Rich Central High SchoolDistrict 227

2010 – 2011

Course Expectations

AP World History Syllabus

Mr. Jenicek

Instructor Information

  • Room:408 (Classroom) or 366 (Social Studies Office)
  • Phone:708-679-5695
  • Email:

AP World History is a college-level course in World History covering the period from 8000 B.C.E. to the present. The course involves intensive study of world cultures, paying special attention to change over time and comparing the effects of common phenomena on different cultures. Reading of primary source documents will be included. Students who take the AP World History exam in May have the opportunity to earn college credit for the class.

AP World Themes

  • Interaction between humans and the environment
  • Development and interaction of cultures
  • State-building, expansion, and conflict
  • Creation, expansion, and interaction of social systems
  • Development and transformation of social structures

AP World Thinking Skills

  • Constructing and evaluating arguments: using evidence to make plausible arguments
  • Using documents and other primary data: developing the skills necessary to analyze point of view and context, and to understand and interpret information
  • Assessing continuity and change over time and over different world regions
  • Understanding diversity of interpretations through analysis of context, point of view, and frame of reference
  • Seeing global patterns and processesover time and space while connecting local developments to global ones
  • Comparing within and among societies, including comparing societies’ reactions to global processes
  • Considering human commonalities and differences
  • Exploring claims of universal standards in relation to culturally diverse ideas
  • Exploring the persistent relevance of world history to contemporary developments

Primary Text

  • Spodek, Howard. The World’s History. 3rd ed. Combined vol. Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Prentice Hall, 2006.

Secondary Texts

  • Andrea and Overfield. The Human Record: Sources of Global History. 6th Ed. Volumes 1 & 2. Boston, Ma., Houghton Mifflin Company, 2009.
  • Perry, Peden, and Von Laue. Sources of the Western Tradition. 4th Ed. Volumes 1 & 2. Boston, Ma., Houghton Mifflin Company, 1999.
  • Wiesner, Wheeler, Doeringer, and Curtis. Discovering the Global Past: A Look at the Evidence. 3rd Ed. Volumes 1 & 2. Boston, Ma., Houghton Mifflin Company, 2007.

AP World History Class Expectations

Class Work: Due to the rapid pace of an AP class, is imperative that you keep up with the required reading assignments. Frequent quizzes will assess your reading and note-taking abilities. Please use only dark blue or black pen for writing assignments.

Absences and late work: Missing a day of class (even for a field trip) is not an excuse for late work, since you know the due-dates of the major assignments. If you have an excused absence for more than 2-3 days in a row, contact me to work out an extension for your assignments. Late work will be penalized by 10% per day of the original point value of the assignment. Contact me if there are extenuating circumstances. If you are absent on the day of a test (for any reason), you must make up the test within 3 school days of the date of the original test. Since you know when major tests will be given, being absent the day before the test is no excuse for not taking a test on the assigned day.

Grading: For AP essays, you will receive both an AP grade (0-9) and a regular grade (usually 35 points for AP essays), which will be used to determine your class grade. Major assignments, exams, and projects are usually 50 to 100 points.

Quarter and semester grades are as follows:

100-90=AEssays25%

89-80=BTests/Quizzes/Projects50%

79-70=CClasswork25%

69-60=D
59-0=F

Academic Integrity: Honesty is expected of all students. Any cheating or plagiarism on a test or major assignment will earn a “0” on that assignment and a referral to the administration for further disciplinary proceedings. In college, cheating is grounds for expulsion from school with no refund of fess. In professional life, plagiarism or cheating can end your career.

Electronic devices: No electronic devices capable of recording, taking pictures, sending or receiving calls or text messages may be used in class. If you are found with such a device turned on, the device will be confiscated and turned over to the Dean’s Office.

AP assignments and review: This is an AP class. As such, there will be assignments and exams specifically designed to prepare you for the AP exam in May. You are expected to complete these assignments whether or not you decide to take the AP test—they are an integral part of the course. Extra review sessions for the AP exam may be scheduled after regular school hours.

Personal responsibility: I will do everything I can to ensure your success in this class and on the AP test. Please contact me when you first begin to have difficulties. However, you must also accept that, ultimately, your fate is in your own hands for keeping up and reviewing. You can’t wait until April to decide to “catch up” before the test.