St Teresa of Avila Catholic School

Welcome to middle school social studies! Each student adds a special component to the class.  My main expectation is simple, respect.  I expect students to respect themselves and their education.  I expect students to respect their peers and their peer's education as well.  Our journey will take us all over the world and into the past, present, and in some places - the future! 

We will have homework in this class.  Homework is used to help students reaffirm the skills they have learned in the classroom, prepare for assessments, and teach ideal work habits for the future.  Most importantly, it allows the the student to take hold of their education and foster responsibility in their own learning. 

We will have projects and reports in this class.  Each project or report will associate with the course work and a rubric will accompany the project or report to guide the student to a successful completion.

I look forward to working with each student in the realm of social studies! 

Geography: is the study of places and their relationships between people and their environments.

Geography's etymology can be traced back to the Greek language: Understanding the origins of the words can often times assist in better understanding the definition. 

 Geo - Greek "Gaia" earth and land 

-graphy - Greek "graphia" description of"  or the  process of writing or recording 

Basically, geography is the description of the earth OR the recording earth.

Our class will be studying geography throughout each unit. When some people hear the "geography" they immediately think of maps, however, as stated above geography covers more that maps (cartography).  Studying geography is significate for may reasons: 

1. Understanding how the world's basic physical systems work and affect everyday life.  Like how the ocean currents affect the weather and this assists us by being able to predict and prepare for weather. 
2. Learn about other cultures and how their location and climate affect their lifestyle and developed their culture. 
3. Better understand our history by learning about the geography of a different era and how it has helped mold our current world. 
4. Understanding global market economies and how the location of a county may effect the market. 
5. Comprehending why certain locations locations are ideal for living and why others are not.

Social Studies: curriculum concerns with the study of social relationships and society function by learning, understanding, and applying history, government, economics, civics, sociology, geography, and anthropology.  Other topics like religion and psychology can also be wrapped up in social studies.

Social studies has replaced the typical "history" class because understanding history is a multi-faceted task.  In order to understand the, "who, what, what, why, where, and how," you to understand the various topics that consciously and unconsciously guide people and their actions. 

Some people may think and believe that social studies is not an important topic, that we should be focusing our energies into Math, Science, and English/Language Arts.  Although those topics are very important, we could not successfully teach these courses without understanding their origins, evolution, and future predictions.  That means history! Other people may think that history/social studies is the "past" and why do we care what, "dead" people have done? 

The primary purpose of social studies is to assist the youth, our future, to develop the ability to make informed and reasonable decisions for the public good as citizens in an interdependent world. 

Current events are important to study in order to understand people, events and issues in the news.  It stimulates students to explore and learn more about the news and how to make informed decisions based on the information they have.  Current events will promote critical thinking and get the students to think outside of themselves.  We will not only discuss the event but make inferences, make predictions, and learn how to apply our stances with supporting evidence.  

Getting your student to study after a long day of schooling can sometimes be difficult. Here are some tips that may assist you. 

1. Set up a routine.  Creating a regular study time in the same quiet and comfortable place will help maintain the normalcy of studying.
2. Encourage studying daily, even if there is no homework.  Reading and reviewing lessons will assist them in their studying routine and keep them fresh. 
3. Ensure the student keeps track of all assignments and have the necessary tools needed for studying/homework. 
4. Allow study breaks as needed and offer a nutritious snack. 
5. Help the student break large tasks into smaller tasks for efficient studying. 
6. Guide the student in goal setting before each assignment or studying and organize priories to reach those goals. 
7. Teach them the value of being organized, this will reduce stress and frustration.  
8. Use study aids such as flash cards, images, reading aloud, or summarizing. 
9. Let them know it is OK to ask for help and it is normal to need assistance. 
10. Consider a study partner or group when appropriate. 

Setting up a routine may be difficult at first, but in the long run it will greatly benefit the student.  Routines creates structure, reduces stress, and gives the students a sense of normalcy and focus.  Setting goals and meeting them allows the student to feel successful and confident, however, if a goal is not discourage the student from feeling embarrassed and frustrated.  Reinforce them to reevaluate the goal and adjust it for success next time.