HIGH SCHOOL SOCIAL STUDIES

WORLD HISTORY I

Ancient World History enables students to develop a global perspective through the study of past civilizations. The course will provide students with opportunities to understand the nature of civilization and their own place in history. The scope of the course starts with Ancient River Valley Civilizations and concludes with the European Reformation.

Ancient World History is a chronological survey course emphasizing social studies skills and content knowledge. The course follows a chronological approach of study in order to foster an understanding of cause-effect relationships. In addition, the course seeks to build and reinforce academic skills of active reading, note taking, essay writing, and research.

Texts and Materials
In addition to the following core text, students closely examine numerous primary and secondary sources including articles, speeches, letters, and essays.
World History: Perspectives on the Past. McDougal Littell. 1997. Krieger, Larry S. et al.,

WORLD HISTORY II

This one-year survey course builds upon the knowledge and skills that students learned in the ninth grade and introduces them to the major ideas, events, and personalities of history from the Reformation to the emergence of totalitarianism in the 20th century. Whenever possible we incorporate aspects of Omani and Middle Eastern history into the course. The general outline of our main topics is as follows:

Semester One

Semester Two

1. The Reformation and Scientific Revolution

1. The Age of Imperialism

2. Age of Absolutism

2.  World War I

3. The Enlightenment

3. The Russian Revolution

4. The French Revolution

4. Global Independence Movements

5. The Industrial Revolution

5. Totalitarianism and Militarist Expansion

Course Aims
A vital goal of this course is to enable students to achieve a significant portion of the Social Studies “Standards and Benchmarks.” (Please refer to the TAISM website for a complete list of the Standards and Benchmarks.)

Texts and Materials
In addition to the following core text, we shall closely examine numerous primary and secondary sources including articles, speeches, letters, and essays.
World History: Perspectives on the Past. McDougal Littell. 1997. Krieger, Larry S. et al.,

Assessment
The assignments for this course will include unannounced quizzes, notebooks, written and non-written homework, tests, and one exam per semester. To help incorporate the individual interests of students, I shall also ask them to complete a variety of special assignments including one research project, essays, and group presentations.

Grading policy
In addition to homework, quiz and test scores, I shall weigh heavily a student’s class participation and effort so that I can assign a grade appropriate to a student’s performance as a whole. Generally students can expect that their semester grades will be based on the following percentages: quizzes, tests and projects, 40%; homework, 30%; participation, 30%. Exams will be given at the end of each semester and will constitute 20% of a student’s grade.

UNITED STATES HISTORY

This one-year course reintroduces students to the major ideas, events and personalities of American history from the colonial period through the end of the Cold War. Although many students will have studied some of this material in the eighth grade, this course examines the political, economic and social forces of American history in considerably more detail and seeks to hone such academic skills as critical reading, note taking, essay writing, and research. Students also learn to assess historical materials—their relevance to a given interpretive problem, their reliability, and their importance—and to weigh the evidence and interpretations presented in historical scholarship. An outline of the course’s primary units is as follows:

Semester One

Semester Two

1. The Constitution

1. The United States in World War II

2. The Early National Period

2.  The Cold War

3. Sectionalism and the Civil War

3. Civil Rights and Vietnam

4. Reconstruction and the American Frontiers

4. American and the World

5. The Great Depression

 

Texts and Materials
In addition to the following core text, we shall closely examine numerous primary and secondary sources including articles, speeches, letters, essays, paintings, and poetry.
The American Pageant: A History of the Republic. Eleventh edition. Bailey, Thomas A., et al., Houghton Mifflin Company. 1998.

Assessment
The assignments for this course will include unannounced quizzes, notebooks, written and non-written homework, tests, and one exam per semester. To help incorporate the individual interests of students, I shall also ask them to complete a variety of special assignments including one research projects, essays, a book review, and group presentations.

Grading policy
In addition to homework, quiz and test scores, I shall weigh heavily a student’s class participation and effort so that I can assign a grade appropriate to a student’s performance as a whole. Generally students can expect that their semester grades will be based on the following percentages: quizzes, tests and projects, 40%; homework, 30%; participation, 30%. Exams will be given at the end of each semester and will constitute 20% of a student’s semester grade.

CONTEMPORARY MIDDLE EAST HISTORY

This course introduces 11th and 12th grade students to the major ideas, events and personalities that animated the Middle East in the 20th Century.  In doing so, the course will help students develop a general understanding of the political, social and economic forces that have shaped the region and its relations with the international community from 1917 until today.  In addition, the course will examine the emergence of Oman as a nation-state and its expanding role in the region.

Contemporary Political History – From territories to Independent States; The Age of Nationalism; the Arab-Israeli Wars; the Iranian Revolution; the Gulf Wars and beyond.

Contemporary Issues – The Palestinian-Israeli Conflict; the Challenge of Economic Development; States and their Opponents; The Question of Democracy; Challenges Facing the Middle East.

Texts and Materials:  in addition to the following core text, we shall closely examine numerous primary and secondary sources including articles, speeches, letters, essays and photographs.  Text: The Modern Middle East, Mehran Kamrava, University of California Press, 2005.

ADVANCED PLACEMENT COMPARATIVE GOVERNMENT AND POLITICS

This course explores both democratic and non-democratic governments around the world.  It offers a theoretical framework for comparing political systems while providing substantive knowledge of six nations:  Great Britain, Russia, China, Nigeria, Mexico and Iran.  As we examine the political structures of theses nations, we shall focus on the following themes: the foundations of political science and comparative politics; sovereignty, authority and power; political institutions; political and economic change; citizens, society and the state; and public policy.

Assessments
The internal assessments for this course will include quizzes, weekly article commentaries (300-500 words); question- sets on readings, tests, essays, simulations, formal debates, seminars, group presentations, and practice AP exams.  In addition, each student must also read at least three entire books pertaining to three different countries from the syllabus, and critique each book in an essay of 800-1000 words.  Prior to the AP exam in early May, we shall have a two week review period.  After the exam, students will participate in an extended simulation exercise that will require additional research and class presentations.

Grading policy
In addition to homework, quiz and test scores, I shall weigh heavily a student’s class participation and effort. Generally students can expect that their semester grades will be based on the following percentages: quizzes, tests and projects, 40%; homework, 30%; participation 30%.