2016-2017 Social Studies Syllabus
Mrs. Zelda Dotson
Contact Email: [email protected]
Course Outcome
Sixth grade students will study the beginning of early civilizations through the fall of the Roman Empire. Students will study the
geographical, social, economic, and political foundations for early civilizations progressing through the Roman Empire. They
will analyze the shift from nomadic societies to agricultural societies. Students will study the development of civilizations,
including the areas of Mesopotamia, Egypt, India, China, Ancient Israel, Greece, and Rome. The study of these civilizations
will include the impact of geography, early history, cultural development, and economic change. The geographic focus
will include the study of physical and political features, economic development and resources, and migration patterns. The
sixth grade will conclude with the decline and fall of the Roman Empire. This course will be the first concentrated study of
world history and geography and will utilize appropriate informational texts and primary sources.
Link to 6th Grade Social Studies Curriculum:
http://www.tennessee.gov/education/standards/social_studies/SS_Sixth_Grade.pdf
Instruction
Modules Covered and Pacing:
1. Module 1: Human Origins in Africa through
the Neolithic Age- 18 days
2. Module 2: Mesopotamia- 18 days
3. Module 3: Ancient Egypt- 18 days
4. Module 4: Ancient Israel- 14 days
5. Module 5: Ancient India- 16 days
6. Module 6: Ancient China- 19 days
7. Module 7: Ancient Greece- 26 days
8. Module 8: Ancient Rome- 26 days
The 6th grade Social Studies curriculum covers the following religions during these standards:
1. Module 1: Human Origins in Africa through the Neolithic Age
a. 6.6 Identify and explain the importance of the characteristics of civilizations, including:
developed systems of religion, learning, art, and architecture.
2. Module 2: Mesopotamia
a. 6.11 Explain the significance of polytheism (the belief that there are many gods) as the religious
belief of the people in Mesopotamian civilizations.
3. Module 3: Ancient Egypt
a. 6.18 Cite evidence from informational texts to explain the polytheistic religion of ancient Egypt with respect
to beliefs about death, the afterlife, mummification, and the roles of different deities.
4. Module 4: Ancient India
a. 6.25 Explain how the major beliefs and practices of Brahmanism in India evolved into early
Hinduism.
b. 6.27 Write a narrative text describing how Siddhartha Gautama’s (Buddha) life experiences
influenced his moral teachings and how those teachings became a new religion that spread
throughout India and Central Asia as a new religion.
5. Module 5: Ancient China
a. 6.33 Analyze the structure of the Zhou Dynasty and the emergence of Taoism, Confucianism,
and Legalism.
b. 6.34 Identify the political and cultural problems prevalent in the time of Confucius and how he
sought to solve them.
c. 6.38 Describe the diffusion of Buddhism northward to China during the Han Dynasty.
6. Module 6: Ancient Israel
a. 6.41 Describe the monotheistic religion of the Israelites, including: (C, H)
i. the belief in one God (monotheism)
ii. the Ten Commandments
iii. the emphasis on individual worth and personal responsibility
iv. the belief that all people must adhere to the same moral obligations, whether ruler or
ruled
v. the Torah and the Hebrew Bible as part of the history of early Israel
b. 6.45 Explain how Judaism survived the expulsion/dispersion of the Jews to other lands (the
Diaspora) after the destruction of the second temple in Jerusalem in 70 AD/CE, and the
renaming of the country by the Romans.
7. Module 7: Ancient Greece
a. 6.56 Describe the myths and stories of classical Greece; give examples of Greek gods,
goddesses, and heroes (Zeus, Hermes, Aphrodite, Athena, Poseidon, Artemis, Hades, Athena),
and events, and where and how we see their names used today.
b. 6.57 Compare and contrast the Titans with the Olympian gods and explain the surrounding
Greek mythology.
8. Module 8: Ancient Rome
a. 6.68 Describe the origins and central features of Christianity.
i. monotheism
ii. the belief in Jesus as the Messiah and God’s Son
iii. the concept of resurrection
iv. the concept of salvation
v. belief in the Old and New Testaments
vi. the lives, teachings and contributions of Jesus and Paul
vii. the relationship of early Christians to officials of the Roman Empire
b. 6.72 Compare and contrast the Roman gods and goddesses to the Greek gods and goddesses,
including Jupiter, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Neptune, Saturn, Pluto, and Hera and their inclusion in
modern society.
Materials: Students will be expected to maintain an organized notebook. Students are also expected to come
to class prepared everyday with the following items:
1. One the 2 inch binders with 4 of the
4. colored pencils
dividers/tabs
5. Chapter books (student choice)
2. Composition Notebook for writing
6. any materials given out for class
3. #2 pencils (10)
Resources:
School-based: myWorld History and Geography textbook will be used in this course. Various internet
websites and instructional video pertaining to relevant curriculum will also be used.
List of videos available from the library.
Outside resources: Discovery Education, and Brain Pop will be used as it pertains to the
curriculum.
Objectionable material: If you do not approve of a specific resource listed in this syllabus, please make
your request to me in writing and an alternative assignment and/or materials will be provided.
The request should include your name, your son/daughter’s name, the specific activity/materials
in which you do not want your child to participate or to which you do not want them exposed,
and the nature of your objection.
Safety: Plans for evacuation of the room and securing the room for a variety of reasons will be discussed in
each class. There will also be a map of the routes and specific instructions posted by the door.
Assessment
Skills: Students will be expected to comprehend data analysis, map skills, fact/opinion, predicting,
compare/contrast, primary/secondary sources, summarizing, sequencing, and similarities/differences. There will
be a variety of note taking skills, as well as writing skills in this course.
Grades: You will be graded based on a variety of assignments, including quizzes, tests, weekly assignments, and
classroom projects, assignments, and participation. The number of points will be different according to how
important the assignment is. All unit tests will count once at 100 points each. Your final grade will be determined
based on the total number of points you have earned on all assignments divided by the total number of points
possible. Honors: Students in Honors will be given a district created midterm this year. This will count 10% of your
1st semester grade. ALL CLASSES: The state Social Studies TCAP Achievement Test will be 15% of your 2nd
semester grade.
Grades will be determined according to the Knox County Schools Grading Scale.
A 93%-100%
C 75%-84%
B 85%-92%
D 70%-74%
F 0%- 69%
Assignments & Projects: All assignments and projects will be clearly described and given specific due dates.
Most projects will have rubrics and students should reference these rubrics while completing the project. Due
dates will be on the ASPEN webpage for additional reminders. Writing will be increased in all classes due to the
implementation of Common Core Standards. Writing will take many forms in Social Studies; students could write
papers but will more likely create projects that showcase their writing skills.
Make-Up Procedures: Remember, it is your responsibility to get any assignments you may have missed! Please
reference the agenda on the board, get notes or materials from a classmate or the teacher, and turn late work
in to Mrs. Dotson for credit. If a student is absent, it is their responsibility to find out what he/she missed in class.
Students may easily obtain their assignments through the “KEEPING UP” area in the classroom. This area includes
a calendar with daily assignments listed, a crate with folders containing items given out in class, and other
materials for student use. Students have 3 days to make up their work. However, if an assignment was due the
day a student was absent, it is due upon their return. Any missing work must be turned in by the 4 ½ week mark
of each grading period. Any work not turned in by that time will remain a zero.
Late Work Policy: If you turn in an assignment late, it will still be graded, but it will have points deducted. The
penalty is 10% for every day that it is late. No more than 50% will be deducted from your grade on that
assignment for lateness.
Email & ASPEN Website: One way in which the teacher is able to communicate with the student and parent is
through email. I can respond to emails at the end day. If you would like a phone conversation, please email
me and I’ll be happy to call you back or leave a message with the front office staff. In order to give timely
feedback, grades will be updated at least once per week, usually by the end of the day on Friday. If you
should have any questions or concerns, please feel free to email me as this is the easiest way to contact me.
This website is a very important communication tool, please check it often.
General Expectations
Students:
Attendance: As there is a direct correlation between a student’s grade and attendance, it is imperative
that you are in class. The majority of the lessons are based off of work we do in class. If you aren’t here
you will miss valuable instruction and discussion. Students are expected to be in class daily. Please try to
rotate appointments so that your child doesn’t always miss the same class.
Class Expectations: Your participation in class discussions and projects is a vital part of making this class
a success. Students are expected to be on time to class, have all class related materials with them, be
respectful of others, and be willing to learn each day.
Student Expectations:
1. Keep all assignments in a 3- ring binder with 4 tabs labeled: INFO, VOCAB, NOTES, & Graded WORK
2. Maintain Agenda daily
3. Bring assigned material to class completed
4. Complete all assignments correctly
5. Obtain and complete make-up assignments in a timely manner.
Teacher:
Communication Strategy:
Contact: You can reach me by email at [email protected] or by phone at
(865)539-7746 from 11:45-12:45.
ASPEN webpage: This is a valuable source of information and a great way to have an open means of
communication.
Intervention: In the event that a student has not mastered the 6th grade curriculum [70% or lower] – Students
are encouraged to redo failed quizzes and tests. I am available during homeroom if a student has questions or
needs clarification on an assignment or assessment. There is a blue form that must be filled out and signed by
both the student and parent plus an additional study time spent on the subject matter.
Retake Policy: You may retake ALL module tests and MOST quizzes. In order to retake a test/quiz you must the
blue form.
***It is your responsibility to take advantage of retakes***
 Mrs. Dotson will not hunt you down to retake a test or quiz.
 YOU are responsible for scheduling and keeping up with which day and time you
are retaking a test/ quiz.
 A parent signature is firmly required on the blue form before a student can retake
a quiz or test.
Helpful Websites:
State and Knox County Curriculum Standards: 6th Grade SS standard for the state and the county can
be viewed at the following website.
http://www.tennessee.gov/education/standards/social_studies/SS_Sixth_Grade.pdf
myWorld History and Geography Textbook: One of the great features with our new books is that we can
access them online. Here is the website for the book: https://www.pearsonsuccessnet.com
See below for specific book information.
Knox County Schools: This site provides county information.
http://www.knoxschools.org/
Karns Middle School: This is the website for our school. http://knoxschools.org/karnsms
Plagiarism:
According to Harbrace Handbook, 15th edition:
“Plagiarism is defined as presenting someone else’s ideas, research, or opinion as your own without proper
documentation, even if it has been rephrased. It includes, but is not limited to the following:
1. Copying verbatim all or part of another’s written work;
2. Using phrases, figures, or illustrations without citing the source;
3. Paraphrasing ideas, conclusions, or research without citing the source;
4. Using all or part of a literary plot, poem, or film without attributing the work to its creator.”
Consequences of Plagiarism
Plagiarism is a form of stealing and academic fraud. Students who are found guilty of plagiarism will have
the option of either redoing the assignment within a specified time period and accepting a grade letter
drop or taking a zero on the assignment. Parents should be involved in making the decision.
Textbook and Internet Information:

Textbook: myWorld History & Geography

Website: https://www.pearsonsuccessnet.com
o
Username: kmshistory2016
o
Password: beavers23

There are ONLY a classroom set of our social studies textbooks. Textbooks will not be allowed to
leave my classroom. The good news is the textbook comes with other at home options.
Students and parents will have access to this book as an app on an iPad, iPhone/smartphone, or
Android tablets, through the website, or even on a CD-ROM.

Ways to view/read copies of the book:
o
If you don’t have internet access at home, your student may check out a paper copy of
the chapters we are studying for that module. These must be returned at the end of the
module.
o
There is also an app for this book. The download directions can be found on the Pearson
website.
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Please sign and return by Friday August 22nd, 2016.

Please check the statements that apply to you:
o
______ I have regular internet and computer or tablet/iPad/smartphone access at home.
Someplace I can use after school hours to read my textbook or access materials
regularly.
o
______ I have limited internet and computer or tablet/iPad/smartphone access at home.
I can get to a place to get on the computer after school hours to read my textbook or
access materials occasionally, maybe few times a week but not daily.
o
______ I DON’T have internet access but DO have a computer or
tablet/iPad/smartphone
o
______ I DON’T have internet or a computer/tablet/iPad/smartphone
This will help me know how to get everyone access to our new textbook.
The Library is available for computer use between 8AM to 8:30AM

I have read the syllabus and understand how to do my best this year in 6th grade Social Studies.
Student Signature: _________________________________________________________________
Parent/Guardian Signature: ___________________________________________________________