Download Overview of Advanced Placement World History Frequently Asked

Overview of Advanced Placement World History
Advanced Placement World History is a 40 week course that teaches the history of the world from
a global standpoint rather than the dominant Western perspective. This perspective places an
emphasis on the connectedness of human societies. In order to achieve an understanding of these
events, students need both factual knowledge and the ability to critically assess such imformation.
The course helps them on both fronts, teaching the historical facts in the context of how
progressive changes - environmental, social, political, and scientific influenced the various
societies they touched, as well as how these groups interacted with each other. Students will be
exposed to various primary sources in an effort to show them how historical analysis works and
how they can proceed to make their own informed interpretations of world events, both past and
present.
A complete course overview can be found at:
http://apcentral.collegeboard.com/apc/public/courses/teachers_corner/4484.htm/ (It is 133 pages
if you want to print it)
Frequently Asked Questions
1. What is AP World History?
AP World History is an Advanced Placement World History course that covers humanity during
the time periods from 8,000 BCE to the Present. We will investigate human change and
continuity through trade, religion, politics, society, intellectuality, and technology.
2. Why take AP World History?
AP World History is a year long course to prepare students to take the Advanced Placement World
History Exam to earn college credit in high school.
3. Who should take AP World History?
Any student who is highly self-motivated and exceptionally studious who wishes to develop
life-long habits of mind, learn about humanity from 8,000 BCE to the present and wants to earn
college credit in high school.
4. How much homework should you expect per night?
Since this is a highly rigorous course and the curriculum is MANDATED by the College Board,
you should spent approximately one hour per night working on homework, reading, taking notes,
going through notes, writing an essay, etc. Your homework will range from reading the assigned
text to the teacher-provided primary source materials to written responses to Document Based
Questions (DBQ’s).
This does not mean that there will never be a night without homework. However, it does mean
that you will need to use your time wisely. I do not want emails that you worked for 4 hours on an
essay on a Tuesday night, especially since that essay would have been assigned well in advance
and you would have had ample time to work on it. You will have a hard time in this course if you
procrastinate. Many weekends there will be homework, many weekends there will be take-home
quizzes. There will most likely be homework over Winter Break, Spring Break, etc.
REMEMBER, THIS IS A COLLEGE LEVEL COURSE!
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Textbook
Adas, Michael, Marc J. Gilbert, Peter Stearns, and Stuart B. Schwartz. World Civilizations: The
Global Experience. 4th Edition. Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Prentice Hall, 2005
How will your learning be assessed?
Homework: Assigned Readings, Socratic Seminar discussions over readings, Notes, Historical
Maps, AP World History Document Based Questions, In-class/Out of class essays.
Quizzes: announced an unannounced based upon the assigned readings from World Civilizations
and any other assigned reading.
Tests: Given after the completion of each unit and sometimes at the end of a chapter, tests will be
announced well ahead of time.
Units
Period
Period Title
Date Range
Weight on AP
Test
1
Technological and Environmental
Transformations
8000 BCE to 600
BCE
5%
2
Organization and Reorganization of
Human Societies
600 BCE to 600 CE
15%
3
Regional and Transregional
Interactions
600 CE to 1450
20%
4
Global Interactions
1450 - 1750
20%
5
Industrialization and Global
Integration
1750 - 1900
20%
6
Accelerating Global Change and
Realignments
1900 – the present
20%
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Policies, Guidelines and Rules of Respect
1. This is a college-level course open to all grades (9-12), but the difficulty is college-level
regardless of the members of this class. (For example: AP World with all 9th graders is the same
difficulty and will encompass the same material and same assignments as AP World with all 12th
graders).
2. FOLLOW DIRECTIONS - enough said!
3. A college-level course requires independent, self-directed learning and preparation before
class begins.
4. Attendance - it is required. Unexcused absences will not be tolerated for any reason. If you
are absent, you must be called in and excused by a parent or guardian within 24 hours (via the Ford
Student Handbook.) If your absence is unexcused you will not be allowed to hand in any work
that was due on that day, nor will any work be passed out to you that was assigned on that day. It
is a zero - NO EXCEPTIONS. If your absence is excused, try to keep up with anything that you
can by checking your weekly calendar. (Especially reading.) If you will be out for an extended
period of time this can dramatically affect your grade. You will need to take your book home
with you. You will need to stay in contact via email and I will get all assignments to you. This
also means showing up on time. I will begin as soon as the bell rings. Racing to the room and
walking in 5 seconds late is LATE! Tardiness is rude.
5. Food and Drink in the Classroom - you all have a lunch. I understand that you may want to
bring a water to stay hydrated, totally acceptable. However, please do not go though the lunch
line and bring your hot lunch into the room.
6. Bathroom Policy - Please try to use your passing time or lunch to use the bathroom. If you are
tardy, please do not ask to go to the bathroom during the hour. If you are already late, use the
bathroom. If you are gone for more than ten minutes you will not be given a bathroom pass again.
7. During Class - Please bring your textbook, a three-ringed binder and a pen or pencil to class
every day. If you have a question, please ask and I will do my best to answer it. Be prepared use your weekly calendar so that you know what we will be doing when you come to class.
Please dress appropriately for class. A lack of clothing and/or clothing that has drug, alcohol, and
or/sex references is NOT appropriate and you will be sent to the office to change.
8. Cell phone/mp3 player policy - there is absolutely no reason that you would need either of
these items in my classroom. You are not allowed to take calls/text to anyone, this includes
parents. Please ask your parents not to text you during my class. Using a phone or mp3 player
for any reason will result in a referral on the Ford II database and loss of participation points. On
the second offense - in any class - (because all teachers have access to that database) you will be
given a Saturday school. If you do not show up, you will be suspended from school for one day.
If this occurs, it is considered an unexcused absence. If this happens you will not be allowed to
turn in any assignment due this day or handed out this day. My phone will not be on, neither will
yours. This is consistent with the district policy.
9. Academic Dishonesty Policy - if you copy any portion of an assignment you will receive a
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zero. Any essay that you write will be turned in via turnitin.com. Plagiarism will not be
tolerated. If you copy any portion or use anyone else’s work without citing, this is plagiarism. On
the first offense, you will be given a zero on the assignment and there will be absolutely no
opportunity for you to make it up. If you are caught a second time, on any assignment, you will
fail the semester. If your answers are the exact same as another students, this indicates cheating.
If you are copying someone else’s work while it is being passed up the row, it is cheating. I
WILL NOT ARGUE WITH YOU OR YOUR PARENTS ABOUT CHEATING. If I catch you
copying another teachers assignment in my class, I will contact that teacher.
10. Be Respectful - listen to each other opinions, you don’t have to agree with them, use humor
that is appropriate. I have a NO PROFANITY policy. You will lose points off your grade. It is
unacceptable and rude and will not happen in this room. In this course we will discuss different
peoples and different culture, we will speak about these people and these cultures in a respectable
way. Rude racial, religious or cultural comments will not be tolerated and you will be asked to
leave. I share this room with other teachers, please keep it clean, don’t write on the walls, desks,
your textbooks or anything else. The custodians are not here to clean up after us, they are here to
maintain the building due to regular wear and tear. I am in this room all day, I will not come to
your room and make a mess, please don’t do it in mine.
11. Have fun, ask questions and let’s have a good time together, leaning World History!
How do I contact Mrs. Douglas?
You may contact me at any time regarding an assignment or a grade. Please, please, please, have
your parents check Powerschool regarding grades. For privacy reasons, I cannot discuss grades
via email. However, they can see all your grades, when assignments were assigned and due. In
addition there is a detailed description of each assignment. If a parent or guardian emails, I will
not be able to discuss any grade via email. You also need to check your grade via Powerschool.
I will not check grades during class time.
[email protected]
586-797-1600
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Dear Parents/Guardians,
My name is Becky Douglas and I am Henry Ford II High School’s Advanced Placement World History
teacher. As your son/daughter’s counselor made them aware, the Advanced Placement program is a
collaborative program between the high schools and colleges/universities to offer introductory college level
courses in high school. Hard working, highly motivated and self-disciplined students will have the
opportunity to learn about world civilizations as they have developed from 8,000 B.C.E to the Present over
six time periods. In addition to learning the World History content, students will have the ability to
develop reading, writing and analytical skills that will serve them throughout high school, college and
beyond. At the conclusion of the course, students will have the opportunity to take the AP World History
Exam on Thursday, May 17, 2012. The exam is three hours and five minutes long. It consists of 70
multiple choice questions (55 minutes), one document based question (60 minutes), one change over time
essay (40 minutes), and one comparative essay (40 minutes). It is strongly suggested that every student
take this exam as preparation for college and future Advanced Placement courses.
As your son/daughter was made aware by their counselor when they signed up for this course, AP World
History may be one of the most challenging courses he/she will take at Ford High School. Students will
be given approximately one hour of homework per night and will be expected to have their reading and
writing assignments completed before they come to school for the following day. It is essential that
students taking this class are committed to the time, effort and energy required to learn the AP World
History content and develop the reading, writing, and speaking skills necessary to excel in a college level
classroom. Students are required to keep an organized, three-ringed binder for notes, handouts and other
learning materials necessary for preparation of the AP World History Exam. By looking at your student’s
notebook, you can be aware of your son’s/daughter’s effort and progress in this course.
I would like to strongly encourage all parents/guardians to use Powerschool. Your student had a
Powerschool login last year in middle school and that remains the same. On Powerschool you can see
attendance and grading information for all courses 24 hours a day. You will be able to locate the
assignment name and category (participation, homework, test, quiz), how many points the assignment was
worth, your son’s or daughter’s points earned, letter grade, the date that the assignment was given, the date
that it was due, how much class time was given, and a description of the assignment. It is important for
you to know that if you email me regarding a grade, I legally cannot discuss grades via email for privacy
reasons. However, checking Powerschool should give you much of the information that you need. I will
do my best to get grades entered as quickly as possible. In the event that we do need to speak, all contact
information is contained at the bottom of this letter.
I look forward to working with you and your child in order to have a successful learning experience.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Becky Douglas
AP World History Teacher
[email protected]
586-797-1600
I have read and fully understand the goals, rigor and work associated with the AP World History class that
my son/daughter is enrolled in.
____________________________________
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Date
____________________________________
Parent/Guardian Signature
____________________________________
Student Name (Please Print)
This letter is to be turned in to Mrs. Douglas no later than Friday, September 9, 2011.
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Intro Note Sheet
This is the sheet that you will use to take all of your notes on. On the top you will find an area for your
name, hour, chapter/section title and date.
1. Please always fill this in so that you can keep your notes in good order and if you lose them and we find
them they can be returned to you.
2. The first column leaves an area for page number. (Easy enough)
3. The second column says “Evidence.” These are facts that are noted through a chapter. Yours may be
different than someone else’s. This is ok!! In fact, it is good that they are different.
4. The third column says “Questions/Connections.” In this area you might put any connections that you
made from a previous chapter, some similarities or differences or questions that you have for me and your
classmates when we go over the material in class. Don’t be embarrassed to ask, that’s what this is all
about, learning together.
5. The fourth column is the lecture notes that you can fill in that I will give you in class.
I have given you five sheets to take notes on Chapter 1. You will probably not fill all five sheets and that is
fine. However, you will most likely fill more than one side of a page.
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