Boyd County High School
AP European History
Mrs. Pemberton
lindsay.pemberton@boyd.kyschools.us
Course Overview
Civilization, as historians define it, first emerged between five and six thousand years ago when people in
different parts of the world began to live in organized communities with distinct political, military, economic,
and social structures. Religious, intellectual, and artistic activities assumed important roles in these early
societies. The focus of this class is on Western civilization, a civilization that many people identify with the
continent of Europe.
Guiding Text
Western Civilization – Since 1300, AP Edition, Ninth Edition, Jackson J. Spielvogel (Author)
Class Attendance and Expectations
Class attendance is mandatory and students are expected to participate actively in discussions, complete all
assigned readings, attend class regularly and be on time. Failure to show up for a scheduled class presentation
will result in a zero for the assignment. All assignments must be turned in on the due date, carefully prepared
and proofread, stapled, and identified with name and date. Hand written work will not be accepted. Late work
will not be accepted except in extreme, documented emergencies.
Academic Honesty and Plagiarism
Boyd County High School adheres strongly to a program of academic honesty. This means very simply that all
the work you do for this class must be your own, including all preparation and written assignments that you
submit for credit, and all tests that you take. Cheating, fabrication, plagiarism, or helping others to commit these
acts will not be tolerated. Academic dishonesty will result in severe disciplinary action including, but not
limited to, failure of the student assessment item or course. If you have a question about academic honesty, ask
your teacher before turning in the assignment. In short, plagiarism is theft. Students who plagiarize will be
punished to the fullest extent of school policy.
Presentations
In addition to lectures and films, every week a student will present a work in the field of European history. This
presentation should discuss the author’s thesis, the significance of this work and questions for discussion. In
preparing for this presentation, the student will not only be responsible for the assigned text, but also should
include a summary on how this work was received by other scholars and/or contemporaries. It would also be
appropriate to include more than one historian’s point of view in the presentation and touch on any known
historiographic debates. Since many of these works discuss the same topic, it is possible that two students work
together and present a join presentation.
Writing Assignment
Each student will write a historiographic essay on a topic of their own choosing. This essay will require each
student to look at how three different works challenge or support an interpretation of historical events. Before
beginning to write such an essay, students need to attain an understanding of these events and ascertain any
discernable schools of interpretation. The assigned class readings provide an excellent introduction into many of
the debates in the field of European History. In the scope of ten to twelve pages, students will be required to
compare and contrast interpretations, methods and sources used by the different authors. Published scholarly
reviews of the works students have chosen will also need to be consulted. To complete this writing assignment,
each student must submit a preliminary research topic proposal, an extended research proposal, a draft of the
paper, and the final copy.
Exams
Since history is not simply an exercise in restating memorized facts, the individual unit, mid-term, and final
exams will allow students to incorporate the information they have learned during the course of the semester
and apply it to particular questions. However, since the application of information requires a familiarity with the
basics of the course material, both exams will include a section that tests the student’s acquaintance with this
information.
Classroom Behavior and Procedures
Students in the class will be treated as young adults and are required to treat their peers and the instructor with
respect. This includes listening to what others as saying. Texting in class is NOT acceptable behavior as it
disrupts class discussions and chains of though. Texting during class time will result in grade loss and pop
quizzes for the entire class. Students who are absent will seek any makeup work in the class folder, and have
makeup time equal to time absent (1 day absent = 1 day to makeup work; weekends do not count). It is the
student’s responsibility to acquire any missed assignments. The instructor will not track you down or stop
instruction to make sure you have your makeup work.
Class Schedule
Week 1 – Introduction to European History
Weeks 2-3 – The Later Middle Ages
Weeks 4-5 – The Renaissance
Weeks 6-7 – The Reformation
Weeks 8-9 – Age of Exploration and State Building
Weeks 10-11 – The Scientific Revolution
Weeks 12-13 – The Enlightenment
Week 14 – Eighteenth Century Europe
Weeks 15-16 – The French Revolution
Weeks 17-18 – The Industrial Revolution
Weeks 19-20 – Revolution and Romanticism
Weeks 21-22 – Nationalism and Realism
Week 23 – Mass Society in the Age of Progress
Weeks 24-25 – Modernity and Imperialism
Weeks 26-27 – World War I
Weeks 28-29 – Europe Between World Wars
Weeks 30-31 – World War II
Weeks 32-33 – The Cold War
Week 34 – Stagnation in the Western World
Week 35 – The Global Age