The School at Church Farm
9th Grade World Civilizations
Syllabus
Instructor
Website
Mr. Magee
http://griffnet.gocfs.net/
E-mail
Phone
DMagee@gocfs.net
(610)363-7500 Ext.502
Course Description:
This course will examine the nature of civilizations throughout the course of human
history from the human origins to globalized societies. Students will acquire the skills
and tools needed to become sound interpreters of history and their own culture. The
primary modes of interaction with the material will be reading, writing, media literacy,
and group discussion.
Goals/Objectives:
The student will be able to…
 Investigate the World and the produce a new global knowledge
 Recognize perspectives and apply cross-cultural understanding
 Communicate ideas and connect and collaborate across boundaries
 Take action to enact global solutions.
Students will do this by
 Displaying a coherent of ideas and events that have shaped the world we live in
 Identifying central relationships though out history namely; humans and their
environment, humans and humans, and humans and ideas.
 Explaining these relationships within the context of seven major historical themes.
Population patterns, Economic networks and exchange, uses and abuses of power; the
haves and the have nots, science technology and then environment, expressing identity,
and spiritual life and more codes.
 Doing historical research and expressing the results in writing, multimedia presentations,
graphics, poetry, literature, and oral presentations.
 Interacting with ideas, themes, and issues that recur in history and influence human life.
 Illustrating an interdisciplinary understanding of the past.
 Creating solutions to problems in human civilizations.
Texts:
Ellis, Elisabeth Gaynor & Esler, Anthony. World History: Pennsylvania Edition. Boston:
Prentice Hall, 2007.
Gombrich, E.H. A Little History of the World. New Haven: Yale University Press, 2005.
See Griffnet for Additional Course Texts
CLASSROOM EXPECTATIONS: Integrity, Responsibility, Respect and Brotherhood.


Breaking this code of conduct may result in the following:
o Conference with the instructor.
o Conference with the student’s advisor.
o Conference with the Director of Students and/or the Directory of Academics.
Academic Dishonesty:
o Any form of academic dishonesty is in breach of our community core values. If a
student is caught in academic dishonesty it will result in a ‘0’ on the assignment
plus additional disciplinary measures as is stated in the Student Handbook.
DEMONSTRATION OF LEARNING: In almost all cases grades are based on a rubric that defines
the intended learning outcomes. Students are given the rubric when they are given the
assignment instructions. Assignment outcomes correspond to the overall course objectives.
Skills Challenge
There will be skills challenge the end of each unit as well as a mid-term and a final. The midterm and final will be comprehensive. The skills challenges are designed to assess the student’s
ability to interpret historical artifacts and use his knowledge base to create sound interpretive
conclusions about the nature and impact of a person, event, or idea in world history.
Assignment Value: 30%
Projects
There will be a variety of projects you will work on throughout the year. There is a major
project that will culminate at the end of the year in the form of a research paper.
Assignment Value: 20%
Essays:
There will be variety of writing assignments throughout the year. Students are encouraged to use
the assignment rubrics for essay written. Please see additional writing resources on Griffnet.
Assignment Value: 20%
Participation:
Classroom participation includes contributions to the class in terms of homework, daily
preparation, contributions to classroom discussions, and contributions to online forums. Students
will also have the ability to do a self-evaluation each quarter.
Assignment Value: 20%
Quizzes
There will be reading quizzes that assess the student’s comprehension of our text and primary
source documents.
Assignment Value: 10%
Grading:
Grading will follow the policy of CFS, The School at Church Farm:
A = 92% - 100%
B = 83% - 91%
C = 74% - 82%
D = 65% - 73%
F = 0% - 64%
COME TALK TO ME! If I am on campus and not teaching a class or in a meeting, I am available.
Please stop by my classroom. The door is open! You can also contact me (DMagee@gocfs.net).
Course Outline:

Please use Griffnet for course updates, readings, videos, key questions, and key
terms.
Quarter I: What does it mean to be civilized?



Unit I: Big History
Unit II: Building Community: Farming the and Emergence of Complex Societies
Unit III: The Wisdom of the Ancient World- Searching for Justice and Ethics within
Community
Quarter II: When Things Fall Apart… and a Starry Night




Unit I: The Fall of Rome and the Fate of Modern Civilizations
Unit II: The European Dark Ages
Unit III: The Rise of Islam
Unit IV: Representations of Power: Architecture, Land, Technology, and Art
Quarter III: A World in Revolution: New Worldviews- Connections and Collisions




Unit I: The Great Global Convergence
Unit II: Renaissance, Reformation, and the Scientific Revolution
Unit III: The Enlightenment
Unit IV: Political Revolutions as a Global Event
Quarter Modern and Global Societies



Unit I: The Industrial Revolution
Unit II: Nationalism and Global Warfare
Unit III: Globalization and its Consequences