Modern World History and
Modern World History Honors
Course Description
Modern World History reviews Western political through and then covers the "Age of Revolution" beginning in the 1600s through the Cold War. Using a classical education model, the course uses a five-step method to teach students to think independently, make decisions, read, write and speak effectively while learning history:
1) Students learn the tools of the historian,
2) Students are challenged with open-ended questions,
3)Students research a variety of primary and secondary sources,
4) Students engage in a Socratic discussion,
5) Students write an analytical essay.
While the students are learning about specific historical events, the goal is to teach them to think historically and to give them skills that will apply to any historical period. The courses teach students how to read with discernment, how to gather information, how to think about and analyze information, and how to discuss and write about what they have studied. When students read and research with the questions in mind, they pay much closer attention than when reading simply to cover the material. When they have to analyze information, thinking about cause and effect and relative importance, they have moved to a much deeper level of thinking. Discussing their research and ideas with others forces them to think logically and critically.
History Content: Western Political Thought, The Age of Revolution, The Age of Napoleon, The Industrial Revolution, The Age of Imperialism, Causes of World War I, Effects of World War I, The Rise of Totalitarianism, World War II - Causes of Appeasement, The Cold War in Europe, 1945-1960, The Cold War in Asia, Africa, and Latin America, 1945-1980
Honors credit will be award to those students who successfully complete honors assignments. Course presents an inclusive, world viewpoint. |
Thinking and Writing Skills: Fact or Opinion? Judgment, Supporting Evidence, Primary or Secondary Analysis, Using Quotes, Paraphrasing, Thesis Statement, Conclusion, Outline for a One-Paragraph Essay, Rough Draft for a One-Paragraph Essay, Taking Notes, Thesis Statement for a Five Paragraph Essay, Rough Draft for a Five Paragraph Essay, Revising, Documenting Sources in a Text, Works Cited, Typing Guidelines, The Cover Page and Checklist, Thesis Statement for a Multi-Page Essay, Counter argument, Analyzing Primary Sources, Cause and Effect, Compare and Contrast, One-Paragraph Grading Rubric, Five-Paragraph Grading Rubric, Multi-Page Grading Rubric.
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Required Textbooks and Materials