Contact Information:

Whitney Blankenship
Room: 702, Leander H.S.
Phone: 512-435-5326 ext. 81702
Email: Whitney_Blankenship@leanderisd.org
whitney@blankenship.com
Websites: classroom.leanderisd.org/webs/whitney.blankenship/ AND
msblank.com
Tutorials: Monday & Wednesday 7:45 – 8:30 am and 3: 45 – 4:30 pm or by appointment.

"The study of history from an international perspective is increasingly important today. In the contemporary context, one of globalization and technological development, different cultures and societies are increasingly in contact and interdependent. Now, more than ever, there is a need for an understanding of the present as well as the past.

The aim of history in the Diploma Programme is to explain trends and developments, continuity and change through time and through individual events. The course is concerned with individuals and societies in the widest context: political, social, economic, religious, technological and cultural.

The process of historical inquiry, explanation and interpretation is a never-ending activity, for which historians develop values and conventions which themselves change over time. Students of history investigate a variety of sources, some of which may be of a contentious nature. As new generations seek to explain and analyze the past, they will face problems of determining the accuracy of what is claimed to be reliable historical knowledge and assessing conflicting interpretations of past events. The opportunities for opinions and interpretations which are culturally driven are many and they require sensitive but critical analysis."
I.B. Guide to History of the Americas, 2003

The exam for I.B. History of the Americas is administered in May of the senior year only. I.B. exams are given over a 2 day period. Exams consist of short answer, essay and document based questions. THERE ARE NO MULTIPLE CHOICE QUESTIONS ON IB EXAMS. Students may opt to take the A.P U.S. History exam after their junior year, but they should be advised that I.B.H.O.A. DOES NOT COVER ALL OF THE A.P. CURRICULUM; therefore they should plan on covering the A.P. topics not addressed by I.B. ON THEIR OWN.

Divine, Robert, American Past and Present,6th edition, Pearson, 2002.

Bumstead, J.M, A History of the Canadian Peoples, Oxford University Press, 1998.

Keen, Benjamin and Keith Haynes, A History of Latin America, Houghton Mifflin, 2000.

I.B. History of the Americas 1 is the first of a two year course in history covering a regional option (see map attachment for regions). In order to conform to Texas graduation requirements the regional option is the Americas (Canada, U.S., Mexico, Central and South America). Within the regional topic, students focus on the study of roughly a 100 year period of history. The regional history outline for the junior year is listed below:

I. The Colonial Period
II. Evolutions of New Governments and Confederation
III. Slavery in the Americas
IV. Economic and Social Developments in the Americas from mid-19th century to 1919
V. Political Developments in the Americas from mid-19th century to 1919
VI. United States Foreign Policy in Latin American 1898-1945
VII. The Great Depression in the Americas
VIII. The Second World War and the Americas
IX. Political and Economic Developments in the United States after World War II
X. U.S. Foreign Policy 1945-1995
XI. The U.S. Civil Rights Movement, 1945-1995

Topics not included in the junior years (such as the U.S. Revolution and Civil War, The Mexican Revolution etc) are introduced within the 20th century topics addressed during the senior year allowing students to situated them within a larger historical context.

The majority of the class will be spent on the period from World War I through the Cold War. The early American topics are included as part of the government requirement mandated by the state of Texas (IB history students do not take government and economics their senior year, but take History of the Americas 2 instead.

There are three prescribed topics, out of which, one is studied in depth. The document based question on the IB exam comes from the prescribed topic studied. The prescribed topic for both the junior and senior years is The Cold War. Students will focus on documents from this era in particular and from the period 1960- 1979 in particular. This topic was chosen because it links to several of the 20th century world topics.

Students will be focusing on several 20th century world topics which dovetail nicely with the prescribed topic and the regional option. During the junior year the 20th century world topic will be the Cold War. During the Senior year the topics will include:
• Nationalist and Independence Movements (this is where the American Revolution and Mexican Revolution will be taught)
• The Rise and rule of single party states

Class activities include lecture, group and whole class discussions, online activities, Socratic circles, online discussion forums, reading quizzes and exams.

Class discussions: students are expected to participate in class discussion either during class or on the online forum set up on msblank.com. Students will be expected to make at least two responses online for each topic assigned: the first response will be directly to the prompt and a second response will be made to one of their classmates’ posts.

Online Activities: students will occasionally have assignments which are posted on msblank or the classroom.leanderisd websites. If a student does not have internet access at home, computers are available Mon-Thurs. in the school library from 7:30 am – 8:30 am and 3:45 – 4:30 pm, as well as during all lunches. In addition, the laptop lab in Ms. Blankenship’s room will also be made available when online assignments are given.

Team Based Learning
Research studies have shown that students who work as part of team tend to do better overall than those who work on their own. In team based learning students are given the opportunity to create their own understanding of the material through group discussions, projects and quizzes. Because APUSH moves so quickly, team based learning will help students to absorb more the information they will come across by facilitating their learning through discussion within the group.

Each student will be held individually accountable for material first and foremost; team work enhances student grades through bonus points or as 20% of the individual grade assigned. For example: all quizzes will be taken first as an individual, then again as a team. The teams with the highest scores receive bonus points. Teams get to talk through the questions and come to a consensus on the answers before turning in the team quiz. Students within teams are also asked to rate their confidence level for each question on the quiz (very confident to a total guess). The discussion which takes place during the team portion of the quiz gives the team the opportunity to clarify concepts and reinforce the learning of all members. Teams will be given 10 minutes to review as a team before each quiz.

Students will be placed in teams during the first week of school and will remain with their team for the entire year. Most projects and cooperative learning will be conducted within the team, although there will also be times when students may chose their own partners/group.


Quizzes: Quizzes will be over readings assigned from the readers, texts or other sources. They will be factual in nature, covering major events, people, places and ideas. Students will take the quiz individually, then with their team. The team’s score will determine bonus points to be received.

Exams: Exams will be in I.B. format—essay, short answer and/or Document based question and will be timed. It is essential that students becoming comfortable with the IB format before taking their exams.

When students are absent they should check the school website or email Ms. Blankenship to get their assignments or, if they are going to be out for several days, call the main office (435-8000) and request that homework assignments for the missed days be left for pickup with the receptionist.

In general missed assignments from excused absences are due on the second class day after the student returns to class. If you must be out for several days I will work with you on a case by case basis to get you caught up. Please DO NOT COME TO SCHOOL IF YOU ARE SICK!!!!!! Stay at home and get well, the work will wait.

Late work is not accepted. If something comes up and you will not be able to turn in your work on time (and by something, I mean you or a family member had to go to the hospital, a death in the family or other major life event, not my printer broke).