Welcome to the World!
Course Description
Title: World History and Geography
This full year course introduces students to the study of world history in order to construct a common memory of where humankind has been and what accounts for present circumstances. Building upon foundations from middle school, the course begins with a period of expanding and intensified hemispheric interactions (circa 300 C.E.) and continues to the present. Within each historical era, students work at three interconnected spatial scales to study world history through several lenses: global, interregional, and regional. Through a global and comparative approach, students examine worldwide events, processes, and interactions among the world’s people, cultures, societies, and environment. Interregional and regional scales provide students the opportunity for deep investigation of examples of global trends. Emphasis is placed on skills that enable students to evaluate evidence, develop comparative and causal analyses, interpret the historical record, construct sound historical arguments, and recognize perspectives on which informed decisions in contemporary life can be based. In addition, this course enables students to focus on large historical and geographic patterns, as well as their causes and consequences. Students study human governance systems, patterns of interactions among societies and regions, and patterns of cultural, intellectual, religious, and social changes. They analyze the impact of demographic, technological, environmental, political, and economic changes on people, their culture, and their environment. The integration of historical thinking skills and historical understandings throughout this course equips students to analyze issues and problems confronting citizens today.
World History will take a look at times, areas, and regions of the world, as well as human diversity and the interactions between people and their environment. History is exciting and perceptions about it are always changing. It is my hope that you will come to not only enjoy this course but also learn how to respect and interact with events of the past.
Goals: Upon completing this course, students should be able to:
Required Materials
This full year course introduces students to the study of world history in order to construct a common memory of where humankind has been and what accounts for present circumstances. Building upon foundations from middle school, the course begins with a period of expanding and intensified hemispheric interactions (circa 300 C.E.) and continues to the present. Within each historical era, students work at three interconnected spatial scales to study world history through several lenses: global, interregional, and regional. Through a global and comparative approach, students examine worldwide events, processes, and interactions among the world’s people, cultures, societies, and environment. Interregional and regional scales provide students the opportunity for deep investigation of examples of global trends. Emphasis is placed on skills that enable students to evaluate evidence, develop comparative and causal analyses, interpret the historical record, construct sound historical arguments, and recognize perspectives on which informed decisions in contemporary life can be based. In addition, this course enables students to focus on large historical and geographic patterns, as well as their causes and consequences. Students study human governance systems, patterns of interactions among societies and regions, and patterns of cultural, intellectual, religious, and social changes. They analyze the impact of demographic, technological, environmental, political, and economic changes on people, their culture, and their environment. The integration of historical thinking skills and historical understandings throughout this course equips students to analyze issues and problems confronting citizens today.
World History will take a look at times, areas, and regions of the world, as well as human diversity and the interactions between people and their environment. History is exciting and perceptions about it are always changing. It is my hope that you will come to not only enjoy this course but also learn how to respect and interact with events of the past.
Goals: Upon completing this course, students should be able to:
- Read, interpret, analyze, and evaluate historical documents
- Write and support their own theories and opinions of historical themes and issues using critical thinking skills
- Identify some of the major eras in world history and describe some of their defining characteristics
- Describe how major world issues and events affect various people, societies, places, and cultures in different ways
- Understand how major world processes affect different world regions and how these regions are have changed and are changing
Required Materials
- A 3-Ring Binder
- Pens/Pencils/Notebook paper
- All RBHS policies will be followed. See Handbook for rules.
- Classroom expectations:
- Be Prepared: You are expected to be in your seat when the bell rings ready to start class, if there is an assignment on the board you are expected to start on it right away. Being prepared includes having all you materials with you. For this class you will be expected to have the following material with you: a writing utensil, notebook, and any handouts from class.
- No Late Work will be accepted without prior arrangement. (See handout)
- Be Respectful: Follow the Golden Rule
- Treat Others as you would want to be Treated
- If you don’t have something nice to say, don’t say anything at all.
- When someone else is speaking in class do not interrupt them, whether it is Ms. WB or another classmate. Wait your turn and raise your hand to speak.
- Be Appropriate.
- Be Relentless! NEVER give up!