SANTEE EDUCATION COMPLEX

COURSE SYLLABUS AND GUIDELINES
School Year – 2012-2013
World History, Culture, and Geography: The Modern World
SDC/Social Science
Teacher – Mrs. Nerissa D. Galinato

  1. KEY CONCEPTS OF THE COURSE:
    This is a class required for graduation. It is aligned with the California Public Schools State Standards for Social Science. The point of this class is to study the major turning points in the shaping of the modern world, from the late eighteenth century to present. The year begins with an introduction to current world issues and then continues with a focus on the expansion of the West and the growing interdependence of people and cultures throughout the world.
  2. GENERAL PLAN FOR THE COURSE:

This class will be taught using variety of methods and instruction. PowerPoint presentations, textbook assignments, posters, small group activities, art and multimedia projects, and many other activities will be used in order to help you learn in different ways.

  1. COURSE REQUIREMENTS:

Class Work and Homework

A lot of the work that we will do will take place in class. You will have access to a textbook/workbook; therefore, it is not necessary to bring your textbook from home each day. Since majority of our works are done in class, excessive absences will greatly affect your ability to succeed.

While homework is not given often, there are several assignments throughout the year that will be done entirely on your own time. Unless otherwise noted, these assignments are always due at the beginning of class on the next school day.

Group Work
Groups will be assigned at the beginning of the semester and will stay the same
throughout. Groups will be identified based on the total number of students in
the class. Each person in the group will have a role, such as leader, presenter,
recorder, and materials coordinator. The roles will rotate every assignment. If
someone is absent, the group will be responsible for performing those duties.
Group work will be presented to the entire class. Expect at least two project/class
presentations per semester.

Individual Journal
The semester journal, an organized presentation of student works, will be
developed throughout the semester. Students keep all assignments in a journal,
and will be expected to organize it daily.

Quizzes/Unit Test/Final Exam
There will be quizzes to check for understanding. At the end of each unit, test will
be given based on the readings and homework. Final exam will be given at the
end of each semester. These finals will cover material from the entire semester.
D. ATTENDANCE EXPECTATIONS:
Daily attendance and participation is expected. All work may be made up for excused
absences. You will be expected to do what the class is doing on the day you return to
class so please contact another student or me to find out the assignment. The school
tardy policy will be followed. Students are required to be in class on time. Truancy will
not be tolerated in this class. The school truancy policy will be followed. Works missed due to truancy (including tests) may not be made up for points.

E. MAKE-UP WORK:
There will be no make-up work provided for unexcused absences. An unexcused
absence is defined as any absence that is not cleared by your parent within the allotted 3
day time period. If you have an excused absence, it is your responsibility to find out
what you missed. It is not my duty to remind you.
If you missed a test due to an excused absence, you will take an essay exam after school
on the assigned test-make-up day posted on the white board. If you missed a test due to
truancy, you will receive a 0 even if you take the test prior to my notification of the
truancy.

F. BEHAVIOR EXPECTATIONS:
I expect that all students will treat each other and me with respect. If a student’s behavior
disrupts the class, the following will be the consequences:

1st time – warning
2nd time – your seat will be moved and you lose all participation points for the day.
3rd time- you will receive detention as well as call your parents.
4th time – you will receive a referral.

Emergency Clause – drastically inappropriate behavior will
result in immediate teacher action of removing the student from the classroom and parent conference with administrator.

G. GRADING RUBRIC:

Standard grading percentages apply for all assignments.

90% - 100% = A

80% - 89% = B

70% - 79% = C

60% - below = F

Extra Credit opportunities will be available and will be worth no more than 2% of your overall grade.

BY SIGNING BELOW, YOU AND YOUR PARENTS ACKNOWLEDGE THAT YOU HAVE READ AND UNDERSTAND THE COURSE SYLLABUS AND GUIDELINES.

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Parent Name/ Signature

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Student Name/Signature

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Date