| 8th Social Studies |
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7th & 8th Grade Social Studies/American History 2006 - 2007 General Course Outline and Expectations Materials Textbooks - Bring your textbook to class every day, unless I indicate otherwise. You are responsible for their care and upkeep. Notes/Binders Each student shall maintain a 1.5” binder for this class, with a five section divider to keep sections neat. It is expected that all students take notes during classroom lectures and during review and reading of homework assignments. Notes are to be taken on loose-leaf paper, and added to the binder. NOTES ARE CRUCIAL IN MY CLASS. Please take their accumulation and safe-keeping seriously. In case of an excused absence, it is the student’s responsibility to get missed notes or assignments from another student or from me after school. The binders will also contain sections for the following: Homework/worksheets Terms People/biographies Handouts/calendars, etc Additional material you may include in your binder would be on going quarterly projects, such as 3 minute presentation work, book reports, and any extra credit. I will always let you know if and when some material should be included in your notebooks. Binders will be checked on a twice-quarterly basis for content and neatness. On all work, including notebooks, the student must maintain neatness, appropriate grammar, and correct spelling and punctuation. Homework Assignments We will have regular homework. Homework will be counted toward your total grade. Homework is due at the beginning of class; Credit will be reduced for late homework turned in that day. Homework will usually include readings of the next day’s lesson; students will be expected to have read the material in preparation for classroom discussion about it. You will be allowed one extra day for each day of an excused absence to turn in missed homework. Quizzes and Tests There will be short quizzes over recent material several times a week. A daily quiz missed because of an excused absence will not be averaged into the quiz grade. There will be a test at the end of each unit, and a comprehensive test at the end of each semester. Occasionally a quiz or a test will be open-book and/or open-notebook; students will be advised of this in advance. Ongoing Projects There will be several quarter-based ongoing projects: a) Book Reports You will be responsible for reading one book per quarter outside of class and turning in a report on it. The books must be from the list, or if you chose a different book must be approved by me in advance. You may choose from several types of report, but may only do the same type of report twice during the year. Book Report choices: • Traditional book report • Newspaper style book review • Cartoon strip defining the plot and characters • Add another chapter to the end of the book fitting the style of the book • Create a journal as if you are one of the characters with at least five entries • Description of what the characters’ lives will be like in ten years • Create a Movie Poster to promo the book. The last five choices must include a one-page summary of the book, including title, author, main characters and plot. b) 3 Minute Presentations Each student will prepare and present one 3 minute classroom presentation on relevant topic of choice, with prior approval from Mrs. Williams. Options: 1) pure speech with or without notecards; 2) memorized re-enactment of historically important speech or event (example: Patrick Henry’s “give me liberty or give me death” speech; poem, Midnight Ride of Paul Revere) This option should include introductory commentary establishing context. 3) biography of relevant historical character. A rubric for this presentation will be passed out, as will a list of suggested biographical subjects and historical topics. Assessment Guide Students’ understanding of the material will be assessed through a variety of methods, including homework, quizzes, tests, notebook evaluations, individual and group projects, and class participation. An exam will be given after the completion of each unit, and a comprehensive final exam will be given at the end of the year. There will be considerable class review prior to each exam. The breakdown of assessment is approximately as follows: 50% Tests (one after each unit, one comprehensive final exam) 15% Quizzes 15% Homework and Binder/Notes 20% Ongoing Projects (3 minute presentations, book reports, terms to know list) Extra Credit: Up to 2% per quarter. The junior high grading scale will be followed. Extra Credit Students may earn extra credit in the following manners: 1) Create a journal of fictional but realistic entries chronicling an event or segment of time covered in class. 2) An in-depth bio of a specific character covered in the role-playing activities, or another peripheral yet interesting character. 3) Log Mrs. Williams’ daily quotes with analysis/comments/interpretation (positive remarks only!) A student may earn up to 2 percentage points of e.c. per quarter. Based upon the junior high grading scale, these points may be sufficient to raise a quarter grade approximately one-half a letter grade. Extra credit is NOT to be used as a substitute for required work – the student’s base-line effort is ALWAYS considered when granting extra credit. Extra credit is purely discretionary. Contact Information My voicemail extension is 4221. I can be reached during my plan period, 8:30 – 9:30 a.m., or after school. At any other time, please leave me a voicemail message, and I will return your call as soon as possible. Homework will be posted on the homework line at my extension. My school email is williams@stelizabethnet.org Homework Line I will generally give the day’s homework assignment on the homework line at extension 4221. Please check that if you have an unexpected absence. 8th Grade Social Studies/American History 2006 – 2007 Syllabus Textbook: American History: The Modern Era since 1865 Topics: 1. New Horizons 1860 – 1900 a) Into the West b) Rise Of Industry c) An Urban Society d) The Gilded Age e) Politics & Protest 2. Entering a New Century 1867 - 1920 a) Imperialism b) The Progressive Era c) White House Reformers 3. Crusade and Disillusion 1914 – 1932 a) World War I Era b) The Decade of Normalcy c) The Depression Begins 4. Times of Crisis 1932 - 1960 a) The New Deal b) World War II c) The Cold War d) Search for Stability; Eisenhower et al 5. Redefining America 1954 – Present a) Civil Rights Era b) Vietnam Era c) Camelot to Watergate d) Search for Solutions e) New Century The 8th grade will also study the Constitution of the United States, from the Declaration of Independence through its development during the Constitutional Conventions; the separation of powers into the legislative, executive and judicial branches, and the checks and balances system. We will spend time on the Bill of Rights and its guarantees, and Amendments 11 – 27. |
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