ADVANCED PLACEMENT (A.P.) WORLD HISTORY
COURSE GUIDELINES
Ms. McDugall
Periods Available: ______Email and voicemail:
Ext. 2318
COURSE DESCRIPTION and GOALS
The AP World History is a rigorous, college-level course designed to explore human history from 8,000 B.C.E. to the present. The course provides geographical coverage of the five regions of the world: Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe, and Oceania. The content is structured around the investigation of five course themes and key concepts in six chronological periods. In addition to providing a survey of world history, the goals of the AP World History program are to help students develop proficiency in the four historical thinking skills. The AP World History course develops students’ capacity and ability to think and reason in a deeper, more systematic way, better preparing them for subsequent college courses.
RULES & PROCEDURES – What I expect of you:
1. Students are expected to treat each other, the teacher, and all guests with RESPECT.
2. Be quiet and in your seat when the bell rings. If you are not, you are late. Do not come to class and then ask to be excused.
3. Remain seated at the end of class and do not pack up until I dismiss you.
4. Please refrain from eating and drinking when possible. Be sure to clean up any trash.
5. Please keep your book bag underneath your seat.
6. As you enter the classroom, pick up handouts on the table by the door.
8. I only hand out papers once. If you lose them, it is your responsibility to get the handouts from a classmate.
7. Come to class prepared:
A. Every day, you must bring your binder andall reading notes from the entire unit.
B. You do not need to bring your textbook to class unless I ask you to do so. Most of the time, you will be able to leave your textbook at home.
GRADING POLICY:
Marking periods will be based on the following and will be weighted accordingly:
1. Tests, Essays and DBQs (40%) – In class tests may include multiple choice, essays, and/or DBQs (document based essay questions). Occasionally, some tests may include take home DBQs. The 4th marking period research paper and other smaller research projects will also be included under this category. Makeup tests may often consist of a different format than the original test, usually written identifications and essays.
2. Homework (40%) – Students are responsible for completing all readings and assignments on time. Due to the vast amount of material covered in this course, not all of the reading will be discussed in class. Evaluation of completion of homework will typically take the form of a closed note quiz, however, other formats will be used as well. Students should be prepared for a possible quiz on any reading assignment on the day that the reading is due, or any day thereafter during that unit.
3. Class Participation (20%) – Class participation is essential for ensuring a student’s grasp of the material, and for challenging students to hone their analysis, synthesis, and oratory skills. For that reason, class participation will count toward a significant part of your grade. Please read the attached rubric on class participation, so that you will understand my expectations. Everyone's voice is important in my class; your contributions will be appreciated and expected. We will all contribute to each other's education. No one may rely on another person to think for him or her. Studies have shown that regular class participation actively involves a student in the learning process and improves grades. We will all be offering opinions, speculating, giving information, and asking questions. If you want to assess how you are doing mid-marking period, schedule a conference with me.
ABSENCES AND ASSIGNMENTS:
A. After an absence, check the outbox on the front table for any handouts that you missed.
B. When absent, you are responsible for contacting a classmate to obtain missed lecture notes and assignments, and to inquire whether a quiz was given. Once you have taken that initiative and reviewed the material, you may ask me for clarification of the notes or assignments.
C. You are responsible to make up any missed test or quiz within one week of the test date or within the prescribed two days for every one day of absence. Failure to make up the test or quiz within these time frames will result in a zero on the test or quiz. The testing center (room 294) is available for making up tests. In the case of extraordinary circumstances, see me.
D. For other assignments and tests, you will be allowed two days to make up work for each day that you are absent. After that, the work will be considered late, and points will be deducted.
E. Makeup tests will often consist of written identifications and essays.
LATE WORK:
A. If you turn in an assignment or test late, you will have 10% deducted for each day that it is late.
B. I will not accept any late work during the last week of any marking period.
C. All late assignments must be handed to me personally. They should not be left on my chair, my desk, or in my mailbox. If you turn in work, but do not give it to me directly, then it is your sole responsibility if I never receive the work.
CLASS WEBSITE
Please check the schoolwires website for class announcements and important handouts. I will try and regularly post the current homework assignment sheet and any materials needed for major projects so you and your parents/guardians can have access to them at home. The website can be accessed from the Teacher Pages tab at the top right hand corner of the CHS website. Once you are under Teacher Pages, click on my name.
TOOLS OF THE TRADE:
You may find the following materials to be helpful to you in this class:
1. Three-ring binder notebook: You will be given many handouts during the year which need to be organized.
2. You may want to buy a used copy of the textbook online. That way, you would be able to write in it. The school textbooks are very expensive, and it could cost you over $100 if you write in them. We will be using The Earth and Its Peoples AP* Edition by Bulliet, Crossley, Headrick, Hirsch, Johnson, and Northrup.
3. A Historical World Atlas booklet: Several are available at bookstores. For many people, including myself, it helps to glance at a map from the particular time period, while doing your reading. It helps in understanding the complicated political, geographic, economic, social, and religious challenges that constitute this course.
4. Buy a review guide for the AP test: This will not only aid you in studying for the AP test, but it will help you to navigate some of the more difficult course readings, by highlighting key events and concepts in World history. Suggested review guides include Princeton Review, Barron’s, or ARCON. They can be purchased at most book stores.
5. Use the textbook web-site to help you prepare. It has quizzes and extra activities.
COPING WITH THE STRESS AND THE WORK:
AP World History requires a great deal of time and work. It can be overwhelming to try to complete all of the readings, while being able to comprehend what you have read and to synthesize it into good essay answers. Here are a few suggestions to consider that may help you to cope.
1. Look at the work on a weekly basis and plan accordingly. Don’t wait until the last minute or allow large assignments to sneak up on you, because that can lead to disaster and affect your other coursework as well.
2. If you find that this course is overwhelming you and hurting your other coursework, please come see me. We need to talk about this as soon as possible.
3. Schedule a set time every day (i.e. 7pm to 7:45pm) to do AP homework, and stick to that schedule! It is rare that you will have a day without reading or homework to do.
4. You can not know everything. Trying to do so will take years off of your life. I do not know every detail about World history, because I am human, just like you. The important thing in a survey course is to understand major events and concepts, and to learn how to use related, key details to back up your position in an essay. This is a skill that we will work on throughout the year.
5. Your grade will improve if you work at it…keep working, keep trying, and keep asking.
6. Do fun things every now and then to take your mind off of the work. Remember to enjoy the full high school experience. You only experience it once.
WHAT YOU CAN EXPECT OF ME:
I will treat you with respect and treat you as young adults. If you are having difficulty with the course, please come discuss it with me, so we can work together on solutions. I want to help you progress and achieve your greatest potential.
PLAGIARISM AND CHEATING:
Plagiarism and cheating are unacceptable. Any student found to be cheating or plagiarizing will receive a “0” on the assignment and a possible a grade reduction for the marking period. In addition, the student will be barred from completing any extra credit assignments for the remainder of that marking period. Below is a list of some examples of cheating:
- Sharing any information about a test or quiz with a student who has not yet taken the test or quiz;
- Asking about the nature of a test or quiz before taking it;
- Turning in someone else’s work or reading notes as your own;
- Using someone else’s reading notes to take a quiz or to draft your own notes;
- Sharing your reading notes with anyone else, without getting specific permission from me first;
- Working on homework with another student, unless the teacher has given you specific permission;
- Submitting work that was already completed for another course without permission from both teachers;
- Using direct quotes or paraphrasing from someone else’s work in a research paper or project, without using proper citations and without giving credit to the original author;
- Taking tests, quizzes, or exams out of my classroom without my specific permission.
You ARE allowed to:
- Study with a partner or a group for a test or an exam, although you may not share your reading notes with another student who has not yet turned in those notes and who still has time to do so.
- Share your in-class lecture notes with other students.
The above list is not all-encompassing and is meant only as a basic guide. Of course, there are many more instances of cheating which are not on this list that will also be punished accordingly. You are expected to use your best judgment, and to consult with me first if you are ever in doubt. Remember, in addition to the reduced grade consequences of cheating, you do not want to establish a reputation for yourself as a cheater.
Participation Scoring Guide
Participation will be broadly based on five categories, although these categories are not necessarily equally weighted. The five categories are as follows:
1. Frequency / Quality3. Attention5. Questioning
2. Attitude4. Cooperation
The following is a guide for grading brackets with description for each of the five categories. It is probable that students fall into a wide variety of brackets depending on the category. The grade for participation represents an average of these combinations of brackets and categories. Therefore, the descriptions that follow each grade bracket may not describe the student's performance in any particular category.
95 - 100
1. Contributes high quality comments throughout discussions, yet yields time to others where appropriate; responds competently when called upon.
2. Demonstrates a positive attitude that consistently encourages others to
succeed; is always considerate of classmates.
3. Attentive to whomever is addressing the class at all times; is an excellent listener.
4. Demonstrates a leadership role in small groups and works well with others
consistently.
5. Frequently poses thought provoking, meaningful questions.
90 - 94
1. Contributes high quality comments several times per discussion; yields time to
others where appropriate; usually responds competently when called upon.
2. Usually demonstrates a positive attitude that encourages others to succeed; is
always considerate of classmates.
3. Attentive to whomever is addressing the class most of the time; is an excellent
listener.
4. Works effectively in small groups and works well with others consistently.
5. Frequently poses thought provoking, meaningful questions.
85 - 89
1. Contributes a high quality comment once per discussion; usually responds
competently when called upon.
2. Usually demonstrates a positive attitude; is always considerate of classmates.
3. Attentive to whomever is addressing the class most of the time; is a good
listener.
4. Works competently in small groups and works well with others consistently.
5. Occasionally poses thought provoking, meaningful questions.
80 - 84
1. Occasionally contributes high quality comments during class discussions;
usually responds competently when called upon.
2. Usually demonstrates a positive attitude; is always considerate of classmates.
3. Attentive to teacher most of the time; is a good listener.
4. Usually works competently in small groups and usually works well with
others.
5. Occasionally poses thought provoking, meaningful questions.
75 - 79
1. Rarely contributes high quality comments during class discussions; usually
responds competently when called upon.
2. Sometimes demonstrates a positive attitude; is usually considerate of classmates.
3. Sometimes attentive to whomever is addressing the class.
4. Sometimes not on task; usually works well with others.
5. Rarely poses thought provoking, meaningful questions.
70 - 74
1. Rarely contributes high quality comments during class discussions; occasionally responds competently when called upon.
2. Sometimes demonstrates a negative attitude; sometimes is inconsiderate of
classmates.
3. Occasionally attentive to whomever is addressing the class.
4. Sometimes not on task; sometimes works well with others.
5. Rarely poses thought provoking, meaningful questions.
65 - 69
1. Rarely contributes high quality comments during class discussions; rarely
responds competently when called upon.
2. Often displays a negative attitude; sometimes is inconsiderate of classmates.
3. Rarely attentive to whomever is addressing the class.
4. Rarely on task; sometimes works well with others.
5. Never poses thought provoking, meaningful questions.
< 65
1. Never contributes high quality comments during class discussions; rarely
responds competently when called upon.
2. Often displays a negative attitude; often is inconsiderate of classmates.
3. Often distracted; doesn't pay attention.
4. Rarely on task; rarely works well with others.
5. Never poses thought provoking, meaningful questions.