“Until lions have their history, tales of the hunt will always glorify the hunter.”

~ African proverb ~

World History - Grade 11

From Cave To An Inconvenient Truth

Yana Johnston

kjohnsto@bham.wednet.edu, 676-6481 x5239

What is World History?

World history seeks a global perspective on the past, one that acknowledges and integrates the historical experiences of all of the world's people. It is a new discipline, one that came into being only in the 1980’s. It might be said that it is humanity's attempt to fully understand itself in an age of globalization. In a world with nuclear weapons and ecological problems that cross all national borders, it is to our advantage that we begin to see humanity as a whole. Today, we live in a global community, share one planet, and preparing you for the 21^st century demands learning this new paradigm: the concept of global citizenship and the understanding of our shared global heritage. Rather than studying individual regions, we will be investigating history using periods of time over the course of the world’s history and see how these periods had similar process that were occurring on a global level.

This class will attempt to address the question: How did we get here? To do this, we will DO history, as history is Greek for investigation. Students will be reading, researching, analyzing, and synthesizing sources (primary and secondary) from a variety of perspectives and producing interpretations of their own, while working individually and in groups. A frequently needed skill will be to know what you think. What you think, and why, will be of the utmost importance here.

Your goal in class will be to develop the skills necessary to become an historian and to become closer to forming an understanding of what it means to be a citizen of the world. To this end, you will be working on authentic problem solving scenarios and discussing issues to demonstrate knowledge and application of what you have learned, through a variety of approaches.

Student Responsibilities and Expectations

THINKING: this will not be a class where you will be told what to think, what is right, wrong, or important. Your thoughts are of the utmost importance. To do this will require that you behave, think, and act with responsibility, respect, and integrity. It is your responsibility to:

Create an enjoyable, engaging and lively class. Class discussions are an important part of our class and so your thoughts, ideas, values, concerns are valid and valuable. Lack of participation will negatively impact your grade, lower your comprehension of the material, lessen your connection with your peers, and hinder class dynamics. Remember, life is what you make of it – this applies equally to education. If you want a fun and interesting class, YOU are also responsible for making that happen!

Create a safe and comfortable class environment. ALL STUDENTS HAVE THE RIGHT AND RESPONSIBILITY TO LEARN. You need to feel comfortable asking questions, sharing views and suffer no negative ramifications within, or outside, of class for doing so. We have much to learn from each other; we are a community of learners. Please note that anyone interfering with the education, or (emotional/mental) safety, of another student may be removed from the class until the issue can be satisfactorily remedied.

We may not always agree, but respecting others’ right to their thoughts and views is the foundation for an environment one feels safe in.

Behave with integrity and create a class dynamic that holds truth, trust, and personal honor and worth in high esteem. All work must be your own, and it is important you be honest about your actions. Plagiarized work, no matter in what form or the intent, will yield a zero for that assignment.

Be prepared. Your prepared participation is essential for the success of this class. I cannot overstate the importance of taking excellent notes. All students are expected to take an active part in class on a daily basis. Come to class prepared to think, ask questions and engage in meaningful discussion. You are also responsible for bringing paper, pencils, pens, and handouts/readings to class. Please use loose leaf (binder) paper and not spiral notebook paper for assignments that are turned in. You can keep your textbook at home, but there are times I will ask you to bring it to school. If you consistently forget to bring materials, your participation grade will be affected. You are also expected to save your class work throughout the year. If you are missing a handout, please check the website or the file cabinet in the classroom.

Be present in mind as well as body. Regular attendance is absolutely essential in this class. Additionally, use of electronic devices interferes with your ability to fully engage and actively listen to others. CELL PHONES, IPODS/MP3 PLAYERS AND OTHER ELECTRONIC DEVICES ARE NOT ALLOWED IN CLASS; CELL PHONES MUST BE TURNED OFF AND STOWED AWAY. I love my cell phone, too, but I believe learning is more important. I will remind you once to turn off and/or put your electronic device away; subsequent offenses will result in confiscation and a call to parents/guardians. If you need to make an emergency call to your family, you may go to the main office to use the phone.

Do your work. If you know you will be absent on the day of a test or a quiz, you are expected to take it ahead of time. If you miss an assessment/exam for an excused absence, you will have 2 school days from the date of your return to make it up or it will become a zero in the gradebook. Exams missed for an unexcused absence will result in a zero grade. Late work is worth half credit and is due no later than the end of the unit during which it was assigned. Work will be considered late if it is not turned in at the beginning of the period or when it is collected during class; work turned in after the completion of the unit will not be accepted.

A note on homework: After reading The Homework Myth by Alfie Kohn, I am reconsidering my nightly homework policy. However, there will still be some homework! You should have it completed on time and bring it to class on the due date…

Show me what you know and can do. Projects and papers will be assigned from time to time over the course of the year, and deadlines will be included in the assignment details. I will always try to schedule time in the computer lab to support you. Unless otherwise specified, papers and all written work for projects must be typed. Please use a normal, easy-to-read font and double-space your work. I expect you to do your best!! So that you can actually show me what you know and can do, I will allow redos and second chances as circumstances warrant…but ONLY if you have worked hard on your projects and papers!

A few notes on special assignments:

Current Events: Part of being an informed global citizen is taking it upon oneself to learn about current political, social, and economic issues. You are required to bring in one current event every Monday. Current event articles must be at least seven paragraphs long and pertain to a GLOBAL political, social, economic, or cultural event; articles about curiosities, sports, or Britney Spears’s follies will not be counted. To complete a current event assignment, you must follow the format provided. You will be working in Current Event groups and will therefore be assigned a region for the purposes of collecting and reporting on articles. More details to come…

I recommend a major newspaper, such as The New York Times, Washington Post, Christian Science Monitor, or San Francisco Chronicle. You should also try reading the Newsweek International Edition, the BBC, etc. Links to each of these papers and media outlets will be available on my web page.

Assessments: There will be a final assessment for every unit, and the types of assessment will vary. We will do group projects/presentations, essays, simulations, objective tests, etc. You should save your work for each unit to prepare for the unit assessments! This is what your binder is for!

Materials to have in class BY Monday, Sept. 8:

1. An assignment/homework book

2. A 3 ring binder with 4 dividers and spare paper.

3. Enough pens, pencils to do your work and not disturb others

**PLEASE NOTE: To further understanding and learning there will be NO grades for the first month. In this time, it will be your responsibility to make your best effort (doing the work, asking the questions, giving feedback) to learn the expectations of this course.

Your first homework assignment is to read through this syllabus with your parents/guardians to understand the expectations. Come in with any questions, the next day, to clarify anything that is unclear. This would be most helpful.

Course Outline

From Cave To An Inconvenient Truth

Semester I Semester II

8000 BCE to 1450 CE 1900-1945 CE

Neolithic Revolution: mankind’s worst mistake? WWI/Treaty of Versailles

World Religions Industrialization

Islamic Empire Global Economic Depression

Silk Roads/Indian Ocean Trade Rise of Totalitarianism

The Crusades Communist Revolutions

Mongols Importance of the Middle East

The Plague Nationalism to independence

WWII

1450-1750 CE 1945 CE to Present

Columbian Exchange The Nuclear Age

Guns, Germs, and Steel Holocaust/Genocide

The Atlantic Slave Trade Cold War

Africa, Middle East, Asia

1750 to 1914 CE Iranian Revolution

Industrial Revolution Fall of the Soviet Union

Democratic Revolutions/Ideology Decolonization to independence

Imperialism – growth of empires The Middle East

Rise of Nationalism The United Nations

21^st Century Issues: The State of the World

globalization

environment

human trafficking

human rights

technological revolution

fundamentalism/terrorism

** This outline is subject to change. Any changes will be posted on my teacher web page! **

MS. JOHNSTON’S TEACHER WEB PAGE

I have decided to use my teacher page to make class information more accessible to students and parents. Nearly everything you need for my classes is on that page. I provide the syllabi for my classes, current information and links, descriptions of the daily class activities and homework, as well as links to any handouts I have as electronic files.

On occasion, the links to handouts do not work from home. However, there are student computers in my classroom which students are free to use before and after school, as well as during breaks.

HOW TO ACCESS MS. JOHNSTON’S TEACHER WEB PAGE

(http://wwwshs.bham.wednet.edu)

World History - Grade 11

From Cave To An Inconvenient Truth

Yana Johnston

kjohnsto@bham.wednet.edu, 676-6481 x5239

PLEASE SIGN AND RETURN BY MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2008.

Student:

· I verify that I have read the course outline and class rules and understand the expectations for this course.

· If I have questions or concerns about an assignment or the class, I will contact Ms. Johnston as soon as possible.

· I understand that help is available during lunch and after school most days, and that it is my responsibility to come get help when I need it.

· I understand that there are computers available in Ms. Johnston’s room for my use before and after school, and at lunch.

· I understand that Ms. Johnston has a teacher web page, which I know how to locate and use to find information about homework, daily class work, and a community events calendar.

Student Signature Date

Parent/Guardian:

· I verify that I have read the course outline and class rules and understand the expectations for this course.

· If I have questions or concerns about an assignment or the class, I will contact Ms. Johnston as soon as possible.

· I understand that help is available during lunch and after school most days, and that it my student’s responsibility to come get help when he/she needs it.

· I understand that there are computers available in Ms. Johnston’s room for my student’s use before and after school, and at lunch.

· I understand that Ms. Johnston has a teacher web page, and I know that I can use it to find information about homework, daily class work, and a community events calendar.

Parent/Guardian Signature Date