Required Materials
· 3-ring notebook (2-3") for notes and daily assignments
· 5 subject dividers
· colored pens: blue, black, and red for map work
· colored pencils for map work
Recommended Materials
· MLA Guide for Research Papers
· Thesaurus
·
Resourceful Web Sites
· District site to access DISCUS Reference Library http://www.gwd50.org
· Paradigm Online Writing Assistant http://www.powa.org/.
Instructor's Objectives
· Students will read, think, and write critically.
· Students will view history with "big picture" perspective rather than as isolated facts.
· Students will demonstrate mastery skills in map reading, interpreting primary documents, and research methodology.
· Students will coalesce into a community and publish a class history.
Instructor's Philosophy
I believe that studying history should be fun--a lot of work--but fun! In this course, we will explore the history of the world from its beginning till present. Don't be intimidated by the scope of such an endeavor. History is like a puzzle; individual facts are important pieces but when integrated with other individual facts, they produce an understandable "big picture." You already have a frame for this picture, your previous knowledge of history. We will add more pieces to the puzzle and, more importantly, see how and why these individual pieces fit together. You will leave this class with my "imprint" on you. Your success is my success! By the end of the semester, you will have grown as a critical thinker and as a historical-minded citizen. I want you to feel comfortable in the classroom and contribute to the overall learning process. This course provides not only the experience for you to mature as a student, but for me to grow as an instructor. I look forward to working with you. Good luck and best wishes for a successful future!
Keep this syllabus in your notebook and bring it to class each day. The following pages contain essential information that you will need daily!
Expectations of Student
The high school classroom is practice for future college work and future employment. Your participation is vital to the learning process. Come to class each day prepared to ask a question or to contribute your own thoughts to the discussion. You can expect an interactive class, emphasizing the learning process through class discussion and idea exchanges. This format intends to challenge your critical thinking skills as well as to help you become a more confident, competent speaker and writer through informal and formal practice.
Attendance and Classroom Protocol
Just as you would be penalized for missing excessive days of work, you will also be penalized for missing excessive days of class. Class discussions, pop quizzes, and group work cannot be made up, which ultimately affect your grade. Scheduled assessments may only be made up in the Vital Program after school, not during class, so "save" absences for instances of illness or unforeseeable emergencies. Excessive tardiness will not be tolerated. Although I realize that certain mitigating circumstances may occasionally prevent a student from arriving to class on time, late students miss important information; the first fifteen minutes of class are vital: quote interpretations, taking and returning of quizzes, etc. I will not repeat directions for tardy students nor will I allow a tardy student to lag behind the class schedule as we progress to the next segment. Tardy students are assigned lunch detention for missed directions and/or activities. Our class period is ninety minutes and time is tightly budgeted: 15 minutes for daily opening activities, forty-five minutes for lecture-discussion, and thirty minutes for writing and reading assignments, skills practice, and individual conferences. Lockers, restrooms, and errands must be attended to before and after class. The social studies classroom is a community. We are working together to learn from each other. By integrating a multiplicity of opinions and suggestions, each student gains exposure to different viewpoints. Rude comments or behavior will not be tolerated! You will be asked to conduct peer reviews of others' work, and this should be approached professionally and with tact. Remember your work, too, will be evaluated and although we want honest feedback and opinions, our objective is to learn through constructive criticism.
Be Proactive
Being proactive means assertive class participation, good attendance, bringing materials to class each day, coming before and after school for extra help, and using e-mail to contact me when you have concerns or questions. Just as our jobs have deadlines, this course has deadlines. You are responsible for completing work in a timely manner. Any assignment not completed or receiving below a 75, will require a day spent in vital correcting or making up the assignment. Major assignments are listed with due dates on the class schedule, but daily in-class assignments and/or homework may not be announced in advance. Read assignments ahead of time, and if you are absent, contact a classmate or me. Assignments are due at the beginning of class! (Being absent or going on a field trip does not excuse late penalty.)
Grading Policy
Quarter grade: Final grade:
20 points daily assignments 40% 1st quarter grade
20 points homework assignments 40% 2nd quarter grade
20 – 50 points maps 20% final exam
20 – 50 points quizzes
20 – 50 points presentations
25 – 100 points writing assignments
100 points tests
300 points portfolio (100 @ midterm and 200 @ end of term)
Daily Assignments
At the beginning of class each day, you are to copy and analyze the quote from the board: your opinion of its meaning, its significance in history, and your reaction. These quotations are from historical figures, historical documents, or periodicals, and will pertain to the lesson topic. Pop quizzes will consist of five questions from previous lessons and assigned readings to check for understanding of major concepts and recall of facts. Class participation is assessed by your efficient use of class time, such as taking notes, answering and asking questions, commenting during discussions, and engaging in writing, reading, and group assignments.
Maps
Maps are essential tools in visualizing history. You will label, read, and interpret maps. Labeling procedures: All bodies of water with blue ink; COUNTRIES (in capitals) and Cities with black ink; routes and other symbols with red ink; all labeling is horizontal (across) the map, exceptions are rivers; shade lightly with colored pencils, no markers. Neatness counts!
Quizzes
Quizzes (ten multiple-choice or open-ended questions) are given weekly to assess content retention and critical thinking skills.
The social studies classroom provides an excellent forum for practicing public speaking skills. In order to give students broad exposure, a variety of formats will be utilized, such as informal 1-2 minutes for summarizations, group TV newscast simulations, and 5-10 minutes for research presentations. A visual aid will usually accompany the presentations.
A combination of multiple choice, short answer, and essay formats will be used to assess your critical reading, thinking, and writing skills.
Portfolio
The portfolio is a representation of your progress and is a continuing assignment throughout the semester, in and out of class. Many state colleges and universities require the completion of a student portfolio; therefore, showcase your talent! The work you do today may prove beneficial in your future education and/or career endeavors.
· Mid-term assessment:
Ø Cover page - your name, course name, and semester / year (remember – professional look)
Ø Preface - 1 page introduction of yourself and your initial feelings about history
Ø Category pages with tab dividers: Preface, Quotes, Maps, Quizzes, Tests, Critiques, Writings, and Reflective Overview
Ø Samples of work
· Final assessment:
Ø Examples of work for each category
Ø Reflective Overview – one-two pages describing what history means to you at the end of the term and your reactions to the course. (i.e. Are you more comfortable expressing your opinions? Are you a more critical thinker and writer? Are you more historical-minded? How has your perspective of history changed? Add any relevant information that is indicative of your experiences this semester.)
Communication is a vital skill in today’s society, whether a job application’s question, a PACT question for graduation requirements, a college term paper, or a business letter of complaint. Most of your historical writings (with exceptions of autobiography and reflective overview) will be based upon sources. You will progress from using one source to many sources to illustrate your mastery of research methodology.
· An "A" paper is superior. It is nearly flawless and follows directions exactly. It shows some evidence of creative and/or original thinking or conceptualizing (going beyond what the books say, or what the instructor might have said).
· A "B" paper is good: not particularly original, nothing extra but follows directions and does the assignment well, factual material correct, and/or writes clearly with only a few grammatical or technical mistakes.
· A "C" paper has serious flaws, such as fuzzy thinking, lacks clarity, incorrect factual material, not well organized nor carefully done, and/or many grammatical errors.
· A "D" paper fails to follow directions, exhibits poor writing--too many grammatical and technical errors, shows student is confused about the issues, and/or contains wrong information or serious inaccuracies.
· An "F" paper is unacceptable, does not follow directions, is off topic, grammatically incoherent, and/or PLAGIARIZES. (Plagiarism is the copying of another's work and passing it off as your own, whether the work of another student, a textbook, or any other source material. Any student who presents someone's work or ideas without assigning due credit will automatically receive a failing grade. NO EXCEPTIONS!)
Guidelines for Writing in History
An organized notebook is essential for the successful student.
We will brainstorm ideas, create charts and outlines, and write in class. You
need to develop your own system of reading and taking notes from sources:
lecture, textbook, handouts, etc. Always cite bibliographical sources in
your notes so that you will not have to "relocate" them later.
Avoid using persuasive words, such as stupid or brilliant. Avoid
using "I" since first person tends to draw attention away from the evidence;
it is unnecessary to state "in my opinion" in your paper. Also, avoid using
second person, "you," in your history papers. Writing about
history demands attention to the tenses of verbs to maintain consistency.
Generally, use the past tense to refer to events that occurred in the past and
use the present tense only for statements about the present. For example:
Franklin D. Roosevelt died in 1945. Many of
The following are brief explanations of the types of essays for history class.
· Summarization: extract the main points of a work (i.e. magazine or newspaper article, an essay, a literature selection) and then paraphrase and compress those ideas into your own words, always citing the author and work
· Cause-and-effect analysis: explain why something happened and what its consequences were (i.e. French Revolution, Totalitarianism, Cold War)
· Comparison-and-contrast: point out the similarities and differences of items (i.e. eras, presidents, wars, viewpoints); there are two common methods: subject-by-subject - with the subjects discussed separately, first one then the other(s), or point-by-point - with the subjects discussed side by side and matched feature for feature
Essay Elements
An essay is a "complete" piece of writing that includes a title, introduction, body, and a conclusion. The purpose of the title is to announce your subject, to give a specific idea about the topic of your paper; it should not be vague or too broad. The introduction identifies your narrowed topic, sparks interest, provides background information, and presents your thesis. The body consists of individual paragraphs which support and explain your thesis. Each paragraph begins with a topic sentence that supports your thesis. The information in the paragraph must support the topic sentence which, in turn, supports the thesis statement. Finally, the conclusion reemphasizes your thesis statement and draws your essay to a close. Refer back to your introduction as you write your conclusion to avoid merely restating your thesis!
Class History
As a community of civic-minded citizens, the class will practice parliamentary procedures of public assemblies. Each week one student will be assigned to take “minutes” of the class’s activities to be read and approved the following Monday. These will be combined into a class history, along with selected student work and photographs of class activities.
Class Pace
The following class schedule is rigorous, thus it is imperative that you keep up with your assignments. In the event of severe illness or dire emergency, I will work with you in any way that I can to enable you to catch up. However, just as future employers will not reward "goofing off" with bonuses, I do not offer extra credit work for slackers! The best strategy employs a win-win solution: prepare your assignments in advance.
Unit of Study Date
1. Historical Writing August 22-24
§Portfolio Preface
§Historical Narrative: cause-and-effect essay
2. Rise of Civilizations and Empires August 27-31
§Chapters 1-10
§Map – Early Civilizations and Empires
3. Islam and the Crusades Sept. 4-14
§Chapters 11-13
§Map – Islamic Empire
§Map - The Crusades
4. Renaissance and Reformation Sept. 17-25
§Chapters 16-19
§Map - Spread of the Black Death
§Map - European Voyages of Exploration
5. Age of Revolution: English, American, and French Sept. 26- Oct 9
§Read Chapters 20 - 22
§Map - Major Battles of American Revolution
§Map - Europe after
Congress of
6. Age of Industry and Nationalism Oct 9 - 25
§Read Chapters 23 - 27
§Map - Age of Nationalism and Imperialism
MID-TERM PORTFOLIO ASSESSMENT October 22
7. World War I Oct 29-Nov 2
§Read Chapter 28
§Map - World War I, 1914-1918
§Map -
8. World War II Nov 5 – Nov 16
§Read Chapters 29 - 31
§Map - World War II, European Theater
§Map - World War II, Pacific Theater
9. The Cold War Nov 19 – Nov 30
§Read Chapter 32
§Map -
§Map - Nuclear Battlefield
10. Cold War Competition in
§ Read Chapter 33
§Map - Korean War
§Map - Vietnam War
11.
§Read Chapter 35
§Map –
12. End of Cold War Jan. 3 – Jan 11
§Read Chapters 34, 36, 37
PORTFOLIO DUE Jan 11
EXAM: Research paper, visual, and presentation Jan 14-16
Course Contract
I, ___________________________, have read the syllabus for World History. I agree to abide by all the polices, procedures, and requirements. I understand all assignments are worth a certain number of points, and all work is important and must be completed in a timely manner. I realize that the more effort I put into my work, the higher my grade will be.
________________________________ ________________
Student Signature Date
________________________________ ________________
Parent Signature Date