ADVANCED PLACEMENT WORLD HISTORY
Olympia High School
2008-2009
Instructor: Mrs. Kristen Soderberg
E-mail: ksoderberg@osd.wednet.edu
Phone: 360.596.7161
Website: http://olympia.osd.wednet.edu
COURSE OVERVIEW
Welcome
to Advanced Placement World History (APWH)! APWH is the only AP class
offered at the sophomore level at Olympia High School. The course
highlights the nature of changes in international frameworks and their
causes and consequences, as well as comparisons among major societies.
This results in a more holistic, systematic, and global view of
history. The course offers balanced coverage with Africa, the Americas,
Asia, and Europe each represented.
By taking this class and then
the exam in May, students may earn college credit. It is intended to
replicate a lower-division college course. As a result, this class will
be challenging, but highly rewarding. Students will be expected to be
self-disciplined and motivated. The scope of the course is so vast that
students must not fall behind.
ADVANCED PLACEMENT ISSUES
•
Students enrolled in AP World History must take the AP exam in May or
the AP designation of the class will be removed from their transcript.
• The exam costs $84.00 and will be paid to the Finance Office during the spring semester.
•
Colleges and universities look at transcripts carefully; attempting an
Advanced Placement class reflects better than a college prep class.
•
It is recommended that students purchase an AP World History review
book. A list of recommended review books will be available on the
website.
COURSE OUTLINE
AP World History is
broken up into five periods of study that will guide the structure of
the course. Each period will receive about equal treatment during the
course of the school year, which reflects the emphasis of each period
on the AP exam.
Unit 1: Foundations (8000 B.C.E. – 600 C.E.)
Unit 2: The Postclassical Era (600 C.E. – 1450 C.E.)
Unit 3: An Age of Cross-Cultural Interaction (1450 C.E. – 1750 C.E.)
Unit 4: An Age of Revolution, Industry, and Empire (1750 C.E. – 1914 C.E.)
Unit 5: Contemporary Global Realignments (1914 C.E. – Present)
CLASS READINGS
• Guns, Germs, and Steel (summer reading)
• The Earth and Its Peoples (textbook)
• World History in Documents: A Comparative Reader (Primary Source Reader)
• Additional readings will be provided in class throughout the school year.
GRADING AND ASSIGNMENT POLICY
All AP World History assignments are graded on a semester point system. The grading system is very simple: the total number of points received divided by the total possible points for those assignments.
These assignments will consist of:
• Course Work – Challenging reading and writing assignments will be given throughout the school year. They include primary and secondary source readings, mapping exercises, vocabulary, and analytical writing assignments, as well as major research projects.
• Participation – Students will be rewarded for classroom involvement. When calculating this part of the grade, the instructor will consider contributions to classroom discussions, and working appropriately in groups as well as individually.
• Exams, Essays, Quizzes – Quizzes will be given regularly; almost on a weekly basis. Exams will be a
combination of multiple choice, map skills, short answer, and essay (DBQ, Change-
Over-Time, and Comparative) questions. A comprehensive midterm and final examination will
be given to all students at the conclusion of each term.
Late homework assignments are NOT accepted for credit. Late projects will be deducted 20% each day.
Students
will be given five “FREE HOMEWORK TICKETS” each semester. This will
allow each student to turn in five homework assignments ONE DAY late,
and still receive credit for the work completed. Unused “TICKETS” are
worth a total of 15 extra credit points at the end of each semester.
ABSENCES
•
World History is a graduation requirement. Many assignments are
completed in class only and cannot be made up if you are absent. BE IN
CLASS! Excessive absences will affect your grade.
• If absent, you
are responsible for finding out what you missed. Ask another student,
the teacher, or check the web page to find out what you missed!
•
Make up work is for excused absences only! Students with an excused
absence will be allowed one (1) day per absence to make up the missed
assignment.
• All make-up tests will be administered within two
days of return outside of regular class time (regardless of the reason
for missing the test). Tests not completed will be recorded as a zero.
• If you are absent on the day of a group presentation, you will receive 50% of the group’s project grade.
Behavior Expectations
• Always come prepared for this class.
• BE ON TIME!!
• Turn off all electronic devices BEFORE walking into the classroom.
• DO NOT talk while the teacher or another student is speaking.
• DO NOT pack up your things before the bell rings.
•
I expect you to act appropriately and maturely. Know that I am not here
to pick on you nor do I have the time to nag you unnecessarily. If I
give you a direction, I expect you to follow it without argument. Any
questions or problems can be discussed privately before or after class.
Cheating
Any
type of cheating on homework assignments, quizzes, exams, projects or
plagiarism in papers, is unacceptable. A first occurrence of cheating
will result in a referral and a zero on the assignment, quiz, exam
project or paper. A second occurrence will result in the student being
dropped from the class.
REMEMBER: This policy also includes copying and/or “sharing” homework assignments!