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e history
department. Suggestions are expected and appreciated.
Intermediate World History B
Course Syllabus
2014-2015 School Year
Instructor: Dean Griffith
DESCRIPTION
Continuing a survey of World History from prehistoric to modern times, K12 online lessons and assessments
complement the second volume of The Human Odyssey, a textbook series developed and published by K12. This
course focuses on the story of the past from the fourteenth century to 1917 and the beginning of World War I. The
course is organized chronologically and, within broad eras, regionally. Lessons explore developments in religion,
philosophy, the arts, and science and technology.
II.
ORGANIZATION
This course has both live online components as well as student paced offline components. Students will be
expected to be in attendance history class at least 50 minutes per day. They will also be expected to complete
nightly reading and homework assignments after school hours which may take up to 1 hour to complete.
III. COURSE OBJECTIVES (FROM THE NATIONAL COUNCIL FOR THE SOCIAL STUDIES STANDARDS)
A. Through experience, observation, and reflection, students will identify elements of culture as well as
similarities and differences among cultural groups across time and place.
B. Through a formal study of history, students will continue to expand their understanding of the past and are
increasingly able to apply the research methods associated with historical inquiry.
C. Students will develop a better understanding of spatial perspectives, and examine changes in the
relationship between peoples, places, and environments.
D. Through study of the dynamic relationships between individual rights and responsibilities, the needs of social
groups, and concepts of a just society, students will become more effective problem-solvers and decisionmakers when addressing the persistent issues and social problems encountered in public life.
E. Students will begin to think analytically about the consequences of change and how we can manage science
and technology to increase benefits to all.
F. Students will begin to initiate analyses of the consequences of interactions among states, nations, and world
regions as they respond to global events and changes.
G. Students will expand their knowledge of democratic ideals and practices, along with their ability to analyze
and evaluate the relationships between these ideals and practices.
IV. TEXT AND REQUIRED SUPPLIES
K-12 has provided each student with a computer, printer, scanner, and microphone. These items will be utilized
throughout the course. If you are missing any piece of technology, you must contact your teacher or your family
coach immediately. You will be expected to use this technology on a daily basis in each class. In addition you
have been provided with the following mandatory texts for this class:
1. The Human Odyssey, Volume 2: Our Modern World, 1400 to 1914, edited by Klee, Cribb, and Holdren
(K12 Inc., 2005)
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V.
ATTENDANCE
This course follows the general attendance policy of Agora Cyber Charter School. Attendance is mandatory
unless a student is specifically exempted from attendance with an asynchronous plan. Attendance is
automatically saved between 5 and 15 minutes into the class period. Students may only logout of the class with a
written excuse from the Learning Coach. If a student is tardy after attendance is logged, it will count as an
absence. An excuse must be submitted via kmail to the attendance for all absences. For student illness, please
submit a medical excuse. For absences due to technical issues a tech ticket must be submitted. You can obtain a
tech ticket by calling the k-12 help desk.
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D. Fourth Quarter
1. Unit 13 Homework
2. Unit 13 Test
3. Unit 14 Lesson 1 Take Home Quiz
4. Unit 14 Lesson 2 Take Home Quiz
5. Unit 14 Lesson 3 Take Home Quiz
6. Unit 14 Project
7. Unit 14 Homework
8. Unit 14 Test
9. Unit 15 Lesson 1 Take Home Quiz
10. Unit 15 Lesson 2 Take Home Quiz
11. Unit 15 Project
12. Unit 15 Homework
13. Unit 16 Final
X.
COURSE TOPICS
A. Unit 1 Beginning
1. Getting Started
B. Unit 2 A Renaissance begins in Europe
1. Europe Reborn: Rediscovering Greece and Rome
2. Cities Spur Change
3. Genius in Florence
4. Rome Revived
C. Unit 3 The Spread of New Ideas
1. The Reformation Splits Christendom
2. The Counter-Reformation and Beyond
D. Unit 4 New Powers in Asia
1. Three Islamic Empires
2. Ming China and Feudal Japan
3. Russia Rising
E. Unit 5 Europe Seeks Asia and Meets the Americas
1. Old Civilizations
2. Portugal and Spain, and the Age of Exploration
3. Filling in the Map
F. Unit 6 Exploration Changes the World
1. Clash of Civilizations
2. The Spanish and Portuguese Empires
3. Columbian Exchange
4. Songhai, Benin, and the New Slave Trade
G. Unit 7 Changing Empires, Changing Ideas
1. Elizabethan England and the North American Initiatives
2. England: Civil War and Empire
3. The Scientific Revolution
4. The Enlightenment: An Age of Reason
H. Unit 8 SKIP THIS UNIT
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