S+Burns,+Grady

**Office: 123** **Office Phone: 207-xxx-xxxx** **Office Hours: Fri 1-3** ** E-mail: grady.burns@maine.edu **
 * Teacher: Mr. Burns**

=Summary of Unit= In this unit, you will examine the history of South Africa, as it developed from pre-colonial indigenous rule, to its colonization by European powers, to its emergence as an apartheid state, and finally to its present state in the post-apartheid era. Throughout this unit, we will use primary and secondary sources in an effort to get a fuller context of South Africa’s intricate history. Throughout the unit, we will discuss how the events of South Africa may relate to the experiences of Americans, and how biases in source material may influence the telling of historical events. Our class will culminate in group video projects, where you will have the opportunity to discuss your own perception of the history of South Africa. =Establish Goals= Maine Learning Results: Social Studies - E. History E1: Historical Knowledge, Concepts, Themes, and Patterns Grade 9 - Diploma: The World in the Contemporary Era (Apartheid South Africa) "Students will understand major eras, major enduring themes, and historic influences in U.S. and world history, including the roots of democratic philosophy, ideals, and institutions in the world."

= = =Students will understand that= • the underlying themes of Apartheid can be related to conflicts within American society and culture. • both personal and secondary - expert accounts are important in understanding Apartheid. • Apartheid had lasting influences both inside and outside of South Africa.

= = =Essential Questions= • How can one compare underlying themes of Apartheid to American culture and history? • Why can historical perspective be improved by using material from multiple sources? • How did Apartheid influence the world today?

= = =Students will know= • Key Factual Information: Nelson Mandela, passbooks, segregation, primary/secondary sources, informal apartheid, Jacob Zuma, Sharpeville massacre, Presidents Botha and de Klerk, Steve Bieko, Black Consciousness Movement, African National Party • Sequence and Timeline: The Boer War, colonialism, onset of legal apartheid in 1913, post-colonialism, the Cold War, The formation of the ANC, the arrest/ release of Mandela, negotiated end to legal apartheid, election of Mandela, election of Jacob Zuma • Critical Details: American Civil Rights Act, American calls for boycotts, Cold War diplomacy, peaceful transfers of power, international conflicts of interest

= = =Students will be able to= • describe the events and themes of Apartheid. • critique biases inherent in source material. • decide how source material relates to an overarching historical theme. • analyze similarities and differences between South Africa and the United States. • consider what effects Apartheid had on modern South Africa. • recognize that the issues at the heart of Apartheid still exist today.

**Performance Task Overview** With free elections in 1994, the oppressed Black South African majority voted for the charismatic Nelson Mandela: your boss. He has given you the task of rewriting mainstream South African history through a series of extended television advertisements, where you must reveal the true nature of the apartheid system to the White middle-class; a group that has lived willfully ignorant of the true level of inequity that exists in their country. Given their fear of losing power and position to a newly-empowered Black majority, you must begin the process of bringing mutual understanding to two bitterly opposed groups of people, so that they may thrive and coexist in a free country. You must create an iMovie presentation with your team which describes the major events of South African history from 1900 to 1994, or risk plunging this divided country into violence and chaos. =Expectations=


 * Classroom Expectations-** At all times, it is expected that you will treat others the way in which you would like to be treated. This means that at all times behavior towards both myself and your classmates should be both compassionate and respectful. In social studies classes, you will be exposed to views and opinions which may not be your own, and it is important that you meet these views with patience and respect.


 * Absences**- While occasional absences are sometimes unavoidable, if you know of a specific planned absence, please let me know as soon as you know, so that we may work out how you can stay caught up with the work that is going on in class. If, however, it is an unplanned absence, please email me so that we may discuss what you have missed. Any work which is due on the day of the absence should be handed in **the day you come back**, as opposed to the next time the class meets.


 * Late Work-** My greatest goal is to ensure that every piece of work that I assign serves an important purpose toward gaining a deeper understanding of the concepts that are being taught in the classroom, not "busywork." That being said, it is important that every assigned work is taken seriously as an opportunity to broaden your horizons and learn something new. If an assigned piece of work is not turned in on the given due-date, ten points will be deducted from the final grade, with another 15 points being deducted for every day that the work remains late. Exceptions can be given for extenuating circumstance; see me for any questions.


 * Citations-** If I hate anything, I hate MLA citation style. In this class you will be exposed to another style, known as Turabian, which is used by all professionals in the history field. As I consider all of you as young professionals in the history field when you walk into my class, I am going to teach you all how to use this citation style, and provide you with a style sheet for reference.


 * Plagiarism Policy-** There is no worse offence in the academic world than plagiarism... Except maybe for murder, which is frowned upon in pretty much any setting. Regardless, plagiarism is unfair both to the creator of the work from which you are stealing your ideas, but also to you, as you are robbing yourself of priceless learning opportunities, and the chance to create something that you can truly call your own. With that in mind, If a work is found to be copied from another source, without an attempt to give credit to that source, that assignment will receive an automatic zero.

=Benchmarks - Total Points: 245=
 * ** Blog ** : Students will be given a series of documents, sources both primary and secondary, which discuss key events of South African history. Sources will come from African, Afrikaner, and international origins. Students will be instructed to examine each of these sources and evaluate how each may be affected by bias, responding in a blog to what they find. The blog will include a synopsis of what each source is stating, along with the student's opinion on how each source may be biased. Students will then comment on two of their peers' blogs, concurring or disagreeing with their interpretations on the sources' biases. (20 points)
 * **Message Board**: After learning about some events in South African history and the current state of South African society, the students will comment on a message board begun by the teacher. This message board will open up a debate about whether or not South Africa has shed itself of the legacies of apartheid, given where it had started and how far it has come. Students will be required to make 4 posts at minimum, with at least two of these posts responding directly to previous posts given by peers. Students will be required to discuss specific events in past and present South Africa, in order to enhance arguments given. (30 points)
 * ** Garage Band ** : Students will host a radio show where they will discuss the current events of South African society, and also what ways unofficial apartheid is still impacting the country. Students will pair off and work as co-DJ's/anchors on their radio programs. Students should pay attention to how employment, housing, culture, political involvement, and racial attitudes have evolved, or not evolved, over the past 15 years. Students should be able to draw their own conclusions about what impact apartheid still has on the South Africa of today. (40 points)
 * ** WebQuest ** : Using [|this WebQuest], students will compare the Civil Rights Movement to the anti-apartheid movement in South Africa. While students will not be responsible for the 'slavery portion of the Quest, it is expected that students will follow the links provided in the last two sections, and complete the questions and journal entry in the 'Task' section. These journal entries can be written in blog format. (40 points)
 * **iMovie**: Students will create a mock news report, where they will utilize conflicting sources from a preselected event in South African history, in order to deliver a balanced perspective on this event. Events covered could include: the Sharpeville massacre, the arrest of Nelson Mandela, the release of Nelson Mandela, the death of Steve Biko, or any other event that you feel is important in the history of South Africa. At least four sources must be consulted over the course of this news report. At the end f the report, students should state the conclusions that they have drawn from investigating this event, stating whether the actions by individuals involved were justifiable or not.(50 points)
 * **Comic Life**: Students will create a comic which illustrates a major event of apartheid history, using existing photographs or creating new artwork to illustrate their story. Students may pick any event from the colonial era to 1994, but must meet with me individually to approve the topic. The comic should describe the event both through dialog and through illustration. Students should also try to tell a story with their work, not simply state historical facts. (50 points)
 * ** Performance Task- ** See Task Description above. (75 points)
 * **Participation-** It is expected that all students will make an effort to contribute to class discussions and participate actively in the class. Completion of ungraded homework will also impact this grade. (40 points)

=Grading Scale=
 * A** (93 -100), **A-** (90 - 92), **B+** (87 - 89), **B** (83 - 86), **B-** (80 - 82), **C+**(77 - 79), **C** (73-76), **C-** (70 - 72), **D+**(67 - 69), **D** (63 - 66), **D-** (60 - 62), **F** (0 - 59)