V.S.A.

Benavente Middle School (BMS) School Year 2018-19

8th Grade Social Studies

Teacher: Mr. Elvin De Leon
Email: Ecdeleon@gdoe.net
Contact: 632-5647 Extension: 6439
Office: Room 58
Office Hours: 1st Period (Team Prep)
8th Period (Content Prep)

Course Description:
In this course, students will examine major events (Early America to the end of the Civil War) of
American History that helped to build the foundation of present United States of America.
Students will be challenged to use their critical thinking skills to analyze and evaluate historical
artifacts to gain a deeper understanding of the history they will be exposed to and/or make
connections to the issues that affect us today.
Quarterly Topics:

1st Quarter 2nd Quarter 3rd Quarter 4th Quarter

 Migration  Colonial  Industrial  Sectionalism
Patterns America Revolution
 Ideologies
 Early  Economies  Territorial
 Civil War
Civilization Expansion
 Tensions with
 Reconstructio
 European other nations
n
Exploration
 Government

Priority Skills
 Comprehension Skills (making connections, compare and contrast, cause and effect, and examining different
points of views.)
 Research and Writing Skills (identifying primary and secondary sources, supporting a position with relevant
facts and documents)
 Sequencing and Chronology Skills (timelines, understanding concepts of time, continuity, and change)
 Maps, Graphs, and Visual Analysis Skills (reading and analyzing charts, graphs, photographs, political
cartoons, paintings, making connections, etc.)
 Critical Thinking and Analysis Skills(evaluating and analyzing text/artifacts, making inferences and
drawing conclusions based on evidence)
Skills according to GDOE Standards
8.2.1 , 8.2.2 , 8.2.3
U.S. 2.4, 2.5, 2.6 & 2.9
GH 2.2
Required Materials:
1. Blue/Black Ink Pens
2. Pencils
3. Colored Pencils
4. Three Pronged Folder
5. College Ruled Filler Paper
6. College Ruled Notebook

Grading System: Percentage

Tests/Presentation/Projects 30%
Classwork 30%
Portfolio/Notebook Checks 15%
Quizzes 15%
Homework 10%

Total Percentage 100%

The final score will be a percentage score on a scale of 1 to 100. A typical grading scheme is as follows:

100% Letter Grade = A+ Student has completed all work and scored perfectly in all assignments
and projects.
99% to 90% Letter Grade = A to Student has completed all work and scored well in assignments and
A- projects.
89% to 80% Letter Grade = B+ Student has completed most work and/or scored reasonably well in
to B- assignments and projects.
79% to 70% Letter Grade = C+ Student has completed some work and/or scored adequately in
to C- assignments and projects.
69% to 60% Letter Grade = D+ Student has completed minimal work and/or scored nominally in
to D- assignments and projects.
59% and Letter Grade = F Student has completed very little to no work and/or not scored well at all
below in assignments and projects.

Standards Based Grading (SBG)

In the coming months you will hear much information regarding the department’s move towards Standards
Based Grading (SBG). SBG is widely considered a more ‘standardized’ way of assessment and grading of
student effort using clearly defined standards. As of this school year, Benavente Middle School will still be
using the traditional 0-100 percentage scale as reflected in PowerSchool. However, by next school year
(2020) the department will be shifting towards SBG. At that point, the traditional grading scale will not be
used anymore and we will shift exclusively to Proficiency Scales to reflect. Proficiency Scales (which may
be reflected in feedback of students’ work this year) will have the following indicators:

4 Student has performed above and beyond target skills

3 Student has shown proficient mastery of target skills.
2 Student has shown basic mastery of target skills.
1 With help, student can achieve basic mastery of target skills
0 No progress

When examining feedback of your child’s work, this will give an indicator of where they are at mastery
level. As a general rule, students should be at Level 3.
Citizenship Grade:
Students will also receive a citizenship grade in addition to their academic evaluation.
E (Excellent) Student is respectful, responsible, and safe in all aspects without question.
Student is prepared for class and participates in class activities.

S (Satisfactory) Student is respectful, responsible and safe.

Student is usually prepared for class and participates in most class activities.

N (Needs Improvement) Student shows effort in being respectful, responsible and safe.
Student tries to be a prepared class participant.
U (Unsatisfactory) Student needs to work on being respectful, responsible and safe.
Student is not prepared or participates in class.

Roadrunner Three Addressed: Be Responsible, Be Respectful, and Be Safe

THE 6 Ps TO FOLLOW IN THE CLASSROOM

1. Prompt- Arrive to class on –time everyday and be in your seat working on the writing prompt
2. Prepared- Come to class prepared for with all the necessary materials (i.e. school supplies,
homework, proper uniform) and shirts tucked.
3. Productive- Remain on task in class at all times. Follow directions and stay seated unless you
have been given permission to do otherwise.
4. Polite- Respect yourself, your classmates, and your teachers with your words and actions. Do
not vandalize, destroy or take other people’s belongings. Respect your classroom
environment. No gum chewing.
5. Patient- Quietly raise your hand if you have a question or comment and wait patiently for
your teacher to respond. Do not whine or complain if the teacher does not respond right away.
6. Presentable- Practice proper hygiene. This includes cleanliness, appearance, grooming and
general hygienic health.

Classroom Management/Discipline Plan (SLOs Addressed: Behave Appropriately) Students are

expected to adhere to the ROADRUNNER THREE by being:

 RESPECTFUL. Not only to their teachers, but also to their peers, school personnel, and school
property.
 SAFE. Use school uniform and shoes daily and appropriately. Please refer to Board Policy 401 for
further school uniform guidelines. No contraband or weapons allowed. Possession of either/both
will result in a major referral to the administrator of discipline.
 RESPONSIBLE. Students are expected to adhere to the regulations of the school and rules of the
classroom.
 Be in class daily and on time, prepared with materials.
 Wait for the teacher to admit and dismiss you from class.
 FOOD OR GUM CHEWING is NOT allowed in class/ on campus.
 Take care of materials provided to you by the teacher. Report any damage to the materials
immediately to the teacher.
 Submit assignments on time. Keep track of your missed assignments by using a planner.
Parents should check planner daily to ensure completion of assignments or comments from
 teacher(s). Parent may contact teacher via email address provided above. Please see make up
work policy below.
Parental Expectations
It is expected that parents communicate any emotional, physical and academic concerns with any of the
team teachers. Students and parents have access to Powerschool to monitor academic performance and
attendance. Grades are updated on Powerschool weekly.

Parent/Teacher Conferences
School wide parent-teacher conferences are scheduled after first and third quarters. Progress reports are
sent out during mid-quarters. However, parents and teachers may meet anytime to discuss student’s
academic and social progress. Our team preparatory time is during 1st period. Parental appointments may
be scheduled during this time, with at least 24 hours prior notice. Should you wish to make an appointment,
please do not hesitate to contact us to make such arrangements.

Attendance Policy
A student must submit a valid excuse note for being absent for 1-2 days to receive an excused absence.
Students with 3 or more consecutive absences must provide the teacher with a medical note from their
family physician, dentist, etc. Please refer to the BMS student handbook for further guidelines on
attendance procedures.

Make-Up/Late Work Policy

Students who provide a valid excuse note for their absence will be granted an opportunity to make-up
classwork, homework, quizzes, and/or tests that were missed on the day of their absence. Students who
miss scheduled quizzes and/or tests without presenting a valid excuse note will be given a given a zero (0)
for their grade.

Note: Students will be responsible for obtaining make-up work from the teacher on the day they
return to class.

Consequences
The following consequences will be given to students who do not obey classroom rules:
 First Offense – Verbal Warning
 Second Offense – Loss of classroom privileges, seating change
 Third Offense – Classroom Detention / Team Detention
 Fourth Offense – Team meeting with parents
Notes: Students who commit major offense (i.e. smoking, tobacco chewing, alcohol drinking,
possession of illegal drugs/substances, etc.) will be directly referred and sent to the Discipline
Office and handled by the School Administrator.
*By signing below, you are acknowledging your commitment and involvement to the above. Please
provide an updated contact number(s) and email address below.
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8th Grade Social Studies Syllabus (SY 2018-19)

_________________________ __________________________ ___________

Student (Print Name) Student Signature Date

_________________________ __________________________ ___________

Parent/Guardian (Print Name) Parent/Guardian Signature Date

Phone Number (s) of which you may be reached:

___________________________________ home work Cell (Best time to call) _________________

___________________________________ home work Cell (Best time to call) _________________

___________________________________ home work Cell (Best time to call) _________________

_______________________________ _______________________________
Elvin De Leon Date Mrs. Maria Milan Date
Teacher – Social Studies Assistant Principal – 8th Grade