Download WORLD HISTORY Summer Assignment 2016

WORLD HISTORY
Summer Assignment 2016-17
Big History Project.org
For your introduction to World History summer assignment, we are utilizing the website BIG HISTORY
PROJECT. You will be asked to view, read, reflect, and write on specific sections of this online course (not
the entire course).
To get started, follow the URL below to register and join the class at the Big History Project.
URL: https://school.bighistoryproject.com/joinclass
Classroom Code: K6KY2P
Once you have joined the course, your assignments will be in Unit 7 and Unit 8. These can be found by
clicking on the “UNITS” link at the top of the main course page. Completing the activities require you to
print a PDF document and provide your answers on that form. The Venn Diagram and short writing in
Unit 8 should be done on separate sheets of paper.
Assignments:
Unit 7 Agriculture and Cultivation
7.0 The Rise of Agriculture
1. Complete “This Threshold Today” activity.
2. Watch “Why was Agriculture So Important?” video.
3. Read “What’s for Dinner Tonight?”
7.2 Ways of Knowing: Agriculture and Civilization
4. Watch “Intro to History” video.
5. Watch “Migrations & Intensification: Crash Course” video.
6. Complete the Driving Question (DQ) Notebook Activity.
Unit 8 Expansion & Interconnection
8.0 Expansion
1. Complete the “What Caused Expansion?” activity.
2. Watch the “Why Did Civilization Expand” and “The Modern Revolution” videos.
3. Complete the DQ Notebook Assignment for 8.0.
8.1 Exploration and Interconnection
4. Read articles, “Ibn Battuta”, “Marco Polo”, and “Zheng He”.
5. Create a three-circle Venn diagram that highlights the common and different characteristics
found in each explorer’s journal. Focus on characteristics that illustrate culture (language,
religion, art, etc.), geography (landscapes, navigation technology), government structure
(politics, militaries, alliances, diplomacy), and economics (trade, taxes, business, etc.)
6. Write a short essay that answers the following prompt question: What evidence do these
articles provide to suggest that these three explorers were from different cultures? (Make sure
you explain this using examples from the texts.)
DUE: Assignments are due on the first day of class in August 2016.