Class overview
This one-year course examines World History from approximately the 1300s to modern day. This includes the study of geography, history, and culture in global regions, with an emphasis on historical inquiry. Students analyze significant events, individuals, developments, and process across the world within this time frame. This content area should be taught from multiple and varied perspectives for a vivid and complex picture of history. The emphasis is global in nature with a multicultural approach, rather than a Eurocentric approach. Effective instruction in social studies incorporates both the disciplinary skills and content themes, requires historical thinking, robust academic discussions, and engaging writing instruction. This course fulfills the World History/Geography credits required for high school graduation.
Course Expectations: World History
Email: Meansa@nv.ccsd.net
Semester 1
Unit 1 River Valley Civilizations
• Civilization, Mesopotamia, Egypt, Indus Valley
Unit 2 Classic civilizations of China and India
• Han dynasty, Mauyra, Gupta, Hinduism, Buddhism, Chinese philosophies)
Unit 3 Empires/ Classical Civilizations of Greece and Rome
• Persians, Sparta, Athens, Roman Republic, Imperial Rome, Christianity
Unit 4 Middle Ages, Islam (beliefs, origin, spread)
• Feudalism, Crusades, Black Death, Islam
Unit 5 Byzantine, Russia, Mongols, East Asia
• Byzantine, Russian Czars- Ivan the Terrible, Genghis Khan, China, Korea, Japan
Unit 6 Renaissance
• Artists, printing revolution, Protestant Reformation
Unit 7 Americas and Age of Exploration
• Mayans, Aztecs, Incas, European exploration and conquest of Americas, Columbian Exchange, slavery
Semester 2
Unit 8 Absolutism, Enlightenment, Revolutions
• Peter the Great, Catherine the Great, Louis XIV, Enlightenment philosophers, American and French Revolution
Unit 9 Industrial Revolution and Workers Revolutions
• Causes and consequences/ Communist Manifesto/ Revolution of 1830 and 1848
Unit 10 Imperialism & Nationalism
• Africa, Latin America, India, China
Unit 11 WWI
• Causes and consequences, Russian Revolution
Unit 12 WWII
•Great Depression, WWII, Holocaust, Independence movement, Cold War
Unit 13 Cold War – Present