Welcome to Modern World History! This is a challenging and fast paced introductory class to the history of mankind. You will be expected to analyze and draw your own conclusions about the material covered in class. Critical thinking, memorization and being able to clearly and firmly express your ideas through oral and/or written format will be expected on a daily basis. You will be expected to synthesize material and come up with new ideas about the history of the earth and its people. The course will follow a chronological path but some topics or issues will bridge and overlap chronological period for their political, economic, and social perspective. You will look at trends and cycles over time. This course will challenge your views and ideas about World History. The goal of the course is not merely to teach you “content”- but to make every one of you a better thinker.
It is impossible to cover thousands of years’ worth of history during the time we will be spending together- thus it is up to you, the student, to take responsibility for your success. One of the most important tasks will be to read all of your assigned material. We will be covering one to two sections (from the textbook) per week. During the school year, you will be expected to take notes on both your readings and class lectures, complete biweekly news articles, prepare special projects and presentations, write essays and take tests. You must be proactive and ask for help when you need it. Good luck! I look forward to the year we will be spending together exploring history!
Curriculum:
This course covers the history of the modern world from a primarily Western European/American perspective, with a short introduction of ancient civilizations. To do this, we will use historical research and interpretation, as well as analytical thinking about the relationships between people and events across time and space. You will consider connections between major events that have shaped the world we live in today, their causes and effects, and how those events compare to one another. The focus of this study will be to understand the world of today in the context of how history has shaped it, in preparation for predicting the world of tomorrow based on the events of today.
In brief, our eleven major units of study in this course will be the following:
1. Greek and Roman Influence on the Modern World
2. Renaissance- Launching Europe into the New World
3. Rise of Democracy – Philosophical ideas shaping modern Western thought
4. World of Revolution – Enlightenment thinking brings revolution to the Western World
5. Industrial Revolution – Causes, effects, & global consequences of Industrial Revolution
6. Rise of Imperialism – How the Industrial Revolution led to global race for conquest
7. The Great War (WW I) – Causes and course of the “War to End all Wars”
8. Post WW I Era – How the state of the world after WW I sets the stage for WW II
9. Totalitarianism – The stage of post WW I Europe led to the rise of totalitarianism
10. World War II – Study of the immediate causes and conflicts of the Second World War
11. The Cold War – International developments & stalemates in the era 1945 through 1991
Regular Classwork/Homework:
Most assignments are deisgned to be completed (by most students) during the time frame of one class period. You will have one classwork assignment per day to check for your understand of the learning goal of the day. A homework notebook, which will contain the majority of your homework will be checked without prior notice and will be collected on exam days. If you have a hand-out homework assignment, it will be due at the beginning of the next class period. No exceptions (besides absence) will be given. A bi-weekly news article will be due on turnitin. These assignments exist well in advance (2 weeks minimum) so there will be a zero tolerance rule for late news articles as well.
Assessments:
During each unit, you will take weekly to bi-weekly quizzes covering your understanding of the course material. We will then use the results of the assessments to reteach or reinforce any areas still lacking. At the end of each unit, a more comprehensive unit exam will be given. A cumulative final exam will also be given each semester as well.
Materials:
World History: Modern Times, Glencoe
Notebook
Writing utensils
markers, crayons, scissors (occasionally)
