Welcome back to school!
I am Mr. McSweeney, the grade 7 and grade 8 history teacher. I'm looking forward to the upcoming school year and hope you are too! This year, I will be guiding the 7th graders through the study of Ancient Civilizations and a new Civics curriculum in grade 8.
I think history is a wonderful subject and that it can be so much more than memorizing names and dates. I plan to use history as a means to engage students in meaningful conversations about the world’s events, to help students to develop their means of expression both verbally and in writing, and to hone their critical thinking skills. I will encourage students to analyze primary and secondary sources to determine cause and effect and to defend their opinion of historical events with relevant evidence.
I will be posting my syllabi for both classes below and will be sending a copy home as well. Please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions or concerns. I can be best reached by email at: jmcsweeney@bfccps.org
-James McSweeney
Hello, I am James McSweeney. I am returning to BFCCPS for a fifth year as the 7th and 8th grade social studies teacher. I am excited to develop the new 8th grade civics curriculum and continue to challenge students to develop their critical thinking and analytical skills through the study of history.