Harrison Junior School 8th Grade Social Studies Mr. Sams 2008-2009

• Area of Study
  Eighth grade social studies focuses on U.S. history from the colonizing of North America to the end of the Civil War and Reconstruction. There are seven standards that we will work towards and explore this year:
  • History
  • People in Societies
  • Geography
  • Economics
  • Government
  • Citizenship Rights and Responsibilities
  • Social Studies Skills and Methods

  There is a Grade 8 Ohio Achievement Test in Social Studies in May that we will prepare for all year long.

• Class Rules
  There are just three major rules. One, Be Prepared. This involves bringing all necessary materials, doing all assignments, and making sure that everything that needs to be done has been done. Two, Be Respectful. Respect your fellow students and their property. Show respect to all teachers and school personnel. Most importantly, respect yourself in every possible way. Three, Learn. To do this you will need to try things, even if they might seem difficult or strange. Pay attention and use your mind. Follow these rules and have a successful year.  Please also understand that all school rules apply so no cell phones, iPods, profanity etc.
• Grades
  Grades are based on three categories: Quizzes/Tests (25%), Projects (25%), Social Studies Work (50%) which includes classwork and homework. Even if you do poorly in one area you can achieve a good grade by working hard at the others. The class uses the standard Harrison Junior School grading scale. Students also need to keep a folder with all work in it. Keep everything until I tell you it is OK to get rid of something.
• "How am I Doing?" and "How do I get a better grade?"
  Use ProgressBook to be able to access grades ONLINE. Your parents have been given user names and passwords for this tool. Also, utilize your planbook. I will put daily and weekly assignments up on the board.  

URL of this page is www.southwestschools.org/jsfaculty/sams.htm
Todd Sams' E-Mail Address: todd.sams@southwestschools.org

Page last updated 08/27/08