Syllabus

Course: World History 09 Honors
Edmonds School District: 0.5 high school credit meeting the 3.5 social studies graduation requirements.

Course Description

The honors program at the 9th grade is designed for highly motivated, self-disciplined students who seek an advanced academic experience. The course content will cover several themes including comparative religions and multiple centers of world power Additionally, students will be expected to engage in current events. Because of this, students will use, read, comprehend and analyze challenging readings, including both the textbook and supplemental sources. Both the vocabulary in the reading and the amount of reading will be at an advanced level. Students will learn how to write academic essays and evidenced-based papers, with an emphasis on thesis building and defense. As students actively participate in rigorous, structured class discussions they will learn skills that they will later put to use in effectively articulating and defending an academic point of view through presentations in class, simulations, and debates. Finally, this course will work on skills necessary for future success on the International Baccalaureate exam and the extended essay.


Unit name 

Description 

Approximate timelines

Beginning of the year Civilizations

  • Course norms and expectations

  • Getting to know each other

  • How to communicate in small and large group settings.

  • What is an interesting question? How do we go about answering it?

  • What is a religion? How to study a religion historically?

  • What is culture? How does it affect our understanding of History?

  • What is civilization? How does this concept define our sense of human history?

 

3 weeks

Hinduism

  • History of South Asia’s: ancient; classical; and modern periods

  • Geography of South Asia

  • Peoples and Culture of South Asia (note Islamic interdependence)

 

3 weeks

Buddhism/
Taoism/
Confucianism

  • History of East & Southeast Asia’s: ancient; classical; and modern periods

  • Geography of East Asia

  • Peoples and Culture of East Asia 

 

2 weeks

Judaism/
Christianity

  • History of Southwest Asia, Europe, and the Americas; ancient classical, and modern periods

  • Geography of the Middle East, Africa, and the Americas 

  • Peoples the Middle East, Africa, Europe, and the Americas

 

4 weeks

Islam

  • History of Southwest Asia, Europe, and the Americas; ancient classical, and modern periods

  • Geography of the Middle East, Africa, and the Americas 

  • Peoples the Middle East, Africa, Europe, and the Americas

 

4 weeks


Content

Thinking

Skills

Grading

Late Work/Make-Up Policy

Late work may be graded at half the value of earned points. All paper assignments are due at the beginning of class. Assignments and participatory work may not be re-done. Only selected assessments may be redone, and only if all work (both graded and ungraded) relating to that work have been successfully completed.

Copying, Cheating, and Plagiarism

Students are expected to do their own work. The definition of cheating includes, but is not limited to, copying or lending assignments; communicating, in any way, during a test; using notes in a situation where notes are not acceptable; plagiarism (the intentional or unintentional failure to give clear credit to the author of any word/ideas not your own) in any form (individual/group work). Because these types of behavior involve submitting others work, credit cannot be given for copied or plagiarized work. Also, because assignments, participatory activities, and exams may not be re-submitted, copying, cheating, and plagiarism will result in loss of credit for those assignments, activities, projects, and/or exams.

Attendance

All school attendance policies apply in this class. Show up promptly during scheduled class periods and stay in class until you are dismissed. If errors are noted by students or parents, they must be reported promptly (1-2 days).

Classroom Disruptions (The Rules)

We are here to learn. Behavior that distracts from the learning of any student are not acceptable. It is necessary to demonstrate respect for other students, teachers, and the classroom space. If we all demonstrate this respect for each other and our classroom, there will be no problems. All school wide rules (such as mobile phones) apply to this room. Most of these rules are covered in your student handbook. Others, such as masking and social distancing requirements are still rapidly changing and evolving. Please make every effort to keep up with these changes.

Mobile phones MUST be stored in in the lock case at the front of the room during class. Note, other mobile devices such as earphones, and/or smart watches are included with this but must be kept in your pockets or backpackWhile there are no restrictions on headwear, I may ask to see your ears to check for electronic earbuds. This applies to wrists (watches) as well.