Mr. Soto’s 8th Grade American History II Syllabus
Contact Information: (708)588-8843
Email: ssoto@district95.org
Be sure to check the district website, http://www.district95.org for teacher profiles, webpages, contact information.
* Supplies – Students are expected to come to class everyday with the following supplies:
1. Your assigned textbook, when required. 5. The assigned pocket folder, with notebook
2. A red pen for grading.
paper, (or spiral) specifically for SocSt.
3. A highlighter for note taking.
6. A 50, 75 or 100 pg. composition book for
and making corrections.
journal writing, (which will be kept
4. A writing utensil, pen or pencil.
in the classroom).
* Students who are regularly unprepared for class may receive detentions during lunch
or after school. Regular unpreparedness will directly impact the student’s grade.
Homework - Students will have until the end of a unit (or quarter – whichever comes first) to
turn in late assignments and/or make corrections to improve their grade.
- Late assignments will be given a reduced grade at the teacher’s discretion.
Students who are missing assignments, regularly turn in late assignments, or have a
considerable amount absences in a given period of time, may be held back from lunch,
kept after school, or held back from reward days to review material and receive help on
missing assignment.
- Academic Advisory – The students mentioned above will also be assigned to our after
school teacher guided academic program to help students get up with their studies
Tests/Quizzes - Tests are mostly made up of short answer, multiple choice & fill in the blank
style questions, and will usually be accompanied by written extended response, or essay
style questions.
Retakes -Students may re-take a test once, outside of class, and during a scheduled
appointment. (See Test Re-take Contract for more information.)
Notebook - Students will be expected to keep a neat and organized folder, with all the assigned
& collected materials for a given unit to properly prepare for the unit test.
- Folders may be collected periodically for a determined notebook grade.
- Folder Clean Out -Students will be given time to clean out and dispose of
unnecessary or old materials to prepare for an upcoming unit.
Effort & Conduct Grades – “Effort” reflects homework completion and good test preparation,
while “conduct” reflects classroom behavior and participation. Scores represent:
1 – Student demonstrates exceptional behavior, preparedness, effort & class participation.
2 - Student demonstrates satisfactory (average to good) behavior, preparedness, effort & class
participation.
3 – Student demonstrates poor, inappropriate, or unacceptable behavior and little effort or sense of
urgency.
Final Quarter Grade - The final quarter grade will consist of a combination of test or
project grades (approx. 80 - 85%) and homework or quiz grades (approx. 15 - 20%).
Extra Credit: - There will be several extra credit opportunities offered throughout the course
of the year, including Saturday Field Trips and After School Movies, giving students the
opportunity to raise & maintain their grades. It is the student’s responsibility to take
advantage of these opportunities when they occur.
8th Grade American History Curriculum Outline
I. An Intro to U.S. History & Culture:
“Who Are You?” & “History Is…”
II. Remembering 9/11: Cause & Effect
Life before and after 9/11. Liberty vs. Security
III. The 5 Themes of Geography:
Geography’s influence on the history of
Chicago and the U.S., including its
regions & demographics.
IX. National Geographic Geography Bee
X. 1920s- the rise of American popular
culture, Prohibition, the crash of the
U.S. economy.
XI. The 1930s - the Great Depression
and FDR’s New Deal.
XII. The 1940s - World War II & U.S.
culture
IV. Remembering our Veterans - 11/11/14
*Community Service opportunities.
XIII. The 1950s - the rise of the Soviet
Union & the Cold War.
V. Immigration: Ellis Island immigrants
& immigration today.
XIV. Martin Luther King & the Civil
Rights Movement
VI. The 2nd Industrial Age: The rise of the
inventors, industrialists & unions.
Capitalism and the Stock Market.
XV. The 1960s - Vietnam, Berlin,
Kennedy, & chaos
VII. The Progressive Era: Teddy Roosevelt &
women’s suffrage.
XVI. The 1970s & 80s – Nixon and the end
of Vietnam & the Cold War
VIII. America Expansion Over Seas & World War I
Due to time constraints and unforeseen, historic (current) events that will occur this year, any
of the units listed above may be cut or condensed.
I have read and understand the above information and policies. Must be signed and returned by ____________
____________________________________
Signature of Student
__________________________________
Signature of Parent or Guardian