School Year 2017-2018

Course Name / World History / Course Code / 45.0830001
45.2830001G
School Name / DeKalb School of the Arts / Teacher Name / Sondra Beth Williams
School Phone Number / 678-676-2502 / Teacher Email /
School Website / www.dsa.dekalb.k12.ga.us / Teacher Website / http://www.dsa.dekalb.k12.ga.us//SondraWilliams.aspx

Course Description: The high school world history course provides students with a comprehensive, intensive study of major events and themes in world history. Students begin with a study of the earliest civilizations worldwide and continue to examine major developments and themes in all regions of the world. The course culminates in a study of change and continuity and globalization at the beginning of the 21st century. Additionally, the Social Studies Department will be incorporating the Common Core Literacy Standards throughout the academic year.

http://www.gpb.org/files/common-core/standards-ss-standards-9-10.pdf

Georgia Performance Standards: https://www.georgiastandards.org/Standards/Georgia%20Performance%20Standards/World-History.pdf

Curriculum Overview:

The following academic concepts will be covered. THIS IS ONLY A GUIDE AND IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE.

CURRICULUM OVERVIEW
Unit 1 –
Connecting Themes & Ancient Civilizations - 6 weeks
Unit 2 –
The Medieval Era - 6 weeks
Unit 3 –
Age of Exploration and Expansion- 4 weeks
Unit 4 –
Emergence of European Influence- 5 weeks
Unit 5 –
Mounting Global Tensions - 3 weeks
Unit 6 –
World in Turmoil - 2 weeks
Unit 7 –
Interactions During the Cold War Era - 3 weeks
Unit 8 –
Globalization - 2 weeks

BOARD-APPROVED INSTRUCTIONAL MATERIALS

Title / World History: Patterns of Interaction
ISBN / ISBN-13978-0-618-58688-2
Replacement Cost / $102.70
Online book and/or resources / 1) https://www.worldviewsoftware.com/login/,
2) www.databases.abc-clio.com
Online student access code (school specific) / 1) un:dek14ga
pw:dek14ga
2) un: DSAstudent
pw: dekalb10

GRADING SYSTEM: The DeKalb County School District believes that the most important assessment of student learning shall be conducted by the teachers as they observe and evaluate students in the context of ongoing classroom instruction. A variety of approaches, methodologies, and resources shall be used to deliver educational services and to maximize each student’s opportunity to succeed. Teachers shall evaluate student progress, report grades that represent the student’s academic achievement, and communicate official academic progress to students and parents in a timely manner through the electronic grading portal. See Board Policy IHA.

GRADING CATEGORIES / *GRADE PROTOCOL
Pre-Assessments Prior to Learning (Formative Assessments) - 0%
Assessments During Learning – 25%
Guided, Independent, or Group Practice – 45%
Summative Assessments or Assessments of Learning– 30% / A 90 – 100 ~P (pass)
B 80 – 89 ~F (fail)
C 71 – 79
D 70
F Below 70

Notes:

*English Learners (ELs) must not receive numerical or letter grades for the core content areas in elementary and middle school during their first year of language development. A grade of CS or CU must be assigned. This rule may be extended beyond the first year with approval from the EL Studies Program. English Learners must receive a grade for ESOL courses.

·  Students in this class will participate in pre and post tests in the content area. "Student Learning Objectives" (SLOs) are in place to serve as a measure of the powerful impact of teachers on student learning in non-(standardized) tested classes.

·  Where students of varying abilities are enrolled in a class, the workload and/or assignments maybe modified to meet the needs and abilities of the individual student. All classes will promote a high level of rigor within the curriculum. A variety of teaching strategies, including individual and cooperative structures, will be used to accommodate the learning styles of all students.

·  The teacher reserves the right to modify a syllabus as needed with appropriate notification to students.

DISTRICT EXPECTATIONS FOR SUCCESS
STUDENT PROGRESS / Semester progress reports shall be issued four and a half, nine and thirteen and a half weeks into each semester. The progress of students shall be evaluated frequently and plans shall be generated to remediate deficiencies as they are discovered.Plans shall include appropriate interventions designed to meet the needs of the students. See Board Policy IH.
ACADEMIC INTEGRITY / Students will not engage in an act of academic dishonesty including, but not limited to, cheating, providing false information, falsifying school records, forging signatures, or using an unauthorized computer user ID or password. See the Code of Student Conduct - Student Rights and Responsibilities and Character Development Handbook.
HOMEWORK / Homework assignments should be meaningful and should be an application or adaptation of a classroom experience. Homework is at all times an extension of the teaching/learning experience. It should be considered the possession of the student and should be collected, evaluated and returned to the students. See Board Policy IHB.
MAKE-UP WORK
DUE TO ABSENCES / When a student is absent because of a legal reason as defined by Georgia law or when the absence is apparently beyond the control of the student, the student shall be given an opportunity to earn grade(s) for those days absent. Make-up work must be completed within the designated time allotted. See Board Policy IHEA. Local Guidelines: Work assigned prior to absence(s) is due upon return. Tests or projects assigned before absence are due upon return. Tests will be made up according to teacher(s)’ schedule. If the student is absent due to unforeseen circumstances within board approved absences, the student will be permitted the equal number of absent days to make up work assigned during the absence. If absence is unexcused, make up work may not be accessed.
SCHOOL EXPECTATIONS FOR SUCCESS
CLASSROOM EXPECTATIONS / 1. Students must adhere to the DCSS Student Code of Conduct
2. Students may bring water only to class.
3. Electronic devices must be off and out of sight during instruction.
4. Students must be seated by the last bell.
5. Students must be prepared for class.
6. Students must maintain a respectful demeanor at all times.
7. Students must keep an organized notebook for review purposes.
MATERIALS AND SUPPLIES / 3-Ring Binder w/pockets
Blue or black ink pens
Lined notebook paper
Flash drive to carry project files
Access to books for outside reading
EXTRA HELP / Tutorial Days: Tuesday & Thursday
Tutorial Hours: 3:30 - 4:30 by appt.
Tutorial Location: Room 309
PARENTS AS PARTNERS / www.ptsa4dsa.org www.dekalb.k12.ga.us/dsa
www.dekalb.k12.ga.us
SUPPLEMENTAL READING REQUIREMENTS / Required Projects/Reading:
• We will read two books pertaining to World History. If plagiarism is detected, a grade of zero will result.
• Students will research one person, concept, or event each semester that helped shape our world. This will be presented in a multi-media format.
World History Book List: Choose one of the following or submit for approval your own choice to fulfill the reading requirement. The 1st book review is due mid-October, the 2nd will be mid-March. Dates are subject to change.
•Guns, Germs, and Steel* by Jared Diamond (rise of civilizations, *counts as two
•Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse (Buddhism & Eastern perspectives)
•Cod: A Biography of a Fish That Changed the World by Mark Kurlansky (global)
•Salt: A World History* by Mark Kurlansky (global economics, *counts as two
•In the Time of the Butterflies by Julia Alvarez (Latin America)
•The Gifts of the Jews by Thomas Cahill (Middle East factoids & developments)
•The Lemon Tree by Sandy Tolan (Middle East conflict analysis)
•Nectar in a Sieve by Kamala Markandaya (India & peasant conditions)
•Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe (West Africa & British imperialism)
•Sacred Hunger by Barry Unsworth (Transatlantic slave trade)
•Genghis Khan & the Making of the Modern World by Jack Weatherford (Mongols)
•Forgotten Fire by Adam Bagasarian (the Armenian Genocide)
•Open Veins of Latin America* by Eduardo Galeano (*counts as two books)
•The Adventures of Ibn Battuta* by Ross E. Dunn (14th century Islamic world)
BOOK REVIEW RUBRIC / Book Review Format -
I. Introduction:
A. Introduce your review appropriately.
• Identify the author, the title, the main topic or issue presented, and a brief synopsis of the book.
B. Explain Relationships. Establish your position as the reviewer. As you write, consider the following questions:
• What is the main argument or thesis put forth by the author?
• What evidence supports the main argument of the author? In which chapter (or chapters) is this evidence found? Why or how does this evidence support the main point of the book?
• What is the weakest point made by the author? Why?
• How does the main topic relate to our World History course?
• Who is the intended audience for this book?
• What is your critical evaluation of the work (your thesis or stance)? Why have you taken that position?
II. Evaluate the book. This is the heart of your book review. You should discuss a variety of issues here:
• How clearly is the book written?
• What did you like best about the book? What did you like least about the book? Explain.
III. Conclusion. Tie together any issues raised in the review and provide a concise comment on the book and whether or not you would recommend this book to someone else.

PLEASE SIGN BELOW AND RETURN

I have read the syllabus.

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