Medieval History

7th-Grade

Seventh-grade Social Studies focuses on the social, cultural, and technological changes that occurred in Europe, Africa, Asia, Central America, and South America in the years A.D. 500-1789.  After reviewing the ancient world and the ways in which archeologists and historians uncover the past, students study the history and geography of great civilizations that were developing concurrently throughout the world during medieval and modern times.  They examine the growing economic interaction among civilizations as well as the exchange of ideas, beliefs, technologies, and commodities.  They learn about the resulting growth of Enlightenment philosophy and the new examination of the concepts of reason and authority, the natural rights of human beings, the divine right of kings, experimentalism in science, and the dogma of belief.  Finally, students assess the political forces encouraged by the Enlightenment, particularly the rise of democratic ideas, and about the continuing influence of these ideas in the world today. 

Course Overview: 7th-grade Medieval History

Trimester I

Unit 1: Medieval Europe

Chapters

3 - The Legacy of the Roman Empire

4 - The Development of Feudalism in Western Europe

5 - The Roman Catholic Church in Medieval Europe

6 - Life in Medieval Towns

7 - The Decline of Feudalism


Projects

Unit 2: Spread of Islam

Chapters

8 - The Byzantine Empire

9 - The Origins and Spread of Islam

10 - Learning about World Religions: Islam

11 - Muslim Innovations and Adaptations

12 - From the Crusades to New Muslim Empires


Projects

Unit 3: West Africa

Chapters

15 - Early Societies in West Africa

16 - Ghana: A West African Trading Empire

17 - The Influence of Islam on West Africa

18 - The Cultural Legacy of West Africa


Projects

Trimester II

Unit 4: Imperial China

Chapters

19 - The Political Development of Imperial China

20 - China Develops a New Economy

21 - Chinese Discoveries and Inventions

22 - China's Contacts with the Outside World

31 - The Mongol Empire


Projects

Unit 5: Medieval Japan

Chapters

23 - The Influence of Neighboring Cultures on Japan

24 - Heian-kyo: The Heart of Japan's Golden Age

25 - The Rise of the Warrior Class in Japan


Projects

Unit 6: Civilizations of the Americas

Chapters

26 - The Maya

27 - The Aztec

28 - Daily Life in Tenochtitlán

29 - The Inca

30 - The Achievements of the Maya, Aztec, and Inca


Projects

Trimester III

Unit 7 : Europe's Renaissance & Reformation

Chapters

33 - The Renaissance Begins

34 - Florence: The Cradle of the Renaissance

35 - Leading Figures of the Renaissance

36 - The Reformation Begins


Projects

Unit 8: Europe Enters the Modern Age

Chapters

37 - The Spread and Impact of the Reformation

38 - The Age of Exploration

39 - The Scientific Revolution

40 - The Enlightenment


Projects