Syllabus: World History 2
Mr. Buchanan
e-mail: buchananj@hohschools.org
sharing Google Docs: buchananj@learn.hohschools.org
Course Overview
World History 2 is the second year of our survey on World History. We begin with the first Global Age
of the 16th century and end with the study of the contemporary world. The first semester concentrates on
the 18th and 19th century, while the second semester concentrates on the 20th century. The course ends
with a Regents examination on both 9th and 10th grade material.
Below I have listed the major eras that encompass these ideals and the corresponding units of study we
will address in this course.
1.
Era
Absolute Monarchs in Europe (1500-1800)
2.
Enlightenment and Revolution (1550-1789)
3.
French Revolution and Napoleon (1789-1815)
4.
National Revolutions Sweep the West (17891900)
5.
Industrial Revolution (1700-1900)
6.
Age of Democracy and Progress (1815-1914)
7.
Age of Imperialism (1850-1914)
8.
Transformations around the Globe (1800-1914)
9.
The Great War (1914-1918)
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Units
Spain’s Empire and European Absolutism
The Reign of Louis XIV
Central European Monarchs Clash
Absolute Rulers of Russia
Parliament Limits the English Monarchy
The Scientific Revolution
The Enlightenment in Europe
The Enlightenment Spreads
French Revolution Begins
Revolution Brings Reform and Terror
Napoleon Forges and Empire
Napoleon’s Empire Collapses
Congress of Vienna
Latin American Peoples Win Independence
Europe Faces Revolutions
Nationalism
Revolutions in the Arts
Beginnings of Industrialization
Industrialization
Industrialization Spreads
Reforming the Industrial World
Democratic Reform and Activism
Self-Rule for British Colonies
Nineteenth-Century Progress
Scramble for Africa
Imperialism
Europeans Claim Muslim Lands
British Imperialism in India
Imperialism in Southeast Asia
China Resists Outside Influence
Modernization in Japan
Turmoil and Change in Mexico
Marching Toward War
Europe Plunges into War
A Global Conflict
A Flawed Peace
Syllabus: World History 2
10. Revolution and Nationalism (1900-1939)
11. Years of Crisis (1919-1939)
12. World War II (1939-1945)
13. Restructuring the Postwar World (1945present)
14. Colonies Become New Nations (1945-present)
15. Struggles for Democracy (1945-present)
16. Global Interdependence (1960-present)
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Revolutions in Russia
Totalitarianism
Imperial China Collapses
Nationalism in India and Southwest Asia
Postwar Uncertainty
Worldwide Depression
Fascism Rises in Europe
Aggressors Invade Nations
Hitler’s Lightning War
Japan’s Pacific Campaign
The Holocaust
The Allied Victory
Europe and Japan in Ruins
Cold War: Superpowers Face Off
Communists Take Power in China
Wars in Korea and Vietnam
Cold War Divides the World
Cold War Thaws
Indian Subcontinent Achieves Freedom
Southeast Asian Nations Gain Independence
New Nations in Africa
Conflicts in the Middle East
Central Asia Struggles
Democracy
Challenge of Democracy in Africa
Collapse of the Soviet Union
Changes in Central and Eastern Europe
China: Reform and Reaction
Impact of Science and Technology
Global Economic Development
Global Security Issues
Terrorism
Cultures Blend in a Global Age
My goal for you is two-fold: to help you (1) to develop a critical eye for studying the history of humanity
in the modern age AND (2) to prepare you for the Global History Regents exam at the end of the school
year. To this end you will have ample opportunity to hone your analytical and interpretive skills through
a variety of individual and group activities.
Texts and Textbook
While the primary text for this course is Holt McDougal’s Modern World History, you will also have
supplementary readings from several different sources including primary documents, current news
articles, and resources from the Choices Program developed at Brown University.
You will need to bring your textbook to class every day.
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Syllabus: World History 2
Course Online Resources
Website: Google Classroom
Besides our physical classroom, you also have a virtual online class website for monitoring class lectures,
readings, activities, and assignments. Always check the website classroom.google.com (drill down to the
web page for Mr. Buchanan, then choose World History 2 and your corresponding class period) for
upcoming assignments and tests. Several assignments will require you to log into a secure website
(Strongverb Interactive) which you will find at the end of this syllabus.
Class materials will generally be made available in one of two formats: Microsoft Word and Google
Docs. I will specify in class if you need to use a particular format.
E-mail address
To communicate with Mr. Buchanan via e-mail, please use my Hastings school district e-mail account:
buchananj@hohschools.org.
Homework
Expect homework every day. Reading will be assigned for every class topic, and students should expect
to complete homework assignments closely tied to the assigned readings. These assignments are called
Reading Notes. They will be checked on a regularly basis. (See below.) Wherever possible, I will post
Reading Notes assignments on the website.
Assignments are due at the beginning of class. If you hand in your assignment after the time that
assignments are checked, they will be subject to a late grade.
Notebooks and Binders. Keep your Reading Notes assignments in a spiral notebook and your
handouts in a binder.
While I will not collect your notebooks, I will check whether you have completed the assignments. Each
assignment will be graded according to the following rubric:
Grade
0 points
1 points
2 points
3-4 points
5 points
Rubric
 Assignment is missing, or
 Assignment did not address the rubric in any way.
 Assignment was plagiarized.
 Assignment was completed but did not completely address the rubric, or
 Assignment was completed but contained many inaccuracies.
 May not have contained a title and date.
 Assignment was completed, addressed the rubric, but contained some in
accuracies.
 May not have contained a title and date.
 Assignment was completed.
 Addressed the rubric at its minimum.
 Contained few or no in accuracies.
 May not have contained a title and date.
 Assignment was completed on time.
 Exceeded the rubric.
 Contained NO in accuracies.
 Contained a title and date.
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Syllabus: World History 2
If you keep your Reading Notes assignments in a spiral notebook, you should also have a folder to keep
handouts, assignment sheets, projects, quizzes, and tests.
Other materials needed. Several of the Reading Notes assignments require you to cut and paste
pictures, maps, and other articles into your notebook. Still other Reading Notes assignments require
drawing. In order to complete these assignments, you will also need the following: scissors, glue stick,
markers / colored pencils. If you are missing any of these items, please feel free to borrow them from
me.
Work Groups
Well after your high school experience, you will find yourself constantly working cooperatively in
groups—on the college level, in the workplace, and in political and social organizations. Any course in
Social Studies then necessarily should encourage and promote group activity.
Throughout the year, you will continuously work in small groups that I put together. On occasion I will
let you select groups yourselves. Nevertheless, expect that I will switch groups on a regular basis so that
you have the opportunity to work with different people.
For many group projects, I will break out the tasks due for each individual. Individuals in the group will
receive a separate grade for the components they are responsible for. For some projects, it will be the
responsibility of ALL group members to ensure that all tasks are completed by the due date. Here
everyone will get the same grade. For still other group projects, your fellow classmates will provide
grades on evaluation forms, which I will collate and average.
Grading
Your quarterly grade is calculated by the following formula: total number of points earned divided by the
total number of points possible.
For example, a hypothetical student received the following grades over the course of a quarter:
4/5, 8/10, 18/20, 13/15. His total number of points earned is: 4+8+18+13=43. The total number of points
possible is: 5+10+20+15=50. The grade for the quarter is 43/50=.86 or 86%.
The list below may give you a general idea of point values for typical assignments:
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Reading Notes assignments - 10 points; checked regularly according to the rubric above.
Project assignments - depends on the time and effort required, usually 15 to 20 points
Reading Quizzes – 7 to 12 points
Tests – approximately 50 points (35 points multiple choice; 15 points essay) Typically, there are
two tests every quarter.
Late Assignments
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If you hand in work with no documented excused absence or tardy, you may get no more than
80% of the total points possible for that assignment.
I will accept no late work past the end of each 10-week marking period.
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Syllabus: World History 2
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If you suspect you will not meet a deadline, see me in advance. I will grant extensions on a caseby-case basis.
Tests and Quizzes
All tests in this course will in some way or another reflect as closely as possible the actual Global History
Regents exam that you will take at the end of the year. They will follow exactly the same format:
multiple choice, document-based scaffolding questions and essays (DBQs), and thematic essays. Quizzes
are given only to check for understanding of the reading: these are brief, often identifications of major
concepts and events.
Leaving the room during class
Only ONE person may leave the room at any given time.
If you need to leave the room, please do the following: (1) raise your hand to ask whether you may
leave, and (2) sign the “out-of-room” log. Only ONE PERSON AT A TIME may leave the room for a
bathroom break. The “out-of-room” log will allow me to keep track of who is outside of the classroom in
the event of an evacuation or other emergency.
Your absence outside of the classroom should last no longer than five minutes. If you return to class
with food or drink or if you exceed the five-minute limit, you will receive a referral.
Classroom Behavior and Rules
My classroom is governed by two basic policies:
1. EVERYONE, student and teacher alike, must be treated with respect. (Putdowns and purposely
hurtful comments or actions will not be tolerated.)
2. No one will be allowed to disrupt the learning process of anyone else.
We will be doing a lot of group work in class. To do so effectively, we need to establish a cooperative,
tolerant environment, in which racist, sexist, and homophobic comments will not be allowed. It's okay to
disagree with someone, as long as you don't attack that person in a personal, hurtful way.
Please do not bring food to class! Water is okay, but if we are using computers in class, keep it far
away from the machines.
Absence from class: homework, quizzes and tests
Because the school website is available to you at all times, absence from class is not a plausible excuse
for not knowing homework, quiz, or test due dates. If you miss class, you must come see me ON THE
VERY NEXT DAY you are in school REGARDLESS of whether you have class with me on that day or
not.
If you are absent on the day of a test, you must make up the test at a time of my choosing. If you do not
make up tests, quizzes, projects by the end of a quarter, they will be recorded as zero.
Extra Credit
You may do extra-credit to improve your overall grade. The points you obtain through these assignments
will be averaged in with your graded points. For example, if you’ve had 4 assignments and scored 8 on
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Syllabus: World History 2
each, your average would be (8+8+8+8)/4=8. With a 10 point EC averaged in, it would be
(8+8+8+8+10)/5=8.4
You must check with me first before embarking on an extra credit project. The easiest extra credit I make
available is keeping your handouts, quizzes, and tests in a three-ring binder separated by tabs and in
chronological (or reverse chrono) order.
Absence from class -- test and quizzes dates
If you are absent on the day of a test, you must make up the test at a time of my choosing. If you do not
make up tests, quizzes, projects by the end of a quarter, they will be recorded as zero.
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