We will examine and challenge the work of eminent scholars, and you will encounter a variety of perspectives and interpretations, and not a singular or definitive narrative about the current world in which we live. Indeed, your International Relations World Politics text provides eight perspectives through which to view world events, so viewpoint diversity will be internalized in all our work. Just as in the sophomore tier, there will not be a single correct answer; rather you may construct multiple arguments - sometimes in the alternative -- supported by available evidence. Timely feedback will be targeted at those skills that would be demanded of you in college, during internships, and within the Foreign Service.
Materials
Students should purchase from Amazon or the online bookstore International Relations World Politics, by Viotti and Kauppi, new or used (5th edition). Students are also asked to purchase the paperbook ($12.52) of Peter Frankopan’s The New Silk Roads: The Present and Future of the World (2018). Students will also need Rampolla, A Pocket Guide to Writing in History, which they purchased for Early World History. Students will also need a binder for current event articles and a college-rule notebook.
Please bring your readings, notebook, and pen to class every day, and take them out of your bag upon your arrival, rather than waiting for me to ask. At the same time, stow your phone inside your bag. It should remain there during class, unless you explictly ask me to use it.
Expectations
Senioritis beware: seniors received priority registration over juniors for this class, all of whom were disappointed not to be registered, so plan to re-earn your spot daily through hard work and curiosity. There is a well-known high school principal in Chicago who challenges seniors to make that year a magnum opus; that will be our touchstone. This is a class where we pull all your previous coursework together and look to “the present and future of the world” as it confronts us. Readings will still be broken down into small chunks (7-10 pages) to bolster your understanding, allow you to balance extracurricular activities, and assure adequate time for family and sleep in the evening.
Office Hours I am available. You will find it easy to meet and correspond with me. I am available outside of class often in the History Office during Open Time on Tuesdays and Thursdays, at lunch, and by appointment. I also respond to email during the school day; Mr. Beekmeyer is recommending that all of us avoid sending each other e-mail after the end of the business day and weekend so as to prioritize our health and wellness. Thus, emails sent in the evening will not receive a response until the following day. Keep in mind that my global relations “brain” is stored on the blog: https://atglobalrelations.blogspot.com You have questions? It has answers.
Technology Harkness deliberation will take place in a technology-free zone, meaning students may not use laptop computers, tablets, or phones. You need to focus on communicating textual evidence to one another, listening to the words of others, and thinking about how to respond thoughtfully and diplomatically. Our best-case scenario is to develop a dynamic, and trusting, classroom environment. To that end, we must strive to encourage, be kind, freely share ideas, and respect one another. Tuning out your classmates to check Instagram, Snap or ESPN prevents this from happening. Never fear: you will be encouraged to use technology to engage in cutting-edge research and writing toward your large-scale simulations. I will teach you what’s even better than Google. Thus, we will often use the iCart Macs or Chromebooks as a tool for academic purposes: students are expected to remain on-task, and I will use DyKnow to discretely “push out” constructive advice and links to you on your work in real time. When students have been approved for a word processing accommodation with respect to testing, use of a school-owned computer is required to ensure the integrity of the testing environment, and I will make such computers available. Students may not use their own personal computer.
Absences In the event of absence, you are expected to check the blog and catch up on the work missed. The Laboratory Schools encourages students beginning in middle school to develop the skill of self-advocacy, meaning they correspond professionally and respectfully with their teacher in-person or via email, rather than relying on a parent (or tutor) to correspond on their behalf. No makeup work will be accepted after the final day of the unit.
Grading Assignments will be divided into categories of differing weights, with individual point values which reflect the varying importance, difficulty, and time involved in various assignments. Categories also provide valuable data on your strengths and areas of improvements, such as the quality of your thinking, research, or writing skills. The categories are as follows:
Academic Integrity
Please bring your readings, notebook, and pen to class every day, and take them out of your bag upon your arrival, rather than waiting for me to ask. At the same time, stow your phone inside your bag. It should remain there during class, unless you explictly ask me to use it.
Expectations
Senioritis beware: seniors received priority registration over juniors for this class, all of whom were disappointed not to be registered, so plan to re-earn your spot daily through hard work and curiosity. There is a well-known high school principal in Chicago who challenges seniors to make that year a magnum opus; that will be our touchstone. This is a class where we pull all your previous coursework together and look to “the present and future of the world” as it confronts us. Readings will still be broken down into small chunks (7-10 pages) to bolster your understanding, allow you to balance extracurricular activities, and assure adequate time for family and sleep in the evening.
Office Hours I am available. You will find it easy to meet and correspond with me. I am available outside of class often in the History Office during Open Time on Tuesdays and Thursdays, at lunch, and by appointment. I also respond to email during the school day; Mr. Beekmeyer is recommending that all of us avoid sending each other e-mail after the end of the business day and weekend so as to prioritize our health and wellness. Thus, emails sent in the evening will not receive a response until the following day. Keep in mind that my global relations “brain” is stored on the blog: https://atglobalrelations.blogspot.com You have questions? It has answers.
Technology Harkness deliberation will take place in a technology-free zone, meaning students may not use laptop computers, tablets, or phones. You need to focus on communicating textual evidence to one another, listening to the words of others, and thinking about how to respond thoughtfully and diplomatically. Our best-case scenario is to develop a dynamic, and trusting, classroom environment. To that end, we must strive to encourage, be kind, freely share ideas, and respect one another. Tuning out your classmates to check Instagram, Snap or ESPN prevents this from happening. Never fear: you will be encouraged to use technology to engage in cutting-edge research and writing toward your large-scale simulations. I will teach you what’s even better than Google. Thus, we will often use the iCart Macs or Chromebooks as a tool for academic purposes: students are expected to remain on-task, and I will use DyKnow to discretely “push out” constructive advice and links to you on your work in real time. When students have been approved for a word processing accommodation with respect to testing, use of a school-owned computer is required to ensure the integrity of the testing environment, and I will make such computers available. Students may not use their own personal computer.
Absences In the event of absence, you are expected to check the blog and catch up on the work missed. The Laboratory Schools encourages students beginning in middle school to develop the skill of self-advocacy, meaning they correspond professionally and respectfully with their teacher in-person or via email, rather than relying on a parent (or tutor) to correspond on their behalf. No makeup work will be accepted after the final day of the unit.
Grading Assignments will be divided into categories of differing weights, with individual point values which reflect the varying importance, difficulty, and time involved in various assignments. Categories also provide valuable data on your strengths and areas of improvements, such as the quality of your thinking, research, or writing skills. The categories are as follows:
30% Semester Project
Each semester we will have a longer-term project, which will assess your historical research and thinking skills. Our options could include a large-scale simulation like the EU Mock Council in AT Euro, a mock trial or appellate argument, councils or conferences, etc. They always involve critical thinking!
30% Harkness deliberation
Class participation will be a significant part of your grade. Thus, daily attendance is crucial, and your class participation grade will be affected negatively by tardiness or absences not due to illness, injury or religious holiday. The best forms of class participation are close textual references and original, critical thought geared toward the U-High Historical Habits of Mind and the eight, International Relations perspectives discussed above.
40% Assessments
Assessments are scheduled typically every 2-2 1/2 weeks, with a mix of analytical questions based onimportant thinking skills (e.g., sourcing, perspective) using a variety of sources. I expect high-level analysis and synthesis based on the unit's readings and multimedia content. Students may NOT access the Internet, notes or other materials during testing; nor may they consult any electronic device. Your work will be generated in the moment. Academic Integrity
Our department policy is to instill academic integrity at every level through responsible research methods and honest, thorough attribution of sources. We believe these are core practices that should inform all student work. When students fall short of these standards, we assess the issue via the following categorization (examples not exhaustive), with academic consequences reflective of scope, recurrence, and deceitfulness of the offense.
This class uses the grading scale adopted by the High School. Each letter grade also has a numerical value associated with it as well as a GPA equivalent. Your cumulative grade for the entire year will be based on the average of the numerical values of each semester. For example, an average of 89.5 would be an A-, while an average of 89.48 would be a B+. The only extra credit offered in this class is participation in evening events at the Chicago Council on Global Affairs.
No comments:
Post a Comment