World History 1

This history course begins by looking at the culture, politics, and achievements of pre-Colombian Empires in the Americas along with an exploration of ancient mysteries such as the lines of Nazca, Stonehenge, Easter Island and the mythical lost city of Atlantis.

Through the study of ancient ruins and descriptions of daily life and politics, students will gain an understanding of how native peoples of the Americas lived in the period before the arrival of the Europeans. For example, students will study the complexity of Maya, Aztec, and Inca urban culture, and the sophisticated organization of Aztec and Incan economics and then recreate parts of this civilization by building a 3D ancient world. They will also read primary sources that describe contact between Native Americans and Europeans, and the betrayal by Europeans of Native American

This course has been designed around three broad learning outcomes:

1) A recognition that certain universal human concerns appear in all times and places and that an understanding of the past and the unfamiliar is a necessary part of a valid concept of what it means to be human.

2) An aesthetic appreciation of the forms and styles of literature that are the products of diverse cultures.

3) An ability to communicate their perceptions effectively and creatively.

Topics Covered:

•  Pre-Columbian Empires
•  Egypt
• Mesopotamia
• The Minoans
• Pyramids
• Greek Civilization
• The Rise and Fall of Roman Civilization
• Akhenaten: The Rebel Pharaoh
• Ancient Rome
• Expansion and Conquest
• Fall of Empire
• Byzantium
• Cleopatra’s Palace
• The Mystery of Tutankhamen
• Ancient China
• Greek Mythology
• Roman Mythology
• Julius Caesar
• Chinese Mythology

At the end of this course, students will be able to:

•  Articulate an understanding about and appreciation for non-American cultures and their literature, from ancient to contemporary times
•  Identify different world mythologies and the characteristics of each
• Identify literary terminology appropriate to the literature studied
• Hone library and Internet research techniques
• Learn to use online literature resources for class preparation and research for assignments
• Develop skills in writing and other forms of individual expression
• Distinguish the characteristics of the world’s major civilizations in their geographic and temporal setting
• Describe the interactive roles of social, religious,political, economic, scientific, and technological forces
  among civilizations.
• Trace the development of traditional civilizations and recognize their enduring influence.
• Demonstrate relevant geographic knowledge of Earth and an understanding of the influence of geography on human history.
• Demonstrate an understanding of the people and events that influenced the economics, politics, and culture of the ancient world.

World History 2

Main Themes

•  Middle Ages to the Age of Revolution Medieval manor/feudal system in Europe
•  Glory of two African kingdoms
• A brief look at China
• Growth of the Nation State
• Capitalism is born
• Renaissance in Europe
• A study of Florence: capitalism and art
• Martin Luther and the Protestant revolution; Catholic response
• The Age of Discovery and Science
• England at High Tide
• The Age of Reason: Science component covers Harvey,
  Boyle, Cavendish, Lavosier
• Art component: High Renaissance art
• Rembrandt through Baroque
• Rococco and neoclassical
• The Arthurian cycle in art and literature
• Shakespeare’s Works

Objectives

• Know the historical terms and characters of The European Reformation.
•  Describe the major thinkers of the Enlightenment and their achievements.
• Describe the development of England and France in 17th and 18th centuries.
• Describe the conflicts that arose in Europe in the 19th century between the forces of change and those of reaction and of nationalism.
• Be able to show on a timeline when the major periods of world history took place.
• Demonstrate an understanding of the people and events that influenced the economics, politics, and culture of the classical era.
• Demonstrate an understanding of the people and events that influenced the economics, politics, and culture of the Middle Ages.

3D Project Spotlight: Feudalism Simulation:
Topics covered:

• Feudal System
• Crusades
• Medieval Society
• Rise of Towns and Cities

Step back into medieval times! The WiloStar3D Feudalism simulation gives students a chance to explore life during the Middle Ages by putting them at the center of this dynamic world inside our own virtual 3D environment. Medieval Europe is filled with stories of kings battling mighty barons to consolidate power.

In this turbulent world of shifting relationships, what was it like to be a feudal lord? Based on the history of feudal Europe, the simulation covers the obligations of lords and vassals, the role of feudal oaths and promises, and the social hierarchy of medieval society. Students struggle with a food crisis, face a growing rebellion against the king, and come face to face with the power of the Church.

American Government

Credits: 1

The basic purpose of this course is to analyze the social, political, and economic problems of the United States . Particular emphasis is given to the political system and its operation, as well as the correlating of current events into the curriculum.

American Government is an overview of the structure and functions of government in the United States and its impact on its citizens, other nations, and a global economy. Special attention will be given to individual involvement and responsibility of American citizens with regards to government. Various projects will be assigned to specific units of study as well, utilizing both individual and collaborative decision making.

Students will examine topics including:

• The American System
• Opinions, Interests, and Organizations
• Institutions of Government
• The Politics of Public Policy
• The Nature of American Democracy
• The reading and study of the Constitution

Additional primary and secondary source readings will help the student critically review and analyze themes, issues, and policies pertinent to the understanding of government and politics. Students will also relate historical events and concepts to current events and concepts.  Upon completion of this course, students should have a sense and knowledge of their rights and responsibilities as citizens in a democratic society.

Objectives

•  Investigate the organization and functions of the United States government.
•  Assess the freedoms and rights guaranteed in the United States Constitution.
• Analyze how civil rights and liberties have been changed through court decisions.
• Determine the relationship between the national government and the states.
• Investigate the responsibilities and obligations of a citizen.
• Investigate ways in which responsible citizens take part in civic life.
• Assess methods for respectfully dealing with differences.
• Explore how the United States influences other nations, and how other nations influence the United States.

Credits: 1

In this Cultural Studies course, students will examine non-Western cultures, with a major emphasis on East Asia, the Middle East, and Eastern Europe. The student will critically review and analyze themes and issues using primary sources as well as professional articles covering the political, social, economic, and intellectual ideas of the time periods. Students will relate historical events and concepts to today and create cultural virtual worlds based on themes learned in class. 

Questions we examine in this class include:

• How do cultural practices contribute to our sense of identity and belonging?
•  How do cultural practices promote inequality, allowing some groups to dominate others?
• How is culture taught and reproduced? -How have people used popular culture to resist domination?
• When does cultural change challenge established authority?
• How do cultural innovations (and innovators) gain recognition?
•  Understands the connections between socially-approved behavioral patterns and cultural perspectives.
• Draws conclusions about the relationship and mutual influence between perspectives and expressive products (e.g., literature, periodicals, music, theater, visual arts) in the target and native cultures.
• Understands contrasting ways in which familial, economic, environmental, and political issues are reflected through oral, written, and artistic expression in the native and target cultures.
• Understands how other cultures view the role of the native culture in the world arena.

American History

Credits: 1

The basic purpose of this course is to analyze the social, political, and economic problems of the United States.

Students learn:

• How early European exploration and colonization resulted in cultural and ecological interactions among previously unconnected peoples.
• Why the Americas attracted Europeans.
• Why they brought enslaved Africans to their colonies, and how Europeans struggled for control of North America and the Caribbean.

American History will also review our nation’s history from early colonization of Roanoke (1585) to the second wave of immigration (1890).

Objectives

Colonization and Settlement (1585-1763)

• Understands why the Americas attracted Europeans, why they brought enslaved Africans to their colonies and how Europeans struggled for control of North America and the Caribbean.
• Understands how political, religious, and social institutions emerged in the English colonies.
• Understands how the values and institutions of European economic life took root in the colonies and how slavery reshaped European and African life in the Americas.

– Revolution and the New Nation (1754-1820s)

• Understands the causes of the American Revolution, the ideas and interests involved in shaping the revolutionary movement, and reasons for the American victory.
• Understands the impact of the American Revolution on politics, economy, and society.
• Understands the institutions and practices of government created during the Revolution and how these elements were revised between 1787 and 1815 to create the foundation of the American political system based on the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights.

Expansion and Reform (1801-1861)

• Understands the United States territorial expansion between 1801 and 1861, and how it affected relations with external powers and Native Americans.
• Understands how the industrial revolution, increasing immigration, the rapid expansion of slavery, and the westward movement changed American lives and led to regional tensions.
• Understands the extension, restriction, and reorganization of political democracy after 1800.
• Understands the sources and character of cultural, religious, and social reform movements in the antebellum period.

Students also investigate the economic, cultural, and social motives for the nation’s expansion, as well as the conflicting notions of liberty that eventually resulted in civil war. The course describes the emergence of the United States as an industrial nation and then focuses on its role in modern world affairs.

Moving into the 20th and 21st centuries, students probe the economic and diplomatic interactions between the United States and other world players while investigating how the world wars, the Cold War, and the “information revolution” affected the lives of ordinary Americans. Woven through this chronological sequence is a strong focus on the changing conditions of women, African Americans, and other minority groups.