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Required Materials
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3-ring notebook (2-3") for notes and daily assignments
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5 subject dividers
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colored pens: blue, black, and red for map work
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colored pencils for map work
Recommended Materials
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MLA Guide for Research Papers
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Thesaurus
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1
Gig Flash Drive
Resourceful Web Sites
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District site to access DISCUS Reference Library http://www.gwd50.org
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Paradigm Online Writing Assistant http://www.powa.org/.
Instructor's Objectives
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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.
Homework Assignments
Reading, written, or
preparation work is assigned daily.
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.
Presentations
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.
Tests
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.
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Mid-term assessment:
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Cover page - your name, course name, and semester / year
(remember – professional look)
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Preface - 1 page introduction of yourself and your
initial feelings about history
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Category pages with tab dividers: Preface, Quotes,
Maps, Quizzes, Tests, Critiques, Writings, and Reflective Overview
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Samples of work
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Final assessment:
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Examples of work for each category
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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.)
Writing Assignments
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.
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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).
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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 Roosevelt's
economic reforms persist in programs such as Social Security,
unemployment compensation, and farm subsidies. We will use MLA format for
title page, headings, parenthetical citation, and Work(s) Cited page. Papers
must be double-spaced and written ONLY in blue or black ink. Certain assignments
must be typed in 12 point Arial or Times New Roman font and placed in your
portfolio.
Essay Description
The following are brief explanations of the types of essays for
history class.
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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
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Cause-and-effect analysis: explain why something
happened and what its consequences were (i.e. French Revolution,
Totalitarianism, Cold War)
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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 Vienna
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 - Europe
after World War I
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 - Europe
1945-1955
§Map - Nuclear
Battlefield
10. Cold War Competition in Asia
Dec 3 – Dec 7
§ Read Chapter 33
§Map - Korean War
§Map - Vietnam War
11. Middle
East
Crisis Dec
10 - 19
§Read Chapter 35
§Map – Middle
East
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
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