Social Issues of the 21st
Century
Mr. Baker
Course Overview:
Students
will analyze the causes of social problems which impact the
Materials: Binder, journal, looseleaf
paper, pens and pencils (Please bring these items to class each day)
Assessment: Each assignment/assessment will be worth a designated
number of points that will be determined according to the difficulty of the
assignment/assessment. Each category of
assignment will count for a portion of the student’s grade as shown below.
Make sure that you keep ALL your papers, especially all graded
papers, until you receive a final grade on your report card at the end of each
semester.
Grading System: Type
of Assignment Percentage of
Possible Points
A 90-100 Tests/Quizzes 40%
B 89-80 Projects 20%
C 79-70 Classwork 20%
D 69-60 Homework 20%
F 59-0
Journal: There will be no drills! At the beginning of each week, there will be
a “boom boom” assignment that each student will need
to promise to carry out during the remainder of the week. At the beginning of the following week we
will discuss the “boom boom,” as well as reflect upon
it in our journal. There will also be a
question for reflection during each day’s lesson that we will reflect upon in
our journal at the end of the day.
Homework: I will rarely assign homework in this class. All homework assignments will be posted on
the chalkboard.
Absences/Make-up Work: The student is
responsible for asking the teacher for make-up work and making arrangements
with the teacher to complete all work missed due to absences. You will have ONE DAY for every day you were
absent to make up missed work. If a due
date has been assigned ahead of time and the student is absent on the due date,
the student is expected to turn in the assignment the next day. Late work without a valid excuse will result
in the deduction of 10 points each day for projects, tests, and other major
assignments. Classwork
and homework that is not collected when called for in class or is later than
the class period assigned will receive a zero.
If you are absent and turning in
work past the original due date, you MUST state on the assignment that you were
absent or else it will be marked late.
Honor Code: All my classes are expected to follow an honor
code. I expect that all work turned in
will be your own (unless I have given permission for group work), that it will
not be copied from another student or source (book, internet, movie, CD, etc.),
and that you will not use notes or aids on tests unless given permission. ALL PROJECTS MUST HAVE A BIBLIOGRAPHY AND
REPORTS MUST HAVE PROPER IN-TEXT CITATIONS AND A BIBLIOGRAPHY. Please see me or go to one of the following
websites for further information:
Any assignment in which
cheating or plagiarism has occurred will receive a zero and cannot be redone.
Websites: For further information on the daily operation of my
classes, please visit my website at www.mrbaker.org. I have study guides, lecture notes, projects,
links, and many more beneficial materials on the website.
Email List: I will put all the parents of all my students
(in every class) on an email list so that I can notify you of classwork assignments, homework assignments, and tests in
my classes.
Service Learning:
Every student will be required
to complete at least one service learning activity that I offer throughout the
semester. These activities may be
outside of school and at another location.
Details will be provided.
Class Rules:
The following rules get a warning for the first offense:
1. Eating food
2. Talking while I'm
talking or while another student is responding
3. Talking back or
arguing while playing a game
4. Getting out of your seat without permission
5. Doing work for
other classes in this class
The following rules get an automatic detention:
1. Copying another's
work
2. Taking a cell
phone out or using an electronic music device
3. Being
late to class two times
4. Leaving the
classroom without permission or skipping advisory (you must have a pass from
that teacher to go to another advisory)
5. Going to another
classroom instead of going to the bathroom
Other rules that have varying consequences:
1. Start doing the
drill before the bell rings; all drill questions must be copied and answers may
be paraphrased
2. You will not get a
reward if you ask for one
3. Be
polite by saying "thank you", "please", "you're
welcome", "yes" (rather than yeah) or "no"
4. When you are with
a substitute teacher, you will obey the same rules that you following when I am
with you
5. Do not ask me to
go to the bathroom in the first 10 minutes of class, last 10 minutes of class,
or while I'm teaching; wait for a transition in activities
Life rules:
1. Make others feel
wanted and important
2. Don't let little
things get to you
3. Be
positive and enjoy life
4. Try to be better
today than you were yesterday
5. Stand up for what
you believe in
Class Schedule:
UNIT I
Social Stratification
UNIT II
Gender, Age, and Health
UNIT III
The Adolescent in Society
UNIT IV
Racial Relations
UNIT V
Ethnic Relations
REVIEW
Breaking
events and other unforeseen circumstances may lead us to stray from the
proposed syllabus.
Class Objectives:
Upon completion of
this quarter, the students should have gained the ability to describe and
discuss the following:
a.)
The social issues
that concern our world today, such as:
i.)
Poverty in the
ii.)
Gender and age
inequality; health care issues
iii.)
Teen violence,
pregnancy, substance abuse, and eating disorders
iv.)
Racial
discrimination
v.)
Recent cases of
genocide
b.)
The functions and
agencies that deal with social issues in the
c.)
What is being
done by countries to solve social problems and what we can do to help
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
By signing, you acknowledge
that you have read, understand, and agree to all of the above. Clearly write your emails!
_________________________ _________________________
Student’s Signature Student’s Email (Please print clearly)
_________________________ _________________________
Parent/Guardian’s Signature Parent/Guardian’s Email (Please print clearly)