• Modern World History

    Course Overview and Syllabus

    Course Description
     
    This year-long course examines the major events and turning points of world history from the Enlightenment to the present. Students investigate the foundational ideas that shaped the modern world in the Middle East, Africa, Europe, and the Americas, and then explore the economic, political, and social revolutions that have transformed human history. This rigorous study of modern history examines recurring themes, such as social history, democratic governments, and the relationship between history and the arts, allowing students to draw connections between the past and the present, across cultures, and among multiple perspectives. 
     
    Course Objectives
     
    Throughout the course, you will meet the following goals:
    • Investigate civilizations in Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Americas and explore how they have changed over time.
    • Analyze technological, political, social, and economic revolutions in world history.
    • Explore the conflicts between nations to present day, and analyze the challenges facing the modern world. 
    • Describe cultural characteristics of societies over time, including the role of women, religion, and art and literature, and investigate the effects of technological innovations on economic and social change. 
    • Use research skills to access, interpret, and apply information from multiple sources. 
     
    Student Expectations
     
    Students are expected to do all assignments, attend class, and participate to the fullest to pass the course. Students are to contribute to group and class discussions and effectively participate in class activities. In order for class discussions to work best, student preparation is critical by reading assignments in advance. It is essential for the student to see the big picture of a social science course.  Social Science courses are not a series of snapshots, but a video that runs continuously. Please do not blink and ruin your understanding of the whole picture. 
     
    Regular attendance and promptness to class is a must. 10% of your overall grade is based on simply being present and on time. The end of the semester final will be pass or fail, with a 70% or higher as passing. The final is worth 10% of your overall grade. Essentially, if you fail your final, your grade will be dropped by one letter, making it so no student who fails the final will be able to earn an "A" for the semester. The rest of your class work will fall into categories such as Assignments, Projects and Exams/Quizzes. The percentage of grade for each category will be based on a class-to-class basis.
     
    Make-up work will only be allowed for excused absences and the student will have until the end of the calendar week (Sunday) to complete the make-up work for that week. The longer the student waits to complete the make-up work, the more points the assignment loses. Plagiarism and cheating will not be tolerated, assignments will receive a "0" with no opportunity to do make-up work. 
     
    Grading Scale
     
    90-100% A
    80-89% B
    70-79% C
    60-69% D
    0-59% F