U.S. History

North Park High School

United States History

2025 - 2026

 

Teacher: Mr. Pedro Aguilera 

Room number: 209

NPHS Telephone: (626) 337-4407

Extension: 44209

E-Mail: [email protected]

Note: Students can also contact me through Google Classroom.

 

 

Greetings parents, guardians, and students!!!

            Hello everyone! I am Mr. Pedro Aguilera and I have the pleasure of teaching United States History. Students sometimes ask, "Mr., why do I need to learn about history if I'm not going to use it later?" And I usually reply to my students that my "history" class is more than just studying about history. Students will practice their research and critical thinking skills while learning to create arguments and back them up with evidence. They will also be interpreting primary source documents, reading between the lines by finding hidden meanings, and how to properly organize a five paragraph essay surrounding a past or a current historical event. Students will use different technology and programs to create posters, videos, PowerPoints, and presentations with other classmates and learn to work cooperatively with one another. Students will have to present various findings and group projects in front of the class, which can be really scary for some students. But overcoming different challenges is a part of learning as life will continue to pose various obstacles in our way. Unless students are planning to work and live all alone, they will have to learn to think creatively for themselves while working with others and the skills they will learn in my class can easily be applied towards college, life, and the workforce. There's more to history than just learning about history.

 

Respectfully,

Mr. Aguilera, Pedro

 

 

Course Objectives:                  

Students will:

• Read, analyze, and discuss primary and secondary sources.
• Write answers in complete sentences while providing evidence by quoting and citing various sources.
• Complete multiple five paragraph essays surrounding different historical events.
• Create arguments on a given topic and present their findings to the class.
• Learn to use various technologies, like Flipgrid, Google docs and slides, and Kami to record their work.
• Demonstrate understanding of content by creating arguments to essential questions that could be answered as both “yes” and “no” and supporting their decision with factual evidence from various sources.
• Work cooperatively with other classmates in order to complete the task at hand.
• Present their individual or group work to the rest of the class.

 

 

 

Content Standards:   

11.1    Students analyze the significant events in the founding of the nation and its attempts to realize the philosophy of government described in the Declaration of Independence.

11.2    Students analyze the relationship among the rise of industrialization, large scale rural-to-urban migration, and massive immigration from Southern and Eastern Europe.

11.3    Students analyze the role religion played in the founding of America, its lasting moral, social, and political impacts, and issues regarding religious liberty.

11.4    Students trace the rise of the United States to its role as a world power in the twentieth century.

11.5    Students analyze the major political, social, economic, technological, and cultural developments of the 1920s.

11.6    Students analyze the different explanations for the Great Depression and how the New Deal fundamentally changed the role of the federal government.

11.7    Students analyze America’s participation in World War II.

11.8    Students analyze the economic boom and social transformation of post–World War II America.

11.9    Students analyze U.S. foreign policy since World War II.

11.10 Students analyze the development of federal civil rights and voting rights.

11.11  Students analyze the major social problems and domestic policy issues in contemporary American society.

 

Note: For more information, refer to the California Department of Education website.

https://www.cde.ca.gov/be/st/ss/documents/histsocscistnd.pdf

 

 

       

 Classroom Management Plan:

Students will always be treated with respect and fairness regardless of their grades, attitude, appearance, attendance, and so on. If there is a minor issue in class, I will always talk with / counsel / warn / communicate with the students involved in an attempt to allow those students an opportunity to reflect and change their current behavior.

Any student that expresses profanity, drug use, obscene gestures, aggressiveness or being disrespectful toward other students, staff, or myself will be informed that their behavior is not school appropriate and a follow-up conversation to address the issue.

If the negative behavior continues or if behavior is a major issue (out of my hands), Ms. Escutia (Principal) and Ms. De Luca (Vice-Principal) will be contacted and administrative action will be requested for additional support because behavior is not moving towards a positive direction (minor) or because the issue at hand puts the wellbeing of students at risk (major).

 

Parents will be contacted if a student is not attending classes, participating in class, not turning in work, or are in danger of failing the class. This will be done by phone and/or e-mail.

 

Note: Each violation and incident will be documented under the “Notes” in Synergy. Depending on the severity of the incident, it may require me to simply address it in class, or parents and the administration team might be contacted through a referral.

  

 

Grading Scale:

• 90% -- 100% A        Full 5 credits     .
• 80% -- 89% B          Full 5 credits     .
• 70% -- 79% C         Full 5 credits     .
• 60% -- 69% D         Full 5 credits     .
• 0% -- 59% F          Failing 0 - 4 credits     .

 

Note: Passing U.S. History class is very simple. If a student is failing, it is most likely because they are simply not turning in their work (or absent / not present to do the work in class).

 

 

Assignments:

• All assignments are posted on Google Classroom.
• Due dates for each assignment are posted next to the assignments.
• All assignments will be submitted digitally or in class if done on paper.
• Google Classroom grades are then transferred over to Synergy.