•  

    Civics, 7th Grade

    Kenneth Horne, Montford Middle School, 2021-2022

    khorne@leonschools.net

    (850) 412-8900

     

    Overview

    This class is an introduction to Civics.  It will help students to understand the role and function of government at the local, state, and federal levels.  We will examine the foundations of our own constitutional government, the process of voting, and our roles as citizens.  Cases that reach the Florida Supreme Court and Supreme Court of the United States will be discussed in class as per the state benchmarks.  As many reflect current issues, they are by definition somewhat controversial.  All topics will be approached tastefully and in a balanced manner!  If you want your child to opt out of anything pertaining to any court cases, please email me and I will be happy to provide an alternative assignment in the media center.

     

    Text

    Civics, Economics, and Geography.  Florida Edition.  McGraw-Hill, 2013.  We will be using an online version of this book this year.  It is available as an easy link in the class welcome page in Canvas.  It is also in Classlink.  If you have questions as to how to locate it, I’ll be happy to help. 

     

    Classroom Rules

    All School Policies are in effect. In addition, students can expect to be treated with dignity and work in an “emotionally safe” environment.  As a class, students will maintain a room in which anyone can feel free to answer a question or participate without ridicule from of their peers.  Consequences will be as per the student handbook.  There will not be a need for a student to bring and use earbuds/headphones/air pods or a cell phone.  They should be left in the backpack.

     

    Materials Required

    Students will be required to bring a class notebook, paper, previous notes, and pencil every day. Tests and quizzes will be given on Canvas so students will be required to bring their laptop computer/Chromebook with enough battery charge to last through the school day.  This will be counted as part of the classroom participation grade. 

     

    Films

    This course will require a lot of lecture time and note taking in order to prepare for the EOC.  Very few if any films will be watched before that time.  For events like Holocaust Awareness Month or Black History Month, it is possible that portions of the following films might be watched: Cold War footage from the National Archives, Eyes on the Prize, The History of Jazz, Prohibition, Nightmare in Jamestown, the America: Story of Us series, John Adams, Stories of the Self Help Home, The Boy in Striped Pajamas, and/or The Book Thief.   All film segments will be tied to the curriculum.  If you have an issue with any of these titles, feel free to contact me and an alternative assignment will be made for your child during that portion of the lesson.

     

     

     

     

     

     

    Horne, Syllabus p. 2

     

    Photos

    Some class activities may be photographed for yearbook use.  Some photos may also be put on the school website/scroll.  Please let me know if there is an issue with this. 

     

    End of Course Exam

    As required by Florida State legislation, all students will take an EOC exam in the late spring.  It will count for 30% of the overall grade for the course.

    Grading Scale

    A: 100%- 90%

    B=89-80%

    C=79-70%

    D=69-60%

    F=59% and below

     

    Please refer to FOCUS for grades, not Canvas.  70% of the students’ grades will be from tests/quizzes and 30% will be from classwork and homework.  Planner checks will be conducted routinely and will count as a class grade.  Notebook checks will be conducted routinely as well.

    -Important papers that are sent home from the school to be signed (for example, progress reports, report cards, etc.) will each count as a grade.   This year it will be done digitally but there is some margin for flexibility if a paper signature is more convenient for you.  I will strive to make it less complicated for you, not more complicated.

    -Extra credit opportunities are offered once per nine weeks, usually in the second week of the grading period.  Anyone can take advantage of them.  Working community service hours will also count for extra credit.

     

    Best Way to Contact Me

    You can either email me on school outlook (there is a link under my photo on the school website) at hornek@leonschools.net or you can message me on Canvas using the “?” icon on the lower left of the screen.   I most often will get back with you on the same day.  Please do not use FOCUS to contact me, I use this app for my gradebook.