Young women’s college preparatory academy

Ms. Hennigan Room 313

9th Grade AP Human Geography

2013- 2014 Syllabus

Contact Information:

Class website:

everythinghennigan.weebly.com

Course Description/Student Learning Outcomes

The purpose of the AP Human Geography course is to introduce students to the systematic study of patterns and processes that have shaped human understanding, use, and alteration of Earth’s surface. Students employ spatial concepts and landscape analysis to examine human social organization and its environmental consequences. They also learn about the methods and tools geographers use in their science and practice.

Course Goals/Purpose

  • Use and think about maps and spatial data to pose and solve problems
  • Understand and interpret the implications of associations among phenomena in places
  • Recognize and interpret at different scales (i.e., local, regional, national, global) the relationships among patterns and processes
  • Define regions and evaluate the regionalization process
  • Characterize and analyze changing interconnections among places, understand how and why change occurs

Expectations

  • Student diversity is an important part of our school and will be a great supplement to this course.
  • Therefore, students will be expected to actively participate every day.
  • Also, they will be expected to respect this diversity and any discussions and opinions that arise from it.
  • Various teaching methods will be used, including, but not limited to, lecture, demonstration-performance, guided discussion, debate, learner investigation, etc.
  • Therefore, students will take on many roles in the classroom, such as note-taker, listener, reader, presenter, creator, investigator, but most importantly, active participant!
  • Students will be expected to follow all school rules and procedures as well as classroom rules and procedures.
  • Students will be expected to complete all assigned homework on time and any class work at home that is not finished in class.
  • STUDENTS IN AP SHOULD EXPECT NIGHTLY HOMEWORK.
  • Homework will consist of reading, vocabulary, research, projects (short and long-term), studying, etc.
  • Students should check edmodo and my YWCPA website regularly. Students will never be told about an assignment first through the website, but should check for reminders, assignments, and readings.
  • Any special procedures that students and/or parents need to be aware of throughout the year will be sent home at the appropriate time.

Classroom Rules

  • Respect (yourself, each other, myself, and the school).
  • Teaching and learning will take place in the classroom every day.

Classroom Consequences

In accordance with the Student Handbook, the following sequence will occur for an infraction of any classroom and/or school rule:

  • Verbal warning
  • Student – Teacher Conference
  • Parent Notification/Demerit
  • Parent - Teacher Conference
  • Principal Referral

Depending on the infraction, one or more of the following will apply:

  • Student Referral
  • Parent Conference with Principal
  • Lunch Detention
  • Others as governed by the HISD Student Code of Conduct

Demerit System:

YWCPA students are held to a high standard of academics, ethics, and discipline; however, there are consequences when poor choices are made. Because demerits are earned and not given, students are expected to complete demerit forms. The student, in the presence of a teacher or administrator, will call the parent about the demerit.

Demerits are earned for:

  • Tardies
  • Disruptions
  • Inappropriate Language
  • Rudeness
  • Not in assigned area
  • Food, candy, gum, etc.
  • Uniform violation
  • Locker violation
  • Misuse of technology
  • Not in compliance
  • Failure to attend Saturday Reflection Hall (SRH) as assigned
  • Failure to comply with school/ district policy

3 Demerits= Saturday Reflection Hall (SRH)

5 Demerits=SRH and Parent Conference

6 Demerits =SRH, Administrative Conference, & Probationary Contract

9 Demerits = SRH, Administrative Conference & Suspension

11/12 Demerits=SRH, Administrative Conference, Parent Conference, Return to home school

YWCPA students are expected to demonstrate positive leadership when a YWCPA teacher must be absent and a guest/ substitute teacher is in the class.

Classroom Positive Rewards

Students and parents can also expect positive reinforcement when they are caught doing something above and beyond the general classroom expectations and when they are consistently being a positive role model. These rewards may include:

  • Positive emails or phone calls home
  • Verbal praise
  • Recognition on the Vine of Kindness or Wall of Great Ideas
  • Something from the treasure box
  • Other rewards voted on by students

Classroom Procedures

  • Enter the classroom calmly, sit in your assigned seat, and begin writing the date, objective, and Questions of the Day in the designated section of your binder. You will have the first 5 minutes after the tardy bell rings to finish this task, which includes answering the questions!
  • Turn in homeworkto the tray assigned to your class within these first five minutes of class without talking. Ensure that the proper heading and number is on each item that you turn in. If you have more than one item to turn in, do not staple them together; put your number on each one and turn in to the tray.
  • Pick up the day’s handout(s) from the tray(s), which are located on the bookshelf, as you enter the classroom.
  • You will belong to groups in the classroom; there will be a job assignment for each person in the group (Facilitator, Maintenance Director, Timekeeper, Recorder, Reporter) and you will switch jobs for each unit of study.
  • If you need to leave the classroom, fill out the hall pass and raise it in the air until I affirm you may leave. You may not leave the classroom for any reason, unless explicitly told to do so by me, another teacher or administrator, or the fire alarm.
  • If you need to get my attention during individual or group work, simply raise your hand calmly and quietly. Never stop working!
  • If you need to ask a question during instruction time, write it down and there will be a time when I ask for questions…then it will be your time! If it is a random question that does not apply to the instruction, write it down and leave on my desk.
  • If you need to sharpen your pencil, do so during the first five minutes of class or during group work. Please avoid doing so during instruction time, student presentations, or individual work time when others appreciate quiet thinking time. Plan accordingly! Bring your own manual sharpener, multiple pencils, or a pen; or sharpen during the designated times.
  • If I need to get your attention, I will raise my hand in the air. When you see my hand raised, please raise your hand as well, stop talking, and stop what you are doing. When you see other students doing this, please follow suit. Within a few seconds, everyone in the room should have their hand raised in silence so that I can announce what I need to.
  • If you complete your classwork assignment before the allotted time, read, study, or practice writing for a future unit or any past unit in which you need to enhance your understanding.
  • If you are tardy, please enter the classroom in the same manner as above, but with complete silence. If you have an excused tardy pass, please give it to me quietly.
  • If the paper maintenance manager finds a paper with no name and/or no number, he or she will put it in the “denim” folder to the left of the turn it in cart and your assignment will then be counted late, therefore receiving at least a 10% point deduction (more if it is also being turned in late).
  • If you are not prepared to turn in your homework when it is due, you will complete a slip (to be found in the same cart) telling my why and turn it in to your assigned tray. You must do this for every day that you do not turn it in.
  • If you must turn in late work, complete a late slip (also in the cart) when you are ready to turn it in and staple to the assignment (each one if there is more than one that is late). Late work will not be accepted after three days. Keep in mind that 10% will be taken off each day it is not turned in.
  • If you are absent, check in the absent tray for your class when you get back and everything you missed will be there with your name on it. You may turn in any work due while you were absent when you return (for excused absences only). You will have the same late policy as everyone else, which will adapt to when you were absent and when the assignment was due. You must schedule a time with me to make up any assessment that you missed. YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR ATTAINING AND COMPLETING ALL MAKE-UP WORK!I will adhere to all school rules applying to absences.
  • If you lose or forget supplies,there will be a student work station near the turn in cart and pick up trays, which will hold pens, pencils, a stapler, a hole puncher, a pencil sharpener, Kleenex, and hand sanitizer. These stocks will be full the first day of school. Afterwards, you will be expected to donate items as you use them (think of a bartering system) or you can donate a new pack. Do not come to class expecting to use these supplies. There is no guarantee they will be there on any given day,but you will not be allowed to go back to your locker under any circumstance. This is for emergencies only!
  • Other detailed classroom procedures may be reviewed the first few weeks.

Technology enhanced learning

In addition to the textbook and outside readings, this class will incorporate technology into the learning experience as much as possible. You will be receiving your own laptop next semester…stay tuned for details!

Materials

Bring to class every day:

  • PENCIL or PEN!
  • Binder (with tabs for 1. Syllabus 2. Questions of the Day 3. Unit Daily Work) with looseleaf paper
  • Textbooks

Student Textbooks:

deBlij, H. J., and Alexander B. Murphy. Human Geography: Culture, Society, and Space. New

York: John Wiley & Sons.

Wood, Ethel. AP Human Geography: A Study Guide. 2nd ed. Reading, PA: Woodyard Publications, 2009.

Kuby, Michael, John Harner, and Patricia Gober. Human Geography in Action. 5thed. New York: John

Wiley, 2009. (you will not have your own copy of this one)

Supplemental Materials

Rubenstein, James M. The Cultural Landscape: An Introduction to Human Geography. 10th ed. Upper

Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 2009.

Fellmann, Jerome Donald. Human Geography: Landscapes of Human Activities. New York:

McGraw-Hill.

Knox, Paul L., and Sallie A. Marston. Places and Regions in Global Context: Human

Geography. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.

Norton, William. Human Geography. Don Mills, Canada: Oxford University Press.

Resources

The teacher will access outside resources to teach this class (in addition to the curriculum and textbook), including, but not limited to local and national news sources, experts on international relations and policy, local and national geography professional organizations, and multiple videos and websites. If you have any questions or concerns during the year, please contact me.

Assessment

Unit Tests15%

Classwork/Labs30%

Homework20%

Quizzes/Projects25%

Participation10%

(1st Cycle*25%) + (2nd Cycle*25%) + (3rd Cycle*25%) + (Final Exam *25%) = Semester Average

Make-up Work: In the case of excused absences, students will have a number of days equal to that of their absence to turn in make-up work without penalty. After the allotted make-up period has passed late penalties will be put in place.

Late Work:Students have five school days to turn in late work from the day the assignment was due. On the first day that an assignment is late, 15 points will be deducted; every late day after will result in an additional 10 point deduction. Assignments will not be accepted after 5 days.

Failure to complete a Homework or Participation assignment will result in a zero.

Teaching Strategies

This course consists of class discussion, student activities, case studies, and student writing exercises. An article and video will capture your attention at the beginning of each unit. Following this, we will discuss the applicable chapters and I will provide direct instruction on any material that is present in the supplemental resources and not present in the textbooks you are using. There will be a weekly enrichment session after school, which you will receive more information about during the first weeks of school. The study of World Geography, which is a necessary foundation for the AP Human Geography course will be incorporated into the class. We will use the classroom sets of laptops whenever possibleto complete the Human Geography in Action lab activities and some other daily assignments and projects.In January, you will receive your very own laptop, when we will really be able to implement technology into the course on a daily basis. You will be assigned two countries from different levels of development to report on in each unit.You must submit vocabulary for each unit through Quizlet online or index cards written by hand. Your unit tests will take place in over two days- one day formultiple choice questionsand one day for FRQs (to resemble the AP exam). The FRQ is given equal weight in the grade book as the multiple choice portion to mimic the AP Exam as well. On the day of each unit test, you must turn in the FRQ and the 25 multiple choice answers from Wood’s book. There is one major project or activity per unit of study. Check my edmodo website daily for reminders and assignments!

Extra credit

There will not be an extra credit option for this course…and work must be completed on time.

Important

The use of restricted electronics and the display of forbidden behaviors such as bullying will not be tolerated and will be dealt with according to the Student Handbook.

Cheating and plagiarism, also known as academic dishonesty, are strictly disallowed! Use your own mind and imagination! When collaboration is allowed, you will know. Otherwise, do not rely on anyone else.

** The content of this syllabus is subject to change at any time. Parents and students will be notified of any changes. **

If you have any questions about this syllabus, please contact me.

Pleasesign and return the following portion of the syllabus by August 28, 2012:

I have read and understood the above syllabus and agree to follow the policies stated.

______

Parent/GuardianFull Name (please print)Student Name (please print)

______

Parent/Guardian SignatureStudent Signature

Parent/Guardian contact information:

Email address: ______

1st phone number of choice (h/w/c) ______

2nd phone number of choice (h/w/c) ______

Please name the language primarily spoken at home ______

Parents, if there is anything you would like me to know about your student, please do so here: ______

______

______

______

______

______

______