and that it is charged.
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Students are expected to keep their school issued iPads in a COMPLETE school issued iPad case. Damage to the iPad outside of a complete case will void the student’s protection plan.
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Headphones must be put away unless the teacher instructs students that they are needed for an activity.
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Using an iPad in an inappropriate manner in the classroom (i.e. recording or taking photos of others without their consent, hacking into another student’s account, sharing inappropriate material) will result in disciplinary action.
BOULDER CREEK HIGH SCHOOL ACADEMIC INTEGRITY CODE
All students enrolled in United States History will adhere to the framework and guidelines set forth in the Boulder Creek High School Academic Integrity Code. Cheating and plagiarism will not be tolerated. The purpose of this code is to promote a positive learning environment for all involved. Please refer to the Academic Integrity Code in your student handbook for more details.
POWERSCHOOLS ACCESS
The PowerSchool site allows parents/guardians and students to access the student’s grades, attendance, and other information. If you need your access information, please stop by the front desk during business hours. The web address is: ps.dvusd.org/public