Mr.

Reed
Ejreed@cps.edu

7th Grade Social Studies Syllabus

OUR BIG GOAL:
Our big goal for the year will be for every class to average AT LEAST an 80% on all unit
tests; essays; and projects throughout the school year. We will strive to get there by
achieving 80% or higher on our weekly quizzes, coming to class prepared 90% of the time
and by turning in 90% of all our homework.

Essential Questions:
-Why are wars fought?
-How has technology changed throughout the 20th century and the effects on us today?
-How do we measure progress?
-What is the responsibility of the United States as a world power?
-How do we make change, and is all change for the better?
-How does a country heal and move on from trauma?
-How has race impacted our society and how does it continue to impact us?
-Where do we go from here?
Units: These are the major units we will be Skills: The most important general skills
investigating this year: that will be emphasized throughout the
school year will be:
● Colonization
● Revolutionary War ● Writing summaries and essays
● US & IL Constitution ● Developing research skills
● African Slave Trade ● Analyzing cause and effect relationships
in history
● Westward Expansion
● Developing note taking skills
● Road to Civil War ● Interpreting historical data, charts and
● Civil War graphs
● Distinguishing primary sources from
secondary sources
● Connecting current events to relevant
historic time periods
● Comparing and contrasting two different
time periods or historical figures

Materials:
Everyday, students should bring:
Mr. Reed
Ejreed@cps.edu

● Class notebook
● Ruler
● Pens or pencils
● Folder
● Highlighter
Optional Materials:
● Markers/Colored Pencils
● Notebook paper
● *Kleenex boxes are ALWAYS welcomed
My Classroom:
Philosophy:

General Vision: I want my students to become both historians and humanitarians. I believe that
in order to create a brighter future, we must understand where we come from. I want my
students to question the decisions made in the past, understand the perspectives that led to these
decisions, and how these decisions have impacted our country present day. I believe students will
achieve this by analyzing context, people, geography, economics, and relevance to their own
lives. Students will also develop critical thinking, map interpretation, chart reading, and research
skills while enhancing their collaboration skills.

Student Aspirations: I believe that all students have the abilities to achieve in my classroom
and have something unique to bring to the table. By the end of my class, my students and I will
have identified their passions and goals for the future. I hold students up to high expectations and
I know that they are fully capable of surpassing those high expectations. I want to see all my
students grow and ask deeper questions. It’s not about the end product but how we get there.

Rules:

1. Always come to class on-time and prepared

2. Always follow instructions the 1st time they are given
3. Always raise your hand and wait to be called on before speaking
4. Always ask for help when you need it
5. Always try your hardest
6. Respect others, Respect your environment, Respect yourself
Consequences:

Positive: Negative:
1. Praise from the teacher 1. Verbal warning
2. A positive note or call home 2. Mark in Behavior Chart
3. Student of the Month 3. Loss of lunch/recess with a written
4. Homework Pass reflection
4. Call home to parents
5. Referral
Mr. Reed
Ejreed@cps.edu

Grading
Homework: Homework typically involves in-classwork that has not been completed or to
work on a long term assignment. Some units may involve more homework assignments than
others but students should expect time each week to get most of their work completed. ALL
HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENTS SHOULD BE WRITTEN IN THE STUDENT
PLANNER. This way, parents will be able to check daily whether or not homework was
assigned.

Each week Students should spend 15-20 minutes a night reviewing their notes/notecards
for a weekly quiz.

Tests and Papers:

We will be having a test, project, and/or essay to conclude each unit. In addition, most
Fridays we will have a quiz based on the previous week’s instruction.

Excused Absences/Make-up Work:

Students will have one day for each day that they are absent to turn in any missed work. For
example, if you are absent on a Monday and return to school on Tuesday, your absent work will
be due on Wednesday. It is YOUR responsibility to find out what work you have missed. It
will also be your responsibility to get any notes you missed from your peers. There is a missing
work folder at the front of the classroom as well as our class website to get any missing
assignments.

Late Work:

It is YOUR responsibility to complete any and all classwork and homework in a timely
fashion. Each day work is late, the assignment loses 10% and a missing assessment goes
down a letter grade each day. If there is an issue that prevents the student from completing
an assignment, let me know as soon as possible and we can discuss how to get the work
done.

Grade Criteria: Every student in my class begins the semester with an A grade; it is their
responsibility to keep it.
Grade Scale:
90-100% = A
80-89.9% = B
70-79.9% = C
60-69% = D
0-59.9% = F

Grade Breakdown:
Mr. Reed
Ejreed@cps.edu

Formative: 50%
Summative: 30%
Homework: 10%
Participation 10%

*I DO NOT TYPICALLY ACCEPT EXTRA CREDIT. EXTRA CREDIT WILL

BE OFFERED FOR EXTRA WORK, NOT TO BOOST A GRADE AT THE END
OF A QUARTER.

Additional Help:
I want all students to achieve success. Therefore, I try to make myself available for any
additional help I can provide. If you need clarification, or maybe something did not make sense
to you, do not hesitate to ask. I can be reached during lunch, before and after school, and I check
my email and website regularly even at home.

One More Thing: This is a bully-free zone. I have zero-tolerance for bullying,
rude/inappropriate behavior or words. Consider this your warning. We will discuss in
class specific words that are not allowed. My classroom is a safe space for EVERYONE.

WEBSITE: www.ejreed1.weebly.com

Google Classroom Class Code ________________

Mr. Reed
Ejreed@cps.edu

Signature Sheet
Please sign this sheet after reading through the class syllabus, remove it from the
packet, and have it returned by tomorrow. Thank you for all of your support and I
look forward to working with you this year to help your child succeed.

Sincerely,

Mr. Reed

Student Name: ____________________________

Student Signature: _________________________

Parent/Guardian Name: _______________________________

Parent/Guardian Signature: ____________________________

Primary Language Spoken at Home: ____________________________

I Prefer to be contacted via (circle 1):

Email Phone

Email: _____________________________________

Phone: _____________________________________
Mr. Reed
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签名单
请在阅读完课程大纲后签署此表格，将其从包裹中删除，并在明天返回。感谢
您的支持，我期待今年与您合作，帮助您的孩子取得成功。

此致

里德先生

学生姓名： ____________________________

学生签名： _________________________

家长/监护人姓名：_______________________________

家长/监护人签名：____________________________家庭

主要语言：____________________________

我喜欢通过（圈1）的联系方式：

电子邮件 电话

电子邮件：_____________________________________
Mr. Reed
Ejreed@cps.edu

电话：_____________________________________