Week of October 9th

This week we will be completing our first of two review units on ancient history with an examination on Tuesday. Their purpose has been two-fold: 1) to ensure that you have a solid grounding in the most important aspects of ancient history, and 2) to introduce the skills required for the AP exam alongside content that you already have some familiarity with. I am very pleased with our progress on those fronts, and anticipate that our second unit will proceed more quickly than the first. Good luck on the exam - I know you will do well.

Looking ahead, we will proceed with a review of the period from 600-1450 CE. Our next writing assignment will be a change-over-time essay that I will hand out on Thursday and have due the following Monday.

Tuesday

• In-class: exam
• hand out: 2nd review packet

Thursday

• Read: review packet 2, pp 138-148.
• Due: first set of term ids (the ones on Europe)
• note-don't worry about defining the terms, just id the people, places & events

Week of October 2nd

We're making rapid progress through our review of ancient history. You are building a body of knowledge that covers the largest span of time in our course, about 10,000 years of human history. I know that can seem overwhelming but I think you're developing some good habits of mind to bring order to that knowledge. We will take our first major exam this week, which will be an all-written format. I know this is a new method of assessment for many of you and as such may seem intimidating. Keep in mind that any time you do something for the first time there is an adjustment period. I want you to know that I recognize this and we are going to work in class to ease the transition. It will be a busy week and a major milestone in the course.

Tuesday, Oct.4

• Read: packet 117-127
• Due: Ids & definitions for terms on 117-127; comparative chart for Han, Maurya/Gupta & Roman empires
• In class: workshop essay introductions

Thursday, Oct. 5

• Read: none
• Due: Comparative essay
• In class: review for Tuesday's exam on ancient history (to 660 CE)

**Next week - our first exam will take place on Tuesday, Oct.11.

Week of September 25

Tuesday Sept. 27

• Read: packet pp 90-103
• Homework: write definitions for the "Important Terms" and identifications for the "People, Places and Events" from p 128 that are mentioned on pages 90-103(see note below for explanation)

Friday Sept. 30

• Read: packet pp 104-116
• Homework: definitions for the terms, and ids for the people, places & events (pp104-116)

**How to write definitions and identifications**

• Defs - write simple one line definitions that capture the meaning of the term. Ex: Agriculture - "the practice of growing food"
• Ids - write 2-3 sentence explanations that include 1)a simple definition, 2)context in time and space, and 3)a brief statement of its historical significance (why it's important)

Week of Sept. 18

This week we will begin to practice some skills that we need to develop for the AP exam. We will start with the two FRQ essays; the "comparative" and the "change-over-time." We will also start to compile a body of knowledge that we can draw from when preparing for the exam this spring. Please bring to class some kind of folder in which to collect this information. For now, just a simple paper folder will suffice. As our collection grows you may want to move up to something more intricate. Here are the reading and homework assignments for the week:

• Monday, Sept. 19
• Read: Strayer 24-29; Reilly 10-16
• DUE: Reading question (1 type-written paragraph)
• Is the life story of a 20th century hunter-gatherer useful to our understanding of Paleolithic human culture? Include both advantages and limitations.
• Wednesday, Sept. 21
• Read: Strayer 29-32; Reilly 1-9
• DUE: Comparative outline
• details to be discussed in class

Week 1 - Welcome & Introductions

Welcome to World History Intensive. This week in class we will discuss how the course works, including how to use this blog. One of its most important functions is that you can find homework and reading assignments here. So for this week:

• Thursday Sept. 15th
• Read: Strayer, 3-20 (its really only 10 pages of reading)
• DUE: Summer Reading Assignment

See you soon...

Week of May 29th

Last week of classes!! (We'll only have one class period this week.)

Wednesday

• In class - Time will be provided to complete the film analysis essay. I will be available to answer questions, fill in research holes, read drafts, etc.

Friday

• Due - 3-5 page film analysis essay
• *note* Friday is our field trip to Green Lakes, so we won't have class this day. Please hand in a hard copy of your paper before the end of the day.

Week of May 22

Tuesday

• Due - Analysis of Battle of Algiers (see below)
• In class - meet with Stegeman to approve film choice
• begin research on film's background

Thursday

• Due - view film choice for homework
• In class - discuss film choices in roundtable format

Note on Film Analysis Assignment:

Your assignment is to write a two-to-three page analysis of The Battle of Algiers, generally following the rubric distributed on Friday. Be aware that you have some greater flexibility to determine how you meet the parameters outlined in the rubric. Feel free to be creative in how you engage the assignment, but try to address as many of the criteria as you can while still constructing a coherent essay. Remember, the idea is to view the film as a historian and answer the question, "Does this film do a good job of telling history?" At the same time, the essay should make sense to a reader who has not viewed the film. Try to strike a balance between "movie review" and "critical commentary." Discussing the three concepts we introduced last class will help you to do that (Compression, Historical Fiction/Drama/Romance, True/False Invention).