Humanities

8^th Grade Humanities

Welcome to eighth grade humanities. Included in this note to you is a brief course description; at the end, please find a listing of what you should expect from me as your humanities teacher, what I will expect from you as students, and what parents can do to support their child in this class. Some specific information about classroom procedures is included as well. Both students and parents are asked to read, sign (on the attached form) and return that sheet to me by FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2010.

Dear Students and the Families Who Will Support Them in this Class,

As a chronologically based course we have a tremendous task ahead of us – to learn about our nation’s history from the time of the earliest European settlements through the Civil War and into the period of Reconstruction and to buttress this history with literature, writing, grammar, and vocabulary. However, our task is not necessarily “to cover” the information. We will spend a good deal of our time working to identify, to understand, and to connect recurring themes in American history to literature and to our own experiences, existing knowledge, and current events and today’s political issues. Please take a moment to examine closely the list of themes and engage your student in discussions throughout the year about how these themes have manifested themselves over the course of your lifetime, in your own knowledge and perceptions of US history, American literature, and in today’s news.

The ultimate goal of the course is for students to recognize themselves as independent, active citizens who are not destined to be subject to others’ decisions, regardless of their own personal political ideas or leanings. Knowledgeable engagement trumps disinterested and disaffected apathy every time. By learning the history and literature concurrently, our thinking and writing will be thoroughly developed.

In terms of the structure of the course, we will utilize a number of different class formats including, but not limited to…

Discussing
Debating
Writing essays, position papers, and creative pieces
Illustrating historical timelines and political cartoons
Developing modern-day or personally relevant analogies to issues and situations in US history/literature
Role playing
Re-enacting moments from US history and utilizing American drama of the period
Taking notes from a lecture
Learning the finer points of grammar
Reading and researching current events and political issues
Writing from the perspective of major and minor characters in history/literature
Visiting areas of regional and national significance to the nation’s founding and growth

There will be several major projects this year including periodic book reports, extensive work with primary documents, five paragraph essays, and the research project—essentially the main focus of the third and fourth quarters.

Each project will be prefaced with a full project description, timeline, expectation form, and additional applicable information.

Students will also be expanding their vocabulary through the class’ utilization of Vocabulary from Classical Roots vocabulary Book B for 8^th grade students. It teaches students the meaning and uses of Latin and Greek root words.

We will be taking a number of field trips directly associated with this course and parents are welcomed and encouraged to attend provided we have the ability to include you.

What Students Should Expect from Me…

Hard work
Commitment to their knowledge and skill development
Encouragement
Information
Support
Confidence in their ability to achieve course objectives and master the skills taught
Challenges to their assumptions and unsupported or unsubstantiated statements
A sense of humor
Availability to talk outside of class about class topics and skills
A desire for students to set goals, work to achieve them, and recognize the resultant growth in their abilities

What I Expect from Students…

Hard work
Attention to deadlines
Questions
Class Participation!!!
Respect for others in class
Organization
Encouragement and support of others in class
Commitment to improving skills and understanding throughout the year
Faith and confidence in themselves and their ability to succeed, adapt, change, and grow
A sense of humor
A desire to recognize themselves as entirely unique individuals with their own perspectives, ideas, and ability to make a positive difference in the world

What Parents Can Do…

Keep in touch with me, particularly in regard to the research project in the 3^rd and 4^th quarters, projects, and student reaction to course content
Discuss course content and skills with your child
Ask your child to share with you skills learned, knowledge gained, and discussions held in class

Nuts and Bolts

The following is a list of classroom procedures to which students will be expected to abide.

Arrive to class on-time, prepared to discuss or present homework due on that day.
Have a writing utensil and binder or note book with plenty of note paper ready for use in each class.
When submitting homework, write initials, date, and title of the assignment in the top, right-hand corner – staple together if submitting more than one page. Submit homework directly to the class tray in Forest Hill classroom.
Upon dismissal, return all chairs and tables to their original positions, and pick-up any and all debris that may have fallen to the floor during the class period (even if it is not your debris).
See Mr. Baillie if you have any questions or concerns about course content or assignments. Never hesitate to submit suggestions to improve your experience in this course.

We have reviewed together and understand the course content and expectations for Humanities 8.

Student Signature:

Parent Signature:

A NOTE TO PARENTS: Please feel free to contact me regarding questions or concerns about course content. Also, if you have specialized training in or experience with any of the course content we cover, please volunteer to speak to the class! Please contact me if you are interested! bbaillie@harfordfriends.org.

Questions? Please list any you might have right here.