Mr. Wiffin
Titan Social Studies
2013/2014
Welcome to Titan social studies for the 2013/2014 school year! This year we will be focusing on United States History. The year will cover from the Civil War to the present day. The story of America is one of diverse people with sometimes vastly differing opinions coming together in order to create a nation for the benefit of all its citizens. This process never ends and has unfortunately, at times, involved open conflict. We will explore the various people, viewpoints, events and conflicts which have shaped our nation and continue to influence our lives to this day. As stated above, Americans can have very different opinions on the problems which have faced and continue to face our country. Therefore, I not only encourage, but expect you to create wellinformed opinions, based on research, on the subjects we will tackle in this class. This means you must fully respect everyone’s opinion, especially if it differs from yours. There will be many opportunities to display the knowledge we gain. We will work as a class, in small groups and individually. Hands on projects, role playing, simulations, and more traditional papers and tests will be used. However, the backbone of what we do throughout the year is questioning, research, reading and writing. Finally, to cultivate your growing interest in the community around you, all students will participate in a year-long “Change the World” project. This will help you become deeper thinkers and active citizens of the nation and planet.
Tentative Unit Schedule U.S. Government
September
Civil War > Jim Crow > Civil Rights
Oct/Nov
Industrialization > Labor Movement > Great Depression
Dec/Jan
War Unit (WWI, WWII…)
Feb/Mar
IDU (topic TBA)
April
Post-WWII > 60’s > 70’s
May
Focus on Current Events
June
schedule may change according to time constraints and needs of team
Course Expectations Crossett Brook Middle School has a motto of respect. In this class, another important “R” word will also guide us:
RESPONSIBILITY •
You are RESPONSIBLE for coming to class prepared and ready to participate. You must have an organized binder with paper, writing utensils and any other materials required for effective participation.
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You are RESPONSIBLE for having all work passed in on time and meeting the assignment's requirements. For every day an assignment is turned in late, it will lose half a letter grade. If you cannot turn in work on time, you are RESPONSIBLE for making arrangements with me before the due date.
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You are RESPONSIBLE for making arrangements with me to make up missed work if you miss class. This needs to be done the day you return to school.
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You are RESPONSIBLE for budgeting your time with long-term projects. These projects happen in steps and you must keep up with each step that leads toward the final product. Trust me, I can tell when you started a big project the night before it's due. I can help with breaking the project down, but YOU are RESPONSIBLE for doing the work.
Let's have a fantastic year!
