8th Grade Georgia History Syllabus

2015-2016

Ms. Susan Minkiewicz

School Phone: 770-335-2083

Email:

Welcome to 8th grade Georgia History!!! I look forward to spending the year with you, learning about the history of our state. The CRCT for Georgia History is a challenging test, but I feel confident that you can be successful AND have some fun along the way.

The Georgia Performance Standards for Georgia History are covered over 13 units. These units are:

Unit 1 – Connecting Themes Used

in Georgia Studies

Unit 2 – Georgia Geography and the

Prehistoric Period

Unit 3 – Exploration and Colonization

Unit 4 – Statehood

Unit 5 – The Civil War

Unit 6 – The New South

Unit 7 – The 20th Century

Unit 8 – Post WWII Georgia

Unit 9 – Civil Rights

Unit 10 – Modern Georgia

Unit 11 – State and Local Government

Unit 12 – Adult and Juvenile Justice

System

Unit 13 – Personal Finance

Your class may have a co-teacher in it, which means that you have two teachers. This means that your class may be instructed by two teachers, and are to be respectful to and listen to both. Although the co-teacher may not be your primary teacher, you should regard him/her as so.

SCHEDULE

7:45 - / 8:00 / Homeroom
8:00 - / 9:05 / 1st Block
9:08 - / 10:13 / 2nd Block
10:16 - / 11:21 / 3rd Block
11:23 - / 12:29 / 4th Block
12:35 - / 1:05 / Lunch
1:05 - / 1:22 / Flex Time
1:25 - / 2:20 / 1st Connections
2:25 - / 3:10 / 2nd Connections

DAILY ASSIGNMENTS AND CLASSWORK

I am a strong believer in the ability to have fun and learn at the same time. I will do my best to achieve this with you throughout the year. I prefer to teach through creative, hands on activities. Every day is likely to be different, so you’ll have to be on top of your game to keep up!

You will learn how to take notes.I believe note-taking is a vital skill that will benefit students in high school and college. We’ll spend time learning how to efficiently take notes, using outline format. Students will practice this throughout the year and are rewarded for practicing this skill in other classes.

You will write often, using the writing process they learned in 7th Language Arts. Students will apply that skill to write content-based essays, a common assessment used in high school and college history classes.

You will keep a Big 5 notebook, a daily review of five of the main concepts for the unit. Students will work on it daily and take a weekly quiz. This will provide students with ongoing review yearlong, which will benefit them come semester and final exams.

You will have a test for each unit and the standards that it covers. The tests will consist of a variety of questions. I will prepare you by either showing you the exact notes you need to study or providing a flashcard review study guide, which can be used interactively online. You will have access to a hard copy as well.

COMMUNICATION

Every other Tuesday, you will take home any paperwork your teachers send with you to your parent/guardian.

They must sign the folder and you must return it to class the next day. You have already brought home an email

communication form that outlines how I will stay in touch on a regular basis. Please use email to reach me for

any questions/comments/concerns.

HOMEWORK

Every night you have homework- to REVIEW YOUR NOTES. It is very difficult to absorb large amounts of new information every class and expect to master it, if you’re not re-reading the information and becoming familiar with it. Any other homework will generally consist of finishing assignments that you did not finish inclass.

GRADING/ABSENCES/LATE WORK

Tests will be analyzed and any items that at least half of students miss on a test will be evaluated and possibly omitted, which may change your grade from the initial grade you earned. Writing assignments will also be weighted twice- once as a literacy grade and once as a domain (history, economics, geography, civics/government) grade.

If you are absent, it is your responsibilityto come to me the previous or following day of the absence and find out what you missed.

CLASSROOM POLICIES

In order to ensure that our classroom promotes success, I have a few policies that I ask you to follow:

  1. Ask permission to leave your seat.
  2. Raise your hand and wait to be called on to speak.
  3. Quiet transitions between activities and stations.
  4. Echo my clap for attention.

I look forward to a fun, fulfilling year with you! Please sign below to indicate that you have read through the class information and that you understand and agree to follow the classroom policies and procedures.

Student Name______

Parent Signature______Date______