1999-2000

GREENHILL SCHOOL

History Department

Tenth Grade

Dave Ostroff

(H) 972-233-7115 (W) 972-661-1211 ext. 837

The Atlantic Experience Part I

Course Overview

Greenhill School is a diverse community, drawn together in the pursuit of educational excellence, that enables all students to aspire and to realize their highest levels of understanding and achievement in a wide range of endeavors.

Atlantic Experience I is a comparative study of the United States and Europe from the Medieval Period through the American Civil War. In general the course will follow a chronological pattern dealing with the United States and Europe concurrently. Because we live in a world increasingly connected by global economics and politics, mass communication, and popular culture, the course strives to promote an awareness of the relationship between events on these two continents. The course will seek to identify points where the two histories converge as well as areas where they are unique and separate (Upper School Course Descriptions, 30).

Course Goals and Expectations

  1. To prepare students for responsible citizenship;
  2. To build in students a stronger understanding of the complex, connected world on
    3. both sides of the Atlantic;
  3. To refine students’ ability to articulate and understand historical discourse; and
  4. To prepare students for collegiate history and Advanced Placement testing.

In pursuit of these goals, students will develop critical reading, writing, and thinking skills through their work with primary sources, secondary texts, art, music, novels, essays, and a research paper. In addition, class discussions will stress civility, active listening, and persuasive speaking. Respectful class participation will be essential.

Atlantic Experience I is a demanding reading course that requires students’ daily preparation. Textbook readings, however, are assigned on a weekly basis. Students are responsible for the prior planning necessary to complete assignments-- reading and writing-- in a timely manner. Graded assignments will require a degree of specificity that can only be achieved when students have a working knowledge of class readings (with reading notes), lecture notes, and handouts. I therefore recommend that students procure a notebook that has ample space for notes, reflective, journal-voice writing, and handouts.

I expect that students in Atlantic Experience I will follow current events on a daily basis. To this end, students and I will share the responsibility for presenting world, national, and local news to the class and leading regular class discussions.

Resources

The following texts are required for the course:

Blum, John M., William S. McFeely, et al. The National Experience Part One: A History

of the United States to 1877. Fort Worth: Harcourt Brace Jovanovich College Publishers, 1993. (henceforth known as EX)

Cooper, James Fenimore. Last of the Mohicans. New York: Bantam Books, 1981.

Historical Atlas of the World. Maplewood, New Jersey: Hammond Incorporated, 1995.

Machiavelli, Niccolo. The Prince. New York: Mentor, 1980.

Palmer, R. R. and Joel Colton. A History of the Modern World to 1815. New York:

McGraw-Hill, Inc., 1995. (henceforth known as PC)

United States History Atlas. Maplewood, New Jersey: Hammond Incorporated, 1996.

Voltaire. Candide. New York: Penguin Books, 1947.

Course Requirements and Policies

1. Grading: I will assign each piece of work a maximum point value based on its importance. Students can roughly calculate grades by dividing the total number of possible points by the number of points earned. Graded assignments generally fall into one of the following categories:

Portfolio Questions (up to 100 pts) Presentations (up to 100 pts)

Tests (up to 100 pts) Quizzes (up to 50 pts) Class Participation (+, -)

2. Make-up work: Assignments must be made up within THREE days of a student's return to school. After three days, the instructor may assign a grade of "no credit" for work still owed. Students are responsible for all notes and handouts that they miss, as well. Extended absences will be handled in consultation with individual students, advisors, and parents.

3. Late work: Assignments handed in late will suffer a grade penalty of 10 points per day up to a maximum penalty of 30 points. At the conclusion of a trimester, the instructor may assign a grade of “no credit” for work still unfinished. In most cases, I will hear requests for deadline extensions—sought in advance.

4. Classroom Behavior: “Practice random acts of kindness.” Push yourself; take risks; take pride in your efforts and accomplishments.

5. Academic Honor: I will support and enforce the Greenhill Honor Code. Students should keep their copy of "The Honor Code in Mr. Ostroff's Class" handy.

Course Outline (First Trimester)*

Week Zero – Introduction

    1. Guidelines and Expectations

    2. Summer Reading Evaluations DUE

“Mending Wall” by Robert Frost

Honor Code and Syllabus; Heinz Dilemma

Week One – Medieval Europe

    1. The Crusades; Developing National Monarchies (esp. England and France)

    2. Plague; Hundred Years’ War

PC pp. 9-46

Week Two – The Renaissance I

Portfolio Question Number One DUE

PC pp. 46-62

Week Three – The Renaissance II

First Test (Essay Format)

PC pp. 62-67

Week Four – The Reformation

Portfolio Question Number Two DUE

PC pp. 67-95

Week Five – The Rise of Atlantic Monarchies

Midterm Examination (Multiple Choice Format)

PC pp. 106-126

Week Six – Atlantic Monarchies in Conflict through 1600

PC pp. 126-140

Week Seven – First Contact in America

Portfolio Question Number Three DUE

EX pp. 4-27

Week Eight – American Colonies

Second Test (Essay Format)

EX pp. 31-58; 61-74

Week Nine – American Progressivism

Portfolio Question Number Four DUE

EX pp. 74-84

Week Ten – 1600-1648: English Civil War / Thirty Year’s War

Portfolio Question Number Five DUE

PC pp. 140-151; 163-176

* All assignments subject to “rookie-itis” (see Animal Farm)