12th Grade History

  2009-2010

 Theme:  Winston Churchill once commented, “No one pretends that democracy is perfect or all-wise.  Indeed, it has been said that democracy is the worst form of government except all those other forms that have been tried from time to time.”  This course will focus on how political, economic, and social changes over the course of the twentieth century posed challenges to democracies and the concept of democracy.

 Instructors: 

 Mrs. Kaplan

phone: 610-922-2427

email: ikaplan@jbha.org

 Mrs. Levin

phone: 610-922-2370

email: slevin@jbha.org

 Dr. Ziskind

phone: 610-922-2462

email: mziskind@jbha.org

 Course Guidelines

- All work that you turn in should be written legibly or typed.  Use standard 8.5”x11” paper.  Please staple your papers before you get to class.

- Assignments are due on the due date.  If, for some reason, you are unable to print out an assignment, you may email it to me as a Word document attachment, and it will be considered on time.  After you send the email, please check to see that I confirmed receipt. Do not assume I received the document if you do not hear back from me.

- Extensions will be given in some circumstances if they are requested in advance.  The new deadline will be final.

- There will be regular homework, tests, and in-class projects.  Current events will be discussed periodically.  There will be a research paper.

Classroom Respect:

• Teachers and students are entitled to a respectful learning environment.
• Class begins promptly.  Please come on time.
• Conduct that inhibits teaching or learning will not be tolerated.
• Everyone is entitled to his or her own opinion.
• Everyone is expected to listen to and consider opinions different from his or her own.
• Critique and challenge ideas, not the people who hold them.

Academic Integrity:

• Your class work is a reflection of your character.  It should be honest.  Cheating is an act of disrespect towards your classmates, your teacher, your school, and yourself.  It will not be tolerated.  While discussion of assignments with a classmate can be helpful, the final product must be your own work.  During tests, avoid the appearance of impropriety, as well as actual impropriety.

• Review carefully the information about plagiarism in the school handbook.  The best guard against plagiarism is citation.

 Summer Reading:

Erich Maria Remarque, All Quiet on the Western Front

Fareed Zakaria, The Future of Freedom

 Assignments

Unit I: Imperialism and Progressivism

Unit II: The Era of World War I

Unit III. The Interwar Period

Unit IV.  The Era of WWII

Unit V: The Post War World

A.The Cold War

B. Nixon

C. Vietnam

D. Civil Rights

 Research Paper:Topics, reading lists, due dates