9th Grade World Studies

Course Overview & Expectations

Mr. Kulowiec
Room 65
Email: gkulowiec@plymouth.k12.ma.us
Homework Blog: www.kulowiechistory.blogspot.com
After School Availability: Thursday, 2:30 – 4:30 & by request

Homework Blog: All Red Team Teachers maintain & update a homework blog. All assignments,
resources, presentations & videos used in class will be posted on the blog. Students & parents can visit
the homework blog to check on nightly assignments, and to stay up to date with class work if absent
from school.

Course Overview: This course will cover historical events from the Middle Ages through World War
II and the Cold War. Each unit we study will take approximately 2 to 3 weeks and will culminate with
a creation (project, presentation, paper, wiki, website, podcast & film).

Units of Study Covered:

– Eastern Religions
– Rise of Islam
– Middle Ages
– Renaissance & Reformation
– Scientific Revolution & Exploration
– The Enlightenment
– French & American Revolutions
– Nationalism
– New Imperialism
– World War One
– Russian Revolution
– Chinese Revolution
– World War Two
– Cold War

End of Unit Assessment: At the end of each unit of study students will be assessed on two criteria.
1. Homework Packet
2. Creation (project, presentation, paper, wiki, website, podcast or film)

Homework Packet: Throughout each unit of study, students are responsible for maintaining an
organized folder of all assignments from the unit. Every assignment that is completed in a unit is
numbered and kept in order by the student until the unit is completed. At the end of the unit, students
hand in their completed homework packet, with a table of contents indicating if assignments are
complete, incomplete or missing. Homework is not checked on a nightly basis, it is the responsibility
of the student to complete assignments, stay up to date with their work and hand in their completed
homework packets on time. Late homework packets will be accepted for reduced credit.
Creation: During each unit, students will be responsible for producing a creation by the end of the
unit. Some creations will be independent, while others will be group projects. Within each unit,
students will be given the opportunity to choose what type of creation they will produce. Unit
Creations will give the student the ability to demonstrate their understanding and mastery of the
content, as well as the opportunity to demonstrate their written, verbal and presentation abilities.

Grading: A point system is used in the course. Within each unit, students will receive two grades, a
Homework Packet grade & a Unit Creation grade.
– Homework Packets range from 20 – 40 points
– Unit Creations range from 50 – 100 points
Students can easily track their current grade throughout the year by dividing their total earned points by
the total points available.

Grading Example:
1. Homework Packet Grade = 35/40
2. Unit Creation Grade = 60/75
3. Total Earned Points = 95
4. Total Available Points = 115
5. 95 / 115 = 82% = B-

Class Expectations:
1. Arrive to class on time, seated and ready to begin when the bell rings.
2. Be prepared for class: pencil, pen, paper, notebook, handouts & materials needed.
3. Engage in the class, think, pay attention and contribute to the class.
4. Be Responsible, for your learning, work, behavior and actions.

Absence from School: If you are out of school, it is your responsibility to get the work & assignments
that you missed while you were out. Students are responsible for completing all missed work while out
& staying after school if needed to review material covered while absent. In accordance with PSHS
policy, when a student accumulates 18 absences in a year long course, they will be denied credit for the
course (excused absences do not count towards this total).

I have read and understand the course overview and expectations.

Student Name:_________________________________

Student Signature:______________________________