Honors Social Studies – 8th Grade

Mr. Gomez

Room 609

Course Description

This is a challenging and rigorouscourse designed forhighly motivated, advanced students. This course focuses on the learning and mastery of Arizona state standards and Common Core History/Social Studies Standards with an emphasis in AmericanHistory from the American Revolution through Contemporary U.S. History. Students willdevelop research skills for history by participating in National History Day. Students will explore the foundational principals of American civics, government, and economics. Students will: analyze and describe the factors,events and leaders of theAmerican Revolution; study and describe theimpact of the Great Depression and World War II on America; study post World War II Europe and America; describe the factors, events and leaders of the Cold War; examine the Civil Rights Movement and leaders in America; and review and discuss modern and current national and world events. Students will be expected to complete daily in-class and homework assignments, as well as essays and long-term research projects. Students will be expected to use school-wide literacy strategies. In addition, students will be taking a 8th grade social studies common assessment. This will be taken at the beginning of the year and again at the end of the year to measure student learning.

Class Expectations: Home Court Advantage

Honorable:

  1. Arrive at class on time
  2. Listen to and follow directions
  3. Raise your hand to ask questions
  4. Be kind and treat others as you want to be treated
  5. Respect differences in people
  6. Use technology appropriately

Cooperative

  1. Follow directions and procedures
  2. Control your hands, feet and language
  3. Immediately report dangerous situations

Accountable

  1. Bring required materials
  2. Write down assignments in your agenda
  3. Turn in assignments on time
  4. Ask classmate or teacher about missed work
  5. Ask for help when you need it
  6. Clean up your work area

School Rules

  1. Any student that disrupts the learning process will be asked to go to the RTR room to discuss their behavior with our RTR teacher.
  2. ETL will be assigned for the following infractions: Tardy to class, incomplete or missing homework, no lanyard, and dress code violation.

Materials

The following list of materials will help you be successful in this course:

  1. Pencil or Pen (blue or black ink only)
  2. Pocket folder
  3. Paper or notebook
  4. Colored pencils
  5. Composition Book

Optional: headphones andflash drive

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Scope and Sequence – What we will be studying this year.

  1. Historical inquiry processes (History Day): August - September
  2. American Revolution: September - October
  3. Government: October – November
  4. Economics: November - December
  5. WWII: January - February
  6. Postwar United States: February - March
  7. Civil Rights Movement: March
  8. Contemporary United States and Law Day: April – May

Class Requirements

- You will have a variety of homework assignments during the week that reinforce the content being covered in class as well as regular current event assignments and discussions.

- Many skills will be applied in class, along with a variety of assignments: Inquiry Lessons, warm ups, notes, guided readings, reading, writing, oral presentations, collaborative activities, essays, maps, quizzes, historical fiction, tests, and research projects.

- A variety of resources will be used including: Text book, newspapers, computers/internet, atlas, and various historical documents.

- Late work is accepted if a late slip is attached.

- If you are absent, you have the same number of days you were absent, to turn in any make up work. Always check the assignment calendar for your missing assignments.

Grading - Grading will be based on three categories: Practice, Performance, and Measurement. Each category is weighted differently according to the chart below. This grading system is being used by the entire history department. Try your best on every assignment and assessment and you will be successful.

Practice: (Homework, class work, quizzes, etc.) accounts for 20% or your overall grade.

Performance: (Papers, essays, projects, demonstrations, etc.) accounts for 20% of your overall grade.

Measurement: (Tests) accounts for 60% of your overall grade.

Other Policies

- Cell phones are not permitted to be out during class, talk with me if there is an emergency. MP3’s are only permitted during designated times. If I see your headphones in your ears you will lose the privilege.

- I will only allow you to use the restroom for emergencies. Use the restroom between passing periods. You will be issued three hall passes per quarter, for personal use: (restroom, locker, etc.)The passes can be turned in at the end of each semester for extra credit, if unused.

- Nurse passes will be issued only if you are suffering from any of the following emergencies: bleeding, broken, barfing, or breathing funny.

- You may have a bottle of water and healthy snacks in your backpack. No other beverages will be allowed in class and you must clean up after yourself. This is a privilege not a right.