APWorldHistory

Fall2016

Instructor
Mr.JohnLash
jlash@btcatholic.org
ext.728

DepartmentPhilosophy
ThepurposeofBlessedTrinityCatholicHighSchoolssocialstudiesdepartmentistodirectthe
developmentofreflective,competent,andconcernedcitizens.Weexpectstudentstoacquire
anddisseminateinformationfromavarietyofsources.Usingthisinformation,thestudentwill
beabletomakeinformeddecisionsbaseduponthevalueslearnedfrominteractionwithin
spheresofrelationships.Theserelationshipsincludetheglobalcommunity,theUnitedStates,
thelocalcommunity,theCatholicChurch,andthefamily.Thestudentswilllearntheirrights
andresponsibilitieswithintheserelationshipssothattheymayliveaccordingtotruthand
justice.

CourseThemes
Thecoursethemesarethelensesthroughwhichwewillexploreworldhistory.Thesethemes
willallowustolookatasingleeventfrommultipleperspectives.Theywillalsohelpustoidentify
similaritiesincivilizationsacrosstimeandspace.

Interactionbetweenhumansandtheenvironment(demographyanddisease,migration,
patternsofsettlement,technology)
Developmentandinteractionofcultures(religions,beliefsystems,philosophiesand
ideologies,scienceandtechnology,theartsandarchitecture)
Statebuilding,expansion,andconflict(politicalstructuresandformsofgovernance,
empires,nationsandnationalism,revoltsandrevolutions,regional,transregional,and
globalstructuresandorganizations)
Creation,expansion,andinteractionofeconomicsystems(agriculturalandpastoral
production,tradeandcommerce,laborsystems,industrialization,capitalismand
socialism)
Developmentandtransformationofsocialstructures(genderrolesandrelations,family
andkinship,racialandethnicconstructions)
HistoricalThinkingSkills
Atthecoreofthiscourseisthedevelopmentandpracticeofthefollowinghistoricalthinking
skills.Theseskillsareessential,notonlytothestudyofhistory,buttoacademicsuccessin
collegeandthedevelopmentofhistoricallyliteratecitizens.
AnalyzingHistoricalSourcesandEvidence
AnalyzingEvidence:ContextandSourcing:Studentscandescribe,selectand
evaluateprimarysourcesincludingwrittendocuments,worksofart,architecture
andotherhistoricalsources.
Interpretation:Studentscanidentifydescribe,analyzeandevaluatethewaysin
whichhistoriansinterpretthepast.Thisincludesunderstandingthetypesof
questionshistorianaskaswellasthecontextinwhichtheywritehistory.
MakingHistoricalConnections
Comparison:Studentscanidentify,compareandevaluatemultipleperspectives
ofahistoricalevent.
Contextualization:Studentscanconnecthistoricaleventsandprocesseswith
specificcircumstancesoftimeandplaceaswellasbroaderregional,nationalor
globalprocesses
Synthesis:Studentscancraftmeaningfulandpersuasivehistoricalconnections
betweenhistoricalissuesandotherhistoricalcontexts,periods,themesor
disciplines.
ChronologicalReasoning
Causation:Studentscanidentify,analyzeandevaluaterelationshipsamong
historicalcausesandeffects.Studentscanalsodistinguishbetweencausation
andcorrelationaswellasanawarenessofthecomplexandunpredictableways
inwhicheventsandfactorscancometogetherinunpredictablewaysandcan
haveunanticipatedconsequences.
PatternsofContinuityandChangeOverTime:Studentscanrecognize,analyze
andevaluatepatternsofhistoricalprocessesorthemesovertime.
Periodization:Studentscandescribe,analyzeandevaluatewaysthathistorians
dividehistoryintodiscreteanddefinableperiods
Creatingandsupportingahistoricalargument
Studentscanframeanddefineaquestionaboutthepastandthenformulatean
answerorclaimintheformofathesis.Studentscanthensupportthatthesis
statementwithspecificevidenceinanorganizedfashion.Studentsshouldbe
abletousetheirhistoricalthinkingskillsasthefocusoftheargument.

Grading
Thefollowinggradingscaleisthefoundationnotonlyforthefinalgradesbutformost
assignments.Versionsofthisscalewillbeusedthroughoutthecourseastherubricfor
assignments.Asyoubegintoworkonassignments,youshouldaskyourselfwhatwould
exemplaryworklooklike?HowcanIexceedexpectations?

10095Exemplary
Studentillustratedmasteryofthecoursethemesandhistoricalthinkingskillsthroughoutthe
course.Theirassignmentsusespecifichistoricalevidencetosupportnuancedhistorical
arguments.Exemplarystudentsconsistentlydisplayamatureperspectiveonthestudyof
historybytakingownershipofassignments.

9490ExceedsExpectations
Studentillustratedmasteryofthecoursethemesandhistoricalthinkingskillsthroughoutthe
course.Theirassignmentsusespecifichistoricalevidencetosupportnuancedhistorical
arguments.Studentswhoexceedexpectationsoccasionallydisplayamatureperspectiveonthe
studyofhistorybytakingownershipofassignments.

8985AboveProficient
Studentsdisplayedamasteryofsomeofthecoursethemesandhistoricalthinkingskills
althoughnotnecessarilyconsistentlythroughoutthecourse.Studentworkconsistentlymeets
expectations.Studentsillustratetheabilitytocrafthistoricalargumentsalthoughoccasionally
struggleswithspecifichistoricalexamplesandnuance.

8480Proficient
Studentsunderstoodallofthecoursethemesandhistoricalthinkingskills.Studentwork
consistentlymetexpectations.Studentscreatedgeneralhistoricalargumentswithbroad
historicalevidence.

7975ApproachingProficient
Studentsdisplayedanunderstandingofmostofthecoursethemesandhistoricalthinkingskills.
Studentworkfrequentlymetexpectations.Studentoccasionallystruggledtocreatehistorical
argumentswithhistoricalevidence.

7470Basic
Studentsdisplayedonlyapartialunderstandingofcoursethemesandhistoricalthinkingskills.
Studentworkfrequentlyfailedtomeetexpectations.Studentsfrequentlystruggledtocreate
historicalargumentsusinghistoricalevidence.

Below70Failing
Studentfailedtoillustrateanunderstandingofcoursethemesandhistoricalthinkingskills.
Studentworkfailedtomeetexpectations.Studentfailedtocreatehistoricalargumentsusing
historicalevidence.

CategoryDefinitions
ContentBasedActivities:Contentbasedactivitiesfocusonrecallingandreproducing
historicalinformation.Thisincludesrecognizingthemesanddefiningevents,peopleandideas.
Muchofthisispartofthehistoricalthinkingskillofsynthesis.Contentbasedactivitieswillalso
requirestudentstocompare,organizeandsummarizeinformationfrombothprimaryand
secondarysources.Theseactivitieswillbelargelyformativeinnature.Thismeansthattheywill
beusedatoolforprovidingmewithevidenceofwhereyoustandinmasteryofatopic.Although
therewillbefrequentcontentbasedactivities,theywillbelowstakesintermsoftheirimpacton
yourgrade.

SkillsBasedActivities:Skillsbasedactivitieswillfocusonstrategicandextendedthinking.
Thisrequiresstudentstomakeconsciouschoicesabouthowtheywillpresentinformationand
whatevidencetheywillpresent.Periodization,causation,comparisonandchange/continuity
overtime.MuchliketheContentBasedActivities,theSkillsbasedactivitieswillbeformative,
lowstakesassessments.

Essays:Studentwritingwillbeusedastoassessstudentmasteryofbothcontentandskills.
Theseassignmentswilloccurbothwithinclassandaswellasathome.Theessaygradewill
includebothformalessaysandworkproducedbyinclasswritingworkshops.

ChapterTests:Studentswillbetestedregularlyonchapters.Thesetests,liketheessays,will
assessstudentmasteryofbothcontentandskills.

Final:Thefinalservesasacumulativeassessmentofallthematerialthatstudentshave
learnedduringthesemester.Thefinalwillfocusonusingmultiplehistoricalthinkingskillsand
multiplecoursethemestodiscussWorldHistory.

Technology
StudentsarerequiredtousetheChromebookfornotetakingandotheractivitiesinthiscourse.

StudentsarerequiredtobringtheirChromebooktoschool,fullychargedeveryday.
IftheChromebookdoesnothaveabatterylifetocompleteanyclassroomactivity,
includingclasswork,quizzesandtests,studentswillreceive70%ofthegradeoncethe
assessmentiscompleted.
Chromebookuseisonlyforclassroomactivities.Studentsarenotpermittedtosearch
andbrowseotherwebsitesunlesstheyareinstructedbytheteachertodoso.
AllstudentChromebookusewillbemonitoredbytheclassroomteacheratalltimes.

Studentsmustalsobringearbudsorheadphonestoclass.

Noothertechnologywillbepermittedintheclassroom.Otherdevices(tablets,laptopsand
phones)willbeconfiscatedandgiventotheappropriateadministrator.

MakeupWork
MakeupassessmentsforthiscoursewilltakeplaceinMonday/WednesdaySchoolfrom
3:00pmto4:30pmontheclosestdayinwhichthestudentreturnstoschool.Itisthe
responsibilityofthestudenttosendanemailtotheinstructortoschedulethemakeup
assessment.Thisincludesclasswork,quizzesandtestsonly.Ifyoumissyour
scheduleddate,youwillreceive75%ofthescore.Failuretotakeamissedexamwill
resultinazero.
Anyassignmentsubmittedafterthedeadlinewillreceive75%ofthescore.Itisthe
studentsresponsibilitytosubmitmissedwork.Failuretosubmitamissedassignment
willresultinazeroforthatassignment.
After5daysa0willbeenteredinthegradebookforanyoutstandingwork.

ClassroomExpectations
Theexpectationsforthisclassaresimple:studentswillrespectthemselves,theirfellow
classmatesandthefacultyandstaffofBlessedTrinityatalltimes.

Thisseeminglysimplestatement,however,holdswithinitawidevarietyofbehaviors.Itimplies
civildialogueanddiscoursebetweenstudentsandbetweenstudentsandthefaculty.Itimplies
arrivinginclassontimeandprepared.Itimpliesproperadherencetotheschool'sdresscode.

Failuretomeetclassroomexpectationswillresultindetention.Thiswillbeservedwiththe
teacherthatassignsthedetention.Detentionprocedureisexplainedinthestudenthandbook.
IMPORTANT

Studentsareexpectedtocompletetheirownwork.Anyassignmentnotexplicitlydefinedasa
collaborativeassignmentbytheteacherisanindividualassignmentandisexpectedtobeyourown
work.Collaborativeassignmentswillbeindicatedbytheteacherassuch.Thelevelofcollaboration
allowedalongwithanyotherspecificruleswillbedelineatedbytheinstructor.Exchangeofworkon
individualassignmentsisexplicitlyprohibited.

Studentsmaynotsharethecontentsofanyevaluationadministeredbytheinstructor.Thisincludes
butisnotlimitedto:tests,quizzes,homeworkassignments,projects,etcwithanystudentcurrent
orfuture.Inaddition,studentsmaynotreceivesuchassistancefromstudentspastorcurrent.

Cheatingisdefinedasastudentgivingorreceivinganunfairadvantage.Generaltutoring,peer
studying,andstudygroupsarenotconsideredcheatingunlesstheirpurposeistogainsaidunfair
advantageonaspecificassessmentwhichisnotconsideredcollaborative.

Studentsareexpectedtoconductthemselveswithhonorandintegrityatalltimes.Lyingandstealing
aremajorhonorviolations.

StudentsareexpectedtoconductthemselvesinamannerthatreflectsthevaluesofBlessedTrinity
andtheCatholicfaith.

Wheninitiatingemailcontactwithyou,theinstructorwillusetheemailaccountassignedbythe
school.

**Theteacherreservestherighttochangeoradjustanysectionofthecoursesyllabusatanytime
duringthesemestertomoreadequatelymeettheneeds,abilities,andinterestsofthestudents.**


ReceiptofSyllabus

PLEASEMAKESURETHATTHISFORMISPRINTEDANDSUBMITTEDBYTHE2NDDAYOFCLASS

Student:

IhavereadandunderstandthecoursesyllabusfortheWorldHistorycourse.IrealizethatIam
responsibleformyperformanceinthisclass.IwillmodelproperChristianbehavior,be
punctual,attentiveandpreparedforclass,willkeepupwithmyassignments,andseekhelp
whenneeded.

StudentName:________________________________________________________________

StudentSignature:_________________________________________Date:______________

Parent/Guardian:

IhavereadandunderstandthecoursesyllabusforWorldHistoryandrealizethattheinstructor
andIformateamdedicatedtotheeducationofmychild.Iamawarethattheinstructoris
opentocommunicationfrommeaboutmyconcernsregardingmychildsperformanceor
behavior.Furthermore,Iwillgivetheinstructorthenecessarysupporttomaintainasafe
learningenvironment.

Name(print):__________________________________________________________________

Parent/GuardianSignature:___________________________________Date:_____________