Monterey Trail High School 8661 Power Inn Drive Instructor: Martin Billings Elk Grove, CA 95624 e-mail: mbilling@egusd.net (916) 688-0050 www.egusd.net/mths World Geography 2009-2010 Course Syllabus Vision/Mission Statement The learning community on Monterey Trail High School will challenge ALL students to realize their greatest potential while preparing them for their future. Course Description World Geography is a one session, required nine-week course in which students examine the distribution, characteristics, and contributions of world cultures. Study will also include defining the roles of global citizens through contemporary issues such as world trade, pollution, and conservation of world resources. The course will follow the California state framework and Elk Grove Unified School District s Curriculum Standards. Skills such as critical thinking, reading, writing, outlining, note taking, speaking, and research will be emphasized. Brief Course Outline The nine-week course is broken down into the following units of study: Unit 1: Introduction the World Geography Unit 2: Middle East & North Africa Unit 3: Africa-South of the Sahara Unit 4: Latin America Unit 5: Asia Behavior Expectations REALITY: All school rules and policies will be enforced. This includes everything from the Positive Learning Behaviors (PLBs), 17 Workplace Skills, and Expected School wide Learning Results (ESLSs) to the tardy policy, dress code, cell phone, electronic devices and all the rules in between (see student handbook). Water is allowed during class; other beverages and food must be consumed out of class. RESPECT: Respect the teacher, your school, your classmates, and yourself. This includes coming to class everyday on time (in your seat before the bell rings), not being a disruption to anyone, staying awake, keeping language and attitude clean, and waiting for the teacher (not the bell) to dismiss the class. RESPONSIBLE: Bring your supplies everyday, work hard and don t quit. Take care of bathroom needs before the bell rings, and be ready to learn everyday. Do all homework and class-work and do not cheat. Cheating includes working together on individual assignments and copying another classmate s assignments or tests. This behavior will result in a zero for all people involved.
Grading Policy Below are the categories and the percentage of weight as applied to a student grade, a grading scale is also included: Weighted Grading Structure Required Task Percentage of Grade Homework/Projects 50% Quizzes 10% Unit Tests 20% Final Exam 10% Notebook Organization 10% Grading Percentage Distribution Percentage Grade 90% - 100% A 80% - 89% B 70% - 79% C 60% - 69% D Below 60% F Class Requirements Class Participation is important! Each student is expected to take part in discussions on your own and/ or when called upon. Your willingness & ability to contribute to discussions will be considered as part of your grade. Negative participation will also affect your grade. Homework expect it! Both short-term assignments and long-term projects and research will require your attention at home most afternoons or evenings. Work must be completed prior to the start of class on its given due date. Late work is NOT accepted for any reason! Interactive Notebook this is the warehouse for most daily assignment usually completed with you textbook, notes, and/ or reference materials. Notebook assignments make up roughly one third of your grade. Collaboration in completing these daily assignments is acceptable copying is not. Each student should complete his/ her own work. Material from the book must be paraphrased or put into your own words when completing such assignments. Notebooks will be turned in for grading at the close of each unit on test day. Writing for Understanding writing assignments, which ask you to synthesize information from more than one source, write persuasively in defense of a perspective, or respond to and analyze historic events, will be assigned regularly. All ninth grade social science students will write a 3-page research paper. This research paper will make up roughly one third of your final grade. Quizzes The countries within each region of study will be broken down into smaller sections and memorized. Learning them a little at a time ensures high quiz scores
PLUS preparation for unit tests in which you will identify ALL countries within a region. The final exam asks you to name 120 of the world s countries. By the end of the session you will be able to do so. If you want a head start on studying the countries of the world, go to www.nationalgeographic.com and find their geospy page. Tests will be announced in advance so that you will have a chance to prepare. Time Management is an essential skill for academic success. Students are required to record daily agendas and homework assignments in their agenda. Group Work earns both a group and individual grade. Groups will be assigned by the teacher (this is not negotiable) and will change frequently. Your cooperative skills and contributions to group work will also impact your participation grade. Attendance is vital. Should you miss class, it is your responsibility to find out what you ve missed by copying a classmate s agenda. You have the same number of days to turn in work as the number of days for which you had excused absences. If you fail to complete your makeup work, you will receive a zero on the assignments. Many activities & experiences cannot be recreated for someone who misses class. Poor attendance will affect your grade. Lying, cheating, plagiarism or any form of dishonesty will not be tolerated. Students will be punished in accordance with Monterey Trail High School policy! Tutoring is available by appointment. Notebook grades: Each notebook assignment should be completed with care and effort on the day it is assigned. Notebooks will be collected & graded at the end of each unit. You are responsible for all class notes & assignments, even for days you are absent. It is your responsibility to obtain all notes & assignments from either a homework partner or the instructor. In addition to the points you have accumulated by completing daily assignments thoroughly, you will also be evaluated for overall quality, care, effort, and visual appearance. Your artistic touch should be seen throughout the INB. Your artistic ability will not be graded, but you effort will! Course Standards The following standards are from the Elk Grove Unified District Stand ards for World Geography. 1. The student will identify the five themes of geography and apply these to geography units and current events throughout the year. 2. The student will understand various types of maps and projections and demonstrate his/ her ability to utilize these maps appropriately. 3. The student will understand and create graphs in order to further his/ her understanding about content specific information. 4. The student will understand internal and external earth forces an d how they relate to the development of landforms. 5. The student will identify and describe the various biomes in the world focusing on climate and vegetation. 6. The student will understand geographic distribution, types of resources and the value of re sources to everyday life. 7. The student will analyze resource usage and its effects on population, hunger, and the environment in the world. 8. The student will relate five themes of geography to each world region and und erstand how these regions are interdependent. 9. The student will understand and define the components of culture and develop an awareness of different cultural groups according to world regions.
Things You Will Need (Daily Requirements) 8.5 by 11 inch sprial Notebook (INB) with about 100 pages, and 3 Ring Binder A container for art supplies (vinyl pouch, box, or an accessible section of your back pack) A wide variety of colored pencils or bold markers Several glue sticks 2 or more fine felt-tipped or roller ball pens Several pencils Binder paper Scissors and ruler World Geography Textbook (covered) Recommended supplies Highlighters-two different colors Post-note pads Monterey Trail Policy on Textbooks and Library Books Left in Rooms on Campus Students should take their textbooks and library books home each day to complete assigned homework and they should return with textbooks each day in order to use them during classroom instruction. Students should not leave their textbooks or library books in any room on campus because there is a risk that those books may be lost, stolen or damaged. Classroom teachers will not assume responsibility for any student textbooks or library book left in any room on campus. Most rooms at MTHS are used by a variety of students and teachers during the day (and sometimes by outside groups) and therefore, are not safe places to leave books. If by choice or accident a student leaves a library or textbook in a room and it is lost, stolen, or damaged; the student and parent/guardian are responsible for paying for that lost or stolen books or for damages to that book. Students are also responsible for returning their all their own books to the library for check in. Teachers are not responsible for returning these items. Parents and Guardians can support students by Registering and monitoring Schoolloop www.mths.schoolloop.com. Providing and restocking supplies. Checking your child s Course Binder. Looking over your child s planner for future assignments. Expecting grade reports detailing your child s progress. I have read and understood the policies and procedures contained in this syllabus. Student Signature & Date Parent/Guardian Signature & Date Printed Student Name
EDUCATION IS FREEDOM
Parents and Guardians can support students by Registering and monitoring Schoolloop www.mths.schoolloop.com. Providing and restocking supplies. Checking your child s Course Binder. Looking over your child s planner for future assignments. Expecting grade reports detailing your child s progress. Student and Parent Signature World Geography Term 1 & 2, 2006-2007 I have read and understood the policies and procedures contained in this syllabus. Student Signature & Date Parent/Guardian Signature & Date Printed Student Name