Montwood High School Course Syllabus: 2011-2012 AP World History Course Description: This course provides an overview of human history from the early humans to the present times, with the emphasis on the study of significant people, events and issues. Students will trace the development of Western civilization as well as other civilizations around the world. Students will view and interpret history from various perspectives, including historical, geographic, political, religious, economic, and cultural. This course is for diligent students who will be receiving much content thru lecture notes as well as there being extensive reading assignments especially of primary sources, that will require students to analyze global conflicts, regional patterns, and the whole process of change and continuity in history. As mentioned above, this course imposes heavy reading as well as various writing exercises. Students will improve their skills to be successful in the AP exam as well as in other higher level classes. This course is equivalent to a full year introductory college course. The course themes below represent areas of historical inquiry that will be investigated throughout the course: 1-Interaction between humans and the environment 2-Development and interaction of cultures 3-State building, expansion and conflict 4-Creation, expansion and interaction of economic systems 5-Development and transformation of social structures. Instructor: Mr. Canales. Office hours and Contact Information: 7:40-8:10 and lunch time daily in classroom. Room 236 E-mail: ccanal01@sisd.net Telephone: 937-2619 Textbook: Adas, Michael, Marc J. Gilbert, Peter Stearns, and Stuart B. Schwartz. World Civilizations: The Global Experience. 3 rd ed. Upper Saddle River, NJ.: Prentice Hall, 2000. Document Reader: Andrea, Al and Overfield, James. The Human Record: Sources of Global History. 4 th ed. Vols. 1 & 2. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2001. Other Sources used in the class: Selection from Epic of Gilgamesh Selection from Hammurabi s Code Selection from the Book of the Dead Selection from Confucius Analects
The Ten Commandments Selection from Plato s The Republic Selection from Homer s The Odyssey Rand McNally Historical Atlas of the World Selection from Niccolo Machiavelli s The Prince Excerpts from Luther s 95 Theses Selection from Bartolome de las Casas Brief Account of the Devastation of the Indies Selection from Hitler s Mein Kempft Selection from John Locke s Treatise on Government Excerpts from A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens Excerpt from Justification of the Reign of Terror by Robespierre Selection from Adam Smith s, Wealth of Nations Selection from Jonathan Swift s, A Modest Proposal Selection from Karl Marx The Communist Manifesto Selection from Kipling s The White Man s Burden DBQ Practice: 10 AP-Style DBQs ( Williams, ed., Social Studies School Services, 2004) Selection from Ibn Battuta, Travels in Asia and Africa Materials: Student is required to have a Spiral Notebook with side pockets, as assigned journal writings will be given, practice essays, record lecture notes and write their interpretation of the assigned textbook readings. Grading Scale: 45% Homework & Daily grades 40% Test Grades 15% Final Test. If you are absent it is your responsibility to make up missing assignments including quizzes and tests, within two school days of actual excused absence. Late policy: assignments are accepted only one class day after the deadline for a grade of 70 if assignment is all correct. After that late work will not be accepted and the grade will be a zero. Since there is no extra credit, students need to study for the tests which count as 40% of final grade. If the student fails a test, you have five school days to retake a test at your own time and test shall be averaged with the grade earned on the first attempt. It is imperative that you attend the class regularly, poor attendance will result in the student missing vital lectures given by the teacher and as a result the student will be required to read the covered material from the class textbook and take notes into his or her notebook, which is critical for test preparation and the May AP exam
All test material comes from class lectures, readings and class assignments. All assignments prepare students for quizzes, and quizzes prepare the student for the tests. Students will always receive a test review before a test. It is vital that you study before a major test if you want to be successful in class. This higher level course is very rigorous and very demanding, whose course goal is to prepare you for the AP exam and other academic courses for the future. If you are falling behind, student must attend teacher office hours to get assistance. If a student is performing poorly, the teacher will arrange for the student to be placed into a regular World History Class. Cheating will result in an immediate removal from the course. Cell phones must be turned off at all times or it will be picked up and turned in to the office. Course grading scale: A: 89.6% to 100% B: 79.6% to 89.5% C: 69.6% to 79.5% D: 59.6% to 69.5% E: 59.5% or less Unit I. Technological and Environmental Transformations/ Formation of Civilizations: from 8000 BCE to 600 CE (9 Weeks) 1 st Nine Weeks: The peopling of Earth The Neolithic Revolution and Early Agricultural Societies Interactions of Early Agricultural, Pastoral and Urban societies The development and Codification of Religious and Cultural Traditions The development of States And Empires Emergence of Transregional Networks of Communication and Exchange Topics for overview include: The Neolithic Revolution The River Valley Civilizations World Religions and Major Ideologies: Judaism, Christianity, Buddhism, Hinduism, Confucianism, Legalism Classical Period: Greece and Roman Societies Students will get a breakdown of the AP Exam and will begin practicing writing exercises focusing on thesis statements, change over time and DBQ s Students will illustrate how geography affected the development of political, social, economic, and belief systems in the earliest civilizations in Mesopotamia, India, China, South Asia, Mesoamerica.
Students will analyze the causes that led to the collapse of the classical civilizations Parallel Reading: Students will read Ch 1-5 of The World Civilizations and identify and evaluate the idea of civilization in world Historical perspective Activities & Skill Development: Students will map the changes and compare long distance trade networks between the various civilizations in the Fertile Crescent Region, Mediterranean sea lanes, and amongst the Christian and Muslim societies as well as the Eurasian silk roads. Essay Analyzing the patterns of continuity and change over time in the various Chinese dynasties established. Unit II. 600 C.E. TO 1750 C.E. Regional and Transregional Interactions (9 Weeks) Second 9 weeks: Expansion and Intensification of Communication and Exchange Networks Continuity and Innovation of State Forms and their Interactions Increased Economic Productive Capacity and its Consequences Globalizing networks of communication State Consolidation and Imperial Expansion Topics for Overview include: Islam (Caliphates in Asia, Africa and Europe) Middle Ages Spread of Christianity Byzantine Empire Mongol Khanates Tang, Song China Slave Trade( West Africa and the Americas) Ming s China Global Trade Age of Exploration/Colonization Islam and the Establishment of an empire Expansion of trade in the Indian Ocean-The Swahili Coast of East Africa Islamic Empires: Ottoman, Safavid, Mughal Activities & Skill Development: Evaluate the Periodization in the textbook compared to that of the Periodization in the course curriculum Writing a comparative essay, The role of women in the Ming s Dynasty, Ottoman Empire ad Renaissance Europe
Group assignment- Create a PowerPoint presentation to give to the class. Possible topics: Renaissance figures spread of Islam, Protestant Figures, Explorers or Navigators. Parallel Reading: Students will read Ch6-10, 12-16 of The World Civilizations Unit III. 1750 C.E. TO 1914 C.E. Industrialization, Global Integration and Change. ( 9 Weeks) 3 rd 9 weeks Industrialization and Global Capitalism Imperialism and Nation State Formation Nationalism, Revolution and Reform Global Migration Topics for Overview Include: Industrial Revolution The Enlightment period Napoleonic Wars Causes of European Imperialism American and French Revolutions Latin American Revolutions Constitutionalism WWI Comparing the French and the American Revolutions Changes in Production in Europe and the Global Impact Activities and Skill Development: Students will write a Change and Continuity Over Time Essay. Changes and continuities in the formation of national identities 1700 s to1900 s Point of View- Was Nationalism the main reason for WWI? Parallel Reading: Students will read Ch 20-28 Textbook: The World Civilizations. Unit IV. 1914 to Present. Accelerating Global Change and Realignments (9 Weeks) 4 th 9 weeks Science and the Environment Global Conflicts and their Consequences New Conceptualizations of Global Economy, Society and Culture
Topics for Overview Include: Bolshevik Revolution Great Depression Totalitarian Governments Holocaust Mao Zedong s China WWII, Korean, Vietnam, Cold Wars Decolonization, International Organizations and World Globalization Science and the Environment World Wars: Global Causes and Consequences Development of Communism in China, Russia and Cuba Activities and Skill Development: Point of view analysis. Does the end justify the means? Truman s Reason for the use of Nuclear weapons Change over time essay on Technology and Pollution Create the lyrics to Billy Joel s song We Didn t Start the Fire, using historical events from the 20 th and 21 st centuries. DBQ Activity Causes of Vietnam Parallel Reading: Students will read Ch 29-36 from textbook World Civilizations Final Exam, Review, AP Test.
Students and Parents: This course is probably the first AP course that high school students are likely to take since most often it is scheduled sequentially in the sophomore year. A student s performance on the AP World History exam (offered in May) determines a student s eligibility to earn up to six hours of college credit. Course curriculum, materials, and expectations are designed to prepare students for the rigorous three-hour exam. The purpose of the course, however, extends beyond the possibility of earning college credit by providing students with the opportunity to develop skills and knowledge that will form a useful foundation for college studies. A recent study of this AP Effect reported the following results: Better prepared academically for college More likely to specialize in majors with tougher grading standards More likely to complete more college course work More likely to take subjects in their AP subject area Likely to perform significantly better over four years of college course work More likely to be superior in terms of leadership More likely to make significant accomplishments in college Twice as likely to do graduate level studies Students who take this course should realize that AP courses are taught and graded at the college level; they significantly exceed the demands and expectations for typical high school courses. I just want to remind that there is no substitute for reading. All studies show that truly talented and gifted Students read and read well. And the one single ingredient to remedy low grades and low performance is to read. Other aspects of preparation enhance learning and understanding, but a student MUST read to be prepared. And you cannot read too much. My son/daughter and I have read the course description and syllabus for Advanced Placement World History. I understand my responsibilities in this course, the requirements to be successful, and that there will be more work than in a typical class. I will do my best to abide by class expectations. Finally, all students enrolled in this course are expected to take the AP History exam at the end in MAY. Student Signature Date Parent/Guardian Signature Date