Current

World Problems

Mr. Markel —— Room 409 —— Email: rmarkel@cusick.webnet.edu ——2012-2013

OVERALL GOAL:

The purpose of Current World Problems is for each student to learn about the political, social, environmental, economic and military situations found throughout the world. This will enable students to better understand how their community and nation are members of a world community.

CONTENT:

This course studies the United Nations, South America, North America, Middle East, Asia, and Africa. This year we will study each of the regions listed above and the subcategories in each unit of:

1.  Geography

2.  Economics

3.  Religion

4.  Environment

5.  Brief History

6.  Conflict/War

7.  Government

MATERIALS:

Each student will need these materials EVERY DAY, three-ring binder with section for CWP work, Upfront publication, and a pen or pencil.

TEXT:

There is not a specific text for this class; however we will be using a variety of informational resources throughout the year. These include: News Magazines (NYT Upfront), Newspapers (Spokesman Review), Broadcast Networks (BBC, PBS, CNN, etc.) and a assortment of online resources.  

GRADED WORK:

Over the course of this semester we will complete various assignments, including but not limited to, Geography Competency Assignments (Map Activities), Daily In-Class Work (Warm Ups), Homework, Projects, News Articles, and Tests. A points system will be used to add together all of the above and come up with a percentage which will be translated into a letter grade using the Cusick School District grading scale. In addition these categories will be weighted (see chart below).

GRADE WEIGHTS:

Tests 20%

Assignments 25%

Projects / Classroom based Assessments (CBA’s) 20%

Warm Ups / Participation 15 %

News Articles 20 %

ATTENDANCE AND TARDIES:

Students must abide by our school policies outlined in the student handbook. If a student has an excused absence they are responsible for communicating with the teacher.

MAKE UP WORK:

All students who are excused when absent will be given the opportunity to make up work in a timely fashion. If you are absent it is your responsibility to see the instructor and receive any work missed when absent. If you missed a test or quiz it is your job to set up a mutually agreeable time for you to make up the missing test or quiz. Students who have unexcused absences will not have the opportunity to make up any participation points, in-class work, homework, quizzes, or tests missed during unexcused absences.

ACADEMIC DISHONESTY:

If you are caught cheating on anything in the class, you will earn a ZERO on that assignment and not be given an opportunity to make it up.

CLASSROOM EXPECTATIONS FOR STUDENTS:

1.  Be on time and prepared to learn every day.

2.  Respect yourself, your classmates, your teacher, and our building.

3.  Challenge yourself and take pride in the work you do.

4.  Absolutely no food or drink with the exception of water

5.  Listen and follow directions

Mr. Markel —— Room 409 —— Email: rmarkel@cusick.webnet.edu ——2012-2013

OVERALL GOAL:

Through the study of U.S. History, a student will gain a solid understanding of our historical roots that will lay the foundations of putting our current structures, processes and events in perspective. A student’s sense of relatedness to the past will answer how the world has changed, why events are occurring today, and what may occur in the future.

CONTENT:

This course is a chronological study, from roughly 1870 to the present, of the people and events that have shaped the course of the United States in the 19th and 20th centuries. The following are selected historical events and time periods that will be highlighted during the course of the year.

1.    Manifest Destiny and the Move West

2.    Gilded Age /Industrial America

3.    Reforms and the Progressives

4.    American Imperialism

5.    Great Depression / New Deal

6.    Wars of the 20th Century

7.    Contemporary America

MATERIALS:

Each student will need these materials EVERY DAY, three-ring binder with section for American History work, United States History Textbook, and a pen or pencil.

TEXT:

United States History: Reconstruction to the Present (Prentice Hall 2010). These books are all in good order and excellent condition. The students are expected to keep them as such.

GRADED WORK:

Over the course of this semester we will complete various assignments, including but not limited to, Geography Competency Assignments (Map Activities), Daily In-Class Work (Warm Ups), Homework, Projects, and Tests. A points system will be used to add together all of the above and come up with a percentage which will be translated into a letter grade using the Cusick School District grading scale. In addition these categories will be weighted (see chart below).

GRADE WEIGHTS:

Tests 20%

Assignments 25%

Section Reviews 15%

Projects / Classroom based Assessments (CBA’s) 25%

Warm Ups / Participation 15 %

ATTENDANCE AND TARDIES:

Students must abide by our school policies outlined in the student handbook. If a student has an excused absence they are responsible for communicating with the teacher.

MAKE UP WORK:

All students who are excused when absent will be given the opportunity to make up work in a timely fashion. If you are absent it is your responsibility to see the instructor and receive any work missed when absent. If you missed a test or quiz it is your job to set up a mutually agreeable time for you to make up the missing test or quiz. Students who have unexcused absences will not have the opportunity to make up any participation points, in-class work, homework, quizzes, or tests missed during unexcused absences.

ACADEMIC DISHONESTY:

If you are caught cheating on anything in the class, you will earn a ZERO on that assignment and not be given an opportunity to make it up.

CLASSROOM EXPECTATIONS FOR STUDENTS:

1.  Be on time and prepared to learn every day.

2.  Respect yourself, your classmates, your teacher, and our building.

3.  Challenge yourself and take pride in the work you do.

4.  Absolutely no food or drinks in the classroom with the exception of water

5.  Listen and follow directions

Mr. Markel —— Room 409 —— Email: rmarkel@cusick.webnet.edu ——2012-2013

OVERALL GOAL:

Through the study of world history students will gain the understanding of how the past has implications for both the present and the future. We will identify the successes and mistakes of the past and consider how we can learn from them today.

CONTENT:

This course is a study of World History, which includes the broad history of humankind, with a more concentrated focus from the late 1400s to present day. Students are introduced to cultural, economic, political and social developments that played a fundamental role in shaping the world in which they now live. The following are selected historical events and time periods that will be highlighted during the course of the semester.

1.  The Age of Discovery

2.  Revolutions of Government and Thought

3.  The Industrial Revolution

4.  The Age of Imperialism  

5.  The World Wars

6.  Overview of the 20^th Century

MATERIALS:

Each student will need these materials EVERY DAY, three-ring binder with section for world history work, text book, and a pen or pencil.

TEXT:

The Pageant of World History (Prentice Hall 1990).

GRADED WORK:

Over the course of this semester we will complete various assignments, including but not limited to, Geography Competency Assignments (Map Activities), Daily In-Class Work (Warm Ups), Homework, Projects, and Tests. A points system will be used to add together all of the above and come up with a percentage which will be translated into a letter grade using the Cusick School District grading scale. In addition these categories will be weighted (see chart below).

GRADE WEIGHTS:

Tests 20%

Assignments 25%

Section Reviews 15%

Projects / Classroom based Assessments (CBA’s) 25%

Warm Ups / Participation 15 %

ATTENDANCE AND TARDIES:

Students must abide by our school policies outlined in the student handbook. If a student has an excused absence they are responsible for communicating with the teacher.

MAKE UP WORK:

All students who are excused when absent will be given the opportunity to make up work in a timely fashion. If you are absent it is your responsibility to see the instructor and receive any work missed when absent. If you missed a test or quiz it is your job to set up a mutually agreeable time for you to make up the missing test or quiz. Students who have unexcused absences will not have the opportunity to make up any participation points, in-class work, homework, quizzes, or tests missed during unexcused absences.

ACADEMIC DISHONESTY:

If you are caught cheating on anything in the class, you will earn a ZERO on that assignment and not be given an opportunity to make it up.

CLASSROOM EXPECTATIONS FOR STUDENTS:

1.  Be on time and prepared to learn every day.

2.  Respect yourself, your classmates, your teacher, and our building.

3.  Challenge yourself and take pride in the work you do.

4.  Absolutely no food or drink with the exception of water

5.  Listen and follow directions