Dunnellon Middle School
(352) 465-6720
th
7 Grade Civics Team Syllabus
alden.cooper@marion.k12.fl.us ext. 55261
August 17, 2015
Dear Parent or Guardian,
We would like to welcome you and your child to Civics—a fascinating course that I am excited to be teaching!
Please consider getting involved in your child’s education throughout the term. By doing so, you can help your
son or daughter succeed and maybe even enjoy learning something new yourself. And why not? The more we
all know about our nation and the world, the more we can make sense of events happening in the world today.
Throughout the Civics course your son or daughter will be using the text Holt Civics in Practice. This textbook
provides a thorough introduction to American civics. Central to its content is an in-depth examination of the
roles American citizens—including students—play in our political and economic systems. This important
information is presented through an informative and richly illustrated narrative, supported by reading questions
that check your child’s comprehension, special features that enliven the study of civics, and tips to help readers
become more informed and active citizens.
Our goals for the course are to help your child:
 develop a strong understanding and appreciation of the basic principles of government and economics
 appreciate the roles played by individuals in every aspect of political and economic life, from electing
officials and serving on juries to paying taxes and investing money
 understand the important role of civics in his or her life on a daily basis
 build a solid Social Studies and academic vocabulary
 develop thinking skills that support the ability to challenge assumptions, think creatively, and solve reallife problems
 have fun!!
How can you assist your student in achieving the course goals?
 ensure your student is using the DMS planner by checking it each night for assignments/homework
 have a designated study time set for your student
 utilize the parent portal to check your student’s grades and progress
 access the teacher web pages via www.marion.k12.fl.us/schools/dms/ to find up-to-date classroom
information and activities
 have fun, civics promotes engaging conversations at school and home!
Please be advised that your student’s performance will be assessed in a variety of ways. These assessments
include, but are not limited to: district benchmark tests, quarterly document based writing assessments, and the
state mandated end of course exam (EOC). The students will have numerous opportunities to demonstrate
learning and achievement during the 2013-2014 school year.
Throughout your child’s Civics course, he or she will have many opportunities for learning, growth, and
achievement. We will be monitoring your child’s progress with the following grading policy.
Civics Grading Policy
Category
Percentage of Final Grade
Homework
10
Tests/Projects
40
Class Work/Quizzes
50
Total
100%
Each of the above categories plays an important part in your child’s learning.
Homework: Students will be assigned homework at least once per week. Homework may be a reading
assignment, a worksheet, review questions, take-home activities, or unfinished class work. We encourage you to
review your child’s homework on a regular basis so that you know how well your child is doing.
Quizzes and Tests: To ensure that students are regularly completing and understanding their course work, we
usually will administer one quiz per week. We will assess students’ progress with a more formal test at least
twice per grading period. If your son or daughter earns a test grade of C or lower, please encourage your child
to talk with us about ways to improve his or her progress.
Projects: We anticipate assigning at least one project per grading period. Special projects are fun and
challenging additions to your child’s course work.
Class Work: Active participation in class discussion and completion of assigned work will help your child
develop his or her reading, writing and interpersonal skills. To earn full class work points your child must
routinely contribute to class discussions and complete the assigned work in a timely manner.
Please know that it is our priority to ensure that each student has adequate assistance and ample opportunity to
succeed in our classes. If throughout the term you have any questions about the class or your child’s progress,
please feel free to contact me by phone or e-mail.
We would appreciate your help in furthering our goals and expectations for this academic year. Simply
encouraging your child as he or she explores American civics will go a long way! Thank you for being an
important part of your child’s learning experience.
Sincerely,
Alden Cooper, Ed.S.
7th Grade Civics Teacher
Classroom Wish List
(Donations appreciated)
 markers, glue sticks, notebook paper,
pencils, colored pencils, crayons, cap
erasers, dry erase markers, tissues.