Course Description

 

 

World History and Geography:  Ancient Civilizations

    

       Students in grade six expand their understanding of history by studying the people and events that ushered in the dawn of the major Western and non-Western ancient civilizations.  Geography is of special significance in the development of the human story.  Continued emphasis is placed on the everyday lives, problems, and accomplishments of people, their role in developing social, economic, and political structures, as well as in establishing and spreading ideas that helped transform the world forever.  Students develop higher levels of critical thinking by considering why civilizations developed where and when they did, why they became dominant, and why they declined.  Students analyze the interactions among the various cultures, emphasizing their enduring contributions and the link between the contemporary and ancient worlds.

 

 

 

World History and Geography:  Medieval and Early Modern Times

 

       Students in grade seven study the social, cultural, and technological changes that occurred in Europe, Africa, and Asia in the years A.D. 500-1789.  After reviewing the ancient world and the ways in which archaeologists and historians uncover the past, students study the history and geography of great civilizations that were developing concurrently throughout the world during the medieval and early modern times.  They examine the growing economic interaction among civilizations as well as the exchange of ideas, beliefs, technologies, and commodities.  They learn about the resulting growth of Enlightment philosophy and the examination of the new concepts of reason and authority, the natural rights of human beings and the divine right of kings, experimentalism in science, and the dogma of belief.  Finally, students assess the political forces let loose by the Enlightment, particulary the rise of democratic ideas, and the continuing influence of these ideas in the world today.

 

 

 

 

United States History and Geography:  Growth and Conflict

 

       Students in grade eight study the ideas, issues, and events from the framing of the Constitution up to World War I, with an emphasis on America's role in the war.  After reviewing the development of America's democratic institutions founded on the Judeo-Christian heritage and English parliamentary traditions, particularly the shaping of the Constitution, students trace the development of American politics, society, culture, and economy and relate them to the emergence of major regional differences.  They learn about the challenges facing the new nation, with an emphasis on the causes, course, and consequences of the Civil War.  They make connections between the rise of industrialization and contemporary social and economic conditions.