Course Syllabus

Ms. Bel, Room 406, 781-446-6290 x4889, bela@wellesleyps.org

• Office Hours: Tuesdays after school from 2:30-3:05
• Color Block: Orange
• Cycle Quizzes: Day 1
• Ms. Bel's Schedule

Course Description

This course is an investigation of 19th and 20th century world history. We will study the major political, economic, and social developments of those centuries, looking closely at their causes and consequences. We will also examine the dynamic relationships between governments and the people they govern.

Essential Questions

• In what ways has nationalism manifested in and shaped modern world history?
• How do global power politics affect people and nations?
• In eras of economic and technological change, how do social and political relationships and systems transform?

Units of Study

1. 1. Change in the 19th Century
   2. World War I
   3. Between the Wars
   4. World War II
   5. The World Since 1945

Supplies Important for Every Class

• • Your history notebook & any assigned written work
  • Your course tool kit
  • A working writing utensil
  • Your textbook & any assigned photocopied readings
  • 3 different colored highlighters

Note: Repeated failure to come to class with these supplies will disqualify you from earning any bonus points.

Keys to Success

• Do your own work as well as you can, every time, on time. 
• Ground all of your work in SPARC evidence. Develop your content expertise and think critically about what you are learning.
• Engage intellectually, creatively, and as a responsive human being. Contribute ideas in class. Ask questions. Think deeply. Keep yourself and your classmates on task.
• Use the frequent feedback given during in-class norming for excellence activities. Whether it is your work or a peer’s that is examined, you should be noting, internalizing, and applying the feedback. 
• Practice the skills that you find challenging.
• Apply the basic conventions of capitalization and grammar in all of your submitted work. This is a sign of your sincerity and respect for yourself and your work.
• If you need help with studying, applying course vocabulary, time-management, reading, writing, or discussion, go to the Social Studies Lab or see Ms. Bel during office hours. YOU are responsible for knowing what help you need and taking the initiative to get it.
• If you are absent, complete the class activities AND homework assignments listed on Canvas. If there is an activity or resource only available in person, get it from Ms. Bel when you return to school.

Revisions

Twice during the year, students who earn a B- or lower on a major assignment will be offered an opportunity to complete a make-up assignment with the potential maximum grade of B. The first of these opportunities is for the Quarter 1 essay. The second opportunity will be determined during the second semester. These make-up assignments must be completed within one cycle of receiving the original scored work.

Expectations

You have chosen to take Modern World History at the honors level. That means that you have selected a rigorous, challenging course rooted in intensive reading and writing. In the WHS Program of Studies, here is the description of the course:

This class is for students who produced exemplary work in ninth grade social studies at a comparable level, who have a high interest level in history, excellent reading, writing, and critical thinking skills, and who can complete work without consistent outside help from tutors, parents, or the teacher. Students will be expected to read and write extensively, and be independent critical thinkers. The course will refine the student’s interpretation and evaluation of evidence, development of historical hypotheses, and research techniques. This course is designed and credited at the same level designation as AP World History: Modern.

You are expected to digest readings in such a way that you understand and can articulate main ideas, and can locate and access SPARC evidence easily for class discussions, projects, and writing activities. It is your responsibility to raise questions in class to tease out issues and information that you do not fully understand. Chances are good that you will not be the only student who would benefit from clarification.

You are expected to write insightfully in both formal and informal work. In other words, in writing assignments you will never be asked simply to spit out facts. Instead, you will be asked to think, respond to prompts, and use evidence to support the conclusions you draw. You will always credit the sources of the information and ideas you employ in your work.

With all that in mind, it is therefore critical that everything you submit is genuinely your own original work. Unless otherwise directed, you must use your own words in every type of written work. By doing so, Ms. Bel will be able to assess your understanding, provide feedback, and help you develop as a student of history.

Technology Norms

• You are expected to abide by the school phone policy. Your phone must remain in the holder and must not buzz or make any noise whatsoever. AT NO TIME are you permitted to have access to your phone or any smart watches or other smart devices while in this class.
• When we use computers, the ONLY applications or web pages that are to be open are the ones we are using for this class.
• All notes used in class must be HAND WRITTEN in your Modern World History notebook. No computer or tablet may be open during class time unless specifically instructed by Ms. Bel (or allowed through an IEP or 504).
• This class absolutely FORBIDS the use of AI for any reason and in any way whatsoever.
• Your out-of-class assignments will involve reading and occasionally watching a film or listening to audio. You will be held accountable for these assignments in class with pen-and-paper reading checks or performance-based demonstrations of your knowledge. Such assessments will NOT be announced in advance.

• Your knowledge will ALWAYS be assessed in class, on paper or through performance.

• If you have an IEP or 504 that allows you use of a computer for writing, accommodations will be made for you.

District Accommodations

District accommodations (DCAP) are available to all students, and in the 26-27 school year, WHS is committed to moving this forward with fidelity.

While some accommodations can be offered at the moment, others require advanced notice. 

For example: Extended time on an in-class assessment is a collaborative decision made by the teacher, student, and family to meet individual student needs.  The WHS guideline is up to 25% extra time.  This accommodation relies on proactive student communication prior to the date of the assessment.  The student and teacher must establish how the accommodation will be provided. 

If Ms. Bel is Absent

She will post your classwork on Canvas and leave detailed sub plans for the substitute. Please complete all assigned classwork, using your class time effectively.