Ancient World History Pre-History to the 1500’s Syllabus
Teacher: Mr.RodStockdaleRoom:833Email: Thisclassis designed for 8thgradestudentsand willbechallenging!Beprepared!
CourseDescription:
ThisclasswillcoverthehistoryoftheWorldfrompre-historytotheRenaissance,withfocusoneventsbetweentheearlycivilizationsandtheRenaissance. Specialattention will bepaidtoeventsthatstillinfluenceustoday,anddifferentperspectiveswillbedebated. Thematerial inthisclasswillbe introducedatareasonablepace,muchinformationwill bediscoveredandinvestigatedbythe student,andhomeworkwillbeassignedregularly. Thisclasswillinvolveactivitiessuchasexperientialexercises,discussion,groupwork,interactivelectures,tests,projects,presentations,andmore.
Inthishistoryclass,theSTUDENTisresponsiblefor…
…tryingtheirverybesttobeself-motivatedandtohave acommitmenttolearning.
…participatinginallclassactivitiesandcooperatingwithco-workerstothebestoftheirability.
…understandingthatattendanceisessentialtodoingwellinthisclassandthatmake-upworkisaninferiorsubstitute.
…excusingtheir absenceandthenobtainingmake-upworkimmediatelyuponreturn.
…meetingestablisheddeadlinesforallassignmentsandresponsibilities. NOlateworkisaccepted.
…respectingthat:Allstudentsandtheteacheraretreatedwithrespectandnooneisallowedtodisruptourlearning.
…adheringtoallrulesandcodesestablishedby ourschool, ourteacher,andourselves.
IftheSTUDENTdoesnot behaveresponsibly,theSTUDENTmayexperience…
...poorbehaviorcorrelateswithlower gradeduetonotworkingtoyourpotential.(Step1-VerbalWarning)
…havingto makeacallhometoexplaintheiractionstotheirparents.(Step2-Student/TeacherConference)
…receivingareteachingactivityorassignmentand/orcontactparent.(Step3-Assignmentandparentconference)
…aparentor administrativeconference.(Step4)
…otherpenaltiesasdeemedappropriatefortheactionsor behaviors.(Step5DisciplineReferral)
REQUIREDSuppliesEVERYDAYinclass:
1”orlarger3-RingBinderwith150sheetsofnotebookpaper,Textbookorotherclassmaterialsinuse,Pen(noredorlightcolors)andPencil(ifyouprefertousefornotebookassignments).
Helpfulsuppliesforclass:Coloredpencils,Highlighters,TapeorGlueStick(Suppliedinclass,but shared!).
Grades:
GradeswillbekeptcurrentinSTIandnoticeofgradeswillbegivenwitheachnotebookcheck.Gradesareearnedandcompiledwiththefollowingpercentages:
Homework (Minor 2) 10% ProjectsLabs (Minor 1) 30% Tests (major grade) 60%
ImportanceofInteractiveNotebook:
Everythingwedoin classwillmostlikely needtoberecordedinyournotebook. Iwillprovidetheinformationfortherightsidepages,andyouwillprocessthatinformationontheleft. Notebookswillbedueattheend ofeachunit,andwillALWAYSbea greattool touseinpreparingforunittests. Notebooksare10%ofoverallgrade!
Projects:
Someunitsinthisclasswillrequireyoutocompleteanindividualorgroupproject. Theseprojectsmayrequiretimeoutsideofclassforresearchandcreation. Agradingrubricwillbegivenforeachproject. Sincetheycountfor30%ofyour overallgrade,theyareextremelyimportant. DoNOTprocrastinate!
Tests:
Youwillbetestedat3 weeks,6weeks,andat9weeksasa waytogaugeyourlearningprogress(No moreEQT’swillbegiven). Thetestsinthisclasswillbe challengingandwillrequireyoutoprocessandanalyzethecontent thatyouhavebeengiveninclass. Testsmayconsistofmultiplechoice,shortanswers,openresponse essay questions,analysisofmaps,chartsorgraphs,matching,andlongessay. Theyrequirepreparation. Astudyguide willbegivenforeachunittest andtimewillbeallottedin classforreview.
ClassWork/Participation:
Smallerassignmentsandactivitieswillbedoneinclassonadailybasis. Classworkassignmentswillbegradedforaccuracyandcompleteness. Alldailyworkshouldbekeptinyournotebook.
SpecialNoteonPlagiarism:
ALLworkinthisclassshouldbeoriginallycreated.Ifsourcesareused,theyMUSTbecitedappropriately.Cheatingor copying(fromotherstudents,books,ortheinternet)willnotbetolerated.PlagiarizedassignmentswillbegivenaZero.
NotetoParents
Pleaseread over anddiscussmy classexpectationswith yourstudent.I have manythingsplanned formy classesthisyear,buttheyrequirethe cooperation andparticipationofall thestudents. Therefore,thisclassbeingtheexcitinglearningopportunitythatitcan beisdependentoneachand everystudent!
Withthatstated,Ialsowanttohelpyou tobetterunderstandthe typeof teacherthatIam,andwhatmayoccurin my classroom foryourstudentthisyear.Iamwhatisreferredtoasamultipleintelligencesteacher. I believe in teachingwithavarietyofmethodsin everyunit,and Ialsofeel thatitisimportantforstudentstolearn toexpresstheirknowledgein avariety ofways, aswell.Thatmeansmyclassroomwillnotbethetypical sitandlearnclassroom thatyoumay have experiencedinyoureducational career.Mystudentswillbeasked tomove aroundthe classroom,willworkinpairsorwithsmall groups,willberequired touse all oftheirsensesto learn, andwill be encouraged toenjoythelearning.Theywill be assessed withcumulativetests, butalso throughthe completionofother, morecreativeprojectsand/or participationin plannedevents.
Whilesome daysinmyclasswillbe filledwithtextbookreading, lecturing, andwrittenassignments, thetypicaldaycanalso involvemany otheractivities.Studentsin all ofmy classeswill bemore involvedinthelearningprocesseveryday.Theywillanalyzepictures, read journals, viewhistoricdocuments,participatein hands-onactivities,and muchmore.In theexpanse ofthe schoolyear, theymay playgames,buildmonuments, beasked todance or perform in aplay,andtheywill participate in experientialexercises.Allofthese activitiesrequirethatyourstudentbe involved.
Despitethe factmany ofthese activitiescould beconsidered“fun”byyourstudents,Iwantyouto beassured thatmyclasswillmeetallofthe contentstandardsandthatyourstudentwill be challenged.Ihavevery high expectationsformystudents,andIdo assignclassworkand homeworkthatisappropriatefortheirageandacademiclevel.Ialso gradebasedonaccuracy,notjustcompletion.
Pleaseunderstandthatmany oftheactivities,assignments, and experiential exerciseswillaskyourstudent tothink, imagine,orfeelwhatevents orissuesmay have feltlikeforothers. WhileIstresstostudentsthattheycan never trulywalk in another’sshoes, they canattemptto developabetter, morecompleteunderstanding. Theywill be encouragedtoinvestigate differentperspectivesofhistoriceventsorcurrentissues, andwill beasked toapplytheirunderstanding ofthevariousperspectivesintheirassessments.
Mostimportantly, Iwantyourchild tofeelcomfortable toparticipate andlearn inmyclass. Therefore,ifyouoryour childeverhasany concerns orquestions, pleaseknowthat youcan call ormeetwithmetodiscussthe matter.
Special NoteonExperientialExercises:Experiential exercisesaskyourstudentsto participate inanactivity in whichthey maynotimmediatelyunderstandtheir roleorthepurpose.Asthe activity takesplace,studentsareabletolearn, throughtheirexperiences, the mainpointbeingpresented.
Debriefingalwaystakesplace atthe end ofthe activity tobringeverythingbacktogetherand tohelpstudentsunderstandthe historiccontext.Someofthese exercisesmay be funandgame-like in nature,whileothersmayask the studentstothinkand feelwithempathy. Inthe end, the studentswillbetterunderstand the events, butmore importantly,they willbetterunderstandthewaypeople thenfeltinexperiencingitforthemselves.
ParentSyllabus Agreement/Permission
In thisclass,Iwanteverystudenttounderstandthehistoryof our world,andtherelevanceofthathistoryinourlives. Whilesomemasteryof basiccontentwillberequired,thememorizationof factsandfigures is notcompleteunderstanding. Therefore,othermethodswillbeusedandparticipation inthoseactivities is necessary. Participation,attitude,andeffortarethekeystoobtaining trueunderstanding of theconceptsandeventswewillstudy,andto obtaininganacceptablegrade inthisclass.Iunderstandthatmychildwillbeparticipatingintheonline GOOGLE G-MAILprograminMr.Stockdale’sclass andathome,thus,I givemypermissionforhimor herto doso!
This class shouldbe a greatlearning opportunity,andalsofun,forallinvolved. Iagreeto doallthatIcantointroduceinformationandskills inwaysthatwillmakeiteasier andmorefunforstudents tolearnandremember. Ialsoagreeto careaboutwhether ornoteachstudentfindssuccess. Iamalwaysavailable(Phone:251-221-2060orEmail:)to discussyourstudent’s progress orthematerialbeing coveredinclass. Ihopeyouwillalso beavailabletodiscuss anymatter thatcouldarisethatcouldhinderyourstudent’ssuccess.
This syllabuswaswritten toinformyourstudentoftheresponsibilities theywillhaveinmyclass.Itis also to informyouoftherequirementstheyhaveto completetoobtaincreditintheclass andto informyouonhowtheywillworkto obtainthatcredit. Yourandyourstudent’s signaturesaffirmyour andyourstudent’sunderstanding oftheclassrequirementsandof yourstudent’sresponsibilities. Additionally,itgivesyourapprovalforyourstudentto participate inalltheclassactivities,including experientialexercises,videoviewing,reflectiveactivities,andprojects.
StudentSignature
ParentSignature
Date
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Dear Parents,
This year we will be using Edmodo in Ancient World History to the 1500’s . Edmodo is a free and secure learning network for teachers, students, and schools. It provides a safe way for teachers and students to connect, share content, access homework, participate in discussions, manage due dates, and receive class information.
Unlike other social networks such as Facebook and Twitter, Edmodo is a tool strictly for educational purposes and we will be enforcing the following guidelines:
- Students will be required to use appropriate grammar instead of texting language
- Edmodo does not allow private student-to-student messaging - the site will be used to discuss school-related content only, and the teacher will monitor all Edmodo activity
- No put-downs or sarcasm toward another’s ideas. All school rules and consequences related to harassment apply
Students who violate the guidelines above may face disciplinary action and/or face losing the privilege of using Edmodo.
Parent Account:
Edmodo is accessible to Teachers, Students and Parents at any time on any device through the Web. Please note that the mobile and iPad app are not available for the Parent Accounts at this time.
If you wish to follow your child’s account to stay up to date on class activities and grades, you can by signing up for your Parent Account on the website at any time.
If you do not yet have an Edmodo account, you can sign up for your Parent Account by following these steps:
1. Locate your child’s parent code. This can be found on the lower left side of their student account Homepage or I can provide you with the code.
2.. Go to and click “I’m a Parent” (located below “I’m a Teacher”).
3. Enter the required registration information and you’ll then be logged into your Parent Account.
Once your account is created, Parent Accounts will give you a dashboard like view of your child’s activities but no actions or communication can be taken in this account. Note: with one single parent account you are able to add multiple children and will not need to create any other parent account moving forward!
You can learn more about the Parent Account by going to the Help Center at support.edmodo.com and clicking “I’m a Parent.”
I look forward to a great year as we incorporate the use of technology into our classroom curriculum. If you have any questions, please contact me at or
Thank you,
Mr. Rod Stockdale
Dear Parents:
This school year, our class will be using Edmodo, a free and secure online learning platform where teachers and students can collaborate, share content, and use educational apps to supplement in-class learning. In this private learning environment that is managed by the teacher, students can only interact with others in the class.Edmodo provides a safe and easy way to support learning beyond the classroom, and help students develop important online skills.
On Edmodo, students will be able to:
- Participate in class or group discussions that are monitored by the teacher (students cannot send private messages to other students)
- Communicate directly with the teacher to ask questions and get help with work
- Keep track of important due dates, events, and tasks
- Receive and turn in assignments and quizzes
- View missed work when absent from class
- Access files links and resources provided by the teacher
- Access Edmodo from any computer or mobile device with Internet capabilities and receive notification reminders via email or text (optional)
You may also sign up for a parent account on Edmodo, which connects to your child’s account. This is a great way to keep informed of due dates, assignments, grades, school events, and any direct communication between your child and me. To sign up for a parent account, you will need your child’s unique parent code, which can be found in your child’s account (on the bottom left of their home page). Parent accounts are not required, but I recommend signing up for one to stay engaged with your child’s learning experience. For more information about how to sign up for a parent account, please visit .
In order for your child to use Edmodo, he or she must have your permission, and you must read and agree to the Edmodo Terms of Service ( on your child’s behalf. You must also read and agree to the Edmodo Privacy Policy ( Edmodo takes privacy seriously and has a User Trust and Safety team dedicated to protecting the privacy and safety of its users. The only information required from students to set up an Edmodo account is the teacher’s class code, their name, and a username and password.
Please review the Terms of Service and Privacy Policy with your child and note that these policies may change over time, so you should review them again when you or your child receives a notification that they have been updated.
To enhance learning activities, I may choose to use certain educational applications from the Edmodo Store. This digital content is offered by vetted third-party publishers who have their own privacy policies but are required to abide by Edmodo’s privacy policy standards.
I hope that your child will enjoy using Edmodo to assist their learning this year. You can learn more about Edmodo by visiting
I give consent for my child, listed below, to use Edmodo for class activities.
Student Name: ______
Parent Printed Name: ______
Parent Signature: ______Date: ______