8th Grade Social Studies
U.S. History
Pennfield Middle School
Mr. Patrick Diemer
E-mail:diemerp@pennfield.net
Phone Number: (269) 961-9784 ext. 9817 (before or after school please)
Course Description: The 8th grade curriculum is broken down into 8 different units. Each unit is roughly 3-6 weeks in length. The bullet points below are the titles and roughly the lengths of each unit.
***Dates subject to change
Course Goals: The goal of this class is present students with historical information and tasks such as map and chart reading that will allow the students to develop skills that will be useful and necessary as they continue to their high school education.
Classroom Rules: The following are a short list of rules that students are expected to follow when in their U.S. History class
1. Be in your assigned seat when the bell rings
2. Raise your hand when wanting to speak
3. Follow directions the first time they are given
4. Bring your Chromebook and a WRITING UTENSIL
5. Be kind, and respectful to your peers and teacher
Late Work Policy
Late assignments will be accepted up to two weeks after the assignment was due. Assignments not turned in by the due date will be deducted 10% for one day, 20% beyond one day.
Behavior Management
Students are required to come to class prepared and on time everyday. Students that misbehave during instructional time may receive the following
+Verbal Warning / Time Out / Seat Change + Parent/Guardian Contact
+Detention + Office Referral
Grading Scale:
A 100-93% A- 92-90% | Mastered the material, excellent job! |
B+89-87% B 86-83% B- 82-80% | Working towards mastery; on the right track, keep working on it! |
C+ 79-77% C 76-73% C- 72-70% D+ 69-67% D 66-63% D- 62-60% | Room for improvement; seek extra help if needed and change your study habits. |
E 59-0% | Not meeting expectations; seek help from others (including teachers) Don’t give up! |
Typical outline for each day:
1. Enter class quietly- sharpen pencils and get whatever materials that may be needed
2. Work on Warm-Up for the day
3. Go over Warm-Up and collect any homework that may be due
4. Discuss the agenda for the day. Discuss objective/goal for the day
5. Direct instruction for the day
6. Work on activity/assignment for the day
7. Clean up all materials and prepare for dismissal
Group Work: Students will often be working in small groups with their peers. It is expected that they are an active participant in their group, and are kind and positive to their other group members. Group discussion needs to remain on task!
Classroom Participation: Students are expected to participate in classroom activities, by sharing their thoughts, ideas, and to help complete any assigned tasks. There will be a variety of ways for students to participate in class so expectations must be met. Assignments for other classes should not be worked on in class unless specified by the teacher and passing/writing of notes or electronic communication is not allowed.
DIEMER US HISTORY
Please tear off and return this slip to Mr. Diemer with the lines of information filled out!
Parent/Guardian Name: ______________________________________________________
Student Name: ______________________________________________________
Parent/Guardian Signature: ___________________________________________________
Contact Information (Phone and/or e-mail): _______________________________________
Prefered ways to communicate (circle one) Phone E-mail Text
Remind: I used Remind to communicate with parents about what is going on in class. Please text the code below to join my class. It does not cost extra to use this service and does not require you to download the app. Text @diemerp to the number 81010
Anything that I should know specifically about your student: __________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________
Thank you and if you ever have any questions, concerns, or something you feel we should discuss please do not hesitate to contact me!
Patrick Diemer