Syllabus
Class goals: To give you a basic understanding of world history and global interactions, so that you will feel comfortable and compelled to be a positive influence on the world.
Textbook: You will each be assigned a textbook for the year. It is your responsibility to maintain it properly. This means you should NOT write in your book, doodle in it, rip pages, or treat it roughly. These books are extremely expensive to replace! In order to take your book home, you will need to “check it out” from me. I will write down your name and the book number at the end of the hour. It is your responsibility to bring it back to school the next day.
You may ONLY USE YOUR OWN BOOK IN CLASS. You cannot use another student’s book off the shelf—you have your own book for a reason.
If you take a book off the shelf, please put it back in the same place. The shelves are labeled for each subject. I don’t want books mixing, and also several of the books ONLY fit on the shelves they are on.
Suggested Materials—bring EVERY DAY!
Absences: In the event of EXCUSED absences, you have two school days to make up missed work. It is YOUR responsibility to find out what you missed—and please DO NOT ask me what you missed during regular class time. Come in before or after school to find out. If your absence is UNEXCUSED, no late assignments will be accepted.
Classroom Expectations:
Class Website: We have a website I will be using regularly (www.centralsocialstudies.weebly.com). On ours, I will be putting a wide variety of information, including assignments, study guides for tests and quizzes, and other things as they come up. This is a great place to see past and upcoming assignments, find websites for research, and interact. Throughout the year this site will grow, so please check it frequently. You can find it through the Central Academy website or type in the link above.
Online Assignments: From time to time you will be required to post assignments or your thoughts to our class website. You will be shown how to do this and these will be graded assignments.
Class Procedure: This will vary regularly, but you should always be prepared for a warm-up activity. This could consist of a journal entry, small reading, questions, analysis of a document/picture/news clip/news article, or even a pop quiz. You should also be prepared for random binder checks—they will be graded!
Much of class will consist of lecture and discussion. Please take notes—they are an excellent way to review for tests and quizzes, as well as help you remember information. I can guarantee you will not remember something taught in September when it is time to take the final exam unless you have taken notes on it. You WILL do better in my class if you take notes every day.
Before you leave class, you must write the day’s assignment and any other future assignments or due dates in your planner. I will not let you out of the classroom unless you have done this. I will not accept anything but your planner.
You should be prepared for weekly quizzes, monthly tests (usually at the end of each unit), group activities and individual research projects. Each Friday you have my class you will have a CDV or map quiz as well as an open-note quiz. You will also regularly have Current Events due. There will be at least 2 large group projects during the year, as well as several writing assignments that will require research, comparison and your personal opinions.
Homework: There will often be homework—do it! Homework is a way to practice what you have learned and become an expert in it. You WILL do better in this class if ALL work is completed.
Homework Passes: You are given one homework pass per quarter. This allows you to turn in a missing homework assignment up to 2 days late. The pass MUST be attached to the assignment to receive credit. If you do not use your passes, you may turn them in at the end of each quarter for extra credit.
Class Outline: This may change, and I will notify you in advance of any adjustments and due dates. As we get into the year the schedule will get more definite, and I will provide you with a more detailed outline for each unit.
Textbook: You will each be assigned a textbook for the year. It is your responsibility to maintain it properly. This means you should NOT write in your book, doodle in it, rip pages, or treat it roughly. These books are extremely expensive to replace! In order to take your book home, you will need to “check it out” from me. I will write down your name and the book number at the end of the hour. It is your responsibility to bring it back to school the next day.
You may ONLY USE YOUR OWN BOOK IN CLASS. You cannot use another student’s book off the shelf—you have your own book for a reason.
If you take a book off the shelf, please put it back in the same place. The shelves are labeled for each subject. I don’t want books mixing, and also several of the books ONLY fit on the shelves they are on.
Suggested Materials—bring EVERY DAY!
- 3-ring binder
- bound notebook—we will be taking a LOT of notes, so bring it every day.
- Composition notebook for Mini Lessons and Objectives
- pencils and pens—don’t come to class without something to write with, it doesn’t make sense!
- pencil case
- cloth textbook cover
- 40%--tests, quizzes and large projects
- 25%--in-class assignments and activities
- 25%--homework
- 10%--participation—You must come to class ON TIME and prepared, as well as be an active participant in discussions, activities, assignments, and so on. It WILL affect your grade significantly. This also means keeping your binder organized, bringing your planner every day and doing all warm-up activities.
Absences: In the event of EXCUSED absences, you have two school days to make up missed work. It is YOUR responsibility to find out what you missed—and please DO NOT ask me what you missed during regular class time. Come in before or after school to find out. If your absence is UNEXCUSED, no late assignments will be accepted.
Classroom Expectations:
- Adhere to all school rules!
- Mutual respect is extremely important. I respect all of you, so please respect me, and each other. This class will deal with many varied issues and topics, upon which there is bound to be some disagreement. This is an opportunity for great debate and conversation—please respect the opinions of others!
- Respect the classroom. Clean up after yourselves, do not make me do it for you. If the class is messy, I will hold you late until it is cleaned up.
- Bring your planner every day. In addition to recording your homework, it is also your bathroom pass. You are allowed 2 passes each quarter.
- DO NOT CHEAT! It is never acceptable, and only serves to hurt you in the long run. Learn the material, and show yourself what you can do on your own. This includes plagiarizing other works. If you quote someone else, you MUST cite it—do not try to pass it off as your own writing. Cheating and plagiarism will result in an automatic zero.
- Quality of work: I will not accept work that is messy or has fringes. Turn in quality work only.
- Be in your seat at the start of class. Do not begin to pack up and line up at the door before I have dismissed you. If you do, I will hold you back in my class.
- Be an active participant.
- Ask questions! One of my teachers once told my class that if one person has a question, at least 3 other people are wondering the same thing and are too shy to ask. Questions are great ways to learn and discuss!
Class Website: We have a website I will be using regularly (www.centralsocialstudies.weebly.com). On ours, I will be putting a wide variety of information, including assignments, study guides for tests and quizzes, and other things as they come up. This is a great place to see past and upcoming assignments, find websites for research, and interact. Throughout the year this site will grow, so please check it frequently. You can find it through the Central Academy website or type in the link above.
Online Assignments: From time to time you will be required to post assignments or your thoughts to our class website. You will be shown how to do this and these will be graded assignments.
Class Procedure: This will vary regularly, but you should always be prepared for a warm-up activity. This could consist of a journal entry, small reading, questions, analysis of a document/picture/news clip/news article, or even a pop quiz. You should also be prepared for random binder checks—they will be graded!
Much of class will consist of lecture and discussion. Please take notes—they are an excellent way to review for tests and quizzes, as well as help you remember information. I can guarantee you will not remember something taught in September when it is time to take the final exam unless you have taken notes on it. You WILL do better in my class if you take notes every day.
Before you leave class, you must write the day’s assignment and any other future assignments or due dates in your planner. I will not let you out of the classroom unless you have done this. I will not accept anything but your planner.
You should be prepared for weekly quizzes, monthly tests (usually at the end of each unit), group activities and individual research projects. Each Friday you have my class you will have a CDV or map quiz as well as an open-note quiz. You will also regularly have Current Events due. There will be at least 2 large group projects during the year, as well as several writing assignments that will require research, comparison and your personal opinions.
Homework: There will often be homework—do it! Homework is a way to practice what you have learned and become an expert in it. You WILL do better in this class if ALL work is completed.
Homework Passes: You are given one homework pass per quarter. This allows you to turn in a missing homework assignment up to 2 days late. The pass MUST be attached to the assignment to receive credit. If you do not use your passes, you may turn them in at the end of each quarter for extra credit.
Class Outline: This may change, and I will notify you in advance of any adjustments and due dates. As we get into the year the schedule will get more definite, and I will provide you with a more detailed outline for each unit.
- Ancient Civilizations (Egypt, India, China, Greece, Rome, Americas, Africa)
- Religion (Islam, Christianity, Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism)
- The rise of Europe, Africa and Asia
- The Middle Ages, the Renaissance and the Reformation
- Global Exploration
- Absolutism and the Enlightenment
- Revolutions
- Industrial Revolution
- Nationalism and Imperialism
- Modern Global Issues and Current Events