Teacher: Joanna Sapir

Contact: email: joanna_sapir@berkeley.k12.ca.us voice mail/cell: 610-8504

General Course Description

In this course we study some of the major political, economic, and social developments in the world since 1492. Our units are thematic, allowing connections to be made between the present and past, and are taught in conjunction with Mr. Aguirre's World Literature class. We will look at: early colonialism in the Americas; the rise of nationalism and the nation-state in Western Europe; industrialization and the development of a global, capitalist economy; new imperialism in Africa and Asia; and Third World revolutions for self-determination and justice. The course aims to answer the following questions:

1. Why is the world split into rich and poor, First World and Third World?

2. How did capitalism come to be the dominant economic system in the world? What alternatives exist?

3. How have oppressed people successfully resisted exploitation and domination?

4. What are the characteristics of a just society?

Goals/Objectives

In order to construct an understanding of the major changes that have created the world we live in today, students will:

· Read articles, write essays, draw, create news reports, perform tableaux vivant, act in skits, and participate in role-plays and debates

· Work cooperatively in small groups and as a whole class

· Analyze primary and secondary sources of information

· Read fictional literature that ties to each thematic unit

· Write a major research paper

· Teach a well-planned lesson to the class

· Compile all classwork and homework into a portfolio-style packet at the end of each unit

Course Content

Fall semester

Unit 1: Who Rules?

What makes a just society? What form of government is best? In this unit we will examine various philosophies about how society should be organized and governed. Students will participate in a role-play in which they bring to life a major thinker in world history and sit on a panel to discuss the focus questions of the unit. In English, students will read Lord of the Flies.

Unit 2: Art and Politics

Is art a reflection of society, or does it influence society? What can we learn about a society by looking at its art? In this unit we will study history through representations of past events in visual art, film, music, and literature. We will look at the colonization of the Americas through Mexican murals; resistance to colonization through song lyrics; the rise of the bourgeoisie through film. In English, students will read the poetry of Pablo Neruda and the short stories of Juan Rulfo, Gabriel Garcia Marquez and other Latin American writers.

Unit 3: The Conquest of Nature

Was the industrial revolution a triumph or a tragedy? How does globalization effect our everyday lives? In the first half of this unit, students will learn about the industrial revolution and its effects on society. In the second half, we will learn about globalization through the case study of food production. As part of a major, interdisciplinary project, students will make videos informing each other about various issues in industrial food production and the activist movements working to support food that is good for people and the environment. Students will read Things Fall Apart.

Spring Semester

Unit 4: The Roots of Racism

Why does racism exist? In this unit we study the motives and justifications of European imperialism in Asia and Africa, as well as the methods colonized peoples used to resist such oppression. Students will read and discuss literature on this theme from around the world in Literature Circles. Choices for reading include: Cracking India (India), Dusk (Philippines), The Informer (Ireland), and Nervous Conditions (former Rhodesia).

Unit 5: War and Genocide

When is war justified? How does fascism arise? In this unit we look the tensions in Europe leading to World War I, the rise of fascism in Germany, World War II, and the Holocaust. We will also examine more recent cases of genocide in Guatemala and Rwanda. Students will read All Quiet on the Western Front as well as the memoir Night.

Unit 6: Revolution

How do you make a revolution? In the final unit of the year, students will read from a selection of memoirs written by revolutionaries in the United States, Vietnam, Ireland, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Guatemala, and China. The students themselves will design the unit content and activities.

Research Project

Students will work on a large research project beginning in March and due at the end of May. Lessons on the research and writing process will be taught in both English and History classes, and students will be given regular class time to work on the project.

Grades

Grades will be based on the following percentages:

Unit packets/daily classwork and homework 40%

Projects and Essays 30%

Participation and Attendance 20%

Tests and Quizzes 10%

Instructional Materials

Course Reader, which includes a variety of primary and secondary texts and visuals

Suggestions for Independent Work

In addition to required independent work, students will be provided with suggestions for readings, films, investigations, and projects to enrich their studies of each unit.