Course Description: This course will examine both the historical and geographic trends that have led to the development and sustainability of Western civilizations. Beginning with a study of the cultural hearths of Europe, Africa and Meso-America, students will conduct a brief survey of how Western civilization developed and interacted with Eastern civilization from the first globalization to the present. Skills needed for the rest of high school social studies program will be introduced and practiced.
Learning Objectives: This course was designed to allow the student to explore the cultural heritage of the Western World. By Western World, we mean Europe, Africa and the Americas. Though we will be studying the Americas, we will concentrate primarily on Latin America, the U.S. will be left for Government, Economics and U.S. History courses taught here at ConVal. The Western world has a cultural identity that has been shaped by geography, politics, economics and history. As we study the last 5,000 years of western history we will determine what the western identity is through the social sciences.
Course Requirements and Assignments: There will be homework assignments, regular reading assignments, and the development of technology based assignments. There will also be two types of assessments consisting of tests and written assignments.
Grading Procedure: Grades will be an accumulation of points. Assessments are assigned 100 points, while classwork will be graded at 30 points and homework grades will be 15 points. There will also 30 points assigned for self-management skills on a weekly basis. At the end of the quarter self-managment skills will account for 20% of the quarter grade and the semester grade. The points that a student accumulates will be divided by the total number of points that have been assigned, for example student A has accumulated 857 points out of a possible 1,000 points so the students grade is .857 or 86% (857/1000 = .857). Each student will be afforded an opportunity to re-do assessments or refine written assessments for each that are assigned. All re-done assessments will be completed during a TASC period following the date that the original assessment was completed. TASC will provide students an opportunity to not only complete a re-do, but to work on homework assignments or get assistance from the teacher on assignments.
Communications: The primary format for communication between the teacher and the students will be in the classroom. Google classroom is the electronic platform for homework, classroom assignments and assessments. When class is not in session the best way to communicate will be through emails. My email address is gleonard@conval.edu. This is also the best way for parents or guardians to communicate with your teacher as well. Email is checked at 7AM, 11AM, 2:30PM, and 9PM. If an email is sent between Monday an Friday at 2:30PM, it will be answered within 24 hours. If an email is sent to the teacher on Friday after 2:30PM the teacher will respond between 9PM on Sunday and 11AM on Monday.
Required Text and Resources: The text book will be Pearson: World History. We will be accessing Google classroom everyday so it is imparative that the student bring their chromebook to class each day and that it is fully charged. Please be aware that loaned chromebooks will no longer be available unless the device is being repaired. Video resources: Engineering an Empire, The French Revolution, Africa's Great Civilizations - Vol. 1, Going Medieval, America Before Columbus and Guns, Germs, and Steel .
Attendance Policy and Procedures: The school policy in regards to attendance is outlined in the 2022-23 Student Handbook; however, there are some additional expectations, such as checking in with Google classroom for assignments. Students that are remote will be expected to participate in class daily, unless the student and their guardian has made arrangements with their teachers to complete classwork independently at alternative times.
Electronic Devices in the Classroom: While the ready availability of cellphones and other electronic devices is permitted before and after school as well as during school lunches, their presence in the classroom does lead to student inattention and disruptions of the learning environment. No student shall connect their personal electronic device to the school network or a personal hotspot while at school. Students do NOT have the right to use their cellular device to audio- or video-record other students, staff or visitors without the express permission of the person(s) in the recording. Electronic devices may be used with teacher permission only.
Academic Honesty and Plagiarism: Students can avoid the pitfalls of plagiarism by remembering these simple guidelines: Always keep careful track of your sources of information. Books, articles, websites, even interviews need to be cited. Keep your notes together with the source information; this will save you time and energy down the road. When taking notes, keep track of when you are quoting directly (even short phrases) and when you are noting another person’s idea or argument. Remember to note the author of an idea or text in your paper, either directly ("Freud argued...") or as an in-text citation (specific formatting guidelines will be provided by your teacher). Use quotation marks for any line or phrase that is copied verbatim. Remember: any idea, phrase, or image that did not come directly from you and your own thought process must be cited. Facts considered general knowledge do not need to be cited. The basic rule of thumb is that any information that can be found in five or more credible, general reference sources is general knowledge.