St. Joseph's Elementary
School Library
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Welcome to 5th Grade Social Studies Class 2007-2008
I look forward to teaching the 5th Grade Social Studies' classes. It is an exciting subject and the content touches all of our lives. This year your child will be using the textbook, A Young Nation Adventures in Time and Place by McGraw Hill. Special attention is given not just to the acquisition of knowledge but to critical thinking in applying their knowledge through the Multiple Intelligences. Children will be motivated during the lessons and classes to incorporate the Multiple Intelligences: Verbal Linguistics, Visual Spatial, Interpersonal, Intrapersonal, Musical, Bodily-Kinesthetic, Logical-Mathemathetical and Naturalist. Opportunities to use the intelligences will be encouraged in class with activities, presentations and projects.
Social Studies is exciting and affects every aspect of our lives. It requires your child to become involved in the learning process. The Multiple Intelligences will help each child to use their gifts fully. Content that will be covered includes: Americans and Our Environment, Culture West and East, Contact and Exploration, Colonization and Conflict, Independence and New Government, Expansion and Change, Slavery and Expansion, The Revolutionary War and Current Events, etc. As a parent it would be helpful if you would reinforce the learning process by reminding them that:
Your child should bring their Social Studies textbook, workbook, marble composition book, black pen, red pen and 6” ruler with them each day. The red pen will be needed for underlining titles . All assignments are to be completed in cursive handwriting using a pen unless discussed with me. Correct Spelling and sentence structure are required. When completing projects, the children may print in pencil but complete the project in ink. Typing of projects is encouraged. Books are to be covered to protect them from damage. Absences: If your child is going to miss class, he or she must check with their homework buddy for any work they miss. Homework and class work will be due the next day as if they had been in class. If your child is absent two or three days, they are given an additional day for each day absent to complete the work. If any assigned work is too difficult, the student must try to do their best and have a parent write an explanation for incompleteness.
Social Studies Notebook:
Tests and Quizzes: Tests and quizzes will be given at the end of each chapter and at various times to check basic skills. Quizzes will be given periodically (some will be announced and others may not). It is imperative that children learn good study habits and not wait to study for the whole chapter. Grading: Grading is done on a point system based on the number of correct answers. A test is usually 100 points with 65 points for concept questions and 35 points for an essay question. Points may vary depending on concepts and application. Each test will contain grades with an upper number and a lower number; e.g., a test with the grade of 80/100 would be a grade of 80 percent. The top number is the number of problems correct and the lower number is the total number of problems presented on the test. You can divide the upper number by the lower number to obtain a percentage grade. Homework and classwork will also receive points. It is important that your child complete all homework and classwork as these points may bring up a test/quiz/project grade at the end of the trimester. The number of points for each trimester will vary. All tests and quizzes are to be signed by the parent and returned the next day to show that you have seen their grade. Powerschool also shows your child's progress. Homework: · All assignments are written on the board daily and are explained verbally. They are given the opportunity to write down this down in their homework assignment book at the beginning of class. · All assignments are checked daily for completion. Points are assigned and added to trimester grade. · STEP rules are followed if an assignment is not turned in on the due date. · Some homework assignments will be collected and checked for accuracy. These assignments will count for more points. Projects: Students will be assigned one project per trimester. The timing of these projects are coordinated with the Math and English projects so the projects are not given and due at the same times. However, Spanish and Science also have projects…Students need to fit these in and pace their project work. It will be part of the assessment along with class work in their marble composition books, workbooks, homework, quizzes, tests, presentations and class discussions.
Sister Bernadette Gregorek, R.S.M.
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Sister Bernadette Gregorek,
R.S.M. * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
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