Pre Ap Wg Course Requirements

McKinney High School Pre-AP World Geography Room E215 Phone: 469-742-5700 Twitter: http://twitter.com/markbayer

Email: [email protected] Instructor: Mr. Bayer Facebook: Ap Bayer Blog: http://thewrittenearth.blogspot.com/

Pre-AP World Geography Course Requirements Course Description: World Geography provides students the opportunity to study the interaction of people and their physical environments in the major areas of the World. Content introduces the students to the world of geographers, their unique vocabulary, tools and methodologies. Students acquire an understanding of the physical setting of the earth, locate and study different landforms and regions of the world, learn how people and geography impact each other, and are introduced to urban analysis. Content offers students the opportunity to put into practice the geographical concepts and skills through critical thinking applications about the world. It also builds upon what the students have accumulated throughout the social studies program beginning in the elementary grades and in the Texas and United States history courses. Material Needed: REQUIRED:

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Textbook, “World Geography: Building a Global Perspective” – Prentice Hall #2 pencils

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Pen – black & blue only Three-ring binder (at least 2”) Index Dividers (5) 1. Syllabus and other class information/ 2. Maps/ 3. Powernotes/ 4. Handouts/ 5. Miscellaneous Map pencils (box of 12 at least) Highlighter Small six-inch ruler Pencil bag (optional)

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Grading Policy: Summative - Tests/Essays/Projects – 50% Formative - Daily Work/Quizzes – 50% (Quizzes count as two daily grades) Late Assignments: Late work, even one day late, will not be accepted. Any work not turned in on the date it is due will be recorded as a zero and may not be made up at a later date. Assignments with no name on them will be assessed as a zero. School related absences do not give the student extra time to turn in assignments. Assignments are due before the student leaves school or the day before, whichever occurs first Make-up Tests: You are required to take the test you miss the NEXT DAY that you return to school. Arrangements must be made with the instructor (that’s me!) to make up the test before or after school as make-up tests will not be administered during class time. Re-Taking Tests: Students enrolled in Pre-AP courses will not be allowed to re-take tests. Extra Credit: I do not believe in extra credit because students tend to not do their regular work because extra credit will “help them out.” Also, I do not believe it is fair to reward students with extra opportunity when the original work was not attempted. There will however be opportunities for extra points on selected tests… more on this later. Required Reading: Don’t Know Much About Geography by Kenneth Davis is required for Summer Reading. Confucius Lives Next Door by T.R. Reid will be required reading for the second semester.

The Digital Relm: Students are STRONGLY encouraged to follow me on Twtter, Faceook and at my Blog: The Written Earth Through these sites I will communicate to you important due dates, reminders of quizzes and tests, as well as keeping you updated on current events. Following my Blog will offer students the opportunity to earn extra points on tests by participating in academic discussions or reading up on geography related news events. Email: [email protected] Twitter: twiter.com/markbayer Blog: thewrittenearth.blogspot.com Facebook: AP Bayer Current Events: Students should make a serious effort to keep up with what is going on in their world and how it relates to the subject/area we are studying. Time, Newsweek, U.S. News & World Report, New York Times and the Washington Post are all good weekly and daily news sources to read. “National Public Radio” (90.1 FM) in the morning and evening provides in-depth radio news (many of my warm-up questions come from NPR). And as far as TV, PBS, and/or one of the national news shows at lest twice a week will help the student to stay abreast of breaking news stories. Classroom Rules: • All school rules provided in your student handbook will be followed in this classroom. • Intolerant or disrespectful remarks regarding other people’s views, beliefs, opinion, culture, or lifestyle is NOT an acceptable behavior in this classroom. • Come to class prepared (pen, binder, book), and ready to began work when the tardy bell rings. o Absences will affect your grade, so your consistent presence in class will contribute to your success. o Tardies are considered a disruption to the learning environment. Students are expected to be in their seats and on task working at the beginning of each class. Standing outside the door or across the room from your seat when the tardy bell rings is considered a tardy. o Your textbook must be brought to class every day. Even though I may not plan to use the book each day, there is always a chance the lesson plan may need to be changed due to circumstances beyond my control. Not having yours can result in a daily grade of a 0. Also, your textbook is not your locker or a filing cabinet. Keep all of your handouts, papers, readings, etc., organized properly in your notebook. • Talking during a test/quiz is considered cheating. The test / quiz will be taken up, and the student will receive a recorded grade of zero. The student’s parent will also be notified. • Food, drinks, and gum are not permitted at any time in the classroom. • Students are to use the restroom between classes. Students in this class are NOT permitted to leave the classroom except in the case of an emergency (to be determined by me) or when requested officially by a teacher or administrator.

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You are required to bring and maintain a notebook/binder on a daily basis. Material will be separated and organized. Your notebook is one of your greatest resources to bring successful in this class. Notebook checks, which count as a test grade, will be announced a couple of days before they are due. Other notebook checks will be spontaneous, with out warning.

Tutoring: Mr. Bayer will be available for tutoring daily in both the morning and afternoon. No appointment is required. Any schedule changes, such as teacher duty, will be posted. A Special Note to Parents: I encourage each of my parents to follow me through Twitter (http://twitter.com/markbayer), Facebook (Ap Bayer) and my Blog (http://thewrittenearth.blogspot.com/). I will use these technologies to communicate with my students and their parents. They are effective tools as reminders for important due dates, test and quiz dates as well as helping keep students abreast of current events. After reviewing the information, please provide me with your contact information on the letter indicating you and your child understand the requirement for this course. Please call me if… • you have any questions regarding this material, • you have something important you want to share with me, • you have any concerns about the class or any other subject.

Thank you for your time, I look forward to a productive and enjoyable year with your child.

“Without Geography you are nowhere”