World Humanities: Asia (India, China, & Japan)

Mr. Gilbert
Email: ThomasGilbertTEFL@Gmail.com
Phone: 970-488-7023
Office: Maroon Bells
Course Objectives and Overview:
This class serves as a pathway to the humanities graduation requirement by Poudre School District, working with World
History and Geography classes, filling in the gaps and further expanding on regional religions, philosophies, art, film, literature,
music, and culture. Students will gain first-hand knowledge of the science involved in historical inquiry by studying how things were
and why things happened to better understand the world today. However, we will also explore the limits of history and how
interpretations of historical facts can and do vary. This course stresses the interpretive nature of history and the development of
skills needed to evaluate multiple interpretations. For our purposes, we can say that Humanities courses serve five (5) primary
purposes:

1. Studying the Humanities helps us understand our neighbors.

2. Studying the Humanities can give us a sense of where we’ve come from.
-If there is one common response to materials in this class, it’s “I’ve always wondered where that came from!”
3. Studying the Humanities can help us get our own beliefs in order.
-Personal values can be clarified through the analysis of multiple viewpoints in morally ambiguous situations, examining
the process of valuing and understanding the nature of moral decision making.
4. Studying the Humanities gives us the tools to understand and appreciate the world’s art, literature, and music.
5. Studying the Humanities develops skills necessary in almost any field of work.
-Analytical and critical thinking and the abilities to reflect upon one’s understandings, to be open with others, to express
one’s ideas verbally and in writing, and to work together as a group are key skills for nearly any career.

Classroom Culture and Community:

This classroom is a safe, respectful, comfortable learning environment based on mutual trust and respect between
students, peers, and teachers. You are a young adult and responsible for your classroom behavior. You have the right to learn
without distraction from other students, so you have the responsibility to the other students to afford them the same rights and
respect their efforts. Small group work and classroom discussions are a large part of this course. Please allow others their beliefs and
opinions and respect the feelings of your peers. Every student has a voice and value in this classroom, so please be respectful of
individual perspectives and opposing viewpoints. When in doubt, fall back on common courtesy and the Lobo Way.

Grading:
Letter grades will be assigned based on the RMHS standards for percentage points:
100-90% = A, 89-80% = B, 79-70% = C, 69-60% = D, anything below 60% = F
Weighted Grade Distribution:
Assignments/Homework, Projects, and Quizzes: 40%
Participation, attendance, and notebook: 25%
Unit Assessments and Exams: 35%

Please check the online gradebook frequently for updated grades. This is a resource for parents as well as students. I will update
grades as frequently as possible to give an accurate representation of your grade. The gradebook may fluctuate, but please take
your work seriously from the beginning to avoid falling behind or scrambling at the end of the term to save your grade. I am always
available to talk about any confusion or concern surrounding your grade in the class.

Supplies:
Each student is expected to have a three-ring binder with dividers and plenty of loose leaf paper or a spiral notebook inside.
This will be used to collect and keep notes, handouts, papers, projects, past assignments, and in-class materials. It is your
responsibility to provide proof of any past assignments or course materials, so keep your notebook organized. This sheet should be
the first page of your notebook, which will act as your best resource and study guide throughout the course. I will check this
notebook at least once per unit for a grade.
Assignments:
In-class and homework assignments, group work, projects, and quizzes will be given frequently to assess student
understanding and learning and to ensure completion of the reading assignments and engagement with the curriculum, the class,
and the course materials. All assignments are subject to the standard Language Arts rules (Chicago style), including margins, font,
font size, and citations. To receive full credit, all work must be done in complete sentences unless otherwise noted.
A formal assessment will follow each major unit, comprised of the information that we have covered up to that point in
class. The exams are not cumulative, but many of the concepts, philosophies, and topics that we cover build upon each other over
time, so a comprehensive knowledge will develop as the course unfolds, and you will be expected to retain knowledge from past
units.

Academic Integrity:
I have a zero-tolerance policy regarding plagiarism. If a student is found guilty of plagiarism or cheating of any kind, they
will receive a zero for that assignment grade, must have a serious conversation with me, and parents and/or the administration may
be contacted. Any students who contribute to the offense face the same consequences. If a student is found guilty of a second
willful instance of plagiarism or cheating of any kind they will be given a zero, dropped from the class, and referred to the
administration for disciplinary action. Plagiarism is a major ethical offense and will be taken seriously.

Attendance:
Your presence is vital to your success in this class, so attendance is mandatory. Please make your appointments outside
class/school hours. You are expected to be in your desk with your notebook out when the bell rings. Any student who arrives more
than 5 minutes late must wait by the door until I direct them to sit down at an appropriate time and must speak to me about their
tardiness by the end of the day or be considered absent. Consistent tardiness will result in a loss of participation points and may
result in a referral to the administration. Similarly, any student who arrives more than 10 minutes late to class without a pass will be
counted absent for the day and must speak with me by the end of the period to address their tardiness if they wish to potentially be
marked present but tardy.
You are responsible for assignments, materials, and notes that you have missed. Please make an appointment to see me if
you have questions about what you have missed. Any unexcused absence will result in a zero for any points earned that day,
including in-class work, quizzes, and exams. If you are absent and unexcused three times you must talk to me so we can address the
problem. Further excessive absences can be dealt with by contacting parents, referring students to the administrator, or dropping
students from the class, but it doesn’t have to come to that. If there is a reason for your excessive tardiness or absences, please talk
to me, I am we can work something out to everybody’s benefit.

Late Work:
Late work will not be accepted. Any student with an excused absence on the day of an in-class assignment will have one
school day per absence to complete the assignment on their own time. These assignments will usually be online on the course
website. Your homework should be completed by the beginning of class. There are only a few exceptions to this rule:
- There will be one Amnesty Day per term. This is not a day set aside to catch-up on late assignments, but simply one day
that I will accept one late assignment per student for full credit.
- Students with an excused absence on the day of a test or quiz must complete the assignment outside of class time (lunch,
office hours, before or after school). The test must be completed within one day of your return to school.

Participation:
Participation is a large part of this course and will impact your final grade. Participation comes from attendance, note-
taking, asking and answering questions, being active in discussions, and completion of in-class assignments and activities. Please be
here, be engaged, and be present. Group work counts toward your participation grade, so play nice.

Additional Notes:
There will be limited opportunities for extra-credit throughout the semester for students who attend pre-approved
relevant cultural events and provide proof of attendance and a written reflection/analysis. One box of tissues may be brought in
during week 1 of class for extra credit, and additional extra-credit donation opportunities may arise.
I have a zero-tolerance policy regarding hate, bigotry, prejudice, racism, sexism, ableism, homophobia, transphobia,
religious intolerance, or any form of bullying. Any student found in violation of this policy will be removed from the class for the
day, counted absent, and referred to the administration. Parents will be contacted, and the student must have a conversation with
me before re-entering the classroom.
I reserve the right to take a student’s cell phone until the end of the period if it is a distraction to the student or others.

By signing, I indicate that I have read this syllabus, understand what is expected of me, and agree to adhere the rules defined.

Student:_________________________________________ Parent:____________________________________________