Alex Wood
AP World History 1
Townsend Harris High School
Fall 2014
Course Overview:
The A.P. World History class is a two-year program that will prepare students to take the A.P. World exam at the end of
their sophomore year. Achieving a grade of 3 or higher on the A.P. exam may enable students to successfully attain college
credit. In addition to learning historical facts, in this course you will learn critical thinking skills necessary to analyze
historical evidence. The content in this course will fall under five main themes: 1) Interaction between humans and the
environment; 2) development and interaction of cultures; 3) state-building, expansion, and conflict; 4) creation, expansion,
and interaction of economic systems; and 5) development and transformation of social structures.
Textbook:
Strayer, Robert W. Ways of the World. 2nd AP ed. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2013.
Readings:
The textbook provides us with a departure point for further reading and investigation. We also use a variety of
supplementary readings and students are expected to engage in research. Primary source documents, pictures, and articles
written by notable historians will be examined and discussed. Students are assumed to have internet to access online
texts and articles. The THHS library has computers you can use if you do not have internet access at home.
Proposed Course Outline: (Subject to Revision)
 Sept 4 - 19: Introduction to AP level work, textbook readings, note-taking, and discussion procedures. World
Geography review. Strayer, Prologue.
 Sept 22 - Oct 10: Human Pre-History to the Rise of Agriculture and First Civilizations. Strayer, Chapters 1-2.
 Oct 14 - Oct 31: State and Empire in Eurasia/North Africa (500 BCE – 500 CE). Strayer, Chapter 3.
 Nov 3 - Nov 26: Culture and Religion in Eurasia/North Africa (500 BCE – 500 CE). Strayer, Chapter 4.
 Dec 1 -Dec 23: Society and Inequality in Eurasia/North Africa (500 BCE – 500 CE). Strayer, Chapter 5.
 Jan 5 - Jan 18: Africa and the Americas (500 BCE – 1200 CE). Strayer, Chapter 6.
 Jan 20 – Jan 30: Commerce and Culture (500 – 1500 CE). Strayer, Chapter 7.
You can find the most up-to-date course outline and homework/reading assignments in the shared class Google Docs folder
Attendance & Absence Policy:
Consistent, on-time attendance is critical for success in this class. If a student is absent, it is his/her responsibility to
provide the teacher with a note on the first day they return to school. Students are responsible for making up all work
missed due to absences in a timely manner.
Unexcused absences (those without a note) will be considered a cut and will result in a disciplinary referral. Additionally,
all work missed due to an unexcused absence, including homework, classwork, exams or quizzes will result in a zero.
Grading Policy:
My philosophy is to hold high expectations for all of my students, but at the same time ensure that each student gets the
necessary support to succeed. I will do all that I can to support every one of you, but ultimately the responsibility for
success lies in the effort you put out. Hard work = success. You will get back what you give! The breakdown for grades
in this class is as follows1:
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Exams & Quizzes: 50%
Papers/Projects/Collaterals: 20%
Collected Homework: 15%
Classwork and Participation: 15%
Grades will be posted online at https://jupitergrades.com/login/?34088. I will provide instructions on how to log in to
check your grades. Please note that there will most likely be a period of time between when an assignment is due and when
a grade shows up online.
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Townsend Harris High School follows a cumulative grading policy. Therefore, the breakdown of grades may not be fully reflected until the final grade
at the end of the 3rd marking period.
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Exams/Quizzes:
 There will be regular exams and quizzes throughout the semester to monitor your progress. The best way to
ensure success on these exams and quizzes is to participate in class, do your homework, and study. Many exam
questions will come straight from homework assignments and in-class discussions.
 Students will be notified of exams at least five days prior to the exam date. No notice is required for quizzes.
There will be a final exam in January.
Homework:
Homework is expected to be completed on time. Homework assignments will be collected at random. I will accept one
late homework assignment per marking period. After that, I will NOT accept late homework. Extensions for family
emergencies may be granted under exceptional circumstances. It is always better to ask for an extension before an
assignment is due rather than after it is already late.
Students will have one week to turn in late projects. For each day late, the grade will be reduced by 1/3 of a letter grade.
(Example: an “A” goes down to an “A-” after 1 day late and to a “B+” after 2 days late...)
I usually grade homework and classwork with a check plus, check, or check minus symbol.
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Inc
=
=
=
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Excellent work! Assignment is thoughtfully and carefully completed. – 100%
Acceptable work, but student could put more thought and care into assignment. – 85%
Poor work. Student was careless, or did not complete the assignment fully. – 70%
Incomplete. Student did not complete the assignment enough to receive a grade. (F)
If an assignment is found to be plagiarized or copied, it will receive an automatic “F” grade. Be sure to cite any resources
you use when completing assignments. Please note that if two assignments are identical, BOTH students will receive an F,
regardless of who copied off of whom.
Classwork & Participation:
Students are expected to participate fully in class. Keep the following in mind to get a high participation grade:
 Be on time and thoughtfully complete the day’s “do now” portion of the lesson.
 Keep an organized class notebook and binder with all numbered handouts in order.
 Remain focused – no electronic devices (cell phones, iPods, etc.), side conversations, naps, etc.
 Actively participate in all group discussions and complete all in-class assignments and activities.
 Raise your hand when you want to contribute, and actively listen when others are speaking.
 Don’t be afraid to be wrong. Never answer “I don’t know” to a question asked of you – always take an educated
guess.
Required Materials: 3-ring binder (at least 1” thick) or a section of a 3-ring binder, loose-leaf paper or separate notebook,
both pens and pencils, daily planner. Useful optional materials include: highlighter, white-out, USB flash drive, minipencil sharpener.
Contacting me:
Email is the best way to contact me. My email is: awood@townsendharris.org Please note that I am “old-school” and do
not necessarily check my email all the time / late at night / etc.
Class Website:
The class website can be found at http://www.alexwood.net. Click on “AP World” to find posts relating to this class.
Students and parents can access homework assignments and class resources through the shared class Google Drive folder.
I have read the contract and understand what is expected in this AP World History Class.
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Parent/Guardian Signature
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