"Men make their own history, but they do not make it as they please; they do not make it under self-selected circumstances, but under circumstances existing already, given and transmitted from the past."
-Karl Marx
Greetings and Felicitations!
Welcome to 10th grade Western Civilization! Over the course of the school year, you will acquire knowledge about key people, events, and concepts from European history, starting with civilizations of the Ancient Near East and culminating with an examination of the First World War in the 20th Century. As young historians, you will learn to analyze primary sources, read maps, compare different narratives of past events, and construct written arguments about the dynamic character of Western society. In addition, you will master a variety of academic and critical thinking skills essential to success in higher education and effective participation in a representative democracy.