Mala Panday, Principal 150-91 87th Road

Jennifer Pineda, Assistant Principal Queens, NY 11432

Stephanie Witt, Assistant Principal IA Phone: (718) 725-0402
Fax: (718) 725-0390
www.tywlsqueens.org

World History and Geography 6th grade (2016-

2017)
Ms. M. McDonald

Dear graduating families of 2023,

Welcome to World History and Geography! My name is Ms. McDonald and I am a fourth year
teacher at TYWLS. I am also going into my 10th year as an educator. The purpose of this course is
to show how people are affected by their surroundings; to provide students with an understanding
of the cultures of the world; and to learn from the historical lessons of the past and present. We
will be implementing the Common Core standards by placing specific emphasis on using rigorous
academic language, developing argumentation, and using nonfiction textual evidence. Students
will be able to access work on the site Edmodo.com as well as submit assignments via the
website. Edmodo is a site that allows students to communicate with one another, keep updated
with all assignments, ask the teacher questions, and use as a study tool. Parents can also join
Edmodo and keep updated with classroom information. Specific class codes will be given out in
class. If students are absent, they have one day to complete the assignment they have missed.
Homework must be written in the TYWLS Student Planner daily. Late homework will not
be accepted, however, there are opportunities for revision. Students can also attend Tuesday
tutoring from 2:20pm to 2:55pm. I also pull out students for tutoring during lunch time. I am
excited to work with you to prepare your child for success.

I. Course Topics

Geography Early Man- Neolithic Era River Valley Civilizations World

Religions
Qin & Han Dynasties Ancient Greece Ancient Rome
Medieval Europe
Byzantine Empire The Islamic World The Crusades Trading

II. Grading Categories

Tests.25% Quizzes.20% HW.20% Classwork & projects .25%
Participation.10%

III. Supplies
one subject notebook two folders Black or Blue pens
TYWLS Planner college ruled loose leaf paper Color pencils
or markers

IV. Materials for Differentiation

This rigorous course will utilize a wide range of resources to meet the needs of all learners.
We will incorporate the use of film excerpts, educational video segments, visual and written
primary source documents, and graphic organizers.

V. Project-based Learning Opportunities

In addition to tests and quizzes, this course will use real-world activities and assessments
including: class discussions, debates, role plays, investigations, gallery walks, and Document
Based essays. We will focus on Student centered learning through all these differentiated
educational opportunities.

VI. Contact Information

Communication is an important aspect of your childs success at TYWLS. So for that reason I have
set up an account at www.pupilpath.com. This website allows you to see your childs grades,
assignments, and attendance. Please feel free to contact me at MMcDonald@tywlsqueens.org or
call me at (718) 725-0402 with any questions you may have. I am also available on Tuesdays
during parent outreach time 2:55 to 3:30pm. Please fill out your contact information below and
have your child return it by Friday, September 16, 2016.

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----Students Name (Please Print)
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Parent/Guardians Name (Please Print)

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Parents Email Address _________________________ Preferred Contact #

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Students Email Address

_____________________________________________________________________

Parent/Guardian Signature
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