World History I

Course Objectives:

Students will understand that world civilizations share a common humanity and background, as all societies and cultures – regardless of time/space context – are structured around universal principals and global themes.

Students will know that the following 6 key factors are integral parts of any civilization:

1. geography and diffusion
2. religion and philosophy
3. exchange and economics
4. government and expansion
5. art and architecture
6. science and technology

Students will be able to cite specific local examples that illustrate each theme, and they will be able to look critically at various approaches to development, and ideas of progress, throughout history.

Month/Unit	Essential ?s	Expectations	Projects	Assessment	Resources	Standards
August - Geography	What are the 5 themes of geography? What is cultural diffusion?	Students will know that the 5 themes of geography are movement, region, location, place, and environmental/human interaction. Students will know that cultural diffusion refers to the exchange of ideas, and technology between civilizations. Students will be able to interpret maps and analyze diffusion patterns	Diffusion Project – students will research the history and diffusion of 1 thing or concept that interests them	Quiz on the 5 themes of geography Essay describing the geography of Telluride using the 5 themes	Notes on 5 themes of geography Notes on cultural diffusion Google Earth	3.1 contact and exchange
September- Polytheistic Religions	What are the characteristics of polytheistic religions?	Students will know that polytheistic religions are characterized by a belief in more than 1 god, gods represented as people/animals/or elements of nature, and gods are imperfect. Students will know the importance of rituals and sacrifices in religious practice. Students will be able to compare and contrast different religious beliefs from societies such as Sumeria, Mesopotamia, Egypt, Greece, and India (Hinduism, Buddhism)	Greek Personals-students write personal ads acting as Greek gods and goddesses Webquest on Egyptian beliefs and symbolism – students work in groups and create powerpoints Hinduism research- students look up definitions of key terms such as karma, reincarnation, and nirvana	Quiz on polytheistic religions, students compare and contrast Sumerian, Egyptian, and Greek religions Students compare the flood story of Gilgamesh with the story of Noah Students interpret excerpts from the Bhagavad-Gita and Ramayana	Movies – Short Cut to Nirvana, Journey of the Buddha Texts- Gilgamesh, Ramayana, Bhagavad-Gita, Egyptian Book of the Dead, Works of the Buddha	6.1 development of religion and philosophy

Month/Unit	Essential ?s	Expectations	Projects	Assessment	Resources	Standards
October – Monotheistic Religions	What are the characteristics of monotheistic religions?	Students will know that monotheistic religions are characterized by a belief in 1 god, the god is perfect and all knowing, the god is superhuman and omnipresent. Students will know the key features of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam	Images of Christianity Webquest- students will create a visual representation of Christianity and its symbols, and then interpret and explain these images Group Project- the Golden Age of Islam and Islamic flowering	Quiz on Monotheistic religions Students read stories of Solomon and then create storyboards to interpret the text Students create posters illustrating the 10 commands Students create pictures illustrating the 5 pillars	Stories of Solomon, The Sh’ma, The Sermon on the Mount, The 5 Pillars of Islam, The 10 commandments Movies on Islam, Christianity, and Judaism from World Religions series	2.2 use of primary sources
November – Philosophies of East and West	What were the major theories of Greek and Chinese Philosophers around the 4^th C b.c.? What was the lasting impact of Greek theories on Western civilization?	Students will know the philosophies of Plato, Socrates, and Aristotle and their contributions to modern thought and the advent of logic and reason and science Students will know the philosophies of Taoism, Legalism, and Confucianism	Group essay- comparing Chinese philosophy Socratic Seminar- Discussion of the Dialectic method of question and answer, and notions of reality	Students write an individual essay on the Greek philosophers Venn Diagram quiz comparing Greek and Chinese philosophies	Movie – The Truman Show Plato’s Allegory of the Cave	2.1 critical inquiry and questioning

Month/Unit	Essential ?s	Expectations	Projects	Assessment	Resources	Standards
December – Exchange and Economics	How did the civilizations of West Africa achieve greatness? How were the civilizations of West Africa influenced by contact with outsiders?	Students will know that the societies of Mali, Ghana, and Songhai used the trade of salt and gold to build strong empires Students will know that Mali was influenced by contact with Bedouins who spread Islamic belief	Travel Brochures- students make ads to try and entice visitors to the kingdoms of West Africa Oral Storytelling and Maskmaking – students re-enact the story of Sundiata	Quiz on Mali and Mansa Musa Map Quiz identifying important geographical regions of Africa, climate, location of civilizations, and key waterways	Movie – The Road to Timbuktu Textbook pages on West Africa The Story of Sundiata	4.2 economic factors
January – Government and Expansion	How did Greek democracy shape their civilization and influence our own government? How did the Roman Republic shape their civilization and influence our own govenrment? How do societies use military power to exert influence?	Students will know the characteristics of Ancient Greek society and government. Students will know the characteristics of Roman society under the Republic, and during the Empire Students will know that Greeks and Romans expanded their sphere of influence through military conquests	Mr./Ms. Rome Pageant – students research and present biographies of famous Romans Roman Timeline- Students create illustrated timeline of important events Trading Cards – students create cards about important Greek battles	Quiz on Spartacus and class issues in Rome Test on Ancient Greece Quiz comparing the city-states of Athens and Sparta Vocab quiz on important words regarding the Greeks	Movie- Spartacus, Empires Series on Greece and Rome Story of Romulus and Remus	1.1. 1.2 1.3 use of chronology to organize history 5.1 democratic ideas

Month/Unit	Essential ?s	Expectations	Projects	Assessment	Resources	Standards
February – non-western civilizations and their contributions	What were some of the accomplishments of non-western civilizations? How can we learn more about ourselves from studying another culture that may be foreign to us?	Students will understand the legacies of the Aztec, Mayan, Incan, Polynesian, Nigerian, Cambodian, Japanese, and Aboriginal societies	Group Research project – students will work on researching information on 1 civilization and then presenting their findings to the class using a variety of multimedia tools	Quiz on the contributions of non western civilizations to our society	Movie- Baraka Mutant Message Down Under Pictures from Angkor Wat	6.3 forms of expression
March – rise of governmental institutions	What is feudalism? What role did the Church play in emerging modern Europe? What is a monarchy?	Students will know the class structure and organization of European society during the Middle Ages Students will understand the role that the Church played during the crusades Students will know that a monarchy is a type of government run by kings and queens (absolutist)	Medieval Times Fair – students will dress up and act like members of the various social classes – priests, peasants, merchants, lords, and kings	Medieval Webquest- students go online and research various aspects of life in Medieval Europe DBQ– students look at documents and write an essay on whether the dark ages really deserve to be called the dark ages	Movie – A Knight’s Tale	3.2 social organization 5.3 political power

Month/Unit	Essential ?s	Expectations	Projects	Assessment	Resources	Standards
April – Art and Architecture	What was the Renaissance? In what ways were Renaissance artists inspired and influenced by the art and architecture of the Ancient Greeks and Romans?	Students will know that the Renaissance was a time of cultural achievement in Europe Students will know that the Renaissance focused on humanism, perspective, and individualism Students will learn about important artists and their legacies	Renaissance Project – students will recreate an important work from the time period and explain its significance	Test on famous works and their significance –students will be shown pictures and asked to identify artist, title, and importance	Pictures of famous paintings, sculptures, and buildings including the Duomo, Mona Lisa, David, Last Supper, Sistine Chapel, Vitruvial Man Movie on Michelangelo	6.3 forms of expression
May – Science and Technology	How did scientific discoveries lead to the Copernican Revolution and fall of the Church? How did navigational technology help to spur the Age of Exploration/ Discovery?	Students will know the difficulties faced by 15^th century scientists as they fought to express their ideas against an angry church Students will know the reasons for exploration to the New World	Trial of Galileo – students will conduct research and participate in a mock trial Age of Discovery Pageant- students pretend to be famous explorers	Test on Scientific Revolution and key scientists Test on important explorers and discoveries Poster comparing Geocentric with Heliocentric theory	Millenium Video – The 15^th Century Article on Zheng He and Chinese navigation Galileo’s testimony before the Catholic Church	4.1 impact of science and technology