Syllabus Dates

IB US History

Mr. Franco

2025-2026

IB US History is designed to be a challenging and thorough study of American history. You will develop important skills, such as thinking historically, analyzing information critically,  and understanding different viewpoints from around the world.

The goal of this course is to give you the knowledge and abilities you need to understand the  complicated nature of the past. You will learn how to examine historical documents and consider various ways of looking at historical events.  At the same time, the course will encourage you to recognize how the world is interconnected.

This class will explore the history of North and South America in detail. It’s specifically designed to help  you get ready for Paper 3 of the IB History Exam. You should expect college-level work, which means a lot of reading and preparation outside of class, individual and group research projects, discussions led by students, and writing assignments.

Cheating or plagiarism is not allowed. Copying someone else’s work, like homework, classwork, or tests is considered cheating. Plagiarism, which is using someone else’s original ideas or writing without giving them credit, is also cheating. If you cheat or plagiarize, you will be reported to the IB coordinator and face academic disciplinary action.

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.

All sub assignments are due at the end of the class period. If you are absent that day, then your work is due within five days (not school days), without penalty. After this, the IB policy will go into effect. 

ASSIGNMENTS DUE DATE

IB Command Terms Quiz January 14*

Gilded Age and Progressive Era presentations January 21

Paper 3 Test January 29^

Introducing the IA (Internal Assessment) February 2

IB Command Terms Quiz February 6**

Gilded Age/Progressive Era Paper 3 February 10^^

IA topic due February 23

Paper 2 Test March 3^^^

IA reflection report due March 9

IB Command Terms Quiz March 11***

^Paper 3 ONE of these essays will be given to you-January 29

a. While the North won the Civil War, the South won Reconstruction." To what extent do you agree with this statement? 

b. Civil War historiography has argued that there were many variables (e.g., states rights, increasing sectionalism, the tariffs, and the political mayhem of the 1850s, for example).  Despite this historiography, "To what extent was the expansion of slavery into the territories the primary cause of the American Civil War?"

^^Paper 3 ONE of these essays will be given to you-February 10

a. Evaluate the claim that the period 1877–1914 represented a fundamental transformation in the United States' political, economic, and foreign identity. 

b. Evaluate the extent to which the United States successfully resolved its internal social and economic tensions between 1877 and 1914. 

^^^Paper 2 ONE of these essays will be given to you--March 3

a. Evaluate the importance of economic factors as a cause of WWI.

b. "Political factors were the most significant cause of WWI." To what extent do you agree with this statement?

*You will have to (from memory) state all the command terms (20 POINTS). Then, you will have to match the terms with their definitions. (30 POINTS)   TOTAL POINTS-50

**You will have to (from memory) state all the command terms (20 POINTS).  Then, you will choose five to define. (30 POINTS)

TOTAL POINTS-50

***You will have to (from memory) state all the command terms (20 POINTS).  Then, I will provide five for you to define. (30 POINTS)

TOTAL POINTS-50

*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.