Social Studies Survey
Ms. Ambrose, Room 109 ~ 2015-2016
~ 707-824-2300, ext. 8703
http://staff.analyhighschool.org/rambrose/
"Intelligence plus character - that is the goal of true education." - Martin Luther King
Welcome and Introduction to the Class
Welcome to 9th grade Social Studies Survey! Social Studies Survey is a required course for all freshmen designed to help you develop the skills necessary to get the most out of your high school social science classes. This course draws from all of the social sciences – history, geography, anthropology, sociology, political science, and economics – to give students a picture of the various fields of study encompassed by this discipline. Students will learn basic social science skills, such as unpacking primary documents, analyzing political cartoons and reading maps, charts and graphs. Furthermore, we will be utilizing critical thinking skills to detect bias and develop our abilities to form our own opinions about a topic and support them using evidence.
We will be engaging in class discussions regarding current events in the regions of the world that we are studying. You will be asked to find relevant articles and write brief reactions to them throughout the year. We will be learning about the major regions of the world. Students will be expected to study and create maps to help give them a sense of the places we are talking about. In the Modern World Problems Unit, we will be learning about some of the issues countries around the world face, such as global warming, child labor, and human trafficking, and discussing potential solutions. As a class, we will be participating in the Face to Faith program by engaging in global dialogue with other 9th graders around the world through videoconferencing and teamblogging.
Students will be required to create and maintain an interactive notebook. You will be expected to bring your interactive notebook to class with you everyday (or leave it in the classroom), as we will be adding to them often.
Textbook: Boehm, Richard G. World Geography and Cultures. New York: McGraw Hill Glencoe, 2008.
Grading Policy
Your grade will be determined by the following criteria: classwork, homework, individual and group projects, tests, quizzes, and class participation. Class participation is a factor in your class standing and will have a positive/negative effect on your final score. Areas taken into consideration for class participation are tardies, unexcused absences, contribution to class discussion, and attitude toward your peers, your teacher, and any classroom guest. In the case of group projects, there will also be an individual assessment. Late work will be accepted up to one week from the original due date for a maximum of half credit. Incomplete work will be returned.
Rules and Expectations
1. Do your own work. Cheating and plagiarism are taken very seriously and as such I do not tolerate dishonesty in my classroom. Please familiarize yourself with methods of citation in all of your written work. If you borrow someone else’s thoughts or ideas, make sure you give them credit. Otherwise, it’s stealing. If you aren’t sure if you are plagiarizing or not, ask me.
2. Show up on time and prepared to participate. I can’t teach you if you’re not here, so be here. You have a voice in this class and I want to hear it. Your opinion matters. Share it. You will need your interactive notebook, something to write with and highlighters for note-taking purposes. Always do your best work and turn it in complete and on time.
3. Be respectful and appropriate. Be respectful of your classmates, teacher and learning environment. This class has a zero tolerance policy for any kind of behavior or commentary that is disrespectful or rude. We cannot have the kind of class discussions described above unless students feel safe and comfortable in sharing their thoughts and opinions. Please be respectful, even if you disagree with someone else’s view. Be appropriate – use appropriate language and think before you speak. Raise your hand to respond during class discussions.
Social Studies Survey
Ms. Ambrose
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I have read the course syllabus and understand what is expected of me/my student:
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