Welcome to Mrs. Davenport’s 6 th Grade History Class

1. ddavenport@mrpk.org Welcome to Mrs. Davenport’s 6th Grade History Class Be Safe… Be Respectful… Be Prepared… Become Your Best… It’s the Chaparral Way. I know we are going to have a great year together. Here are a few things you will need to remember to ensure a successful year.

2. Curriculum The textbook for this class is World History: Ancient Civilizations published by McDougal Littell. The California State Standards for 6th grade cover the following topics: Early Humans China Mesopotamia India Egypt & Kush Greece Israelites Rome

3. Class Rules & Expectations 1. Be ready to do your best! 4. Raise your hand. 2. Follow directions. 5. Enter and leave quietly. 3. Respect everyone & everything. 6. Learn something new. All school rules in the agenda book will be followed and the consequences for breaking these rules will comply with those set forth in the school’s discipline plan. Depending upon the severity of the offense, consequences may include a warning, parent contact, detention, referral, or suspension.

4. Procedures • Enter the room quietly and go straight to your assigned seat. • Copy your homework into your agenda book, then start the daily warm-up located on the front board as soon as you are seated. • Chaparral heading will be written on all papers. Work turned in without a name will be posted on the “No Name Graveyard” board for students to claim and resubmit. This work will receive a 2 point reduction. CMS heading is written in the upper right-hand corner and includes: student’s first and last name, subject/period, teacher’s name, and date. • Begin clean-up when directed by the teacher, which includes putting away supplies and picking up trash on the floor. • The teacher will dismiss you at the end of the period.

5. Chaparral Heading

6. Required Materials • 8 folders with pockets • colored pencils (for entire year) • red ink pen • small pencil sharpener • highlighters (multiple colors) • 3-ring binder with subject dividers OR history folder • See your agenda book for other required supplies.

7. Homework • All homework is for the purpose of reinforcing ideas studied in class or preparing for the next day. • I will write your homework assignment on the white board each day, so there will be no confusion about homework. • All students will have a “study buddy” whom they can call for homework help. • Work turned in after the due date will NOT receive full credit. Be prepared and on time.

8. Absences • When you are absent, it is YOUR responsibility to find out what you have missed. Call your study buddy. Check the homework board and the absence notebook in the classroom which lists the classwork and homework for each day, plus any handouts. • You have one day for each day absent to make up any missed work. • Tests and quizzes will be made up either in class or by appointment.

9. Cornell Notes

10. SQ4R STUDY METHOD This is a popular reading technique to help you easily comprehend informational text/textbook chapter assignments. • Survey: The first step in the SQ4R study method is survey. When you “survey” a reading assignment, you try to get a general idea of what the assignment is about before you read. You can survey a chapter reading assignment with the following items: chapter titles, topic headings, illustrations, captions, boldfaced type, any introductions, and/or summaries. • Question: As you do your survey, you should begin to ask yourself questions about the material you will begin to read. One quick way to create the questions to ask is to turn the headings and subheadings into questions. You may ask who, what, when, where, why, and how questions with each section. Asking questions will make you an “active” reader. Write your questions in the study question column of your Cornell Notes. • Read: Read the assignment carefully from start to finish. Look for the main ideas in each paragraph or section. Read the difficult parts slowly. Look up unfamiliar words or ideas. • Record: As you read, look for the answers to the study questions you wrote on your Cornell Notes. Record the answers to your questions. You may even ask yourself more questions as you read, taking Cornell Notes as you read thoroughly. • Recite: It is very important that you recite aloud what you have learned from your reading. It is best to stop at the end of each page, section, or chapter to answer the who, what, when, where, why, and how questions. By reciting this information aloud, you can test yourself on how well you understand what you have read. Reciting will help you remember the information longer. • Review: The final step in the SQ4R study method is the review step. You should review or summarize what you have read as soon as you finish. Using the summary section of your Cornell Notes is an effective way to review the main ideas and recite aloud what you have learned. (Read, cover, recite, check is a great way to review your Cornell Notes on your textbook reading assignment.)

11. RCRC When you need to memorize something or study something carefully, use RCRC. R – Read Read a little bit of material. Read it more than once. C – Cover Cover the material with your hand. R – Recite Tell yourself what you have read. Write Write down what you have read. C – Check Lift your hand and check. If you forget something important, begin again.

12. Grading A = 90 – 100% B = 80 – 89% C = 70 – 79% D = 60 – 69% F = 59% and below • Grades are available on Zangle. • Grades are weighted with 50% accounting for tests, quizzes, and projects and 50% for classwork and homework.

13. Teacher Contact Information • Parents, feel free to contact me by email or phone if you have any questions or concerns (email is the preferred method of communication) ddavenport@mrpk.org 805-378-6302 • Students, please know that you can come to me with any questions. I am here for you!

14. Unity I dreamt I stood in a studio, And watched two sculptors there. The clay they used was a young child’s mind, And they fashioned it with care. One was a teacher – the tools she used, Were books, music and art. The other, a parent – working with a guiding hand, And a gentle loving heart. Day after day, the teacher toiled With a touch that was deft and sure. While the parent labored by her side, And polished and smoothed it o’er. And when at last, their task was done, They were proud of what they had wrought. For the things they had molded into the child, Could neither be sold or bought. And each agreed they would have failed If each had worked alone, For behind the teacher stood the school, And behind the parent, the home. Author unknown