Course Syllabus

Semester I 2015-2016: Geography and History of the World

 

Teacher Information:

 

Mr. Andrew Hodson

Room H597

259.5301 ex 45597

ahodson@msdwt.k12.in.us

 I.  We Will Explore:

          “The struggle is real, Mr. Hodson”

                    -Anonymous Former Student

          “If there is no struggle, there is no progress.”

                    -Frederick Douglass

This course is designed to explore the geography and history of the people of earth. You can imagine that covers a lot of ground. This semester we will focus in on the following themes:

1. Where, why, and how did civilization get started?
2. How do cities grow and change, and then change the places around them?
3. What brings people together and pulls them apart?
4. How, why and where do people interact through trade and sports?

 II.  Semester Timeline

Unit Title	Duration	Approximate Dates
Introduction to GHW	2 Weeks	08.03.15-08.14.15
Culture Hearths	4 Weeks	08.17.15-09.11.15
Urban Growth and Populations	3 Weeks	09.14.15-10.02.15
Nation States	3 Weeks	10.12.15-10.30.15
Trade, Commerce, and Sport	4 Weeks	11.02.15-12.04.15
Final Exam Review and Testing	2 Weeks	12.07.15-12.17.15

 

III. Everyone Will Need:

• A clipboard-Simple and wooden or plastic, easy to hang on a nail
• Colored Pencils-You will keep them in the room
• Pen or pencil-Pen is preferable in most cases
• A Flash Drive or Google Account-We will be working digitally a lot and you need a place to save and store your work.
• Headphones-They do not need to be fancy, but you might need them everyday.

IV. We Will Value:

• Teamwork
• Mental Endurance
• Compassion
• Effective Communication

 V.  We Will Improve:

• Communication Skills (Speaking and Listening)
• Our Critical Thinking and Problem Solving Skills
• Our Interpersonal Relationship Skills
• Digital Citizenship Skills

VI.  Grading and Evaluation:

We will have two grade books!  One on Canvas, one on Skyward.

Canvas Grade Book-You will submit most of your assignments via Canvas. Your feedback will come in the form of the following scale.

• M=Mastery (This means that you have mastered the skill or content)
• A=Apprenticing (This means you are close to mastering the skill or content, but not quite there)
• P=Progressing (This means you are on the road to mastering the skills or content, but have a significant way to go)
• S=Struggling (This means that you are not yet on the right track to mastering the skills or content)

Skyward Grade Book-The levels described above will turn into percent grades in Skyward.

• Mastery=95%
• Apprenticing=85%
• Progressing=75%
• Struggling=65% 

 

Dear Parents and Guardians,

 I am honored and excited to be working with your amazing children. Each possesses gifts, talents, experiences, and perspectives that are valued.

 In addition to the information on the previous page, there are a few things you should know about our class:

• We will not have homework. The only exceptions to this would be studying for tests and quizzes, finishing a project not completed in class, or completing missing work. Students will certainly be allowed to take classwork home to finish if they feel they need more time. But we will strongly encourage your student to finish in class before they leave.
• I update grades very often. I shoot for a couple of times a week, but often it is daily. Check frequently. I will send home a progress report weekly.
• Students are often expected to work together. We will learn, practice, and improve our teamwork skills. Our teams will vary often; your student will need to learn how to work with a very diverse set of peers. We will be here to support and help as needed.
• My ‘door’ (email, voicemail, etc.) is always open. I welcome your questions, concerns, input, or participation. Please, contact me anytime.
• Last year fewer than 5 students failed our class all year (out of more than 150). There are no valid excuses or reasons for failure in this class. Everyone can and should succeed.
• This course will be challenging because we expect full participation, everyday. We inquire, discuss, and debate. There are no ‘days off’ in here. We use every minute to stretch our abilities. Earning an ‘A’ in class is doable, but it requires a commitment to excellence. We will often alter assignments to give your student an appropriate level of challenge.
• Please use Skyward and email to keep in touch with me. I can return emails much faster than phone calls.

I would love to hear from you often. Reach out to let me know of any concerns or questions that you might have.

Thank you for allowing me to work with your student for the semester, or year. I am excited to begin this adventure with them.

Sincerely,

Mr. Hodson