Honors World History
2013-2014 Academic Year
Instructor: Naomi Barlaz
Email: [email protected]
Course Website:
https://sites.google.com/a/longleafschool.com/b
arlazworldhistory/
Tutoring Hours: (and by appointment)
Monday: 3:30 – 5:00pm
Wednesday: 7:30 – 8:20am
Thursday: 7:30 – 8:20am
Course Description
Welcome to Honors World History! In this class, we will be learning everything there is to know about
the history of the humanity, beginning 200,000 years ago.1 This course is designed to teach you the
basics of world history, the skills to analyze historical evidence, and how to write like a historian.
Academic Expectations
 Come to class prepared to take notes and keep them organized outside of class.
 Take advantage of non-mandatory opportunities (see extra credit and test correction policies).
 Ask questions in and outside of class.
 Participate in group and class discussions.
 Be respectful of your peers, both dead and alive.2
Supplies
1. Note taking materials. (iPad, binder and paper, notebook, etc. All forms are acceptable as long as
you have it in class every single day.)3
2. One composition notebook, spiral notebook, or similar resource. This notebook will stay in the
classroom at all times for in class activities and writing assignments.
3. Writing material (pen or pencil).
4. Loose leaf paper on test days. (One ream will be more than sufficient for the entire year.)
5. The Romanovs: The Final Chapter by Robert K Massie. This book does not need to be
purchased until the second semester. It is available through Kindle, iBooks, and used on
Amazon. The Wake County Public Library system has two copies.
Students are expected to bring their iPad to class every day.4
If you cannot afford these supplies due to financial hardship, talk to me in person or email me by
5 p.m. on Friday, August 23, 2013.
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Give or take a few minutes.
I.e. No making fun of little Johnny sitting next to you and refrain from ridiculing all those weird foods that all those weird
people eat. You are welcome to make fun of yourself. Use good judgment when making fun of me.
3
Have a system for saving or backing up your classwork and notes. Your hard drive has the same sense of integrity and
loyalty towards your work as the average squirrel does towards traffic laws.
4
Charged, please. We will not be using them as paper weights.
2
Grading Policy
40%
Tests and Projects
20%
Quizzes
30%
10%
Homework
In-Class Activity Notebook
Tests and Projects
All tests will be a combination of multiple choice, chronology, short answer, and, eventually, essays.
Our largest project will be the Artifact Project and Research Paper which we will talk about later in the
year.5
Quizzes6
Most quizzes will be on maps. You cannot learn world history without knowing what the world7 looks
like. If you are unhappy with a map quiz grade you will be able to retake the quiz one more time outside
of class. It is your responsibility to set up a time to re-take a quiz.
Test Corrections
I allow test corrections on all tests, except the midterm and the final. Test corrections will be due three
class periods after the test is handed back. In order to receive full credit, you must write the correct
answer to the question, and then explain why that answer is correct. You may use your notes, the
textbook, fellow students, or me8 as a resource to find the correct answers. If you use a source from the
internet you must cite it in proper MLA format.9 Any student found copying answers directly from
another student’s test will be banned from completing test corrections for the remainder of the semester.
Homework
Most homework assignments will consist of online readings with questions. On the nights when we do
not have homework, I expect students to spend 10-20 minutes studying for quizzes and tests10 or
working on long term projects. Four important notes about homework assignments:
1. Please take the homework assignments seriously. If I ask you to do something outside of class, it
is because the assignment is important.
2. All homework assignments should be completed individually. Come ask for help as needed, or
email me.
3. Make sure you re-phrase and re-word your own answers so that they are different from the
language of the original reading. This shows me that you actually understand what you are
reading.11 We will talk about paraphrasing during the first two weeks of class.
5
Or, you can find more information about the project on the class website.
I am quite fond of this website’s blank maps. Hint hint. Nudge nudge. Wink wink.
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This world, not this one. That would be a very different class… though we will talk about unicorns.
8
A highly recommended resource, if I may say so myself.
9
We will go over how to properly cite material in class. It’s fun!*
6
10
* Poppins, Mary. Fun with Citations. 1st ed. Old Timey England: Penguin Press, 1964. Print.
If you try to cram for this class, this class will cram back. Consider yourself warned.
11
Whereas other answers show me that you are really good at copying and pasting.
4. All assignments unless otherwise noted will be submitted through Google Drive. We will go
over the procedure in the first week of class. (Students will submit non-electronic copies until all
students have iPads.)
In Class Activity Notebook
We will have short writing assignments and activities in class. This notebook will be graded
approximately every four weeks (before each progress report and report card).
Honors Book Project
During the second semester Honor World History students will read Massie’s The Romanovs: The Final
Chapter as part of an in-depth case study into the Russian Revolution. This case study will include
homework assignments, class discussions, and a department-wide trip to the North Carolina History
Museum for a special traveling exhibit on the Romanovs.
Extra Credit
One extra credit assignment will be available per test, worth up to 3%. All extra credit assignments are
due on the day of the test. This assignment will be emailed to students and available on the website at
least one week before the test.12 I am open to ideas for extra credit opportunities from students as long as
I can make them available to the entire class. Because I offer map quiz make-ups, test corrections, and
extra credit assignments for each test, I will not offer additional extra credit assignments on an
individual basis.
Late Work
Each student will receive two late work passes per semester. This pass enables you to turn in an
assignment one day late with no penalty. If you do not use your passes, you may turn them in at the end
of the semester for 2% extra credit on the midterm per pass. Late work passes may only be used on
homework, not projects or extra credit assignments. If you ever have a medical emergency, 8 bajillion
tests in one day, and/or a family emergency, come talk to me about due dates and I will be happy to
work out an individual schedule before the assignment is due. I do not grant extensions over email or on
the day the assignment is due unless there is a medical or family emergency. Keep in mind I make the
determination as to what constitutes an emergency.
Students who cannot turn in work due to an excused absence will have the number of days absent plus
three days to make up any assignments.
If an internet problem prevents you from completing an assignment, you must bring a signed note from a
parent or guardian explaining the circumstances in order to turn in the assignment late without using a
late work pass.
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I will not announce these assignments in class. Extra credit is for students who check their email.
Textbook
There is no mandatory textbook for this course. However, if you would feel more comfortable with a
textbook for reference I recommend World History by Duiker and Spielvogel.13 Old editions are
perfectly acceptable and can be purchased used on Amazon. (Our first unit will cover Guns, Germs, and
Steal by Jared Diamond. It is neither necessary nor recommended that students purchase this book.)
If you cannot afford a textbook due to financial hardship, talk to me in person or email me at any
point during the year.
Academic Integrity
All work must be completed individually unless otherwise noted. Cheating on a homework assignment
or quiz will result in a zero on the assignment with no opportunity for make-up work. Students suspected
of violating the Honor Code will be referred to the administration for disciplinary action. Plagiarism and
cheating includes copying from another student, failing to cite a source, or using an unauthorized source.
All students must write and sign the honor code on all graded assignments, including tests, quizzes,
papers, and other assignments. The honor code should be typed for each assignment turned in to Google
Drive.
“On my honor, I have not sought, given, or received purposeful or inadvertent aid not permitted
by the spirit of this assignment.”
Electronic Devices
Cell phones are prohibited during class. As stated in the student handbook “phones seen during class
time will be confiscated, turned into the main office, and returned to the student at the end of the day.
Subsequent infractions will result in the parent having to come to the school to
pick-up the phone and the student being referred to administration disciplinary action.” Inappropriate
use of an iPad will follow the same pattern.
Nine Weeks Overview
First Week: Policies, Procedures, and Introduction to World History
Unit One: Human Origins: Guns, Germs and Steal
Unit Two: Mesopotamia and Egypt
Unit Three: India and China
Each unit will last approximately 2 ½ - 3 weeks. There will be a test at the end on every unit.
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It has lots of pretty pictures, as well as helpful information.
World History 2013-2014
Ms. Barlaz
I have read the syllabus and agree to uphold to the policies and expectations.
Signature of Student ____________________________________ Date ___________
Signature of Parent or Guardian
__________________________ Date ___________