SOCIAL STUDIES Mr. Giaconia
Grade 8 Demarest Middle School
EXTRA CREDIT
If you find yourself falling behind or just wish to boost your overall grade a little, extra credit will be provided at regular times during the year. Optional assignment sheets will be handed out at the beginning of each chapter and will deal with the current topic of study in the class. These assignments will usually involve conducting research from appropriate/credible resources and reading material from the following books: A History of US (Book Series) & Smoke & Ashes: The Story of the Holocaust. These books are available in the classroom and may be borrowed provided you fill out the “Book Sign Out Sheet,” which must be initialed before any school property leaves the room.
Once you are done conducting your research or reading the excerpts from the books, you may choose to summarize the material in 1 of 3 ways:
- Poster: Design a creative poster, complete with visuals AND at least 1 page worth of text, that explains the information you have reviewed. Be prepared to briefly present this material to the class.
- Written: Compose an essay or historically based short story to explain the information you have reviewed. Finished products should be typed and between 1 – 2 pages in length (12-point font, Times New Roman, Double-spaced).
- Oral Presentation: Prepare a 2 – 3 minute scholarly or dramatic presentation to explain the information you have reviewed. All presentations will be performed in class ONLY after an appointment has been made to schedule an appropriate time.
All extra credit assignments will be worth a maximum of 5 points and will take the following criteria into account:
- Requirements: Did you follow the directions as stated above?
- Effort: Did you take pride in your assignment and work to your fullest potential?
- Accuracy: Are your facts historically correct?
- Creativity: Did you present the material in an original and interesting way?
- Organization/Clarity: Was the material prepared and delivered in a logical manner?
Each category is worth 1 point, which will be awarded based on performance. You may choose to do a maximum of 3 extra credit assignments per marking period. Extra points may be used to raise a low test grade, a low quiz grade or to make up for missed homework assignments. However, there are certain restrictions:
- You may not hand in more than 1 extra credit project per day.
- The points earned from a single extra credit assignment may be used towards a test ONLY ONCE, a quiz ONLY ONCE and your homework average ONLY TWICE.
Other than that, you may choose to split the points up as you wish. All extra credit projects must be completed at least one week prior to the end of the chapter/marking period.
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