6th Grade 

Syllabus

6th Grade Social Studies 

2025-2026 Syllabus

Mr. Farris

sfarris@ascension-parish.com

(502)-451-2535 (School Office)  

“A great civilization is not conquered from without until it has destroyed itself from within.”

-Will & Ariel Durant

Dear students and parents, 

Welcome to a new school year! I am excited to welcome you to 6th grade social studies. I am looking forward to getting to know each of you over this school year in the hopes of creating a class atmosphere where questions or concerns can be addressed quickly so all students can be successful. I would like to thank you and your parent/guardian for what I anticipate will be a terrific year. Below, you will find a syllabus outlining several essential aspects of our class for this coming school year. Please review it and feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns. Let’s have a great year! 

Mr. Farris

Course Description

“The goal of social studies education is for students to develop thinking and decision-making skills that prepare them for responsible citizenship in a democratic society. Sixth graders continue to work toward this goal by examining how movement and migration impacted the interactions between expanding civilizations through conquest and trade in Afro-Eurasia (North Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa, Asia and Europe) and the Americas from 600-1600. Sixth graders will compare political institutions and their impacts on people in empires. Students will compare how different economic systems choose to allocate the production, distribution and consumption of resources. Students will examine ways in which one culture can both positively and negatively influence another through cultural diffusion, trade relationships, expansion and exploration. Students will evaluate the political, geographic, economic and social impact of the expansion of empires during this period. Grounding students’ understanding of large empires in examples from across the entire globe, students will see how the accomplishments, developments, conflicts, migrations and interactions of the early modern world establish the foundations of modern society.” 

• The Archdiocese of Louisville Social Studies Standards, 2024 

*In addition to the curriculum listed above, students will also explore additional ancient civilizations as part of building a basis of understanding the building blocks upon which later civilizations were developed.  

Expectations   

All students must follow the rules outlined in the middle school handbook at all times. Middle school students are expected to serve as leaders of the school and be positive role models for our younger students. Specifically, students are expected to behave in a Christ-like manner at all times, be honest, be responsible for their actions, and be respectful of themselves, their classmates, and teachers.  

Reminder to students

Appropriate and inappropriate behavior is your decision. Be prepared to accept the consequences of your actions.  

Classroom Procedures 

Classroom procedures will be introduced to students in class during the first week of school. Class procedures will align with the middle school handbook, school procedures, and class expectations. 

Grammar & Sentence Structure

Students are expected to use correct grammar, punctuation, and sentence structure in all classes. Students should feel free to ask for help, before submitting work, from any teacher and/or Principal.

Assignments/Grading Categories

Homework:  Homework will make up 10% of the final grade.  Homework will be given sporadically throughout the year to provide students with additional practice with classroom content and skills, or in preparation for an upcoming test (most tests will be in Google Form format). Homework will be on an “as needed” basis and not a nightly occurrence.  Any Homework and corresponding instructions will be found in Google Classroom in the CLASSWORK TAB under “Homework.” unless otherwise indicated.  Students are responsible for completing their assignments and turning them in on time. Please see Mr. Farris with any concerns about assignments, due dates, etc.   

Assessments (Tests/Projects):  Assessments will make up 30% of the final grade.  Students will always be given ample notice before an upcoming test to ensure they have time to study/prepare.  Smaller “Mini” tests will always come with at least 2 days notice, while larger tests will typically be announced a week or so in advance; I do not do surprise “pop quizzes” or unannounced tests.  Any test study guide materials will also be placed in Google Classroom.  As for projects, several smaller projects will take place in the classroom and will always be accompanied by very clear directions.  A few larger projects will require time outside of class be spent by the students; this will not be often.  Any larger projects will be accompanied by a detailed scoring guide and resources/materials will be posted in Google Classroom.

Classwork: Classwork will make up 60% of the final grade.  This will include all daily work, handouts, Google Classroom activities (those not labeled as some form of test or project).  Most of the student learning takes place in the classroom, thus the “Classwork” category is worth the largest percentage of the student’s final grade.  

Late and Missing Work Policy

• Mr. Farris understands that extenuating circumstances sometimes warrant consideration, but the general rule for all classwork and homework/projects is that it is expected to be turned in on time.  Most of the time, that means classwork will be collected as soon as it is completed.  Homework and projects should also be turned in by the assignment due date.  Any work turned in after the deadline will receive a late penalty (the amount of points deducted will vary depending upon the value of the assignment; it’s generally around 10% and no more than 20%).  

• Assignments that are not turned on time will be marked as “Missing” (M) in the FACTS online grading portal.   Those assignments are the student’s responsibility to turn in either on paper or online, depending on the assignment. Missing assignments will count as zeros towards the final grade, but will be adjusted, with late penalties, if/when the work is finally turned in to Mr. Farris.  Late work will be accepted until the end of the current unit of study. 

• The intent of this grading policy is not to be punitive. The FACTS online grading portal is one form of communication intended to give students the opportunity to identify missing assignments, understand the impact of their missing work on their overall grade, and help them take more ownership of their education. Middle school is a time of transition and we, as a middle school faculty, want to ensure students have the tools and skills necessary to be successful in the next phases of life.

• Additional time will be given to students who are absent. Per the school handbook, students have the number of days they were absent plus 2 days (2 days absent, 2 make up days= 4 days to make up an assignment).  If a student is absent and Mr. Farris has entered grades from the date that the student missed, the assignment will be marked as “Incomplete” (I) in the FACTS online grading portal.  Incomplete assignments will count as zeros toward the final grade, but will be adjusted if/when the work is turned in to Mr. Farris.  Unlike with “Missing” assignments, work turned in from being absent will NOT BE penalized, so long as it is turned in within the time frame listed above.  

Extra Credit

Extra credit opportunities exist for students who may need an additional graded assignment to increase their overall grade. Extra credit opportunities are available near the end of a trimester for students who consistently demonstrate effort, class participation, and an outstanding attitude/conduct in class. Any student who does not meet this criteria or has missing work will not be given extra credit. Students are responsible for speaking with Mr. Farris for approval before completing an extra credit assignment. 

Supplies

Students should bring the following supplies to class everyday: 

*iPad fully charged 

*Writing utensil 

*Folder

*Notebook 

*Loose Leaf Paper (a few sheets in folder)

Grading scale                                                            Social Studies Grade Calculation

A 100%-93%                                                              Assessment (Tests/Projects/etc.) Grades- 60%                                         

B 84%-92%                                                                Classwork- 30% 

C 75%-83%                                                                Homework- 10% 

D 70%-74%                                                           

U 69% and below 

Communication

Middle school uses Google Classroom. Parents/guardians can sign up to receive notifications about homework, projects, quizzes, tests, etc. from Google Classroom. 

If you need to contact a teacher, please email them through their school email. Grades will be reported via FACTS.