GRADE 8 SOCIAL STUDIES

Social Studies 8 is called World Civilization.  We cover a period from the rise of the first humans to the Age of Exploration—units 1-9 in our text.  (You will finish the course your first semester of 9th grade.)  The textbook is Human Heritage:  A World History. The text provides a base for this class and you are expected to do any and all assigned reading from the text, but you can expect that much of the material you will be tested on will come from class lectures and the notes that you take on those lectures. If you miss a class, be sure to get notes from another student.  In addition to lecture material and the text, we will do a great deal of reference work with print resources in the library as well as Internet research.

 

SUPPLIES YOU MUST HAVE

 

Human Heritage:  A World History

3-ring binder.  Sorry, your Trapper-Keeper doesn’t count.  A folder doesn’t count.  A binder that you share with another course doesn’t count.  This is a binder dedicated solely to History class. You’ll need to do this at Preble as well.

Loose-leaf paper.  No assignments on spiral-bound paper unless it has been neatly and carefully trimmed

Pencils and Pens. Blue or black for class work, colored for correcting

Basic equipment such as colored pencils, scissors, markers, ruler and glue are always useful and appreciated.

 

STUDENT RESPONSIBILITIES

 

Actively participate in your own education.  No one in this world can make you learn anything unless you are involved in the process. No one can get this stuff into your brain if you’re doing something else.  This also means you need to be here, on time and every day.  And, if something doesn’t make sense to you, you need to say so.

 

Be a positive participant in all aspects of the class

 

Use good classroom manners

 

Bring required supplies to class every day

 

Study for all tests and quizzes

 

Let your parents know how you are doing in class.

 

 

CLASSROOM MANNERS

Be respectful to everyone

Follow instructions

Participate in all classroom activities

Don’t whine, sulk or pout

 

GRADING

 I grade on a point basis.  In general, if an assignment has 10 questions, it is worth ten points.  Essays, artwork, speeches and other assignments have an assigned point value and you will know exactly what they are worth when they are assigned.  This is the school district’s guidelines for grading:

 

A  93-100%

B  85-92%

C  77-84%

D  70-76%

F  69% or less

 

NO LATE WORK IS ACCEPTED

I’m talking about daily assignments and worksheets. That’s because it’s just too easy to copy from one of the other 135 people in the class.  Projects and other work that you have been investing time and effort in sometimes get left at home on the crucial due date. I understand.  I’ll grump at you, but you won’t lose the 50 points.  I would like a note or call from home to confirm that your project was ready, but that the printer ran out of ink or that crazy Uncle Fred ate your rice krispie pyramid project by mistake. If this is an habitual thing, though, you’ll have to pay a penalty. (And so will Uncle Fred.)

 

If you are absent, you have 3 days to make up work.

 

Re-tests are not given.  Your score is your score.

 

EXTRA CREDIT/ENRICHMENT OPTIONS

 

You have a sheet outlining my policies on extra credit.  (There’s also a copy on this site.) These opportunities are ongoing and are your way to earn extra points.  I encourage everyone to do enrichment projects

 

OTHER GENERAL GUIDELINES AND RULES

 

Textbook must be covered at all times

No tobacco or chewing gum in this classroom

You make a mess, you clean it up

Written work is in standard blue or black ink or pencil only.  Colored ink or pencil is not acceptable and will earn you a zero for the assignment

Use the assignment notebook, plan ahead and budget your time.