World History Modern Times

Transcription

1 World History Modern Times Until lions have their historians, tales of the hunt shall always glorify the hunters. ~African Proverb History is a kind of introduction to more interesting people than we can possibly meet in our restricted lives; let us not neglect the opportunity. ~Dexter Perkins COURSE OVERVIEW Understanding the past is essential for developing an understanding of the present. The study of history is the analysis and interpretation of the past, in order to provide context for evaluating contemporary institutions, politics, and cultures. The study of history also provides unique insight into human nature and human civilization, of human achievement but also of human failure, cruelty, and barbarity. This course is a general study of world history, focused primarily on the modern era, from the 14 th century to the present day. The course will be conducted within the context of several overarching themes: order and security; ideas, beliefs, and values; physical geography; self-determination; struggle for rights; new technologies; devastation of war; competition among countries; and human rights. ENDURING UNDERSTANDING/OBJECTIVES: Understand and use complex cultural concepts such as adaptation, assimilation, and acculturation to explain how culture and cultural systems function. Examine the past s relationship with the present while extrapolating into the future. Integrate individual stories about people, events, and situations to form a more complete conception, in which continuity and change persist in time and across cultures. Develop geographic skills in order to better interpret international relationships and perspectives. Understand how institutions develop, what controls and influences them, and how humans react to them, in order to better understand how these institutions influence people and society. Identify the purpose and characteristics of various types of government and how people try to resolve conflicts. Examine the relationship between individual rights and responsibilities. Develop economic perspectives and a deeper understanding of key economic concepts and processes. Examine the development of technology and address issues that balance the benefits of science and technology against the accompanying social consequences. Analyze global issues, addresses such things as peace, human rights, trade, and global ecology. Understand the importance of civic participation and the role of the citizen within the community, country, and world. TEXTBOOK: World History Modern Times, Jackson J. Spielvogel, The McGraw-Hill Companies, 2010 EXPECTATIONS: Respect. Treat everyone in the classroom with respect. Punctuality. Be on time for class and on time for assignments (in seats, ready for class). Participate. This is a participation class and a portion of your grade will be based on participation. Prepared. Be ready for class, assignments, projects, and participation. Honest. Always. In discourse as well as in your work and tests.

2 MORE EXPECTATIONS: Only use blue or black ink pens (no pencils or other colored pens). No shredded spiral edges for material handed in. Maintain a binder with all course material and notes. CONTENT/TIMELINE 1 st Semester Unit 2 The Early Modern World Renaissance and Reformation The Age of Exploration Crisis and Absolutism in Europe The Muslim Empires The East Asian World Revolution and Enlightenment The French Revolution and Napoleon Unit 3 An Era of European Imperialism Industrialization and Nationalism Mass Society and Democracy 2 nd Semester Unit 3 An Era of European Imperialism (cont.) The Height of Imperialism East Asia Under Challenge Unit 4 the 20 th Century Crisis War and Revolution The West Between the Wars Nationalism Around the World World War II Unit 5 Toward a Global Civilization Cold War and Postwar Changes The Contemporary Western World Latin America Africa and the Middle East Asia and the Pacific GRADING POINTS BASIS: Grades will be based on points earned throughout the semester. The following list represents an approximate percentage of points available in each of the graded categories: Exams (40 pts ea) 50% Semester Final Exam 10% Homework (5 pts ea) 25% Projects 15% PROJECTS There will be several projects assigned during this course. The major project will be a formal research paper. The project will involve several assignments throughout the year, each worth differing point values. To help students with the research, students will be required to read a book related to their research topic and write a book review. Students will also participate in a debate on an assigned topic. EXTRA CREDIT There will be extra credit opportunities throughout the course. However, extra credit will generally only be considered for students who have turned in all graded assignments.

3 Scope and Sequence Week Subject Text Projects 1-2 Unit 2 Renaissance and Reformation Chapter Unit 2 The Age of Explorations Chapter Unit 2 Crisis and Absolutism in Europe Chapter 7 7 Unit 2 The Muslim Empires Chapter Unit 2 The East Asian World Chapter 9 NHD Progess Unit 2 Revolution and Enlightenment Chapter Unit 2 The French Revolution and Napoleon Chapter Unit 3 Industrialization and Nationalism Chapter Unit 3 Mass Society and Democracy Chapter 13 Book Review Unit 3 The Height of Imperialism Chapter Unit 3 East Asia Under Challenge Chapter Unit 4 War and Revolution Chapter Unit 4 The West Between the Wars Chapter Unit 4 Nationalism Around the World Chapter 18 NHD Project Unit 4 World War II Chapter Unit 5 - Cold War and Postwar Change Chapter Unit 5 The Contemporary Western World Chapter Unit 5 Latin America Chapter Unit 5 African and the Middle East Chapter Unit 5 Asia and the Pacific Chapter 24

4 General Format for Essays

5 Essay on How to Write an Essay Essay writing is a critical and essential part of academics. To be successful in essay writing, students need to understand and follow some basic guidelines, including structure and organization, grammar, and language. If the writer adheres to these basic principles, he or she will have a much greater chance for better grades on the assigned question, and for more effective communication in general. The first, and most basic, of the guidelines to follow in essay writing is organization or structure. The writer should present the argument, or answer, in a standard format. The essay should begin with an introductory paragraph, in which the thesis is presented. Next, the body of the essay should have at least two supporting paragraphs, each with a topic sentence and supporting statements. Finally, the essay should include a concluding paragraph. In the conclusion, the writer should restate the thesis that was proven by the body. The second guideline necessary for a successful essay is to follow basic grammar rules. The writer should, as much as possible within their language skills, follow basic rules such as avoiding run-on or incomplete sentences, appropriate comma usage, effective use of transitions, and correct capitalization, as examples. Finally, the writer should consider the language of the essay. The essay should be written in a more proper manner. The writer should avoid the use of colloquial language writing in a conversational manner. Also, the writer should avoid the use of contractions and slang, unless appropriate for the subject matter. Spelling is also extremely important. The writer should make every effort to spell the words correctly. Following the basic guidelines for success in essay writing will help students create better essays. Presenting the argument in an organized, well-structured format, following basic grammar rules, and using proper language throughout an essay will help ensure an effective essay, with a better chance a scoring well.

6 A Basic Essay Format A good way to approach an essay is to envision it as a Five Part project. An essay is made up of the Introduction, Three main points (the body), and the Conclusion. So it looks like this: I. Introduction II. Point One III. Point Two IV. Point Three V. Conclusion Of course depending on the length and breadth of your paper you may have more than three main points. However by using this structure it will make envisioning your paper easier. The Intro An Introduction should answer three questions: 1. What am I talking about in this paper? By answering this question you let the reader know the subject of the paper. For example, if your paper were about a particular book, your answer to this question would give the title, author, and any other necessary information. 2. How am I going to talk about it? This is where you let the reader know how your paper is organized. Here you very briefly introduce your main points or the evidence that will prove your point. 3. What am I going to prove in this paper? This is the dreaded THESIS STATEMENT. The thesis is usually the last sentence in the first paragraph and it clearly states the argument or point you are making in your paper. The Body The Body consists of everything between your intro and conclusion and it is where you discuss your three main points. A good starting place is to envision that each point is a separate paragraph (or in a long paper each point might be a section). In each paragraph you: Introduce your point Explain your point Give supporting evidence (this is where quotes go!) Explain how the point and evidence relate to your thesis The whole point of each paragraph is to relate your point to your thesis, but it helps to spell it out clearly in at least one sentence of the paragraph. The Conclusion Basically, the conclusion restates the introduction. So, just reiterate questions 1, 2, and 3. It is also helpful to trace your argument as you made it within the essay. A good way to do this is to create a proof that might look something like this:

7 POINT ONE+POINT TWO+POINT THREE=THESIS OR POINT ONE leads to POINT TWO which leads to POINT THREE therefore THESIS is true! So, when planning your essay consider this format: I. Introduction A. Subject B. Main Points C. THESIS II. Point One A. Intro and explanation of point B. Evidence C. How point relates to thesis III. Point Two A. Intro and explanation of point B. Evidence C. How point relates to thesis IV. Point Three A. Intro and explanation of point B. Evidence C. How point relates to thesis V. Conclusion A. Restate subject B. Summarize Main Points C. Restate THESIS (B and C can be combined into the proof) Organization in a paper is important not only because it makes the paper easier to write, it also guides the reader through the paper. A clearly organized paper will better hold the reader's interest and convince them that your thesis is valid!

8 Content Essay Grading Rubric Format

9 Book Review Assignment ASSIGNMENT: For this assignment, you will be required to read a book and write a review of it, approximately 1,000 words (roughly 3-4 pages) in length. You must select a work of nonfiction related to world history. It is highly suggested that your book be related to your topic for your research paper. DETAILS: An essential feature of a good book review is the reviewer's ability to write concisely so that a comprehensive evaluation of the book can be obtained from a brief reading. So, do not write more, write more concisely -- find creative ways to communicate your critical evaluation of the book in a short essay. The point of a scholarly book review is not to summarize the content of the book, but to situate the historical merit of the book and to evaluate critically the author's purpose, thesis, contentions, and methods of analysis. The bulk of the body of your review will be an evaluation of how convincing was the author's presentation of his/her thesis, and a commentary on the book's contribution to your understanding of the topic. You should include in your review: A discussion of the author's thesis and main arguments An explanation of the type of sources the author used, and the methods the author employs in choosing and organizing those sources An assessment of the strong points or shortcomings of the book How does this book change the way one should think about the subject? Finally, you will want to make references to specific portions of the book to illustrate your evaluation, but your examples should be kept brief. You must begin your review with a bibliography citation for your book (using the MLA format). DUE DATE: Your review will be due in early December.