COURSE SYLLABUS: WORLD HISTORY I (Ancient Civilizations) - Intensified
Mr.Babichenko (Room 207)
Contact Information: Denis.Babichenko@apsva.us
Web-site: Web-site: apsva.us/wakefield
(Click on (1) “Departments,” (2) Social Studies, (3) Denis Babichenko)
THEME:
The theme for this course is COMMUNITY. Throughout the year, you will learn
about the evolution of human communities. You will learn how, throughout history, various
communities were shaped by their physical environment, religious beliefs and philosophies,
and interactions within and between societies. Hopefully, by examining the past, you will be
able to draw connections and be able to better understand the causes of many modern day
events. Furthermore, you will examine the role of individuals in different communities
throughout history and self-reflect on your place in today’s world.
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WHY SHOULD YOU BE TAKING THIS CLASS?
This course is not required for graduation; however, it does count as an elective credit.
Students usually enroll in this course for one of the following reasons:
 They enjoy studying history and want to learn more about ancient history
 They are pursuing an advanced diploma which requires 4 social studies credits
and they did not receive credit for World Geography which Arlington Public
Schools offers in 8th grade for high school credit
 They have not received a verified credit in either World Geography or World
History II by the end of their freshmen year
CONTENT AND SKILLS:
This class covers major developments in world history from the end of the prehistoric
era to 1500 A.D. Students will be introduced to ideas, government systems, cultures, and
social workings of classic Western civilizations (Greece and Rome) as well as societies and
empires in Africa, Asia, the Americas, and Eastern Europe. Students will discover how
various civilizations interacted and influenced each other through economic exchange, military
conquest, and cultural assimilation. Besides the content, students will learn a number of
critical thinking and writing skills relevant to history as well as other social studies’ disciplines.
The skills that will be emphasized in this class include primary source analysis and ability to
form effective and convincing argument orally and in writing.
VIRGINIA STANDARDS OF LEARNING:
This course is in compliance with the Virginia Standards of Learning (SOLs) for
History and Social Studies. The content of the course will help prepare students for a statewide
examination in May or June 2012. The course’s SOL will test students on their understanding
of world history and geography from prehistory to 1500 A.D.
Ancient Civilizations (Intensified): Long Term Goals:
In this class, students will:
(1) Develop and advance higher order critical thinking and writing skills
(2) Master the content and be able to apply this knowledge beyond the class
(3) Be prepared to take Virginia Standards of Learning Test in May/June 2012
Letter Grade:
A
B+
B
C+
C
D+
D
E
Grading Scale:
Percentages:
Quality Points:
90-100
4.0
87-89
3.5
80-86
3.0
77-79
2.5
70-76
2.0
67-69
1.5
60-66
1.0
0-59
0.0
AP Quality Points:
5.0
4.5
4.0
3.5
3.0
2.5
2.0
0.0
Grading Policy:
The final course grade will be calculated using the following formula:
*Final year grade = Q1 (22.5%) + Q2 (22.5%) + Q3 (22.5%) + Q4 (22.5%) + Final exam (10%)
*The final year grade will be calculated using the quality points and not percentages,
letter grades, or number/point systems.
*Final Quality Point Averages will be used to determine a student’s final grade as follows:
Final Quality Point
Average
Final
Grade
3.75 and above
A
3.25 to 3.749
B+
2.75 to 3.249
B
2.25 to 2.749
C+
1.75 to 2.249
C
1.25 to 1.749
D+
1.0 to 1.249
D
below 1.0
E
*A final grade of 1.0/D and a demonstrated pattern of consistent achievement will be
required in order to pass the class.
*Student grades will reflect student achievement and not student behavior.
* Students who have an “A” average for their four quarterly grades will not be exempt
from taking the final exam (an “A” average means that students have earned at least 15
quality points from their four quarterly grades (i.e., 3 “A’s” and 1 “B” or 2 “A’s” and
2 “B+’s”)). However, they will have an option of presenting/completing their final exam
prior to the exam week.
*Rounding: The school gradebook program will be set up automatically to round to
the whole number (example: 90.4% will round to 90% and 90.5% will
round to 91%) during and at the end of each quarter.
*In addition to achievement, work habits as noted in the report card comments will be
evaluated for each course using the following symbols:
X – Surpasses Expectations
Y – Meets Expectations
Z – Approaching Expectations
N – Needs Improvement
CLASSROOM RULES:
1. Be respectful to yourself, your classmates, and your teacher.
2. Come to class on time (attendance policy – see below).
3. Come to class prepared (pen and/or pencil, notebook, and additional reading handouts).
4. Follow provisions of the student handbook.
5. Food is NOT ALLOWED in the classroom during class time.
Teacher Pledge:
I pledge to you that during this school year I will:





Treat you with respect and courtesy
Cultivate and uphold the 5Rs of the Wakefield Way in my classroom
(Rigor, Relationships, Resilience, Responsibility, Results)
Provide fast and constructive feedback on graded assignments
Commit myself to helping you during lunch and after school
Be a role model of my expectations of you (in terms of work ethic, organization,
commitment to due dates and deadlines, communication, etc.)
Grading Categories:
Tests
Projects
Writing Assignments
% of
Quarterly
Grade:
Explanation:
20
At the end of each unit, students will take a test. The
test will consist of various types of assessments,
including, but not limited to, multiple choice questions,
short answers, geography-based questions, etc.
20
Each unit will include one or several long-term
projects. Most projects will be done in groups. Students
will receive specific directions and grading rubrics for
each of the projects prior to due dates.
20
Writing assignments will include short answer
responses as well as fully developed essays. Grading
rubric for each major writing assignment will be
distributed to students prior to due dates.
Reflective Journal
Homework
Classroom
Participation
15
15
10
Almost every class, students will be asked to respond to
various writing tasks that will include, but are not
limited to, previewing/reviewing questions, thinking
prompts, provocative statements, in-character writing
exercises, etc. Reflective journals will be graded 2-3
times each quarter.
Homework will be checked randomly (not every class).
Homework assignments will consist of notes and
questions related to the textbook readings as well as
additional handouts, such as primary source documents,
introduced in class.
Students will be asked to share their responses from
reflective journals in class, actively engage in class
activities and discussions, as well as be punctual,
prepared, and productive during every class.
READING MATERIALS FOR THE COURSE:
All Social Studies textbooks are available online through Blackboard. Through a login,
students will have access to any textbook materials they may need for this or any other course.
Ancient World History: Patterns of Interaction (Holt McDougal, 2011) will be used as this
course’s primary textbook. As of right now, the number of students registered for the class is
greater than the number of hard copies of the textbook. If you do not have Internet access at
home and will require a hard copy of the book, please speak to me privately. Several hard
copies of the textbook will be available to check out throughout the year on an overnight basis.
In addition, students will receive a variety of primary source documents and other types of
supplemental readings during this school year.
SUPPLIES:
Students will need the following supplies for this course:
1). A writing utensil (pen or pencil)
2). A notebook/journal (for note-taking and various writing activities)
3). A binder or a folder (for classroom and homework handouts)
4). (optional) A small storage box/container or an extra binder (for storing
in class all materials after completion of each unit)
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EXPECTATIONS AND REQUIREMENTS:
 This is an intensified class. It will be more rigorous than regular social studies courses.
Success in the class depends on your ability to develop resiliency as well as
demonstrate personal and academic responsibility.
 You are expected to be a proactive learner, constantly striving to produce high quality
work on a consistent basis. You are expected to actively engage in classroom activities,
such as group work, discussions, reflective journal prompts, etc.
 If you find yourself struggling with the course’s overall work load or any particular
type of assignment, you are expected to sign up for a one on one review/help session
with me.
 You are responsible for taking your own notes during lectures, discussions, videos,
reading assignments, etc. I will introduce a note-taking style in class. You will not
be required to follow it, unless your grades on tests and other major assignments
put you in danger of failing (70% and below).
 Late assignments will be accepted with no penalty/deduction in grade only if a
student had an excused absence. It is your responsibility to turn in your late work
promptly to me. Students with an excused absence have two school days (including
time during lunch and after school) to make up homework or any other
assignments or arrange for an alternative date to complete missing work.
 Late work will be accepted for a reduced grade. More specifically, in case of
homework assignments, missed work turned in before the end of each unit will be
accepted for half a credit per assignment. On long-term projects and writing
assignments, students will be deducted one letter grade for every day the assignment is
late. (For example, the highest possible grade on an essay that was due Monday and
turned in on Thursday of that same week will be 69%).
 Students will not be allowed to make up work for unexcused absences and will
receive ZEROs for those assignments.
 Students are expected to follow an academic honor code and refrain from
plagiarism and other forms of academic fraud.
 Extra credit option is available every quarter. Students with a failing grade will
not be given an opportunity to do extra credit assignments. See your teacher for
an explanation of extra credit assignments.
 If you need my help or would like to make up a missed test, please see me as soon as
possible so we can arrange the time. I am usually available by appointment during
lunch every school day. You can also schedule a meeting with me on Mondays,
Tuesdays, or Thursdays after school.
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2011-2012 GT World History I Pacing Chart
(*Dates are subject to Change)
Unit 1: Foundations of Human Society
ENDURING UNDERSTANDING:
Human adaptation to the surrounding environment influenced the development of society,
technology, and culture.
CONCEPTUAL UNIT QUESTION:
In what ways did the development of agriculture alter human society and pave the way for
civilization?
Dates:
Chapters and Sections: Civilizations/Regions/Topics
SOL
Covered:
Objectives:
09.06 – 09.23 Chapter 1, sec. 1 and 2

(pp.1-18) – Human origins to
Neolithic Era


Evolution and
development of early
humans
Paleolithic Society
Neolithic society and
Agricultural Revolution
WHI.1 (a-f)
WHI.2 (a-d)
Unit 2: River Valley Civilizations
ENDURING UNDERSTANDING:
Human ability to control and manipulate the environment resulted in complex societies.
CONCEPTUAL UNIT QUESTION:
Does the transition of human society to civilization have positive or negative consequences?
Dates:
Chapters and Sections: Civilizations/Regions/Topics
SOL
Covered:
Objectives:
09.26-10.21
Chapter 1, sec.3 (pp.19-25)

Sumer
Chapter 2, sec.1-4 (pp.26-

57) Mesopotamia, Egypt,
Indus River Valley, Shang
and Zhou China

Chapter 3, sec.3 & 4
(pp.73-85) Phoenicians and

Hebrews

Chapter 4, sec.1 & 2 (pp.8698) Egyptian, Nubian, and
Assyrian Empires)
Emergence and
WHI.1 (a-f)
characteristics of the first
civilization in Sumer
WHI.3 (a-e)
Tigris-Euphrates River
Valley ( Mesopotamia
and the Fertile Crescent)
Nile River Valley (Egypt
and Nubia)
Indus River Valley and
Ganges River Valley
Huang He River Valley
(China under Shang and
Zhou Dynasties)
Unit 3: Classical Asian Civilizations
ENDURING UNDERSTANDING:
Unique and enduring cultures developed independently in India and China.
CONCEPTUAL UNIT QUESTION:
In what ways do religious and philosophical characteristics distinguish civilizations in India
and China from other societies?
Dates:
Chapters and Sections: Civilizations/Regions/Topics
SOL
Covered:
Objectives:
10.24-11.22
Chapter 3, sec.1&2 (pp.5871) Indo-European migration;
Hinduism and Buddhism



Chapter 4, sec.3&4 (pp.99117) Persian Empire and Qin
Dynasty

Chapter 7, sec.1-3 (pp.186209) Mauryan and Gupta
Empires, Han Dynasty;
spread of Hinduism and
Buddhism


Persian Empire
Classic India (Maurya
and Gupta Empires)
Hinduism, Buddhism,
and Jainism
Classical and Imperial
China (Qin and Han
Dynasties)
Confucianism, Daoism,
and Legalism
The Silk Road
WHI.1 (a-f)
WHI.4 (a-f)
Unit 4: Classical Mediterranean Civilizations
ENDURING UNDERSTANDING:
Philosophical, religious, political, and legal pillars of Western Civilization have their origins in
classical Greece and Rome.
CONCEPTUAL UNIT QUESTION:
How did classical Western civilizations influence the foundation of our modern society?
Dates:
Chapters and Sections: Civilizations/Regions/Topics
SOL
Covered:
Objectives:
11.28-01.27
Chapter 3, sec.3 (pp.72-73)

Minoans
Chapter 5, sec.1-5 (pp.118-

150) Ancient Greece

Chapter 6, sec.1-5 (pp.152185) Ancient Rome

Greece (Minoan,
WHI.1 (a-f)
Mycenaean, and Archaic
Eras)
WHI.5 (a-g)
Greece (Classic and
Hellenistic Eras)
WHI.6 (a-k)
Rome (Roman Republic
and Roman Empire)
Christianity
Unit 5: Post-Classical Civilizations (Late Antiquity)
ENDURING UNDERSTANDING:
Conflict and cooperation among Islamic, Byzantine, and Western European societies produced
distinct civilizations.
CONCEPTUAL UNIT QUESTION:
In what ways did post-classical civilizations serve as a link between eastern and western
cultures, and how did they provide an intersection between the ancient and modern worlds?
Dates:
Chapters and Sections: Civilizations/Regions/Topics
SOL
Covered:
Objectives:
01.30-03.23 Chapter 10, sec.1-3 (pp.258297) Islam and the Islamic
Empire



Chapter 11, sec.1-3 (pp.298319) Byzantine Empire, Russia,
and Turkish Kingdoms

Byzantine Empire
WHI.1 (a-f)
Islam and the Islamic
Empire
WHI.7 (a-e)
Middle Ages in Western
Europe
WHI.8 (a-d)
The Crusades
WHI.9 (a-d)
Chapter 13, sec.1-4 (pp.350-
WHI.12 (a-d)
375) Early Middle Ages
Chapter 14, sec.1-4 (pp.376-405)
Late Middle Ages
Unit 6: Regional Civilizations
ENDURING UNDERSTANDING:
Geography, environment, and history drove the development of unique civilizations in the
Americas, East Asia, Africa, and Europe.
CONCEPTUAL UNIT QUESTION:
How did the spread of ideas, products, and peoples connect and impact cultures within the
Americas, Africa, Europe, and East Asia?
Dates:
Chapters and Sections: Civilizations/Regions/Topics
SOL
Covered:
Objectives:
03.26 – 05.18 Chapter 8, sec.1-3 (pp.210-

230) Early African societies,
Bantu migration, Aksum
Chapter 12, sec.1-4 (pp.320-

343) Tang, Song, and Yuan
Dynasties; Mongol Empire; and
Feudal Japan
Chapter 15, sec.1-3 (pp.406435) West and Southern African
Kingdoms and East African
City-States


East Asia (Tang, Song,
Yuan, and Ming
Dynasties; Japan and
Korea; Mongol Empire)
African civilizations
(Axum, Ghana, Mali,
Songhai, and Great
Zimbabwe)
American civilizations
(Maya, Aztec, and Inca)
European Renaissance
WHI.1 (a-f)
WHI.10 (a-d)
WHI.11 (a-b)
WHI.13 (a-d)
Chapter 16, sec.2-4 (pp.446467) Maya, Aztec and Inca
Civilizations
Chapter 17, sec.1&2 (pp.468487) The Renaissance in Italy
and Northern Europe
May 2012
Review Handouts and
Activities for the SOL Test
Units 1-6
Review Handouts and
Activities for the SOL Test
Units 1-6
WHI.1-WHI.13
After the
SOL
Preparation for the Final
Examination/Project
Preparation for the Final
Examination/Project
Long Term
Project
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(parent initials) and behavior in the class via email.
Date: __________
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