Unit Notebook Instructions

AP U.S. History
Coach Dawkins

Purpose: I will require you keep a unit notebook this year for the following reasons: (1) Organization is a
key skill for success at school, at work, and at home. (2) Organizing your work by units will help you to
familiarize yourself with the GPS/APUSH standards for U.S. History and assist you in being accountable
for your own performance in this class. (3) You will know your grade without taking away from my
instructional time. (4) Finally, if your notebook follows my requirements, you will be able to access your
work quickly without lots of paper shuffling, and your academic grade will benefit.

Grading: You will be graded using a 4-point rubric at the conclusion of each unit. The following items
will be assessed: title page, overall organization, and work completion. Because of the importance of the
unit notebook, each notebook grade will be worth 100 points.

Notebook Requirements:

Three-inch 3-ring notebook w/divider tabs

AVID students: you may keep one notebook as long as your U.S. history notebook is separate from other
subjects.

 Title Page for each unit that includes some combination of the following: hand-drawn
illustrations (Triangular Trade map or impact chart for example), primary and/or secondary
source excerpts, and pictures printed from the Internet of major figures, events, concepts, and
places, related to one of the seven course themes (you choose).

 Unit Vocabulary- Write key vocabulary terms from each unit and define (refer to separate
instructions).

 Assignments Page (optional)- Use this to keep track of all assignments and grades for each unit,
in chronological order.

 Bell Ringer Section- This is where you will keep your bell ringers in chronological order (may
be vocabulary, quick writes, or multiple-choice questions) for each unit.
 Work Section- This is where you will keep your notes, key concept modules, graded and non-
graded work, handouts, etc., separated by type and in chronological order.
 Assessments Section: This is where you will keep quizzes and tests for each unit in
chronological order.
 Unit Project Section- This is where you will keep your unit project, when assigned.
 Unit Notebook Rubric
Student Name (Print) _______________________________________

Class Period _________

Time Period ______

Title: The title page uses a variety of primary and secondary sources and/or illustrations of them,
accurately reflects the chosen theme and time period, and is visually appealing. Color is suggested, but
not mandatory.

3 2 1

Overall organization: A tab is used to identify the time period, sub-sections are arranged in the order
listed on the instruction sheet, and in chronological order.

4 3 2 1

Completion: Bell ringers, key concept modules, notes and class work for the unit are complete, detailed
and legible.

5 4 3 2 1

Opinion/Comments: _____________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

Total______ Final Score (/100)_______

*Rubric key

1- below expectations

2- approaching expectations

3- meets expectations

4- above expectations

5- exceeds expectations

Points conversion

12= 100pts 11= 90pts 10= 85pts 9= 80pts 8= 75pts 7= 70pts

6= 60pts 5= 50pts 4= 40pts 3= 30pts 2= 20pts 1= 10pts