Social Studies 10
Course Description:
Socials 10 is one of the most important classes for establishing what it means to be both a Canadian and a global citizen. There are 4 core areas of focus: 1) Politics, 2) Canadian Identity, 3) Modern Canadian history, 4) Global issues. After participating in the class students should be ready to vote, have intelligent conversations about global issues, and have a greater understanding of why our country is what it is. For a more comprehensive look at what will be covered in this course click on PPTs, it will give you an idea of the units and the material covered within them.
Course Goals:
Class Rules:
Grade Breakdown:
Essays ... 20% (8 in the year)
There are a few different types of Essays and the parameters and expectations will change for each: In class essays, research essays and opinion essays. In class essays are written within the time span of a single class. They take roughly 40 minutes and are not marked for grammar and punctuation (provided they are reasonably clear). They do not have to cite or reference... to be honest they are somewhat repetitive. You will need to write 2 of these back to back for your provincial exam. Sometimes I will give these in conjunction with a test, the essay can be started in class and taken home and handed in the next day. Sometimes I will give a time constraint of a single class. Research essays, I will not give more than two of these. They are a lot of work, they involve research, in text citations, bibliographies and a complex thesis which can be proven with analyzed evidence. Opinion essays are the last type of essay, they are fun, they rely mostly on your personal ideas with a splattering of facts, they often bare a strong resemblance to essays written in English class. Research and opinion essays can go through a rewrite process but I will limit the amount of rewrites to 1 so that I do not fall behind in marking.
Tests ... 25% (1 per unit unless otherwise stated the 25% does not include essay component)
I will give mostly small quizzes to test your knowledge. It will be a maximum of one test or two small quizzes per unit. Multiple choice and a few short answers will be the norm. It will be important to keep notes and an organized binder so that you are prepared for these tests. The homework assignments given are given to help you be ready for these summative tests
Assignments ... 30% (About 10 throughout the year)
This is the only course I teach that is not based on projects and activities. However some assignments are needed to help ground certain students. I try to vary activities, posters, timelines, comics, brochures, and maps. There will also be oral work, skits, debates, Role-plays and presentations. There is also written work: creative writing, and journals. These will always come with a rubric and specific instructions. Often they will be started at school and completed at home. I will give you lots of time, but if you procrastinate and do nothing at home until the day before the due-date you will stress yourself out and not do as well. Assignment grades are often directly proportional to how much time and effort you put into it. So work hard and please pace yourself. Late assignments will always be accepted. If it is late I will apply a 10% late penalty I will take off 5% for additional late days. (this is school policy) I will NOT reduce the mark beyond 75% of its original value. So even if it’s a month late still get it done.
News Quizzes ... 10% (1 per week with exceptions)
In every class we will begin by watching news. At the end of every week I give a 3 or 4 question quiz. You are responsible if you missed a day or two of classes to get the news stories and notes. If you miss a Friday, when I give a news quiz, you will be responsible to find me and write the news quiz on your own time during the following week. If you do not find me and write the quiz you will get zero. Your two lowest marks will be taken off and the final grade. News quizzes should not feel intimidating, they were the highest marked category last year.
Final Exam ... 15% (1 at the end of semester)
This is a big test and will take 2 hours to write. Thankfully the provincial is no longer around and so the test will be specifically geared towards the content we have covered in class rather than geared towards a textbook. Students will have a good idea of what is on this test and how to study for it well in advance.
Socials 10 is one of the most important classes for establishing what it means to be both a Canadian and a global citizen. There are 4 core areas of focus: 1) Politics, 2) Canadian Identity, 3) Modern Canadian history, 4) Global issues. After participating in the class students should be ready to vote, have intelligent conversations about global issues, and have a greater understanding of why our country is what it is. For a more comprehensive look at what will be covered in this course click on PPTs, it will give you an idea of the units and the material covered within them.
Course Goals:
- Make you aware of your own political ideas.
- Instill a desire to participate in being a "citizen."
- Understand the unique national and cultural identity of Canada
- Give you an understanding of issues facing Immigrants First Nations and the Quebecois .
Class Rules:
- Talk to each other (not just to me) in a way that is orderly and respectful.
- Listen to each other.
- Respect our school and classroom verbally physically.
- Recycle and throw garbage away.
- Use technology responsibly.
- Don’t touch anything that does not belong to you.
- Keep track of your own stuff.
- Talk to me about problems or concerns in private.
Grade Breakdown:
Essays ... 20% (8 in the year)
There are a few different types of Essays and the parameters and expectations will change for each: In class essays, research essays and opinion essays. In class essays are written within the time span of a single class. They take roughly 40 minutes and are not marked for grammar and punctuation (provided they are reasonably clear). They do not have to cite or reference... to be honest they are somewhat repetitive. You will need to write 2 of these back to back for your provincial exam. Sometimes I will give these in conjunction with a test, the essay can be started in class and taken home and handed in the next day. Sometimes I will give a time constraint of a single class. Research essays, I will not give more than two of these. They are a lot of work, they involve research, in text citations, bibliographies and a complex thesis which can be proven with analyzed evidence. Opinion essays are the last type of essay, they are fun, they rely mostly on your personal ideas with a splattering of facts, they often bare a strong resemblance to essays written in English class. Research and opinion essays can go through a rewrite process but I will limit the amount of rewrites to 1 so that I do not fall behind in marking.
Tests ... 25% (1 per unit unless otherwise stated the 25% does not include essay component)
I will give mostly small quizzes to test your knowledge. It will be a maximum of one test or two small quizzes per unit. Multiple choice and a few short answers will be the norm. It will be important to keep notes and an organized binder so that you are prepared for these tests. The homework assignments given are given to help you be ready for these summative tests
Assignments ... 30% (About 10 throughout the year)
This is the only course I teach that is not based on projects and activities. However some assignments are needed to help ground certain students. I try to vary activities, posters, timelines, comics, brochures, and maps. There will also be oral work, skits, debates, Role-plays and presentations. There is also written work: creative writing, and journals. These will always come with a rubric and specific instructions. Often they will be started at school and completed at home. I will give you lots of time, but if you procrastinate and do nothing at home until the day before the due-date you will stress yourself out and not do as well. Assignment grades are often directly proportional to how much time and effort you put into it. So work hard and please pace yourself. Late assignments will always be accepted. If it is late I will apply a 10% late penalty I will take off 5% for additional late days. (this is school policy) I will NOT reduce the mark beyond 75% of its original value. So even if it’s a month late still get it done.
News Quizzes ... 10% (1 per week with exceptions)
In every class we will begin by watching news. At the end of every week I give a 3 or 4 question quiz. You are responsible if you missed a day or two of classes to get the news stories and notes. If you miss a Friday, when I give a news quiz, you will be responsible to find me and write the news quiz on your own time during the following week. If you do not find me and write the quiz you will get zero. Your two lowest marks will be taken off and the final grade. News quizzes should not feel intimidating, they were the highest marked category last year.
Final Exam ... 15% (1 at the end of semester)
This is a big test and will take 2 hours to write. Thankfully the provincial is no longer around and so the test will be specifically geared towards the content we have covered in class rather than geared towards a textbook. Students will have a good idea of what is on this test and how to study for it well in advance.