Download advanced placement world history

ADVANCED PLACEMENT WORLD HISTORY
2011-2012
Melinda Parks, Instructor
Email: [email protected]
[email protected]
Room 133
WELCOME TO WHAP!
Course Objectives and Information: The AP World History course is designed to provide
students with a more complete understanding of global processes and their development and
the interrelationship of cultures and peoples. This is accomplished in part through the
enhancement of analytical skills used to study a variety of historical evidence.
Historical Thinking Skills that will be cultivated in this class include:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Crafting historical arguments from historical evidence;
Chronological reasoning;
Comparison and contextualization;
Historical interpretation and synthesis.
Students will examine causes and consequences of change as well as compare societies in
their study of world history. Periodization organizes the course, as do specific themes. This
thematic approach allows for a study of continuity and change over time as well as societal
comparisons.
Each theme will receive roughly an equal amount of emphasis during the year. The themes
used in this course are:
1. Interaction between humans and the environment--demography and disease, migration, patterns of settlement,
technology.
2. Development and interaction of cultures--religions, belief systems, philosophies, ideologies, science, technology,
arts, architecture.
3. State-building, expansion, and conflict--political structures, forms of governance, empires, nations,
nationalism, revolts, revolutions, regional/transregional/global structures and organizations.
4. Creation, expansion, and interaction of economic systems--agricultural/pastoral production, trade, commerce,
labor systems, industrialization, capitalism, socialism.
5. Development and transformation of social structures--gender roles, gender relations, family, kinship,
racial/ethnic constructions, social classes, economic classes.
This course has a consistently heavy reading and writing requirement. It is the equivalent of
a year-long, college-level World History survey course. Thus, students are expected to read all
text and document assignments as they appear on the calendar, will learn to analyze primary
sources (including identification of point of view, perspective, and context) and to use them
as evidence in making arguments, and will learn to write persuasively.
The course is challenging, but students are capable of successfully completing the course,
and, ultimately receiving college credit at the university of their choice, if they are prepared to
work at the required level. Keeping up with reading assignments and active participation in
class discussions are the best preparation for success in this class and on the AP exam.
Texts: Our primary text will be Traditions and Encounters by Bentley and Zeigler. You are
responsible for the assigned text reading. In order to finish the content of the course by the
end of April, on average, students can expect to cover one chapter per week or occasionally
slightly more. All text reading assignments will be given well ahead of the required due date
so that students may plan appropriately. You will not be able to pass the exams based on
lectures and class discussions alone, so it is important that you keep up with the reading
assignments. However, as no single text can cover all subjects with equal thoroughness,
additional readings will be assigned. Many of these will be accessible through the Internet,
while others will be in handout form. These must be read before you come to class and
brought to class on the day they will be reviewed/discussed.
Regarding study guides: I have no personal preferences among the many study guides that
are on the market. Some offer more summaries of historical periods, while others stress
practice exams. I recommend examining several to decide which, if any, will suit your needs;
consider sharing one or more guides with other students for the broadest possible review.
Please do make sure that you purchase a current guide, due to significant changes in the
course this year.
Grading: Students will be assessed on a total points basis. Homework/quiz grades will be
taken weekly—I reserve the right to give pop quizzes or take up assigned work at any time.
You will be required to keep a notebook for this course. You will use your notebook every
day. Notebooks will be “quick checked” frequently. There will also be a formal notebook
evaluation near the end of the grading period that will involve a more thorough examination.
There will be four to six exams during a semester, usually two per unit. These will be
formatted much like the AP exams, with essay and multiple-choice components. Exams are
cumulative, which means each will contain information from prior exams. The semester
exams will be cumulative and will follow the same model as unit exams. Success on the class
exams will require regular attendance, attention to lectures, independent study groups, and
regular reading/analysis of the textbook and other readings.
Academic Misconduct: The following is excerpted from the University of Oklahoma’s
student code on Academic Misconduct and will be used as the guideline for this course.
Academic Misconduct: Any act which improperly affects the evaluation of a student's
academic performance or achievement, including but not limited to the following:
(a) Cheating: the use of unauthorized materials, methods, or information in any academic exercise,
including improper collaboration;
(b) Plagiarism: the representation of the words or ideas of another as one's own, including:
(1) direct quotation without both attribution and indication that the material is being directly quoted,
e.g. quotation marks;
(2) paraphrase without attribution;
(3) paraphrase with or without attribution where the wording of the original remains substantially
intact and is represented as the author's own;
(4) expression in one's own words, but without attribution, of ideas, arguments, lines of reasoning,
facts, processes, or other products of the intellect where such material is learned from the work of
another and is not part of the general fund of common academic knowledge;
(c) Fabrication: the falsification or invention of any information or citation in an academic exercise;
(d) Fraud: the falsification, forgery, or misrepresentation of academic work, including the resubmission
of work performed for one class for credit in another class without the informed permission of the
second instructor; or the falsification, forgery or misrepresentation of other academic records or
documents, including admissions materials and transcripts; or the communication of false or
misleading statements to obtain academic advantage or to avoid academic penalty;
(e) Bribery or intimidation;
(f) Assisting others in any act proscribed by this Code; or
(g) Attempting to engage in such acts.
Plagiarism is an issue that I take VERY seriously. If you plagiarize someone else’s work,
you should expect a zero. Cheating will also result in a zero. Parents and counselors will
be notified if plagiarism or cheating occurs, as will the sponsors of National Honor
Society. If you have questions about what constitutes plagiarism, please see me.
Policies:
1. “Do unto others . . . .” I expect that you will treat your classmates, any guests in the
classroom, and me with respect. You will receive respect in return.
2. Be prepared! Bring your book, reading assignments, pen/pencil, homework, etc., to
class with you. We have far too much material to cover to waste class time running to
lockers, etc., and locker passes will only be granted sparingly.
3. Be in class! Again, we have lots of material to cover. If you can be here, do so. Many
discussions and activities cannot be duplicated, no matter how the makeup work is
assigned. Plan ahead—if you must miss class and know beforehand, get your
assignments before your absence.
4. Discipline:
1st step—verbal warning
2nd step—detention before or after school
3rd step—parent call and additional detention time
4th step—referral to grade principal
5. Assignments:
a.
They must be completed by the day they are due. I do not accept late work.
b.
Use the class calendar. I do not remind you of things that are on the calendar,
so YOU are responsible for being aware of all assignments and due dates.
c.
If you are absent from class, you have only the number of days that you miss to
make up assignments or exams; reference your student handbook for
additional information.
d.
If you miss a test, you must get with me during the days allowed to arrange a
time to make it up or you will earn a zero for that test grade.
e.
If you are on a school activity, you must have all work/tests done before you go.
Supplies:
1. Binders—two sturdy binders with dividers. We will use one per semester. 1 ½ inch
binders should be sufficient.
2. Ink pens—blue or black only for any assignments that you will turn in to me. While
many students prefer to use pencil rather than ink, a portion of the AP exam requires
pen. You will need a pencil and pen on exam days.
3. Highlighters—one set of five multicolored highlighters. You WILL need five!
4. Loose-leaf notebook paper—white college-ruled paper only for any assignments that
you will turn in to me.
5. Index cards—your preference on size, but 4x6 works best. Color coding is up to you.
6. Book covers—please keep your books covered. You may buy a cover or make one
yourself, so long as the book is not defaced in any way and the cover is completely
removable. These books are made primarily for college use and are not sturdy enough
to take the use and abuse of high school lockers.
7. Composition book.
8. Markers/map pencils—not a requirement, but you may prefer your own. You may
store these in the classroom.
9. Tissues/hand sanitizer—not a requirement, but much appreciated…especially during
allergy/flu season.
10. Flash drive/burnable CDs—not a requirement, but occasionally I will offer to
copy/burn items for you, particularly review items, that may be difficult to download
due to file size.
Additionally, students will need regular access to email and the internet. Internet access is
available in the school library before and after school and during lunch periods
ADVANCED PLACEMENT WORLD HISTORY
Please sign and detach this page after you have read the information contained
within this course outline. All students are required to return the signed form to
their instructor. Please feel free to contact me at school if you have any questions.
*****If applicable, please note an email address for parents/guardians.*****
I have read and understand all of the course information contained in the
course outline.
Student signature _________________________________ Date __________________
Parent/Guardian signature ________________________ Date ___________________
Parent/Guardian email address ____________________________________________