Open Education - Parent/Guardian Guide

📘 Parent/Guardian Guide: This material is meant to support what your child is learning in class. It offers extra practice and helpful ideas you can review together at home. These topics will be discussed and explored in more detail during our lessons. Using this guide is optional but can help your child feel more confident and prepared. All classwork can be found on your student's teacher Canvas page.

Unit 1- Thinking Like a Historian

Thinking Like a Historian helps seventh graders build on what they learned in sixth grade and get ready to study modern world history. Students will review primary and secondary sources, geography, timelines, and why history matters. These skills will support their success throughout the course.

Vocabulary

Quizlet- Unit 1- Thinking Like a Historian
Vocabulary Sheet - Unit 1- Thinking Like a Historian Vocabulary
Excell Model- Unit 1- Thinking Like a Historian Vocabulary

Key Questions:

Unit 2- Age of Exploration

Age of Exploration & Exchange helps students understand the importance of the Age of Exploration and its role in shaping globalization. They will learn how exploration began, what motivated it, and how it led to cultural exchange and global competition. Key explorers, trade routes, and innovations will be explored to show how this era shaped the modern world.

Vocabulary

Quizlet- Unit 2 Age of Exploration
Vocabulary Sheet - Unit 2- Age of Exploration Vocabulary
Excell Model- Unit 2- Age of Exploration Vocabulary

Key Questions:

Unit 3- Colonization

Colonization & Empires explores how the Age of Exploration led to global empires and imperialism. Students will study the Columbian Exchange, Atlantic Slave Trade, Middle Passage, and Dutch East India Company to understand their impact on world history. They will examine how colonization affected both indigenous peoples and colonizing powers—socially, economically, politically, and militarily.

Vocabulary

Quizlet- Unit 3- Colonization
Vocabulary Sheet - Unit 3- Colonization Vocabulary
Excell Model- Unit 3- Colonization Vocabulary

Key Questions:

Unit 4- Absolutism and Enlightenment

Absolutism & Enlightenment explores how societies shifted from monarchies to more democratic ideas between the 1400s and 1700s. Students will learn how the Scientific Revolution, Reformation, and Enlightenment challenged old beliefs about power and knowledge. They’ll examine how these changes impacted everyday people and sparked movements for independence and human rights.

Vocabulary

Quizlet- Unit 4- Absolutism and Enlightenment
Vocabulary Sheet - Unit 4- Absolutism and Enlightenment Vocabulary
Excell Model- Unit 4- Absolutism and Enlightenment Vocabulary

Key Questions:

Unit 5- Revolutions

Age of Revolutions focuses on a time of major political change and civil unrest. Inspired by Enlightenment ideas, people across Europe and the Americas challenged absolute monarchies and pushed for democracy and new forms of government. Students will explore key revolutions and how they reshaped societies and political systems. They will analyze the causes, major events, and lasting effects of revolutions such as the American, French, Haitian, and Latin American independence movements. By comparing these revolutions, students will gain a deeper understanding of how ideas and actions can lead to lasting global change. Through this study, students will also consider how revolutionary ideals continue to influence modern movements for justice and equality around the world.

Vocabulary

Quizlet- Unit 5- Revolutions
Vocabulary Sheet - Unit 5- Revolutions Vocabulary
Excell Model- Unit 5- Revolutions Vocabulary

Key Questions:

Unit 6- Industrial Revolution

Industrial Revolution explores how new technology transformed daily life, work, and global economies. Students will learn how inventions like the steam engine and trains reshaped transportation, communication, and where people lived. This era marked a shift from farming to manufacturing, creating modern cities, new social classes, and changing how goods were made and shared worldwide. The rise of factories led to new jobs but also harsh working conditions. Child labor, long hours, and poor wages were common issues faced by workers. Over time, labor unions and reform movements emerged to improve conditions. The Industrial Revolution also sparked major advances in science, medicine, and education that continue to affect us today.

Vocabulary

Quizlet- Unit 6- Industrial Revolution
Vocabulary Sheet - Unit 6- Industrial Revolution Vocabulary
Excell Model- Unit 6- Industrial Revolution Vocabulary

Key Questions:

Unit 7- Rise of World Powers

World War I focuses on the causes, key events, and lasting effects of one of the most significant global conflicts in history. Students will explore the M.A.I.N. causes—militarism, alliances, imperialism, and nationalism—along with the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand. They’ll examine how new technology led to industrialized warfare and changed the nature of combat. The war reshaped political borders, led to the collapse of empires, and had a lasting impact on global politics. The Treaty of Versailles ended the war but set the stage for future conflict. Students will also learn how the war affected soldiers, civilians, and nations around the world.

Vocabulary

Quizlet- Unit 7- Rise of World Powers
Vocabulary Sheet - Unit 7- Rise of World Powers Vocabulary
Excell Model- Unit 7- Rise of World Powers Vocabulary

Key Questions:

Unit 8- Interwar

Interwar Period explores the years between World War I and World War II, when political and economic instability reshaped the world. Students will examine how the Treaty of Versailles and the global depression left countries like Germany in crisis, creating the conditions for dictators to gain power in Italy, Japan, the Soviet Union, and Germany. This period saw the rise of fascism, communism, and militarism, often supported through the use of propaganda. New borders, failed peace efforts, and economic collapse all contributed to growing tensions. These factors ultimately pushed the world closer to another global conflict. Understanding this period helps explain how fragile peace can be when economic and political problems are left unresolved.

Vocabulary

Quizlet- Unit 8- Interwar
Vocabulary Sheet - Unit 8- Interwar Vocabulary
Excell Model- Unit 8- Interwar Vocabulary

Key Questions:

Unit 9 - World War II

World War II focuses on the causes, major events, and global impacts of the deadliest conflict in modern history. Students will explore how unresolved issues from World War I and the rise of dictators led to renewed war. The conflict involved the Axis Powers—Germany, Italy, and Japan—facing off against the Allied Powers, including the U.S., Britain, France, and the Soviet Union. Key topics include the use of propaganda, advances in technology and warfare, and the devastating effects on soldiers and civilians. Students will also study the Holocaust and how genocide shaped human rights conversations after the war.

Vocabulary

Quizlet- Unit 9- World War II
Vocabulary Sheet - Unit 9- World War II Vocabulary
Excell Model- Unit 9- World War II Vocabulary

Key Questions:

Unit 10 - The Cold War

Cold War Era explores the global tensions and shifting power dynamics after World War II, as the United States and USSR rose as rival superpowers. Students will learn how the U.S. aimed to stop the spread of communism, especially in Asia, through alliances and involvement in proxy wars like Korea and Vietnam. The Cold War, while never involving direct conflict between the superpowers, shaped foreign policy, military strategy, and international relations for decades. This period also saw the birth of many new nations, triggering both migration and conflict rooted in religion, politics, and culture.

Vocabulary

Quizlet- Unit 10- The Cold War
Vocabulary Sheet - Unit 10- The Cold War Vocabulary
Excell Model- Unit 10- The Cold War Vocabulary

Key Questions:

Unit 11 - Global Society

Modern Global Issues highlights major contemporary challenges and their impact on people and societies around the world. Students will examine how human rights violations have led to conflicts, refugee crises, and genocides in recent history. The unit explores how disease outbreaks, natural disasters, and technological changes affect communities and global interactions. Students will also take part in a personal finance simulation to see how economic choices influence everyday life and long-term well-being.

Vocabulary

Quizlet- Unit 11- Global Society
Vocabulary Sheet - Unit 11- Global Society Vocabulary
Excell Model- Unit 11- Global Society Vocabulary

Key Questions:

Find Us

Mills Park Middle School

441 Mills Park Dr, Cary, NC 27519

Phone (919) 466-1500