7th Grade Civics
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Why Civics? |
Course Objectives
The ultimate goal of this class is to provide students with a well-rounded understanding of how the United States functions as a country. Students will explore the rights and responsibilities of American Citizens and the inner workings of our federal, state, and local governments, so to better prepare them for entering a 21st century United States of America. "So, what does that mean to me?" The first thing that I need you to understand is that this class is AWESOME! The second thing that I need you to understand is that this class is really important. One day, the 7th grade class of 2017/18 –YOU - will run this country, so you need to start learning how the whole thing works now. The knowledge and skills you acquire in this class will help prepare you to be a working part of a 21st century United States of America. Remember – the government is involved in all types of businesses and aspects of your life (like it or not). Because the content of the course is so vital, students must demonstrate MASTERY by passing the End of Course Exam (EOC) before you are promoted to high school. Take a moment, read that last part over again, and let it sink in. Okay, now breathe! Remember the first thing I mentioned: this class is AWESOME! We will have fun in here, and that will help you learn the content. We will laugh and yell, and we'll dance and sing. (I won’t sing, but you can…and I apologize ahead of time for the dancing.) We will use technology when we can in class and you will have access to most portions of the class on the website when not in school. We will joke and play and even occasionally get off topic, but it is important that when it’s time to move forward, that we are able to move forward and focus on the learning objective. |
The rest of the stuff... |
Supplies
The following supplies are required for the class beginning on August 12th, 2016. 2 x 3-Ring Binder (2”); 10 x 3-Ring Binder Tabs; 5 x Boxes of Pencils; 1 x Notebook Journal 4 x Reams of Copy Paper (8 ½ x 11”) Textbooks We will use a textbook infrequently in class. Students will not be required to take one home. Grading The following is how each student will be graded. Each student will be graded to his/her abilities and work. They will not be compared to each other. There will be NO curve in this class. So, when everyone of you receive an A, you have earned an A.
Course Schedule 1st Quarter Origins and Purposes of Law and Government (25% of the EOC Exam) 2nd Quarter Organization and Function of Government (25% of the EOC Exam) 3rd Quarter Roles, Rights, and Responsibilities of Citizens (25% of the EOC Exam) 4th Quarter Government Policies and Political Processes (25% of the EOC Exam) Classroom Policies 1. BE
2. KNOW
3. DO
If you have a cell phone, you should bring it to class. The student and parent/guardian will have to sign an acceptable use policy for their use in class. I would like to give each and every student the opportunity to be able use them for school work in class. Online Resources We will be using the following websites and/or applications in class and at home. Students will be using these for studying for tests and preparing projects. Office365 with your SCHOOL email Edline for grades Quizlet (Vocabulary, Vocabulary, Vocabulary!!!) Newsela.com EdPuzzle.com Google.com Youtube (We will make some movies) iCivics.com (Some classes will be based on this) Weebly (MY WEBSITE! www.chiefcuddeback.weebly.com YOU ALWAYS HAVE ASSIGNMENTS HERE!) |