Teacher:   Ms. Michele Mangum

Room:  101

Contact(s):  (864) 586-7702

Email Address:  mmangum@spart7.org

Teacher Webpage:  https://www.spartanburg7.org/Domain/3480

Course Title: Human Geography

Course Description:  Students study Earth’s human geography beginning with the use of maps and other geographic representations, geospatial technologies, and spatial thinking to understand and communicate geographic information. Students will examine patterns and processes of how human characteristics and activities vary across Earth’s surface and how humans understand, use, and alter the surface of Earth. Conceptual in nature rather than place specific, this course is organized systematically around the topics of population and migration geography, economic geography, cultural geography, political geography, and urban geography. Students will also learn to employ spatial concepts and landscape analysis to examine human patterns and processes and their environmental consequences.

Reading and Informational Source Material(s):  Various primary and secondary documents, articles, maps, selections of both literary and informational text, artwork, video and/or movie clips, cartoons, and other quality materials will be utilized in this course.

Videos and Movies:  Content specific and enrichment videos will be used for instructional purposes. District policy will be adhered to.

Student Materials: Students will be required to bring a folder with notebook paper and a pencil every day.  Further, electronic devices provided by the student’s home district is a daily requirement. Students are provided a locker in which to store their belongings before they leave campus at dismissal. I will provide any other necessary materials with the exception of occasional individual project needs.  Parents will be alerted when there are project assignments.

Grades and Learning Assessment:  All student grades will comply with the South Carolina Uniform Grade Policy which states:

A:  90-100

B:  80-89

C:  70-79

D:  60-69

F:  0-59

Individual quarter grades will not be determined by a cumulative average.  District policy prescribe grades to be determined by Master Activities (35%) and Formal Assessments (55%).  As such, there will be two categories of student work that comprise specific percentages of the overall grade.  Extra credit will not be awarded in this course. Class grades will be determined on a weighted average based on the following categories:

1. Daily/Mastery Activities and Small Assessments: 35%--This may include activities such as vocabulary, mapping, quizzes, writing exercises, etc.
2. Tests and Projects: 55%--This will include end of unit tests and/or projects.

Quarter grades will be grades will be determined by a cumulative average of the two categories (90%) and an exam (10%).  Semester grades will be determined by combination of the two quarter grades (80%) and a final exam (20%).

District policies regarding make-up work will be adhered to.  Thus, the student has five (5) days to complete any missed work or assignments.  Note, it is the responsibility of the student to inquire with the teacher as to what needs to be completed and provided to him/her.

Academic Integrity:  Students are expected to abide by ethical standards in preparing and presenting material for class.  Any instances of cheating or plagiarism will result in zero credit points for the assignment.  Be aware, that this includes students that provide the information as well as those who use it.  Such standards are founded on the basic concepts of honesty and integrity.

Means of Assessing Student Learning:  Student progress and learning is assessed in a variety of ways, both formal and informal.  Informal assessments could include: quizzes, Socratic questioning, small scale activities, short presentations, debate, journal entries, etc.  Formal assessments could possibly include: projects, research projects, papers, essays, tests, etc. 

PowerSchool Grades:  All student work is graded and input in a timely manner, usually in 48 hours or less.  Large projects usually require slightly more time as there are many aspects assessed when awarding grades and the student was engaged in the process of developing it for a longer duration than usual. 

Progress Reports and Report Cards:  Progress reports are sent home with students every two weeks.  They are required to be signed by the parent or guardian and returned with the student.  Also, per District Seven policy, a progress report will be sent home with the students at mid-quarter (45 days).  As report card dates vary by year, please refer to the student handbook for this year’s report card issue dates.

Classroom Policy:  During the first week of school, all consequences, and procedures are reviewed with the students.  Rules and consequences are reviewed as necessary throughout the year. 

1. Be prepared to learn. Students are expected to gather the posted materials needed for the day quietly and quickly upon entering the classroom and sit in their assigned seat.  During this time, preparing your mind and getting organized is the focus, not socializing.

2. Be respectful. The classroom culture and climate demands all participants to be respectful of others.  This includes relationships between the teacher and students and student to student both.    Only positive remarks free of intent to hurt or humiliate others will be made.  Students who are harboring negativity towards others need to work with the teacher, counselors, and/or parent or guardian to resolve them.  Respect also extends to property.  Intentionally damaging, destroying, or vandalizing property will not be tolerated.

3. 3. Follow directions. Students are expected to follow directions from the teacher the first time they are given and without feedback or argument.  Active listening skills are important and should be used during class in order to insure an efficient use of the time during the period.  Multiple directives will result in consequences.

4. Stay in assigned seats. Students are not to get out of their seats unless given permission by the teacher or as directed by the teacher.  Students will raise their hands and wait quietly until the teacher can attend to them and grant permission to leave the assigned seat.

5. Student behavior. Student behavior and policies, as articulated in the WFLC student handbook and provided to you by the school, will be observed at all times.  Instructional time should and will be free of unnecessary interruption or disruption due to poor choices made by students, in particular, those to gain attention from their peers. 

Procedure for Non-Instructional Routines:  Rules and procedures will be introduced and consistently reviewed during the school year. 

• Student work will be checked daily for either progress or completion. All homework, and classwork, will be in the student’s binder. Some assignments will be checked in class for immediate feedback and others will be taken up and graded by the teacher and returned within a timely fashion.

• Students should follow the proper heading procedure for all assignments: First and last name, the date, and period in the righthand corner of the paper.

• Students should quietly enter the room and get prepared to learn. Students do this by collecting designated materials, sitting quietly in their assigned seat and begin the starting assignment.

• Distribution or collection of materials: The teacher will distribute assignments materials directly to the students.  If the teacher needs help, a student will be solicited by the teacher.  At the end of the period, any loose materials and work will be put away and turned in to their appropriate locations.  Students are expected to clean up their areas and return all materials neatly, the way they were found. 

• Students will work in a focused and efficient manner. During times when students are working on assignments either in groups or independently for mastery, serious effort and focus of attention is necessary.  If a student does not work during the period and work is not completed, no time extension will be awarded.  Idle socializing between peers that is not activity-related is not acceptable.  This is distracting to others and diverts attention away from the task at hand.

• Quality and completeness of student work. Finishing activities is not just concerned with it being complete, but also reflective of a high quality of skills and content knowledge as well.  If a student finishes work, it must be reviewed by the teacher for quality of content and completion.  Student work may be deemed as not of high enough quality and returned to the student to edit.  Also, student quality addresses penmanship.  Students, where appropriate, will write legibly, clearly, and thoroughly by utilizing complete sentences.

• Students should raise their hand before speaking. Questions and comments not related to the topic should be asked/made during non-instructional times.

• Restroom breaks. The middle school maintains a bathroom schedule which includes bathroom breaks during first, third and fifth period.  Guidance or administrative team members will be utilized if there is an atypical circumstance to escort students to the restroom. 

• Class Dismissal. The teacher, not the alarm notification, will dismiss students from the class.

• Student transition and hallway behavior. Students are expected to walk on the right side of the hall as they move between classes, lunch, or dismissal.  Shouting, running, hands on other students, or loitering will not be tolerated.

• Tardy to class. The district and school tardy policy will be followed in class. Students may present a note to the teacher if they are tardy. If they do not have a note, they will be seated and the unexcused tardy will be written up and sent to the appropriate grade level team administrator.

• Make-up Work: When a student is absent, all their work goes into a make-up folder. Each student has their own folder.  Students are responsible for asking the teacher for the make-up work on the day they return.  

• School Emergencies. In the event of a fire drill, earthquake, tornado drill, or bomb threat, students will leave the classroom in an orderly and silent fashion and will follow all appropriate procedures as outlined in the faculty handbook.  There is a zero tolerance for argument, socializing, or uninvited feedback in this situation.  Follow all teacher or staff directions.

Discipline:  All policies and procedures, as detailed in the student handbook, will be observed at all times.  The following procedure will be utilized unless the behavior or action initiates an automatic referral:

1. Student warning
2. Parent phone call or email
3. Before school or lunch detention
4. Referral to Administration

Communication with Parents and Students:  Parent contact is made regularly.  Emails, phone calls, or postcards are possible means of communication to be used throughout the course.  Parents will be notified of when their children are doing well in the class, showing improvement, or if they need help.  Both parents and students are welcome to contact me directly with questions or concerns regarding their success in the class.  Please leave a message in the voicemail or email directly and a response will be prompt.

Instructional Units and Sequencing:  The following instructional schedule is the goal of instruction and is subject to change as warrants: