Students will:

• Develop class norms and goals for themselves and the class.
• Demonstrate skills for historical thinking, geographical analysis, economic decision making, and responsible citizenship by:
  • Synthesizing evidence from artifacts and primary and secondary sources to obtain information about events in world history.
  • Using geographic information to determine patterns and trends to understand world history.
  • Interpreting charts, graphs, and pictures to determine characteristics of people, places, or events in world history.
  • Evaluating sources for accuracy, credibility, bias, and propaganda.
  • Comparing and contrasting historical, cultural, economic, and political perspectives in world history.
  • Explaining how indirect cause-and-effect relationships impacted people, places, and events in world history.
  • Analyzing multiple connections across time and place.
  • Using a decision-making model to analyze and explain the incentives for and consequences  of a specific choice made.
  • Identifying the rights and responsibilities of citizens and ethical use of materials and intellectual property.
  • Investigating and researching to develop products orally and in writing.

Students will consider:

• Whose voices are emphasized, marginalized, and silenced in social studies courses?
• Which perspectives (political, economic, social, cultural, environmental, global, military) are emphasized, marginalized, and silenced in social studies courses?
• How does shifting between scales of study (macro to micro) impact your thinking and learning and make the past usable?
• What are the benefits of using inquiry, comparison, and connections to construct my knowledge of the world?
• How does learning about history impact your understanding of yourself, your lived experiences, a concept, a UN Sustainable Development Goal, or a contemporary world issue or event?

Students will apply history and social science skills to describe the period from the Paleolithic era into the Neolithic era by:

• Describing the archaeological evidence of the first human and their geographic locations.
• Explaining the effect that geography had on the emergence and migration of hunter-gatherer societies.
• Describing characteristics of hunter-gatherer societies, including their use of tools and fire.
• Analyzing how technological and social developments gave rise to sedentary settlements.
• Analyzing how archaeological discoveries change current understanding of early societies.

Students will consider:

• How did the development of agriculture affect early human societies?
• How did interactions between humans and the natural environment change from the Paleolithic to the Neolithic Eras?
• How does learning about the Paleolithic Era and Agricultural Revolution impact your understanding of yourself, your lived experiences, a concept, a UN Sustainable Development Goal, or a contemporary world issue or event?

Students will apply history and social science skills to describe

• Early societies in the Fertile Crescent by:
  • Locating and explaining the development of Egypt and Nubia.
  • Locating and explaining the development of Mesopotamia.
  • Describing the development of the Israelites and the origins, beliefs, traditions, customs, persecution, and spread of Judaism.
  • Describing the development of the Phoenicians.
• Ancient Asian societies by:
  • Analyzing the impact of geography on the development of ancient India and China, including locating them in time and place and describing their major geographic features.
  • Describing the social, cultural, political, and economic characteristics that define the societies of the Indian subcontinent including, but not limited to contributions and the concepts of varna and Jati.
  • Describing the origins, beliefs, customs, and spread of Hinduism.
  • Describing the origins, beliefs, customs, and spread of Buddhism.
  • Describing the social, cultural, political, and economic development of ancient China.
  • Describing the influence of Confucianism, Taoism, and Legalism.

Students will consider:

• How does geography affect the development of civilizations?
• What does it mean to be civilized, and are modern civilizations more “civilized” than ancient ones?
• What defines a complex civilization?
• How do forms of communication preserve a culture?
• What advantages and disadvantages did geography and location offer developing societies?
• How does learning about River Valley Civilizations impact your understanding of yourself, your lived experiences, a concept, a UN Sustainable Development Goal, or a contemporary world issue or event?

Students will apply history and social science skills to understand Persia and Greece by:

• Describing the major geographic features of the region and analyzing the effect that geography had on its development.
• Describing the social, cultural, political, and economic aspects of ancient Persia.
• Describing the social, cultural, political, and economic development of Greece including, but not limited to the significance of Athens and Sparta, the development of citizenship, and the different forms of democracy.
• Evaluating the causes and consequences of the Persian and Peloponnesian wars.
• Evaluating the significance of Alexander the Great’s conquest of Greece and the formation and the spread of Hellenistic culture.
• Explaining the influence of ancient Greek contributions including, but not limited to science, art, architecture, philosophy, and mathematics on the present day.

Students will consider:

• What are the characteristics of an empire?
• In what ways and to what extent, do philosophy and worldviews impact cultures over time?
• What are the characteristics of a democracy?
• Why do empires engage with or avoid conflict?
• How are ancient civilizations portrayed in the present?
• How does learning about Persia and Greece impact your understanding of yourself, your lived experiences, a concept, a UN Sustainable Development Goal, or a contemporary world issue or event?

Students will apply history and social science skills to understand Rome and the Byzantine Empire by:

• Describing the influence of geography on Rome’s development and the factors that threatened territorial cohesion.
• Comparing and contrasting the political, social, and religious structure and development of the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire.
• Describing the social, cultural, political, and economic development of the Byzantine Empire including, but not limited to the establishment of Constantinople, and the eventual division of the Roman Empire.
• Describing the origins, beliefs, customs, and spread of Christianity, including the persecution of Christians throughout the Roman Empire and eventual adoption and transmission of Christianity and the New Testament, differences between the Eastern and Western churches, and the influence of Christianity throughout Europe, Middle Asia, the Middle East, and North Africa.
• Explaining the influence of Rome including, but not limited to citizenship, slavery, Roman law and guaranteed rights, Roman art, architecture, engineering, and philosophy.

Students will consider:

• How do progressive and conservative ideas change a civilization, and who benefits from those changes?
• How can citizens in a democratic society enact change and impact societal systems?
  What causes empires, religions, and other institutions to split?
• What roles and responsibilities should religious institutions have in society?
• How are people selective about and influenced by earlier societies?
• In what ways do urban centers impact the social, cultural, political and economic system of a civilization?
• What are the lasting impacts of the Roman and Byzantine Empires and Christianity?
• How does learning about Roman and Byzantine Empires impact your understanding of yourself, your lived experiences, a concept, a UN Sustainable Development Goal, or a contemporary world issue or event?

Students will apply history and social science skills to understand Islamic societies by:

• Identifying the physical features and describing the relationship between climate, land and surrounding bodies of water, as well as nomadic and sedentary ways of life of the Arabian Peninsula.
• Describing the origins, beliefs, traditions, customs, persecution, and spread of Islam.
• Explaining the significance of the Qur’an and the Sunnah as the primary sources of Islamic beliefs, practice, and law, and their influence in Muslims’ daily lives.
• Describing the expansion of territory under Muslim rule, the spread of Islam and the Arabic language among people in these territories, and the cultural and religious acceptance of Islam and the Arabic language.
• Describing the growth of cities and the role of merchants in Muslim society and the expansion of trade routes in Asia, Africa, Europe, and the Indian Ocean and identifying the products and inventions that traveled along these routes, including spices, textiles, paper, steel, and new crops.

Students will consider:

• To what extent did regional interactions impact the development of Islamic empires?
• What factors contributed to the rapid expansion of Islamic societies?
• What were the cultural achievements of Islamic society and what impacts have they had on modern society?
• How did the role of merchants impact Islamic society and the expansion of trade?
• What interactions or events  are the most “important” or “historical” ones  in a society or between nations? Why?
• How does learning about Islamic Societies impact your understanding of yourself, your lived experiences, a concept, a UN Sustainable Development Goal, or a contemporary world issue or event?

Students will apply history and social science skills to describe the sub-Saharan civilizations of Ghana and Mali in medieval Africa by:

• Describing the Niger River and the relationship of vegetation zones of forest, savannah, and desert to trade in gold, salt, food, and enslaved people, as well as the growth of the Ghana and Mali empires.
• Analyzing the importance of family, labor specialization, and regional commerce in the development of states and cities in West Africa.
• Describing the role of the trans-Saharan caravan trade in the changing religious and cultural characteristics of West Africa and the influence of Islam.
• Tracing the growth of the Arabic language in government, trade, and Islam.
• Describing the importance of written and oral traditions in the transmission of African history and culture.

Students will consider:

• How does our understanding of Africa’s past impact our understanding of the present?
• How are regional powers developed?
• What are the main aspects of diversity in Africa?
• How did the combination of oral and written traditions contribute to the transmission and continuity of African history and culture across generations?
• How did trans-Saharan trade promote cultural exchange between African societies and the wider world?
• How does learning about African Civilizations impact your understanding of yourself, your lived experiences, a concept, a UN Sustainable Development Goal, or a contemporary world issue or event?

Students will apply history and social science skills to understand the civilizations of 

• China in the Middle Ages by:
  • Describing the reunification of China under the Tang Dynasty and reasons for the spread of Buddhism in Tang China, Korea, and Japan.
  • Describing agricultural, technological, and commercial developments during the Tang and Sung periods.
  • Analyzing the influences of Confucianism and changes in Confucian thought during the Sung and Mongol periods.
  • Explaining the importance of overland trade and maritime expeditions between China and other civilizations in the Mongol Ascendancy and Ming Dynasty.
  • Tracing the historic influence of the tea trade, the manufacture of paper, the development of woodblock printing, the invention of the compass, and the invention of gunpowder.
  • Describing the development of the imperial state and the scholar-official class.
• Medieval Japan by:
  • Describing the significance of Japan’s proximity to China and Korea and the intellectual, linguistic, religious, and philosophical influence of those countries on Japan.
  • Discussing the reign of Prince Shōtoku of Japan and the characteristics of Japanese society and family life during his reign.
  • Describing the values, social customs, and traditions prescribed by the lord-vassal system consisting of shogun, daimyo, and samurai and the lasting influence of the warrior code in the 21st century.
  • Tracing the development of distinctive forms of Japanese Buddhism.
  • Examining the ninth and 10th centuries’ golden age of literature, art, and drama and its lasting effects on culture today, including Murasaki Shikibu’s Tale of Genji.
  • Analyzing the rise of a military society in the late 12th century and the role of the samurai in that society.

Students will consider:

• How does trade facilitate the diffusion of goods and ideas and who benefits from that interaction?
• What motivates countries to invade other countries and who benefits from that conflict?
• How did East Asia’s innovations influence global history through their diffusion to other societies?
• What were key events, ideas, systems, groups, and individuals of East Asian nations’ history?
• In what ways does new technology disrupt social norms, systems, and identities?
• What were the key features of China's foreign policy over the years, and how did it impact relations with Korea and Japan?
• How does learning about East Asian Civilizations impact your understanding of yourself, your lived experiences, a concept, a UN Sustainable Development Goal, or a contemporary world issue or event?

Students will apply  history and social science skills to understand the Mesoamerican and Andean civilizations by:

• Describing the locations, landforms, and climates of Mexico, Central America, and South America and their effects on Mayan, Aztec, and Incan economies, trade, and the development of urban societies.
• Explaining how and where each empire arose and how the Aztec and Incan empires were defeated by the Spanish.
• Describing the artistic and oral traditions and architecture in the three civilizations.
• Describing the Mesoamerican achievements in astronomy and mathematics, including the development of the calendar and the effects of Mesoamerican knowledge of seasonal changes to the civilizations’ agricultural systems.
• Examining the roles of people in each society, including class structures, family life, warfare, religious beliefs and practices, and slavery.

Students will consider:

• How did interactions between civilizations impact both groups?
• In what ways does geography impact societies’ creation and development?
• What were the key factors that contributed to the rise of Mayan, Aztec, and Incan societies, and how did each expand its territory and influence?
• What mathematical advancements were made by Mesoamerican societies and do these impact us today?
• How does learning about MesoAmerica & Andean Civilizations impact your understanding of yourself, your lived experiences, a concept, a UN Sustainable Development Goal, or a contemporary world issue or event?

Student wills apply history and social science skills to:

• Understand the civilizations of medieval Europe by:
  • Describing the geography of the European and Eurasian landmass, including location, topography, waterways, vegetation, and climate, and their relationship to ways of life in medieval Europe.
  • Describing the spread of Christianity north of the Alps and the roles played by the early church and by monasteries in its diffusion after the fall of the western half of the Roman Empire.
  • Explaining the development and role of feudalism in the medieval European economy and the role of the manor as the center of feudal relationships at the foundation of the political order.
  • Describing the growth of towns and trade as Europe emerged from feudalism.
• Analyze the conflict and cooperation between the papacy and European monarchs by:
  • Explaining the significance of developments in medieval English legal and constitutional practices including, but not limited to the Magna Carta, parliaments, development of habeas corpus, and independent judiciary in England.
  • Analyzing the reasons for the Great Schism in 1054.
  • Tracing the causes and course of the Crusades and the effects on the Christian, Muslim, and Jewish populations in Europe and territorial claims.
  • Describing the decline of Muslim rule in the Iberian Peninsula that resulted in the expansion of Christian rule and the rise of Spanish and Portuguese kingdoms.
  • Explaining the importance of the Catholic church as a political and intellectual institution and its effects on education, religious orders, preservation of languages and texts, and philosophy.

Students will consider:

• What were the lasting effects of the Crusades?
• How has the influence of religious institutions changed over time?
• To what extent does the spread of diseases impact interactions between regions?
• How did the hierarchy of the Christian church extend its influence throughout Europe?
• What were the characteristics of feudalism and manorialism in medieval Europe, and how did it shape the social and economic structure of society?
• How did the geography of the European and Eurasian landmass influence the development of trade routes and economic activities in medieval Europe?
• How does learning about Europe’s Middle Ages impact your understanding of yourself, your lived experiences, a concept, a UN Sustainable Development Goal, or a contemporary world issue or event?

Students will apply history and social science skills to understand the factors contributing to the European Renaissance by:

• Determining the economic, political, philosophical, and cultural foundations of the Italian Renaissance.
• Sequencing events related to the rise of Italian city-states and their political development, including Machiavelli’s theory of governing.
• Analyzing the contributions of artists and philosophers of the Italian Renaissance, including Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, and Petrarch.

Students will consider:

• How did changes during the Renaissance lead to a more secularized society?
• What factors lead to the emergence of “renaissances” in society and what impact do they have on societies?
• What role did humanism play in the shift of artistic styles and perspectives?
• What impacts did the development of the moveable type printing press have on society?
• How does learning about Europe’s Renaissance impact your understanding of yourself, your lived experiences, a concept, a UN Sustainable Development Goal, or a contemporary world issue or event?