9th Grade Great Questions in World History
North Yarmouth Academy
Mr. Echeverria
decheverria@nya.org
“If you would understand anything, observe its beginning and its development.”
-Aristotle
"Time is a violent torrent; no sooner is a thing brought to sight than it is swept by and another
takes its place." –Marcus Aurelius
“Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in getting up every time we do.”
-Confucius
Course Description
The aim of the 9th grade history course is to have students consider (and then attempt to answer
for themselves) a series of essential questions that have confronted humanity across time and
cultures. Some of these questions may include:
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When is authority legitimate?
What is justice?
What is a fair distribution of the world’s resources?
What is the purpose of art?
What is the purpose of religion?
What makes a meaningful life?
It begins with a study of the world’s major religions. Then students focus on three civilizations:
Ancient Greece, Ancient Rome, and Ancient China. Through each civilization, students will
consider how these questions have been answered in the past as well as to determine their own
answers to these questions.
The final trimester of the course is a study of The Holocaust and other genocides in the Twentieth
Century. The central text for this half of the course will be “Facing History and Ourselves”.
Students will investigate the role of the individual in the rise of Hitler and the propagation of The
Final Solution. For purposes of comparison, students will consider other genocides including
genocides in Armenia, Cambodia, and Rwanda.
Year Overview
For each of the following topics, students will be working both collaboratively and individually,
using a variety of materials ranging from primary sources to our textbook.
We will study the following units during the year:
1. World Religion
2. Ancient Greece
3. Ancient Rome
4. Ancient China
5. The Holocaust and Other Genocides in the 20th Century
Resources/Materials
Students need to provide the following materials:
- one three-ring binder
- white lined paper
- five dividers (labeled “Handouts”, “Homework”, “Notes”, “Tests/Quizzes”,
“Essays”)
- 2 different color highlighters
All students should have the following book:
- World History. Boston, MA: Prentice Hall, 2007.
- In addition, various articles and assignments will be taken from newspapers,
magazines, DVDs/Videos, internet sites, and other primary and secondary works.
Assignments
Homework will be assigned almost every night. These assignments will involve a variety of
tasks, including reading, composing paragraphs, identifying terms and outlining the causes and
effects of certain historical events. In addition, there will be occasional essay assignments and
group projects. Homework will be checked daily. During each unit covered, there will be
quizzes (both announced and unannounced) and a chapter test and/or project.
*Weekly Assignment Sheets will be posted online at http://www2.nya.org/decheverria/
Grading
-Tests and Quizzes- 45%
-Writing and Projects- 30%
-Homework- 20%
-Class Participation- 5%
Absences and Late Work
If you miss class, please see me the day you return to school. That will allow me to fill you in on
what you missed. Please be aware, however that it is your responsibility to find out what
needs to be done to become current in class.
Expectations
All persons in this classroom will be expected to consistently work to be valuable members of our
classroom community. That means that we will all strive to be respectful, responsible,
compassionate and honest in all that we do.
Respect
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Respect others: treat others the way you want to be treated.
Respect our space: keep food, drinks and gum out of our classroom and put garbage and
recycling in the proper containers.
Responsibility
- Complete all assignments on time and do your best on all your work.
- Come to class prepared to learn. Always bring the proper books and supplies to class.
Compassion
- Being sensitive to the feelings, perspectives, and needs of others.
- Reaching out to and helping those in need.
Honesty
- Admit when you are struggling – and come see me so we can figure things out.
- Don’t plagiarize - give credit to other’s for their work if you use it. See the Parent and
Student Handbook for more information about the Honor Code.
Perseverance
- Persisting in the face of challenges.
- Continuing to do the right things when it is difficult.