CE Syllabus and Expectations

Civics and Economics
8th Grade   Mr. Prest Rm. 201

This course is a survey of American government and the economy. The objective of this course is for students to be able to understand and analyze the complex structure of the U.S. government and the intricacies of the economy.

Below are the topics we will study this year:
1st Quarter- Personal Character Traits, The Fundamental Principles of U.S. Government, Citizenship Duties and Rights, Political Process, Public Policy
2nd Quarter- Separation of Powers, Checks and Balances, Structure of the National Government, The Legislative Process, Presidential Power, Structure of the VA Government, Structure of Local Government,
3rd Quarter- The Judicial System, Economics Terms, Types of Economies, The U.S. Economy, Types of Businesses, Circular Flow, Global Economic Issues
            4th Quarter- Competition, Public Goods and Services, Taxation, The Federal Reserve, Consumer Rights

            This year we will use the Civics Today textbook.  Students will not be required to bring the textbook to class; they can leave it at home in order to complete the assigned homework. Homework will be assigned every Tuesday and will be collected the following Monday. All homework assignments will be posted on my class website: http://mrprest.blogspot.com/  
Tests are generally given at the conclusion of a unit.  Students will always be given a study guide.  Quizzes are given frequently. We will also have DBQ projects and other projects throughout the year.  Projects will come with an assignment sheet. 

Grades will be calculated in the following way:
Homework 10%                     
Tests 30%                   
Classwork 25%                      
Quizzes 15%
Projects 20%


Grading Scale:
A= 90-100%   B= 80-89%      C= 70-79%      D= 60-69%     F= 0-59%

Students will need the following supplies by Monday September 14, 2015
Required (It is expected that these supplies will be brought to class everyday):

Please, let me know if you need help getting any of the supplies!
 
Book bag or backpack
1 one hundred page Spiral notebook to be left in class***
1 folder to hold SnapShots
Plenty of blue/black pens and plenty of #2 pencils
1 box of tissues to be turned into the teacher
1 bottle of glue or glue sticks
1 pair of scissors
Pack of markers or colored pencils                            
Loose-Leaf Paper

Optional Supplies that I would love to have donated to the classroom:
Hand sanitizer             Extra glue                    Cleaning Wipes (ex: Clorox Wipes)
Paper towels                Extra tissues
Civics and Economics
8th Grade   Mr. Prest

Class Expectations:
            This year we will embark on a journey through Civics and Economics. We will explore the three branches of government, politics, and the American Economy.  I like for my classes to be very hands-on, however, all students must show appropriate behavior in order to participate fully.  Below we have listed our basic code of conduct for this school year.
Civics and Economics Code of Conduct
  1. Come to class prepared and ready to learn
  2. Respect yourself, your peers, adults in the building, and the classroom
  3. Remain in your seat unless you are given permission to stand
  4. No food in the classroom unless given to you by Mr. Prest (a bottle of water is okay to have)
           
Class Dojo:
            I use the app ClassDojo to provide instant feedback to students regarding their behavior and their success in my class. With this app parents can communicate with me directly, and they can see how their child is doing in my class. I will be sending home an individualized sign up sheet home all students shortly, but feel free to check out the website: www.classdojo.com

Interactive Notebooks
            In my class, students will use interactive notebooks to stay organized. All notes will be taken in these notebooks and most class activities will be cut and pasted into these notebooks. We keep track of page numbers, and keep a table of contents. Students will keep their interactive notebooks in class unless they want to take them home to study or complete a classwork assignment. Students can check out their interactive notebooks in those two cases.

I am looking forward to a wonderful year with both of my USII class! Please feel free to contact me at any time – open communication is the best way to ensure that all students will succeed in class.

The best ways to reach me are:
-          Class Dojo messaging system
-          Email: rprest@richmond.k12.va.us
-          Phone: 804-780-6107  *Room 201
-          Or my class website: http://mrprest.blogspot.com/
                                                                                                     
-Mr. R. Prest

Please, sign this and return it to school by Friday (a copy of the syllabus is also available on my website).

Parent/Guardian Signature_______________________________________________

Student Signature______________________________________________________

Phone Number ________________________________________________________
           
Email________________________________________________________________

Do you have access to the internet? Yes  No   

**This syllabus is a general guideline for this course.  All information contained in this document is subject to change at the discretion of the course instructor.  Students and parents will be notified, in writing, of any necessary adjustments made after September 26, 2015.

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