Red Hook High School

 

Encarta Dictionary defines “Military” as “of war or armed forces: relating to matters of war or the armed forces.” It defines “conflict” as “a disagreement or clash between ideas, principles, or people.” For as long as time itself individuals, families, tribes, or nations have engaged in some sort of armed struggle for a variety of reasons.  This course will explore a specific military conflict to attempt to come to some conclusions about the social, political, economic, and personal repercussions of the actions taken by the groups involved.
The Second World War was a “total war” because it demanded the fullest exploitation of human and economic resources on the part of its participant nations.  Never before were so many men and women devoted to a military effort that so radically touched the lives of ordinary people.  This course explores the ways in which the war affected politics, society, and everyday life in both the European and the Pacific theaters.  We will consider the diplomatic and military history of the war, we will also investigate how the war affected the home front for some of the nations involved.  Throughout the semester, we will explore how governments organized for total war, which states were most effective at mobilizing their populations, and how the realities of war affected the citizens in each country. A central theme of the course will be the ways in which World War II served as a force for social, economic, and political change.

Course Objectives:  In this course, students will learn to:

1) Identify and analyze the major events and themes of World War II in both the European and Pacific theaters.

2) Evaluate the central questions of the course: how did states mobilize for war, how did the realities of war affect ordinary people, and to what degree did the war serve as a force for political and social change?

3) Demonstrate the skills the historian, including the ability to read for argument, critique historical writing, analyze primary sources, develop clear arguments of your own, and write persuasive essays.



Course outline: (subject to change ☺)
Evaluation:

Evaluation will be done on a points system.  (Subject to change):

Journal: 100 points                         Quizzes 50 points       
Book Review/Critique Paper: 100 points             Projects 100 points           

Course Journal:  Your primary assessment will be the evaluation of journal that you will keep throughout the semester. (See accompanying Journal Assignment Handout) The journal will be collected twice per marking period and be evaluated with a specific scoring rubric. See Schedule for due dates

Quizzes: May follow an assigned reading or act as a summary for a specific section of the course
Quizzes can/may be a combination of short-answer I.D. and essay questions.

Book Review/ Critique Paper, 4-5 pages (typed) each. You will be required to write a short critique paper. This Review/Critique will be based on a book that the student and instructor agree upon.  Critique papers are designed to serve as a forum in which you summarize the author’s main argument, critically engage the text, disagree or agree with the author, make connections, and draw comparisons with other texts in the class.  This short paper(s) will not only refine your critical thinking, but will also provide a solid basis for discussion.  More information to follow.

Projects: There will be a project or two (or more) throughout the course.
They may consist of computer  / internet research /activities, formal research papers and /or presentations. Details to follow.

Final Exam: There will be a comprehensive final exam to end the course. The format is to be determined

Instruction: We will be engaging in a variety of different activities in class. They will involve cooperative learning activities (small and large group work), reading (newspapers textbooks, historical documents, etc.), writing (student journals, editorials, letters, essays, etc.), student presentations (skits, role plays, debates, songs, research results), lectures, Web Quests, and video analysis. As a result your preparedness and participation are crucial! Ultimately, you will determine how this course runs throughout the semester
As a result of use of several different film/video sources, you will be asked to have a video participation permission slip signed by a parent or guardian (see attached)

Class rules: Standard Classroom protocols are in play in the classroom The rules in my classes are the same as those in the student handbook; the following will be emphasized:
Respect
Respect
Respect
Respect
Respect
Respect
Respect
In other words….
§         Respect Mr. Saulino by
o        Coming to class on time
o        Coming to class prepared
o        Being attentive in class
o        Being neat and organized
 
    ▪    Respect others by
    ◦    Not talking while they are talking or trying to listen
    ◦    Not harassing them in any way, physically and/or verbally

    ▪    Respect yourself by…
    ◦    Taking advantage of the educational opportunities you have
    ◦    Asking questions or getting extra help
    ◦    Making up work missed due to illness or lessons
    ◦    Being accountable for you.




Consequences

  Failure to complete work on time – Late work will be penalized 5% off per day for up to 5 days (this includes weekends, holidays, & snow days.
Caught cheating on homework, test, or quiz, you get a ZERO
Disregard for rules:

1st time- Warning
2nd time- Warning
3rd time- Detention
Of course, these punishments may change due to the severity of the offense.
 Attendance:
A key to for success in this, as in any class, is to be present and ready to work. The more you miss the more difficult it will be to successfully complete this course. PLEASE NOTE:  You need to be aware of the number of absences you have so that you do not lose credit for the course.  In the event that you are unable to attend, please see a classmate or me in order to find out what you missed. You can check my website at: https://www.redhookcentralschools.org/page/657
for more information.

Attendance Policy
Good student attendance is vital to the goals of academic achievement and to
An individual's growth and development. Therefore, students with more than 8
days absent in a semester, whether absences are legal or illegal, or with more than 16 absences in a semester in a year, face denial of credit for those courses which are affected (including BOCES). – Student Handbook pg. 35.
Night School – you may attend night school in order to make up missed classes. A full night at Night school will make up for three (3) classes. You must have prior approval from the instructor in order to attend night school.
If you exceed the number of absences you will be Not Eligible (NE) for credit for this course.

Extra help: See me to make an appointment

Main Text -  World War II: Short History  by Michael J. Lyons






Course of Study:

Week	Topic	Topic
#1: 30 Jan. to 5 Feb.	Introduction:  End of WW I Causes of WW II	“The Rise of Dictators” -   Lyons Chapt 3 p. 29- 47 (18)
#2: 6 Feb. – 10 Feb.	Rise of Dictators   Growth of Nazism Rise of Japan	“Blizkrieg in the East,Sitzkrieg in the West.” Lyons Chapt 5  p. 66-77 (11)
#3: 15 Feb. – 19 Feb.	The Outbreak of War: Blitzkrieg vs Sitzkrieg…	“The Fall of France” Lyons Chapt 7  p.86-96 (10)
#4: 20 Feb. –24 Feb.	The Fall of France – Birth of Vischy  The Battle of Britain Journal Due 24 February 2017	“ Britain is Still an Island” – Lyons Chapt 8  p. 97-106 (9)
#5: 27 Feb- 3 March	War in the East (1940-43) 5 Week Interim Period Ends 3 March 2017	“Operation Barbarossa: Dream of Lebensraum” Lyons Chapt 10 p.117-128 (11)
#6: 6 March - 10 March	War in the Pacific (1941-1943) Pearl Harbor: America Enters the War	“Japan Triumphant, December 1941-42”   Lyons Chapt 13 p. 158-168 (10)
#7: 13 March - 17 March	War in the Pacific: The Tide Turns	“The Tide Turns in the Pacific” – Lyons Chapt 14 p. 169-180 (11)
#8: 20 March - 24 March	War in the Pacific: Island Hopping Campaign Race War in the Pacific Journal due 31 March 2017	“Island Hopping in the Pacific.” Lyons Chapt 24 p. 291-303 (12)
#9: 27 March - 31 March	War in the Pacific: “War without Mercy” MP3 Ends  7 April 2017	“Patterns of a Race War” Dower p. 3-14 (11)
#10: 3 April - 7 April	War in the West (1943-45) North Africa & Italy	“The Second Front Question & the Invasion of North Africa.” Lyons Chapt 16  p. 193-204 (11)
#11: 10 April - 14 April	Spring Break	“The Tide Turns in Europe: Stalingrad & El Alamein” Lyons Chapt 15 p. 181-192 (11)
#12: 17 Apr. – 21 Apr.	War in the West (1943-45)	“Russia Moves West, 1943-1944.” Lyons 21               p. 255-263 (8)
#13: 24 Apr. – 28 April	The Final Solution	Reading TBA
#14: 1 May – 5 May	The Great Patriotic War – The Soviet Union Journal Due 5 May 2017	“Total War and the Home Fronts.” Lyons Chapt 20             p. 237-254 (17)
#15: 8 May – 12 May	Home Fronts: The Affects of Total War on Society Interim Grade Period Ends 12 May 2017	“Cross Channel Invasion at Last: D-Day to the German Boarder.” Lyons Chapt 22 p. 264-276. (12)
#16: 15 May – 19 May	The Invasion of Europe: Operation Overlord & the Big Push	“Target Germany: The Allied Bombing Offensive.” Lyons Chapt 19 p. 226-236 (10)
#17: 22 May – 26 May	The Allied Advance – Antwerp, The Bulge,	“The End of the Thousand-Year Reich.” Lyons  Chapt 23 p. 277-290 (13)
#18: 29 May – 2 June	The Advance into Germany – Surrender.	“The Collapse of Japan.” Lyons Chapt 26  p. 312-328 (16)
#19:  5 June – 9 June	The Defeat of Japan – The Birth of the Atomic Age & Cold War Journal Due 9 June 2017	“Aftermath”  p. 329-343 (14)
#20:  12 June 2017	Course Wrap-up & Final Exam	In Class

       
 


Military Conflicts: World War II

This course is a half-year study of World War II, the events, people, and repercussions of this watershed mark in world history.  This course is an elective, but may also fulfill the Participation in Government requirement for graduation.

Success in school comes when everyone works together-parents, teachers, and students.  In order to make this class both interesting and valuable to the students, a number of different activities and materials will be presented throughout the semester.  This will be a reading & writing intensive course.  Students will be able to improve writing and critical thinking skills, which will help them both in and out of the classroom. We will also take advantage of several audio and video sources within this subject area. As a result I request that you extend your consent for your son/daughter to view this material in class. If you have any questions about the course outline, requirements, materials, or anything else, please feel free to contact me at anytime.
                                    Sincerely,

                                ____________________________
                                Mr. R. Saulino

845-758-2241 ext. 71285
rsaulino@rhcsd.doces.org


Detach Below Portion and Return
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I have read the above letter and the course outline spelling out the responsibilities of the students for this course. I will try to assist my son/daughter to find success in Military Conflicts: World Ear II this year. I also give my permission for my son/daughter to view video material that have a MPAA rating of R for the purposes of better understanding the issues being discussed.

Student’s Name (Please Print): _____________________________________

Student’s Signature: _____________________________________________


Parent/Guardian Name (Please Print): ________________________________________


Parent/Guardian Signature: ________________________________________

Parent/Guardian E-Mail Address ___________________________________