Welcome to Social Studies

1. Welcome to Social Studies Class procedures and rationale Slides do not advance automatically

2. My Contact Information • I can typically be contacted by phone or by email: • Phone: 915-204-6028 (fastest, except during school) • School: 915-926-4700 (can leave a message) • Email: mstinson@horizonmiddleschool.org • Email: mark.stinson@clint.net • I use the internet (a lot) • Twitter: @mstinsonhms (one-way – this is not to contact me, it is just for me to put information out there) • Class blog: www.horizonmiddleschool.org (the link to my site is on the right side of the homepage)

3. About Me • Born and raised in Dallas • Graduated from Richardson High School • Served in the U.S. Army for six years • Hanau am Main, Germany • Fort Sill, Oklahoma • Dallas, Texas (active Reserve)

4. About Me • Colleges: • Dallas County Community Colleges (Richland Jr. College) • West Texas State University (now part of Texas A&M system) • University of Texas at El Paso • University of Phoenix (as both student and teacher) • Major: History (focus on U.S. and Modern Europe) • Minors: Political Science & Education • Additional Focuses: Paralegal Studies and Information Systems • Additional Studies: Philosophy, Economics • 20 years in Clint ISD • Clint Jr. High, East Montana Middle, Horizon High School, Horizon Middle School

5. Hobbies and Other Things I Like to Do • Learn – history, philosophy, business and economics, science, linguistics … it’s all interesting, relevant and connected • Read – for information (learning) and for entertainment; both at once is great • Video Games • Elder Scrolls, Fallout, Assassin’s Creed, Civilization, Mass Effect … mostly games with a good story • Tinkering – figuring out how something works or figuring out how to make it work better

6. Quotes • There is only one good, knowledge, and one evil, ignorance • Socrates, as quoted by Diogenes Laertius • All men, by nature, desire to know. • Aristotle, Metaphysics • Leisure without study is death; it is a tomb for the living man. • Seneca, Epistle 82

7. My Approach to Social Studies • Social Studies is not names, dates and places; it is people and all of the things that they do • Every artifact tells you something about who made it • Every book or letter tells you something about the time in which it was written • Every picture or painting tells you something about the people and time in which it was made • The keys: • Seeing is different from looking • Listening is different from hearing • Reading is different from looking at the words

8. Your Approach • Because Social Studies is everything that people do, it includes a WIDE range of subjects • You need to understand a lot of things for Social Studies to make sense as anything other than memorizing facts • You cannot be like the Las Vegas commercials: • What happens in Math cannot stay in Math • What happens in ELAR cannot stay in ELAR • What happens in Science cannot stay in Science • All of it must come with you

9. Sooo…. Here are the Rules • Comply with all federal, state and district policies • Do not do anything that creates unsafe or unhealthy conditions in my classroom • Do not do anything that interferes with your learning • Do not do anything that interferes with anyone else’s learning • Do not let anyone else interfere with your learning

10. Procedures • Time is a limited resource • There are only 24 hours in a day – no more • There are only 60 minutes in an hour – no more • There are only 49 minutes in a class period and there are only 180 class periods in a school year (less, actually) • Time is a nonrenewable resource • Once that minute is gone, it is not coming back • Because time is limited and nonrenewable, it must be used wisely • Classroom procedures are designed to efficiently use the time and other resources we have - if you think something can be done more efficiently, tell me

11. Daily Expectations • Be in dress code before entering the classroom • No gum or food (this is district policy – I will enforce it) • Bring and use the proper materials at the proper time • Do not talk except when the activity requires it or when you have a question (raise your hand first). • Stay in your seat unless you have permission to do otherwise. • Do not do work from other classes unless you have permission • Listen carefully to instructions, execute them to the best of your ability, and ask if you do not understand them • Participate in the lesson by doing the correct activity at the correct time: listen, ask questions, discuss, read, write, research.

12. Fire Drill Procedure • We are required to conduct one fire drill per month • Exiting the building (we should be first out) • We will exit the room one row at a time – this automatically forms a single-file line – you must stay together • We will exit by the cafeteria and walk quickly and quietly to our designated assembly area • The first person in line will hook the door so that it stays open for other classes and then catch up with the rest of us • I will do a head count when we reach the assembly area • Entering the building (we should be last in) • We will walk quickly and quietly back to the classroom and take our seats

13. Tomorrow • We will look at the various fields or “strands” of Social Studies • Bring back the signed part of my class information • This is an easy 100 unless you don’t do it • Questions or concerns?