Your 4-Part Plan You Complete, Double-Check, and Submit to Turnitin
Part 1: Making sure your professor can help you if something goes wrong
Type your emergency contact information so I have several ways to reach you if it is in your interest if I contact you. Example of your interest: you did not complete your Final Exam and I am required to fail you for the course if you do not.
Your last name:		
Your first name:		
Reliable phone number:		
Alternative email:		
Part 2: Short checklists to confirm you understand the syllabus (and will avoid misery)
Place a √ or X in the yellow box to the left of each rule to confirm that you understand what is written in the syllabus. If you want more information, look in parentheses ( ) for the location in the Syllabus. 
Tip: Click on the Syllabus. Then press Control-F to display Adobe’s Find box. If you have questions, ask. I am glad to help you. 
2a. Rules about Technology
	You are responsible to prepare your computer and its browser to work with Blackboard. I email Distance Education’s resources for this to your WCJC email address before the course opens and also provide their resources in Getting Started. (See Required Preparation to Use Blackboard.) 
Personal encouragement to you: For your own sake, please take care of this in the first 2-3 days. For example, I have seen students use an outdated version of Safari and not even see all the work until it was too late.	
	Consistently, Blackboard continues to work even when the WCJC home page or the WCJC portal are down. You are responsible to make Blackboard a favorite or bookmark it so you can access it directly. (For the URL, see Class Days / Time / Location on the 1st page of the syllabus.)	
	If you think that Blackboard is not working, you need to act according to Distance Education’s policy. (See Technology Outage Policy.)	
	Distance Learning classes must use Respondus Monitor and Lockdown Brower. (See Required Course Materials about the microphone and webcam, and see Course Exams for the software.) 	
	In this course, you will not be able to see an exam on the availability date:
•	If you have not completed the setup of Lockdown Browser and Respondus Monitor
•	If you have not done as directed by email (in Blackboard Messages) about the prior exam that you took. 
(See General Information on the 1st page of the Course Schedule.)	
2b. Rules about 8-Week Courses and How You Know What’s Where, What’s Due, and When
	You have signed up for an 8-week course. Your professor follows History Department policy that means the 8-week course consists of the same work that students must do for a 16-week course. (See Attendance Policy.)	
	Given the speed of an 8-week course covering 16 weeks’ of work, you are to log in at least 3 times each week to work online on quizzes, resources, and student discussions. (See Attendance Policy.)	
	You are to follow the Course Schedule which states the available date and the due date for all assignments. The Course Schedule is at the end of the Syllabus and also on a separate link on the menu on the left in the course. (See the Course Schedule.)	

2c. Rules about Actions That Some Students Seem to Assume Are OK But Are Not Safe
	If you do not follow the WCJC Academic Honesty Policy, my specific action is a 0 for the assignment:
•	Whether that is a 10-point assignment or 100-point one
•	Whether a test or a written assignment, including copying words from the Internet. 
(See WCJC Academic Honesty Policy.)	
	If your planning at the beginning of the term shows you cannot take an exam or submit work on its due date, contact me immediately and suggest an earlier date. (See Late Work Policy.)	
	If you miss an exam or other assignment, you must have a a) verifiable and b) written excuse, such as a doctor’s note. (See Late Work Policy.)	
	If you decide to drop the course, you must do that yourself. The History Department rule is that professors cannot drop students. (See Dropping the Course with a Grade of “W.” Also be sure you understand the Six Drop Rule.)	
	Before you post or email (especially before you email everyone), think about your actions. (See Online Classroom Behavior Policy/Classroom Civility. That section refers you to the Course Orientation for specific tips on what to do and not do. Also, check the instructions for the work you are doing.)	
2d. Why I Attempt to Help Student’s Grades While Helping Students with History
	In Spring 2011, I became increasing concerned about students and why they were not succeeding. I began doing surveys each term to ask students:
•	what changes in the course that I could make to try to help them (and there are changes this term based on the survey in May 2017)
•	what they did not know before this course when they had a paper graded on evidence 

The results showed—until they were graded on evidence--50% to 60% of students from 2011 to 2017 did not have basic experiences such as having to be factually accurate when writing about reality. Click here to see what past students said they did not know before grading of their papers on evidence in this course. 
(URL: http://www.cjbibus.com/STCT_Am_Exp_quantitiesNOTrealizingPriorToFeedback_Samples.htm) 	
	Because of long term experience in varied industries and because my Master’s degree and my doctorate degree were earned at different universities, my experience said this lack of 5 basic experiences by a large portion of students was not fair to them. They would have unnecessary difficulties:
1.	in jobs that pay well
2.	in problem-solving and in making safe decisions for their work and family
3.	in—if needed for a career they want—taking upper level courses

If you follow the 5 Good Habits for Evidence, you can practice as a freshman the skills you need to succeed in your future. Click here if you think there is a job that does not require the 5 Good Habits for Evidence. 
(URL: http://www.cjbibus.com/GS_Good_Habits_for_Evidence_Would_anyone_pay_you_for_this_skill.htm) 	
2e. Rules about History Department Requirements and How I Attempt to Help Students’ Grades
	Your professor follows History Department policy that all courses consist of a minimum of 25% written assignments. The math of 25% means that—if you want at least a C—you must do written work. Click on these examples of the math. (URL: http://www.cjbibus.com/GS_HistDept_25_Percent_Min_So_You_MUST_Write.htm)
(See Caution about the History Department’s Course Objectives and Its 25% Writing Requirement.)	
	Your professor follows History Department policy that all courses require students use primaries and “historical evidence” and they create an “argument” (not just repeat). Click here for details about those terms. (URL: http://www.cjbibus.com/GS_HistDept_Student_Learner_Outcomes.htm) (See Student Learner Outcomes.)	
	Your instructor, however, splits grades with 1/2 on writing content and ½ on following the 5 Good Habits for Evidence. Click here for an example of how a C can become a B. Click here for required Course Objectives, the separate Good Habits for Evidence grade, and how it can help you.	
2f.Requirements So You Have Good Habits with Evidence and I Grade Accurately and Faster
	For written assignments, your professor requires that your only sources are the textbook and resources that the professor provides in the course, including primaries. To be clear: No Google. (See Required Course Materials.)	
	For written assignments, you also must cite a specific page from the required textbook for your fact. (See Required Course Materials.)	
	If there is a problem with your following the Good Habits for Evidence or with anything incomplete about an assignment, your professor enters 1.11 as a temporary placeholder for the grade and posts a comment with that grade telling you what you need to do.	
Part 3. Deciding the Grade You Plan to Earn
Look for the yellow to notice where you need to fill in the checklist. If you prefer to use a check in your checklist, copy this √.  Place a √ or X in the yellow box to the left of YOUR planned grade in this 1000-point course. 
	Final Letter Grade that You Plan to Earn	How Many Points That You Must Earn for That Grade	
	A (exceptional)	895 or above (Range: 895-1000 points)	
	B (above average)	795 or above (Range: 795-894 points)	
	C (average)	695 or above (Range: 695-794 points)   	
	D (below average)	595 or above (Range: 595-694 points)   	
	F (failing)	594 or less	
Part 4. Making Sure You Do Enough Points for the Grade You Want to Earn
Place an X in the yellow box to the left of each of the assignments that you will do so you earn the points you need for the grade you want. 
Caution: When you are done, add all points to be sure you will earn enough points. In your adding points, do not assume you will make 100% on each assignment. That is not how life works for most of us, including me. For example, if you usually make a B (79.5% or above) or above and you also want to make a B (795 points or above), then a safe action is to mark everything and then monitor your grade as you work. 
Tip: To help you monitor your grade during the term, I post an announcement at the end of Unit 1, 2, and 3 so know how many points make each of the letter grades. 
4a. Getting Started (Possible Total for Its Assignments = 50 points) 
	Assignment 	Points	
	Take Syllabus Acknowledgement Quiz. (Caution: You must do it to stay in the course.)	1	
	Post your Introduction in the Discussion available from Getting Started.	4	
	Determine your plan and complete it in (this file of information) and submit it to Turnitin.	15	
	Complete the 4 parts of your plan (this file) and submit it to Turnitin.	15	
1	Follow the instructions in the Course Tour to locate 5 things you need to be familiar with.	5	
	Follow the instructions exactly to set up Lockdown Browser and Respondus Monitor. To take any exam (Unit 1, Unit 2, Unit 3 or the Final), your must have a full 10 points for this grade at My Grades (on the left menu). Caution: If on an exam you do not follow the instructions exactly, I will email you and temporarily lower the grade to 1.11. To take the next exam, respond immediately and do what I ask. Do not wait until the last test day.	10	
		50	

4b. Unit 1 (Possible Total for Its Assignments and the Prior Assignments - 280 points)
	Assignment 	Points	
	Take Evidence Quizzes 1, 2, 3, and 4 @10 each 1 (Tip: You do a self-test to determine what you know and do not know. You then take the full-test as many times as you want with the highest score counting. If you do each of these quizzes by the recommended date in parentheses and get all questions correct, you earn 1 extra credit point to encourage your “grit.”.)	40	
	Take all Learning Quizzes with the Lessons 1 ( / ), 2( / ), 3( / ), and 4( / ) in Unit 1 (Tip: These quizzes have the same rules for “grit” points as the Evidence Quizzes above.)	70	
	Post and reply on the Discussion Unit 1: Collaborate! (Tip: If you post as its rubric explains and if you make over 60 on the Unit 1 Exam, you earn 10 extra credit points to encourage your “grit.”)	20	
	Take Unit 1 Objective Exam. (Tip: This is learnable. Over 30% of the questions are from Unit 1’s Learning Quizzes, and 70% are listed in the Unit Study Guide. Also, you can help each other with Collaborate!)	100	
		230	
4c. Unit 2 (Possible Total for Its Assignments and the Prior Assignments - 580 points)
	Assignment 	Points	
	Take all Learning Quizzes with the Lessons 1, 2, 3, and 4 in Unit 2. (Tip: The same extra credit as Unit 1.)	50	
	Post and reply on the Discussion Unit 2: Collaborate! (Tip: The same extra credit as Unit 1.)	20	
	Click on Writing Requirements (left menu) and then on the 1st Writing folder. Follow the instructions, including for submitting to SmartThinking and what files to email to me in Blackboard. (Tip: allow enough time to receive SmartThinking feedback so you can correct your paper before you must post it.)	10	
	In the Discussion topic in the 1st Writing folder, post your paper @ 40 points (20 points for content and 20 for Good Habits for Evidence). Caution: You must post this on time to do the next 2 writing tasks.	40	
	When the Discussion topic reopens, follow the instructions to peer review 2 other students’ 1st Writing @ 40 points (10 points for content and 10 for following all 5 Good Habits for Evidence for each one).	40	
	When the Discussion topic reopens again, carefully examine the comments of the 2 students who peer reviewed your paper. Reply to their peer review according to the instructions @ 40 points (10 points for content and 10 for following all 5 Good Habits for Evidence for each one).	40	
	Take Unit 2 Objective Exam. (Tip: The same opportunities for success in learning as in Unit 1.)	100	
		300	
4d. Unit 3 (Possible Total for Its Assignments and the Prior Assignments - 870 points)
	Assignment 	Points	
	Take all Learning Quizzes with the Lessons 1, 2, 3, and 4 in Unit 3. (Tip: The same extra credit as Unit 1.)	50	
	Post and reply on the Discussion Unit 3: Collaborate! (Tip: The same extra credit as Unit 1.)	20	
	Click on Writing Requirements and then on the 2nd Writing folder. Follow its instructions, including using its primary sources. In its Discussion topic, post your paper @ 40 points (20 points for content and 20 for Good Habits for Evidence). Caution: You must post this on time to do the next 2 writing tasks.	40	
	When the Discussion topic reopens, follow the instructions to peer review 2 other students’ 2nd Writing @ 40 points (10 points for content and 10 for following all 5 Good Habits for Evidence for each one).).	40	
	When the Discussion topic reopens again, follow the instructions to reply to peer reviews of your paper @ 40 points (10 points for content and 10 for following all 5 Good Habits for Evidence for each one).	40	
	Take Unit 3 Objective (Tip: The same probabilities of success in learning as in Unit 1.)	100	
		290	
4e. Final Exam (Possible Total for Its Assignments and the Prior Assignments = 1000 points)
	Assignment 	Points	
	Take the Final Exam (100)	100