AP WORLD HISTORY

Text :

World Civilizations: The Global Experience Third Edition, Stearns

ADVANCED PLACEMENT WORLD HISTORY (WHAP)

Textbook: World Civilizations by Stearns, ET. Al.

Purpose of the course :

Mansfield Summit High School ’s Advanced Placement World History course is a challenging survey course whose purpose is to develop greater understanding of the historical development of global processes and contacts through interaction in human history between societies. It will follow the scope and sequence delineated in the Advanced Placement World History “acorn” book, as well as the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS), which will be tested at the tenth grade level on the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) test given in April of each year. Students are actively encouraged to also take the optional Advanced Placement exam given in May of each year. All students who successfully fulfill the course requirements will satisfy the Texas requirements for World History and will receive honors credit.

Time Frames:

The course highlights the nature of changes in international frameworks and their causes and consequences over time as well as comparisons among global societies. The focus is primarily on the last thousand years of the global experience. The periods or major units of this course are:

• “Foundations” or background period – up to 600 CE (6 weeks)
• 600 – 1450 CE (6 weeks)
• 1450- 1750 CE (8 weeks)
• 1750- 1914 CE (8 weeks)
• 1914 to the Present (8 weeks)

Course Description:

For each time period, knowledge of major developments that illustrate or link the six thematic areas with the major civilizations in Africa , the Americas , Asia and Europe is expected. Knowledge of year-to-year political events is not required. The course will highlight the six overarching themes that receive approximately equal attention throughout the course.

The Six Themes of World History: 

• The impact of interaction among major societies (trade, systems of international exchange, war and diplomacy)
• The relationship of change and continuity across the periods covered in this course.
• The impact of technology and demography on people and the environment.
• The systems of social structure and gender structure.
• Changes in functions and structures of states and in attitudes towards states and political identities, including the emergence of the nation-state.

In addition, the course will address historical skills or habits of mind:

• Using documents and other primary data: developing the skills necessary to analyze point of view, context, bias, and to understand as well as interpret information.
• Developing the ability to assess issues of change and continuity over time.
• Enhancing the capacity to handle a diversity of interpretations through analysis of context through bias, and frame of reference.
• Seeing global patterns over time and space while also acquiring the ability to connect local developments to global ones and move through levels of generalizations from the global to the particular.
• Developing the ability to assess claims of universal standards yet remaining aware of human commonalities and differences: putting culturally diverse ides and values in historical context, not suspending judgment but developing understanding.
• Constructing and evaluating arguments: using evidence to make plausible arguments.

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Materials : Bring these every day. Repeated failure to bring them will result in a referral.

• Notebook Paper
• a Spiral notebook
• Your three ring notebook
• Writing instrument- I don’t care if its pen or pencil- BRING ONE
• Your student ID

Grading :

• HOMEWORK -40%
• TESTS/PROJECTS -40%
• MID TERM/FINAL -20% ( DISTRICT POLICY )

The Rules: (subject to change as needed.)

1. THINK, every day, learn something EVERY DAY, ask when you do not understand something or want to know more.
2. NO FOOD OR DRINKS - bottled water is the only exception.
3. NO TALKING DURING THE ANNOUNCEMENTS
4. Be in class every day, we move fast and being absent means you are behind.
5. The bathroom is across the hall. Use it BEFORE class- no one leaves the first 45 minutes. Only one student gone from the room at a time. You must have your student ID to be able to leave the room, NO EXCEPTIONS.
6. Have your materials EVERY DAY- no exceptions. Paper, something to write with. Pen or pencil is acceptable. Bring your OWN materials. I am not a store.
7. Only notebook paper may be used, not from a spiral
8. Do the coursework assigned, on time. All work is due when you walk in the door. If it is not complete at THAT TIME it is late, no exceptions. You may not come to class, ‘finish’ work and turn it in then. It is late at that point.
9. All makeup work will be done outside of the regular class period . That means before/after school or by arranging another time with me.
10. Cooperate with me and your classmates.
11. Smile- even if you have to fake it- pretty soon you will forget it’s an act.
12. I will respect you- you will respect me, and each other- no questions no exceptions

• The Homework and test/projects grades are weighted the same, but you will have many more homework grades than tests/projects. If you miss class you are behind, so be here every day. Notebook checks are test grades.
• You may use the chapter study guides for tests . No notes for quizzes . That means notes taken in class or notes prepared by you outside of class. You are VERY encouraged to participate in a study group, but that does not mean you simply use notes someone else has made and copied, ever.
• YOU are responsible for getting missed work for an absence. I will not prompt you to get any work that you missed. If you miss for an excused absence then school handbook rules apply. If you were not absent you get a zero .
• Extra credit is only available if you are passing and wish to improve your grade. You cannot substitute extra work for the required learning; it just does not work that way so please don’t ask.
• I promise to work WITH YOU, help you with whatever I can, and I expect the same from you. If you need tutoring TELL ME, I’ll arrange it. If you have special needs or circumstances that have come up, TELL ME, I will see what arrangements I can make to help you out.