1. Welcome to 4th Grade Social Studies



1. Welcome to 4th Grade Social StudiesDear 4th Grade Social Studies students,Welcome to 4th Grade Social Studies! This is a fully online course made up of 6 modules. During this course, students will learn about United States history dating back from the exploration of the New World, to the end of the American Civil War. Students will learn about the contributions of Native Americans, the exploration and settlement by the Europeans, the beginnings of the United States as a nation, the westward expansion and its implications, and the problems that tore the nation apart and caused a civil war. Students will also explore the documents, people, and events that have made the United States what it is today. It is imperative for students to use reading comprehension skills such as finding cause and effect relationships, summarizing, identifying main idea, and many others to understand the Social Studies concepts taught in this course. Course Outline (tentative and subject to change)Module 1: The New WorldModule 2: Native American SettlementsModule 3: American RevolutionModule 4: United States GovernmentModule 5: Westward ExpansionModule 6: Civil WarRequirementsRead assigned text, complete module exercises, discussions, and quizzes on timeCollaborate and share appropriately abiding by the netiquette expectationgDeliveryThis course has a modular structure. The modules should be completed individually and in order. All course content can be found in Moodle. This is also where we will host our discussions. The discussions will serve as our primary learning center in which we have meaningful discussion and ask and answer questions. We will collaborate constructively with all members of the course. Please be sure to check Moodle frequently so that you don’t miss out on any important announcements, dates, etc. If you have any personal questions, please use your Horry County Schools email address. All other course work will be completed in Moodle.WorkloadThis course requires 4-6 hours weekly. The time spent on this course may vary for each individual learner based on specific learning needs and/or preferences. You will be required to log on at least 3 times a week although more participation is encouraged.Again, welcome to 4th Grade Social Studies Online. I look forward to working together with you and learning and growing as a team. Please do not hesitate to email me with any questions or concerns throughout the course.Christina Lastoria4th Grade TeacherCarolina Forest Elementaryclastoria@2. Course InformationCourse Title:4th Grade Social StudiesPrerequisites:Students enrolled in this class must have completed 3th Grade Social Studies.Description:This course is designed to teach the 4th Grade South Carolina Social Studies Standards in an online course.Intended Audience:4th Grade StudentsProgram:Social Studies3. Goals and OutcomesCourse Goals & Course OutcomesThe following course goals articulate the general objectives and purpose of this course. Students will:Demonstrate an understanding of political, economic, and geographic reasons for the exploration of the New WorldDemonstrate an understanding of how the settlement of North America was influenced by the interactions of Native Americans, Europeans, and AfricansDemonstrate an understanding of the conflict between the American colonies and EnglandDemonstrate an understanding of the beginnings of America as a nation and the establishment of the new governmentDemonstrate an understanding of westward expansion of the United States and its impact on the institution of slaveryDemonstrate an understanding of the causes, the course, and the effects of the American Civil War4. GradingGrading will consist of assessments that will occur each week to determine student progress toward meeting the course goals and outcomes. Grades will be calculated by converting point accumulations for each assessment using the tables below. Any student who receives a failing grade will be required to retake the course.Course AssessmentsUnless otherwise noted, all assessments must be submitted to Moodle. Hard copy and email submissions will not be accepted for this course. Supplemental instructions and rubrics will be available online.Quizzes You will take quizzes and tests as outlined in the modules. You will complete each quiz online using Moodle. Each quiz/test is considered open-book; you may consult all online course materials. You are also encouraged to collaborate with your classmates currently enrolled in 4th Grade Social Studies, provided that you each submit your own quiz or test. You will be allowed a maximum of 24 hours to complete each quiz or test, which must be submitted before the deadlines posted in Moodle.DiscussionsModule discussions are designed to engage a student’s interaction with others in the course and provide constant, helpful feedback and assistance in 4th Grade Social Studies. Discussion postings should be courteous, thoughtful, and carefully written. To facilitate the discussion and prevent procrastination, two deadlines are scheduled for each discussion. Pay attention to each date. Late posts will not be graded.AssignmentsModules will include various tasks. They will include written response items, projects, and online activities. These are opportunities for students to demonstrate their abilities to apply the knowledge gained in the course. The weights for assignments are outlined in the table below.AssessmentWeightQuizzes/Tests20%Discussions20% Assignments60%GradesThis course will adhere to the Horry County Schools grading policy. Any student with a failing grade will be required to retake the course.ScoreGrade93-100 A 89-92 B+ 85-88 B 82-85 C+ 77-81 C 73-76 D+ 70-72 D 6. Textbooks and SuppliesRequired TextsScott Foresman Social Studies: Building a NationRecommended TextsNone7. ScheduleModule content will be broken up into the following topics:Topics: Module 1: The New World (1 week)Module 2: Native American Settlements (2 weeks)Module 3: American Revolution (2 weeks)Module 4: United States Government (2 weeks)Module 5: Westward Expansion (2 weeks)Module 6: Civil War (2 weeks)8. Course PoliciesTime ManagementAn online course can take a considerable amount of time.?As stated in welcome page, each module requires 4-6 hours for readings and assignments/assessments. For this reason, it is highly recommended that you begin each assignment early.?Work on it regularly over the week rather than waiting until the last day or two.?This will allow you to have the chance to work out problems or get help if needed. ParticipationDepending on the class activities, you are responsible for completing weekly assignments, participating in discussion groups, and checking in to the course site on a frequent basis.DeadlinesYou will always be given explicit instructions on where to send your assignments. Assignments are usually due on a weekly basis – the exact dates will always be found in the activities. If you wish to complete an assignment prior to the due date, you may. NO LATE SUBMISSION WILL BE ACCEPTED. PLEASE BE AWARE OF THIS POLICY AND SUBMIT YOUR WORK ON TIME. This policy will be strictly enforced. Turnaround?TimeThe instructor will be monitoring the discussion board on a daily basis. Submitted assignments will be graded and feedback will be provided within 3 days after the module is concluded. E-mail messages will be answered within 24 hours on weekdays and 48 hours on weekends.Thank you for abiding by the Course Policies.9. Other InformationE-mail and Its EtiquetteStudents must use their Horry County Schools e-mail accounts for all correspondence with their professor. This will help ensure that e-mails are secure and that HCS staff can assist students with any e-mail related technical problems. You are required to communicate online in an appropriate manner. You are probably familiar with communicating informally with friends online. That will come in handy for an online course. However, it is important that you apply a more formal way of communicating in this course. Please refrain from using emoticons and abbreviations in your posts. You will also be required to respond in complete sentences for every course assignment and discussion. This will help your classmates and instructor clearly understand your post.It is important that we abide by the rules of Netiquette:Putting down another student online in any way will not be toleratedYou are obligated to report any instances of cyber-bullyingCollaboration with peers in Moodle should be about course content onlyComputing RequirementsRequired HardwareTo access e-learning courses, a multimedia-class computer (PC or Mac) with Internet connectivity is required. The minimum system configurations required to view e-learning course content are described below.PCMacintosh500 MHz Pentium IIIWindows 2000128 MB RAM (512 MB recommended)1 GB free hard disk space56K modem (broadband recommended)400 MHz G4OS 9.1 (OS X recommended)128 MB RAM (512 MB recommended)1 GB free hard disk space56K modem (broadband recommended)Required BrowserStudents must have an Internet browser installed on their computers to view and interact with online courses. Mozilla Firefox, version 1.5 or better, is recommended. Please note that browsers may need to be further optimized if courses utilizing multimedia require any browser plug-ins or ancillary players.Special ServicesIf you have any learning disabilities or are alternatively-abled in any manner, or if you feel you need special accommodation, please contact your instructor.Modification of the Syllabus and Schedule The instructor reserves the right to modify the syllabus and schedule at any time. Notice of any change will be posted on Moodle.Parents and GuardiansI am looking forward to working with your child this year in this online Social Studies course. I know that for many of your children this is probably their first online course. It is my hope that we can all work cooperatively and constructively together to make this a beneficial and successful experience. I encourage you to help your child navigate through this course. However, I ask that you allow your child to complete his or her own work. It is essential that they participate in the discussions as that is where the majority of the learning will take place. I encourage you to talk with your children about their discussions and course work. If you have any questions or concerns regarding this course, please do not hesitate to call or email me. Thank you for allowing me the honor of working with your child. I look forward to learning and growing together.I have read and understand the above syllabus.Student Signature: ________________________________Date: _________________Parent Signature: _________________________________Date: _________________ ................
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