COURSE SYLLABUS for World History
Capital High School
Course Number: 2706
Course Title: World History
Teacher: Beverly Larson
School Year: 2017-2018
Grade(s): 10th (11th 12th)
Room Number: 205
COURSE DESCRIPTION: This course presents the story of the world through exploration of historical events, culture, economic growth and current events. The class will use timelines, multi-sensory and multi-media activities, to explore World History. The relationship between cultures and nations will be explored. An emphasis on reading and writing will be included in this course.
GOALS OF COURSE: World History is a required course for graduation. It provides an overview of world history giving emphasis to European and East Asian history in the modern age starting with the 14-15th centuries. Modern technology has made our world smaller and smaller; events in the remotest corner of the world can have global consequences. It is important that we understand the circumstances which have shaped the lives of all people of the world if we are to take our place in creating safe, productive, and fulfilled world citizens. The events and processes covered in this course will do just this: provide the background for understanding world events and produce a voting citizenry that understands the events that have shaped our world and continue to influence our nation’s policies.
New Mexico State Standards and Benchmarks for World History:
STRAND: History
Content Standard I: Students are able to identify important people and events in order to analyze significant patterns, relationships, themes, ideas, beliefs, and turning points in New Mexico, United States, and world history in order to understand the complexity of the human experience. Students will:
9-12 Benchmark 1-C. World: analyze and interpret the major eras and important turning points in world history from the age of enlightenment to the present, to develop an understanding of the complexity of the human experience:
1. Describe and explain how the renaissance and reformation influenced education, art, religion and government in Europe, to include:
a. development of renaissance artistic and literary traditions (e.g., Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, Shakespeare);
b. development of protestantism (e.g., Martin Luther, John Calvin);
c. religious conflict and persecutions (e.g., Spanish inquisition);
2. Analyze and evaluate the actions of competing European nations for colonies around the world and the impact on indigenous populations;
3. Explain and analyze revolutions (e.g., democratic, scientific, technological, social) as they evolved throughout the enlightenment and their enduring effects on political, economic and cultural institutions, to include:
a. Copernican view of the universe and Newton’s natural laws;
b. tension and cooperation between religion and new scientific discoveries;
c. impact of Galileo’s ideas and the introduction of the scientific method as a means of understanding the universe;
d. events and ideas that led to parliamentary government (English civil war, glorious revolution);
e. enlightenment philosophies used to support events leading to American and French revolutions;
f. Napoleonic era (e.g., codification of law); [g] Latin America’s wars of independence;
4. Analyze the pattern of historical change as evidenced by the industrial revolution, to include:
a. conditions that promoted industrialization;
b. how scientific and technological innovations brought about change;
c. impact of population changes (e.g., population growth, rural-to-urban migrations, growth of industrial cities, emigration out of Europe);
d. evolution of work/business and the role of labor (e.g., the demise of slavery, division of labor, union movement, impact of immigration);
e. political and economic theories of capitalism and socialism (e.g., Adam Smith, Karl Marx);
f. status and roles of women and minorities;
5. Analyze and evaluate the impact of 19th century imperialism from varied perspectives, to include:
a. clash of cultures;
b. British empire expands around the world;
c. nationalism (e.g., competition and conflict between European nations for raw materials and markets, acquisition of colonies in Africa and Asia, impact on indigenous populations);
6. Describe and analyze the geographic, political, economic, religious and social structures of the civilizations of east Asia;
7. Analyze and evaluate the causes, events and effects of World War I, to include:
a. rise of nationalism (e.g., unification of Germany, Otto Von Bismarck’s leadership);
b. rise of ethnic and ideological conflicts (e.g., the Balkans, Austria-Hungary, decline of the Ottoman empire);
c. major turning points and the importance of geographic, military and political factors in decisions and outcomes;
d. human costs of the mechanization of war (e.g., machine-gun, airplane, poison gas, submarine, trench warfare, tanks);
e. effects of loss of human potential through devastation of populations and their successive generations;
f. effects of the Russian revolution and the implementation of communist rule;
8. Analyze and evaluate the causes, events and impacts of World War II from various perspectives, to include:
a. failures and successes of the treaty of Versailles and the league of nations; rise of totalitarianism (e.g., Nazi Germany’s policies of European domination, holocaust);
b. political, diplomatic and military leadership (e.g., Winston Churchill, Joseph Stalin, Franklin Roosevelt, Emperor Hirohito, Adolf Hitler, Benito Mussolini, Francisco Franco);
c. principal theaters of battle, major turning points and geographic factors in military decisions and outcomes (e.g., Pearl Harbor, “island-hopping,” D-Day invasion, Stalingrad, atomic bombs dropped on Japan).
9. Analyze and evaluate international developments following World War II, the cold war and post-cold war, to include:
a. war crime trials;
b. creation of the state of Israel and resulting conflicts in the middle east;
c. rebuilding of western Europe (e.g., Marshall Plan, NATO);
d. Soviet control of eastern Europe (e.g., Warsaw pact, Hungarian revolt);
e. creation and role of the united nations;
f. Mao Zedong and the Chinese revolution (e.g., long march, Taiwan, cultural revolution);
g. national security in the changing world order;
h. technology’s role in ending the cold war;
i. fluidity of political alliances;
j. new threats to peace;
k. reasons for the collapse of the Soviet Union and the end of the cold war;
l. use of technology in the information age;
10. Evaluate the ideologies and outcomes of independence movements in the emerging third world to include:
a. French Indochina and the Vietnam war (e.g., the role of Ho Chi Minh);
b. Mohandas Gandhi’s non-violence movement for India’s independence;
c. apartheid in South Africa and evolution from white minority government (e.g., Nelson Mandela, Desmond Tutu);
d. middle east conflicts (Israel, Palestine, Egypt);
11. Analyze historical and modern-day policies of the western hemisphere, with emphasis on Mexico and Canada, to include:
a. expansion of democracy in western hemisphere;
b. immigration and migration issues;
c. changes in foreign policy brings spiraling impact on each nation and international relations, trade;
12. Explain how world history presents a framework of knowledge and skills within which to understand the complexity of the human experience, to include:
a. analyze perspectives that have shaped the structures of historical knowledge;
b. describe ways historians study the past;
c. explain connections made between the past and the present and their impact.
9-12 benchmark 1-D. Skills: use critical thinking skills to understand and communicate perspectives of individuals, groups and societies from multiple contexts:
1. Understand how to use the skills of historical analysis to apply to current social, political, geographic and economic issues;
2. Apply chronological and spatial thinking to understand the importance of events;
3. Describe primary and secondary sources and their uses in research;
4. Explain how to use a variety of historical research methods and documents to interpret and understand social issues (e.g., the friction among societies, the diffusion of ideas);
5. Distinguish “facts” from authors’ opinions and evaluate an author’s implicit and explicit philosophical assumptions, beliefs or biases about the subject;
6. Interpret events and issues based upon the historical, economic, political, social and geographic context of the participants;
7. Analyze the evolution of particular historical and contemporary perspectives; and
8. Explain how to use technological tools to research data, verify facts and information, and communicate findings.
9-12 Benchmark 2-A: Analyze and evaluate the characteristics and purposes of geographic tools, knowledge, skills, and perspectives, and apply them to explain the past, present, and future in terms of patterns, events, and issues.
1, Evaluate and select appropriate geographic representations to analyze and explain natural and man-made issues and problems.
2. Understand the vocabulary and concepts of spatial interaction, including an analysis of population distributions and settlements patterns.
Teaching Methods: A variety of teaching methods will be used, including interactive class lectures and class discussions, independent and group reading, topical movies and documentaries, independent research and writing, group projects, games, art work, and role-playing exercises. A typical week will consist of group reading and Cornell note-taking on Mondays, interactive lecture and Cornell note-taking on Tuesdays, extended research, primary source reading, or special projects on Wednesdays and/or Thursdays (block A or B days), and a standards-based essay or other type of assessment on Fridays.
Course Requirements: Students are expected to actively participate in all classroom and homework activities and to follow the classroom rules of behavior. All the rules in the SFPS Code of Conduct will be enforced in this class. Students should come to class each day with the following materials: notebook paper, pen, No. 2 pencil, colored pencil set, and a three-ring binder. All assignments and notes should be kept in this binder, which is home to an interactive notebook, and brought to class each day. If at all possible, students are encouraged to have a jump drive or other means of copying assignments electronically.
Textbooks:
Ellis, Elizabeth Gaynor and Esler, Anthony (2012) World History, the Modern Era. Pearson Education, Upper Saddle River, NJ.
Class Schedule:
Week Unit Dates Topic Standard &
Benchmarks* Textbook
Chapters
1 Aug 14-16 Introductions
2 Aug 19-23 World Geography 2-A-2
3 Aug 26-30 Before the Renaissance 1-C-1 1
4 Sep 3-6 Renaissance 1-C-1 1
5 Sep 9-13 The Reformation 1-C-1 1
6 Sep 16-20 Scientific Revolution 1-C-3 1
7 Sep 23-27 First Global Age 1-C-2 2
8 Sep 30-Oct 4 The Americas on the Eve of the First Global Age 1-C-2 3
9 Oct 7-11 Europe & the Americas in the First Global Age 1-C-2 3
10 Oct 15-18 The Age of Absolutism 1-C-3 4
Qtr 1 End Wed 10/16/13
11 Oct 21-25 The Enlightenment 1-C-3 5
12 Oct 28-Nov 1 The American and French Revolutions 1-C-3 6
13 Nov 4-8 The French Revolution 1-C-3 6
14 Nov 11-15 The Napoleonic Age 1-C-3 6
15 Nov 18-22 The Industrial Revolution 1-C-3 6
16 Nov 25-26 Revolutions in Europe & America 1-C-3 8
17 Dec 2-6 Nationalism Triumphs in Europe 1-C-5 10
18 Dec 9-13 Review for Semester Exam
19 Dec 16-20 Semester Exams
Qtr 2 End Fri 12/20/13
Winter Break Dec 23 - Jan 5
20 Jan 6-10 World Geography 2-A-2
21 Jan 13-17 The Industrial Revolution Begins 1-C-4 7
22 Jan 21-24 Life in the Industrial Age 1-C-4 9
23 Jan 27-31 The Growth of Western Democracies 1-C-5 11
24 Feb 3-7 The New Imperialism 1-C-5 12
25 Feb 10-13 New Global Patterns 1-C-6 13
26 Feb 17-21 World War I 1-C-7 14
27 Feb 24-28 World War I & Russian Revolution 1-C-7 14
28 Mar 3-7 Review & Exam 1-C-7 14
Qtr 3 End Tues 3/11/14
29 Mar 10-14 The Rise of Totalitarianism 1-C-8 16
30 Mar 17-21 World War II 1-C-8 16
31 Mar 24-28 World War II 1-C-8 17
32 Mar 31-Apr 4 The Cold War 1-C-9 18
Spring Break Apr 7-13
33 Apr 14-17 The Cold War 1-C-9 18
34 Apr 22-25 New Nations Emerge and Regional Conflicts 1-C-10 19,20
35 Apr 28-May 2 Regional Conflicts and the Developing World 1-C-11 20,21
36 May 5-9 Prepare for Finals & Finals
37 May 12-16 Final Exam Week
38 May 19-20 Make-up Days
Qtr 4 End Tue 5/20/14
Graduation 5/23/14
* Benchmark 1.D is covered throughout the year
Class Participation and Attendance Policy: Students are expected to be in class every day. If a student misses a day of school, including excused absences for illness or for sports, it is the student’s responsibility to make up the missed work. Students must turn in work missed due to an excused absence one day later for each day missed, e.g. if the student misses three days, they then have three days to make up this work. In the case that the work missed is group work or a classroom presentation, students with excused absences can make up the missed points with an alternative assignment. Students can find missed assignments in three places: 1) Assignments are posted on oncoursesystems.com on the teacher webpage. 2) They are found in PowerSchool in the homework tab. 3) The agenda for the past week, which includes assignments, is also left on the side whiteboard in the classroom for one week. It is the student’s own responsibility to find this work and turn it in within the given time period. If a student needs clarification on a missed assignment, they can see me after class for help. They should make up missed work outside of class and not during another class period as they will only fall further behind.
Extra credit points will be given to students who actively participate in class when called upon to read and answer questions or show interest by asking pertinent questions. Any positive contribution to the class will be rewarded with extra credit points.
Assessment: For each week of class a student will receive an interactive notebook sheet explaining what work will be done that week. It contains the standards and benchmarks to be covered for that week plus the supporting assignments to be covered. These might include note-taking, worksheets, graph-making, reflective essays, critical thinking essays, vocabulary, objective tests of facts, group inquiries and presentations, individual research (computer and library), and quizzes and tests. These will each receive a grade, usually ranging between 10-50 points each. At the end of each week an objective test, an essay or a project will be used to judge a student’s mastery of the standard. These are usually worth 50 points Additional assignments might also be used to assess student mastery and additional points will be assigned for these. Tests will usually be worth 100 points. Quarterly grades are calculated by dividing the total points possible into the total points received in that quarter. Grades are posted in PowerSchool, which can be accessed through sfps.info. Every student is responsible for tracking their own grade which they can access through PowerSchool. It is the responsibility of the student to know their CHS id and password in order to use Power School. These are maintained by the main office and not the teacher.
Academic Honesty: Students are expected to do their own work on all assignments unless given permission to do otherwise (for example, copy missed classroom notes). Since work is assigned to students so that they will learn the course material, copying the material from a friend rather than thinking and absorbing it for themselves will not help the student truly learn the material. If students copy from each other, both students will receive a zero for the assignment. Points missed in this way can be made up by doing an alternative assignment. They must negotiate a contract with me for the alternative assignment.
Grading Policy: Ninety percent (90%) and higher is an A, eighty percent (80%) and higher is a B, seventy percent (70%) and higher is a C, sixty percent (60%) and higher is a D, and below 60% is failing. Students can turn in extra credit points only after completing all of the required work. (It is extra work, not instead-of work.) To get extra credit points a students must negotiate a written contract with me ahead of time, stating what they will do, when they will complete it, and how many points it is worth.
A Final Word: History, along with all your social studies classes, is about people. We all participate in history and can learn important lessons from those who have gone before us. I hope the material we discuss in this class will make us all think about our role as creators of our own history as well as creators of our children’s world. Please discuss this material with your friends and your parents. If there are any family members or guardians who would like to share their own histories with the students of Capital High, I invite them to contact me at 467-1163 to arrange a date and time to do so. I look forward to a fun and rewarding semester.
Beverly Larson
Capital High School Social Studies Teacher