SYLLABUS
FULL YEAR GRADE 10 WORLD HISTORY SYLLABUS
TEACHER
EMAIL
Course Dates
Room Number
Course Codes
COURSE DESCRIPTION
This course is designed to inspire high school students’ interest in historical, or
broadly, social studies. The course innovatively presents the history of the modern world
(from c. 1200 to the present) in reversed chronological order, i.e., flashbacks. It aims
at helping students connect historical events and social phenomena to the contemporary
world. The course seeks to build-up the students’ understanding of major historical
processes by searching and analyzing sources, developing arguments, drawing comparisons
and conclusions of historical changes and continuities over time.
LEARNING OUTCOMES
Throughout this course, students will be able to provide their own answers to three
Essential Questions:
1. How has our world come to be as we know of today?
2. How do we know what we know about history?
3. What is the significance of studying history in the ever-changing world?
By answering these questions, students will:
1. Establish connections between the contemporary and historical worlds
2. Understand historical development as a dynamic (rather than static) process
3. Master foundational skills for historical (social) studies, such as literature search,
academic reading, writing, and citation
4. Practice explanatory and argumentative writing and speaking
UNIT CALENDAR
UNIT 1: Understanding
Our Contemporary
World: The World
before and after
COVID-19 (Week 1-4)
Introducing the idea of Globalization (De-Globalization and ReGlobalization)

Week 1(23-27 Aug): The Contemporary World in a Nutshell (c. 1900 to
the present)

Week 2 (30Aug – 3 Sep): A Survey of Waves of Globalization

Week 3 (5-10 Sep): Clash and Collaboration of Civilizations

Week 4 (12-17 Sep): A World Split Apart or Re-Unified?
Core reading: Huntington, S. (1993). The Clash of Civilizations.
Foreign Affairs. 72 (3). P. 22-49.
1
UNIT 2: The Cold War
and the Emergence of
Contemporary World
Order (Week 5-9,
holidays included)
Introducing the Cold War, and global movements of decolonization and
nation-building

Week 5 (22-24 Sep): Cold War: Now and Then (1)

Week 6 (27-29 Sep): Cold War: Now and Then (2)

Week 7 (11-15 Oct): Decolonizing the World

Week 8 (18-22 Oct): How to Build a Nation: Exploring Nationalism

Week 9 (25-28 Oct): How to Build a Nation: Example of Modern China

Week 10 (1-5 Nov): Mid-term Exam, Parent-Teacher Meeting
Core reading: Anderson, B. (1983/2006). Imagined Communities:
Reflections on the Origin and Spread of Nationalism.
Film resources:
Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy (2011)
Bridge of Spies (2015)
UNIT 3: The Two World
Wars: Global Power
Shift and Conflict
(Week 11-15)
Introducing the two world wars as the result of global power shift and
conflict
Week 11 (8-12 Nov): Global Power Shift after 1900: Setting the Stage
for World Wars
Week 12 (15-19 Nov): World War I: Europe’s House Divided
Week 13 (22-26 Nov): The Interwar Period (1919-1938): The Simmering of
Global Conflict
Week 14 (29 Nov – 3 Dec): World War II: Setting the World on Fire
Week 15 (6-10 Dec): World Wars Concluded: Disorder, Order, and Reorder
the World
Core reading: Copeland, D. (2000). The Origin of Major Wars. Ithaca:
Cornell University Press
UNIT 4: When the World
Was Young:
Enlightenment,
Revolution, and
Industrialization (c.
1750-1900) (Week 16 –
19, end of Semester
One )
Introducing the European Enlightenment, French Revolution,
Industrialization, and the consequences of which incubating the
emergence of modern world
Week 16 (13-17 Dec): The European Enlightenment
Week 17 (20-22 Dec): Enlightenment and French Revolution
Week 18 (4-7 Jan 2022): Enlightenment and French Revolution
Week 19 (10-13 Jan 2022): Revision of Semester One
Week 20 (14-21 Jan 2022): End-Term Exam and P-T Meeting
UNIT 5: Age of
Discovery: European
Maritime Empires and
Transoceanic
Interconnections (c.
1450-1750)
Introducing the Europe-originated expansion of maritime empires and
transoceanic interconnections in the world from c. 1450 to c. 1750.
UNIT 6: Out of
Darkness: Renaissance
and Reformation (c.
1300-1600)
Introducing the historical processes of European Renaissance and the
Reformation of Christian Religion
UNIT 7: Networks of
Exchange: The Silk
Road, the Mongol
Empire, and the PreModern World
Introducing the Pre-Modern world from a global perspective
UNIT 8: An Overview of
the Post-Classical Era
and the Idea of
Civilization
An overview of the post-Classical era from c. 600 to 1450, and a
discussion of the idea of ‘civilization’ from a global perspective
UNIT 9: Course Review
Reviewing the full-year course of World History
ASSESSMENTS
2
Students will be assessed with weekly reviews (inc. vocabulary quizzes), unit reviews (at
the end of each unit), mid-term and end-term exams. The outcomes of assessments will be
updated timely on PowerSchool and reported at the parent-teacher meetings.
GRADING
60 Percent summative (Mid-term and end-term exams, unit reviews, and vocabulary quizzes)
40 Percent formative (20% Classwork [inc. participation, attendance, and performance],
15% Project, 5% Homework)
TECHNOLOGY/LMS REQUIREMENTS
Edmodo, PowerSchool, Liveschool, Rewordify
REQUIRED MATERIALS
Pen/Pencil, Notebook/paper, Textbook, Computer/Tablet
CLASSROOM POLICIES
Classroom rules will be reviewed and enforced during the first week of class. A Separate
document will be provided.
RESOURCES
Core text:
Sterns, P, N; Adas, M; Schwartz, Stuart, B; & Gilbert, M, J. (2015). World Civilizations:
The Global Experience. Pearson.
Further reading:
Huntington, S. (1993). The Clash of Civilizations. Foreign Affairs. 72 (3). P. 22-49.
Anderson, B. (1983/2006). Imagined Communities: Reflections on the Origin and Spread of
Nationalism. Verso.
Copeland, D. (2000). The Origin of Major Wars. Cornell University Press
Ferguson, N. (2003). Empire: How Britain Made the Modern World. New York: Penguin.
MacCulloch. D. (2009). Christianity: The First Three Thousand Years. New York: Viking.
Zweig, S. (2007). Decisive Moments in History: Twelve Historical Miniatures. Ariadne Press.
Armstrong. K. (2006). The Great Transformation: The Beginning of Our Religious Traditions.
Random House.
Durant, W. (). The Complete Story of Civilization. Simon and Schuster.
https://www.timemaps.com/
https://www.history.com
RUBRICS
Rubric for Summative Assessment (Exams, Review Tests, Vocabulary Quizzes)
3
Criteria
Vocabularies
and Concepts
Level 5 (5pt or
91-100%)
Students show
full
understanding
of theoretical
concepts and
command of
vocabularies by
applying them
properly in
academic
contexts.
Reading
comprehension
Students show
full
understanding
of the assigned
reading
materials by
completing the
teacher’s
assignments
with
satisfaction.
Data analysis
Students
demonstrate
good analytic
skills and are
capable of
providing
objective
explanations
and personal
interpretations
of source
materials (inc.,
prompts,
documents,
Level 4 (4pt or
81-90%)
Students show
good
understanding
of theoretical
concepts and
command of
vocabularies by
applying them
in academic
contexts (may
need further
selfclarifications
and
corrections).
Students show
good
understanding
of the assigned
reading
materials by
completing the
teacher’s
assignments
with limited
satisfaction
(may need
further selfclarification
and
corrections).
Students
demonstrate
good analytic
skills and are
capable of
making sense
of, i.e.,
providing some
explanations
and
interpretations
of source
materials.
Level 3 (3pt or
75-80%)
Students show
some
understanding
of theoretical
concepts and
command of
vocabularies by
applying them
in academic
contexts (may
need the
teacher’s
assistance for
clarifications
and corrections)
Students show
some
understanding
of the assigned
reading
materials by
completing the
teacher’s
assignments
(may need the
teacher’s
assistance for
clarifications
and
corrections).
Level 2 (2pt or
65-74%)
Students show
limited
understanding
of theoretical
concepts and
command of
vocabularies by
applying them
in academic
contexts (may
need to re-learn
the course
content)
Level 1 (<65)
Students show
limited
understanding
of the assigned
reading
materials by
completing the
teacher’s
assignments
(may need to reread and re-do
the
assignments).
Students show
no
understanding
of the assigned
reading
materials and
are unable to
complete the
teacher’s
assignments
(need to re-read
and re-do the
assignments).
Students
demonstrate
some analytic
skills and are
capable of
making some
sense of source
materials.
Students may
need the
teacher’s
assistance to
articulate their
explanations
Students
demonstrate
limited analytic
skills and are
capable of
making limited
sense of source
materials.
Students may
need the
teacher’s
clarifications to
develop their
own
Students
demonstrate no
analytic skills
and are
incapable of
making sense
of source
materials.
Students need
to re-study the
source
materials with
the teacher to
Students show
no
understanding
of theoretical
concepts and
command of
vocabularies
and are unable
to apply them
in academic
contexts (need
to re-learn the
course content)
4
Writing skills
Time
management
and neatness
graphics,
tables,
statistics, etc.).
Students are
capable of
presenting their
ideas in a
logically
consistent,
empirically
adequate, and
experientially
relevant
manner, in
written
language, with
little
grammatical
and spelling
errors.
Students
demonstrate
good time
management by
timely
submission of
quality works.
and
interpretations.
Students are
capable of
presenting their
ideas with good
logic, evidence,
and relevance,
in written
language, may
be with some
grammatical
and spelling
errors (Need
for selfcorrection).
Students are
capable of
presenting some
of their ideas
with some
logic, evidence,
and relevance,
in written
language, may
be with some
grammatical
and spelling
errors (Need for
teacher-assisted
correction).
Students
demonstrate
good time
management by
timely
submission of
works with
minor
diminishing of
quality.
Students
demonstrate
some time
management
skills by timely
submission of
works with
major
diminishing of
quality.
explanations
and
interpretations.
Students are
capable of
presenting their
ideas, but with
identifiable
logical fallacies,
insufficient
evidence and
relevance, in
written
language, may
be with many
grammatical
and spelling
errors (Need for
teacher-assisted
correction).
Students
demonstrate
limited time
management
skills by late
submission with
major
diminishing of
quality.
gain basic
analytic skills.
Students are
incapable of
presenting their
ideas in written
language (Need
for resubmission).
Students
demonstrate no
time
management in
failure of
submission of
works.
5
Rubric for Formative Assessment (General Classwork, Project, Homework)
Criteria
Level 5 (5pt or
91-100%)
Level 4 (4pt
or 81-90%)
Level 3 (3pt or
75-80%)
Level 2 (2pt or
65-74%)
Level 1 (<65)
Attendance and
participation
Full record of
attendance and
full participation
of learning
activities.
Good record of
attendance
(with absences
permitted) and
good
participation
of learning
activities.
Good record of
attendance
(with absences
permitted) and
some
participation of
learning
activities.
Acceptable
record of
attendance
(record of late
and absences
permitted) and
limited
participation of
learning
activities.
Communication
of information
Students show
courtesy to the
teacher and
classmates,
expression of
themselves fully
and skillfully,
and willingness
to communicate
with the teacher
and classmates.
Students show
courtesy to the
teacher and
classmates, but
with reluctance
in selfexpression and
communication
with the teacher
and classmates.
Students show
limited courtesy
to the teacher
and classmates,
and
unwillingness
of selfexpression and
communication
with the teacher
and classmates.
Use of language
Students
demonstrate
good command
of English
language by
using the
language
willingly,
skillfully, and
accurately in
expression and
communication.
Students use
products of
technology
properly to
access learning
Students show
courtesy to the
teacher and
classmates,
good
expression of
themselves,
and
willingness to
communicate
with the
teacher and
classmates.
Students
demonstrate
good
command of
English
language by
attempting to
use the
language in
most
circumstances
at school.
Students use
products of
technology
properly to
access learning
Unacceptable
record of
attendance
(record of
unpermitted
late and
absences) and
little
participation
of learning
activities.
Students show
no courtesy in
class.
Students
demonstrate
some command
of English
language by
attempting to
use the
language in
some
circumstances
at school.
Students
demonstrate
limited
command of
English
language by
showing
reluctance and
incapability of
using the
language at
school.
Students use
products of
technology to
access learning
resources and
Use of
technology
Students use
products of
technology to
access learning
resources and
Students
demonstrate
little
command of
English
language by
showing no
attempt in
learning and
using the
language.
Students use
products of
technology
improperly
and do not
6
resources and
complete
assignments in
accordance with
the teacher’s
instructions.
Note-taking
Students
actively take
notes in class in
accordance with
the teacher’s
instructions,
take explanatory
notes in and
after class, and
use the notes
fully in review
of their learning
outcomes.
Organizational
skills
Students
organize their
learning
resources fully
and skillfully.
resources and
complete
assignments in
partial
accordance
with the
teacher’s
instructions.
Students take
notes in class
with the
teacher’s
instructions,
take
explanatory
notes after
class, and use
the notes for
review of their
learning
outcomes.
Students
organize their
learning
resources with
the teacher’s
instructions.
complete
assignments in
partial
accordance with
the teacher’s
instructions.
complete
accord with
assignments,
the teacher’s
but in limited
instructions.
accordance with
the teacher’s
instructions.
Students take
notes in class
with the
teacher’s
instructions, do
not take
explanatory
notes after
class, and do
not keep the
notes well for
review of their
learning
outcomes.
Students keep
their learning
resources well
but with limited
organization.
Students
reluctantly take
notes in class,
do not take
explanatory
notes after
class, and do
not keep the
notes well for
review of their
learning
outcomes.
Students do
not take notes
in class and do
not make up
notes after
class.
Students do not
keep their
learning
resources but
are willing to
make up what is
missing.
Students do
not keep their
learning
resources and
are unwilling
to make up
what is
missing.
7