10^th Grade Global History: The Making of a Modern and Post-Modern World (Course Overview and Policies)

Introduction

In 1750, the world population was approximately 700 million.

Today, the world population is 6.8 billion and:

• There are over 20,000 languages spoken worldwide.
• In the US, 12% of the population lives below the poverty line while in countries like Haiti, 80% of the population does.
• Countries in North America and Europe have economies based on services and information while Sub-Saharan Africa and Asia still depend mostly on agriculture.
• Life expectancy in Nigeria is 47 years old; in Japan it is 82 years old.
• Spain became independent in 1492 while Kosovo just became a sovereign nation in 2008.

What does this all mean? The world has become increasingly complicated and full of contradictions. For some of you, this may be the last year that you take a global history course. (Of course, I hope not!) With the recent global economic recession, continuing conflicts in the Middle East, and the threat of terrorism, the world directly affects you. This year, we will study how these current realities came to be and how they might affect you or people you know.

Guiding Questions

Return to these questions again and again as you contemplate the bigger picture and context of each unit we study. These questions can also guide your understanding of current events. They will also be crucial when we come to final projects and papers.

• What does it mean to be human and how have communities been organized based on different ideas about humanity?
• How have present-day struggles and realities been caused by inequalities of the past?
• What does it mean to be free and how can people improve their communities?
• What role do ethics play in our study of history: can we judge others’ actions?

Course Content and Skills

We will begin the year looking at current events and questions raised by your summer reading about Dr. Paul Farmer’s work in Haiti. Then, as the year progresses, we will study the different political and economic systems that developed from the Enlightenment forward. We will look at European imperialism, resistance movements, the development of nation-states and of course the revolutions and wars of the 20^th century.

While content is certainly important, it is also essential that you continue to develop certain skills. We will focus a lot on writing and how to incorporate different sources into your papers. We will cultivate your ability to think analytically and make strong arguments both verbally and orally. At the end of the year, you will also learn how to teach and share your knowledge with others. You will develop and then execute lessons where you teach your own classmates. More on that later. For now, let’s turn to the expectations and requirements of the course. Please note the materials that you will need for the class.

Grading and Assessment

At the end of each semester, you will receive a grade in this class based on the following:

§ Homework/Notebooks 40%

§ Class participation 10%

§ Papers and Projects 40%

§ Quizzes 10%

Expectations and Policies

1. You are expected to RESPECT yourself and your peers. 10^th grade history will include a great deal of presentation, debate, and discussion. You are expected to talk in turn and in a positive, respectful tone toward other classmates. Put-downs, comedy at the expense of another, and generally malicious interaction will not be tolerated.

2. You should come to class mentally and physically prepared to learn. This means coming to class ready to read, write, discuss, and listen. Bring a pen, notebook, books, your voice, and your ears. Effective listening entails listening to both your classmates and me. In most cases, the most valuable insights presented in class will come from your fellow students.

3. Practice and Preparation (P&P): This is my pet name for homework. Although I know that homework can be tedious, I try to give you assignments that will build the skills and knowledge you will need to be successful in life after high school. I will do my best to post all P&Ps on the portal, which means that being absent is NOT an excuse for not having your homework.

4. Notebooks: You will keep your classnotes, vocabulary, P&Ps, and current events all in one notebook. We will go over how to set it up in class. You need a notebook with sheets 8.5 x 11, college-ruled. I will collect notebooks approximately every other week. No late notebooks will be accepted without a call or meeting with a parent/guardian. See below for notebook set-up.

5. Attendance: If you are absent, you must bring me a note from a parent or guardian. Otherwise it will count as a “cut,” which will lower your participation average. If homework is posted, you are responsible for the work on the day it is due.

6. Projects and Papers are due at the beginning of class on the day they are due. If they are late, your grade will be lowered. Extensions are possible, but you must talk to me at least 24 hours in advance. You may revise projects and papers and I will weigh the higher grade. But you must follow all the revision steps. See below.

7. Plagiarism will not be tolerated. Period. We will use turnitin.com. Any homework assignment, paper or project that is plagiarized will receive a grade of zero. I teach because I value learning. Plagiarism is not the kind of learning I will have in my classroom, plus it is cowardly and dishonest.

8. Communication and honesty: These are extremely important to me and they are essential life skills. I do understand that you have other things going on in your life after school and at home. I also know that you have other classes besides mine. If you are having problems with an assignment, come talk to me. Don’t just not hand something in and hope that “I won’t notice.” I will notice. I despise lying. Explain to me what is going and we’ll figure out a plan. I’m good at plans.

Notebook Set-Up

You will keep all your work for my class and only my class, in a notebook or binder.  You should also have a folder for extra handouts.  This notebook will be collected every 2 weeks approximately and will have classwork, P&Ps, vocabulary and current events.  You should set it up like this:

1. On the outside or the first page, please write: your name, your advisor, Global History 10, 2009-20010, Ms. Radin.

2. Please feel free to decorate if you are so inspired.

3. Next write “Vocabulary” on the next 3 “sides”.  Each time you read the newspaper or do your homework and you find a word you don’t know, you should look it up.  Keep the list of words and their definitions on these pages.

4. On the top of each page you should have: the date, the P&P# if applicable or the class title for that day.

5. Your notebooks will receive a grade based on:

a. Overall organization and set-up

b. Vocabulary

c. P&P assignments and quality (each P&P is scored individually)

d. Classnotes/classwork

6. Reminder: No late notebooks will be accepted without a call or meeting to a parent/guardian.

Why am I doing this?  Believe it or not, it is not because I like to torture you.  A lot of the material we cover in the class will jump around and it is important to keep it organized so you can make sense of it all and review when necessary.  Also most assessments (whether papers or projects) will build on ideas, activities, and analysis that we have done throughout each unit.  This way you will have that work as reference.  Often you will be able to use an assignment or part of one as a jumping-off point.

Other policies on how to submit revisions for projects/papers will be posted on my website as we the year progresses.

I am truly excited to get to know you all and hear your ideas. Let’s begin!