Dear Parents,
I’m hoping
you and your family had a relaxing and enjoyable summer. I look forward to the
year ahead and having the opportunity to work with your child. As in years
past, differentiated instruction in a mixed ability classroom will continue to
be a focus. Building on each student’s strengths and encouraging them to be
active learners will be a priority.
I will continue to work in
conjunction with the junior high team using a thematic approach to develop a
proactive classroom. Technology will be an integral part of the curriculum.
Students will engage in web-based learning and supervised research for
classroom projects.
The social studies curriculum
aligned with state standards, has four major content areas: geography, history,
government, and economics. These areas will be integrated into the classroom
using a variety of lesson plans, activities, and teaching formats.
Another priority will be to help
students gain an understanding of democratic principles and ideals upon which
good citizenship is founded. We will continue our affiliation with “The
National Student/Parent Mock Election Project”. Engaging young people today in
the electoral process is perhaps the most important step we can take toward
achieving a nation of voters. Through education and participation, the program
provides an excellent opportunity for students to learn about the electoral
process and to realize the relevance of politics and voting to their lives.
Student awareness of current events
is another important component of the curriculum. Each Friday students will be
engaged in a variety of activities designed to raise awareness of current
issues and their effect on the world.
Attached to this letter is a brief
outline of the junior high social studies curriculum. Please review and should
you have any questions, feel free to call me. I look forward to seeing you at
open house and to a productive school year.
Sincerely,
Dan
Chandler
Content:
Grade 7- World Cultures - Eastern
Hemisphere / Middle Ages- Present
Grade 8- American Studies - Constitution, Civil
War-Present, Basic principles of economics
Goals:
The social studies curriculum should enable students to
develop:
- Civic
responsibility and participation.
- A
critical understanding of history, geography, economic, political and
social institutions.
- An
understanding of other peoples’ unity and diversity.
Skills:
The social studies curriculum should enable students to
develop:
- Data
gathering skills i.e. locating information.
- Intellectual
skills i.e. drawing conclusions, making inferences.
- Decision
making skills i.e. problem solving.
- Interpersonal
skills i.e. accepting responsibility, respecting the rights of others.
Resources:
Texts, computers, library material, guest
speakers, videos, newspapers and news programs.
Assessment:
Student performance is assessed in the following way:
Tests-30% / 2 to 4 per term
Quizzes-25% / 5 to 7 per term
Projects-25% 1 to 2 per term
Homework-10% / given 2 to 4 times per week (7th
and 8th graders are expected to read a newspaper or watch the news
daily)
Classwork-10%