|
Merrill Middle School Teachers |
|
|
|
||
|
1551 S Monroe St Attendance:
|
Mr. ErikssonMr. Eriksson, Welcome to eighth grade social studies. We study American history and current international events in an attempt to make sense of our world, past and present. DPS curriculum also requires that 8th grade students have an understanding of the political, economic, and social structures and geography of the subject. That makes this subject both a challenge and joy to teach.Ultimately, my goal is to make social studies more of an authentic and challenging experience for the students. Part of my inspiration came from a recent read, Methods that Matter: Six Structures for Best Practice Classrooms by Harvey Daniels and Marilyn Bizar. The basic premise is that there are six structures that help to create a "Best Practice" classroom. They include integrative units, small group activities, representing-to-learn, classroom workshop, authentic experiences, and reflective assessment. Good teachers naturally do this stuff but the authors argue that we need to do more of it. I agree. The problem is finding a balance with the curriculum we are expected to deliver, preparing the student for high school, and maintaining a rigourous academic climate. Drop in to see how I'm doing. Units studied in 8th grade social studies include the United States Constitution, industrialization, westward expansion, and the Civil War to name a few. Each week there is one homework assignments for eighth grade social studies. They constitute about 40% of the quarterly grade. First, a weekly landmark. There are five or six questions the student must research via the net or other resource in order to answer them. This assignment is worth 200 points. Second, a current event. Here the student reads some news source to research some timely, international event of political-economic significance. After the student has read and understood the event then he/she needs to write a five paragraph essay which summarizes the event in his/her own words and includes his/her opinion. A five paragraph essay includes an introduction which briefly tells the reader about the event. The introduction is followed by three body paragraphs which summarize the facts and details of the event. Finally, the fifth paragraph, the conclusion, should include how the student feels about the event. Avoid the use of personal pronouns. This assignment is worth 200 points. Occasionally there are other projects that will require some extra homework. All together, your child will average about one to two hours of homework in social studies most weeks with an occasional extra hour for finals and projects. Consult your child's planner to know what we are doing on any given day. Students in my class are expected to fill out their planners on a daily basis. You are always welcome to contact me for any questions. I welcome you to drop by during the day to observe; or, just chat when time allows. You can also call and leave a message or e-mail which I always return by the next school day. Voice Mail: 720-424-0600 ext. 40665 E-Mail: Steve_Eriksson@dpsk12.org
|
This site is using the DPS2.0 theme.
