ANCIENT AND MEDIEVAL WORLDS

NINTH-GRADE HISTORY

Syllabus for the Academic Year 2009-2010

Instructor: Mr. Harman

Class location: N206

Phone: (763) 258-5500 ext. 2515

E-mail:

Course Overview:

This course is designed to familiarize students with the broad outlines of world history from the Neolithic Revolution and the advent of the first civilizations around 3,500 BC in what is to today the Middle East to the end of the European Middle Ages and the beginnings of the Renaissance during the fifteenth century. After studying the early civilizations of Mesopotamia and Egypt as well as those which evolved in the Levant and Asia Minor, the instructor will concentrate on Greece and Rome, civilizations whose impact on Western Civilization is incalculable. Students will learn about the contributions of diverse societies and civilizations around the world, but the emphasis will be on Western Civilization.

Text, Readings:

Textbook: Helen and Robert T. Howe, Ancient and Medieval Worlds, published by Longman.

Supplemental reading will be assigned and provided by the instructor.

Course Policies:

·  Quizzes, exams, projects 60% (of semester grade; 80% of quarter grade)

·  Fulfillment of Student Responsibilities 20%

·  Semester final exam 20%

·  Students are expected to comport themselves in a manner consistent with the ethos of the school.

Student Responsibilities:

Student Responsibilities:

I.  Presence

Please make a conscious effort to be on time to class. There is much to learn this year, and precious little time to do so. In addition to timely physical presence, please make a conscious effort at being mentally present in class. This kind of presence requires attention to your teacher and colleagues in class. Being present ensures that we can take the most advantage of our time together.

In the case of an ordinary absence (e.g. minor illness), I will expect that you return to class having completed all your work assigned through the day of your return. In the case of absences due to more serious needs or retreats, I will work with you to arrange a plan by which you can make up missed assignments. Please initiate this effort if needed.

II. Reading

You will be expected to complete the reading assignments as scheduled. There is no substitute for thoughtful reading. Your reading will prepare you for class, and to a large degree the quality and consistency of your reading will determine how much you learn from this course.

III. Participation

Genuine discussion of substantive ideas is a worthy endeavor. So let’s endeavor to do it. Toward this end I ask that you abide by three general rules: Respect for the Process, Respect for One Another, and Respect for the Text. These are not only ground rules; they are actually the criteria by which your participation grade will be determined.

Respect for the Process: Throughout the year we will use a variety of processes for engaging one another in discussion. Please remain attentive and responsive to what is asked of you on each of these occasions. Respect for One Another: Discussion requires engagement with another. For this exchange to be meaningful, participants must hold one another in mutual regard, listen and respond to one another, and discern and share connections and/or contradictions among the ideas and possibilities that we put forward. The understanding that emerges from our discussions will be deeper and broader than any set of ideas or thoughts we begin with as individuals. Respect for the Text: Above all else, this requires that you read well the text as it is assigned. This will prepare you for our collective work. Respect for the text also asks that you speak from and to the text in the academic responses that you offer, whether you are offering a comment in class or writing a paper. The text is a ‘common experience’ of ours and must remain a common reference point for us.

IV. Papers / Exams/ Quizzes/ Projects

It is expected that students will complete and hand in all homework on time. Late work will be accepted (only for a maximum of 3 school days) and marked down one grade per day late. If you anticipate having difficulty meeting a deadline, please see me in advance so we can discuss the situation and work out an appropriate alternative.

The instructor reserves the right to quiz at his discretion.

Lexicon: Mastering the vocabulary of history and its related disciplines is an important objective for our course. Each week new words and definitions will be added to the class Lexicon. Students are expected to learn these words, their spellings, and their definitions.

Absences and Exams: Students are responsible to schedule any make-up exams within the appropriate time frame stated in the student handbook.

V. Notebook, Folder, Class Supplies

Students are expected to utilize a notebook and pen for class notes and class reflection. Note taking is vital for success in this course. Additionally, students will need a folder or binder for the keeping and organizing handouts and graded materials. To be prepared for class, a student must have these supplies ready prior to the start of class. Lack of preparation will be noted against student class participation.


Organization is a necessary skill for success at the secondary level. Keeping an orderly notebook is key to good organization. Periodically, the instructor will check notebooks for neatness, dated entries, and thoroughness. These notebook checks will be factored into the Student Responsibilities portion of the quarter assessment.

VI. Honesty

Each student is expected to put forth his/her own sincere effort at diligent and thoughtful work. Without this effort no authentic learning can take place. Plagiarism, misrepresentation, and cheating of any other sort undermine this learning enterprise. Any such incident will be dealt with according to the policies of the History Department and the standards set forth by Providence Academy.

Grades:

Grades issued in this class will measure student performance in the following areas:

1)  Achievement of the objectives of the course as they are described in the curriculum guide and syllabus.

2)  Effort expended compared to a reasonable standard of expectation given the demands of the Providence curriculum.

3)  Student history in the course.

4)  In light of the performance of other students in the class.

Performance in this history class will be evaluated with respect to both ‘lower-order’ and ‘higher-order’ thinking skills involved in acquiring understanding. Lower-order skills include recall and basic comprehension of information. Accuracy and clarity are the standards for evaluating these skills. Higher-order thinking skills include explanation, interpretation, application, and perception. Essays, in-class discussions, and scenario analysis will provide opportunities for assessing higher-order skills.

Semester I Course Calendar/Schedule:

August 31-4: Introduction to Ancient and Medieval Worlds and the Neolithic Revolution, pp. 17-19; begin Chapter 1

September 8-11: Fertile Crescent and River Valley Civilizations; Sumer

September 14-18: Babylon and Assyria

September 21-25: Chaldea

September 28: Test 1

September 29-October 2: Egypt

October 5-9: Quiz; Hittites and Persians

October 12-14: Persians

October 15-16: MEA

October 19-23: Phoenicians/Arameans/Hebrews

October 26: Test 2

October 27-30: Minoans and Mycenaeans

November 2-6: End of Quarter 1; Beginning of Quarter 2; India; Greek City States

November 9-13: Persian Wars; Classical Greece

November 16-20: Classical Greece and the Peloponnesian Wars

November 23: Test 3

November 24: Alexander and Hellenism

Thanksgiving Break

November 30-December 4: Alexander

December 7-10: Hellenism; Ancient Rome

December 11: Test 4

December 14-18: Rome (cont)

Christmas Break

January 4-8: Rome: Republic to Empire

January 11-12: Review

January 13-15: Semester I Exams

Semester II Course Calendar/Schedule will be provided at the beginning of Semester II.

This syllabus may be subject to revision as the course progresses.

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