These standards enable students to explore the historical development of people, places, and patterns of life from ancient times until 1500 a.d. in terms of the impact on Western civilization.

The study of history rests on knowledge of dates, names, places, events, and ideas. Historical understanding, however, requires students to engage in historical thinking: to raise questions and marshal evidence in support of their answers. Students engaged in historical thinking draw upon chronological thinking, historical comprehension, historical analysis and interpretation, historical research, and decision making. These skills are developed through the study of significant historical substance from the era or society being studied.

Paleolithic Era to Agricultural Revolution

Session 1: Introduction to the Paleolithic Era
Session 2: Classification of Prehistoric People
Session 3: The Evolution from Paleolithic to Neolithic
Session 4: Importance of the Neolithic Revolution
Sample Assessment Items

Ancient River Valley Civilizations

Session 1: Location of River Valley Civilizations           
Session 2: Characteristics of a River Valley Civilization
Sessions 3-11: Egypt, Mesopotamia, Indus River, and Huang He Civilizations
Session 12: Phoenician, Lydian, and Kush Civilizations
Session 13: World Religions
Sample Assessment Items

Cultures of Persia, India, and China

Session 1: Introduction to Ancient Persia
Session 2: Timeline of the Persian Empire
Session 3: The Silk Roads
Session 4: Geography’s Role in the Spread of Classical Indian Civilization
Session 5: Indo-Aryans and the Caste System
Session 6: The Gupta Empire
Session 7: The Hindu Religion
Session 8: Completing the Learning Cube
Session 9: The Buddhist Religion
Session 10: Video on Persian or Indian Civilization
Session 11: Classical China
Session 12: Confucianism and Taoism
Session 13: Sharing Students’ Learning Cubes
Sample Assessment Items

Ancient Greece

Session 1: Introduction to Ancient Greece
Session 2: The Geography of Ancient Greece
Session 3: Economic and Social Development of Ancient Greece
Session 4: Introduction to Greek Mythology
Session 5: Learning Cube for Greek Gods and Goddesses
Session 6: Ancient Athens and Sparta
Session 7: The Persian Wars
Session 8: The Peloponnesian War
Session 9: Pericles
Session 10: Contributions of Greek Culture to Western Civilization
Session 11: Project on Contributions of Greek Culture to Western Civilization
Session 12: The Conquest of Greece by Macedonia
Session 13: The Reign of Alexander the Great
Session 14: The Hellenistic Age
Session 15: Video on the History of Ancient Greece
Session 16: Student Project Presentations
Session 17: Review for Assessment
Sample Assessment Items

Ancient Rome 700 B.C. to 500 A.D.

Session 1: Introduction
Session 2: Video on the Roman Empire
Session 3: Influence of Geography on the Spread of the Roman Empire
Session 4: Introduction to Roman Mythology
Session 5: Comparing Green and Roman Deities
Session 6: Democracy in Ancient Rome
Session 7: Roman Citizenship and Government
Session 8: The Punic Wars
Session 9: Timeline of the Roman Empire
Session 10: Fall of the Roman Republic
Session 11: The Early Roman Empire
Session 12: Oral Presentations on the Early Roman Empire
Session 13: Oral Presentations on the Early Roman Empire (cont.)
Session 14: Mid-Session Assessment
Session 15: Learning Cube for the Christian Religion
Session 16: The Spread of Christianity
Session 17: Impact of the Church of Rome in the Late Roman Empire
Session 18: Contributions of Ancient Rome to Western Civilization
Session 19: Decline of the Roman Empire
Session 20: Division of the Roman Empire
Session 21: Review for Assessment on Ancient Rome
Sample Assessment Items

Byzantine Empire and Russia 300 to 1000 A.D.

Session 1: Location of the Byzantine Empire
Session 2: Growth of the Byzantine Empire and Its Impact on the Christian Church
Session 3: Video on the Byzantine Empire
Session 4: Contributions of the Byzantine Empire
Session 5: The Role of the Byzantine Empire in Russian History
Session 6: The Rise of Russia
Session 7: Eastward Movement of European Culture
Session 8: Review for Assessment
Sample Assessment Items

Islamic Civilization 600 to 1000 A.D.

Session 1: Geography in the History of Islam
Session 2: Islamic Empire Scavenger Hunt
Session 3: A New Religion
Session 4: The Diffusion of Islam
Session 5: Islamic Contributions and Achievements
Session 6: Video on the Islamic Empire
Session 7: Islamic Contributions to the World
Session 8: Islam Empire Graphic Organizer
Session 9: Islamic Challenge (Review of Islam)
Sample Assessment Items

Europe during the Middle Ages 500 to 1000 A.D.

Session 1: Introduction to the Middle Ages
Session 2: The Age of Faith
Session 3: The Age of Charlemagne
Session 4: The Viking Invaders
Session 5: Introduction to Feudalism and Feudal Manors
Session 6: Hierarchy of the Feudal System
Session 7: Timeline of the Early Middle Ages
Session 8: Review of Early Middle Ages
Session 9: Assessment
Sample Assessment Items

Eastern Hemisphere

Session 1: Geography of the Eastern Hemisphere
Session 2: The Effects of Trade on Culture and Language
Session 3: Trade Routes in the Eastern Hemisphere
Session 4: Goods, Technology, and Ideas Passed along the Trade Routes
Session 5: Art Project on Goods, Technology, and Ideas along the Trade Routes
Session 6: Cultural Contributions of the Japanese and Chinese
Session 7: The Shinto Religion
Session 8: Sub-Saharan African Civilizations
Session 9: Zimbabwe
Session 10: The Kingdoms of Ghana and Songhai
Session 11: The Kingdom of Mali
Session 12: Review of the Eastern Hemisphere
Sample Assessment Items

Mayan, Aztec, and Incan Civilizations

Session 1: Introduction to Civilizations in the Western Hemisphere
Session 2: Civilizations of North America — The Olmecs, Mayans, and Aztecs
Session 3: Civilizations of South America — The Inca
Session 4: Comparison of the Civilizations in the Americas
Sample Assessment Items

Late Medieval Period

Session 1: Introduction to the Late Medieval Period
Session 2: The Formation of Nation States in Europe
Session 3: Europe and the Muslim World
Session 4: Research Project
Session 5: The Black Plague
Session 6: Preservation of Greek, Roman, and Arabic Culture
Session 7: Cathedrals and Religious Art in the Late Medieval Period
Sessions 8 and 9: Student Presentations
Session 10: Review
Sample Assessment Items

Renaissance

Session 1: Introduction to the Renaissance
Session 2: Comparison of the Middle Ages and the Renaissance
Session 3: Economic, Political, and Cultural Foundations of the Renaissance
Session 4: Machiavelli’s The Prince
Session 5: Renaissance Art
Session 6: Student Presentations
Session 7: Renaissance Humanism and Literature
Session 8: Key Figures of the Italian Renaissance
Session 9: Comparison of the Italian Renaissance and the Northern Renaissance
Session 10: The Social Criticism of More and Erasmus
Session 11: Review
Session 12: European History Timeline (Year Review)
Sample Assessment Items