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Welcome to8th Grade History

Teacher: Mr. TurfEmail:

Room: C-105Phone: (714) 431-1500 ext. 61565

Welcome to Mr. Turf’s 8thGrade History class. My educational goal for our class this year is that every student will achieve academic excellence by engaging in challenging and meaningful learning in a safe environment that promotes creativity, respect, self-esteem, and personal growth.

WHAT is History and WHY do we study it?

  • History is the story that adds meaning to the people, events, places, and images of our lives.
  • History is about ALL of us!
  • If you don’t know history, you don’t know your world or your culture.
  • History is story time ALL the time.
  • History is who we were, who we are, and who we will be…

8th grade History: Year Long Plan

  • The goal of this course is to integrate United States history and geography with the humanities and the social sciences. This will be accomplished by enriching the content with literature, primary and secondary source documents, and art from the time periods.
  • The social studies curriculum for the 8th grade involves a study of United States history and geography, starting with the European discovery of North America through the Second Industrial Revolution.
  • Students will examine in depth the social, cultural, and technological changes in the United States. They will also acquire concepts and skills in geography, critical thinking, and global issues by studying the following topics as outlined in the California Academic and Performance Standards.

Units of Study:

  • Unit 1: Exploration and Colonization
  • Unit 2: Colonial Life
  • Unit 3: Independence and Revolution
  • Unit 4: The Constitution
  • Unit 5: A New Nation
  • Unit 6: Manifest Destiny and Westward Expansion
  • Unit 7: Division and the Civil War
  • Unit 8: Reconstruction

Students will also explore the various themes (GRAPES) of Social Studies while studying each unit. These themes include a variety of systems to study. These include:

  • Geography
  • Religion
  • Achievements
  • Politics
  • Economics
  • Social Structures

School-Wide Materials:

  • 1 ½ inch 3-ring binder
  • Subject dividers with pockets
  • Pen/Pencil case/pouch for binder
  • Three hole lined paper
  • Pencils
  • Pens – Blue or Black
  • Highlighters – 2-3 different colors

Classroom Expectations

All students in Mr. Turf’s classroom will be…

RESPECTFUL – Treat all members of the class and teacher with respect.

  • Be a good listener and speak in turn.
  • Raise your hand to speak or ask questions.
  • Respect the ideas, space, and property of others. No put-downs or teasing.
  • The classroom is rated G, inappropriate language or behavior will NOT be tolerated.

RESPONSIBLE – Be responsible for yourself and your school work

  • Follow directions the first time they are given.
  • Be Prepared! Always bring class materials to school everyday.
  • Arrive to class on time. Tardiness will result in a deduction of your participation points.
  • Work on assignments for the entire period.
  • Complete and submit your homework/assignments on time.

SAFE – Behave in a manner that is appropriate in a classroom setting.

  • Make good choices.
  • Keep your chairs on the floor.
  • Keep hands and feet to yourself.
  • Keep aisles clear with your backpacks on the back of your chair.

Classroom Procedures and Policies

A) Attendance and Participation – Students must consistently attend and participate. Students will need to participate in many different activities. In order to learn and grow as much as possible, students should always come to class prepared to participate and with their completed homework.

Examples of good participation are:

-Working well with partners and/or in groups

-Speaking with appropriate voice level

-Helping classmates with problems

-Listening to your classmates and the teacher

-Answering questions

-Giving your best effort

A student will lose participation points if:

-The student is late to class

-The student uses their cellphone without permission

-The student does not work well with partner or participate in class discussions

B) Assignments and Make Ups – Students will be given time to finish class work in class. However, if they do not use your time wisely or need more time to complete an assignment, it will become homework. Students will get homework at least twice a week to help them study the material. Students will need to complete the homework on time and turn it in completed. Late work may be made up, however 10% may be subtracted each day the assignment is late.

C) Absences and Tardiness – For excused absences, the students will need to ask for any missed work. They can make up the work for full-credit. For unexcused absences, the student cannot make up work and will receive a “0” of all work assigned the day they are absent. Students must come to class on time every day. If a student is late, they will receive a tardy. If you are tardy to my class, you must make up double the time at lunch or after school.

D) Entering the classroom –You must enter the class quietly. After you have walked through the front door to the classroom, pick up anything Mr. Turf has asked you to. After picking up the handouts or supplies, walk to the desk that is assigned to you quietly. Login to your Chromebook, takeout a pencil or pen, and any other supplies that you will need. Put your backpack on the back of your chair.

E) Seating – Students must sit where they are placed on the seating chart or where Mr. Turf directs them to sit. There are no exceptions to this rule. If there is a problem with your assigned seat, it is your responsibility to speak with Mr. Turf at lunch or after school.

F) Quiet Signs – If the class is doing an activity but then Mr. Turf needs the class’ attention, he will use different signals to ensure that students are quiet and that the class is paying attention. Three quiet signs are the following:

I. Count down from five: In order to get the attention of the class after group work, Mr. Turf will count down from five. At that point you must give Mr. Turf the following five things:

1. Be silent

2. Be still

3. Track the speaker

4. Listen to the speaker

5. Have your hands free

II. Hand up in the air: When Mr. Turf raises his hand and is silent, all students must also raise their hand, be silent, be still, track the speaker, and listen to the speaker.

III. Clap it quiet: When Mr. Turf claps out a rhythm, students in the class put down anything that they are working on, track the clapper, be still, and repeat the rhythm that is clapped. All students must be silent after they repeat the rhythm.

G) Movement in the classroom – Students must have Mr. Turf’s permission to get out of their seat at any time throughout the class period.

H) Sharpening pencils – Pencils should be sharpened before class begins. If all of your pencils are dull and you need to sharpen your pencil during class, raise your pencil in the air. If Mr. Turf gives you permission to sharpen your pencil, only then may you quietly walk to the pencil sharpener to do so. Please wait until a speaker is finished talking to sharpen your pencil.

I) Blowing your nose – If you need to blow your nose, raise one of your hands and touch your nose with the other. You may not leave the classroom to blow your nose.

J) Bathroom – The best idea is to use the bathroom during the break between classes. If you need to use the bathroom during class, raise your hand with your fingers crossed. Mr. Turf will then let you know whether or not you can go to the bathroom at that time. Students must sign the bathroom log to leave the classroom. Only one student may use the bathroom during class at a time. If bathroom breaks become excessive, Mr. Turf may ask you to make up time at lunch or after school.

K) Eating/Drinking in the Classroom – No food or drink besides water in a clear bottle is allowed inside of my classroom. Gum is not permitted on campus.

L) Throwing away garbage – All garbage is to be kept at your desk until the end of class. At the end of class, take your trash as well as any scraps on the ground near your desk and place them in the trashcan.

M) Getting the teacher’s attention – If a student needs to speak with Mr. Turf, that student should raise their hand but not call out with their voice.

N)Electronics – Students cannot have their cell phone, electronic device, or other related items without a teacher’s permission. Students must turn-off their cell phones during class. If a cell phone is used without permission, the cell phone will be taken away, locked up, and will not be returned until the end of the day. There will be no warnings given and there is no room for negotiation. Anytime after that, the phone will be sent to the office. The same rule applies if a student uses any other electronic device without the teacher’s permission.

O)Personal Items – Toys, make up, compacts, mirrors, and any other beauty products are not allowed in class and will be taken away and given back at the end of the day.

P)Fire/Earthquake/Emergency – For emergency drills and real emergencies, we will remain calm, leave the classroom, and walk to the appropriate place as one group. As we walk together, no students should separate from the class group.

Q)Cheating policy – Cheating cheats you out of your own education. Cheating doesn’t help you learn, and we are here to learn. The minimum punishment for cheating will be a zero on that assignment, detention, and a phone call home.

R)What to do when you finish class work early – If you have successfully completed your class work, check it over. After you have finished your work and checked it, you have two options:

1. Start your homework or any make up work for this class only.

2. Take out your ELA book and read silently. Students will not be able to go up and pick out a
book from the classroom library at this time.

S)End of class dismissal – Mr. Turf, not the sound of the bell, will tell the class when it is time to get ready to go. When Mr. Turf says “Time to clean up,” that means that all students should silently pack up their belongings and sit quietly. When Mr. Turfexcuses your table group, then students may leave the classroom or stay to talk with Mr. Turf if they have questions.

Grading System

  • Objective, Warm-Ups, Vocabulary, Notes, and Reflections: 20% of total grade
  • Every day students will be required to complete the following:
  1. Write down the Essential Question (Objective) of the day
  2. Warm-Up for the Day
  3. Vocabulary Word of the Day
  4. Notes/Context for Learning
  5. Reflection/Summary of the Lesson to answer the Essential Question
  • Assignments: 40% of total grade
  • Homework
  • Classroom Assignments
  • Projects
  • Exams/Quizzes: 30% of total grade
  • Periodically throughout each unit, quizzes will be given. These quizzes may consist of pop-quizzes, map quizzes, vocabulary/word-of-the-day quizzes, or short content review assessments.
  • At the end of every unit, students will be given a unit exam/common assessment. Unit exams/common assessments may consist of traditional multiple choice assessments, short answer assessments, or performance-based assessments.
  • Participation: 10% of total grade
  • Participation is mandatory and based on discussions, activities, questions, and overall general attendance.
  • For complete points, students must arrive to class on time, come prepared with their materials, and participate in discussions and activities. Points are deducted for tardiness, classroom distractions (cell phones, electronics, inappropriate chatting), unpreparedness, or inappropriate behavior.

Grading Scale

A+ = 98-100% B+ = 87-89% C+ = 77-79% D+= 67-69% F = 59% and below

A = 97-94% B = 84-86%C = 74-76% D = 64-66%

A- = 93-90% B- = 83-80%C- = 70-73% D- = 60-63%

Academic Support

My door is always open for students and parents. I am available to students before school (7:20am-7:50am), during lunch, and after school (2:30pm-4:00pm). Times may differ depending on teacher/parent conferences, supervision duty, sports/activities, or teacher collaboration days (Wednesdays). I am available in addition to these times on a regular basis, but make an appointment with me just in case.

If your grade at anytime during the school year goes below a C (70%), you will be required to attend Academic Support at lunch or after school. This support time will give you extra time to complete make up work, make up assessments, or get support to raise your grade.

Safe Zone

Mr. Turf’s room RESPECTS all aspects of people including race, ethnicity, gender expression, sexual orientation, socio-economic background, age, religion, body shape, size, and ability. My door is always open at lunch for students to have a safe place to be and interact with each other in a positive welcoming environment. I provide academic support during this time as well. Students are welcome for a fun, open, and safe environment to enjoy lunch, or spend some time before or after school.

Scholar Dollars

  • Scholar Dollars will be rewarded to students who follow the expectations of Mr. Turf’s classroom. A student can receive a Scholar Dollar for responsibility, respect, safety, participation, and positive behavior.
  • Students may use Scholar Dollars to purchase items in Mr. Turf’s Classroom Store, the PTA School Store, or for raffles that will occur randomly in class.

Redirects for choosing to not meet the expectations:

Step 1: Verbal warning is given.

Step 2:You may be asked to move your seat or complete a reflection

Step 3:Conference with Teacher or Parent Phone Call
(will require a lunch or after school detention)

Step 4: You may be directed to move to another classroom to refocus

Step 5: Parent Phone Call and office detention written or you may be asked to go to the office
to refocus.

Classroom Rules Mr. Turf might have missed:

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I have read and understand the syllabus provided by Mr. Turf.

Student Name: ______

Student Signature: ______

Parent Name: ______

Parent Signature: ______

Best phone number to reach you at: (______) ______

Thank you and I look forward to an awesome school year!!

Parent/Guardian Survey

Please answer the following questions. I appreciate your taking the time, and I am looking forward to a great year together.
Por favor, conteste a lassiguientespreguntas. Apreciosutomar el tiempo, y estoymirandoadelante a un gran añojuntos.

1) What are your hopes and dreams for your child?
¿Cuáles son susesperanzas y sueñosparasuhijo?

2) What is special about your student? What do they do especially well?

¿Qué tiene de especial su hijo? ¿Qué hacen especialmente bien?

3) Describe the best teacher your student has ever had. What do you think they did to help your child
learn?
Cuáles elmejor maestro de suhijo ha tenidoalgunavez. ¿Quéopinasquehicieronparaayudar a
suhijo a aprender?

4) Has your student been in a classroom situation in the past that was unproductive for them? Why
was this situation unproductive?
¿Ha sidosuestudiante en unasituación de clase en el pasadoque no fueproductivoparaellos?
¿Porqué no fueproductivoestasituación?

5) Is there any additional information that you think is important to share with me?

¿Hay algunainformaciónadicionalqueustedcreequeesimportantecompartirconmigo?