WORLD HISTORY HONORS

2009-2010
Fort Worth Country Day
History Department

Mr. Nathaniel Kogan

Bass Upper School – Room 201
Office Phone – 817-732-7718 x573
Email – nkogan@fwcds.org

CONTACT INFORMATION:

My preferred method of communication

is electronic – Edmodo, Twitter, and
Email (as a last resort.) I will do my best
to check these electronic communiqués
frequently and if I receive a message
prior to 10 pm, I will do my best to get
back to you immediately. However, I
also moonlight as a doctoral student on
Mondays and Tuesdays (fall semester,) “The aim of history, then, is to know the elements of the
and will be incommunicado from 7-10 present by understanding what came into the present from the
pm those nights. past. For the present is simply the developing past, the past
the undeveloped present….The antiquarian strives to bring
EXTRA HELP: back the past for the sake of the past; the historian strives to
show the present to itself by revealing its origin from the past.
The goal of the antiquarian is the dead past; the goal of the
I am available for extra help via historian is the living present.”
appointment and will meet with you at a
time that is mutually convenient. - Frederick Jackson Turner, 1891
Communicating with me beforehand or
talking to me after class and setting up a time to meet are the best ways to arrange for additional
review. My free periods this year are B and D.

I am earnestly interested in helping each and every student succeed and am always more than
willing to meet with you. However, if one is confused about a topic, or is having difficulty
understanding something covered in class, the onus is on the student to seek me out and get extra
help. These meetings are always most productive when students come prepared with specific
issues and questions with which they are struggling.

CLASS RULES AND EXPECTATIONS:

1. All students will conduct themselves in a manner reflective of Fort Worth Country Day’s
core values. Therefore, we will treat one another and the subjects that we discuss with
respect; we will work to ensure that common sense, decency, and civility shape our
classroom discourse.

2. All work is to be one’s own. Cheating is not tolerated under any circumstances; students
are expected to uphold Country Day’s Honor Code at all times.
World History 2

Kogan
3. My goal as a teacher is to facilitate a participatory and student-centered class
environment in which we all learn by discussing our thoughts and ideas with one another
as well as sharing those thoughts with one another in writing. In order for this successful
dynamic to develop, it is vital to maintain an open-minded attitude in class, which will
allow you to offer productive contributions, listen to your classmates’ perspectives,
collaborate effectively, and respectfully challenge one another’s ideas. Any classroom
behavior that disrupts this dynamic is unacceptable.

4. In order for the above to be realized, I expected that students complete all homework
assignments, particularly reading, by the time they are due so that everyone is prepared
to participate in a rewarding dialogue.

5. Those students with extended time testing status are required to make arrangements with
me prior to the day the test is administered. As fits with my broader philosophy, it is the
student’s responsibility, if he or she wants and plans to use the extended time, to take the
initiative in making these arrangements.

6. As per FWCD’s anticipated absence and religious observance policies, if you are going to
be absent from school, please see me beforehand to make arrangements. If you miss class
for whatever reason, it is the student’s responsibility to make the proper arrangements to
make up missed quizzes and tests within a reasonable timeframe.

REQUIRED MATERIALS:

• The World, Felipe Fernández-Armesto

• Notebook and an organizational system
o 1.5” or 2” binder is recommended
o 100+ sheets of college-ruled paper
o Tabbed dividers
• Suggested Item: Laptop or Netbook computer (~$200-$350) – much of our work will be
electronic/social media-driven.

• World History Primary Source Reader (available at the FWCD bookstore)

• Nectar in a Sieve, Kamala Markandaya (for the Second Semester)

GRADING POLICIES:

• Each quarter’s grade will be weighted as follows:

40% Major Projects (unit tests, essays, research assignments, etc. – rubrics vary
from assignment to assignment)
25% Blog Posts and Responses (evaluated with “small multiples” procedures
for quantity and quality; blogs checked ~1x/week)
25% Class Assignments (based on assignment rotation calendar; also evaluated
via “small multiples”)
10% Quizzes
• The semester grading procedures are outlined in the Handbook.
World History 3

Kogan
• Late work – may be handed in before the end of the day on which it is due, 10% of its
value will be deducted. A 20% deduction will be taken from the assignment’s value for
each day it is late. Daily assignments are not accepted after their due date; however,
major grade assignments will be accepted.

• Extra credit questions may appear on the end of tests; however, I do not create extra
credit assignments for the end of the term. Extra credit is unnecessary if one does the
“normal credit” work consistently and punctually.

MAJOR UNITS/TOPICS TO BE COVERED: (tentative; structured around Fernández-Armesto text)

Quarter 1
• Unit 1 – Foragers and Farmers, to 5000 BCE (Chs. 1-2)
• Unit 2 – Farmers and Builders, 5000 to 500 BCE (Chs. 3-5)
• Unit 3 – The Axial Age, from 500 BCE to 100 CE (Chs. 6-7)
Quarter 2
• Unit 4 – Fitful Transitions, from the Third Century to the Tenth Century (Chs. 8-10)
• Unit 5 – Contacts and Conflicts, 1000 CE to 1200 CE (Chs. 11-12)
Quarter 3
• Unit 6 – The Crucible: The Eurasian Crises of the Thirteenth and Fourteenth Centuries
(Chs. 13-15)
• Unit 7 – Convergence and Divergence to ca. 1700 (Chs. 16-19)
• Unit 8 – Global Enlightenments, 1700-1800 (Chs. 20-22)
Quarter 4
• Unit 9 – The Frustrations of Progress to ca. 1900 (Chs. 23-26)
• Unit 10 – Chaos and Complexity: The World in the Twentieth Century (Chs. 27-30)
COURSE OBJECTIVES AND LEARNING OUTCOMES:

1. Understand the broad, global trends, patterns, and dynamics that have shaped human
history and helped to create our present wor.d.

2. Explore the myriad influences that cause historical events and trends and understand
how to systematically analyze them; the most significant of these will be the political,
social, and economic categories.

3. Evaluate the significance of specific events, general trends and vast movements
within the context of their own time period.

4. Learn to analyze and organize historical events, eras, and processes through what
Thomas Andrews and Flannery Burke refer to as “The Five C’s of History”:
o Change over Time
o Context
World History 4

Kogan
o Causality
o Contingency
o Complexity
5. Further our analytical skills, our oral and written expression, our abilities to weigh
evidence and recognize bias, and ultimately reach substantiated conclusions.

6. Gain an understanding and appreciation for the philosophy and practice of history,
which includes some of the following questions:
• What is history?
• Why is it worth studying?
• Why is history not all the same and why do historians disagree with one another?
• How do different historians look at and interpret the world?
• What tools do historians use to:
o Read and interpret documents?
o Evaluate other sources to determine if they are valid?
o Organize their information?
o Write argumentative essays and articles?
o Research new subject material?
This list is by no means exhaustive. However, I hope it conveys the very important point that
history is much more than names, dates and battles. In fact, while those are the building blocks of
history, in actuality it is the skills and craft of history where the subject gains its value and
becomes a fascinating pursuit. Therefore, it is important to keep in mind that while we are
learning about the events, people, patterns and trends of the past, we are simultaneously learning
about how that past has been crafted and created by the historians who have written about it so
that we can develop and refine those same skills.

CLASSROOM PROCEDURES:
Regular Class Days (not testing)
 Entering the classroom – should be done in an orderly and punctual fashion. Students
should immediately head to their seats upon entering the classroom.

 Tardies – Class officially begins when the bell rings; therefore, anyone entering after the
bell has finished ringing will be counted as tardy and their name will be sent to the office
where the official record is kept.

 Daily Starter – After entering the classroom, all students should get out their notebooks
or laptop computers, begin a new entry by marking the date, and then respond to the
question posted on the Starter section of the board. Starter activities will last
approximately three to five minutes, the time for which will be strictly kept.

 Homework hand-in – The bulk of our work and writing this year will be submitted
electronically via Edmodo and our individual blogs. The due dates will be established
clearly for when these submissions need to be made, but generally, your work should be
World History 5

Kogan
published online before class begins. We’ll use our writing in class extensively this year,
so having it completed and published will be vital for driving our class discourse.

 Materials – Students are expected to have all their necessary materials with them each
and every day of class, especially their textbooks, notebooks and writing implements. If a
student has to leave the classroom to get one of these items, they will be counted as tardy.

 Departing the classroom – I, the teacher, dismiss the class. The bell does NOT dismiss
the class. Therefore, I expect all students to remain in their seats, attentively working on
the task at hand until I give the signal for dismissal, at which point all students will then:
1) pack up their belongings,
2) push in their chairs, and
3) clean up around their area before leaving the room.

 Eating and Drinking – Students may only have and drink water in the classroom. If you
wish to drink water during the class, you will need to plan ahead bring your own bottle
and should not expect to leave the classroom to use the water fountain. Students may not
eat or chew gum in the classroom. All food and gum will need to be consumed or thrown
away before entering the classroom.

 Bathroom breaks – I expect students to use the five-minute passing period between
classes to use the restroom. Please make every effort to plan ahead and take care of these
issues before coming to class to ensure that the time we spend together each day can be
used in a maximally profitable way.
Test and quiz days
These days are effectively the same as regular class days, but instead of immediately beginning
work on a Starter, students should immediately head to their seat, put away all review material,
and get out appropriate writing implement, at which point they will receive and be allowed to
start work on the test.
1) Place their bags against the inside classroom wall;
2) Put away all review materials in their bags;
3) Head to their seat with the appropriate writing implement(s) and NO other materials.
4) Once all those steps are completed, the student will then receive and be allowed to start
work on the test.
5) On all quizzes and tests, students must write an honor statement and sign their names.
6) Students with extended time testing status must make arrangements with the teacher
about time and place to complete their tests prior to the beginning of the test.
World History 6

Kogan

TECHNOLOGY AND SOCIAL MEDIA RESOURCES:

As mentioned throughout this syllabus, we’ll be conducting much of our class work this
year via electronic media such as blogs, RSS Readers, Edmodo, Diigo, Twitter, and various other
social media websites (if you’re presently unfamiliar with those, don’t worry, you won’t be for
long.) While the Whipple Hill Portal will include info about homework assignments, the bulk of
our class resources, a link to the assignments, and other work will be accessible through the class
wiki, which can be found at http://fwcdwh2.wikispaces.com.
Additional websites that you’ll need to become acquainted with include:
 Wordpress – http://www.wordpress.com - where you’ll create and host your blog.
 Google Reader – http://reader.google.com - where you’ll follow one another’s posts.
 Diigo – http://www.diigo.com - where you’ll bookmark and annotate online sources,
share them with one another, cull research materials, and build bibliographies.
 Twitter – http://www.twitter.com - where you’ll share resources, communicate outside
class, participate in review sessions, evaluate sources, and engage in other types of
collaboration.
 Others that can be found at http://fwcdwh2.wikispaces.com/smlinks
A major part of the ethic of this social media-centric classroom centers on transparency,
collaboration, media literacy, and understanding how to define oneself positively online.
Therefore, much of the work and writing we’ll do this year will take place online; moreover,
we’ll do a number of collaborative group assignments, and everyone will be expected to
contribute to our rotating chapter assignments.
One of the unique features of this social media class structure, but one that applies to
academic and intellectual growth in general, centers on the public nature of one’s work. By
having our writing, comments, and other work publicly accessible on our blogs I hope to impress
upon you the importance of self-presentation, understanding audience, and thorough preparation.
As another benefit, the public nature of our blogging enables us to give feedback to our peers,
learn from one another, and network with students in other places throughout the world and
country. This feedback and constructive criticism helps us refine our thinking, improve our
argumentation, and come to the realization that education is not merely about earning a grade,
but about growing personally and intellectually.
Therefore, employing social media in class serves purposes beyond helping us study
history and learning content. More importantly, literacy in social media will also help us gain
experience in using technology for academic purposes—writing, research, information
reorganization, and sharing our work with others. Ultimately, I hope this integration of social
media into this course ultimately extends our classroom community and dialogue beyond the
walls of Room 201.
World History 7

Kogan
INTELLECTUAL DEVELOPMENT AND CRITICAL THINKING
“As for understanding, two varieties are distinguishable, weak and strong. In the weak sense, which we can call
simply 'knowledge', a soldier may understand an order by knowing what action it calls for; to understand the order
in a strong sense is to know why it was given. The relation between these two ideas is asymmetrical: knowledge
may be a necessary condition of understanding but it is clearly not a sufficient condition.”

- J.H. Andrews

BLOOM'S TAXONOMY
Benjamin Bloom created this taxonomy for categorizing level of abstraction of questions that commonly occur in
educational settings. The taxonomy provides a useful structure in which to categorize test questions, since professors
will characteristically ask questions within particular levels, and if you can determine the levels of questions that
will appear on your exams, you will be able to study using appropriate strategies.

Competence Skills Demonstrated

Knowledge  observation and recall of information

Least Complex

 knowledge of dates, events, places

 knowledge of major ideas
 mastery of subject matter
Intellectual Sophistication Spectrum

 Question Cues:
list, define, tell, describe, identify, show, label,
collect, examine, tabulate, quote, name, who, when,
where, etc.

Comprehension  understanding information

 grasp meaning
 translate knowledge into new context
 interpret facts, compare, contrast
 order, group, infer causes
predict consequences
Moderately Complex


 Question Cues:
summarize, describe, interpret, contrast, predict,
associate, distinguish, estimate, differentiate,
discuss, extend

Application  use information

 use methods, concepts, theories in new situations
 solve problems using required skills or knowledge
 Questions Cues:
apply, demonstrate, calculate, complete, illustrate,
show, solve, examine, modify, relate, change,
classify, experiment, discover
World History 8

Kogan
Analysis  seeing patterns
Moderately Complex
 organization of parts
 recognition of hidden meanings
 identification of components
 Question Cues:
Intellectual Sophistication Spectrum

analyze, separate, order, explain, connect, classify,

arrange, divide, compare, select, explain, infer

Synthesis  use old ideas to create new ones

 generalize from given facts
 relate knowledge from several areas
 predict, draw conclusions
 Question Cues:
combine, integrate, modify, rearrange, substitute,
plan, create, design, invent, what if?, compose,
Highly Complex

formulate, prepare, generalize, rewrite

Evaluation  compare and discriminate between ideas

 assess value of theories, presentations
 make choices based on reasoned argument
 verify value of evidence
 recognize subjectivity
 Question Cues
assess, decide, rank, grade, test, measure,
recommend, convince, select, judge, explain,
discriminate, support, conclude, compare,
summarize

* From Benjamin S. Bloom Taxonomy of educational objectives.

Published by Allyn and Bacon, Boston, MA. Copyright (c) 1984 by Pearson Education.