William Howard Taft High School

A Wall-To-Wall International Baccalaureate School

World Studies Course SyllabusMr. Lucco

Course Objective: World Studies provides the opportunity for work and study of major events, people, ideas and concepts found in world history. Students will learn the historical, economical, political, and social elements of various world cultures. The course requires students to take greater responsibility for their learning and is aligned with the International Baccalaureate (IB) mission statement. In addition, students will be asked to reflect on the core concepts of the course from a global perspective with a focus on developing the 10 traits of the IB Learner Profile. Furthermore, students will learn a variety of reading strategies and critical thinking skills to prepare them for college, employment, and/or career.

Grading Scale & Evaluation

A 100-90% B 89-80% C 79-70% D 69-60% F Below 60%Taft policy on excessive absences may result in a failure… so show up!

Cheating, plagiarism, or other dishonest means to get your work done will result in a zero grade for the assignment and will require me to report the incident fordisciplinary action. This is very serious, especially for upperclassmen who will be moving on to better things soon! Cite all sources that are used. If you appear to me to be cheating that is just as good as cheating. Be honest and look honest during tests. Keep your eyes to yourself and raise your hand with any questions. Anything you write for homework should be your own work.

What makes up your grade…Participation: Reflects appropriate and productive contributions to class activities. Participation points are awarded and deducted according to behavior in accordance with class rules and the Uniform Discipline Code. Points are most frequently awarded for volunteering to read, assisting with class administrative duties, and exceptionally insightful discussion. Points are most frequently

IB Mission Statement

The International Baccalaureate® aims to develop inquiring, knowledgeable and caring young people who help to create a better and more peaceful world through intercultural understanding and respect.To this end the organization works with schools, governments and international organizations to develop challenging programmes of international education and rigorous assessment.These programmes encourage students across the world to become active, compassionate and lifelong learners who understand that other people, with their differences, can also be right.

MYP Grading Criterion: Each student will be evaluated on their development and mastery of the following four standards and criterion as well as receiving a letter grade (i.e. A, B, C, D, F)

A. Knowing and UnderstandingB. InvestigatingC. CommunicatingD. Thinking Critically

deducted for absences, tardies, dress code violations, cell phone disruptions, and inappropriate comments to classmates. Participation points are awarded and deducted at the teacher’s discretion.

Notebooks/Binders: Will be collected periodically to ensure that you are making progress towards the course goals. Please keep them neat! Be aware that notebooks will not be returned until the next day so do not use your history notebook for other classes. You should either keep a three ring binder for all of your notes, classwork, and homework OR a folder and a notebook.

Homework: Homework is due at the beginning of the class period on the day that it is due. Homework will include reading assignments, articles of the week, and current events. If you did not do the homework because you “didn’t understand it,” be prepared to stay after school to get help if you want credit. If you were absent, it is YOUR RESPONSIBILITY to call/email your homework partner to catch up with what you missed. I will do my best to limit the amount of homework that is given on a weekly basis. The type of assignment will vary from week to week.

Class Work: The majority of our work will be done in class. Not all class work will be graded but I will use the work as an assessment tool to gauge what students understand and what skills still must be perfected. Class work should be kept in you binder/folder unless asked to turn it in after completion. It will be collected periodically for credit towards your grade.

*Important Note*

Late work will be accepted but 50% of the total possible points will be automatically deducted no matter how many days late it is. Late work must be turned in with a late work submission form attached. This will be available online on my class website. LATE WORK WILL BE GRADED AT MY CONVENIENCE AND CANNOT BE GUARANTEED TO BE GRADED IN A TIMELY MANNER.

Quizzes: Quizzes are designed to assess a small segment of content knowledge and assess skills (Were you paying attention? Do you understand the main ideas? Are you doing the assigned coursework? Do I need to re-teach a concept/skill?). Quizzes can be true/false, multiple choice, fill in the blank, document analysis and/or short essay. All quizzes will be announced.

Exams: Exams will be given to assess larger portions of content knowledge. They will cover more than one section of the textbook (i.e. chapter test) and may be a combination of multiple choice, short essay, and/or document analysis.

Assessments: Each student will be assessed on Formative & Summative Assessments using MYP Grading Rubrics throughout each unit of study. The students will receive feedback and a MYP Grade (1-8) based on their demonstration of mastery of the standard/criterion being assessed.

How You Can Find the TeacherI teach in Rooms 209 and 210. I am off 8th period but I will most likely be in Room 209 at the end of each day for 15-30 minutes. If I am not there you can email me at the email address listed at the top of the syllabus. I respond as quickly as possible.

Attendance & Making Up Missed WorkTardies- If you are not in the classroom at the time the bell rings you are tardy. You need to be in the doors and in your seat when the bell rings so we can begin class. If you are tardy, sign the tardy sheet near the entrance and have a seat. Every five (5) tardies you will result in the loss of 25 points. Please do not be tardy.

Absences- If you are absent please be sure to check my website for work you may have missed. The website is mrlucco.weebly.com. If you are unsure what you missed please ask one of your classmates before asking me. Do not ask me until the end of the class period the day you return. Missing/Late Work- If turned in within one day the missing work will not be deducted points. All worked turned in late will require a “Late Homework Slip” attached. This can also be found on the website and there will be copies in class. All late work will be deducted 50% of the total points possible and graded at my convenience!

In the classroom… Follow all directions. Bring course materials (textbook, notebook, homework, etc…) to class daily. Do not speak when someone else is speaking. Be respectful to your classmates and the teacher. No swearing. No sleeping. No eating. No phones/music. Clean up after yourself.

If you have any questions or concerns do not hesitate to contact me via email at jtlucco@cps.edu. I am here to help you. I believe all students have the ability to succeed in this course and it is my job to help you reach your potential. I look forward to getting to know you better throughout the year!

-Mr. Lucco

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Please cut at the above line and read the following statement. This will be worth 20 points and should be turned in by Friday, September 11, 2015.

I have read the syllabus and I understand the expectations for this course.

Student Signature:_______________________  Parent Signature:_________________________________