World History
Course Description: In this social studies course students will get the opportunity to examine and study interactions of world history from the period of 600 BCE to the present. The long term goal is for students to demonstrate an understanding of the connection between the history of human culture and the complexities of today’s world events and occurrences.
Students refine their analytical abilities and critical thinking skills in order to understand historical and geographical context, make comparisons across cultures, use documents and other primary sources, and recognize and discuss different interpretations and historical frameworks. The course imposes a heavy reading and writing load throughout the year. Continuity and change will be addressed in the themes of each unit.
Topics to be covered will emphasize non-western history by focusing on the interactions of peoples in different places and times. Students will be expected to understand specific content as well as comparisons over time and place.
The Six World History Themes:
1. The relationship of change and continuity from 8,000 bce to the present.
2. Impact of interaction among and within major societies.
3. Impact of technology, economics, and demography on people and the environment.
4. Systems of social structure and gender structure.
5. Cultural, religious, and intellectual developments.
6. Changes in functions and structures of states and in attitudes toward states and political identities, including the emergence of the nation-state.
Habits of Mind:
In addition to learning the content of world history, students will also work to develop the following skills:
1. Constructing and evaluating arguments: using evidence to make plausible arguments.
2. Using documents and other primary data: developing the skills necessary to analyze point of view, context, and bias, and to understand and interpret information.
3. Assessing issues of change and continuity over time, including the capacity to deal with change as a process and with questions of causation.
4. Understanding diversity of interpretations through analysis of context, point of view and frame of reference.
5. Seeing global patterns and processes over time and space while also connecting local developments to global ones and moving through levels of generalizations from the global to the particular.
6. Comparing within and among societies, including comparing societies’ reactions to global processes.
7. Being aware of human commonalities and differences while assessing claims of universal standards, and understanding culturally diverse ideas and values in historical context.
Make-Up Procedures
It is the responsibility of the student to make-up all missed work. Be sure to check with me, the teacher, to see what you missed in class. Your grades along with your missing assignments will be displayed on the desktop computer in the back of the classroom for you to see at all times. You will be given sufficient time to turn in all missed work. If you do not have your work the day it is due, then you can turn in the assignment for a late grade. One day late will result in a loss of one letter grade. After one day late, then you can receive half credit for each late assignment.
Missing Class
If you miss class during a day when a participation grade is being taken, then you will have to complete an extra credit assignment to make-up for the missing participation grade. It is your job to find out what you missed.
Extra Credit
There will be opportunity for extra credit. I will determine what will be suitable for an extra credit assignment but I am always open to your ideas of what you would want to do for extra credit.
Beginning of Class
At the beginning of each class you will be given a DO NOW question which you must give a response to. At the end of the week you will turn these assignments in for a homework grade.
Notes
THIS IS A NOTE TAKING CLASS!!!!!!! The student is responsible for taking all notes given in class.
You are responsible for all material covered in class for your quizzes and exams. If you miss a day of notes there will be an extra of copy of notes on both of the desktop computers in the back of the room.
Homework:
1. Turn in assignments on time!!!!
2. DO NOT COPY. Homework assignments are meant to reinforce the lesson that was just taught to you. Copying is a waste of time and is of no benefit to you. Plus you risk receiving a zero or splitting the grade in two with your comrade.
Cheating & Plagiarizing:
1. When writing a paper, students must make sure that they are citing their sources (giving the author credit). Any student caught plagiarizing will receive a zero on their paper. Citing must be completed in either APA or MLA format.
2. Cheating on exams, quizzes, homework, etc. is strictly prohibited. If caught, the students will receive a zero or I will split the grade in two.
Classroom Goals:
Students refine their analytical abilities and critical thinking skills in order to understand historical and geographical context, make comparisons across cultures, use documents and other primary sources, and recognize and discuss different interpretations and historical frameworks. The course imposes a heavy reading and writing load throughout the year. Continuity and change will be addressed in the themes of each unit.
Topics to be covered will emphasize non-western history by focusing on the interactions of peoples in different places and times. Students will be expected to understand specific content as well as comparisons over time and place.
The Six World History Themes:
1. The relationship of change and continuity from 8,000 bce to the present.
2. Impact of interaction among and within major societies.
3. Impact of technology, economics, and demography on people and the environment.
4. Systems of social structure and gender structure.
5. Cultural, religious, and intellectual developments.
6. Changes in functions and structures of states and in attitudes toward states and political identities, including the emergence of the nation-state.
Habits of Mind:
In addition to learning the content of world history, students will also work to develop the following skills:
1. Constructing and evaluating arguments: using evidence to make plausible arguments.
2. Using documents and other primary data: developing the skills necessary to analyze point of view, context, and bias, and to understand and interpret information.
3. Assessing issues of change and continuity over time, including the capacity to deal with change as a process and with questions of causation.
4. Understanding diversity of interpretations through analysis of context, point of view and frame of reference.
5. Seeing global patterns and processes over time and space while also connecting local developments to global ones and moving through levels of generalizations from the global to the particular.
6. Comparing within and among societies, including comparing societies’ reactions to global processes.
7. Being aware of human commonalities and differences while assessing claims of universal standards, and understanding culturally diverse ideas and values in historical context.
Make-Up Procedures
It is the responsibility of the student to make-up all missed work. Be sure to check with me, the teacher, to see what you missed in class. Your grades along with your missing assignments will be displayed on the desktop computer in the back of the classroom for you to see at all times. You will be given sufficient time to turn in all missed work. If you do not have your work the day it is due, then you can turn in the assignment for a late grade. One day late will result in a loss of one letter grade. After one day late, then you can receive half credit for each late assignment.
Missing Class
If you miss class during a day when a participation grade is being taken, then you will have to complete an extra credit assignment to make-up for the missing participation grade. It is your job to find out what you missed.
Extra Credit
There will be opportunity for extra credit. I will determine what will be suitable for an extra credit assignment but I am always open to your ideas of what you would want to do for extra credit.
Beginning of Class
At the beginning of each class you will be given a DO NOW question which you must give a response to. At the end of the week you will turn these assignments in for a homework grade.
Notes
THIS IS A NOTE TAKING CLASS!!!!!!! The student is responsible for taking all notes given in class.
You are responsible for all material covered in class for your quizzes and exams. If you miss a day of notes there will be an extra of copy of notes on both of the desktop computers in the back of the room.
Homework:
1. Turn in assignments on time!!!!
2. DO NOT COPY. Homework assignments are meant to reinforce the lesson that was just taught to you. Copying is a waste of time and is of no benefit to you. Plus you risk receiving a zero or splitting the grade in two with your comrade.
Cheating & Plagiarizing:
1. When writing a paper, students must make sure that they are citing their sources (giving the author credit). Any student caught plagiarizing will receive a zero on their paper. Citing must be completed in either APA or MLA format.
2. Cheating on exams, quizzes, homework, etc. is strictly prohibited. If caught, the students will receive a zero or I will split the grade in two.
Classroom Goals:
- Students will learn to communicate respectfully with each other in a variety of classroom settings.
- The classroom will become a community of learners.
- Students will develop a working understanding of social studies.