Syllabus

Northwood Middle School

Syllabus for 7th Grade Social Studies

Mr. Kammer

2018-19

Course Description

Seventh Grade Social Studies is a world history course covering events beginning with Columbus discovery of the New World and continuing to contemporary events. Topics are not arranged chronologically but by concept. Topics include government and economic systems, geographical and cultural influences on history, and historical events that have global significance.

Textbooks

Students will be issued Contemporary Cultures by McGraw Hill. Publishing. This new book uses some web based activities and an online copy of the book will be available. Students will use websites, media center resources, notes, worksheets and projects to add to course content.

Homework and other resources will be posted on the internet and in Classroom. Students without internet access at home should plan to go to the public library, ask for passes to Northwood's Media Center, or plan to come to my room early enough to check web additions.

Course Outline

The time frame for each topic is an approximation. Flexibility in the schedule is necessary for reteaching, stressing key concepts, meeting individual needs. and accommodating required state testing.

Unit 1 - 15th and 16th Century European Expansion and Colonialism – Weeks 1 - 3

  • 7-1.1 - European expansion and colonial claims
  • 7-1.2 - Contributions of science and technology to European expansion
  • 7-1.3 - Mercantilism as a way of building a nation’s wealth, including government policies to control trade.
  • 7-1.4 - The rise of capitalism out of mercantilism, the developing market economy, international trade, and the rise of the middle class
  • 7-1.5 - European political and economic influences, trade and settlement patterns on the continents of Asia, Africa, and the Americas.

Unit 2 - Unlimited and limited Government in 17th and 18th century Europe - Weeks 4 - 6

  • 7-2.1 - Characteristics of limited and unlimited government in 17th and 18th century Europe.
  • 7-2.2 - Scientific Revolution and Enlightenment challenges to authority including the challenge of reason to accepted knowledge and practice, challenges to the Roman Catholic Church, and the contributions of Galileo and Sir Isaac Newton.
  • 7-2.3 - Enlightenment ideas of John Locke, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Montesquieu, and Voltaire that challenged absolutism and influenced the development of limited government.
  • 7-2.4 - The effects of the English Civil War and the Glorious Revolution on the power of the monarchy in England and on limited government.
  • 7-2.5 - Enlightenment influences upon the American and French revolutions leading to the formation o limited forms of government, the relationship between people and their government, the role of constitutions, the characteristics of shared powers, the protection of individual rights, and the promotion of the common good

Unit 3 - Nationalism Spreads Worldwide - Weeks 7 - 10

  • 7-3.1 - Causes, key events and results of the French Revolution
  • 7-3.2 Effects of the Napoleonic Wars, Revolutionary Movements in Europe, Unification of Germany and Italy
  • 7-3.3 - Influence of the Enlightenment upon Revolutionary Movements in Haiti and the Americas
  • 7-3.4 - Effects of the Industrial Revolution on global governments, economies, and cultures
  • 7-3.5 - Contributions of the Industrial Revolution to imperialism. the Open Door Policy, and the Berlin Conference of 1884.
  • 7-3.6 - Reactions to Imperialism including the Zulu Wars, the Sepoy Rebellion, the Boxer Rebellion and the Meiji Restoration.
  • 7-3.7 - The Spanish American War and the United States as an emerging World Power

Unit 4 - World Conflicts in the First Half of the Twentieth Century - Weeks 11-14

  • 7-4.1 - Causes and Course of WW I
  • 7-4.2 - Results of WW I
  • 7-4.3 - Causes and Effects of the Great Depression
  • 7-4.4 - Influence of Socialism, Communism, Fascism, and Nazism upon totalitarianism and the rise of dictators after WW I.
  • 7-4.5 - Causes and Course of WW II
  • 7-4.6 - The Holocaust, Rise of Nationalism in the Middle East, Creation of Israel and the resultant conflicts

Unit 5 - International Developments During the Cold War - Weeks 13 - 15

  • 7-5.1 - Political and Economic Ideologies of the United States and the Soviet Union
  • 7-5.2 - The impact of Truman Doctrine, The Marshall Plan, NATO, the Warsaw Pact, the United Nations upon the Cold War
  • 7-5.3 - The international spread of Communism
  • 7-5.4 - The political and technological competition between the United States and the Soviet Union and "hot spots" of conflict.
  • 7-5.5 - Resistance movement, events, and economic failures which led to the collapse of the Soviet Union

Unit 6– Economic,. Political, Geographic, Scientific, Technological, and Cultural Changes and Advancements from the Fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 to the present - Weeks 16 - 17

  • 7-6.1 - Political, Social, and Geographical impact of the Dissolution of the Soviet Union; German reunification, and the Birth of the European Union
  • 7-6.2 - Nationalist and independence movements in Post WW II Africa, and Asia; the collapse of apartheid
  • 7-6.3 - Current conflicts in the Middle East; the Terrorist attack on the United States on September 11, 2001
  • 7-6.4 - Social, Economic, and Political opportunities for women in various nations and societies around the world
  • 7-6.5 - Impact of the Information and Technological Revolutions upon the World
  • 7-6.6 - Environmental issues facing World

COURSE MATERIALS

• Composition notebook

• Pencils/pens

• Colored pencils

COURSE EVALUATION

Students' progress will be assessed every quarter based on two major areas. They are as follows:

· Major Assessments - 50% - Tests are given at the end of every unit of study. The frequency of tests varies; however, students will generally have a test every two to three weeks. All tests are announced at least one week in advance. Papers and projects will also be counted as major assessments.

· Quizzes, Homework, and Class work - 50%

The Interactive Student Notebook (ISN) – Important materials such as notes, maps, and graphic organizers will be glued into the ISN. It is important for students to keep the ISN up-to-date and neat to refer to materials for studying. Refer to the ISN page on my website for details on how to setup the ISN.

Homework- With the major amount of material to be covered in Social Studies, students should look over their notes every night. Usually, homework will be started in class and finished at home. All work is expected to be completed on the due date for full credit. If homework isn't done on the due date, the student will have five days to complete the assignment for a 60.

Classwork - Notes, graphic organizers, etc. are expected to be copied in the notebook daily. Participation in class is expected at all times.

· Quizzes - Periodically throughout a unit of study quizzes will be given. Students are notified of quiz dates in advance.

Please note that a second chance will be given on tests, only. This has to be done within five days of the test and will be worth up to a 60.

COURSE GRADING SCALE

The following scale is used to assign grades:

A 90-100

B 80 - 89

C 70 - 79

D 60 – 69

F 50 - 59

STUDENT RECORDS

Student records are maintained as directed by the School District of Greenville County and Northwood Middle School.

HOMEWORK POLICY

Homework is a tool which provides several opportunities: finishing an already begun task, practicing new ideas and skills, preparing for future lessons, preparing for evaluation activities, learning responsibility, and developing good long-lasting work habits. The school district recommends an average of 1-2 hours of homework per day. Homework is assigned an average of three to four times a week. The assignment is clearly stated in class, posted on my weekly planner on this website, and students are encouraged to write all assignments in their notebook. Even when students do not have a written assignment in history, it is always a good idea for students to study the notes taken in class.

Unless a student has an excused absence, late homework will not be accepted. Homework assignments will be listed daily on my front board.

PROCEDURES FOR MAKE-UP WORK

All students with excused absences may make-up work. It is the student’s responsibility to arrange with his/her teacher(s) a method of making up missed school work. The work should be made up within five (5) days after the student returns to school. If a test or other project has been previously announced before the student’s absence, the student should be prepared to complete the assignment on his/her return to school.

Make-up work is posted on the white board in my classroom. When a student is absent, it is his/her responsibility to write down any missed assignments. Worksheets and other handouts are located in a box at the front of the room. The sheets are clearly labeled and dated so that students might find them easily.

DISCIPLINE PLAN

Rules for student behavior and violation consequences are located in the student’s agenda on pp. 10-12 (NMS website) On the first day of attendance, teachers went over the rules of student behavior and violation consequences with students at that time.

If a student chooses to break rules, the following consequences will be imposed:

1. Warning - speak with student (First Nine Weeks Only)

2. Warn Student and Parent Contact (Letter, Phone Call, or E-Mail)

3. Lunch Detention

4. Referral to Administrator and every time after 4.

SEVERE CLAUSE: Severe disruptions or violations will be referred immediately to an administrator.

Included in this discipline plan are ways to positively reinforce students who behave appropriately. In addition to using frequent praise, I will reward students with written notes, positive phone calls home, and/or special rewards/privileges.

The rules and consequences are posted in the classroom. They are discussed at the beginning of the school term and referred to as needed throughout the year.

PROCEDURES FOR NON-INSTRUCTIONAL ROUTINES

Assemblies: Students will line up, exit my classroom to the left, and walk to the appropriate location. During assemblies, students will sit as a class. Appropriate behavior is expected and enforced.

Class Change: Students have four minutes between each class. Students are expected to take care of bathroom breaks at this time. Teachers stand at their doors during the class change to monitor student behavior. My students will line up in the hallway outside of my class and wait until I allow them to enter.

Collecting Work: The ISN will be left in the classroom unless at student requests to take it home. Graded work will be glued in the ISN. It is expected that students will have their ISN in class with them each day.

Daily Assignments: Assignments are posted daily for students to copy in their notebook. It is the responsibility of the student to copy posted assignments and announcements.

Dismissal: At the appropriate time, the teacher (not the bell) will dismiss students to go to their next class. After lunch, students will go to their locker and return to fourth period to be dismissed. Any student that does not come back to class and sit after this locker break will be written up.

Emergency Procedures: Routine drills are conducted at specified intervals for fire, bomb, tornado, earthquakes, and bus evacuations. Evacuation routes are posted in each room and reviewed regularly. Lockdown and shelter-in-place procedures have been developed and are initiated by a code sentence over the intercom. Students practice these procedures periodically throughout the school year. During each drill, the teacher must account for all students and complete a People Locator sheet that is given to an administrator.

Homeroom: Students report to homeroom beginning at 8:15. Students come into the room and sit in their assigned seats. During this time, I check the roll and distribute materials such as letters from the PTSA, library notices, etc. Announcements, the Pledge of Allegiance, and the moment of silence are done at the beginning of the day.

ID Badges: For safety reasons ID badges must be worn by all students, faculty, and staff. At the beginning of the school year, students were given a picture ID badge. If a student does not have his/her ID badge at school, the homeroom teacher will send the student to the library at which time he/she will be given a temporary ID. The student will also be assigned lunch detention for the day.

Lockers: Students are assigned lockers; however, the purpose of the locker is store phones, book bags, and books.

Lunch: Eighth grade students go to lunch during 6th period. My class reports to the courtyard at 12:45. At approximately 1:10, students line up and walk to the cafeteria. Once in the cafeteria, students sit at one of my assigned tables and wait to be dismissed by an administrator to get their food. Students are not allowed to get up once they have sat down. At 1:35, I dismiss students table by table. Students walk quietly back to the classroom.

COMMUNICATION WITH PARENTS

In order to have a successful year, there must be an open line of communication between the teacher and the parents. Several tools are used to communicate effectively with parents:

Website: Parents and students are encouraged to use my website. Most pertinent information is located here. If you have difficulty accessing any part of my website, please contact me via email or phone.

Conferences: Monday and Friday have been set aside for parent/teacher conferences. Conferences are set up through guidance at the request of the teachers and/or the parents. Shani Brister is the eighth grade Guidance Counselor. She can be reached at 355-2104.

Course Syllabus: This explains the classroom rules and consequences, as well as provide parents and students with a course description, state standards, and the timeline for covering information. My course syllabus is available on my website. For students who do not have Internet access, a copy of the course syllabus will be provided.

E-Mail: Parents and students are encouraged to e-mail comments, concerns, and questions to me at wkammer@greenvilleschools.us .

Phone Calls: If needed, I will call parents at home and/or work to discuss a student’s progress. Parents should feel free to call me and leave a voicemail at 355-7041 if they have a concern.

Progress Reports/Report Cards: Student grades are sent home regularly by the school to inform the parent of their child’s progress. Dates for progress reports and report cards are in the student agenda on p.4. Progress reports and report cards are to be signed by the parent and returned to the student’s sixth period teacher. Deadlines will be set by the teachers as to when these documents must be returned. Consequences will be imposed if students fail to meet the deadline.

Signed Agendas/Weekly Letters: At the request of the parent, I will sign a student’s agenda signifying that the homework assignments listed are correct. Behavior comments can also be written on a daily basis. If a parent would like weekly feedback concerning their child, I ask that they send a letter or e-mail me on Thursday so that I will have time to reply by Friday afternoon.