IB Diploma Program History of the Americas Syllabus



IB Diploma Program History of the Americas Syllabus

Mr. Schwarze Room 1426, 1413, 1434

651-744-3127 Semester I

darin.schwarze@

Welcome to IB (DP) History of the Americas! This is the first year of a two-year course. The corresponding course is 20th Century Topics, which you will take during your senior year, and at the conclusion of that course you will take the IB exam. This is a rigorous, college-level course which, upon completion, will not only prepare you for the IB exams, but also for college. You can gain college credit if you score high enough on the IB exams.

The texts that we will use are college texts. You will also be reading many primary sources and other historians’ interpretations. The reading and writing load for this course is demanding. Since your exam will be taken at the end of your senior year, it is critical that you save your assignments and notes in an organized format. You will need them to study for the exam your senior year.

This course, History of the Americas (HOTA), meets the requirements of the state of Minnesota and SPPS 11th grade US History. At Harding, if you complete the two-year course (HOTA and 20th Century), you meet the social studies requirements for US History, Economics and Government.

This course, as its name suggests, will focus on the Americas, which includes Canada, the US, Mexico, as well as South and Central America and the Caribbean, during the last 100 years. We will focus on topics 7 (The Great Depression and the Americas, 1929-39), 8 (The Second World War and the Americas, 1933-45), 9 (Political Developments in the Americas after the Second World War, 1945-79), and 10 (The Cold War and the Americas, 1945-1981) of the IB History Guide.

Semester I: The Great Depression and the Second World War (see Topics of Study for further information)

Semester II: Political Developments after the Second World War and the Cold War

Suggested Supplies

- I strongly suggest that you get a 3-ring binder that is used ONLY for HOTA.

- Pen/pencil

- Notebook/loose leaf notebook paper

Website

I have created an IB HOTA website that will contain important information, documents, and assignments. Please check this regularly. I will try to keep this as up-to-date as possible. URL: schwarzeibhota11.

Keys to Success

• Be Peaceful- Respect yourself, your classmates, and me!

• Be Prompt- Be on time to class (in the room when the bell rings) and ready to learn. Use class time wisely.

• Be Prepared-You should have all of your class materials, completed assignments, etc. when you come to class. Assignments for a particular unit will not be accepted after the unit test.

• Be Productive- Make good use of class time. Ask questions. Complete assignments in and out of class.

• Be Polite- Be respectful of others in class, their property and their right to learn.

Field Trips

If a student is not passing (current grade is an N), I will not sign his or her permission form.

Absences

If you know you will be gone for class, please notify me to arrange for missing assignments. If you missed class, it is your responsibility to see me and get missed work or notes.

Tardy Policy

I will follow Harding’s Tardy Policy, which has been explained in detail in your advisory. Essentially, once the bell rings for the start of class, I will close and lock the door. If you are late, an Administrator will call home, and then escort you back to class. I will NOT let you into the class without an Administrator.

Knight Site

If there are behavior issues (i.e. continued use of an electronic device; disobedience; refusal to comply with class/school rules, etc), the student will be asked to stop. If the behavior continues, I will call the Knight Site, which has also been explained in your advisory. An escort will take the student to the Knight Site, where an administrator will meet with the student and address the behavior issue.

Electronic Devices

Students are NOT allowed to have electronic devices in school. These devices can (and frequently do) cause distractions. I have the right to confiscate these devices. If yours is confiscated, I am not responsible for it because you are not supposed to have it in school. Unauthorized use of electronic devices will result in a loss of daily points. My advice: turn it off, put it away and keep it put away!

Homework/Late work:

It is vital for students to complete their homework on time. Homework will typically be reading assignments, and it is expected that students complete the reading before coming to class. Class discussions hinge on the assumption that students have read the required readings. For the most part there will be class time to work on assignments. In addition, if class work is not completed in class, it will become homework. Late work will lose points for each subsequent day it is late, and will not be accepted after the current unit test.

Quizzes/Tests

After each major unit of study, there will be a test. This test will be comprised of questions on previous IB exams. This will not only serve as an assessment of the student’s learning of the content, but also to familiarize the student with IB exam questions.

There will be periodic reading quizzes, which will be both announced and unannounced. These will cover the material that was assigned for reading homework.

Grading Scale

A 100-94% A- 93-90% B+ 89-87% B 86- 84% B- 83-80% C+ 79-77% C 76-74%

C- 73-70% D+ 69-67% D 66- 64% D- 63-60% N 59% or less

Grades/Campus

I try to keep up with grading and get them into Campus as soon as possible. Please note that some larger projects may require more time. Students and parents/guardians may check their grades/attendance via Student Portal.

Grading in IB

To help you get used to how IB grades, your papers will be graded with both a traditional grade and an IB grade. A passing score for the IB History exam is 4 out of 7. For Paper 3, each question is graded on a scale of 0-20.

IB Exam

After completion of both HOTA and 20th Century Topics, you will take the IB History exams in May of your senior year. The exams are free for Harding students; however, should you fail to show for the exam or if you do not complete all parts of the exam, there is a $100 fee. The IB History exam is made up of 4 parts:

|Paper 1- 60 minutes |Paper 2- 90 minutes |Paper 3-150 minutes |Internal Assessment -Approximately 20 hours of class |

|20% of Exam score |25% of Exam score |35% of Exam score |time |

|4 short answer/structured questions with|2 extended response questions |3 extended response questions |20% of Exam score |

|documents. |40 possible marks |60 possible marks |A piece of original history research |

|25 possible marks | | |25 possible marks |

IB Aims

The IB Diploma Programme covers six academic areas. Group 3: Individuals and Society is the area of history study. The aims of all subjects in group 3, individuals and societies are to:

1. Encourage the systematic and critical study of: human experience and behaviour; physical, economic and social environments; the history and development of social and cultural institutions

2. Develop in the student the capacity to identify, to analyse critically and to evaluate theories, concepts and arguments about the nature and activities of the individual and society

3. Enable the student to collect, describe and analyse data used in studies of society, to test hypotheses and interpret complex data and source material

4. Promote the appreciation of the way in which learning is relevant to both the culture in which the student lives, and the culture of other societies

5. Develop an awareness in the student that human attitudes and opinions are widely diverse and that a study of society requires an appreciation of such diversity

6. Enable the student to recognize that the content and methodologies of the subjects in group 3 are contestable and that their study requires the toleration of uncertainty.

The aims of the history course at SL and HL are to:

7. Promote an understanding of history as a discipline, including the nature and diversity of its sources, methods and interpretations

8. Encourage an understanding of the present through critical reflection upon the past

9. Encourage an understanding of the impact of historical developments at national, regional and international levels

10. Develop an awareness of one’s own historical identity through the study of the historical experiences of different cultures.

Topics of Study

7. The Great Depression and the Americas 1929-39

This section focuses on the nature of the Depression as well as the different solutions adopted by governments in the region and the impact on these societies. The Great Depression produced the most serious economic collapse in the history of the Americas. It affected every country in the region and brought about the need to rethink economic and political systems. The alternatives that were offered and the adaptations that took place marked a watershed in political and economic development in many countries in the region.

• The Great Depression: political and economic causes in the Americas

• Nature and efficacy of solutions in the United States: Hoover; FDR and the New Deal; critics of the New Deal

• Canada: Mackenzie King and RB Bennett

• Latin America’s responses to the Depression: either G Vargas or the Concordancia in Argentina; Import

Substitution Industrialization (ISI) or any relevant case study of a Latin American country

• Impact of the Great Depression on society: African Americans, women, minorities

• The Great Depression and the arts: photography, the movie industry, the radio, literary currents

8. The Second World War and the Americas 1933-45

As the world order deteriorated in the late 1930s, resulting in the outbreak of war in Europe, the countries of the region reacted in different ways to the challenges presented. This section focuses on the changing policies of the countries in the region as a result of growing political and diplomatic tensions preceding and during the Second World War. It also examines the impact of the war upon the Americas.

• Hemispheric reactions to the events in Europe: inter-American diplomacy; cooperation and neutrality;

Franklin D Roosevelt’s Good Neighbour policy, its application and effects

• The diplomatic and/or military role of two countries in the Second World War

• Social impact of the Second World War on: African Americans, Native Americans, women and minorities; conscription

• Treatment of Japanese Americans and Japanese Canadians

• Reaction to the Holocaust in the Americas

• Impact of technological developments and the beginning of the atomic age

• Economic and diplomatic effects of the Second World War in one country of the Americas

9. Political developments in the Americas after the Second World

War 1945-79

This section focuses on domestic concerns and political developments after 1945. The majority of states in the Americas experienced social, economic and political changes and challenges. Political responses to these forces varied from country to country: from the continuation of democracy to multi-class “populist” alliances to outright conflict, revolution and the establishment of authoritarian regimes in the 1960s and 1970s. Areas of study include: conditions for the rise to power of new leaders; economic and social policies; treatment of minorities.

• United States: domestic policies of Truman, Eisenhower and Kennedy

• Johnson and “the Great Society”; Nixon’s domestic reforms

• Canada: domestic policies from Diefenbaker to Clark and Trudeau (both were prime ministers in 1979)

• Causes and effects of the Silent (or Quiet) Revolution

• Populist leaders in Latin America: rise to power; characteristics of populist regimes; social, economic and political policies; the treatment of opposition; successes and failures (suitable examples could be Perón, Vargas or any relevant Latin American leader)

• The Cuban Revolution: political, social, economic causes; impact on the region

• Rule of Fidel Castro: political, economic, social and cultural policies; treatment of minorities; successes and failures

• Military regimes in Latin America: rationale for intervention; challenges; policies; successes and failures

10. The Cold War and the Americas 1945-1981

This section focuses on the development and impact of the Cold War on the region. Most of the second half of the 20th century was dominated by the global conflict of the Cold War. Within the Americas, some countries were closely allied to the United States and some took sides reluctantly. Many remained neutral or sought to avoid involvement in Cold War struggles. A few, influenced by the Cuban Revolution, instituted socialist governments.

No nation, however, escaped the pressures of the Cold War, which had a significant impact on the domestic and foreign policies of the countries of the region.

• Truman: containment and its implications for the Americas; the rise of McCarthyism and its effects on domestic and foreign policies of the United States; the Cold War and its impact on society and culture

• Korean War and the United States and the Americas: reasons for participation; military developments; diplomatic and political outcomes

• Eisenhower and Dulles: New Look and its application; characteristics and reasons for the policy; repercussions for the region

• United States’ involvement in Vietnam: the reasons for, and nature of, the involvement at different stages; domestic effects and the end of the war

• United States’ foreign policies from Kennedy to Carter: the characteristics of, and reasons for, policies; implications for the region: Kennedy’s Alliance for Progress; Nixon’s covert operations and Chile; Carter’s quest for human rights and the Panama Canal Treaty

• Cold War in either Canada or one Latin American country: reasons for foreign and domestic policies and their implementation

Parents and/or Guardians

Please read and discuss this syllabus with your student to be certain that you both understand all expectations and responsibilities. Please contact me if you have any questions or concerns.

Thank you,

Darin Schwarze

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