Latin American Revoltuons Syllabus

Latin American Revolutions

Trillium Charter School

2006/7 Quarter 1

Instructor: Ken Gadbow

Email: gadbow@gmail.com

Phone: 503-348-9849

Class text: The House of the Spirits by Isabelle Allende

Course Structure:

This course focuses on the development of the student as a life long learner. The material we read and discuss is selected to encourage students to become more critical thinkers and practice looking at issues from multiple viewpoints. This class sis interactive. It requires the participation of the students to make it a success. Small group discussions dominate this course, supported by short lectures, reading, and writing assignments.

Course Objectives:

Students will be able to compare historical and contemporary examples of domination and rebellion in Latin America from multiple perspectives. Students will develop their writing abilities by creating concise arguments about Latin American history. Students will enhance their abilities to use multiple types of resources for research including primary and secondary source documents, as well as peer-reviewed articles.

Course Overview:

This class is an exploration of the rich, triumphant, and tragic history of revolution movements throughout South and Central America. Students will look at the background of colonial settlement and domination in the area and then trace the successes and failures of movements to establish anti-colonial governments. Special attention will be paid to Simon Bolivar and his campaign to form one giant country from the tip of South America to Canada. We will investigate the role of revolutionaries past and present, comparing and contrasting the ideals and methods of leaders like Bolivar, Sucre, Villa, and Zapata with present day radicals like Fidel Castro and Hugo Chavez.

Code of Conduct:

All Trillium students and staff are accountable for respecting themselves and each other as laid out in the Trillium Constitution. This class is no exception. We may design our own practices specific to this course, but only within the framework of fair action and fair language. Any speech or action that creates an environment in which any member feels unsafe is unacceptable. Students have the right to learn in this space and the responsibility to respect the learning of others. As in any Trillium space, violating the rights and responsibilities of another student or staff member may put the student into the OVRR system.

Assignments and grading policies:

Preparation and Participation: 50%

Quizzes: 15%

Early term paper 15%

Final paper 20%

Preparation and participation will be graded according to the student’s involvement in weekly small group discussions. Assignments are due at the beginning of the class period. I will accept assignments via email. Late assignments will lose five percent of the possible credit each day the assignment is past the due date, including weekends and holidays. Rework is gladly accepted. Students may re-submit corrected or rewritten assignments in order to receive full credit. The better of the grades is always the one used.

Quizzes will include frequent reviews of the class text The House of the Spirits, as well as geography and notable Latin American figures mini-tests.

Papers:

There are two papers due in this course, the second worth more points than the one before it. The first paper is to be 2 pages in length for 9^th and 10^th graders, and 3 pages in length for 11^th and 12^th graders. The second should be 4 pages for 9^th and 10^th and 5 pages for 11^th and 12^th. All papers require a bibliography. Plagiarism is not tolerated. Papers found to be plagiarized will receive an automatic zero with no chance of making up the assignment.

Demonstration of learning:

Students will be encouraged to display their work from this course during the end of term ILP Exhibition Day on Friday, November 17^th.