Honors Global Insights Mr. Foye

Cony High School Room 129

Fall 2010

626-2460 ext. 1151

Makeup Times: Monday and Thursday 1:30-2:15 or by appointment.

Text: World Geography

Author: R.G. Boehm, Ph. D., Texas State University

Course Description: This course is designed to introduce the students to the concept of Geography from a “Global” perspective using the Five Themes of Geography. Geography basically tells us three things:

  1. Where places are located.
  2. What is in or around that place?
  3. What people do with those things?

This helps students realize the relationships between peoples and their environments. During the course we will explore such concepts as Space, Weather and climate, landforms, water and the Culture of the world around you.

Course Content:

  • Introduction to Geography
  • Five Themes of Geography
  • Maps and their uses
  • Space, Landscapes and resources
  • Climates of the Earth and Weather Processes
  • Human Geography (Government, Religion, Economics, and lifestyles)
  • United States and Canada
  • Latin America (Central and South America and the Caribbean Islands)
  • Australia, Antarctica and the Pacific Rim
  • North Africa and the Middle East
  • Sub-Saharan Africa
  • East Asia
  • Southeast Asia
  • South Asia
  • East Asia
  • Russia
  • Western Europe

Course Requirements:

  • Three-ring Binder (1.5 inches or larger)
  • Maps (to be handed out in class)
  • Homework as assigned in class.
  • Handouts from class
  • Videos shown in and out of class
  • In-class projects and Assignments
  • Presentations (Individual and Group)
  • Quizzes (about 1 per week)
  • Projects (Individual and group)
  • Tests (about 1 every 2-3 weeks)
  • Mid-year Exam
  • Final Exam

Notebook Set-up:

Notes: (Section 1)

You will be required to take notes during class discussions and videos. Since most material covered will not be covered anywhere else it is important to take good notes in class. Many test questions will also be taken from notes given during class. If you miss a day of school you are responsible for getting the notes from a classmate or from me. It will also be very important that you keep your notes organized and legible so that you can fully understand the important features of the material.

Homework: (Sections 2)

Homework will be an important part of learning for this class, so it is imperative that you have this section in order. Some of the homework will be from the textbook and others will be from outside sources, please keep your copies of all related material together. This section will be added to on a regular basis.

Maps: (Section 3)

You will get many, many maps during the course of this year. More than you may care to see, but they will all be important to your understanding of this course. There will also be maps on most all of your tests and many quizzes, take care of your maps and keep them in good order for review purposes.

Current Events:

During the course of the year we will devote some time to looking at current events. Every two or three weeks we will have a class quiz based on current events issues of the day. I will ask you a series of questions about different topics and the class will get a grade based on everyone’s performance on the questions. There will be 20-30 questions when this is done, this grade will count as an in-class assignment.

Here is a list of some topics:

  • Environment(Global Warming, Ozone depletion, emissions, Pollution, Nuclear Ramifications, Greenhouse effect, environmental issues of the day)
  • Natural Disasters ( Earthquakes, Hurricanes, Floods, Volcanoes, Hurricanes, Tornadoes, Tidal Waves)
  • Space (Planets, Sun, Spacecraft, Telescopes, etc.)
  • Water (Use and misuse, lack of, too much of, etc.)
  • Earth Structure (People adjusting life to their environment)
  • Earth Movement (Continental Drift, Weather, Plate Tectonics)
  • Economic Issues (Money or resources)
  • Political Issues (Elections, coups, etc.)
  • Human Issues (War, famine, disease, population, etc.)

Evaluations:

Tests: Tests will be taken about every one to two weeks and cover the major topics of the course. They will usually consist of 35-50 multiple choice, matching and/or fill-in the blank questions and 3-5 essay questions.

Quizzes: We will have a quiz once or twice a week, they will cover short term goals for the course. Quizzes can and will be given with little or no notice and may be over homework assignments, videos or class discussions. If you keep up with the class you should have no trouble.

Projects: There will be a project due for each major region and topic of the class. These will range from position papers to map projects and other type assignments. For the most part they will take 1-2 weeks to complete and will require you to do research outside of the class.

In-class Assignments: We will have various in-class assignments for class throughout the year. These will range from worksheets to analyzing articles and other reading material or videos.

Homework: Homework will generally be given on a daily basis. IT IS DUE THE NEXT CLASS PERIOD!!!! Generally, it is just checked for completion, but there have been times where a more thorough look was necessary. This may result in homework being collected and graded.

Grading Procedure:

Tests and Projects 40 %

Homework20 %

In-class Assignments20 %

Quizzes20 %

A Few General Classroom Rules:

1. Be on time to class and quickly find a seat in which to sit. I do not assign seats, but may ask you to move if your behavior determines that request.

2. Be Respectful of all staff and students in this classroom. Examples: If you do not understand an assignment, ask me to rephrase it in a polite manner. If you disagree with the opinion of another student or staff member, state another opinion. Name calling and threats will not be tolerated and dealt with severely!!!

3. Food is not allowed in any of the classrooms here, if you want to bring water into class that is fine. If you spill it, wipe it up!!!

4. At the beginning of class:

1. Find a seat and sit down.

2. Once the door shuts you are late, you will need a pass to enter the room, so get it before you leave your prior room.

3. You may quietly talk until attendance is taken, once I start talking you will need to stop talking and get ready to go on with class.

5. If announcements are made during class, listen to them they may be for you!!!!

6. If you need paper, to sharpen a pencil, or ask me a question, just do it quietly and not bother the rest of your classmates.

7. BOOKS WILL BE COVERED AT ALL TIMES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! DETENTION WILL RESULT IF THEY ARE NOT COVERED, AND YOU WILL KEEP GETTING IT UNTIL THE BOOK IS COVERED.

8. Swearing or other derogatory language will not be tolerated. Depending on severity, you will get a warning and then asked to leave class.

9. DO NOT LINE UP AT THE DOOR AT THE END OF THE PERIOD!!!! The bell will ring no matter where you are, if we finish early, put your things away and stay in your seats until the bell rings.

Attendance: Daily attendance is required and expected. But I realize stuff happens, if you are absent the day an assignment is due, it will be due upon your return, as long as it is an excused absence. If there is an unexcused absence or skip, you have lost the grade and it will be a Zero no matter what the assignment.

A few more Comments:

This year and course will go by much quicker than you think, it is very important for you to keep up with assignments and class work. Even more important is that you take interest in the class material. I understand that not all of this will be your favorite thing, but take an interest and try to learn as much as you can about the class. Much of what we study will help you better understand future classes in high school, technical school or college.

To help get the most out of this class or any class it is important that you set high goals for yourself. Do not settle for mediocrity in this or any other class, this is a bad habit to get into and leads to mediocrity in life. To help in this process you need to maintain a positive attitude. There will be rough times like in everything else, just keep working at maintaining high standards for yourself. You know what you are capable of achieving, if it is an ‘A’ do not let yourself settle for ‘B’ level work. You have chosen to take the challenge of an honors level class, make sure you work is as an honors level student.

Finally, I chose to be a teacher to help students, if I didn’t want to do that I would have a different job. So let me help you, if you do not understand something, have me explain it again until you do understand what I am trying to teach. This will help me be a better teacher and you will learn more about the course you are taking. If you are having a bad day, tell me before class and I can help make class more enjoyable, but everyday can not be a bad day. Your biggest job in the next four years is to be a student, treat this like a job. The grade is only a number, just like the one on a paycheck; make the numbers as high as you can.

Have a great year!

Sincerely,

Mr. Foye

Cony High School

Mission Statement

The mission of the Cony High School community is to create and maintain a safe, respectful and positive learning environment that fosters academic, career, civic and personal growth. In collaboration with parents and the greater community, Cony High School will provide encouragement, accountability, and diverse opportunities that support success for all students

Academic Expectations

Academic expectations will be integrated within all disciplines. Prior to graduation, Cony High School students will:

1.)Express themselves effectively both orally and in writing.

2.)Demonstrate an ability to listen, read, and process information effectively.

3.)Demonstrate research skills that enable informed decision-making and reasonable conclusions.

4.)Apply critical, integrative, and creative thinking to be effective problem solvers.

5.)Demonstrate an understanding of the world with its diverse cultures.

6.)Demonstrate a proficient use of technology.

Social Expectations

1.)Assume responsibility for one’s own decisions and actions.

2.)Contribute to the well-being and welfare of others within the school community.

Civic Expectations

1.)Demonstrate the rights and responsibilities of an individual in a democratic society.

2.)Demonstrate a sense of community through volunteerism and service to others.