Welcome to Welcome to 77thth Grade Grade

World World CulturesCultures

Ms. HolinskyMs. Holinsky

World Cultures

• This year you will be studying the following:

• What is Culture?• Africa• Middle East• Europe• Central Eurasia

GradesGrades• III. Grading Policy: Reminder grades are not given

they are earned90-100%=A 80-89%=B70-79%=C 60-69%=D

The grading policy is based in the following percentages:50%-Class work25%-Homework25%-test/Quizzes/projects

If you have not read and signed the course syllabus please contact me as soon as possible.

Text Books and Other Text Books and Other ResourcesResources

• The main text book for the course is the World Cultures and Geography

• Additional text include; Regional Studies series, World Explorer series, Global Mosaic, and computer resources

Bench Marks and Final ExamBench Marks and Final Exam

• Once a month students will take benchmarks or short-cycle assessments

• These Benchmarks are accumulative exams.

• Students will be given test dates in advance.

• Benchmark exams are written by the county not Ms. Holinsky

• The World Cultures program is a two year accumulative program. At the end of 7th grade students will take a county wide final exam.

• Students will be tested on information for the entire school year.

Franklin Middle SchoolWiki pages

• Please go to http://franklinms.bcps.org/

• Click on Get your Teacher's Homework Online!

• Go to Social Studies and you will find my wiki page

Best way to Contact Ms. Holinsky

• The number one way to contact me is through email at rholinsky@bcps.org

• If you have not yet emailed me to be a part of the distribution list, please do so. I will be sending out my first “news letter” next week.

What is Culture?

• What is Culture is a review of 6th grade World Cultures.

• The Five Themes of geography

• Components of Culture• Criteria for Civilization• Amazon rainforest• Social Scientist

AfricaThe Objective of the unit is: How have

geography and history influenced the development of a diverse Africa? What is the relationship

between tradition and change in contemporary Africa?• Geography of Africa.

• Ancient African kingdoms

• Interaction between Africa, Middle East, and Europe

• Colonization and independence movements in Africa

• history of Apartheid in South Africa

• Economic development of selected African nations

Middle EastThe objective of the unit is: Why is the

Middle East defined as a cultural crossroads? What challenges face the

people of the Middle East?• Geography of the Middle East and determine why it is a region.

• History of this region and the main religions of the region

• Students will spend several weeks examining the Palestinian/Israeli conflict

EuropeObjective of the unit is: How did diverse civilizations and systems develop in Europe?

• Political and physical features of Europe.

• History of specific European countries.

• European society during the Middle Ages

• Democratic principals in England

• WWI and WWII

Central EurasiaThe objective of the unit is: How have

geography and political traditions affected the people of Central Eurasia? What factors contributed

to the instability of Central Eurasia

• Regional characteristics of Central Eurasia

• Major political events

• Political, and economic stability in the former Soviet Union

• Students will examine the cause and effects of the dissolution of the Soviet Union