Current Events

GOOGLE CLASSROOM CLASS CODE FOR 4th PERIOD IS l2oav7n


Mrs. Kissamis

heidi.kissamis@d426.org

CURRENT EVENTS SYLLABUS

Contact Information:

  • email - heidi.kissamis@d426.org

  • phone - 815-522-2654

The best way for students to contact me is to talk to me in class, before school or after school. However, I am coaching middle school volleyball and my availability after school will be limited until mid October. Students and parents feel free to email or call about any issue I will get back to you as soon as possible.

Course Description:

This course will cover current issues happening in the world, including local, national, and global locations. These events will be examined with regard to their global impact. Various media sources will be used, including the Internet, newspapers, magazines, and television. This course will consist of assignments using reading and writing skills, as well as geographic and sociological concepts. Students will learn to critically examine current events by focusing on cause and effect analysis.

Course Objectives: As a result of this course, students will be able to…

  • address essential questions that reflect and issue of the modern world

  • develop supporting and essential questions through investigation, collaboration, and using different sources

  • gather and evaluate information from multiple sources while considering origin, credibility, point of view, authority, structure, context, and corroborative value of the sources

  • identify evidence that draws information from multiple sources to revise or strengthen claims

  • construct and evaluate explanations and arguments using multiple sources and relevant, verified information

  • articulate explanations and arguments to a targeted audience in diverse settings

Academic Expectations:

  • Have class materials ready to use

  • Respect the classroom and everyone in it - INCLUDING YOURSELF

  • Listen carefully to directions and follow them

  • Be ready to think–participate–learn!

  • You may be called on to answer questions

  • When you are given class time to work, you need to be working

  • You need to be an active participant in group work

  • Students are expected to follow the rules in the Parent/Student Handbook in this classroom.

Academic Honesty:

  • Students are expected to complete their own work.

  • Any plagiarized work will automatically be counted as a zero without the opportunity to make up the assignment.

  • If you allow someone to copy your work you will also receive a zero without the opportunity to make up the assignment.

  • No Communication (verbal, non verbal, electronic, etc.) during tests. Any communication or use of a cell phone will be automatically counted as a zero.

Behavioral Expectations:

  • No snacks– water in clear containers only

  • Be on time

  • Pick up all trash and don’t make a mess

  • Do not write on the desk

  • Keep your hands and feet to yourself (even if you are playing)

  • Respect others opinions

  • Be good listeners (no talking when someone else is talking)

  • No putting someone else down

  • no swearing

  • No yelling or other behavior which distracts other students and/or your teacher

  • NO PHONES

    • if you have a cell phone out you will be asked to take it to the office

  • Students are expected to follow the rules in the Parent/Student Handbook in this classroom.

Discipline Policy:

  • good behavior will be rewarded with Hawk Pride cards

  • students demonstrating poor classroom behavior may have the following consequences

  1. verbal reminder

  2. verbal warning

  3. discuss behavior with teacher either during or afterclass

  4. office referral and/or detention (call home to discuss behavior with parents/guardian)

* the teacher reserves the right to send anyone to the office immediately if the behavior warrants removal from the classroom

Tardy Policy:

  • students must show up to class on time. In the event that a student is tardy,

1st tardy: Enter into grade book, verbal warning

2nd tardy: enter into grade book, verbal warning,

3rd tardy: enter into grade book, verbal warning, call home

4th tardy: enter into grade book, verbal warning, call home, detention

Hall Passes:

  • You will be allowed 2 hall passes a quarter

  • The passes are for 5 minutes - if you are gone longer you will owe me double the minutes after or before school

  • If you need to leave the room and do not have any passes left - you may be given permission to leave the room, but you will owe me double minutes for however long you are gone

  • If you do not use your hall passes they can be exchanged for a missing assignment or extra credit at the end of the quarter

  • You still need approval before leaving the classroom and not all requests will be granted

Academic Grades:

  • Grades are based on total points accumulated on quizzes, tests, homework, class assignments, daily class participation, and projects for the semester.

  • Final exams are worth 20% of the final semester grade.

  • Semester grades are calculated as percentages using a scale of 90% = A, 80% = B, 70% = C, 60%= D, <60% = F.

Required Materials:

  • notebook and paper

  • writing utensil

  • at times we will use colored markers and pencils, if you would like to use your own you must bring them to class or use one of your hall passes to get them (otherwise I have both in the classroom

Late Work:

  • Students are expected to turn their class work in on the due date. Work turned in after the due date will be marked down 20%.

  • Students are always free to discuss with me the reason their class work is late; if they do this when the assignment was originally due, then the late penalty may not be applied.

Makeup Work:

  • Students have one school day for each day absent to turn in all makeup work (unless arrangements are made with the instructor for more time).

  • Not all class activities can be made up, as they require direct participation by the student.

*syllabus is subject to change