Download 10th Grade Learning SummariesEDIT1

Tenth Grade
Unit 1: Ancient Man through the First
Empires
(Early Man, River Civilizations, Early
Empires, Foundations of Religion)
Tenth Grade
Unit 2: Classical Civilizations
(Greco-Roman Cultures, Christianity and
Islam)
Tenth Grade
Unit 3: Age of Exchange and Encounter
(The Middle Ages, Spread of Culture across
Africa and Asia)
While empires were being formed in Africa and Various kingdoms ruled different parts of Asia
During this first unit, students will be
and Africa, connected by a network of trade
introduced to the world of pre-historic man and Asia, the ancient Greeks were building citystates on lands surrounding the Aegean Sea.
routes that encouraged the exchange of goods
his ability to survive in a harsh environment.
Over time, his way of life changed from nomadic, Over several centuries, their city-states producedand ideas. The influence of Chinese ideas on
a civilization that would have a profound impact Western civilization began with Mongols’
hunting and gathering societies to settled,
agricultural-based villages. The Neolithic Age on the development of the world, including the encouragement of trade. In Europe, after the fall
of Rome, the Christian church along with the
also prompted primitive religious and political introduction to democratic ideas. After
prolonged warfare, the Greek city-states were support of kings, led to the development of
practices. Over time, the fertile river valley
feudalism that established a strong social
civilizations developed complex institutions and defeated by the Macedonians. Alexander the
Great conquered Persia and Egypt and extended hierarchy. Feudalism developed as a response to
the introduction of trade networks. By 1500
B.C., the world was connected by trade routes, his Hellenistic empire as far as Northwest India. the lack of a centralized government in the face
Concurrently to the development of Greek
of constant Viking and other barbarian
stretching from the Mediterranean Sea to the
Indian Ocean and beyond. Trading ships sailed society, the Roman civilization developed in the invasions. As time went on the Church and
west. Over the course of several centuries,
political leaders competed for power and
the seas while caravans traveled overland
Rome built one of the largest empires and
authority. Eventually, the strong Catholic
routes. This trade produced an exchange of
goods and ideas throughout the ancient world. strongest republics the world had ever known. Church began to weaken as a result of the Black
Plague, the Great Schism, and internal
At the same time Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism By 120 A.D., the Romans controlled the land
develops. Contact with other societies led to the that surrounded the Mediterranean Sea and their corruption. These events set the stage for
understanding the coming Renaissance and
development of the 1st empires, great kingdoms civilization across much of the ancient world.
New directions in religion took shape with the Reformation. Students will focus on the use of
that expanded their boundaries and extended
advents of Christianity in the Roman world and primary source documents that have connections
their influence across the ancient world. 10th
the foundation of Islam on the outskirts of the to how our modern society functions, like the
graders will compare and contrast the
emerging Byzantine Empire. In this unit,
Magna Carta, the Decameron, Canterbury Tales,
fundamental characteristics of the early river
students will compare the differing political
and the Divine Comedy.
civilizations and with the creation maps and
analysis of visuals will draw conclusions about systems and focus on the cyclical nature of
warfare through the examination of the Trojan,
these areas.
Persian, Peloponnesian and Macedonian wars.
Students will also look comparatively at the five
major world religions and their impact on both
the local and global stage.
Tenth Grade
Unit 4: Connecting Hemispheres
(Renaissance, Exploration, Enlightenment,
Absolutism)
Tenth Grade
Unit 5:Revolutions in Governments and
Technologies
(French and American Revolution,
Industrialization, Imperialism)
By the 16th century, humanistic ideas of the
Italian Renaissance were spreading throughout With the successful revolution against their
Europe. Humanism, secularism, and a new
king, the American colonies achieved
interest in Greco-Roman heritage were the
independence. This American success along
characteristics of this rebirth of knowledge, art, with collision of absolutism, social unrest, and
and literature. This desire for discovery and
enlightenment ideas led to a violent revolution
information later led to the Reformation of the in France. The radical nature of the French
Catholic Church, which in turn led to the
Revolution and the lack of democratic traditions
Protestant beliefs in Christianity. Taking
led to the rise of an authoritarian regime under
advantage of new maritime knowledge and
Napoleon. As Napoleon extended his reach
inventions, European powers undertook sea
across Europe on the strength of his military, he
expeditions to expand their trade and influence; made strategic mistakes that contributed to his
monarchs of these nations centralized their
downfall. From this emerged a conservative
authority in a quest for absolute power. New
political system that would maintain peace in
ideas about science, human society and
Europe for the next 40 years. During this time,
government began to sweep across Europe. The countries focused their resources into creating
Enlightenment reinvigorated ideas, like
machines that replaced hand labor as the
democracy and individual rights. These ideas principle means of producing goods; this has
were the foundation of the revolutions to come. become known as the Industrial Revolution. As
Students will focus on the visual arts via
resources were now in great demand, many
Renaissance art and more accurate maps from European nations sought to colonize less
the exploration of the New World. They will developed nations and expand their sphere of
also explore the concept of change, with regards influence, politically, socially, and economically.
to the 95 Theses and the Reformation.
This era of conservatism was marked with
widespread revolution that led to the emergence
of newly independent Latin American and
European nations such as Haiti, Brazil, Mexico,
Germany, and Italy. Students will focus on
primary sources that have greatly impacted our
American society, using the Bill of Rights,
sections of the Declaration of Independence, and
the US Constitution as sources.
Tenth Grade
Unit 6: The Emerging 20th Century
(World War I and II, Great Depression, Cold
War)
By the start of the 20th century, political
reforms were taking place in a number of
industrial nations. In 1914, a chain of events led
European nations into World War I. Two great
shifting alliances faced off in the bloodiest
conflict the world had yet to see. In this global
war, new technologies were introduced that
revolutionized modern warfare. The despair
caused by this war led to the Bolshevik
Revolution in Russia and the Great Depression
across the globe. Totalitarian regimes in several
countries rose from these hard economic times
and adopted aggressive military policies that
eventually led to World War II. Two
competing alliances, the Axis and the Allies,
faced off in Europe, Africa, and the Pacific which
ushered in the Nuclear Age. Following this war,
growing tensions between the world’s two
foremost nuclear powers, the United State and
the Soviet Union, gave rise to the Cold War.
The two superpowers battled for world
supremacy and demanded that other nations
take sides, thus dividing the world into opposing
camps.
Students will examine the changing map of
Europe both before and after the World Wars,
as well as assemble a chronology of events that
lead to past and current global conflict.