WORLD HISTORY I

Overview

Somebody discovered the wheel. Somebody discovered written communication. Somebody even figured out how to count to ten. From the ancient river civilizations to China and its ancient dynasties, different civilizations left their mark on history. They also left their mark on how we live today. In this course, students join travel agent Mr. Lightfoot to travel back in time digging out the past of these ancient civilizations.

In ancient Egypt students visit the pyramids and find out the secrets of preserving mummies. They see how the Mayans developed astronomy to a precise science. They even investigate the difference between the Athenians and the Spartans. Students will journey through India discovering their contributions to medicine, moving on to Africa to follow the rise and fall of the ancient east African kingdoms of Kush and Axum. Throughout the centuries, and still today, our world is made up of dozens of different cultures. They all are different, and they all have made big contributions to what we know and who we are.

Major Topics and Concepts

Segment One:

use timelines to establish the order of historical events
identify terms relating to time periods
use latitude and longitude coordinates to understand the relationship between people and places on the Earth
analyze the purposes and applications of political, physical, special purpose maps
describe the Six Essential Elements of Geography
interpret primary and secondary sources
describe the methods and tools historians use
describe how history relates to the other social sciences
describe the roles of historians and recognize how historical interpretations may differ
locate sites in Africa and Asia where archaeologists have found evidence of early human societies, and trace their migration patterns to other parts of the world
analyze the challenges of the hunter-gatherer lifestyle
interpret how geographic boundaries affect migration and interaction with others
use maps to trace significant migrations and their results
compare the lifestyles of hunter-gatherers with those of early agricultural settlers
explain how the environment and resources affected the development and spread of agriculture
describe how agriculture and metal-working relates to the settlement, growth, and development of civilization
identify the characteristics of civilization
explain how ancient civilizations were influenced by their locations and natural resources
understand the workings of ancient civilizations’ governments
identify examples of currencies used for trade and explain the importance of currencies in international trade
identify the importance of major bodies of water
explain the importance of central rivers to river valley civilizations
compare social, political, religious, intellectual, technological, and economic features of ancient river civilizations
summarize ancient Egypt’s important achievements
know the contributions of ancient Egypt’s key figures
summarize ancient Mesopotamia’s important achievements
know the contributions of ancient Mesopotamia’s key figures
summarize key figures and basic beliefs of the ancient Israelites
discuss the importance of Aryan migrations on Indian civilization
compare the emergence of Mayan culture to the four early river valley civilizations
compare the rise and advancement of the Aztec civilization to the four early river valley civilizations
describe aspects of the Aztec culture
identify factors that increase economic growth
describe aspects of Mayan culture
describe aspects of early Native American cultures
compare civilizations in North America with the four early river valley civilizations
compare maps of the world in ancient times with current political maps
identify how democratic ideas from ancient Greece affected democracy in America
identify how principles from ancient Greece and Rome are reflected in American politics today
describe how the traditional economy of Greece led to the rise of a merchant class and trading partners
use maps to identify characteristics and boundaries of ancient civilizations that have shaped the world today
tell the difference between continents, regions, countries, and cities in order to understand different civilizations
explain how the location of ancient civilizations contributed to their culture and politics
interpret how boundaries invite or limit interaction with other regions and cultures; examples are China (limits) and Greece (invites)
analyze the impact the ancient Phoenicians had on the Mediterranean world with regard to colonization, exploration, maritime commerce, and written communication
explain the democratic concepts developed in ancient Greece
compare life in Athens and Sparta
explain the causes and effects of the Persian and Peloponnesian Wars
summarize the important achievements and contributions of ancient Greek civilization
determine the impact of key figures from ancient Greece
summarize the key achievements, contributions, and figures associated with the Hellenistic Period

Rise of the Italian City-States
Renaissance
Reformation and Counter-Reformation
Age of Discovery
Columbian Exchange
Slavery

Segment Two:

describe the growth of Rome before the Punic Wars
explain the impact of the Punic Wars on the development of the Roman Empire
describe the government of the Roman Republic
explain how the Roman Republic contributed to the development of democratic principles
describe the life and culture in the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire
describe the social structure of the Roman Republic
compare life in the Roman Republic for various social groups
describe the impact of Rome’s expansion on the economy and society
map the expansion of the Roman Republic and describe how the expansion impacted the spread of Roman culture
explain the reasons for the decline of the Roman Republic
identify key figures associated with ancient Rome
compare Roman life and culture in the Roman Republic to life and culture in the Roman Empire
explain the causes for the growth and longevity of the Roman Empire
explain the transition from Roman Republic to empire and Imperial Rome
identify key figures associated with ancient Rome
explain the reasons for the gradual decline of the Western Roman Empire after the Pax Romana
analyze how geography contributed to the culture and politics of ancient Rome
describe how history reveals the heritage and values of a culture
identify key figures and the basic beliefs of early Christianity and how these beliefs impacted the Roman Empire
describe the key achievements and contributions of Roman civilization
explain the spread and influence of the Latin language on Western Civilization
explore the relationship of civilizations to trade
use scale, cardinal, and intermediate directions, and estimate distances between places on maps of the world
explain the major beliefs and practices of Hinduism and the social structure of the caste system in ancient India
recognize the political and cultural achievements of the Mauryan and Gupta empires
explain the teachings of Buddha, the importance of Asoka, and how Buddhism spread across Asia
summarize the important achievements and contributions of ancient Indian civilization
compare ancient China with other ancient river civilizations
describe bronze casting, silk making, and other contributions of classical Chinese civilization
interpret how China’s geography affected its interaction with other regions
describe the Mandate of Heaven
explain how the Dynastic Cycle worked
describe contributions of classical and post classical China
explain the basic teachings of Laozi, Confucius, and Han Fei Zi
describe the contributions of classical and post classical China
identify key figures from classical and post classical China
explain how family and ethnic relationships influenced ancient cultures
describe the contributions of classical and post classical China
identify key figures from classical and post classical China
describe the history of the Qin Dynasty
describe the contributions of classical and post classical China
explain the importance of the silk roads and sea routes in Asia, Africa, and the Mediterranean
explain why ancient civilizations developed transportation networks
describe scarcity, opportunity cost, supply and demand, barter, trade, and productive resources
describe the elements of traditional economies like Egypt, Greece, Rome, and Kush that led to the rise of a merchant class
specify products trades among civilization and the barriers that affected their trade
identify natural wonders of the ancient world
identify the influences of different ancient cultures on one another
explain the distribution of population in the ancient world
analyze the impact of human populations on the ancient world’s ecosystems
describe the effect of famine, drought, and natural disasters on ancient civilizations
describe the concept of the Mandate of Heaven and its connection to the Zhou and later dynasties
describe the contributions of classical and post classical China
identify key figures from classical and post classical China
explain the importance of trade routes throughout Asia, East Africa, and the Mediterranean Basin
explain the rise and expansion of the Mongol empire and its effects on peoples of Asia and Europe including the achievements of Genghis and Kublai Khan
explain the rise and expansion of the Mongol empire and its effect on peoples of Asia and Europe
identify the causes and effects of Chinese isolation and the decision to limit foreign trade in the 15th century