PRE-IB WORLD HISTORY II COURSE SYLLABUS 2019-20
David Wood (dwood2@nsd.org)
The IB Program is an intensive academic program designed to give you a well-rounded background and analytical skills to succeed in your future education and career. This class, along with other Pre-IB classes, will be your introduction to the program: it is rigorous and demands much from you as a student. Skills emphasized will include effective note-taking, evaluation of sources, focus questions, analytical writing, in-class and research essays, productive group work, speaking, debate, discussion, and presentations. Content covered in this course will include material from European contact with various regions up through the 1950’s and the decolonization movement.
- Africa - Middle East
- India - Latin America
- China and Japan
IB GOALS AND EXPECTATIONS:
CLASSROOM POLICIES
Attendance- If you miss school, you miss out; you need to be here. Many activities are impossible to make up if you are absent. If you miss an in-class activity, there is no obligation to create a make-up one for you. We follow school policy for absences; see the student handbook for questions.
Absent Work- If a student has a prearranged absence, they are expected to take any exams and/or turn in any assignments in advance. Many of our assignments are submitted electronically via turnitin.com, so students don’t have to be present to turn in work and meet deadlines. Excused absence: students have the same number of days plus 1 to make up any missed in class work. If work was assigned and a due date posted before a student was absent, the due date for that work does not change. Students can turn in assignments or schedule to take a test early. If a student is absent before a break and misses a test/assignment it will not be accepted after the break. Unexcused absence: no make-up work accepted.
Late Work- No late work is accepted. Deadlines are posted well in advance. All assignments are due at the beginning of class and are not accepted if not turned in at that point.
Tardiness- To be considered on time, students must be in the room when the bell rings. After 3 tardies students will be assigned detention. If a student is tardy and work is turned in, this is treated as late work and not accepted for credit.
Academic Dishonesty- Cheating is unethical and will be referred to administration. Refer to the Student Handbook for IHS policy- cheating includes sharing notes without teacher approval, emailing assignments to each other, collaborating on assignments that are individual assignments, and more. All papers will be submitted to turnitin.com by the deadline. Failure to do so will earn a ‘0’. The turnitin.com policy and instructions are on our websites and attached to this document.
Participation- Students are expected to be active learners; they should come prepared to fully participate in all activities, discussions, and have the following materials: A large three-ring binder/spiral notebook (for notes, homework, reading handouts, and in-class assignments), IHS Planner (or similar), and pens/pencils. Students will be required to use both turnitin.com and their IHS Google Drives to create an online archive of their work; this will be invaluable and necessary for preparing for IB testing.
A = 93-100% A- = 90-92D% B+ = 87-89% B = 83-86% B- = 80-82%
C+ = 77-79% C = 73-76% C- = 70-72% D = 60-69% F = below 60%.
Assessment- Grades are based on points accumulated. Assessments will include written homework, multiple choice exams, simulations, and essay exams. Grades are updated online and reported per IHS policy.
OUR CLASSROOM EXPECTATIONS:
1. Take responsibility for your actions- working with me, working with other students, and completing assignments to the best of your ability. Your grades are your responsibility; we do not give you grades, you earn them- really.
2. Be on time and prepared- come to class awake and ready to actively learn and participate.
3. Be respectful- don’t interrupt, use appropriate language. Nobody has the right to create a situation that interferes with the learning of others.
4. We expect that you check your school gmail frequently and consistently; it is often the quickest way for us to contact students.
5. Don’t have electronic devices out in class without permission. If you do, you choose to accept the consequences, including detention and confiscation of the device. ***Students caught with any electronic device out during an exam/essay will be considered in violation of the IHS Academic Honesty Dishonesty Policy***
WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT FROM MR. WOOD
1. I will treat you with the respect you deserve as a young adult, individual, and human being.
2. I will remember to have a good sense of humor and a healthy amount of patience.
3. I will do all I can to set you up for success; that includes having meaningful lessons and standards, as well as consistent and transparent expectations for both students and for myself.
4. I will meet you where you are, but care enough to challenge you out of your comfort zone.
**PARENTS:
You are a crucial partner in achievement of our school goals and academic standards. Teaching and modeling personal responsibility, interpersonal skills, and citizenship is something that transcends classroom walls. It is my hope that you can support our work in the classroom at home; this includes providing a quiet place for homework, access to a computer and internet if possible, being available for conversation with your child on topics we discuss in class, and providing direction and encouragement if your child faces difficulties in class.
Students are expected to take responsibility for their success in this class; in the interest of fostering personal accountability, I ask that parents encourage their students to advocate for themselves and personally address any issues or questions that may arise with this class. If this does not solve the issue, I am happy to schedule a conference. It is best to reach me by e-mail: (dwood2@nsd.org). I strongly encourage you and your son/daughter to communicate with me if any questions or concerns about my class develop.
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Pre-IB World History Course Outcomes: What you will know and be able to do by the end of this year.
ECONOMICS:
● Apply understanding of economic concepts and systems to analyze decision-making and the interactions between individuals, households, businesses, governments, and societies.
● Understand how economic systems function.
● Understand the government's role in the economy.
GEOGRAPHY:
● Understand the physical characteristics, cultural characteristics, and location of places, regions, and spatial patterns on the Earth's surface.
● Understand human interaction with the environment.
● Understand the geographic context of global issues.
HISTORY:
● Understand and apply knowledge of historical thinking, chronology, eras, turning points, major ideas, individuals, and themes in world history to evaluate how history shapes the present and future.
● Direct Understand and analyze causal factors that have shaped major events in history.
● Understand that there are multiple perspectives and interpretations of historical events.
SOCIAL STUDIES SKILLS:
● Understand and apply reasoning skills to conduct research, deliberate, form, and evaluate positions through the processes of reading, writing, and communicating.
● Use critical reasoning skills to analyze and evaluate positions.
● Deliberate public issues.
● Create a product that uses social studies content to support a thesis and presents the product in an appropriate manner to a meaningful audience.