The Modern History course is a comprehensive survey of Modern times. European, Asian, African, and American civilizations and cultures will be studied. Primary sources and interpretive documents are again used to enlighten the time period and promote such critical thinking skills as analysis and evaluation. Comprehension and understanding of global interactions and their impact on nations, people and the world will be heavily emphasized. Additionally, students will be expected to be able to apply the global learnings to the current world around them.

TOPICS

• Enlightenment/Absolutism
• French Revolution/Napoleon
• Industrial Revolution
• Latin American Revolution

FOCUS QUESTIONS

• What were the viewpoints of the church, absolute monarchs and Enlightenment thinkers on authority and the use of power?
• How did monarchs, philosophers, and revolutionaries impact the institutions, worldview and way of life of early modern Europe?
• How did the arts, sciences, and technology reflect the values and influence the life of people in early modern Europe?
• What factors caused changes during the 17^th through 19^th centuries in Europe and Latin America? What effects did these changes have upon European and Latin American society?

CONTENT OBJECTIVES

INITIAL UNDERSTANDING The student will . . .

• describe the noteworthy European absolute monarchs, philosophers, scientitists, and revolutionaries and their accomplishments.
• identify the major styles of art, science, and technology during the early modern European era.
• define power, leadership and status quo.
• define the concept of revolution and identify the various types of revolutions.
• identify causes and effects of the English, French, Latin American, and Industrial Revolutions.
• identify the key individuals involved in these revolutions.

DEVELOPING AN INTERPRETATION The student will . . .

• analyze the impact of absolute monarchs, philosophers, scientists and revolutionaries in early modern Europe.
• justify with evidence to what extent the arts and sciences reflected the lives, beliefs, and values of the people of the early modern era.
• analyze the nature of leadership and power and how they can be used or abused and what is the responsibility of the leader.
• prioritize the most significant causes and effects of these revolutions.
• explain the role played by the noteworthy individuals in the revolutions.

MAKING CONNECTIONS The student will . . .

• compare and contrast differing view points on the challenge to and use of power and authority by the absolute monarchs, philosophers, and revolutionaries.
• examine the seminal works of the major artists and scientists of the era and draw conclusionsas to what extent they reflect the lives, values, and beliefs of the people.
• uncover and describe patterns of similarities and note differences between the various revolutions.
• hypothesize whether “the revolution makes the man (sic) or the man makes the revolution.”

TAKING A CRITICAL STANCE The student will . . .

• evaluate and take a position on which absolute monarchs, scientists, philosophers, and revolutionaries contributions, actions, and views had the most significant impact on history.
• rank the importance in terms of their contributions to history the scientists of the early modern era.
• defend which ideas of the revolutions are still a part of our views today.
• evaluate the actions and ideas of noteworthy individuals in terms of the success or failure of the revolution.

TOPICS

• Nationalism
• Imperialism

FOCUS QUESTIONS

• What caused nationalist movements of the 19^th and early 20^th centuries? What were the effects of these movements?
• What were the foundations of the traditional cultures of imperialized nations ?
• How did the Imperialistic imperatives lead to global interaction and conflicts?
• How did non-western cultures/civilizations respond to imperialist initiatives ?

CONTENT OBJECTIVES

INITIAL UNDERSTANDING The student will . . .

• define the nature of nationalism of the 19^th and early 20^th centuries.
• identify and locate nationalist movements of the 19^th and early 20^th centuries.
• describe the civilizations of the non-Western nations of Africa, and Asia prior to imperialism.
• describe the nature of Imperialism of the 19^th and early 20^th centuries.
• identify the imperialist nations and the targets of their imperialist goals.

DEVELOPING AN INTERPRETATION The student will . . .

• explain the causes and effects of nationalist movements.
• explain the causes and effects of modern imperialism from the perspectives of the Western and non-Western peoples
• analyze the response of non-Western culture to imperialism.

MAKING CONNECTIONS The student will . . .

• predict the consequences of the nationalist movements.
• predict the consequences of modern imperialism.

TAKING A CRITICAL STANCE The student will . . .

• support and defend whether nationalism is a positive or negative force in our world today.
• evaluate the effects of imperialism in our world today.

TOPICS

• World War I/Russian Revolution and Stalinist Period
• Nationalism and Revolution around the World
• Fascism and Nazism
• World War II and the Holocaust

FOCUS QUESTIONS

• What values and beliefs motivated individuals and nations to enter and engage in war and revolution in the 20^th century? What were the responses to and impact of these wars and revolutions?
• What role did significant individuals play in the crises of the early 20^th century?
• What role did art, science and technology play in shaping the first half of the 20^th century?

CONTENT OBJECTIVES

INITIAL UNDERSTANDING The student will . . .

• identify and describethe key beliefs, ideologies and values which shaped events in the first half of the twentieth century.
• list the major causes and effects of the crises of the 20^th century.
• describe the nature of totalitarianism.
• identify the major developments in the arts, science and technology.

DEVELOPING AN INTERPRETATION The student will . . .

• analyze the factors that led leaders and nations to enter and engage in World War I, fascism, communism, and World War II.
• prioritize and defend the most important causes and effects of the crises of the 20^th century; use worthy documents and illustrations forsupport.
• assess the uses of the most significant discoveries in the arts, science and technology.

MAKING CONNECTIONS The student will . . .

• describe the connection between World War I, the Russian Revolutions, and World War II.
• draw conclusions as to the extent that global war and the Russian Revolution have shaped the 20^th century.
• analyze the use and abuse of power by totalitarian governments.
• analyze how art, science and technology changed the nature of 20^th century life.

TAKING A CRITICAL STANCE The student will . . .

• judge the validity of this statement: “There are no victors, only losers in world wars.”
• evaluate why some nations turn to extremist points of view to solve problems.
• judge and defend whether a nation can avoid the effects of global crises.
• evaluate the capacity of the arts, science and technology to be used for purposes of both good and evil.
• assess man’s inhumanity to man in terms of the Holocaust and other acts of genocide.

TOPICS

• The World Since 1945
• Europe
• East Asia and Southeast Asia
• South Asia and the Middle East
• Africa
• Latin America
• The United States

FOCUS QUESTIONS

• What trends, patterns, and issues have characterized the world since 1945?
• What is the impact of the increasing trend towards global interdependence?

CONTENT OBJECTIVES

INITIAL UNDERSTANDING The student will . . .

• identify and locate the major trends, patterns and issues of post-World War II era.
• locate and identify examples of global interdependence and conflict.

DEVELOPING AN INTERPRETATION The student will . . .

• analyze the causes and effects of the major economic, demographic and geographic trends, patterns and issues and their effect on the natural environment.
• analyze the causes of the end of the Cold War and the breakup of the Soviet Union and their effect on the new world of the 21^st century.
• analyze the economic, political, and social challenges facing the peoples of Europe, East Asia and Southeast Asia, South Asia, Western Asia, Africa, and Latin America.
• construct an argument that the development of global interdependence has led to greater conflict and competition.
• assess the role of the United States in the 21^st century.

MAKING CONNECTIONS The student will . . .

• predict which of the identified major trends, patterns and issues will continue to be into the next century; justify their choices with supporting evidence.
• describe the relationship between globalization, national identity and cultural diversity.

TAKING A CRITICAL STANCE The student will . . .

• evaluate whether diversity and global interdependence are likely to make the world more or less peaceful.
• rank order the most significant environmental issues and evaluate current efforts to deal with these issues.