World History

                                                                                              

Textbook: World History-The Human Experience Grade Level: 9-12
ISBN#: 0-07-821615-X Length of Course: Year
Publisher: Glencoe Credit: 1
Prerequisite: None

             

COURSE DESCRIPTION

World History is a survey course, which focuses on the history of the major cultures and societies of the world.  Historical perspective is provided on major world events, movements and conditions.  This course enables the student to understand the world through exploration of histories and cultures of past and present societies. World History gives students the opportunity to explore recurring themes of human experience common to civilizations around the globe from ancient to contemporary times. This class focuses on four main eras: Ancient Civilization; Exploration and Colonization; Imperialism and World Wars; and The last 50 years.

 

 

Alaska Content Standards

 

HISTORY

 

Standard A.  A student should understand that history is a record of

                        human experiences that links the past to the present and

                        future.

Standard B.  A student should understand historical themes through

                        factual knowledge of time, places, ideas, institutions

                        cultures, people, and events.

Standard C.  A student should develop the skills and processes of

                        historical inquiry.

Standard D.  A student should be able to integrate historical

                        knowledge with historical skill to effectively participate

                        as a citizen and as a lifelong learner.

 

 

COURSE CONTENT

 

Ancient Civilization

·        Explain how tools, language, clothing, and the discovery of fire helped early people advance, and describe what Neanderthals and Cro-Magnons were like

·        Discuss how people changed from food gatherers to food producers and why specialization, government, and religion were important in Neolithic societies

·        Describe how religion, family life, and government influenced Sumerian civilization

·        Explain why Hammurabi and his reforms were important

·        Describe how Mesopotamian civilization contributed to other civilizations

·        Analyze why the Nile River was so important to the growth of Egypt

·        Discuss how pharaohs, pyramids, and religious beliefs influenced the Old Kingdom of Egypt

·        Describe what happened during Egypt’s Middle Kingdom

·        Explain why Egyptian civilization grew and then declined during the New Kingdom

·        Summarize what the Egyptians contributed to other civilizations

·        Discuss how the River valley civilization developed

·        Summarize what has been learned from the ruins of the ancient cities of Harappa and Mohenjo-daro

·        Explain how religion influenced the Shang dynasty

·        Analyze why the Shang dynasty declined

·        Discuss the Phoenicians and their role in the growth of Mediterranean commerce and the development of the alphabet

·        Summarize the Hebrews and their development of new ideas, such as the belief in one god and social justice

·        Discuss how the Assyrian civilization rose in Mesopotamia and expanded into neighboring lands

·        Summarize the Chaldeans and their methods of ruling and increasing trade

·        Explain how Persian ideas spread through the forging of large empires, and how their social and religious life helped create a stable society

Exploration and Colonization

·        Explain how the Renaissance began and flourished in the Italian city-states

·        Identify ways in which France was influenced by the Italian Renaissance

·        Describe how the Renaissance spread to Germany and Flanders

·        Discuss the influence of the Roman Catholic Church and government on the Renaissance in Spain

·        Summarize how the English monarchy promoted the Renaissance in England

·        Explain why Martin Luther’s beliefs brought him into conflict with the Roman Catholic Church

·        Describe how Protestantism developed

·        Identify how the reformation of the Church of England came about

·        Explain why Europeans became involved in religious wars

·        Discuss how the Thirty Year’s War Affected Europe

·        Identify reasons Europeans searched for a direct sea route to India, and cite achievements of Portuguese explorers

·        List expeditions and voyages financed by Spain and name some of the explorers who led these voyages

·        Analyze how the search for a northwest passage changed the history of the Americas

 

Imperialism and World Wars

·        Identify the political, economic, and social causes of imperialism

·        Describe the effects imperialism had on the continent of Africa

·        Describe how the countries of Asia responded to imperialism

·        Explain how Latin Americans responded to the growth of American influence in their region

·        Identify the underlying causes of World War I

·        Describe the series of events that provided the spark that ignited World War I

·        Specify where and how World War I was fought

·        Summarize the events that led to the Russian Revolution

·        Explain why the Treaty of Versailles was ultimately unsuccessful

·        Describe the trends that dominated the arts and popular culture from 1919 to 1939

·        Explain why democratic government survived in the United States, Great Britain, and France during the post-World War I era

·        Identify the factors that led to the rise of Fascist dictatorships in Italy and Germany after World War I

·        Examine how Joseph Stalin’s rule transformed the Soviet Union

·        Identify how the forces on nationalism affected events in the Middle East and Africa after World War I

·        State the methods Gandhi used in India’s struggle for independence from British rule

·        Explain the factors that divided and the factors that united nationalist forces in China

·        Describe how militarism shaped the development of Japan after World War I

·        Analyze why nationalism in Latin America brought conflict with the United States

·        Explain in what sense World War II was a product of World War I

·        Describe how Hitler took over most of Europe and how Great Britain and the United States responded to German Expansion

·        Describe how the Soviet Union and the United States entered World War II

·        Explain how the tide of war turned in favor of the Allies during 1942 and 1943

·        Understand how new technology affected the conduct and outcome of World War II

The last 50 years

·              Identify the events that caused and heightened the cold war

·        Explain how the Soviet Union carried out Communist policies after the death of Stalin

·        Describe how Western Europe moved toward greater political and economic unity during the cold war

·        Trace the political and social changes that people of the United States experienced during the cold war days

·        List the factors that have contributed to the economic success of Japan

·        Explain how communism has affected the domestic and international affairs of China since the late 1940s

·        Describe how South Korea and North Korea have differed in their political and economic development

·        Explain how nationalism, the cold war, and the rise of global economy have affected Southeast Asia

·        Identify the challenges that have face the countries of South Asia since independence

·        List the factors that have helped Pacific nations develop prosperous economies and new national identities since World War II

·        Describe how African nations won their independence after World War II

·        Explain what kinds of governments ruled in Africa from the 1970s to the 1990s

·        Identify the challenges faced by modern African nations in their quest for political and economic independence

·        Explain how nationalism established independent nations and created conflict in the Middle East after World War II

·        Summarize how issues of peace and war have been decided in the Middle East since the mid-1960s

·        Describe how people in the Middle East have handled conflict between traditional ways and modern values

·        List the social and political challenges facing Latin America after World War II

·        Describe the political and economic crises faced by Mexico and the Caribbean after World War II

·        Summarize the factors that led to conflicts in Central America from the 1970s to the 1990s

·        Explain how democracy has advanced in South America since the late 1980s

·        Identify the developments that changed the relationship of the superpowers by the mid-1990s

·        Describe how Soviet Communist controls came to an end in Eastern Europe

·        Identify the steps Western European nations have taken to unify their governments and economies

·        Recognize the areas of the world that have been in ethnic discord since the end of the cold war

·        Explain how recent advances in technology have affected the world’s culture