Course Syllabus

Course Syllabus

Special Topics in Social Studies- 9th Grade

Mrs. Summers

sesummers@ccisd.us

 

Overview:

The purpose of this class is to introduce topics and themes in history that will be studied more in depth in the upcoming years.  We will use our class discussions and assignments to become familiar with these topics and to think/respond critically about them.

 

Attendance:

Attendance and class participation are critical to success.  In a year long course, the student must be in class 90 percent of the year in order to be eligible to receive credit.  If you know you are going to be absent, please communicate with me ahead of time if possible, or upon your return, so we can work together to keep you caught up. If you were absent for one day, you have one day extra to complete the assignment.

Tardies:

If you are not in the room when class is supposed to start according to the school schedule, you will be counted tardy.  That means if class is to start at 9:30, you must be in the room when the clock changes to 9:30.  At 9:31, a tardy is counted and you must get a tardy pass from the attendance office before coming to class.

Grading Policy:

All students will participate in the grading contract for the school year.  The grading categories are:

Major (all formal writing, projects, presentations, and other summative assessments) - 40%

Minor (all daily work, informal writing, discussions, and other formative assessments) - 60%

1st 6 Weeks Focus:

 

• Project: Who Do You Think You Are?

 

• Geography: Maps, tools, physical & human geography

 

 

Other Topics to be Discussed This Year:

• Social Structures: gender roles, family customs, division of society into classes
• Cultural Interactions: religions, belief systems, philosophies, cultural diffusion
• Political Structures: forms of government, growth of empires, revolts and revolutions, regional and global organizations

• Economic Structures: agriculture and trade, organized labor, rise of industry, economic theories
• Human Environment Interaction: disease, human settlement, migration, population growth
• Point of view/bias discussion: multiple sources = multiple points of view
• Primary and secondary sources: review purpose and types

 

• Current Events: an ongoing analysis of issues from around the world

 

 

Class Expectations:

• A classroom built on a foundation of respect is a key part of the success of the year.  I will always treat you with respect and the expectation is for you to return that respect to everyone in the room. All students will respect the learning environment, their classmates, and all staff.
• Class discussions are an important part of our learning and understanding.  Participation in these discussions will help drive learning and is a requirement.  
• Only positive and uplifting comments to other students will be tolerated.  This class will be a safe environment for all to express their opinions.
• Unless otherwise stated, all work will be due on the listed due date, at the start of class.
• Always ask for help when you need it without hesitation.
• Parents will be notified of any academic or behavioral issues in a timely manner.
• Take pride in who you are and what you can offer to our class.  You are important.
• Take ownership of the work you produce, your actions, and your words. You will be held accountable for all three.
• All students will have an electronic device that is suitable for the task.  
• Electronic devices will only be used for educational purposes.  Inappropriate material will not be tolerated.  If the cell phone is confiscated, it will be turned in to the front office.
• Students can only listen to music after the teacher has granted permission and all assigned work is completed to a satisfactory level.
• In order to maintain a clean and orderly classroom, all food must remain put away.  No eating in class. Beverages will be handled at the teacher’s discretion.

We will use information from multiple sources to analyze, discuss, and respond to these topics.  

 

Be sure to be prepared with materials every day as materials are an important part of your productivity in class

 

These materials will be useful:

 

• Binder to keep work organized (If this is preferable to you as a student)
• Electronic device when needed
• Paper
• Pen and pencil
• Color pencils when necessary
• Tissues and hand sanitizer are appreciated but not required.

 

I look forward to our time together this year and hope that this class will guide you on your journey to success!