World History Introduction

What kind of country do you want to live in? This one? Another one? Would you like to see some changes here in the U.S.? Is, or was, there a better system of government somewhere else? Either this year or next you will be of voting age, which means our government wants to know what you think and in what direction you want the country to go. Really, it does. I want you to be ready for that first trip to the polls, and for many thereafter. And don’t tell me your vote doesn’t matter. As Plato once said, “One of the penalties for refusing to participate in politics is that you end up being governed by your inferiors.”

We are social beings and ever since the beginning, we have lived in groups, whether it was in families, tribes, religious affiliations, or nations. So, in order to be the best, we can be and create the best societies in which to live, we must also know the history of mankind so we know what the options are.

Remember, the study of history is a social science, not a natural science. It is more like your English class in that in literary analysis, we study themes of the human condition, e.g. coming of age, culture clash, friendship, family, courage to do the right thing. In historical analysis, themes of the human condition include a quest for security, prosperity, equity, and meaning. There will be times when there are not right and wrong answers; we must remember that it is the discussion that is important.

As students study World History, they will learn about the human experience over time and space. They will encounter powerful and sometimes conflicting ideas while learning about people and events in different places and times. They will investigate our diverse and common traditions, and work to understand the complex interactions among various environmental, human and social forces that have influenced and continues to influence us. Studying World History connects us to people and events across time and space, illuminating the range and depth of human experience on grand as well as local scales.

Students will be able to understand, analyze, and interpret historical movements and events to help them better understand and make sense of the world we live in today.

Course Objectives:

· Students will be able to investigate the important ideas and achievements of scientists and philosophers in the Scientific Revolution and the Age of Enlightenment.

· Students will be able to analyze the causes of the French Revolution and its impact on Europe.

· Students will examine the origins, impact, and spread of the Agricultural and Industrial Revolutions.

· Students will analyze capitalism as the economic philosophy that developed as a result of the Industrial Revolution and compare economic reactions to capitalism including socialism and Marxism.

· Students will analyze the emergence of nationalism and its role in the nineteenth century revolutions, unification movements, and the emergence of multinational empires.

· Students will investigate the mass movement of rural-to-urban migration as a result of industrialization.

· Students will evaluate western imperialism as a force of global change, emphasizing its positive and negative impact on colonized peoples and lands.

· Students will examine the causes, effects, and significant events of World War I.

· Students will contrast the challenges of the interwar period, emphasizing the rise of totalitarian states.

· Students will compare and contrast the causes, effects, and significant events of World War II.

· Students will analyze the period of post-World War II recovery and realignment, emphasizing the social, economic, and political effects of the Cold War.

· Students will debate the changing role of globalization in the contemporary world.

THIS IS AN ATTITIVE SCHEDULE AND MAY BE CHANGED WHEN NECESSARY DUE TO EVENTS BEYOND MY CONTROL.

STUDENTS ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR MAKING UP ANY MISSED WORK WITHIN THE BOUNDARIES OF PRC SHOOL POLICY.

ALL MAKE-UP TEST AND QUIZZES WILL BE DIFFERENT FROM THOSE PREVIOUSLY GIVEN.

NOT ALL CLASS WORK OR ASSIGNMENTS ARE LISTED

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