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WORLD HISTORY 1 & 2 – 2019-20

 

Instructor: Christopher Matzen                                 Room Number: 5133                      School Phone: (425) 837-4859

Email: MatzenC@issaquah.wednet.edu                 Website: https://matzencisd.wixsite.com/worldhistory

 

LHS Mission Statement:

“We are a community committed to educating all students by promoting critical thinking, supporting individual needs, and fostering a sense of belonging, with the goal of preparing students to achieve personal success and to become meaningful contributors to society.”

 

OVERVIEW

This year-long course will explore how major events, people, and movements shaped history from the ancient world to the turn of the 20th century.  We will examine how civilizations across time and in different regions organized their governments, built their societies & economies, and formed cultures.  Along the way, we will make connections between history and current events; cultivate our writing, note-taking, research, and discussion skills; and reflect on the meaning history provides each of us, both individually and together as ‘citizens of the world.’

 

The course is designed to help students:

  • Analyze how civilizations change and stay the same over time

  • Understand the causes and effects of historical events such as migration, expansion, and conflict

  • Understand how geography, technology, and ideas have shaped peoples nationally and internationally

  • Analyze the political and economic decisions made by governments and groups using historical evidence

  • Analyze similarities and differences among peoples and understand cultural diversity

  • Analyze and interpret different historical sources and points of view

  • Construct and evaluate arguments, and effectively use historical evidence

  • Strengthen critical thinking, writing and discussion skills

 

CONTENT

Semester 1

- Intro to History

- Early & Classical Civilizations

- Silk Roads, Mongols, Black Death

- Post-Classical Civilizations

- Renaissance, Age of Exploration, Scientific Revolution & Reformation

- Absolutism

Semester 2

- Atlantic Revolutions

- Industrial Revolutions & Nationalism

- Rise of Diplomacy & Democratic Reform Movements

- Imperialism

- Resistance

- Road to World War I

 

GRADING

Liberty High uses the Skyward grading system, which students and families can access online.  Assignments (e.g., in-class notes & graphic organizers, DBQs, exit tickets, worksheets), assessments (e.g., tests, quizzes, essays, presentations), and participation (e.g., warmups, discussions, Socratic seminars) are the kinds of work you can expect in this course.  All graded work is given a point value and semester grades are based on total points.  Skyward converts points to percentages/letter grades in the following way (for semester grades, I will round at 0.5 and up to the nearest letter grade):

A        93% or higher

A-      90-92 %

B+     87-89%

B       83-86%

B-      80-82%

C+     77-79%

C       73-76%

C-      70-72%

D+    67-69%

D      60-66%

F       59% - lower

 

LATE WORK

Late work is accepted in this class.  When work is late, students must complete a late work slip explaining the circumstances with specific details; students also need to have a follow-up conversation with me.  After doing this, they then attach the slip to the completed late work before handing it in.  Students can earn up to full credit by following this procedure.  If a student does not complete this process, late work can only receive half credit at most.  Late work is not accepted after quarter and semester deadlines; I will give advanced notice of cut-off dates for work, which will be roughly a week prior to the end of a term.

 

ATTENDANCE

Students are expected to be present and perform in class regularly!  It is difficult to re-create active learning experiences (debates, presentations, simulations, etc.) missed in class. If you are absent, it is your job to find out what you missed and make it up.  Check our class website (blog posts & calendar) regularly!  This is the best way to get caught up if you are gone. In addition, students are considered tardy if they are not in the room by the time class starts, and three tardies will result in a discipline referral (see the LHS Student Handbook for further details around attendance).

 

TEXT & MATERIALS

Textbook: Esler, Ellis. World History. Prentice Hall. 2014.

Other articles and readings will be either printed out for in-class use or accessed online.  For this course, students will need to bring to class with them daily:

  • Pencils

  • Pens and/or highlighters (for marking texts)

  • A 3-ring binder (all handouts and returned work should be kept for the duration of the course)

  • A notebook OR loose lined paper for daily work, note-taking, in-class writing

 

**Please don’t hesitate to contact me if access to a computer/Internet outside of class is an issue.

 

BEHAVIOR, EXPECTATIONS & DISCIPLINE

Students are expected to follow the school policies and expectations in the LHS Student Handbook.  To limit distractions during instruction and work time, food and drinks (other than water) are not allowed in during class (except for students with documented medical need).  Smart/cell phones, tablets, personal electronic devices, etc. are not to be used in class unless it is teacher-directed for learning purposes (e.g., playing Kahoot, music with earbuds during independent work).  Students not following expectations around food/drink and device use will be redirected one time; if it continues to be an issue, I will confiscate items for the remainder of the class period.  Continued disruptions may result in further disciplinary action (e.g., discipline referral, detention). Please be respectful of others, our space, and the learning process.

 

There are both academic and disciplinary consequences for cheating and plagiarism, starting from a failing grade on the specific assignment/assessment and ranging up to loss of course credit and suspension.  Here is the policy for students from the LHS Student Handbook:

 

A student shall tell the truth, shall present oneself honestly and shall not forge any signature or make any false entry or alteration of any document, either paper or electronic, used or intended to be used in connection with the operation of the school. A student shall not attempt to earn credit or receive a grade for coursework in a manner other than defined as acceptable by the teacher. Cheating/plagiarism include, but are not limited to, copying another’s work to use as one’s own or making an effort to distribute class assignments or test information without teacher permission to another student (written or verbal). A student shall not open or alter official school documents and private documents, either paper or electronic.

 

Respect is the guiding principle in all that we do—treating others the way you would want to be treated:

  • Respect for self: eat well, get enough sleep, take care of yourself (physically, mentally, emotionally)

  • Respect for fellow students: be mindful of others with your words and actions; show courtesy and support to your peers; cooperate during group work; see the DIGNITY in others

  • Respect for the teacher: come prepared & on time; participate and engage; listen during instruction and follow directions

  • Respect for different perspectives & opinions: critique ideas but not the person; learn to disagree without being disagreeable; recognize that there are other valid perspectives

  • Respect for the learning process: give your best EFFORT every day; completing your work with INTEGRITY (no cheating or plagiarism); remember that everyone deserves the opportunity to learn and better themselves

 

ADDITIONAL COURSE INFO

  • Please visit our course website (https://matzencisd.wixsite.com/worldhistory) for regular updates and class info---this is where you should look first if you are absent!

  • Extra credit is not offered for this course.  

  • Contact: Email is the best way to get a hold of me.  I will do my best to answer emails and calls within 1 school day, and usually will not check email after 5:00 PM.  I am glad to meet with any student or parent at a pre-arranged time, and I am usually available after school in Room 5133 for help/questions.

  • Information on this syllabus may be subject to change, in which case students and families will both be notified beforehand.

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