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Mr. Burrows’ 8th Grade American Studies Room 280 Hello!!…I hope everyone had a wonderful summer!! I am Mr. Burrows your new American Studies teacher for the 2011-2012 school year. I'm entering my ninth year of teaching. This is my fourth year teaching for the Mechanicsburg School District. I was a high school social studies teacher at Shikellamy High School in Sunbury, PA (an hour north of here). I am eager to begin another fulfilling school year with you. By studying U.S. history from 1787 (Founding of the Constitution) through the Reconstruction Era (1865), the class will gain an understanding of how the nation's past has affected, and is still affecting, America and the world today. TEACHING METHODS I use a wide variety of teaching methods based off of the Learning Focused Program. It will include essential questions, activating strategies, teaching strategies, and summarizing strategies. The goal of this course is to guide all students into becoming well-informed citizens of our exciting and controversial history. There will be many "real life" activities using authentic materials that will help you with your understanding and analysis of the given historical information. INTERACTIVE STUDENT NOTEBOOK Mr. Burrows' students are required to create and maintain an Interactive Notebook. The instructional purpose for this is to have students "interact" with concepts and skills learned in class. Below are some FAQ's that should help parents and students become more familiar with "The Notebook" that will be used in class. Exactly what is an "Interactive Notebook"? The Interactive Notebook is an instructional tool that requires students to "interact" with content in meaningful ways. As students learn new concepts, they use several types of writing and graphic techniques to record and process new information. Students use their notebooks to record any class activity aka Teacher Notes (in-class notes, reading notes, handouts or any other "teacher input"). Then, students are required to review new concepts from class by interacting with the content. This student input is added to the notebook through an Output Assignment. An Output Assignment is designed and created by the student. Usually a specific question or statement will be given to the students that they must complete. However students have free range on how they want to answer that question or statement. (diary entry, pictures, word splash, etc.). Why is Mr. Burrows using this tool in his classroom? Students can show what they have learned through the best way that they learn. In other words, it allows students to use both their visual and linguistic intelligences. Students are encouraged to draw and to find images that link to content learned in class. They are free to apply concepts, develop a deeper understanding, and to see connections in the best way they learn. This could be visually, using graphic organizers, or processing a topic learned in class by connecting it to a current event article. Students can do anything from creating an acrostic about Israel, to illustrating a political cartoon that shows the wealth distribution of the castes of India. The possibilities are endless! Note taking becomes an active process. In my experience, students "take notes" in class but never make any connections to those notes, do not understand what they just wrote down and usually never look at them again until the night before a test or quiz. Using the interactive notebook, students take their notes initially, then are required to revisit them that same day to "process" the information. In this way, students are learning about history in an engaging way. Students use critical thinking and analytical skills to organize information and ponder historical questions. Notebooks help students to organize as they learn. Students are encouraged to use a variety or organizational techniques with their notes. These include topic headings, highlighting, and different writing styles to analyze historical concepts and make sense of what they learn. The set-up of the notebooks allows assignments to be kept together in a regular place and in a logical order. Notebooks become a portfolio on individual learning. These personal, creative notebooks become a cumulative record of each student's growth. Throughout the year, Mr. Burrows, students, and parents can review a student's progress in writing, illustrating, recording, thinking and organizational skills. What are Mr. Burrows’ general expectations for student use of the notebook? The Interactive Notebook is a critical component of my classroom. Students are required to bring their notebook to class every day! Following requirements and guidelines for interactive notebook. 8 ½-by-11 inch spiral-bound notebook Pens/Pencils Colored Pencils/Markers (optional) Glue Stick or Scotch Tape Students will keep a running table of contents on the first or second page of the notebook (example: Pages 1-12 Constitution Unit) The basic set up of the notebook is "The Entry". Every lesson is considered an entry. Every entry consists of Teacher Input and Student Input. The Student Input = the Output Assignment.
Each assignment and entry must have a heading or title that will correspond to what you have in your Table of Contents. Usually, but not always, individual Output Assignments will not be checked or graded daily, but will fall under the larger Notebook Evaluation that will occur randomly. Therefore students are strongly encouraged to keep up with their Output Assignments daily so they do not fall behind and will not be penalized during a surprise notebook check.
Sometimes class time will be given to work on an Output Assignment. Students are to take advantage of this time, as it will not come often. Students will be graded on their interactive notebook through out the course of the unit. A rubric will be used to grade your notebook. Students will tape or glue the rubric on the back cover of your notebook. There can be a “pop quiz” from time to time where a student completes a prompt using their notebook. What should I do if my notebook is misplaced or lost? First of all.......I feel really sorry for you! Here are some suggestions to help you slow your heartbeat down after realizing you have lost your notebook: Get a new notebook IMMEDIATELY! (Not to make you panic again!)
This may seem like a lot, but you need to have your work for your next notebook evaluation. BOTTOM LINE... DO NOT LOSE YOUR NOTEBOOK! I'm spending too much time working on my notebook. Why? In most cases, you should take advantage of instructional time in class or study halls. Continually maintain your notebook. Otherwise, once you anticipate a notebook evaluation in the next few days you aren't rushed to update all the assignments you did not do when each was assigned. GRADING Interactive notebook, independent homework assignments, in-class activities, writing assignments, tests, and group work will be graded on a point scale. I will use rubrics to grade the interactive notebook, grade group work or projects, and essays. Rubrics will be passed out when the assignment is given. The amount of points will vary for home assignments and in-class activities (usually 10 to 20 points). Projects can be worth between 50 to 100 points. Essays can be worth 40 to 65 points. Interactive Notebook checks will be worth 100 points. Tests will usually consist of multiple choice, short answer, and/or essay. Tests are worth 85 points. We are implementing online grading this year. Students and parents will be able to view grades from home at anytime. MATERIALS NEEDED FOR CLASS *Pencils/Pens *Glue Stick *3 Ring Binder (optional) *8 ½-by-11 inch spiral-bound notebook, with at least one hundred pages *Colored Pencils/Markers (optional) *Folder (given out in class) OBJECTIVES FOR THE CLASS There are 7 major objectives that will provide direction and organization for our journey through American history. Objectives serve as a guide and plan of attack as we make the exciting journey through American history. The 7 Course Objectives *Analyze political and geographical expansion of the U.S. from 1787 to the Reconstruction Era (1865). *Analyze social and economic developments in the formation of the U.S. from 1787 to the Reconstruction Era (1865). *Examine what can now be called the American Identity. *Develop an understanding of American Democracy. *Examine the contributions that minorities have made to the development of our country. *Examine the change in America from an agricultural to industrial nation *Provide opportunities for critical and analytical thinking. CLASSROOM RULES AND PROCEDURES All rules and procedures established by the Mechanicsburg School District will be followed. Along with the district’s rules and procedures, I have 7 simple rules that all students will follow (Other procedures and rules will be discussed in class). 1. Raise your hand to answer a question or make a comment. 2. Students will not interrupt the teacher or other students when they are speaking. 3. Students will not be disrespectful towards the teacher or other students. 4. All assignments must be turned in on the assign due date for full credit. If a student fails to hand in the assignment then it will result in a zero. (except: excused absences) 5. Students will be allowed to make up zeros (homework assignments) for ½ credit. (except: cutting class) 6. Students must be in their seats and ready to begin class when the bell rings. Students’ books, notebooks, pencil/pen, and homework assignments must be on the desk when the bell rings NO PURSES OR HANDBAGS ON DESKS 7. When the bell rings you will be dismissed by my instruction. DISCIPLINE HIERARCHY When the class rules or procedures are broken consequences will follow. Three Strikes You’re Out (not kicked out but a form on discipline). A student each day will have three chances before a form of discipline is chosen for violating the classroom rules and procedures. Strike 1: Reminder of the rule or procedure Strike 2: Reminder of the rule and warning Strike 3: Reminder of the rule or procedure; warning; lunch DT; and contact to home about what happened. I keep a running total of the number of times a student strikes out. So if it is your second time striking out I will give you an after school DT instead of a lunch DT. After your third time striking out all the data I collected will be put into a formal write up to Mr. Frey. Again parents will be involved in the entire process. There is a zero tolerance policy for bullying, fighting, and swearing in my classroom. These offenses result in immediate removal from class, calls home, and formal write up. DAILY CLASS PROCEDURES We will begin each lesson with an activating strategy. The activity serves to get the students’ mind focused on the topic at hand. The activating strategy will be on the board or I’ll pass it out to you. Along with the motivational activity being on the board, the essential question of the unit and lesson will be on the board. Students are required to put this information in their interactive notebook. The teaching strategies are how I deliver the information of the lesson to the students. I’ll use notes, graphic organizers, discussion questions, worksheets, etc. to deliver the material to the students. This information that I give must be placed in their interactive notebook. After completion of my instruction, students will complete their output assignment in their interactive notebook. Homework assignments will be given periodically through out the week. Homework assignments will generally be output assignments in their interactive notebook. Students will also have to do reading assignments from the textbook or primary documents, worksheets, writing assignments, etc. Homework assignments are due the next day. Students from time to time will do group activities with their peers during class. I’ll pick or let the students pick their partners. Students will be placed with a partner or large group to complete their output assignments, complete in-class activities, and culminating activities (large projects). Bathroom privileges- Students may ask to go to the lavatory under the following times: 1. When students are working on in-class activities 2. When they completed their test 3. During group work Students will not ask to use the restroom when: 1. I’m going over directions or leading a class discussion 2. Students are taking a test 3. During the activating strategy at the beginning of class or the last five minutes of a class period Students will raise their hand at their seat to ask for permission to use the restroom. Students will take their agendabook and sign out. Upon the students return they will sign back in. If you want to use the lavatory before class, I must give you permission, you must have your agendabook, and you must sign out. Remember the use of the lavatory is a privilege. Students can have this privilege taken away if they habitually ask to use the restroom or abuse the privilege. Please remember that I specify the times when a student can use the lavatory so the focus of the class or the teacher is not broken during key times of the period. Students must have their agendabook at all times to leave the class for another reason (music lesson, dismissal, compaction, to go to the nurse, and office). If you are severely ill and need to get to the nurse, a student will escort you down to her office if you don’t have your agendabook. If the office requests your presence I’ll write you a pass if you don’t have your agendabook. These are the only two conditions for letting you leave without an agendabook. Gum Policy: No gum chewing in my class. Consequences established by the Mechanicsburg Middle School will be followed. Electronic Devices: Students are not permitted to have any electronic devices out during the school day. Failure to comply will result in the consequences established by the Mechanicsburg Middle School. Make Up Work: When a student is absence from my class I have designated a class box (in the front of the room), which will contain any assignments, notes, handouts, etc. It is the student’s responsibility to collect the missed work from the box. The student is responsible to see me or borrow a student’s notebook to obtain the notes he/she missed in class. If a student is absent one day, the student has two days to make up the assignment. Failure to complete the assignment(s) will result in a zero. If a student is absent the day of a test, but he/she is there for the review, the student will have to take the test the next day. I am available to meet with a student’s parents/guardians before or after school. I will also keep the student’s parents/guardians in the “loop” with the student’s progress in my class. I will call home for classroom problems (missed assignments or behavior) and to give praise for hard work in my class. I'm looking forward to working hard and having fun!!! Parents/guardians can contact me either by phone or email with any questions or concerns Phone # 691-4560 x7154 Email: gburrows@mbgsd.org
Student’s Name:____________________________________________________ Parent(s)/Guardian Name (Please Print):___________________________________________________ Contact Numbers: (Home)____________________________________ (Work)_____________________________________ Contact Email: ________________________________________________________
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