World History

                                       Seventh Grade Social Studies

Course Overview:

The seventh grade social studies program focuses on the development of Western societies and thought,      including the formative influence of the Roman Empire. Studies also spend time exploring the Islamic  civilization in world history and the development of the Asian and Pre-Columbian American civilizations.   Intensive study will be focused on the development of feudalism in Medieval Europe and Japan. Major  historical, artistic, and cultural developments of the Renaissance will also be appreciated.

The process of thinking as a historian will be emphasized more than the memorization of specific factual details.  Students will be asked to think as social scientists: to assume the thought processes of an archeologist, anthropologist, political scientists, and historian.  Students will be asked, on occasion, to assume the roles of historical figures as they think and write about historical events.

Text:

The Usborne Internet Linked Encyclopedia of the Roman World

Medieval and Early Modern Times- Glencoe

   

   Skills to be developed:

    •  Map skills

    •  Reading for information

    •  Information gathering and research

    •  Creating bibliographies

    •  Note taking

    •  Oral Presentations

    •  Library skills

    •  Test taking skills

    •  Group work (cooperative learning)

   Grading: Students must earn points in the following ways:

   Notebook: The Table of Contents or TOC is the “backbone” of this class. 

    All work is completed in the student’s binder and organized with a Table

    of Contents page.  The Table of Contents page lists all the assignments for

    the specific unit.  Class and film notes, worksheets, homework assignments,

    writings, etc. are kept in this notebook. The notebook is worth 35% of the

    the quarter grade.

    Projects and Essays: These items are kept separate from the TOC. The key

    emphasis is made to help develop the creativity in each student in his or

    her writings an projects. 25% of the quarter grade

    Tests and Quizzes:  Tests are taken after completing a unit.  Quizzes are

    given periodically throughout a unit to check for understanding.  Tests

    are always announced beforehand to allow for thorough preparation.

    Quizzes are used throughout the year and often are given little preparation time. 

    25% of the quarter grade.

    Participation:  This grade includes class participation, behavior, effort,

    and preparation, and overall attitude. 15% of the quarter grade.

   Checking Your Grade on PowerSchool

    Now, with PowerSchool, you can check your grade online. Please note that where you see the symbol

   (  ), that indicates the score has yet to be inputed. This has no effect on the current overall grade

   until a score is submitted. The teacher expects that students use PowerSchool regularly to keep

   updated on their current progress in class.

    A word about homework...

   With the exception of weekends, homework is given two to three times per week. Often, the  

   meaningfulness of the next day’s lesson relies greatly on homework completion. Also, consistent

   homework completion gives students a solid base of points for their quarter grade.

  

   The entire week’s homework assignments are posted on the board.  Homework assignments can be

   checked at home by checking the student’s TOC. Seventh graders should also be writing their

   assignments in their “binder reminders.”

   Questions?:

                          Mrs. Maggie Harris                  Mr. Wade Spenader

                                          mharris@blachschool.org                 wspenader@blachschool.org

                                          934-3824                                                   934-3825