U.S. History at Sturgis
The first two years of history at Sturgis are designed to be preparatory years for the IB History program, an overview of world history topics Sturgis students take during their third and fourth years. These first two years expose students to the skills that they will need to succeed at the IB level: document analysis (or Paper One) skills, persuasive writing (or Paper Two) skills, and historical research skills. These years survey the history of the United States. U.S. History I takes students through the period of colonization through the Civil War. U.S. History II picks up with Reconstruction through the end of the 20th century.
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The primary textbook used in this study is The Americans, published by Rand McNally. The class will also make use of Internet resources available with The Americans at www.classzone.com. Current textbook readings will also be made available in .pdf format on the textbook page. To further enhance their study of history and to teach the value of studying from varying viewpoints, the class will also use excerpts from left-leaning Howard Zinn's A People's History of the United States and right-leaning Larry Schweikart and Michael Allen's A Patriot's History of the United States. These textbooks will be supplemented with other primary and secondary sources from various anthologies and textbooks. Though Sturgis will make these materials available to students, you may consider purchasing them on Amazon.com or various other retailers for more convenient access. Zinn's textbook is available online in its entirety.
I.B. History at Sturgis
During their diploma years (grades 11 and 12), all students at Sturgis enroll in the I.B. 20th century world history course. In these years, students continued to develop skills related to the practice of history they began to develop while studying American history: the gathering and sorting of historical evidence, its evaluation, relating historical processes to human experience, and organizing and expressing historical ideas and information.
The I.B. world history curriculum is flexible, adaptable to all parts of the world, and typically playing to the strengths of the teacher. In preparation for the Paper One (document analysis) portion of their I.B. exam, students will explore one of the following three topics: Peacemaking, peacekeeping--international relations 1918-36; the Arab-Israeli conflict 1945-79; and communism in crisis 1976-89. In preparation for the Paper Two (persuasive writing) portion of their I.B. exam, students will explore two of the following five topics: Causes, practices and effects of war; democratic states--challenges and responses; origins and development of authoritarian and single-party states; nationalist and independence movements; and the Cold War.
All I.B. history students will also complete an Internal Assessment, a historical investigation consisting of a written account of between 1,500 and 2,000 words, divided into six sections: a plan of the investigation, a summary of evidence, an evaluation of sources, an analysis of evidence, a conclusion, and a list of sources. Finally, students electing to take the course at the Higher Level will also explore topics in the history of Europe and the Islamic world, from the spread of Christianity to the rise of Islam from 500 to 1570.
Although all reading materials will be provided for students, either in hard copy or electronic format, parents may consider investing in some of the following resources. The primary textbook used in this study will be Mastering Modern World History by Norman Lowe. The newest edition of the textbook was released on May 31, 2013, and is available from Amazon.com for about $30. Previous editions of the book are also available in new or used format, usually between $10-20. In addition, course companions can be helpful resources in preparation for the I.B. exam, including IB 20th Century World History, published by Oxford University Press specifically for the I.B. program, as well as topic-specific and skills-related course companions. Again, no purchase in necessary for participation in this course, but investing in such resources may be well worth it.
The I.B. world history curriculum is flexible, adaptable to all parts of the world, and typically playing to the strengths of the teacher. In preparation for the Paper One (document analysis) portion of their I.B. exam, students will explore one of the following three topics: Peacemaking, peacekeeping--international relations 1918-36; the Arab-Israeli conflict 1945-79; and communism in crisis 1976-89. In preparation for the Paper Two (persuasive writing) portion of their I.B. exam, students will explore two of the following five topics: Causes, practices and effects of war; democratic states--challenges and responses; origins and development of authoritarian and single-party states; nationalist and independence movements; and the Cold War.
All I.B. history students will also complete an Internal Assessment, a historical investigation consisting of a written account of between 1,500 and 2,000 words, divided into six sections: a plan of the investigation, a summary of evidence, an evaluation of sources, an analysis of evidence, a conclusion, and a list of sources. Finally, students electing to take the course at the Higher Level will also explore topics in the history of Europe and the Islamic world, from the spread of Christianity to the rise of Islam from 500 to 1570.
Although all reading materials will be provided for students, either in hard copy or electronic format, parents may consider investing in some of the following resources. The primary textbook used in this study will be Mastering Modern World History by Norman Lowe. The newest edition of the textbook was released on May 31, 2013, and is available from Amazon.com for about $30. Previous editions of the book are also available in new or used format, usually between $10-20. In addition, course companions can be helpful resources in preparation for the I.B. exam, including IB 20th Century World History, published by Oxford University Press specifically for the I.B. program, as well as topic-specific and skills-related course companions. Again, no purchase in necessary for participation in this course, but investing in such resources may be well worth it.