ADVANCED PLACEMENT WORLD HISTORY: SYLLABUS
2015-2016
“The will to win, the desire to succeed, the urge to reach your full potential... these are
the keys that will unlock the door to personal excellence.”
Confucius
“The only man who makes no mistakes is the man who never does anything.”
Theodore Roosevelt
Course Overview:
This is a one-year course about the creation of the world in which you live. The
purpose of this course is to develop a greater understanding of the evolution of global
processes and contacts in different human societies. The course highlights the nature
of changes in global frameworks and their causes and consequences, as well as
comparisons among major societies. It emphasizes relevant factual knowledge, leading
interpretive issues, and skills in analyzing types of historical evidence. The course
offers balanced global coverage, with Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe, and Oceania all
represented.
The material and rigor of AP World History is similar to a college-level course. For
each time period, knowledge of major developments that illustrate or link the five
thematic areas, and of major civilizations is expected.
The Five Themes of AP World History:
These are five themes outlined in the AP World History course description that we will
be using throughout the year to help organize our learning:
1.
Interaction between humans and the environment
2.
Development and interaction of cultures
3.
State-building, expansion, and conflict
4.
Creation, expansion, and interaction of economic systems
5.
Development and transformation of social structures
Mr. Tinucci's Classroom Rules:
1. Be prepared to start class when the bell rings.
2. Come to class prepared to learn.
3. Raise your hand to speak.
4. Follow directions the first time they are given.
5. Do nothing to keep Mr. Tinucci from teaching and anyone, myself included, from
learning.
6. RESPECT ALL!
Primary Textbook:
Stearns, Peter N. World Civilizations: The Global Experience, 5th Edition or 3rd edition,
Longman Publishing Group. The textbook will be stored in class. Students are
responsible to use the online version at home.
***The companion site for the textbook will be included. It includes chapter
summaries, multiple choice and true/false reviews, short answer and vocabulary
prompts, and further aids to help you get the most out of the reading.
Grading System:
Grading will be completed by determining the student’s actual score over the total
maximum points possible for the assignment. For example, if the total points possible
to be gained from a test is 200 and the student earns 176 of those points, their true
score will be an 88 (176/200 = 88). The student’s final quarter grades will be
determined by taking the final average of all grades given during those applicable
weeks.
Grading Scale:
A = 90-100
B = 89-80
C =79-70
D = 69-60
F = 59-0
*There is no EOC test for world history but you will be required to take a teacher made
Midterm and Final Exam.
*The College Board exam for AP World History, administered in May, will not be
figured into the student’s grade for AP World. Students’ grades from the May exam will
be mailed home during late summer.
Assignment Descriptions:
Expect to receive some form of grade every day. The following are the basic
types of tasks you will be required to complete:
1. Reading: There will be very few days in which you will not have a reading
assignment for homework.
Most nightly reading assignments are between 10 and 15 pages from the
textbook and/or primary sources. Those students who have been successful in
the past were regular readers of the textbook. Complete all reading
assignments!
2. Quizzes: Expect quizzes on a regular basis as they are meant to focus
students on preparing for class
and to clarify any misconceptions of basic information. They may be announced
or un-announced. Prepare for these by reading the texts, completing
homework, paying attention to class lecture and discussion, and reviewing all
notes that you take. Grade values for quizzes vary with a usual range between
10 and 20 points.
3. Writing Assignments/Charts/Reading Questions: Other tasks will be assigned
throughout the year to aid in learning the material and organizing the
overwhelming amount of information that is presented in the textbooks. Grade
values for these assignments vary based on time and effort required for
completion.
4. Tests: Each unit or sub-unit that we complete will conclude with a test that
spans two days. The first day of the test will involve writing an essay. There are
three types of essays that will be used to demonstrate students’ comprehension
of material: compare and contrast, continuities and change over time, and
document based question essays. The proper construction of these essays will be
taught during the course of the year. The second day of testing involves a
rigorous selection of multiple-choice questions (70 to 100 questions). The
questions asked are drawn from the assigned readings, in-class lectures, and
discussions. Failure to prepare for tests will certainly reflect in students’
grades. Tests are valued at a total of 200 points (Essay = 100 points + Multiple
Choice = 100 points).
⇒Essay Grade Scale:
Use the following chart to determine your numerical grade on
all in-class essays.
9 = 100
8 = 94
7 = 88
6 = 82
5 = 76
4 = 70
3 = 64
2 = 58
1 = 52
0 = 46
Academic Integrity:
Cheating, including plagiarism, at any time on any assignment will result in zero credit
for the assignment as well as administrative and parental referral. Cheating is not
worth it!
Late Work:
NO LATE WORK WILL BE ACCEPTED. Do not give excuses that you did not complete an
assignment.
Extra Credit:
Do not ask for extra credit if you have not completed all tasks as assigned. Extra credit
assignments are rarely given.
Leaving Class:
Use the bathroom before coming to class! In order to leave class for any reason, you
must have Mr. Tinucci's official hall pass – no exceptions. Do not interrupt a lesson to
ask to leave the classroom unless it is an absolute emergency! Class time is valuable!
Materials Needed:
1. A 3-inch 3-ring binder with loose-leaf paper (only to be used for APWH)
2. Pencils and black/blue pens (do not ask me for these)
3. A fully charged laptop
A TEXTBOOK WILL BE STORED IN THE CLASSROOM. STUDENTS WILL HAVE
ACCESS TO AN ONLINE VERSION OF THE TEXTBOOK. YOU ARE EXPECTED TO
READ AT HOME WITH THE ONLINE VERSION.
4. A jacket/coat/parka –temperatures vary throughout the day and the year.