Course Description

COURSE INTRODUCTION

During this two semester course, we will travel to all corners of the globe as we study the history, cultures, religions, and governments of the world from thousands of years ago through the present day. In order to truly understand the past, we will have to learn many names and dates. However, we will go well beyond simple recall and “regurgitation” and observe and analyze the larger themes that emerge; the names and dates will serve as a skeleton as we raise essential questions and issues that are relevant to our lives today and impact us both individually and globally.

I have been very fortunate to have traveled to many parts of the world we will be studying, including: much of Eastern Europe, Western Europe, the Middle East, North Africa, Southeast Asia, etc. I sincerely hope to bring my own firsthand experience and enthusiasm to all of you as we journey through history to all these places.

WHY SHOULD WE CARE? (Names and dates are boring…)

Yes—names and dates are terribly boring when they are disconnected from real meaning and context. History is the study of the past, but we must remember that history is alive and not separated from our lives today. If we only memorize data, then history’s not only boring, it’s truly a waste of time. Over the course of this year, you will develop the skills to interpret the past. In fact, as long as we examine the material closely and develop “informed opinions” which utilize evidence, typically there will not be one “right answer” in our classroom, but instead there will be many reasonable and unique answers. In this course you will be held to a very high standard: you will have lots of reading, typically nightly, as well as several writing and creative projects.

REQUIRED MATERIALS

You are expected to bring the following to class every day:
 A fully-charged Chromebook that is ready to use with required apps and log-ins (see below)

 A folder or binder where you can organize handouts and printed materials

 Pens (blue or black only)

 The following is optional: a college-ruled perforated notebook with pockets OR a 3-ring binder with pockets (please make space for keeping homework and handouts together with class notes)

* No matter what, your notebook should be used only for this class should you choose this option

CLASSROOM POLICIES & EXPECTATIONS

 You are required to attend class everyday unless you have an authorized absence. If you are absent from class, it is your sole responsibility to find out what homework you missed and to hand it in on time. Class syllabi will be shared with you and all relevant materials will be posted to the class blog daily. All the information you will need will be online at all times.

 If you are late to class, please do not interrupt the class. It is your responsibility at the end of class to ensure you are marked late rather than absent. Tardies are reported and logged by the Deans Office.

 Academic integrity is paramount: that is plagiarism, even unintentional cases, will be treated as significant events, both academically and may involve the Deans. This includes incidents on daily homework, assessments, and papers. To mitigate this, we often use turnitin.com and their databases to ensure students are producing original work.

 Respect for your classmates and teacher requires that there should be no interference in the classroom. That means side conversations should not take place, electronic equipment (cell phones, including iPhones and iPods, etc.) should be turned off and remain inside your bags unless they are being used for instructional purposes. Chromebooks should be used only as directed (see below).

 Respect for our technology and furniture is expected at all times- especially since the classroom is newly-renovated, including, new windows, air conditioning, heating, wiring, LCD projector, document camera, desks, and chairs.

 Because the air conditioning is relatively new, we will not be discussing the temperature in class. We are lucky to be in a cooled classroom as I have taught many rooms at approximately 100 degrees for several years. If you think you may be cold, please bring layers, especially if you are dressed for summer. We cannot adjust the temperature in the room.

 Water is welcome in class, but soft drinks and juices are not.

 Food and gum are not allowed in this classroom under any circumstances.

CHROMEBOOKS IN THE CLASSROOM

This year we will begin the course using Chromebooks. I have been using Chromebooks in the classroom for over three years and my courses were part of the original “pilot” DHS ran in order to prepare for our 1:1 initiative. Chromebooks will require us to move our work “onto the cloud” and away from pen and paper. We will integrate these skills into our daily work and you will be thoroughly trained. Chromebooks are a required part of class and the following procedures must be followed:

 Bring your Chromebook to school fully charged. We will use our Chromebooks regularly and we do not have extra power supply available. If you need to charge your device before class, please see the Technology Department. Any student that does not come with a fully-charged device or fails to bring the device must understand that this will have an enormously negative impact on his/her learning and is disruptive to the rest of class.

 Stay on approved sites and apps. I expect that you will use the device for learning. Learning is often entertaining, but please stay away from all sites and apps unless you are told to navigate to them. This includes Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, personal email- any place that is not part of our lesson.

 We need to be flexible! Chromebooks are an invaluable tool, but there will besome days where we won’t use them or our use will be limited. Also, inevitably there will be technology issues (wireless outages, etc.) that we will have to deal with. Be patient with your device, your teacher, and classmates as we navigate this together.

 Chromebooks are a school resource to be used in class daily and at night, and if your Chromebook is not available in class, this impacts your ability to learn. There will be consequences for these instances.

GRADING POLICY

Homework (15%)

You will have homework daily, averaging at least 45 minutes, and sometimes more. The expectation should be that every assignment will be collected and graded. Much of your homework will be “merged” with material from class; that is, the work you do at home will be adapted, edited, and refined in class, and it will often be that product which is graded. There will be cumulative homework grades given several times per quarter. Homework submitted late due to an excused absence will receive no penalty, but should be submitted within 48 hours or less. Late homework will not be accepted unless you have an excused absence or approval from me due to extenuating circumstances. Following a brief conference where extenuating circumstances are discussed, late homework may be submitted for a maximum of ½ credit, unless it is one week before the end of the marking period. “Reading Notes” Homework will be graded based on the following rubric:

90-100%
· Analysis goes far beyond simple “copy and paste” of textbook
· Well-organized interpretation and thematic structure
· Neat, organized, with correct grammar and spelling

80-89%
· Analysis includes significant examples that go beyond simple “copy and paste” of textbook
· Generally well-organized interpretation and beginning to articulate thematic structure
· Minimum of grammar and spelling errors

70-79%
· Analysis reflects little new engagement; simple “cut and paste” of material
· Lacks interpretation and does not include thematic structure
· Numerous spelling and grammatical errors

60-69%
· Material is truly copied from a source
· Lacks interpretation and does not include thematic structure
· Significant spelling and grammatical errors, careless work

ACTIVITY POINTS (10%)

Activity points are a dynamic assessment where you are encouraged to choose what you want to learn about a civilization or society. These are activities you do outside of class, in an area you would like to explore about whatever we are studying. We will be doing activity points each quarter.

CLASS PARTICIPATION/GROUP WORK (10%)

You will be assessed based on your active participation in both whole class discussions and smaller group discussions. This also includes group projects where your activity can be quantified using “revision history” in GoogleDocs and GoogleSlides. Unexcused absences or recurring tardiness will severely impact your ability to contribute to the class.

TESTS, ESSAYS, QUIZZES, & PROJECTS (65%)

Each unit will contain at least one major unit test or similar cumulative assessment. The tests utilize diverse assessment strategies by including multiple-choice, identification, document-based questions (DBQs), thematic essay components, as well as responses to visual materials.

 Essays: You will be asked to write several essays throughout the course. Some of these essays will be conventional research papers which require proper citations and bibliographies. Other papers will enable you do more creative writing based upon class materials. These essays and the projects outlined below conform closely to DHS Information Literacy standards developed by the Social Studies Department and the DHS Library.

 Projects: There will be a number of group and individual projects. Each project assignment will have a grading rubric so that you know how you will be graded when you receive the assignment.

I take pride in the rigor of this course’s assessments, particularly the writing involved in tests and quizzes. As a result, tests, quizzes, essays, and projects may take some time to be returned. The overall goal is to return major assignments with the period of a week, if not sooner.

GRADING SCALE:

90-100% A
80-89% B
70-79% C
60-69% D
59%-below F

NOTES ON COMMUNICATION:

I will make every effort to return phone calls and emails within 24 hours or less. With regard to student emails during the evenings, I will address imminent concerns the best I can nightly. Should a student question or concern be easily addressed the next school day, I will discuss the concern on that occasion.