AP/IB EUROPEAN HISTORY
CHAMPLIN PARK HIGH SCHOOL
COURSE SYLLABUS 2015-16
MS. BERGE MR. DARDA MR. IVERSEN
Heather.Berge@anoka.k12.mn.us (763) 506-7753
Paul.Darda@anoka.k12.mn.us (763) 506-6988
Stu.Iversen@anoka.k12.mn.us (763) 506-6935
“If I accept you as you are, I will make you worse: however, if I treat you as though you are what you are capable of becoming, I will
help you become that.”
- Goethe
Welcome to the Journey!
We welcome you to the adventure of a lifetime – a 500-year journey through time to discover the history of Europe. This course begins
in the Middle Ages and continues through the fall of the Communist Bloc.
AP/IB European History is very challenging and demanding. It is meant to be the equivalent of a college survey course in European
history, and therefore we will be using the college level textbook and supplementary materials. You will be expected to do a large
amount of reading both in the textbook and in additional assigned readings. Class will be a combination of reading, note taking,
lecture, discussion seminars, and writing. Emphasis is on the general narrative of European history from the 14th Century to the recent
past; the study also includes an examination of the political and diplomatic, intellectual and cultural, and social and economic history of
Europe.
AP/IB European History is a lot of work, but it will also be a very rewarding experience for all of us. We are excited that you have
chosen to challenge yourself with this course and we are excited to teach and get to know you this year.
College Credit Exams
Junior Year: The AP European History Exam
May 6th 2016
The examination is 3 hours and 15 minutes in length. Part A consists of a 55 min 50-55 question multiple choice section and 45 min 4
question short answer section. All multiple-choice questions will be grouped in sets that are linked to historical source material. Part B
consists of one Document Based Question (DBQ) and one long essay.
Senior Year: The IB History Exam
May 2017
The examination is made up of three exams (papers) of free response questions (FRQs). The first exam is made up of Document
Based Questions (DBQs) and accounts for 25% of the total exam score, the second exam (20%) and third exam (35%) requires
students to pick from a list of free response essay questions (FRQs). Additionally students will complete an in class research paper
(20%) and this will be submitted as a portion of their overall composite score.
How to be Successful in AP/IB European History
1. READ EVERY NIGHT! The reading homework can quickly become unmanageable if you don’t keep up with the schedule.
2. As you read LOOK UP WORDS YOU ARE UNFAMILIAR WITH. Write these words down in your study guide and/or notebook.
The writers of the AP and IB Exams expect you to have a college-level vocabulary. It’s your job to develop your vocabulary.
3. ASK QUESTIONS in class when you are confused or struggling to understand – chances are you aren’t alone.
4. TAKE NOTES as you read and during the lectures in class. Be an active reader and note-taker, ask questions and summarize as
you go AND review when you are finished. Spielvogel doesn’t read as a novel!
5. BUDGET YOUR TIME – don’t underestimate the amount of time you need to do your reading and complete assignments.
6. Form STUDY GROUPS to review for tests – but choose wisely!
7. THINK OF HISTORY as a story unfolding for you throughout the year. Become intrigued in the personal stories, emotional battles,
exciting ideas, amazing accomplishments, humorous failures, and often strange personalities of the people we are studying.
8. STAY ORGANIZED – purchase three 3-ring binders (one for each term) and dividers to organize your study guides, notes, essays,
articles, and other materials by chapter. When it comes time to review in the spring or Senior Year you’ll have everything ready
and review time will be more purposeful.
9. BE IN CLASS – everything we do everyday has purpose. You are responsible for information missed by your absence.
10. PREPARE for tests appropriately – if you are in the habit of “cramming” the night before the test, you will be disappointed with your
results in this class – you must read every night.
11. ASK FOR HELP if you need it – perhaps with your writing or in preparing for exams.
Teacher Expectations
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We expect students to accept responsibility for their choices regarding behaviors and priorities.
We expect students to develop and maintain a work ethic that will enable them to be successful.
We expect students to participate and contribute to class discussion and note taking.
We expect students to be in class on the day of a test, essay, or seminar.
We expect learners will strive to be: inquirers, knowledgeable, thinkers, communicators, principled, open-minded, caring, risktakers, balanced, and reflective (IB Learner Profile).
Teacher Policies
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Students will have a 3-ring binder with dividers for each unit to keep all important information.
Students will afford the teacher and their classmates respect and dignity.
Cheating in any form is not tolerated! You will demonstrate academic integrity – if you fail in this endeavor you may be given a zero
for your assignment and/or the assignment you shared. Further, we will not write any recommendations for you (i.e. college
entrance or scholarship).Giving your paper to someone else to copy is ALSO cheating and may result in a ZERO!
Plagiarism means:
 Misrepresenting as your own work something done by another.
 Collaborative effort is where two or more students jointly prepare and submit the same or substantially similar papers as
individual efforts without the specific consent of the instructor. All assignments, unless specifically indicated otherwise, are to
be completed by the individual student.
 Dual submission means submitting the same paper or substantially similar papers to meet the requirements of more than one
course without the prior approval of all instructors concerned.
 Cheating means using or giving any answers/content to or from another student without the knowledge and consent of the
instructor, whether an assignment, a quiz, a test, a project, etc.
Class time is scheduled for the study of European History, completing work for the other courses during our class time is
unacceptable.
We DO NOT accept late work!
Grading:
93% - 100% A
90% - 92% A88% - 89% B+
83% - 87% B
80% - 82% B78% - 79% C+
73% - 77% C
70% - 72% C68% - 69% D+
63% - 67% D
60% - 62% D59% or less F
Weighing: 60% Exams and 40% Assignments and Discussion
Helpful Items:
Quizlet Flashcards: http://quizlet.com/
Schoology.com will serve as our class website and will be a crucial place for you to access class lectures and handouts, as well as
connect with classmates.
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Go to schoology.com and click “sign up”
Choose “Student” and Enter Access Code: 3WDH2-53Z8P
*There is also a schoology smartphone App. Available for free download.