Class Information

Expectations & Procedures

Coach Havard's Classroom Rules: They are all encompassing:

I. Be Respectful to Others

II. Be Seated BEFORE the Tardy Bell Rings

a. Entering the classroom between classes--you are here to stay (no going back to your locker etc.)

III. Speak at Appropriate Times

IV. Hand Work in On Time

Grading policy

1. We will be studying Texas History from beginnings up to Contemporary Texas.

2. You will be expected to do daily work, take tests, complete homework and possibly do projects as we explore America's rich history together.

3. You will be graded on the following scale: Tests--60%, Daily Work--40%. If we have a project during a six week the percentages will change.

4. The number of daily assignments and tests change every six weeks. You will be told at the beginning of each six weeks APPROXIMATELY how many of each (daily grades; tests) there will be.

5. We may have a Geography Bee in January for a daily grade.

6. In class, we will be doing worksheets, reading from the book, listening to short lectures, using question and answer games, watching videos and other activities to learn more about American History. There will also be homework on occasion due the next day before your class begins (when the bell rings). If not on my desk or the white homework box (wherever I’ve told you to place it) before the bell rings it will be considered late. A topical syllabus will be given out near the beginning of each six weeks with an offer of extra points in connection with them that shows the order and approximate week we will be studying differing topics.

7. There will be other opportunities for extra credit in my classroom. The opportunities will be PROACTIVE in nature and not REACTIVE in nature. In other words--they will be put out there for you to take advantage of before you make that bad grade or bad average. They will NOT be given out "after the fact" of a bad grade made. So, YOU need to be proactive in getting the extra credit or making the good grade. Try to be reactive in keeping your average up----we do plenty of work and have plenty of opportunities for grades. My first question to someone who after the fact of having a bad average asks me to conjure up some kind of extra credit to “save them” will probably be, "Did you try that extra credit I offered last week?"

8. I expect your best effort in my class. My pledge to you is to be firm, fair, and consistent in the grading of your work. This begins, of course, with what you have been told on this piece of paper. I'm here to help you. Let's have a good year together!

TEXAS HISTORY

In Grade 7, students study the history of Texas from early times to the present. Content is presented with more depth and breadth than in Grade 4. Students examine the full scope of Texas history, including Natural Texas and its People; Age of Contact; Spanish Colonial; Mexican National; Revolution and Republic; Early Statehood; Texas in the Civil War and Reconstruction; Cotton, Cattle, and Railroads; Age of Oil; Texas in the Great Depression and World War II; Civil Rights and Conservatism; and Contemporary Texas eras. The focus in each era is on key individuals, events, and issues and their impact. Students identify regions of Texas and the distribution of population within and among the regions and explain the factors that caused Texas to change from an agrarian to an urban society. Students describe the structure and functions of municipal, county, and state governments, explain the influence of the U.S. Constitution on the Texas Constitution, and examine the rights and responsibilities of Texas citizens. Students use primary and secondary sources to examine the rich and diverse cultural background of Texas as they identify the different racial and ethnic groups that settled in Texas to build a republic and then a state. Students analyze the impact of scientific discoveries and technological innovations on the development of Texas in various industries such as agricultural, energy, medical, computer, and aerospace. Students use primary and secondary sources to acquire information about Texas.

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