Download 9TH GRADE CALENDAR OF LESSONS The First Civilizations, ca

9TH GRADE CALENDAR OF LESSONS
The First Civilizations, ca. 10,000 B.C.E. – ca. 630 C.E. (8-10 days)
UNIT 1:
9.1 DEVELOPMENT OF CIVILIZATION:
The development of agriculture enabled the rise of the first civilizations, located primarily along river valleys; these complex societies
were influenced by geographic conditions, and shared a number of defining political, social, and economic characteristics. (Standards: 2,
3, 4; Themes: TCC, GEO, ECO, TECH)
9.1a The Paleolithic Era was characterized by non-sedentary hunting and gathering lifestyles, whereas the Neolithic Era was
characterized by a turn to agriculture, herding, and semi- sedentary lifestyles.
 Students will analyze the political, social, and economic differences in human lives before and after the Neolithic
Revolution, including the shift in roles of men and women.
9.1b Complex societies and civilizations adapted to and modified their environment to meet the needs of their population.
 Students will explore how the Mesopotamian, Shang, and Indus River valley civilizations adapted to and modified
their environments to meet their need for food, clothing, and shelter.
9.1c Complex societies and civilizations shared common characteristics of religion, job specialization, cities, government,
language/writing systems, technology, and social hierarchy, and they made unique contributions.
 Students will explore the Mesopotamian, Shang, and Indus River valley civilizations by examining archaeological and
historical evidence to compare and contrast characteristics and note their unique contributions.
1. Can we benefit from studying the past?
2. Can understanding cultures help us solve conflict?
3. Can geography direct the course of history?
4. Which form of government is best for society?
5. Which form of economy is best for society?
6. Aim: Did human life originate in Africa?
 Explain recent theories by archaeologists such as Mary and Louis Leakey and Donald Johnson (the “Lucy” skeleton) that
trace the origins of human life to East Africa (Tanzania, Ethiopia, Kenya).
 Differentiate among the methods used and evidence found by archaeologist in recent years to learn about the origins of
human life.
 Assess the evidence that the Stone (Paleolithic) Age and Iron Age cultures first appeared in East Africa and spread
throughout the continent and their descendents migrated north and east to Europe and Asia and later to the Americans and
Australia.
 Evaluate to what extent there is proof that human life originated in Africa and that the past can be accurately recreated
through artifacts.
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Aim: Do human’s methods of meeting their basic needs affect their patterns of living?
Define: Paleolithic Age, Neolithic Age, Neolithic/Agricultural Revolution, Pastoralists, domestication of animals, and nomads.
Describe Paleolithic and Neolithic life styles.
Compare and contrast Paleolithic and Neolithic life styles.
Evaluate the effects of the Neolithic revolution on people’s patterns of living and on the development of civilizations.
Discuss the social impact of agriculture on people’s life styles.
Evaluate whether humans’ methods of meeting their basic needs affect their patterns of living.
8. Aim: Do all people have a civilization?
 Identify/define: culture, civilization.
 Explain the eight common characteristics of ancient civilizations: cities, well-organized central governments, complex
religions, job specialization, social classes, arts and arch., public works, writing (literacy) .
 Assess if all people have a civilization and the factors that influence civilization (cultural diffusion and shifts in physical
(geographic) environment
9. Aim: How civilized was life in the ancient river valleys?
[Comparative case study of the following civilizations: Nile River Valley, Indus River Valley, and Yellow River Valley]
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Explain the architectural, economic, educational, political, religious, and social achievements of the ancient civilizations in
the Nile, Indus, and Yell River Valleys.
Analyze the similarities and differences among these ancient river valley civilizations.
Evaluate how civilized life was in the ancient river valley civilizations.
10. Aim: How should society treat lawbreakers?
 Define Code of Hammurabi
 List and describe the basic ideas expressed in the Code of Hammurabi
 Compare and contrast Hammurabi’s Code
 Assess how these law codes would shape people’s lifestyles and their society.
 Evaluate how society should treat lawbreakers.
UNIT 2: 9.2 BELIEF SYSTEMS: RISE AND IMPACT: (10-12 days)
The emergence and spread of belief systems influenced and shaped the development of cultures, as well as their traditions and identities. Important
similarities and differences between these belief systems are found in their core beliefs, ethical codes, practices, and social relationships.
(Standards:
2, 3; Themes: ID, SOC)
9.2a Belief systems developed beliefs and practices to address questions of origin, the requirements to live a good life, and the
nature of the afterlife.
 Students will identify the place of origin, compare and contrast the core beliefs and practices, and explore the sacred
texts and ethical codes for Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity, Islam, Confucianism, and Daoism.
9.2b Belief systems were often used to unify groups of people, and affected social order and gender roles.
 Students will examine similarities and differences between Hinduism, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity, Islam, and
Confucianism regarding their effects on social order and gender roles.
11. Aim: Do the ideas of the Ancient Hebrews still have meaning today? OR To what extent have the teachings of Judaism
influenced our own society?
 Define the term “monotheism” and explain the basic teachings and ethical values that are found in Judaism.
 Describe how the ancient Hebrews changed people’s views about their relationship to God and explain the ways in which
Jewish ideas have influenced other religions.
 Compare the concept of “rule by law” as it applied in Jewish society and in modern America.
 Assess the extent to which the teachings of Judaism, including the Ten Commandments, have influenced our society.
12. Aim: Can a society survive and thrive without written laws? OR Can a society exist according to the laws of nature?
 Identify: Lao-tzu, Dao de Jing
 Explain the basic beliefs of Daoism with its emphasis on living in harmony with nature, disinterest in bringing order to
human affairs, and rejection of government authority as unnatural and unnecessary.
 Explain and evaluate the Daoists’ belief that “the best government was one that governed the least.”
 Compare and contrast the beliefs and teachings of Daoism and Confucianism and assess which philosophy provides a more
effective guide for living.
 Evaluate the adage, “government governs best when it governs least,” as it applies to the proper rule of government in our
current society.
13. Aim: Have Confucian ideas and teachings determined the character of Chinese civilization? Or Is it possible for
people to live in harmony?
 Explain the basic teachings of Confucius, including the concept of “filial piety” and “harmony” based on the “Five Key
Relationship.”
 Explain Confucius’ views on the role of education and government in society.
 Assess the impact of Confucian ideas and teachings on the character of Chinese civilization, both in ancient and modern
times, as a guide for righteous living.
 Assess the extent which Confucian ideas and teachings have been accepted or rejected by American society.
14. Aim: Has geography been a friend or foe to India?
 Identify/define: monsoon, subcontinent, cultural diversity
 Locate and identify the major physical characteristics of the Indian subcontinent (including the Himalaya Mountains, Thar
Desert, Deccan Plateau, Hindustan Plain, Indogangentic Plain, major river systems, etc.).
 Explain how these geographic features have affected the settlement and development of India as well as the movement of
people and ideas (cross-cultural contact) throughout the subcontinent.
 Explain the impact of the monsoons on the daily lives of people on the Indian subcontinent.
 Evaluate whether geography has been a friend or foe to the economic and social development of India and has encouraged
or discouraged cultural diffusion throughout the subcontinent.
15. Aim: Are Hindus monotheistic or polytheistic?
Identify/define: monotheism, polytheism, incarnation, Hindu Trinity, Brahman Nerguna/Supreme God, Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva,
Upanishads
Explain the Hindu concept of Brahman Nerguna.
Explain the roles of the other gods in the Hindu Trinity.
Compare and contrast the concept of the Hindu Trinity with the Christian Trinity and ideas in Judaism and Christianity about
prophets, saints and angels.
Evaluate whether Hindus are monotheistic or polytheistic.
 Identify the following terms: polytheism, dharma, karma, samsara/reincarnation, ahimsa, moksha, and caste.
 Explain the main beliefs and practices of Hinduism including the concepts of dharma and karma.
 Explain how various written works (Vedas, Upanishads, epic poems) have provided guidance and inspiration to the
Hindus.
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Assess the role and impact of Hinduism on the lives of its followers in India.
Discuss the reasons for the survival of Hinduism in India throughout the ages.
Assess the extent to which Hinduism stimulates both unity and diversity in India.
16. Aim: SIKHISM***Optional?***
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Aim: Does Buddhism offer a way to find true happiness?
Identify the following: Siddhartha Gautama, Four Noble Truths, Eightfold Path, Sutras, nirvana.
Discuss the life of Siddhartha Guatama in the development of Buddhism.
Explain the basic ideas of Buddhism: the Four Noble Truths, the Eightfold Path, and nirvana.
Compare and contrast the beliefs of Buddhism with those of Hinduism.
Evaluate whether Buddhist ideas are a means of finding inner peace and harmony in one’s life and in ending suffering
Identify/define: Mahayana Buddhism, Theravada Buddhism, bodhisattva, Four Noble Truths, Eightfold Path, mandala,
meditation, Lotus Sutra, Five Precepts
Explain how Buddha wanted people to live.
Explain the differences between Theravada and Mahayana Buddhism.
Explain how Mahayana teachings reflect Buddha’s life story.
Evaluate whether Mahayana teachings increased the appeal and led to the spread of Buddhism.
Discuss how and why Buddhism spread to China.
Explain how Buddha’s teachings mesh with Confucianism and Daoism.
Evaluate whether following the teachings of Buddhism can bring about world peace.
18. Aim: To what extent did Christianity influence our world?
 Identify/define: monotheism, Jesus Chris, the basic principles of Christianity.
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Aim: Did the rise of Islam provide cultural unity for southwest Asia (Arabia)?
Identify the following terms: Bedouin, Hegira, Allah, and “Five Pillars”.
Describe the emergence of Muhammad as a prophet of Islam.
Explain the “Five Pillars of Islam” and compare them to similar ideas and practices found in Judaism and Christianity.
Analyze how the tenets and traditions of Islam affect the daily lives of Muslim people.
Sunni and Shia split
20. Aim: To what extent did Islamic civilization make lasting contributions to world civilization? OR Do we owe a debt
of gratitude to the Arab world?
 List and describe the most important innovations of Islamic science, mathematics, medicine, and philosophy.
 Explain how Islamic civilization preserved and expanded much of the knowledge of ancient Greece and Rome.
 Analyze the contributions made by Islamic civilization to world culture.
 Assess to what extent Islamic culture wad advanced for its time.
 Delhi-Sultanate
 Abbasid Caliphate
21. Aim: World religion comparison lesson ***
Classical Societies: 600 B.C.E. – ca. 900 C.E.
UNIT 3: 9.3 CLASSICAL CIVILIZATIONS: EXPANSION, ACHIEVEMENT, DECLINE (11-13 days)
Classical civilizations in Eurasia and Mesoamerica employed a variety of methods to expand and maintain control over vast
territories. They developed lasting cultural achievements. Both internal and external forces led to the eventual decline of
these empires. (Standards: 2, 3, 5; Themes: MOV, TCC, GEO, GOV, CIV)
9.3a Geographic factors encouraged and hindered a state’s/empire’s expansion and interactions.
Students will examine the locations and relative sizes of classical political entities (Greece, Gupta, Han, Maurya, Maya, Qin,
Rome) noting the location and size of each in relation to the amount of power each held within a region.
 Students will investigate how geographic factors encouraged or hindered expansion and interactions within the Greek,
Roman, and Mayan civilizations.
9.3b Empires used belief systems, systems of law, forms of government, military forces, and social hierarchies to consolidate
and expand power.
 Students will compare and contrast how the Mauryan, Qin, and Roman civilizations consolidated and increased
power.
9.3c A period of peace, prosperity, and cultural achievements can be designated as a Golden Age.
 Students will examine the achievements of Greece, Gupta, Han Dynasty, Maya, and Rome to determine if the
civilizations experienced a Golden Age.
9.3d Political, socioeconomic, and environmental issues, external conflicts, and nomadic invasions led to the decline and fall of
Classical empires.
 Students will compare and contrast the forces that led to the fall of the Han Dynasty, the Mayan civilization, and the
Roman Empire.
22. Aim: Athens or Sparta: Which one offered a better lifestyle and society?
 Define/identify: acropolis, polis, city-state, militarism, Athens and Sparta
 Examine a map of Greece and discuss how its geography influenced its development.
 Compare and contrast the Athenian and Spartan economic, political, and educational, military and social systems
and their impact on citizens.
 Compare and contrast the treatment of women in each of these societies.
 Take a position on which offered the better lifestyle and society: Athens or Sparta concerning citizenship,
education, government, individuality, marriage, etc.
23. Aim: Should Greece be considered the “Cradle of Democracy?” OR Is the United States more democratic
than ancient Athens? OR Was Athens truly democratic?
 Define/identify: Pericles, direct democracy, indirect democracy, ostracism, demos.
 Read and analyze documents and charts describing the structure and function of Athenian democracy. (Pericles’
Funeral Oration).
 Explain the limits of Athenian democracy.
 Compare and contrast Athenian democracy with United States democracy or other contemporary democratic
governments.
 Evaluate whether Athens was truly democratic.
 Evaluate the impact of Athenian democracy on the contemporary world.
24. Aim: Did the Hellenistic age produce a universal culture?
 Define: Hellenistic Age, Hellenic Age, Hellas, cultural diffusion, Discobolus, Laocoon Group, Porch of Maidens
(Erectheum), Nike of Samothrace, Parthenon, Altar of Zeus
 List and explain the main cultural contributions of the Hellenistic Age.
 Discuss the cultural blending of Greek and other cultures. (ex Greco-Buddhist art)
 Compare and contrast Hellenic and Hellenistic sculpture and architecture and discuss how it reflects the values of
these different ages.
 Evaluate whether the Hellenistic civilization was truly a universal culture as the process of cultural diffusion
influenced not only Western Europe but also the Middle East, India, China, and Japan.
25. Aim: Was Rome destined for greatness? OR How did tiny Rome become the giant of the western world?
Explain and analyze the geographic, political, economic, and social factors that shaped Roman society under the Republic.
Explain the reasons why the Romans were successful empire builders.
Evaluate whether or not Rome was destined for greatness.
26. Aim: Do we owe a debt to the ancient Romans? OR Are the contributions of Classical civilizations still relevant in
today’s world?
Analyze several important contributions of the Romans: ex. art, architecture, law (Justinian’s Code), literature, philosophy,
technology, and political organization.
Analyze the extent to which these contributions have influenced modern society.
Evaluate whether or not the modern world owes a debt to the Romans.
27. Aim: Can religious ideas threaten political structures? OR Were the ideas of Christianity a threat to the Roman
empire? OR Why did Christianity triumph within the Roman empire?
Explain how conditions within the Roman Empire favored the spread of Christianity.
Describe the changes in religious practices that Christianity introduced into the Roman world.
Explain how Christianity differed from other religions of the Roman Empire.
Explain Roman opposition to Christianity and the reasons for its hostilities.
Evaluate to what extent Christianity brought about changes in the values of the Roman world and whether or not religious
ideas, such as Christianity, threaten political structures, such as the Roman Empire.
28. Aim: Was the Han dynasty a golden age of Chinese civilization?
Define: Golden Age, civil service, merit system
Locate, identify and describe Han China on a map of China.
Analyze and assess the advances and achievements of Chinese civilization during the Han dynasty in science, technology,
medicine, commerce (the Silk Road), government and the arts.
Evaluate the extent to which the Han dynasty was a golden age of China.
29. Aim: Did Confucianism advance/strengthen dynastic rule in China? Or Does the conduct of a government official
affect his ability to govern?
Explain how during the Han dynasty Confucian ideas were accepted as the official belief system of the state which advanced
policy of merit, as demonstrated on civil service examinations, rather than family background to fill government positions as
well as only well-educated scholars should fill positions in the government bureaucracy.
Explain how Confucian teachings about filial piety, loyalty to the government, and the superiority of men promoted “harmony”
and strengthened Han dynastic rule but prevented most women from receiving an education and gaining access to government
positions.
Evaluate the extent to which Confucianism, which stressed harmony, loyalty, and merit (for males) strengthened dynastic rule
in China.
30. QIN DYNASTY***
31. MAYAN EMPIRE***( optional?)
32. Aim: Should the Mauryan Empire be considered an example of good government?
 Discuss the economic, political, and social achievements of the Mauryan Empire.
 Describe the features of Chandragupta Maura’s centralized government which united all of northern India (the Indus Valley,
the Ganges Valley, and the southern Himalayas): military rule, government bureaucracy, spy network.
 Explain how the “enlightened policies” of Asoka united the diverse empire.
 Evaluate if the Mauryan Empire (centralized rule) is an example of good government.
33. Aim: Was the Gupta Empire a Golden Age in India?
 Describe how the Gupta Empire was founded.
 Explain the relationship between the Gupta and Hindu religious art and culture.
 Explain why the Gupta period has been called India’s “classical age” with great advances in art, literature, mathematics, and
science.
 Describe the organizational structure and gender relationships of Gupta society.
 Evaluate if the Gupta Empire was a “golden age” in India.
34. Aim: Is the decline and fall of empires inevitable? OR Do empires collapse from external forces or internal
weaknesses?
[Compare case study: The decline and fall of the Han dynasty and the Roman empire; Is America a modern day Rome]
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Explain the political, economic, and social reasons for the decline and fall of both the Roman Empire and the Han Dynasty.
Compare the reasons for the decline and fall of this empire and this dynasty.
Assess to what degree internal decay more than external pressure influenced the fall of the Roman Empire and to what extent these
factors influence a nation.
Evaluate whether the collapse of the Roman Empire and the Han Dynasty were inevitable and resulted from mainly internal
weaknesses or external forces.
An Age of Expanding Connections, ca. 500 – ca. 1500
9.4 RISE OF TRANSREGIONAL TRADE NETWORKS: (10-12 days)
During the classical and postclassical eras, transregional trade networks emerged and/or expanded. These networks of exchange
influenced the economic and political development of states and empires.
(Standards: 2, 3, 4; Themes: ID, MOV, GEO, ECO, TECH, EXCH)
9.4a Afro-Eurasian transregional trade networks grew across land and bodies of water.
 Students will identify the location of the transregional trade networks noting regional connections between the Indian Ocean
complex, Mediterranean Sea complex, Silk Roads, and Trans-Saharan routes.
9.4b New technologies facilitated and improved interregional travel during this era by allowing people to traverse previously prohibitive
physical landscapes and waterways.
 Students will examine the technologies that facilitated and improved interregional travel along the Indian Ocean and TransSaharan networks of exchange.
9.4c Interregional travelers, traders, missionaries, and nomads carried products and natural resources, and brought with them enslaved
people and ideas that led to cultural diffusion.
 Students will identify and explain the importance of at least two key resources and/or products and/or luxury items vital to
exchanges along the Indian Ocean complex, Mediterranean Sea complex, Silk Roads, and Trans-Saharan routes.
 Students will identify trade networks involved in the exchange of enslaved people and explore the nature of slavery during this
time period.
 Students will examine the diffusion of religious ideas along the Indian Ocean complex, Silk Roads, and Trans-Saharan routes.
 Students will examine the travels of Zheng He, Ibn Battuta, and Marco Polo and the influence of their journeys.
9.4d Control of trans-regional trade and economic growth contributed to the emergence and expansion of political states.
 Students will examine the emergence and expansion of political states along the Mediterranean Sea complex (the Byzantine
Empire and rise of the Ottoman Empire) and Trans-Saharan routes (Ghana and Mali).
9.7 THE OTTOMAN EMPIRE AND THE MING DYNASTY PRE-1600:
Islam, Neo-Confucianism, and Christianity each influenced the development of regions and shaped key centers of power in the world
between 1368 and 1683. The Ottoman Empire and the Ming Dynasty were two powerful states, each with a view of itself and its place in
the world.
(Standards: 2, 3, 4, 5; Themes: ID, MOV, GEO, SOC, GOV, EXCH)
9.7a Three belief systems influenced numerous, powerful states and empires across the Eastern Hemisphere.
 Students will map the extent of the Muslim, Neo-Confucian, and Christian realms and compare the relative size and power of
these realms ca. 1400.
 Students will map the extent of the Ottoman Empire and the Ming Dynasty at the height of their power.
9.7b The dominant belief systems and the ethnic and religious compositions of the Ottoman Empire and the Ming Dynasty affected their
social, political, and economic structures and organizations.
 Students will analyze how the ethnic and religious compositions of the Ottoman Empire and the Ming Dynasty were reflected in
their political and societal organizations.
9.7c The Ottoman Empire and the Ming Dynasty had different views of the world and their place in it. Islam under the Ottoman Empire and
Neo-Confucianism under the Ming Dynasty influenced the political, economic, military, and diplomatic interactions with others outside of
their realm.
 Students will examine Ming interactions with European traders and Christian missionaries.
 Students will examine how the Ottomans interacted with Europeans noting the role of Suleiman the Magnificent.
35. Aim: Did early civilizations cause a need for trade networks to develop?
 Students will identify the location of the Mediterranean Sea complex and Silk Roads.
 Students will identify and explain the importance of at least two key resources and/or products and/or luxury
items vital to exchanges along the Indian Ocean complex, Silk Roads, and Trans-Saharan routes.
36. Aim: How did the Silk Road change our world?
 Students will identify the location of the Mediterranean Sea complex and Silk Roads.
 Students will identify and explain the importance of at least two key resources and/or products and/or luxury
items vital to exchanges along the Indian Ocean complex, Mediterranean Sea complex, Silk Roads, and TransSaharan routes.
 Students will identify trade networks involved in the exchange of enslaved people and explore the nature of
slavery during this time period.
 Students will examine the emergence and expansion of political states along the Mediterranean Sea complex
(Byzantine Empire and rise of Ottoman Empire).
37. Aim: Has China been both a recipient and a carrier of culture?
 Explain the reasons for the successful introduction of Buddhism into Tibet and China.
 Explain the impact of Chinese civilization on Japan and Korea.
 Explain the effects of cultural exchange between China and Southeast Asia.
 Evaluate the extent to which China has been both a recipient and a carrier of culture.
38. Indian Ocean Complex***
39. Mediterranean Sea complex***
40. Trans-Saharan routes***
41. Navigation tools and technology***
42. Zheng He, Ibn Battatntu, Marco Polo***
43. Aim: Ming Dynasty
 Identify/define: isolation, interaction, Great Wall of China, cultural diffusion, Zheng He
 Explain the technological advancement sand improvements brought to China by the Ming emperors (1368-1644).
 Explain the effects that the voyages Zheng He had on China in the early 15th century.
 Analyze the trade relationships and cultural diffusion that developed between China and its foreign neighbors
during the Ming dynasty.
 Analyze why the Ming rulers subsequently ordered the cessation of foreign voyages and interaction.
 Assess which foreign policy was better for China’s development: interaction or isolation.
 Activity: Write an Exit Ticket answering the “aim” for the Ming Dynasty. Include at least three reasons from the
lesson to support your answer.
44. Aim: Why did the Ottoman Empire become powerful?
 Identify/define: Janissaries, sultan, Suleiman the Magnificent, millets, Ottoman Turks, empire, Istanbul.
 Locate on a map: the Middle East, the Balkans, and the Ottoman Empire at its inception and at its peak.
 Discuss the extent to which the disunity of the Europeans contributed to the rise of the Ottoman Empire.
 Discuss the extent of the Ottoman Empire at its peak.
 Assess the extent to which the advanced Turkish military (muskets and canons), well trained troops (janissaries),
the conquest of Constantinople and the fall of the Byzantine Empire contributed to the rise of the Ottoman Empire.
 Discuss Ottoman treatment of conquered peoples and understand their policies of religious tolerance and
intolerance and assess the effects of Ottoman rule on the conquered peoples of the East and West.
 Evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of Ottoman rule.
 Evaluate whether the Ottoman Empire unified or divided the cultures of East and West.
Activity: Create a poster explaining the important reasons why the Ottoman was able to become powerful
45. COMPARE AND CONTRAST MUSLIM, NEO-CONFUCIAN, AND CHRISTIAN EMPIRES***
46. MAP SKILLS LESSON: LOCATE THE EXTENT OF DIFFERENT EMIRES***
UNIT 5: 9.5 POLITICAL POWERS AND ACHIEVEMENTS (13-15 days)
New power arrangements emerged across Eurasia. Political states and empires employed a variety of techniques for
expanding and maintaining control. Periods of relative stability allowed for significant cultural, technological, and scientific
innovations. (Standards: 2, 3, 4, 5; Themes ID, MOV, GOV, CIV, TECH)
9.5a Following the fall of the Roman Empire, divergent societies emerged in Europe.
 Students will examine the political, economic, and social institutions of feudal Western Europe and the Byzantine
Empire, including the role of Justinian and Theodora during the Middle Ages.
 Students will compare and contrast the institutions in feudal Western Europe and the Byzantine Empire ca. 500 to ca.
1200.
9.5b Political states and empires employed a variety of techniques for expanding and maintaining control, and sometimes
disrupted state-building in other regions.
 Students will examine the locations and relative sizes of postclassical states and empires at the heights of their power,
including the Abbasid Caliphate, Byzantine Empire, Mongol Empire, and Song and Tang dynasties, noting relative
position, power within their regions and the areas they influenced.
 Students will compare and contrast the empire-building processes of the Mongols and the Islamic caliphates, noting
important disruptions in other regions.
9.5c Periods of stability and prosperity enabled cultural, technological, and scientific achievements and innovations that built
on or blended with available knowledge, and often led to cultural diffusion.
 Students will compare and contrast the achievements and innovations of the Tang and Song dynasties with the
Abbasid Caliphate.
 Students will explore the spread and evolution of technology and learning from East Asia to Western Europe via the
Middle East (e.g., gunpowder, ship technology, navigation, printing, paper).
 Students will examine feudal Japan, tracing the previous arrival of elements of Chinese culture (e.g., Buddhism,
writing, poetry, art) and how those elements were adopted in and adapted to Japanese society.
47. Aim: Have the Mongols been misjudged by history?
 Identify the boundaries and describe the great expanse of the Mongol Empire.
 Explain how the Mongols created the largest unified land empire in history.
 Explain how the Mongols were judged by their contemporaries as well as by the annals of history as both fierce
conquerors and generally tolerant rulers.
 Explain why the Mongols maintained their warlike, nomadic ways as well as felt contempt and demanded tribute
from the rich civilizations of China, India, Persia, and Russia; yet, they often allowed local/ regional autonomy without
much interference.
48. Aim: Was the Mongol Empire a blessing or curse for the cultures and civilizations it conquered?
 Explain the impact of the Mongol Empire on Asia and Europe: expanded trade , construction of roads and canals,
centralized government, tolerated the Russian Orthodox Church, and enhanced cultural diffusion of Europe and Asia.
 Explain the impact of the Mongol Empire on Asia & Europe: brutal warfare, tribute& taxation, religious conflict
between the Muslims & Hindus, Mongol isolation of Russia.
 Evaluate the extent to which the Mongol Empire advanced or retarded the development of the cultures and
civilization of Eurasia.
49. Aim: Is Japan’s geography a blessing or a curse?
 Define island, archipelago, tsunami.
 Identify, locate, and describe the major geographic features of Japan.
 Describe the influence that geography has had on the development of Japanese culture, lifestyles, politics, and
religion.
 Evaluate whether Japans’ geography has helped or hindered its development.
50. Aim: Are Japanese beliefs the product of their environment? OR Does religion reflect a people’s culture?
 (Case Study: Comparison of Zen Buddhism and Shintoism)
 Identify: Shinto, animism, kami, polytheism, torri gate
 Explain the major beliefs of Shintoism, “way of the kami”, and the ways in which Shintoism has influenced
Japanese life.
 Compare and contrast the beliefs of Shintoism and Zen Buddhism.
 Assess the question: “Are the Shinto beliefs in simplicity and respect for nature the keys to contentment in life?”
and “Does religion reflect a people’s culture?”
51. Aim: Was Japan's feudal period a time of order or confusion? OR Should people give up their freedom to
gain security?
 Identify: feudalism, daimyo, shogun, samurai, code of bushido.
 Explain three reasons for the development and growth of feudalism in Japan.
 Describe and analyze the various aspects of Japan’s feudal system, including the samurai ethic, loyalty, morality
and the growing influence of Zen Buddhism.
 Assess whether feudalism advanced or retarded Japanese development. Was it a time or order or confusion?
52. Aim: Is isolation beneficial or harmful to a nation’s development? OR Is a strong centralized government
in the best interest of the people? (Case Study: The Tokugawa Shogunate)
 Identify/define: Closed Country Edict, Iyeasu Tokugawa
 Explain the contributing factors (spread of Christianity, influence of foreign missionaries, Spanish conquest of the
Philippines) and the immediate causes (rise to power of the Tokugawa Shogunate, fear of foreign aggression) that led
to the Tokugawa policy of isolationism.
 Explain the Tokugawa policy of isolationism which banned Christianity ad all European merchants except the
Dutch.
 Explain the effects of the Tokugawa policy of isolationism: peace and stability, growth of unique Japanese culture,
and failure of Japan to keep up with scientific, technical, and military progress.
 Assess whether isolationism helps or hinders the national interest.
53. Aim: Did the geography of China hinder or help its development? shaped the Chinese identity?
 Use maps to locate, identify, and describe the major geographic features of China.
 Compare and contrast the effects of geography on the various regions of China.
 Explain how geography can promote feelings of isolationism and ethnocentricity.
 Evaluate whether China’s geography has helped or hindered its development.
 Evaluate the extent to which geography has shaped the Chinese identity.
 Activity: Using population density, topography and resource maps students will identify the best
locations tto live in China. Have students write a response.
54. Aim: TANG AND SONG
Aim: Did the Tang and Song dynasties have a lasting impact on Chinese and world civilizations?
 Explain how the Tang and Song dynasties restored Chinese culture and prosperity as well as international trade
to Japan, Indian, and the Middle East.
 Describe the artistic and technological achievements of Tang and Song China.
 Identify achievements of Empress Wu, Tai Cong, Duo Fu, Li Bo, and Xuanzang.
 Assess the impact of the artistic, political, and technological achievements of the Tang and Song dynasties on
world civilization.
55. Aim: Should Charlemagne be considered a great leader?
 Identify: Charlemagne, Carolingian Dynasty, “Emperor of Roman”, and Treaty of Verdun.
 Describe conditions in Europe after the collapse of the West Roman Empire.
 Explain how Charlemagne built an empire in Western Europe.
 Explain how Charlemagne’s rule contributed to the growth of the Roman Catholic Church’s power.
 Analyze how Charlemagne aided the blending of the Roman, Germanic, and Christian traditions.
 Discuss the reasons why Charlemagne’s empire was divided after his death.
56. Aim: Should people give up freedom to gain security?
 Define: feudalism, fief, lord, vassal, manor, chivalry, medieval, Middle Ages, Truce of God.
 Explain why feudalism developed in Europe after the collapse of Charlemagne’s empire.
 Describe the feudal relationship between lords, vassals, knights and serfs.
 Describe and analyze the system of justice that emerged under feudalism.
 Evaluate whether or not feudalism was necessary, and whether feudalism maintained society’s order and
stability during the Middle Ages
57. Aim: Was manorialism a good economic system?
 Explain how the invasions of Europe led to the development of manorialism.
 Explain how and why the medieval manor was a self-sufficient.
 Describe how manors consisted of an agricultural society with a strict class system.
 Evaluate whether or not a self-sufficient community is desirable.
58. Aim: Should organized religion play an active role in society?
 Identify/define: Pope, papacy, ecclesiastical, secular, salvation, tithe, excommunication, indulgences, usury,
sacrament, interdict, simony, schism, missionary, law investiture, Truce of God.
 Describe the role of the Pope within the Catholic Church.
 Describe and analyze the struggle for power between the Catholic Church and temporal rulers: the impact of the
papal power on the political developments of the times.
 Explain the economic, educational, religious, and social roles of the Catholic Church in providing order, stability,
and unity during the Middle Ages.
 Explain the Catholic Church’s temporal powers: excommunication, interdict, control of feudal warfare, and
participation in feudalism.
 Evaluate whether or not the Catholic Church had too much power during the Middle Ages and provided order and
stability in a fragmented world.
 Application Question: “Should organized religions play an active role (in economic, educational, political, and
social affairs) in our current society? Explain your viewpoint.”
59. Aim: Was the medieval “world” trade a precursor to today’s global economy?
 Identify: Hanseatic League, Italian city-states, spice trade, trade routes between Europe and Asia.
 Explain how the geographic location of Canton, Cairo, and Venice contributed to their becoming centers of
international trade.
 Explain why the development of financial institutions (money, credit, and banking) were needed for the growth
of international trade.
 Explain how the increase of trade led to the growth of cities and towns.
 Evaluate the extent to which medieval “world” trade was a precursor to today’s global economy
60. Aim: Did the Byzantine Empire preserve the ideas of ancient Greece and Rome?
 define: Greek Orthodox Church, Justinian’s Code, Byzantium, Constantine, Constantinople, patriarch,
Hippodrome, aqueducts.
 Describe the origins of the Byzantine Empire, and Constantinople.
 Assess the extent to which Constantinople was a mixture of Greek, Roman and Christian culture.
 Explain and analyze the accomplishments of the Byzantine civilization.
 List and explain the reasons for the decline and fall of the Byzantine Empire.
 Assess the extent to which Greek and Roman technology benefited the Byzantine Empire.
 Evaluate whether the Byzantine Empire preserved the ideas of ancient Greece and Rome
 Activity: Write a letter from an explorer who is visiting the new Byzantine Empire.
61. Aim: Has Justinian’s Code shaped the principles of justice in our society?
 Identify/define: Emperor Justinian, Justinian’s Code, Roman Law Codes
 Explain Justinian’s Code and the principles embodied therein.
 Compare and contrast examples from Justinian’s Code to examples from the United States.
 Discuss why Justinian’s codification of Roman law is considered one of his greatest successes.
 Evaluate whether Justinian’s Code is truly just and its effectiveness compared to other means of maintaining
order.
 Assess the extent to which Justinian’s Code is a preservation of Greek and Roman culture.
 Evaluate whether Justinian’s Code has influenced our modern justice system.
UNIT 6: 9.6 SOCIAL AND CULTURAL GROWTH AND CONFLICT (6-7)
During the postclassical era, the growth of transregional empires and the use of trade networks influenced religions and
spread disease. These cross-cultural interactions also led to conflict and affected demographic development. (Standards: 2,
3, 4; Themes: TCC, GEO, GOV, ECO, EXCH)
9.6a Internal tensions and challenges grew as disputes over authority and power arose between and among religious and
political leaders.
 Students will investigate the divisions within Islam (Sunni-Shia) and the Great Schism between Roman Catholic
Christianity and Orthodox Christianity and their impacts.
 Students will investigate the Crusades and the Delhi Sultanate from multiple perspectives.
 Students will examine the development of Sikhism in South Asia during this time period.
9.6b Networks of exchange facilitated the spread of disease, which affected social, cultural,
economic, and demographic development.
 Students will map the spread of the Black Death (Bubonic Plague) as it was carried westward from Asia to Africa and
Europe.
 Students will evaluate the effects of the Black Death on these regions.
62. Aim: Do the religious ideas of a society reflect its secular values?
 Identify/define: secular, icon, patriarch, mosaic, orthodox, schism, Great Schism of 1054, Justinian, Empress
Theodora, Hagia Sophia, Eastern Orthodox, Roman Catholic.
 Explain the political and social reasons for the Great Schism of 1054.
 Compare and contrast the major beliefs of Orthodox Christianity with Roman Catholicism.
 Compare/ explain the role of the emperor in Byzantine and Roman society.
 Evaluate whether Eastern Orthodox beliefs reflect the secular values of Byzantine society.
 Explain the proper format for preparing and writing a thematic essay.
63. Aim: Was Byzantium the catalyst and conduit for cultural diffusion between Europe and Russia?
 Explain the reasons for the schism between the eastern and western Christian churches.
 Describe the spread of Eastern Christianity from Constantinople to Russia and Eastern Europe.
 Explain how Russia and Eastern Europe were influenced by Byzantium.
 Assess the significance of Byzantium as both a catalyst and a conduit for cultural diffusion between Europe and
Russia.
64. COMPARE AND CONTRAST Sunni-Shia to Schism***
65. Aim: DID EUROPEANS WIN MORE THAN THEY LOST BY BEING DEFEATED IN THE CRUSADES?
 Identify/define: Crusades, migration, “Holy (or Promised) Lands.”
 Explain the reasons why Western Europeans launched the Crusades.
 Explain how the Crusades led to the growth of towns and trade in Europe.
 Analyze and evaluate the impact of the Crusades on European life: the growth of seaport cities, increased
international trade, new emerging social classes (bankers, merchants, manufacturers, etc.), the decline of the nobles,
money replacing land as a symbol of power, and New World exploration.
 Evaluate whether or not the Crusades significantly improved the quality of European life and/or can wars have
beneficial results for mankind.
66. Aim: Was the growth of medieval towns a benefit for Western civilization?
 Identify/define: merchant, bourgeoisie, craft guild, merchant guild, charter, apprentice, journeyman, rural, urban
and medieval.
 Explain the reasons for the rise of towns and trade in Europe during the early Middle Ages.
 Describe the functions of the craft and merchant guilds.
 Explain and analyze how the rise of towns and trade caused the decline of feudalism, manorialism, and serfdom,
and led to the rise of more powerful monarchs.
 Evaluate the extent to which the growth of cities and towns improved the quality of life for people during the
Middle Ages.
67. Aim: Did the Plague contribute to the decline of medieval civilizations?
 Describe the origins and characteristics of the bubonic plague (“Black Death”) and explain how it became a global
epidemic.
 Analyze the devastating impact of the bubonic plague on medieval society: social upheaval, religious crisis and
intolerance, political turmoil, etc…
 Evaluate how the bubonic plague affected medieval civilization.
68. Aim: Can disease stimulate worldwide change?
 Analyze the changes brought to Europe and North Africa due to the bubonic plague.
 Analyze Giovanni Boccaccio’s The Decameron for the effects of this disease on Italian society.
 Analyze the extent to which the plague stimulated the decline of the East and the rise of the revolutionary change in
the West.
 Compare and contrast the effects of A.I.D.S. and cancer with the bubonic plague on transforming their respective
societies and social morals.
 Evaluate to what extent disease can transform a society.
UNIT 7: 9.9 TRANSFORMATION OF WESTERN EUROPE AND RUSSIA:
Western Europe and Russia transformed politically, economically, and culturally ca. 1400–1750. This transformation
included state building, conflicts, shifts in power and authority, and new ways of understanding their world. (Standards: 2,
3, 5; Themes: ID, MOV, TCC, GOV, CIV, TECH, EXCH)
9.9a The Renaissance was influenced by the diffusion of technology and ideas. The Islamic caliphates played an important role
in this diffusion.
 Students will investigate technologies and ideas, including printing and paper, navigational tools, and mathematics
and medical science that diffused to Europe, noting the role of the Islamic caliphates.
 Students will explore shifts in the Western European Medieval view of itself and the world as well as key Greco-Roman
legacies that influenced Renaissance thinkers and artists.
 Students will examine political ideas developed during the Renaissance, including those of Machiavelli.
9.9b The Reformation challenged traditional religious authority, which prompted a counter reformation that led to a religiously
fragmented Western Europe and political conflicts. This religious upheaval continued the marginalization of Jews in European
society.
 Students will explore the roles of key individuals, including Martin Luther, John Calvin, Elizabeth I, and Ignatius
Loyola, and the impacts that they had on the religious and political unity of Europe.
 Students will trace the discrimination against and persecution of Jews.
9.9c Absolutist governments emerged as Western European and Russian monarchs consolidated power and wealth.
 Students will investigate Russian efforts to remove Mongol and Islamic influence and to expand and transform their
society.
 Students will investigate autocratic and absolutist rule by comparing and contrasting the reigns of Louis XIV and Peter
the Great.
9.9d The development of the Scientific Revolution challenged traditional authorities and beliefs.
 Students will examine the Scientific Revolution, including the influence of Galileo and Newton.
9.9e The Enlightenment challenged views of political authority and how power and authority were conceptualized.
 Students will investigate the Enlightenment by comparing and contrasting the ideas expressed in The Leviathan and
The Second Treatise on Government.
 Students will investigate the context and challenge to authority in the English Civil War and Glorious Revolution.
69. Aim: Was the Renaissance concept of man and woman revolutionary?
 Describe the major characteristics of people who lived during the Renaissance by analyzing and discussing “On
The Dignity of Man” by Pico dellaMirandola and “The Courtier” by Bladassare Castiglione.
 Evaluate if man’s view of himself and his world significantly changed during the Renaissance.
 Analyze various art works, literary works, and historical documents to determine the status of women during the
Renaissance, such as Jan Van Eyck’s portrait “Giovanni Arnolfini and His Bride”, Robert Campin’salterpiece of the
Annunciation, “The Merode Alterpiece”, and Eramus’ “The Abbot and the Lady.”
 Compare and contrast the status of the medieval woman with the Renaissance woman.
 Assess the extent to which women’s status changed during the Renaissance period.
70. Aim: Was the Renaissance a bridge to modern times? OR Was the Renaissance more medieval or modern?
 Describe a typical medieval person and a typical Renaissance person with at least five concerns/priorities each
person would have.
 Identify the following significant terms that are associated with the Renaissance; humanism, individualism,
secularism, realism, classicism, scientific inquiry.
 Analyze if the Renaissance was a bridge between the ancient and modern worlds.
 Evaluate the extent to which the Renaissance was a bridge to modern times and whether the changes from
medieval to Renaissance life relate to and resemble life in modern United States.
 Identify/define: arch, architecture, cathedral, fresco, flying buttress, Gothic, Romanesque, “The Last Supper,”
“Mona Lisa,” “David,” “ Moses, “ and the Sistine Chapel.
 Explain the relationship of medieval and Renaissance art and architecture to the philosophy, interests, priorities,
and values of the people living during those eras.
 Describe and analyze the changes in art from a religious to a humanistic orientation which occurred during the
Renaissance.
 Evaluate the degree to which art and architecture reflect the times in which they are created.
71. RENAISSANCE TECHNOLOGY***
72. Aim: Should people today follow Machiavelli’s advice?
 Analyze Machiavelli’s advice to the rulers of the Italian city-states in order to stay in power: “It is much safer to
be feared than to be loved”; “the end justifies the means”; etc.
 Read and interpret excerpts from Machiavelli’s The Prince and evaluate if today’s political and business in the
world should follow Machiavelli’s advice and philosophy.
73. Aim: Did the Catholic Church need a reformation?
 Identify/define: Reformation, Babylonian Captivity, Great Schism, diet, heretic, indulgence, “good works”,
nepotism, papal bull, persecution, purgatory, simony, salvation through faith, Martin Luther, “Ninety-five Theses.”
 Explain why the following practices of the Catholic Church angered many Christians in Europe: (a) collection of
tithes, (b) simony, (c) nepotism, (d) sale of indulgences, (e) extravagant living by Church officials.
 Evaluate whether or not the Catholic Church needed a “Reformation
74. Aim: When is it justified for people to challenge authority?
 List and explain three main points developed in Martin Luther’s “Ninety-five Theses, “ and describe and analyze
Luther’s ideas concerning: (a) justification by faith, (b) the Bible, (c) the sale of indulgences, (d) the Catholic clergy
and the Pope
 Explain how each of the following led to the break between Luther and the Church: (a) “Ninety-five Theses”, (b)
Diet of Worms, (c) Luther’s appeal to the German people.
 Explain and analyze the reasons why the business classes and national monarchies supported Luther in many
countries.
 Evaluate whether or not Martin Luther should be considered a hero of Christianity and assess the appropriate
circumstances when people are justified in challenging authority
75.
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Aim: Should a government control people’s morality? (Case Studies: Calvinism)
Explain how the spread of Protestantism was furthered by John Calvin.
Explain the similarities and differences among Lutheranism and Calvinism
Evaluate the appropriateness of government to dictate/legislate morality.
76. Aim: Did Henry VIII have the right to form the Anglican Church?
 Explain how the spread of Protestantism was furthered by the actions of King Henry VIII of England.
 Explain the similarities and differences among Lutheranism, Calvinism, and Anglicanism.
 Evaluate the appropriateness of government to assess if it is better for a society if the institutions of church and
state have a close or a separate relationship.
77. Aim: Was the Counter-Reformation successful?
 Describe the efforts of the Catholic Church to reform itself and meet the challenge of Protestantism: (a) Inquisition, (b)
Index, (c) the Jesuits.
 Explain how the Reformation and the Counter Reformation led to war, intolerance, and religious persecution in
Europe.
 Explain one way by which the Reformation and Counter Reformation affected (changed) each one of the
following: (a) the religious unity of Europe, (b) the power of European kings, and (c) business and commerce.
 Evaluate whether or not an institution can successfully reform itself and assess if the Counter Reformation was
successful.
78. Aim: Can absolute rule ever be justified?
 Describe and analyze the policies Louis XIV used to centralize power and establish complete control over France.
 Discuss whether Louis XIV’s policies strengthened or weakened France.
 Analyze portraits, coins, pictures of the Palace of Versailles to assess how they reflect the image, personality and
methods of Louis XIV.
 Evaluate whether Louis XIV was a state builder or a tyrant.
 Activity: write a dialogue between Louis XIV and the President of the US discussing whether absolute monarchy
would be beneficial for the us
79.
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Aim: Was Elizabeth a good queen for her people?
Discuss the ways in which Elizabeth responded to internal and external threats to her role.
Assess the ways in which Elizabeth was a successful politician.
Discuss the accomplishments/achievements of the Elizabethan Age.
Discuss the problems Elizabeth faced as a female ruler in a “man’s world.”
Analyze why Elizabeth was a popular monarch.
Evaluate whether Elizabeth was a good queen for her people.
Activity: Create an advertisement for the Elizabethan Age in England trying to convince people to come and visit
England during the reign of Elizabeth
80. Aim: is a nation’s progress more important than individual freedom?
 Locate on a map and describe the expansion of Russia in Europe under Peter the Great.
 Explain how Peter the Great strengthened Russia.
 Discuss the steps Peter took to westernize Russia and assess their effects on the people of Russia.
 Compare and contrast Peter the Great to Louis XIV.
 Assess the impact of Peter’s reforms on individual freedoms in comparison to Russia’s progress.
 Evaluate whether a nation’s progress is more important than individual freedom.
 Activity: Create a poster showing how Peter impacted Russia
81. Aim: Was the British civil war caused more by religious or political causes?
 List and discuss the political and religious causes of the British Civil war.
 Discuss the issues that divided the Stuart kings and Parliament.
 Assess the outcomes and effects of the war for Parliament and the King.
 Evaluate whether the British Civil War was more the result of religious or political causes.
 Activity: Debate over the death of Charles I – Should he have been put to death?
82. Aim: Was the Scientific Revolution a rejection of traditional authority?
 Identify/define: Scientific Method. Copernicus. Galileo, Newton, Descartes.
 Explain how the Scientific Revolution’s emphasis on observation, experimentation, investigation, and speculation
represented a new approach to problem solving.
 Discuss the contributions and works of Copernicus, Galileo, Newton, and Descartes.
 Assess the role of science and technology in the changes that took place in Europe from 1450-1770.
 Evaluate the extent to which the Scientific Revolution was a rejection of traditional authority.
 Evaluate the extent to which the tensions between traditional authority and science and technology still exist.
 Suggested Documents: Nicolaus Copernicus, On the Revolutions of the Heavenly Spheres: Galileo Galilei, Letter to
the Grand Duchess Christina and Dialogue Concerning the Two Chief World Systems: Rene Descartes, Discourse
on Method.
83. Aim: Was the Enlightenment a result of the Scientific Revolution?
 Identify/Define: philosophies, Age of Enlightenment, natural law, natural rights, separation of powers, checks and
balances, tyranny, Age of Reasons, physiocrats, civil liberties, laissez-faire.
 Discuss the main ideas of the writings of the Enlightenment: Voltaire, Rousseau, Montesquieu.
 Explain the main ideas of the Enlightenment.
 Evaluate whether the ideas of the Enlightenment apply in today’s society.
 Evaluate whether the Enlightenment was a belief or an idea.
84. Aim: Did the Enlightenment change people’s views of government?/ Is security or liberty more important
in society?
 Identify/define: Rousseau’s Social Contract, Diderot’s Encyclopedia, Montesquieu’s The Spirit of Laws, John
Locke’s Two Treatises of Government, Thomas Hobbes’ The Leviathan, Adam Smith’s The Wealth of Nations,
democracy, nationalism.
 Discuss and analyze the impact of the Enlightenment on the development of democracy in Europe.
 Evaluate the effect of the Age of Enlightenment on ruling monarchs.
 Describe and analyze the effects of the Enlightenment on 18th century Europe.
 Evaluate the extent to which the Enlightenment changes people’s views of government.
UNIT 8: 9.8 AFRICA AND THE AMERICAS PRE-1600 (5-6 days)
The environment, trade networks, and belief systems influenced the development of complex societies and civilizations in
Africa and the Americas ca. 1325–1600.
(Standards: 2, 3, 4, 5; Themes: ID, MOV, GEO, GOV, EXCH)
9.8a Complex societies and civilizations continued to develop in Africa and the Americas. The environment, the availability of
resources, and the use of trade networks shaped the growth of the Aztec, Inca, and Songhai empires and East African citystates. This growth also influenced their economies and relationships with others.
 Students will locate the extent of the Songhai and East African states in Africa and the Aztec and Incan empires in the
Americas using an Atlantic Ocean-centered map. Students will examine the adaptations made to the environment by
the Aztecs and Incas.
 Students will examine the relationships with neighboring peoples in the region considering warfare, tribute, and
trade.
 Students will examine the influence of Islam on the growth of trade networks and power relations in the Songhai
Empire and in East African city-states.
9.8b Local traditional religions influenced the development of complex societies and civilizations in Africa and the Americas ca.
1325–1600.
 Students will examine the role of nature and the traditional religious beliefs in the Americas and Africa (e.g., animism)
during this period.
 Students will explore the relationships between religious beliefs and political power in the Aztec and Inca empires.
9.8c Complex societies and civilizations made unique cultural achievements and contributions
 Students will investigate the achievements and contributions of the Aztec, Inca, and Songhai empires.
85. Aim: Did complex civilizations exist in Africa prior to the arrival of the Europeans? OR How “advanced”
were the early African civilizations? (Selected Case Studies: Ghana, Mali, Songhai, Kush, Axum, Gold Salt
Trade)
 Identify/define: sub-Saharan, east African trading states, West African kingdoms.
 Explain why people would trade gold for salt and discuss the role of resources and trade in the kingdoms of West Africa
 Describe the economic, political, and social organizations, and institutions of selected sub-Saharan African civilizations
 Discuss the patterns of relationships among early African kingdom and the rest of the world.
 Assess the extent to which the early sub-Saharan African societies were “civilized”.
 Evaluate whether complex civilizations existed in Africa prior to the arrival of the Europeans.
86. Aim: Does traditional African art reflect the values of African society?
 Identify/Define: animism, ancestor veneration, identify as traditional African arts: weaving, kente cloth, carving,
pottery, power figures (nkisi), mask making.
 Explain the relationship between African Art and the spirit world.
 Describe and explain the symbolism used in various works of African art and discuss how they reflect the values
of traditional African societies.
 Explain the characteristics of traditional African Art.
 Discuss the religious function of African art in daily life.
 Evaluate whether African art reflects the values of African society.
 Compare African art to art in US (ideas of what is art, similarities and differences)
 Discuss how African Art has influenced the Western world (Picasso)
87. Aim: How different are traditional African religious beliefs from our own?
 Define: animism, polytheism, reincarnation, ancestor veneration/worship, diviner
 Explain traditional African religious beliefs and how they influence peoples’ daily lives.
 Explain Africans’ relationship to their ancestors and discuss how their beliefs influence their daily lives.
 Explain the role of the diviner in traditional African societies.
 Assess the extent to which African religious beliefs influence their view of the natural environment.
 Discuss the effect of the coming of the Europeans on traditional African religious beliefs.
 Compare and contrast traditional African religious beliefs with the belief practices in our society.
 Explain the following terms: animism, ancestor worship, polytheism, bride’s wealth, extended family, nuclear
family, patrilineal, matrilineal, lineage, tribe, clan, age-grade system, polygamy, dowry, etc.
 Explain the traditional culture (family life, education, role of women in religion, etc.) of Africa.
 Describe how the influence of Western ideas has changed the traditional culture of Africa.
 Assess whether traditional culture helps or inhibits Africans as they live in the modern world.
 Evaluate whether the traditional culture of Africa can survive in the modern world.
88. Aim: Is Latin America a land of diversity?
 Locate on the map the regions of Meso-American, the Caribbean Islands, and South American.
 Identify the various topographical features of Latin American, i.e. mountains, river systems, plateaus, etc.
 Explain some of the characteristics common to Latin American nations, i.e. Iberian culture, language based on
Latin, similar colonization experience.
 Assess whether or not the term “Latin American” with regard to race, ethnicity, and culture accurately describes
our neighbors to the South
 Activity: Have students work in pairs and use maps to locate different nations and topographical features of Latin
America
89. Aim: Was the Aztec Empire an advanced civilization?
 Identify/define: polytheism, Montezuma, Tenochtitlan, Quetzalcoatl
 Locate on a map the Aztec Empire and identify the time period when it flourished
 Describe the fundamental economic, political and social institutions of the Aztecs
 Explain relationship between the Aztec’s religion and their need for conquest
 Explain the scientific and technological advancements of the Aztec Empire
 Assess the extent to which the varying geographic environments influenced the development of this civilization
 Evaluate the “greatness” of the Aztec Empire
 Activity: Create a newspaper or a newscast for the Aztec Empire showcasing the important aspects of the
civilization. Newspaper should be complete with different sections such as science and art, daily news, daily life,
religion, sports. Each section must include an article and a picture. The Newspaper must have a title. Newscast is
similar to the newspaper, but requires more outside and presentation to the class of each groups findings.
90. Aim: Was the Inca Empire civilized?
 Identify/define: terrace farming, quipu
 Locate on a map the Inca Empire and identify the time period when it flourished
 Describe the fundamental economic, political, and social institutions of the Inca Empire
 Assess the extent to which the varying geographic environments influenced the development of this civilization
 Evaluate the “greatness” of the Mayan, Incan, and Aztec civilizations.
 Activity: Create a plan for unifying the Inca Empire using the materials available at that time in that place (prior
to discussion of the roads and bridges). See if students can generate ideas similar to that of the Incas
UNIT 9: 9.10 INTERACTIONS AND DISRUPTIONS: (7-8 days)
9.10 INTERACTIONS AND DISRUPTIONS:
Efforts to reach the Indies resulted in the encounter between the people of Western Europe, Africa, and the Americas. This
encounter led to a devastating impact on populations in the Americas, the rise of the transatlantic slave trade, and the
reorientation of trade networks. (Standards: 2, 3, 4; Themes: MOV, TCC, GEO, SOC, GOV, CIV, ECO, TECH, EXCH)
9.10a Various motives, new knowledge, and technological innovations influenced exploration and the development of
European transoceanic trade routes.
 Students will explore the relationship between knowledge and technological innovations, focusing on how knowledge
of wind and current patterns, combined with technological innovations, influenced exploration and transoceanic
travel.
 Students will trace major motivations for European interest in exploration and oceanic trade, including the influence of
Isabella and Ferdinand.
9.10b Transatlantic exploration led to the Encounter, colonization of the Americas, and the Columbian exchange.
 Students will map the exchange of crops and animals and the spread of diseases across the world during the
Columbian exchange.
 Students will investigate the population of the Americas before the Encounter and evaluate the impact of the arrival of
the Europeans on the indigenous populations.
 Students will contrast the demographic impacts on Europe and China after the introduction of new crops with
demographic effects on the Americas resulting from the Columbian exchange.
9.10c The decimation of indigenous populations in the Americas influenced the growth of the Atlantic slave trade. The trade of
enslaved peoples resulted in exploitation, death, and the creation of wealth.
 Students will examine how the demand for labor, primarily for sugar cultivation and silver mining, influenced the
growth of the trade of enslaved African peoples.
 Students will investigate European and African roles in the development of the slave trade, and investigate the
conditions and treatment of enslaved Africans during the Middle Passage and in the Americas.
9.10d European colonization in the Americas and trade interactions with Africa led to instability, decline, and near destruction
of once-stable political and cultural systems.
 Students will examine the political, economic, cultural, and geographic impacts of Spanish colonization on the Aztec
and Inca societies.
 Students will investigate the different degrees of social and racial integration and assimilation that occurred under
colonizing powers, laying the foundations for complex and varying social hierarchies in the Americas.
 Students will examine the social, political, and economic impact of the Atlantic slave trade on Africa, including the
development of the kingdoms of the Ashanti and Dahomey.
9.10e The Eastern Hemisphere trade networks were disrupted by the European development of new transoceanic trade across
the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic Oceans. Shifts in global trade networks and the use of gunpowder had positive and negative
effects on Asian and European empires.
 Students will explore how new transoceanic routes shifted trade networks (e.g., Indian Ocean, the Silk Road, TransSaharan) in the Eastern Hemisphere.
 Students will explore how shifts in the global trade networks and the use of gunpowder affected the Ottoman Empire.
 Students will examine the development of European maritime empires and mercantilism.
91. Aim: SHOULD A NATION PURSUE POWER AND PROSPERITY AT THE EXPENSE OF HUMAN RIGHTS?
(Case Study: Reconquista)
 Identify/define: reconquista, religious toleration, human rights, Inquisition, expulsion, Ferdinand and Isabella.
 Describe the political impact of the marriage of Isabella to Ferdinand in Spain.
 Describe the methods Isabella and Ferdinand used to “unify” Spain, such as the Inquisition, the expulsion of the
Jews and the elimination of the Muslims to complete the reconquest of Spain.
 Evaluate whether a nation should pursue power and prosperity at the expense of human rights.
 Activity: Exit Ticket – Would you have turned over your neighbor to the Inquisition? Why or why not?
92. Aim: SHOULD PEOPLE RISK THEIR LIVES TO EXPLORE THE UNKNOWN?
 define: conquistador, Magellan, Columbus, Cortes, Pizarro, caravel, circumnavigate.
 List and describe the reasons for Spanish conquest of the Americas.
 Explain whether the conquerors were motivated by “God, gold, or glory.”
 Assess the role of disease and technology in the Spanish conquest of the Americas.
 Analyze the treatment of the native peoples by the European explorers.
 Evaluate whether the explorers during the age of discovery and exploration should be considered heroes or
villains.
 Activity: Write a diary entry as a sailor working on a ship headed for the “new” world. Discuss your journey and
what you discovered when you landed in America.
93. Aim: DID THE COMMERICAL REVOLUTION BENEFIT HUMANKIND?
 Identify/define: Commercial Revolution, mercantilism, capitalism, free enterprise, mother country, colony,
inflation, price revolution, joint stock company, global interdependence.
 Discuss how European exploration led to global exchange and global trade.
 Assess the extent to which the commercial revolution caused global interdependence.
 Explain the mercantilist economic system including the relationship between the mother country and her
colonies.
 Evaluate whether mercantilism was beneficial or harmful to the colonists and to the mother country.
 Evaluate the impact of the Commercial Revolution on European economies and colonial economies.
 Evaluate whether the Commercial revolution benefited humankind.
 Activity: Exit Slip - Evaluate the main rules of the mercantile system utilized by many European nations.
94. Aim: DID LATIN AMERICA PROFIT FROM SPANISH AND PORTUGUESE RULE?
 Identify/define: viceroy, viceroyalty, plantation, hacienda, encomienda, peon, plantation, peninsular, creole,
mestizo, mulatto, Bartolome de las Casas.
 Discuss the different political and economic methods Spain and Portugal used to establish and rule their colonies.
 Describe the relationship between race and place of birth in the colonial social class structure.
 Assess the extent to which the Roman Catholic Church supported colonization and exploitation of the native
peoples.
 Assess the short and long term effects of Spanish and Portuguese colonial rule on Latin America and its peoples.
 Evaluate whether Latin America profited from colonial rule.
 Activity: After a close examination of the encomienda system, have students attempt to restructure the society to
make it more equal yet still allow Europeans to turn a profit. Have students fully explain any changes they make to
the actual encomienda system and describe how these changes would have impacted society during the early 1500s.
95. Aim: HOW DID THE ENCOUNTER OF THE OLD WORLD WITH THE NEW WORLD PRODUCE A BETTER
WORLD?
(Case Study: Spanish Conquest)
 Identify/define: Colombian Exchange, dehumanization, conquistador
 Describe the short and long term effects of the Columbian Exchange on the Old and New Worlds.
 Explain how the Colombian Exchange affects our world today.
 Compare and contrast different viewpoints on the conquest/encounter.
 Analyze the positive and negative effects of the encounter on Europe and on the New World.
 Evaluate whether the encounter of the old and new worlds produced a “better” world.
 Assess the impact of conquest on Native American culture and evaluate whether Native American culture
survived Spanish conquest.
Activity: Create three complete menus, one using only foods found in the “old” world, one using only foods found in the
“new” world and the final menu should be a combination of all foods used after the Columbian Exchange
96. Aim: HOW DID THE TRANSATLANTIC SLAVE TRADE SHAPE THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE MODERN
WORLD?
 Identify/Define: Triangular trade, Middle passage, “dance the slaves”, dehumanization, human rights.
 Identify the Triangular trade route on a map.
 Analyze the causes for the importation of Africans to the Americas as slaves.
 Assess and describe the conditions a slave dealt with during each stage of the journey –capture, middle passage,
auction, and enslavement in the New World.
 Evaluate the extent to which the peoples’ motive for profit outweighs their desire to treat their fellow man with
dignity.
 Explain how each stage of the slave trade was dehumanizing and an example of man’s inhumanity to man.
 Evaluate the extent to which the transatlantic slave trade shaped the development of the modern world until
today.
 Activity: Write a diary entry either as a slave being transported to the new world who is then sold during a slave
auction OR as a sailor who is responsible for transporting and maintaining the slaves throughout the trip across the
Atlantic and the auction.
97. Aim: WHO SHOULD BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR THE TRANSATLANTIC SLAVE TRADE?
 List and discuss the motives for the slave trade from an American, African, Arab and European point of view.
 Analyze the role played by all parties during the slave trade.
 Examine the short and long term effects of the slave trade on Europe, Africa, and the Americas.
 Debate and evaluate who should be held responsible for the transatlantic slave trade.
 Activity: Exit ticket – Discuss in detail three effects of the Transatlantic Slave Trade. The student must discuss in
detail at least one political effect, one economic effect, and one social effect.
98. IMPACT OF THE SLAVE TRADE ON EUROPE AND AFRICA (ASHANTI AND DAHOMEY KINGDOM)****