World History

Quarter One
Quarter Two
Quarter Three
Quarter Four

Notebook Entries

Student Resources

Course Description                  Check Grades        

The Objectives:

This class will engage students in the study of modern world history. We will investigate this broad topic thematically and chronologically with a significant emphasis on geography. Primarily students will attempt to answer unit questions like: Why does geography matter? What caused World War One? How did the industrial revolution essentially help promote the contradictory economic philosophies of capitalism and communism?

Classroom methods/assignments:

Interactive Notebook:  This Notebook is required for this class. It is your portfolio of work. First, you MUST use a THREE RING BINDER. You will organize your notebook by Units and Lessons. Each Unit must be clearly marked with a title page.  This page should be decorated with pictures, quotes, graphics etc, that are pertinent to the unit of study. You are responsible for putting all the day’s materials into the appropriate lesson, i.e., documents, readings, lecture notes, map, personal reaction, etc. (If you are absent on a particular day you need to check with a classmate to see what material is missing.) Your notebook will have a table of contents that includes a title, date and page number for each entry. You must also number every page with a different number (not 6a, 6b BUT 6,7,8!). All notebook entries must be in chronological order.  The Notebook will be graded twice a quarter. There will be two grades per check. I will enumerate (list) a number of items that I will individually grade and then I will check for completeness.

Lectures:  From time to time I will give lectures in this class.  Generally, I will give lectures on days that you have textbook reading due. (See below) You will be taking lecture notes.  You may use any style you like but remember that all notes will be assessed in the Notebook.  I will post an outline for the lecture notes online. 

Textbook Assignments:  Periodically I will assign textbook reading.  These reading assignments are usually between 4 and 7 pages.  I feel that this is quite manageable.  On the day a reading section is due, you will be quizzed on that reading section.  I will provide a list of terms and people to focus on for each quiz.  In your notebook you must write notes in preparation for the quiz.  These notes MUST be hand written. You will be able to use these notes on the quiz.  These notes will also be graded as part of the notebook check.

Grades:  Grades will be based on two categories.  All assignments will clearly indicate whether they will count as a summative or formative assessment.    

    1.  Summative Assessments (75%) This category includes all the assessments of what you know and understand from class.  Assignments for this category also show your ability to demonstrate a skill like writing a paper and making an argument.   I emphasis this category because this is when you show what you really know or what you can do.   In general this will include tests, quizzes, papers and projects. 

    2.  Formative Assessments (25%)  This category will include other work like the notebook and homework.  This category is where you practice for the summative assessments.  In general these assignments will simply require effort.  I am a pretty good judge of effort and if you fail to show it, you will get the assignment back to redo.  Most of these assignments will simply be counted as credit or no credit. 

Procedures:

Typing:   ALL written work must be typed.  Exceptions should be clearly indicated.  If it is not clear, ask.  That said, please talk to me if you have extenuating circumstances and we can work things out. 

Turnitin.com:  Most typed work needs to be turned in to turnitin.com for full credit.  When assignments must be turned in to turnintin.com this will be clearly indicated.  We will set up turnitin.com accounts at the beginning of the year.  You will not receive a grade for any assignment not turned in to turnitin.com. 

Restroom:  You are now young adults so we will start with an honor system. If you want to use the bathroom take the hall pass, QUIETLY leave and return within 4 to 5 minutes. You may NOT take the hall pass to get a drink, socialize or see your boy/girl friend. If you need to leave the classroom for any other reason please raise your hand and I will consider your request. Remember that I am legally responsible for you when you are in my class. If no one abuses this privilege, then we won’t change the policy.

Participation: You must do two things in order to learn, SPEAK UP AND LISTEN! I will provide a safe atmosphere for you to take intellectual challenges. I will always defend the rights of the learner against those that would use personal attacks or condemn. I am on your side SO TAKE RISKS!

LATE WORK: All due dates are marked on the calendar. The highest grade you will be able to receive on late work is a "C". If you have extenuating circumstances and need an extension – please see me at least ONE DAY before the assignment is due. I am very willing to grant extensions if circumstances merit.

Absenteeism: Simply, come to class and be on time. I keep track of all attendance, including tardies. You are allowed three tardies per semester. Starting at the fourth tardy you will be assigned one-half hour work detail. For the fifth, and further, tardies, you will be assigned one hour per tardy. The work details are with me... I will hold on to the total hours of work detail until the end of each semester. On time means, in your seat with your notebook out and ready!

Absent work: When you are excused absent, you have until the designated day on which "late work" is due—usually about one week from the end of the quarter—to turn in that work which was due the day you missed. You are required to make up that day by obtaining from classmates any work you missed. All lecture notes missed must be HANDCOPIED, all other materials, except film notes, can be copied and placed into your notebook. You must watch all films missed. URGENT NOTE: the day after an absence, you are required to have the homework due that day. For example, you miss Wednesday and there was a quiz on Friday. You must be prepared for the quiz on Friday, even though you missed the previous class – NO EXCUSES. There is no legitimate, “I didn’t know” excuse! You have a calendar which will be up to date, phone numbers of classmates and I check my school email at home regularly. After you are absent, stop by during STCT to make sure you are caught up!  I spend many hours keeping my website up to date and available to you.  USE THE WEBSITE!!!!

Special Requests: If you need an extension, want to see your grade or have any other request which is specific to you and not the whole class, come see me during STCT. NOTE: the five minutes before class is NOT the time for special requests. I need that time to make sure the class gets started on time and etc. Nothing will perturb me quite as much as that!

Syllabus:  In an effort to save paper, I do not print a paper syllabus.  All the information you need to know about what is due, what is upcoming and what happens in class is on my website.  There is a calendar on the website and there is even a description for what we did each day.  I try to keep this as up to date as possible and I try to make it accurate as far in the future as possible.  Please use this resource.  It takes a lot of effort on my part.  This is how you find out what you missed if you are absent in addition to talking to a classmate.  You should only rarely need to ask me what you missed.  I am happy to answer questions about what you missed after you have consulted the website and a classmate, but not before.   

Academic Integrity and Cheating:  I will enforce a strict code of academic integrity.  This means that every assignment you are given will consist of your own original work.  Any assignment or test that does not consist of your own original work will receive a zero with no opportunity to make up that work.  Academic integrity is important and will not be tolerated in class.  We will go into depth about what  specifically constitutes cheating and plagiarism during future classes.  

Grading Policy:

Grade Scale

*FAILED BUT TRIED (IN THE SAME SOLAR SYSTEM)
**FAILED BUT TRIED (ON THE SAME PLANET)

Student Signature:__________________________