Syllabus

Assignments Due Date

Move to Global War Essay (minor)/IA due for a grade January 13

Paper 2 Major Essay January 26*

Paper 3 Major Essay February 9**

Paper 2 Major Essay February 24***

Paper 3 Major Essay March 4****

IB Practice Exam Paper 2 March 10 (fourth quarter grade)^

ONE of these essays will be assigned for an in-class writing assignment on January 26–Paper 2*

a. Evaluate the methods used by one leader of a single-party state to ensure that opposition to his rule was ineffective. 

b. Evaluate the methods used by Castro to maintain power between 1959 and 1996.

c. In what ways did the causes of WWII differ from the causes of WWI?

d. Compare and contrast the practice (i.e. the nature of war and how they were fought) of two civil wars, each from a different region. 

ONE of these essays will be assigned for an in-class writing assignment on February 9–Paper 3**

a. Compare and contrast the attempts to deal with the impact of the Depression in any two countries in the Americas, 1929-1939.

b. Discuss the social and political impact of radio during the 1930s. 

c. Evaluate the effectiveness of Roosevelt's neutrality policies. 

e. Discuss the application and effects of the ‘Good Neighbor’ policy. 

 ONE of these essays will be assigned for an in-class writing assignment on February 23–Paper 2***

a. To what extent did technological developments ensure victory in 20th-century wars? 

b. “The primary causes of civil war were ideological rather than economic.” With reference to two civil wars, each from a different region, to what extent do you agree with this statement?

c. With reference to one authoritarian state, examine the role of education or the arts in maintaining power.

d. Compare and contrast the policies towards women or youth of two rulers of single-party states, each chosen from a different region. 

ONE of these essays will be assigned for an in-class writing assignment on March 4-Paper 3****

a. ‘The New Deal failed to improve the position of minority groups within the US." To what extent do you agree with this statement.

b.  Examine the impact of the Great Depression on the development and purpose of photography in the United States from 1929-1941. 

c. To what extent was President Truman justified in ordering the atomic bombs on Japan? 

d. Evaluate the effectiveness of the Yalta and Postdam Conferences in maintaining Allied unity. 

^IB Practice Exam.  You will given two prompts from the Authoritarian topic and two from the 20th Century Wars topic and you will select one prompt from each topic.  You will not know the prompts until test day. (1 hour and 30 minutes)

*You should “work” to prepare responses to all of them.  Avail yourself of class notes, the readings that I have provided, and the IB thinking resource. The essay will be randomly selected. When the essay is returned,  we will do a peer review activity, using the IB rubrics.  This activity will be a minor grade.  Resubmitting your essay based on my comments as well as your peer's comments will add five points to your grade. 

Important note about sub work:  All sub work is due the day it is assigned (at the end of the class period). If you are absent, then your work is due five days (not school days) later, with no penalty. After five days, the IB Late Policy will go into effect. 

Here is the IB Late Policy:  

Assignments missed due to an excused absence can still receive full credit if turned in within the proper amount of time.  Assignments missed due to an unexcused absence will have 50% credit one day late and a zero after that.