World History II
Class Syllabus
Mrs. Melad
http://hs.doversherborn.org/hs/kehrere/
“History
is a guide to navigation in perilous times. History is who we are and why we
are the way we are.”
--David
McCullough
“Those
who cannot learn from history are doomed to repeat it.”
--George
Santayana
“History
is merely a list of surprises. It can
only prepare us to be surprised once again.”
--Kurt
Vonnegut
“History
is a myth that men agree to believe.”
This
class will explore the history of the world’s societies and nations from the
European Enlightenment of the 18th Century through our present day.
A major focus of this class will be on the consideration of how individuals and
their societies have negotiated and understood events and circumstances in
their own time and how we today interpret such events. Through discussions,
reading of primary and secondary sources, videos, and lectures we will explore
the modern era of history and its lasting legacies. It is my goal to provide each of you with a
foundational understanding of the major events of the last 2 or 3 centuries and
to help you see how the history of the past is still relevant to today’s world.
Ultimately,
history is the study of people—the great ones, the notorious ones, and the
everyday ones. It is an examination of societies
throughout time—what makes them great, what keeps them strong, and what leads
to their downfall. This year you will
undoubtedly learn stories of bravery, kindness, and glory, but also ones of
cruelty and misery. You will learn of a
past that at times may stand in stark contrast to what we today in the
§
The English Civil War and the Enlightenment in
§
Age of Political Revolutions
·
American, French, Latin American
§
Industrial Revolution
§
Nationalism (mini-unit)
§
Age of Imperialism
§
World War I
§
Russian Revolution
§
Interwar Years and Rise of Totalitarianism
§
World War II
§
Cold War Societies and Communism
§
Emerging 20th
Century Nations
Class Materials
Please
keep your book covered to protect it when it travels to and from school. However, due to its large size, you will be
leaving this text at home unless otherwise directed. My goal is to present you with a
multi-perspective account of history; therefore, primary and secondary reading
handouts will supplement your text reading and form a large part of your
reading material.
Each
of you should have a three-ring binder for use in this class only. Please fill
this notebook with lined loose-leaf paper.
In addition, I’d like you to place at least 10 divider tabs throughout
your notebook. These will serve to
divide your notebook into our major units of study. The first tab should read “Class Materials
and Reference.” This syllabus should be placed in this section and kept in your
notebook at all times. The second tab should read “The English
Civil War and the Enlightenment.” We
will label the rest of the tabs as we move through the units. This binder will hold everything (aside from
your text) that you will need and use for this class, including handouts and
class and text notes you will take throughout the year. Organization of this notebook and note-taking
is an important part of this class.
Please get your binder as soon as possible--I will be checking that you
have your notebook as described. I expect you to bring this notebook to
class with you each day.
Your work for
my class will fall within the below categories:
70% Performance (quizzes, quests, tests, projects, and major writing
assignments)
20
% Homework (open-note HW quizzes and checked or collected work)
10% Class Participation (daily participation and Socratic
Seminars)
Homework is an
important part of this class. Homework
will be announced each day in class and will usually also be posted online on
my website. Therefore, if you miss
history class one day but are otherwise present in school, you are still able
to find the homework assignment and complete it in a timely fashion. Unless you have missed homework for a
legitimate absence from class, you will be expected to have your homework with
you the day it is due in class.
Late papers are
marked a full grade for each day they are late.
Also, please
note: no one will be permitted to use the classroom printer at the beginning of
class to print assignments that are due that day. You are more than welcome to stop by before school to use my printer. However, any assignment that you do not have
the day it is due in hard copy form is
considered late.
Extra Help Hours
I will be
available after school two days each week.
I encourage you all to see me after school with any questions or
concerns you may have about the material in class.
How to Get the Most Out of this Class
If you feel a
part of this class, you will get the most out of it. This means everyone needs to feel comfortable
to voice their opinions and ask questions.
You must respect each other so that we can make this a class that we all
look forwarding to coming to—this is THE MOST critical ingredient to having a
successful class experience.
A critical
part of this course is participation. I
cannot stress this enough. This is your class and you need to be an active
part of it. That means not only
speaking, but listening and having your “head in the game,” as well.
In
addition, I am assuming and expecting that you come to class on time and
prepared (with notebook and utensil), with necessary work completed.
Lastly, don’t hesitate to ask questions or ask for
help. That’s what I’m here for!
I’m looking
forward to a great year with you all!!!