Sixth Grade Syllabus 2013-2014 School Year
Textbook: The World and Its People by Glencoe ($57.75) For the 2013-2014 school year, all teachers will have a class set of The World and Its People by Glenco.
Interactive Student Notebook:
Students will be creating interactive notebooks with assignments from class. This notebook will serve as each student’s textbook for the class. Please speak with your teacher about the specifics needed to create the interactive notebooks.
Course Description:
For the 2013-2014 school year, incoming sixth graders will use a curriculum designed to help young people develop the ability to make informed and reasoned decisions for the public good as citizens of a society which is culturally diverse, democratic, and globally interdependent. Students will demonstrate knowledge of the fundamentals of social studies and learn to apply the skills necessary for processing information. Students will demonstrate an awareness of and respect for cultural diversity and democratic principles. Finally, students will actively participate in civic processes and evaluate the nature of a global community.
Course Outline:
1. Geography
2. Government
3. Economics
4. Europe
5. Latin America
6. Canada
7. Australia
8. Personal Finance
Assessment:
A student’s grade will be determined by homework, class work, tests, quizzes, and projects. Major assignments will be recorded as test grades. Projects may count as multiple test grades, depending on the extent of the project. The grade distribution for the sixth grade social studies will be as follows:
Tests/ Major Projects 45%
Quizzes/Mini-projects 30%
Homework 10%
Class Work 15%
The Fulton County Academic Grading Scale is as follows:
A 90 and above
B 80-89
C 70-79
F 69 and below* (*by state rule, any grade below 70 is failing.)
Homework Expectations:
Assignments may be overnight or long-term. Students should complete all assignments neatly and on time. Assignments not meeting criteria will incur a penalty. 10 pts. will be taken off each day an assignment is late. 50% is the highest grade a student can earn on late work turned in beyond four days within that particular quarter grading period.
Provisions for Improving Grades:
Students who have low (73 or below) or failing cumulative grades may ask for the teacher for opportunities to improve their grade when all work required to date has been completed and the student has demonstrated a legitimate effort to meet all course requirements including attendance. (FCBOE Procedure IHA p. 4)
Opportunities designed to allow students to recover from a low or failing cumulative grade will be allowed when all work required to date has been completed and the student has demonstrated a legitimate effort to meet all course requirements including attendance. Teachers will determine when and how students with extenuating circumstances may improve their grades.
Scheduled Help Session:
Tuesdays from 8:00 a.m. until 8:20 a.m. and by appointment. I will of course do my/our best to help anyone whenever they are “in need”.
Absences/Make-up Procedures:
According to Fulton County Board of Education, policy JBM, “Upon returning to school following an absence, it is the student’s responsibility to contact the teacher to request make-up work. Make-up work must be completed by the students within the time specified by the teacher.” The student will be given the same amount of time to make up work as he/she was absent unless other arrangements are mutually agreed upon. The student will receive the actual grade on make-up work if the absence was “excused”. Make-up work for “unexcused” absences may be reduced up to 4 points.
Teacher/Parent Communication:
Communication initiated by both parents and teachers is essential to the student’s academic and behavior success. Methods of communication include: telephone calls to school, conferences, occasional test papers, the student agenda, class websites and email.
Class Rules:
All rules stated in the Student Conduct Handbook apply in this class at all times. The following classroom rules will further ensure the success of our efforts. Therefore, students should….
1. Come to class on time
2. Be prepared for class with all needed materials
3. Respect themselves and others
4. Communicate with a positive attitude
5. Always do their very best!
**All students are expected to exemplify academic honesty. “Academic Honesty” means performing all academic work without plagiarism, cheating, lying, tampering, stealing, giving or receiving unauthorized assistance from any other person, or using any source of information that is not common knowledge without properly acknowledging the source.
Discipline Guidelines:
In order to maintain an environment conducive to learning, students must follow behavior guidelines. Should a student not follow these rules, teachers will use a combination of some of the following methods: verbal reprimands, seating change, time-out, conference between student and teacher, communication to parent via e-mail, agenda, or telephone, referral to guidance counselor, conference between parent, teacher, and student, and conference between parent, teacher, student, and administrator.
Textbook: The World and Its People by Glencoe ($57.75) For the 2013-2014 school year, all teachers will have a class set of The World and Its People by Glenco.
Interactive Student Notebook:
Students will be creating interactive notebooks with assignments from class. This notebook will serve as each student’s textbook for the class. Please speak with your teacher about the specifics needed to create the interactive notebooks.
Course Description:
For the 2013-2014 school year, incoming sixth graders will use a curriculum designed to help young people develop the ability to make informed and reasoned decisions for the public good as citizens of a society which is culturally diverse, democratic, and globally interdependent. Students will demonstrate knowledge of the fundamentals of social studies and learn to apply the skills necessary for processing information. Students will demonstrate an awareness of and respect for cultural diversity and democratic principles. Finally, students will actively participate in civic processes and evaluate the nature of a global community.
Course Outline:
1. Geography
2. Government
3. Economics
4. Europe
5. Latin America
6. Canada
7. Australia
8. Personal Finance
Assessment:
A student’s grade will be determined by homework, class work, tests, quizzes, and projects. Major assignments will be recorded as test grades. Projects may count as multiple test grades, depending on the extent of the project. The grade distribution for the sixth grade social studies will be as follows:
Tests/ Major Projects 45%
Quizzes/Mini-projects 30%
Homework 10%
Class Work 15%
The Fulton County Academic Grading Scale is as follows:
A 90 and above
B 80-89
C 70-79
F 69 and below* (*by state rule, any grade below 70 is failing.)
Homework Expectations:
Assignments may be overnight or long-term. Students should complete all assignments neatly and on time. Assignments not meeting criteria will incur a penalty. 10 pts. will be taken off each day an assignment is late. 50% is the highest grade a student can earn on late work turned in beyond four days within that particular quarter grading period.
Provisions for Improving Grades:
Students who have low (73 or below) or failing cumulative grades may ask for the teacher for opportunities to improve their grade when all work required to date has been completed and the student has demonstrated a legitimate effort to meet all course requirements including attendance. (FCBOE Procedure IHA p. 4)
Opportunities designed to allow students to recover from a low or failing cumulative grade will be allowed when all work required to date has been completed and the student has demonstrated a legitimate effort to meet all course requirements including attendance. Teachers will determine when and how students with extenuating circumstances may improve their grades.
Scheduled Help Session:
Tuesdays from 8:00 a.m. until 8:20 a.m. and by appointment. I will of course do my/our best to help anyone whenever they are “in need”.
Absences/Make-up Procedures:
According to Fulton County Board of Education, policy JBM, “Upon returning to school following an absence, it is the student’s responsibility to contact the teacher to request make-up work. Make-up work must be completed by the students within the time specified by the teacher.” The student will be given the same amount of time to make up work as he/she was absent unless other arrangements are mutually agreed upon. The student will receive the actual grade on make-up work if the absence was “excused”. Make-up work for “unexcused” absences may be reduced up to 4 points.
Teacher/Parent Communication:
Communication initiated by both parents and teachers is essential to the student’s academic and behavior success. Methods of communication include: telephone calls to school, conferences, occasional test papers, the student agenda, class websites and email.
Class Rules:
All rules stated in the Student Conduct Handbook apply in this class at all times. The following classroom rules will further ensure the success of our efforts. Therefore, students should….
1. Come to class on time
2. Be prepared for class with all needed materials
3. Respect themselves and others
4. Communicate with a positive attitude
5. Always do their very best!
**All students are expected to exemplify academic honesty. “Academic Honesty” means performing all academic work without plagiarism, cheating, lying, tampering, stealing, giving or receiving unauthorized assistance from any other person, or using any source of information that is not common knowledge without properly acknowledging the source.
Discipline Guidelines:
In order to maintain an environment conducive to learning, students must follow behavior guidelines. Should a student not follow these rules, teachers will use a combination of some of the following methods: verbal reprimands, seating change, time-out, conference between student and teacher, communication to parent via e-mail, agenda, or telephone, referral to guidance counselor, conference between parent, teacher, and student, and conference between parent, teacher, student, and administrator.