Intro and Overview
2015-‘16
World Hist. II
Mr. Aiello
World and U.S. History II
I. What is this course?
As the final year of a three-year sequence, we will use the rough time period of the Twentieth
Century. While there is a little more emphasis placed upon American history, we attempt to keep
our nation’s history in an international context. Generally speaking, we will be proceeding
chronologically through the Twentieth Century. However, certain topics will be approached more
thematically. On the back of this page are the major unit titles and subtopics, but listed
below are the four Enduring Understandings for the whole course:
Enduring Understandings for World History II
EU#1: The United States gradually has become a global superpower.
EU#2: Technological changes, demographic changes, and the changing role of government have
shaped American society.
EU#3: The principle of self-determination has shaped world history.
EU#4: Increasing global interconnectedness has produced conflict and cooperation.
II. Skills and Methods
Some of the most crucial skills that I tend to stress to my students are critical thinking,
organization, and presentation and defense of one’s ideas. While the content of the course is
valuable in itself, the skills needed to function as an intelligent adult in this society are invaluable.
With the rate of new information increasing at an almost exponential rate, I believe the skills
involved in learning and thinking are essential. Therefore, most of what we do in this class will
require the students to take an active role in their own learning.
There are still lectures, discussions, and videos, but there are also role plays, debates,
presentations, projects and other means by which to have the students work on their thinking skills.
The ‘real world’ will probably not require them to sit and politely just take in information, but to
problem-solve and work as a team to help find better ways to do things, whether that be sell a
product or service, treat a patient, negotiate a settlement, raise a family, or any other tasks of
adulthood.
III. Enough Philosophical Statements, How much homework should I have?
A unit syllabus is given out at the beginning of each unit, and they are very regularly followed.
On average, students should have something to do for this class five times a week. Usually that
means a short reading from one of our two textbooks, or a photocopied article. We have unit tests
about every 4 weeks, and a major research project once each semester.
Approximate Point Distribution Per Unit
60 points
30 points
60 points
100 points
Collected Assignments/Presentations/Activities, etc.
“Pop” Reading Quizzes/Intro or Exit Slips
“The Binder” – homework, notes, classwork, etc. (collected every 2 weeks)
Unit Test
Intro and Overview
2015-‘16
World Hist. II
Mr. Aiello
IV. Attendance & Tardies – It is very important that you are in class and on time every day. We
will begin when the bell rings, at which time significant tasks will be undertaken immediately.
• You are responsible for all work that is missed due to an excused absence or tardy. You need to
ask the teacher, not just a classmate, for all the information and materials necessary to make up the
assignments. Handouts are located on the shelf, ask the teacher for help.
• With the tardy policy, students will serve an after-school detention for their third, and every
subsequent tardy. Consistent problems with tardies and unexcused absences will be dealt with on
an individual basis, with a phone call to a parent being part of the process.
VI. Class Participation – Who is responsible for learning in the classroom?
The teacher cannot “learn” you something, therefore the students need to take a very active role in
their own learning. I recommend a couple of basic methods to accomplish the goal of maximizing
your education. Come prepared to participate in class no matter what the activity. If it is a
discussion based on a previously assigned reading or film, read or pay attention to the film. If it is a
lecture, take notes and ask questions whenever you are unclear about something. If it is a group
project, participate and pull your weight.
• You are expected to listen to and respect the opinions of others. You need not agree with all that
you hear, but you must let each idea and opinion be stated and discussed when appropriate.
• Do not put your head on your desk to try and sleep. If you are feeling too ill to participate in class,
ask for a note to go to the nurse.
• There is no seating chart, so all desks/chairs are first-come, first-served. Please do not move
chairs and desks around. Find the best combination for you. However, if your seat, or your
location, get in the way of you or others making the most of their learning environment, you will be
moved to a better location.
VII. Graded Activities: - There are four main ways to earn points in this class. Grades are based
on the very traditional 90%s are As, 80%s are Bs, and so on.
• Collected assignments – usually these are in-class activities or a homeplay assignment, but they
also include the research project and presentations. You will always be told about the due date
when they are assigned.
• Unannounced reading quizzes – these “pop” quizzes will be open note and over the previous
one or two days’ reading assignments. Some will be multiple choice, some short answer, some
open-ended questions.
• The Binder – everything that does not fall into the above categories or unit tests will be
numbered and kept in your own three-ring binder. This includes class notes and handouts, text and
other reading notes or answers to questions, classwork, and graded and returned materials from the
present unit. About every two weeks, the teacher will designate several of the numbered items to be
turned in to be graded. Late work is not accepted!!
• Assessments – a fancy name for tests and quests, these are major, middle- or end-of-unit exams,
for which study guides will be given and some reviewing will be done during class.
• There will occasionally be opportunities for extra credit. Mr. Aiello will let you know of these
opportunities.
VIII. Tutoring and Extra Help – The Study Center/Learning Center is available, and Mr.
Livingston is a great help for giving you suggestions in how to study and organize yourself. Mr.
Aiello is usually available during first, second, or sixth hours. He can usually be found in room 128
or the Social Studies Office, room 114. By appointment, Mr. A can meet before or after school.
Intro and Overview
2015-‘16
World Hist. II
Mr. Aiello
IX. Major Units of Study – Generally following a chronological pattern, this is the content we use
to learn and develop the skills of a historian. Listed below is a short description of each unit.
Semester One
1. The Gilded Age and The Progressives - Our first topic of study will be the U.S. and what an
industrialized society was like around 1900, and the responses to the issues raised by rapid
industrialization.
2. Imperialism, The Great War and the Russian Revolution - We will explore the themes of
the New Imperialism and then focus on the spread of imperialism in Asia and Africa in the late
1800s. Then the causes and effects of the two monumental events that really helped to usher in the
modern era will allow for an understanding of the ideas that shaped the Twentieth Century.
3. Between the Wars - This unit will focus more on the cultural events of the Twenties and
Thirties in the United States and a few other spots around the globe.
4. World War Two - The causes, major events during, and effects of, the War.
Semester Two
5. The Cold War - We will go more thematically and look at the Cold War from beginning to
end (1945 – ’89) and try to give the students some context upon which to look at their world.
6. Life in Post-Industrial Societies - Focusing on the 1950s through the ‘70s, students will
explore the trends and developments of the post-WWII world, with a heavy emphasis on the U. S.
7. Nationalism Movements Around the Globe - Returning to an earlier theme, we will explore
the movements for independence in many former colonies, and how the modern international
climate has been established.
8. Globalization – In our final unit we will travel around the world and look at key
developments and issues of the past twenty or so years, with an emphasis on globalization.