7th Grade Social Studies Course Description

Students in Regent’s Intensive courses will participate in instruction through the use of highly visual, auditory, kinesthetic, and tactile learning strategies.The Seventh grade Social Studies program will follow the New York State Standards as students learn the geography, culture, civics, and economy of the United States and the state of New York. Map skills, history, and current events will provide a balanced education of the areas studied. The theme throughout the year will involve an emphasis on the past, present, and future of the United States and the state of New York.

Textbook

Holt McDougal: United States History and New York History - Every student will be given a username and password to access the textbook online.

Unit 1. Connecting with the Past: Our Colonial Heritage
Unit 2.  A New Nation
Unit 3. The New Republic
Unit 4. The Nation Expands
Unit 5. The Nation Breaks Apart

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8th Grade Social Studies Course Description

Students in Regent’s Intensive courses will participate in instruction through the use of highly visual, auditory, kinesthetic, and tactile learning strategies. The 8th grade Social Studies curriculum aims to create understanding in critical areas of United States and New York State History. Curriculum focuses primarily on the history of the United States and the State of New York by employing a variety of intellectual skills to demonstrate understanding in major ideas, themes, developments, and turning points in:

• the history of the United States and New York
• world history and examine the broad sweep of history from a variety of perspectives
• geography of the interdependent world in which we live—local, national, and global—including the distribution of people, places, and environments over the Earth’s surface
• how the United States and other societies develop economic systems and associated institutions to allocate scarce resources, how major decision-making units function in the U.S. and other national economies, and how an economy solves the scarcity problem through market and non-market mechanisms
• the necessity for establishing governments; the governmental system of the U.S. and other nations; the U.S. Constitution; the basic civic values of American constitutional democracy; and the roles, rights, and responsibilities of citizenship, including avenues of participation

Textbook

Holt McDougal: United States History and New York History - Every student will be given a username and password to access the textbook online.

Unit 6: Growing America (Westward Expansion & Industrialization)
Unit 7: The Beginning of Modern America
Unit 8: Boom Times and Challenges
Unit 9: Post War America
Unit 10: Modern America

Classroom Rules

• Come to class everyday, on time and prepared.
• Respect your classmates, classroom and teacher.
• Raise your hand before you speak and wait to be called on.
• BE RESPECTFUL! Do not talk while the teacher or someone else is talking.
• No cursing, name-calling or bullying will be tolerated.

 Behavior

• Appropriate behavior is expected at all times as this provides an academic environment conducive for the development of the skills necessary to be successful in class.

Absence/Make-Up Work

• When you are absent, you are responsible for getting missed work/notes and turning in any work that was due that day or the day you were absent
• If a student needs specific teacher instruction or needs to make-up work, s/he should plan to meet with the teacher during lunch, a study hall or after school.
• Work is to be handed in on the due date. Late work is only accepted two days after the due date and is penalized by 25%. No work is accepted more than 2 days after the due date. Cases of extenuating circumstances concerning late work will be determined by the teacher.

Class Grading System

25% Tests
25% Homework
25% Quizzes
25% Participation (Attitude, Effort, Journals)