Rich Ratliff - Social Studies

8th Grade Social Studies Curriculum: The 8th grade Social Studies course is a survey of United States Geography, Government, Economics and History from late Colonial America through Reconstruction (1763-1877). To be successful in this class, students will be required to familiarize themselves with the broad and diverse outlines of US History, sharpen their academic skills (reading, writing, critical thinking, drawing, speaking, discussing, and researching), make connections between history and current events, and understand what is required to become a better citizen. The curriculum used for this class is in accordance with Colorado State Social Studies Standards, the Common Core Literacy Standards, and the District 11 Standards for 8th grade Social Studies students.

Personal Finance Curriculum : Students will learn to be financially literate before they go to high school and beyond. Topics covered will include income, money management, spending and credit, as well as saving and investing. Students will design personal and household budgets, simulate the use of checking and savings accounts, demonstrate knowledge of finance, debt, and credit management, and evaluate and understand insurance and taxes.

Recommendations:

· Provide a quiet place workplace for school. Minimize distractions, make sure it is well lit, and have space to spread out needed materials.

· Maximize class time and remain focused in order to complete assignments and tasks. Designate time each day to complete unfinished assignments and homework.

· Insist on giving your best effort. Work to complete assignments and tasks correctly and accurately.

· Contact teachers if you don’t understand, have technical issues, or become frustrated. We are here to help!

Grading: Assignments (classwork, homework), Assessments (quizzes, tests), and Projects (long-term activities and/or tasks) will make up the overall grade. Their total points earned will be divided into the total points possible, and a letter grade will be issued based on the percentage of points earned. The grading scale is as follows:

A 90-100% B 80-89% C 70-79% D 60-69% F 0-59%

Grades will be updated on a weekly basis. Parents who are concerned about their child’s progress can check on Q (ParentConnect) or utilize the D11 app on their cell phone. To find the daily lesson plans that include all the needed documents, information, assignments, and assessments…just visit the classes Schoology page or contact me. Schoology has great features that will allow students and parents to keep track of class activities and assignments on a daily basis. Everything on Schoology and Q are subject to change.

Late work: Students will still be required to meet deadlines for assignments. If a student misses a deadline, then they can still turn in the work up to 1 week past the deadline with a 20% deduction in points. After 1 week passed the due date, then students can’t turn the assignment in and will receive a zero. Please contact me if an exception is needed and we can work out a solution.

Schoology: All classes will be operated through Schoology. This is where students will locate and turn-in assignments, receive instruction from teachers, access academic resources, participate in chat rooms and discussions, and check in and out of class each day. Students will receive training on how to utilize this system and will have opportunities to troubleshoot and ask questions. Parents will receive an email with a Schoology course code which will allow them to view the class and what is happening each day.

WebEx: This is the program that runs our virtual classroom. A link to my classroom can be found each day within Schoology. This program allows students to log-into classvirtually for attendance, delivery of curriculum, asking their teacher questions, and participating in small and large group discussions.