please note: The following pages are in the process of migrating from a previous website

daily homework assignments and resources for Ms. Muntz's social studies courses are listed on the Homework assigments tab

Assignments listed are for US History at The Burnett Middle School and are often based on readings from the McDougal Littell textbook: "Creating America:Beginnings Through World War One."

course info for u.s. history at the Burnett middle school 2015-2016

This class is designed to give you a basic understanding of the history of the United States from the late 1400s to 1900.  You will use and develop your ability to think critically about the events of the past to understand how we arrived at the world we live in today.
Daily activities and homework assignments are designed to help you engage with the subject in a meaningful way while giving you practice in reading and notetaking skills.  This class will reinforce your skills as a student, and prepare you with self-directed study skills you will need in high school and college. 
The major topics of study are dictated by the California State Standards and Common Core requirements, and we will cover all required topics and skills, hopefully going beyond them to topics and projects which I think are fulfilling and interesting.

course info for us history 2011-2012

       This class is designed to give you a basic understanding of the history of the United States from the late 18th century to the present day.  You will use and develop your ability to think critically about the events of the past to understand how we arrived at the world you see today.
      Daily activities and homework assignments are designed to help you engage with the subject in a meaningful way, which will allow you to become a contributing member of the American democratic experiment! This class will also reinforce your skills as a student, and to prepare you with the study skills and time management you need in college and the critical thinking abilities you will need in life.
       The major topics of study are dictated by the State Standards and Common Core requirements of the state of California.  We will cover all of the required topics and skills and go beyond them to topics and projects that I think you will find fulfilling and interesting.  
Major Units of Study:
  1. Forming a Nation

  2. Differences and Expansion

  3. The Gilded Age

  4. The Progressive Era

  5. The US Becomes a World Power

  6. The Jazz Age

  7. The Great Depression

  1. The New Deal

  2. World War Two

  3. The Cold War and 1950s Prosperity

  4. The African American civil rights movement

  5. Vietnam, Protests, and Counterculture and Nixon, the Silent Majority to the Present.
Text: American Odyssey: The US in the Twentieth Century, by G. Nash
Tardy/Attendance Policy: You are expected to keep track of the class schedule for each day and be in your seat by the time class begins. Late day and assembly schedules are posted and I will adhere to the times listed. No excuses.
Late Work: The SPHS late and makeup work policy will be followed in this class. Students have two days from the time they return to school to make arrangements to make up work that was missed due to an excused absence.
Projects: There will be a major project per semester. More information on this later.
Essays: Writing an essay for history class is different from writing for English class. Flowery prose and interesting style are not as important as clarity and accuracy. A thesis statement, that addressees the question/prompt and details to back-up your answer are what you are expected to provide. See Social Studies Department Writing Rubric for grading details.
Supplies:
A 200 page spiral bound, 8 ½ x 11 inch notebook (five subject)
You are not expected to bring your text book to class unless I specifically request it. You should bring your Social Studies notebook to class every day in order to take notes on class lecture and discussion. You are expected to have your notebook and a pen out on your desk when class begins. You will complete all homework in this notebook and may use the notes from it on reading quizzes in class. You should obtain this notebook by __[TBA]__. You may want to bring tape, or glue to class to attach handouts from class to your notes as we go along.
Homework: A reading assignment will be given each night based on the textbook and supplementary readings typically posted on ARIES. You are expected to read thoughtfully and take notes in your notebook, and bring them to class daily. You will need information for exams and projects that only appear in the readings or only appears in class lecture.  Not all topics are covered in both ways.  It is therefore critical that you take and keep complete notes from both sources. You are responsible for the homework assigned each day, regardless of whether you are present in class. All assignments will be posted online.
Cheating and Plagiarism: If any student is suspected of cheating, he or she will receive a zero on the assignment, and official measures will be taken as listed in the Tiger Guide. Information copied verbatim from a source is plagiarism unless it occurs between quotation marks, and is appropriately cited. Copying someone else's classwork or homework also counts as cheating and will not be tolerated.
Grade Breakdown:
15% Projects and Essays
20% Classwork and Homework
10% Discussion participation
20% Tests
15% Quizzes
20% Final Exam

course info for economics 2011-2012

SPHS 
mmuntz@fc.spusd.net  x 2003
Economics (Grade 12)
This class gives a basic overview of economic principles, as well as providing an understanding of how those principles are evident in society today. The class is intended to introduce students to the vocabulary of economics while recognizing that as adults they will need to understand these things to enable them to function as responsible citizens. The economy is often a central issue in public policy debates, elections and personal, life-changing decisions. The more education students have on these issues the better prepared they will be to face them in the future.
Students in this class will be expected to:
  • think and produce in a variety of ways

  • be responsible and accountable

  • think critically, creatively, solve problems, apply knowledge and set and reach goals

  • work cooperatively, individually, ethically, develop disciplined work habits, and do quality work.
The class is based on the Prentice Hall textbook, Economics: Principles in Action combined with in-class activities, individual student projects and cooperative assignments. Students are expected to be accountable for their actions, and responsible for the work assigned in the class. The topics in the class will be applied to current issues, and to that end students are expected to participate in class discussion, and complete their reading assignments on time.
The course is organized around three interrelated goals. 
  • Enhance students understanding of economics by studying history, geography, ethics and political science

  • Understand the role the study of economics can enhance your understanding of civic values, democracy, personal and national identity and global markets.

  • Develop independent and cooperative academic skills, critical thinking, and basic study skills.
Major Units of Study:
  1. Introduction to Economics

    Students will be introduced to the problem of scarcity, opportunity cost, and free-market and centrally-planned economies.

  2. How Markets Work

    Students will examine how the market forces of supply and demand interact.

  3. Business and Labor

    Students will examine the role of the labor force in the global economy. Included in this will be the topics of wages, education levels, immigration, labor unions,perfect competition, monopolies, oligopolies, and monopolistic competition.

  4. Money, Banking, Finance and Economic Performance

    Students will examine the role of money and banks in an economy, as well as the role of the financial markets and how the stock market functions. Students will study the various economic indicators used to judge the macro-economy of the USA. The unit also includes an examination of unemployment, inflation, economic growth, recession, and GDP.

  5. Government and the Economy

    Students will analyze the role that governments can play in the economy, including the effects of fiscal, monetary and taxation policies.

  6. The Global Economy

    Students will examine the continual expansion of globalization and international trade, as well as seek to understand the economic disparity in different parts of the world.
Notebook
Each student needs a composition-type notebook for this class. Class and homework assignments will be completed in this notebook, which will be collected once per unit of study.
Homework and Reading Quizzes:
There will be homework reading assigned every night. Students are expected to read and take notes on the section and report to class prepared to take a brief reading quiz on the main topics and vocabulary from the previous night's reading. Homework notes may be used on reading quizzes. If a student misses a quiz due to an unexcused absence or tardy, they may make-up the missing quiz with me between 7:00 and 7:30 AM. If an absence is excused the student may be excused from the quiz.
Projects and Tests
There will be at least one independent research project (blog assignment) and one group project/presentation this semester. I will provide you with more information on this later. An essay test or multiple choice exam will be associated with each unit of study. There will be at least two five-paragraph essays written in class this semester. The Social Studies Department essay grading rubric will be used.
Weighted Grades
Your grade will be broken down in the following weighted categories:
20% Homework and Classwork (notebook)
20% Reading Quizzes
20% Tests and Essays
20% Projects
10% Discussion Participation
10% Final Exam 
General Class Policies:
-Late assignments will lose 10% credit per school day late (weekend days count for blog assignments).
-SPHS makeup policy is in place. Know it.
-20 minute rule, no student may leave class during the first or last 20 minutes of class. Do not ask to go to the bathroom, get a drink of water or leave class early. 
-Respect. I strive to treat all students with respect, and I expect the same from you...