Welcome to U.S. History, 8th Grade, Cluster C!
Lanier Middle School, 2013-2014 School Year
Rules and Procedures
(the Second Amendment . . . the right to BEAR ARMS??)
Teacher: Ms. Carrie Roberts
Classroom: Room 248
School’s Telephone: (713) 942-1900
Email: crobert9@houstonisd.org (this is the best way to reach me; I check it frequently)
Tutorials: Monday afternoons from 3:35 to 4:15
Website: http://www.purplepups.org//Domain/12048
Supplies:
I recommend that you keep a 3 ring binder for U.S. History with dividers for the following sections:
1. Class handouts and notes
2. Writings and projects
3. Exams and quizzes
4. Notebook paper for daily assignments
I will give open binder / note quizzes from time to time; staying organized should be a priority!
Additionally, you should have:
 A spiral notebook or composition book for taking notes for homework
 A writing utensil (a pencil or blue or black pen)
Class Rules:
1) Come to class on time and prepared
2) Always give your best effort
3) Treat yourself, your classmates, your teacher, and your school with RESPECT
Class Procedures:
Beginning Class
1. You should be in your seat when the bell rings
2. On taking your seat:
 Check the board for a homework assignment and copy it into your planner
 There will be a daily warm-up. Sometimes this will be a question to reflect on – write the question
and your answer in the notebook paper section of your binder. Sometimes this will be a quiz using
the SMART clickers.
 I will collect your homework.
During Class
1. Participate often and thoughtfully
2. Ask questions
3. Raise your hand in order to be called on
4. Bathroom and hall passes should be reserved for emergencies.
Ending Class
1. Class ends when I dismiss you. Please refrain from packing up until then
2. Clean up your desk and the area around it before you leave
3. Turn in class work before you leave
Grades:
Homework (10%)
You can count on having homework every night! Homework will often consist of reading and note-taking
assignments to help you prepare to participate in the next day’s lesson. Other homework assignments may include
special readings, map work, reflective writing assignments, etc. I will post assignments on the website, but the
homework written on the board in class is the most up-to-date, so make sure to copy it into your planner.
Exams, Projects, and Writings (40%)
There will be an exam at the end of each unit. I will assign one to two projects and/or writing assignments each
quarter. Projects may be assigned on an individual, pair, or group basis.
Quizzes (20%)
There will be frequent warm-up quizzes over nightly reading assignments as well as over covered content.
Class Work (30%)
Class Work: Class work, including maps, pair and group work, and reading response activities will be collected
several times a week.
Grading Rubric for Homework and Class work:
Your collected homework and class work will be graded out of ten points according to the following rubric:
9.5 - 10 points ---------------------------------- Work displays excellent effort and goes above and beyond in
quality. Student provides plentiful historical facts, examples, and details in the work. The work goes
above and beyond in addressing the requirements of the assignment.
8 - 9 points ---------------------------------- Work displays sufficient effort and quality. Student provides
sufficient historical facts, examples, and details in the work. The work fully addresses the requirements of
the assignment.
6 - 7 points ----------------------------------- Work displays some effort, but the student should work to
improve in effort and quality of work. Student provides some historical facts, examples, and details, but
should work to include more. The work addresses some requirements of the assignment.
1 – 5 points -----------------------------------Work displays insufficient effort and quality. Student provides
few historical facts, examples, and details and/or the work is partly off-topic. The work addresses few
requirements of the assignment OR minimally addresses the requirements of the assignment.
0 points ---------------------------------- Work was not turned in or fails to address the requirements of the
assignment
I will use the following symbols to provide feedback on assignments where appropriate:

Excellent Point; excellent information

This Information Is Correct
*
This Information is Inaccurate -- Check and Correct
?
This is unclear / does not answer the question
 Expand this point; give more information
Policy on Late Work:
Cluster 8C has a late work policy that states that the maximum score any late work can receive is 70%, provided it
is turned in within five school days past the due date; and a maximum score of 50% for any work that is turned in
after the five school day deadline has passed. No late work will be accepted after two weeks past the original due
date. Due dates will always be well advertised, so be sure to get your work in on time!
If you are absent:
 Weekly handouts and class work assignments will be organized in folders by day of the week at the front of
the room. Students are responsible for collecting all handouts and class work they missed from the folders
before class begins on the day that they return.
 All daily handouts, notes, and homework assignments will also be posted on my pages on purplepups.org
under the tab “Class Handouts and Homework Files.” They will be organized by date.
 Please feel free to email me if you are absent. I don’t expect you to do work when you are sick, but I can
let you know what you missed and what you will need to make up.
Parents: Cluster 8C has a weekly email that we send out to parents/guardians to give the need-to-know
information for the upcoming week. Each cluster teacher contributes to the information in the email.
Please email us by Fri, 8-30 at sidneylanier8c@gmail.com with your student’s name in the Subject
line. Please also include in the email any secondary or additional email addresses to which you
would like us to send the weekly email.
Students: Remember to bookmark the website: http://www.purplepups.org//Domain/12048. I will post
homework assignments on the website, so check it frequently!
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Please sign, detach, and return by Thursday / Friday of this week! This will count as one of your first
homework assignments!
Ms. Roberts’ 8th Grade U.S. History Classes
2013-2014 School Year
Acknowledgment Form
I acknowledge that I have read the classroom rules and procedures, and I understand the expectations of students in
Ms. Roberts’ 8th grade U.S. History class.
DATE
DATE
STUDENT’S NAME
(please print)
PARENT’S NAME
(please print)
STUDENT’S SIGNATURE
PARENT’S SIGNATURE
PARENT PHONE NUMBER(S):
PARENT EMAIL ADDRESSES: