World History to the End of the Fifteenth Century
University/College Preparation

This course explores the history of various societies and civilizations around the world, from earliest times to around 1500 CE. Students will investigate a range of factors that contributed to the rise, success, and decline of various ancient and pre-modern societies throughout the world and will examine life in and the cultural and political legacy of these societies. Students will extend their ability to apply the concepts of historical thinking and the historical inquiry process, including the interpretation and analysis of evidence, when investigating social, political, and economic structures and historical forces at work in various societies and in different historical eras.

Prerequisite: Canadian History since World War I, Grade 10, Academic or Applied

 

OVERVIEW

The course has five strands. Instruction and learning related to the expectations in strand A are to be interwoven with instruction and learning related to expectations from the other four strands. Strand A must not be seen as independent of the other strands. Student achievement of the expectations in strand A is to be assessed and evaluated throughout the course.

 

COURSES DETAILS

Type

University/College Preparation

Credit Value

1.0

Curriculum Policy

https://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/curriculum/secondary/2015cws11and12.pdf#page=319

 

OVERALL CURRICULUM EXPECTATIONS

A. HISTORICAL INQUIRY AND SKILL DEVELOPMENT

A1. Historical Inquiry: use the historical inquiry process and the concepts of historical thinking when investigating aspects of world history to 1500;

A2. Developing Transferable Skills: apply in everyday contexts skills developed through historical investigation, and identify careers in which these skills might be useful.

 

B. EARLY SOCIETIES AND RISING CIVILIZATIONS

B1. Early Societies: analyse the evolution of early societies in various parts of the world, including factors that were necessary for their development (FOCUS ON: Cause and Consequence; Continuity and Change)

B2. Social, Economic, and Political Context: analyse key social, economic, and political structures and/or developments in three or more early societies and emerging cradles of civilization, each from a different region and a different period prior to 1500, and explain their impact on people’s lives (FOCUS ON: Historical Significance; Historical Perspective)

B3. Cooperation, Conflict, and Rising Civilizations: analyse, with reference to specific early societies and emerging cradles of civilization, each from a different region and a different period prior to 1500, how interactions within and between societies contributed to the development of civilizations (FOCUS ON: Historical Significance; Continuity and Change)

C. FLOURISHING SOCIETIES AND CIVILIZATIONS

C1.Social, Economic, and Political Context: analyse key social, economic, and political structures and developments in three or more flourishing societies/civilizations, each from a different region and a different period prior to 1500 (FOCUS ON: Historical Significance; Cause and Consequence)

C2. Stability and Expansion: analyse how various factors contributed to the stability, consolidation, and/or expansion of flourishing societies/civilizations from different regions and different periods prior to 1500 (FOCUS ON: Cause and Consequence; Continuity and Change)

C3. Identity, Citizenship, and Culture: assess the contributions of various individuals and groups to the development of identity, citizenship, and culture in three or more flourishing societies/ civilizations, each from a different region and a different period prior to 1500 (FOCUS ON: Historical Significance; Historical Perspective)

D. CIVILIZATIONS IN DECLINE

D1. Social, Economic, and Political Context: explain the role of various social, economic, and political events and developments in the decline of three or more societies/civilizations, each from a different region and different period prior to 1500, and how these factors affected people living in these societies (FOCUS ON: Historical Significance; Cause and Consequence)

D2. Interrelationships: analyse how interrelationships with other societies and with the environment contributed to the decline of three or more societies/civilizations, each from a different region and different period prior to 1500 (FOCUS ON: Cause and Consequence; Continuity and Change)

D3. Cultural Characteristics and Identity: analyse aspects of culture and identity in three or more societies/ civilizations in decline, each from a different region and different period prior to 1500 (FOCUS ON: Continuity and Change; Historical Perspective)

E. THE LEGACY OF CIVILIZATIONS

E1. Social, Cultural, and Political Heritage: analyse the socio-economic, cultural, and political legacies of societies/civilizations from three or more regions and from different periods prior to 1500 (FOCUS ON: Historical Significance; Continuity and Change)

E2. The Legacy of Interactions: analyse various types of interactions between societies prior to 1500 and how societies benefited from and were harmed by such interactions (FOCUS ON: Cause and Consequence; Historical Perspective)

E3. The Fifteenth-Century World: demonstrate an understanding of the general social, economic, and political context in societies in two or more regions of the world in the fifteenth century (FOCUS ON: Historical Significance; Historical Perspective)

 

TEACHING AND LEARNING STRATEGIES

Teachers will bring enthusiasm and varied teaching and assessment approaches to the classroom, addressing individual students’ needs and ensuring sound learning opportunities for every student. The activities offered should enable students to relate and apply these concepts to the social, environmental, and economical conditions and concerns of the world in which they live. Opportunities to relate knowledge and skills to these wider contexts will motivate students to learn in a meaningful way and to become life-long learners. Teachers will help students understand that problem solving of any kind often requires a considerable expenditure of time and energy and a good deal of perseverance. Teachers also will encourage students to investigate, to reason, to explore alternative solutions and to take the risks necessary to become successful problem solvers. Effective instructional approaches and learning activities draw on students’ prior knowledge, capture their interest, and encourage meaningful practise both inside and outside the classroom. Students will be engaged when they are able to see the connection between the scientific concepts they are learning and their application in the world around them and in real-life situations. Due to its importance, students will have opportunities to learn in a variety of ways- individually, cooperatively, independently, with teacher direction, through hands-on experiences, and through examples followed by practice. The approaches and strategies teachers use will vary according to both the object of the learning and the needs of the students. Teachers will accomplish this in online environment with the use of: virtual labs, online simulations, animations, videos, discussion forums, live chat and other interactive objects.

 

ASSESSMENT AND EVALUATION

As summarized in Growing Success 2010, the primary purpose of assessment and evaluation is to improve student learning.

The seven fundamental principles given below lay the foundation for rich and challenging practice. When these principles are fully understood and observed by all teachers, they will guide the collection of meaningful information that will help inform instructional decisions, promote student engagement, and improve student learning.

To ensure that assessment, evaluation, and reporting are valid and reliable, and that they lead to the improvement of learning for all students, teachers use practices and procedures that:

• are fair, transparent, and equitable;
• support all students;
• are carefully planned to relate to the curriculum expectations and learning goals and, as much as possible, to the interests, learning styles and preferences, needs, and experiences of all students;
• are communicated clearly to students and parents at the beginning of the school year or course and at other appropriate points throughout the school year or course;
• are ongoing, varied in nature, and administered over a period of time to provide multiple opportunities for students to demonstrate the full range of their learning;
• provide ongoing descriptive feedback that is clear, specific, meaningful, and timely to support improved learning and achievement;
• develop students’ self-assessment skills to enable them to assess their own learning, set specific goals, and plan next steps for their learning.

 

Seventy per cent of the final grade (a percentage mark) in a course will be based on evaluation conducted throughout the course. This portion of the grade should reflect the student’s most consistent level of achievement, with special consideration given to more recent evidence. Thirty per cent will be based on a final evaluation administered at or towards the end of the course.

 

ACCOMMODATIONS FOR STUDENTS

All students can succeed. Some students are able, with certain accommodations, to participate in the regular course curriculum and to demonstrate learning independently. Accommodations allow access to the course without any changes to the knowledge and skills the student is expected to demonstrate. The accommodations required to facilitate the student’s learning can be identified by the teacher, but recommendations from a School Board generated Individual Education Plan (IEP) if available can also be consulted. Instruction based on principles of universal design and differentiated instruction focuses on the provision of accommodations to meet the diverse needs of learners.

Examples of accommodations (but not limited to) include:

• Adjustment and or extension of time required to complete assignments or summative tasks
• Providing alternative assignments or summative tasks
• Use of scribes and/or other assistive technologies
• Simplifying the language of instruction

 

THE FINAL GRADES

The final Grades

The evaluation for this course is based on the student’s achievement of curriculum expectations and the demonstrated skills required for effective learning. The final percentage grade represents the quality of the student’s overall achievement of the expectations for the course and reflects the corresponding level of achievement as described in the achievement chart for the discipline. A credit is granted and recorded for this course if the student’s grade is 50% or higher. The final grade will be determined as follows:

• 70% of the grade will be based upon evaluations conducted throughout the course. This portion of the grade will reflect the student’s most consistent level of achievement throughout the course, although special consideration will be given to more recent evidence of achievement.
• 30% of the grade will be based on final evaluations administered at the end of the course. The final assessment may be a final exam, a final project, or a combination of both an exam and a project.

 

THE REPORT CARDS

Two official report cards are issued – midterm and final. Each report card will focus on two distinct but related aspects of student achievement. First, the achievement of curriculum expectations is reported as a percentage grade. Additionally, the course median is reported as a percentage. The teacher will also provide written comments concerning the student’s strengths, areas for improvement and next steps. Second, the learning skills are reported as a letter grade, representing one of four levels of accomplishment. The report cards contain separate sections for the reporting of these two aspects. The report card also indicates whether an OSSD credit has been earned.