Welcome to World History 2013

 World History

2013-2014

Description

World History is a study of who we are within the context of the people, places and events that shaped mankind. The course is designed to develop a solid and well rounded understanding of a global history through essential questions highlighting representative themes across a broad scope, from the migration of early humans to the middle ages.

Course Goals

Names and dates are a essential element of any history lesson. This is unavoidable but should not be feared. For some students, retention of this information is dreaded. However, for our class, these facts are only a part of understanding World History. As a primary goal, our class material will focus on a strong understanding of historical themes, concepts, and connections seen within a context of the people, places, times, and events that have influenced who we are today. It is our goal to understand this greater picture as thoroughly as possible so that the details become more a part of our collective knowledge rather than learning through rote memorization.

Topics
Perspectives in time
Who are we and how did we get here?
What do we know about early modern humans?
How did societies develop?
What are the effects of cultural exchange?
How did early societies organize?
What influenced major change during the Middle Ages?

Course Content

To meet our goals, students will read, write, infer, analyze, discuss, debate and create examples of how the history of the world has transpired. This class does not rely upon a textbook. Instead, a variety of resources will be called upon to instigate and augment classroom activities and discussions, including: fiction and non-fiction literature, primary and secondary source material, film, and internet resources.

Homework & Projects

Students should expect at least one reading assignment and one written assignment per week. There will be at least one extended research paper or essay assigned each trimester. Additionally, each trimester will include one construction project and one oral presentation, either formal or informal.

Participation

This class is interactive. In addition to individual work, we will be very active in group assignments, projects, class readings and definitely discussions. Class participation is expected in all areas and is paramount to successfully understanding the intricacies of our study. Active participation can cement true retention of the material. However, the greatest outcome of participation can be a genuine enthusiasm for what history can mean to you.

Sincerely,

Mr. Sieling

Contact

Email: jsieling@novaschool.org