2014-2015 World History Syllabus

Owasso High SchoolInstructor: Gregory Yankey, B.S., M.Div

In World History you will develop a greater understanding of the evolution of global processes and contacts including
interactions over time. The course highlights the nature of changes in international frameworks and their causes and
consequences, as well as comparisons among other societies. The course will give a broad overview of World Religions and
Ancient/Medieval influences over the modern world. The course will then emphasize modern history from 1500 to the
present.
Resources
a. Textbook: Ellis, Elisabeth Gaynor and Anthony Esler, Prentice Hall World History: The Modern Era, Pearson: 2014.
b. Primary & Secondary Sources: textual (writings from the time period we are studying), visual (works of art or
artifacts from the time period being studied), quantitative (tables and graphs from the textbook)

Course Schedule
Essay Writing Workshop: 3 days

This workshop will teach students the rubrics and methods for writing:
o Document Based Question (DBQ) Essay examining POINT OF VIEW known as the Football Essay.

Content Standard 1WORLD RELIGIONS AND ANCIENT/MEDIEVAL SUMMARY TO 1500

Textbook Review Unit: Parts 1-3 (pages 2-43)
Topics:
o World Religions: Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Confucianism, Daoism, Shinto, Christianity (in both its
Western Catholic and Eastern Orthodox forms), and Islam with regard to their origins and influence on
world history.
o Impact of geography and trade networks.
o Greek philosophy and culture
o Roman Empire and Christianity
o The Crusades: Christian West vs Muslim East
Content Standard 2Renaissance, Reformation, and the Age of Exploration, 1300-1700
Textbook chapters 1-3
Topics:
o Renaissance politics: Machiavelli
o Renaissance artists: Michelangelo, da Vinci, etc.
o Theological movements: The Protestant Reformation Luther, Zwingli, Calvin, Knox, Anglicanism,
Puritanism, Anabaptist movements (Mennonites)
o The Age of Exploration, Columbian Exchange, and the Atlantic Slave Trade
Content Standard 3Absolutism and Revolutions, 1500-1900
Textbook chapters 4-6, 8
Topics:
o Absolutism in France, Prussia and Russia
o Scientific Revolution and its Impact
o Causes and lasting impact of major revolutions: Glorious Revolution, American Revolution, French
Revolution, Revolutions of 1830 and 1848
o Influence and impact of Latin American & Caribbean Revolutions

Content Standard 4Industrial Revolution through World War II and the beginning of the Cold War
(The end of First Semester will fall somewhere in this unit).
Textbook chapters 7, 9-18
Topics:
o Impact of industrialization and Marxist critique
o Imperialism, colonialism, and exploitation of resources and people
o Analysis of socialism, communism, and Bolshevik Revolution
o Nationalism, militarism, system of alliances, and causes of World War I
o Causes of World War II, failure of Treaty of Versailles, rise of totalitarian regimes in the Soviet Union,
Germany, and Japan
o Origins and points of view about the Holocaust, and world reactions to the Nuremburg Trials
o Effects of World War II: military, economic power shifts, United Nations and NATO, origin and escalation
of the Cold War
Content Standard 5Post World War II Transformations

Textbook chapters 19-20

Topics:
o Creation of the modern state of Israel, Arab-Israeli Conflict, Iran-Iraq War, impact of significant leaders of
that region
o Chinese Communist Revolution, Great Leap Forward, Cultural Revolution, attempts at democratic reform
and Tiananmen Square demonstrations
o India as a modern world power and independence from the U.K., Mohandas K. Gandhis role, hostilities
between India and Pakistan
o Collapse of Communism and breakup of the Soviet Union, fall of the Berlin Wall, reunification of Germany,
Polands Solidarity movement, and Gorbachevs glasnost and perestroika.
o African independence movements, Pan-Africanism, self-government of Ghana, end of Apartheid in South
Africa, Nelson Mandela, Desmond Tutu

Content Standard 6Globalism, Terrorism, and Contemporary Issues

Textbook chapters 21-22
Topics:
o Impact of interdependence on the worlds economies, impact of multinational corporations, the EEC,
OPEC, Pacific Rim economy, role of the World Bank.
o Changing patterns of population growth, the Green Revolution, status of women in developing regions.
o Impact of ongoing cultural diffusion as a result of mass communication, social media, transportation, and
global trade
o The rise of international terrorism, causes and effects of specific terrorist attacks like: World Trade Center
(1993), 9/11/2001, other attacks in London, Madrid, and Mumbai
o Efforts to combat terrorism through actions in Iraq and Afghanistan

WORLD HISTORY CLASSROOM PROCEDURES

GRADING SCALE: 90+ A, 80+B, 70+C, 60+D, Below 60 F
GRADE CATEGORIES AND CALCULATION: Raw points will be used when calculating your grade. Tests, quizzes, and projects
will have more points per assignment than daily assignments; however, lost points on daily assignments will negatively
affect your grade.
These categories make up your running grade throughout the semester. In addition there will be a final exam. At the end of
the semester your total grade up to that point will be worth 85% of your report card grade, and the final examination will
be 15% of your report card grade.
HOMEWORK SCHEDULE
This year you will be issued a textbook to take home with a schedule of readings and assignments that will be due
every TUESDAY. It is my goal/desire that you do your main textbook reading at home leaving us class time to read
other supplemental materials and primary sources, view informative videos, and do group work, note taking and
essay writing.
Reading Quizzes ordinarily will be every Wednesday after assignments based on the readings are turned in.
DEPARTMENTAL POLICY ON LATE WORK
Excused absence: the student will have one day for each day absent to complete assignments missed.
Work one day late will receive half credit. No credit will be given after the work is one day late.
REQUIRED
1 inch view binder dedicated for this course alone (I prefer the kind you can slip a sheet of printer paper down
the front as a cover. I will give you a handout to slip down the front.)
1 pack of 3x5 note cards (Please turn these in so that they are always in this room for our use.)
Loose leaf paper
Pens in these colors: Black, Blue, Red
#2 pencils for use with scantron answer sheets
12 color set of colored pencils (for map coloring and shading)
highlighters: yellow, pink, green, blue, orange (to highlight and color-code essays)
book cover for your textbook. You may also cover it with brown paper.
OPTIONAL: This is entirely voluntary out of your generosity!
1 Box of Tissues (If you have allergies, please contribute. It is only fair.)
RULES:
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Although located at the High School, we follow Mid High rules: This means I must enforce the dress code
and mobile phone/electronic device rules of the Mid High while you are in my classroom. Mr. Huggins in
my supervisor when it comes to Mid High students.
All other school rules are covered in the handbook. School discipline policies will be enforced.
Academic dishonesty: Any cheating detected on tests, quizzes, or homework/classwork will receive a
ZERO, with a telephone call to the parent. A second offence of cheating will be referred to the assistant
principal for disciplinary action. Group work where we help each other learn is not considered cheating.
You will know the difference.
Questions about grades: No class time will be given to discuss a problem with a grade. The best way to
discuss this with me is through e-mail or by making an appointment with me. This policy is both to protect
class time as well as maintain confidentiality. Please dont interpret it as inapproachability on the
instructors part. I will work with you to get a better grade. We need to use time in class wisely.
PLEASE SIGN UP FOR REMIND (formerly Remind101). See my website, or the handout I give you. I will try
to use it faithfully to give you reminders about assignments due.
NO DISRUPTIONS OR BEING OFF TASK WHEN DOING ANY INDIVIDUAL, GROUP, OR WHOLE CLASS
WORK, INCLUDING LISTENING TO ME GIVE YOU INFORMATION.

CONSEQUENCES AND DISCIPLINE:

Classroom consequences: I will assign an extra writing assignment (usually an essay) for both being off -task in
class when you are supposed to be working, and for classroom disruptions. Normally the assignment will be a 3page handwritten essay on some topic I assign you from the textbook. It may be doubled if more severe offence
occurs. It must be entirely in your own words. I will check various sources for plagiarism. I will count it as a grade
for the offender alone. If it is done poorly, it will receive a poor grade. If it is done well, it might actually help your
grade. But it is still extra work!

Discipline referrals: More severe behavior may be (and likely will be) referred to the assistant principal.

WORLD HISTORY NOTEBOOKS & NOTECARDS: Students will also use their 1 inch 3 ring binders to create a WORLD
HISTORY NOTEBOOK in which students will perform daily work, take notes, and create a resource for studying for tests.
These notebooks will have random checks for completion and accuracy so that points may be awarded for creating this
study tool. Students will be responsible for doing all assignments in creating their notebooks. I will also make use of 3x5
notecards to have students write short paragraphs and answer essential questions. I am not into collecting stacks of papers
on a daily basis, but will assign shorter writing assignments so that I can get you writing something regularly. Bring your
pack of notecards to turn in to me. I will pass them out to the class as we write on a regular basis.
ACADEMIC EMPHASIS, NOT IDEOLOGICAL OR DEVOTIONAL: Topics covered in this course are meant to achieve an
academic understanding of world history, not to promote or disparage a specific political ideology or religious viewpoint.
Examples of topics in this course will include, but are not limited to:

Influence of the major world religions on world history. This topic is DESCRIPTIVE, not PRESCRIPTIVE. Please look up these
words in a dictionary if you dont understand the difference between them.
Discussion of intellectual and philosophical developments
o For the above two bullets please note the following quote from the Oklahoma Standards for Social Studies. Content
Standard 1: The student will analyze and summarize the impact on the modern world of the major world religions and
the philosophical political principles of ancient and classical societies. (p. 80)
Discussion of contact between various cultures that often resulted in subjugation of peoples, imperialistic policies, and
incidents of xenophobia and racism. History is full of examples of evil actions some human beings have committed against other
human beings. Studying these things does not mean we are promoting them, nor trying to promote hatred in retaliation. We
are only trying to understand why these things happened. My famous motto for this class is HISTORY IS NOT NICE.
Discussion of various economic and political systems and ideologies such as feudalism, capitalism, communism, socialism, and
fascism.
Discussion of the rise of terrorism in the United States and around the world, and the causes and consequences of the U.S. led
wars in Afghanistan and Iraq
History is all about INTERPRETATION of historical facts, therefore the subject of history is quite often controversial. You have
the freedom to disagree or agree with anything that is said in this class as long as you can back it up with historical evidence. I
have my opinions about things, but I may be wrong. I am constantly learning more about history. Some of my views are strong.
Other views are quite nuanced. But I want to teach students how to weigh evidence themselves. I seek to take a balanced
approach. Collecting historical data means that we ought to listen to a variety of voices on a subject. This is why I start with the
Football Essay.

If you have any concerns about topics discussed please feel free to contact me at my e-mail address above.
I understand the expectations of this course as outlined in this course syllabus.
Student signature: ______________________________ Parent signature: _________________________________
Phone number and time parent can be reached: _________________________________________
Parent/Guardian e-mail address if available: ___________________________________________

PLACE THIS SYLLABUS AT THE BEGINNING OF YOUR WORLD HISTORY NOTEBOOK! I WILL CHECK FOR SIGNATURES FOR A GRADE.