Syllabus

Social studies is about us, reflecting on what it means to be human. It explores who we are, our motivations and the impact our decisions have on the world. It examines our rich and complex story peopled with diverse characters and various experiences. One hears a crowd of voices narrating various stories of tragedy, triumph, sacrifice, adventure, and transformation.

Social studies attempts to make sense of human behavior by examining the world through the various lenses of geography, politics, economics, and sociology. We examine those behaviors by analyzing our past actions that shape our world. By gathering the remnants of those lives, analyzing them, correlating the evidence, and synthesizing them, we begin to make meaning. It is an ongoing human conversation that excavates for origins, explores cultures, clarifies the present, and looks for wisdom that can guide our future actions. This unfinished story of humanity is one that we move forward as performers on the stage of life.

The story requires courage, compassion, and wisdom. Courage because it challenges us to rethink the world around us. Compassion to enter the experiences of others. And wisdom for discerning how to act in the world today. Ultimately social studies is not just about gathering information, but about engaging the people around us and reflecting on how we can further humanize the world around us.

In sixth grade, students traced the human story from ancient civilizations to the middle ages. This class will continue the story by following various threads that compose the fabric of our human life in the modern period. It will examine how we moved from largely independent civilizations around the world to the globalized one we live in.

The National Council for the Social Studies states "Social studies is the integrated study of the social sciences and humanities to promote civic competence...The primary purpose of social studies is to help young people develop the ability to make informed and reasoned decisions for the public good as citizens of a culturally diverse, democratic society in an interdependent world" (italics mine). We are part of a world with diverse cultures, peoples and ideas. Students in a social studies class should be prepared to thoughtfully engage that world. Civic education in a democratic society therefore requires students to critically engage that world through a respectful dialogue. Because the issues we face as a society are often contentious and controversial students need to be able to interact and examine different perspectives.

Students will be able to

• apply the disciplinary skills of an historian by analyzing, comparing, and synthesizing various sources in order to develop strong habits of mind.
• examine the world through the social studies disciplines of geography, economics, politics, and sociology in order to develop wise decision-making skills.
• develop their voice by engaging various perspectives through collaborative projects and by writing essays in order to develop an engaged citizen of our democracy.

The classroom is a place of safety, learning, dialogue, and joy. In order to support this community of learning, the teacher and students should follow the school BOLT policy.

• Be Respectful of one another through actions that demonstrate esteem those around you. Follow the "Golden Rule" and be considerate of different points of view.
• Own Your Actions by taking responsibility for the consequences of one's actions.
• Learning Comes First when students come prepared with the appropriate materials and attitude. Devices are should not be visible unless it is a directed part of the lesson.
• Think About Safety by caring for the learning environment--keeping it clean and orderly. While food is not allowed in the classroom, students may bring water in a reusable container.

Participation in class is necessary for the successful development of skills and content knowledge. Absence from class is not just missing content understanding, but the teachers support in coaching of skills.

It is expected that students will complete missed assignments. Absence does not exempt a student from their completion of assignments, but it does allow for an extension of time. Students are responsible for communicating ahead or taking initiative upon return to receive assignments. Students can also use this website to follow the assignment for the day.

In order to support these learning activities, the following materials will be necessary.

• How Sugar Changed the World by Marc Aronson and Marina Budhos
• Four 8 1/2 x 11 Single Subject Spiral Notebook
• Stapler/Tape
• Pencils
• Coloring Pencils
• Ruler

Grades will be determined by students' proficiency in the content and skill development. Behavior will not be considered in grading, but observed through the BOLT tracker and teacher notes. Students must demonstrate their learning through a variety of assignments, including an interactive student notebook, essays, projects, tests and quizzes, and homework.

Plagiarism n. the practice of taking someone else's work or ideas and passing them off as one's own.

If a student is found plagiarizing, the student will be required to write a letter home explaining the reason for their lack of integrity and then be given another opportunity to complete the assignment.

Students will use an interactive notebook for daily classwork.

Students are required to do about 30 minutes of homework each day.

• About ten minutes every morning, students will listen to the news from either NPR Up First podcast or CNN 10. After documenting the headlines, students will reflect on one headline story. The handout will be collected at the end of the week.
• About ten minutes every evening, students should complete any unfinished assignment from class, read an assigned text, work on a project or review material from the day's lesson.

For each unit students will given regular assessments to evaluate their progress in content knowledge.

Major assessments will be assigned to evaluate students growth in thinking and communication skills. Each quarter, students will be required to write one essay. 1-3 projects will be assigned each quarter as well.