Download 7th Grade WORLD HISTORY Curriculum Guide

7th Grade WORLD HISTORY
Curriculum Guide
History helps us see the links between the past and the present. It leads to the
understanding that past events can affect present and future conditions. The study of
world history is designed to provide students with the necessary tools with which to
become critical-thinking world citizens. They are challenged to analyze historical
conditions, put those conditions and events into perspective, understand cause and effect,
and have a chronological view of world events. These goals are pursued within the
context of the five themes of Social Studies which are: commonality and diversity,
conflict and cooperation, continuity and change, individualism and interdependence, and
interaction within different environments. Students are provided with a world view of
people, places, and events and are constantly challenged to evaluate these within the
context of the 5 themes.
I.
Unit I: Early People and Lifeways
A. People of the Stone Age
1. Hunters and Gatherers
a. Summarize how the earliest people interacted to meet basic needs.
b. Observe that the search for food and an increase in the numbers of people
caused the migration of groups of people.
c. Analyze the interactions among people that led to their development of
separate cultures.
2. Early Farmers
a. Evaluate the change that occurred in the food supplies of early people.
b. Analyze the positive and negative effects of the shift from food collecting
to food producing.
c. Identify plants and animals that some early societies domesticated.
B. Southwest Asia
1. Civilization in Mesopotamia
a. Evaluate how technology changed life in Mesopotamia
b. Summarize the link between agriculture and religion in Sumer
c. Analyze how governments in the Sumerian city-states changed.
d. Observe that success in agriculture changed Sumer’s economy.
e. Classify the Sumerians according to social classes.
f. Interpret Sumerian innovations as changes made to meet needs.
2. Conquests and Empires
a. Classify causes and effects of conflicts in the Fertile Crescent.
b. Evaluate Sargon the Conqueror’s contribution to ending regional conflict.
c. Analyze how Hammurabi promoted cooperation within his empire.
d. Observe that violent conflict brought to power the Assyrians and others
after them.
3. Israelites, Phoenicians, and Lydians
a. Observe that the worship of one God represented a change in religious
beliefs in Mesopotamia.
b. Evaluate the Ten Commandments as an importance part of three major
religions: Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.
c. Analyze how the Phoenicians changed writing.
d. Summarize how the coined money introduced by the Lydians changed
trade.
II.
Unit II: Cradles of Civilization
A. African Civilizations of the Nile Valley
1. The Importance of the Nile River
a. Evaluate the impact of the Nile River on life in ancient Egypt.
b. Compare the Egyptian calendar with the cycle of the Nile River.
c. Analyze the relationship between the religion of the ancient Egyptians and
nature.
d. Examine how the peoples of the Two Lands of the Nile Valley were in
conflict and then unified.
2. The Dynasties of Egypt
a. Examine how the pharaoh contributed to continuity in Egyptian life.
b. Evaluate innovations in Old Kingdom tombs with new ideas emerging in
Egyptian religion.
c. Analyze the changes in Egyptian society during the Middle Kingdom.
d. Hypothesize about why the change in religion introduced by Amenhotep
IV did not take hold.
3. “His Majesty, Queen Hatshepsut”
a. Evaluate Hatshepsut’s unique place in early Egyptian history.
b. Analyze how Hatshepsut adjusted to her new role in Egyptian society.
4. Kush: Egypt’s Rival
a. Hypothesize about why the Nubians and Egyptians in the Middle
Kingdom cooperated with each other.
b. Summarize the outcome of the conflict between Kush and Egypt.
c. Evaluate the impact of the Kushite conquest of Egypt.
d. Analyze how cooperation in trade helped Kush flourish.
B. Early Civilizations in Asia and the Americas
1. Civilization in the Indus Valley
a. Evaluate the influence of the physical setting on the development of the
Indus Valley civilization.
b. Analyze the unique layout of the city of Mohenjo-Daro.
c. Synthesize information about life in Harappan cities.
d. Hypothesize about the fall of Mohenjo-Daro.
2. Early Chinese Civilization
a. Observe how China uses legends to explain the ancient past.
b. Hypothesize about how the Shang Dynasty was able to replace the Xia
Dynasty.
c. Evaluate the role of oracle bones as a link to the past.
d. Classify writing in Chinese culture as both an agent of change and a
contributor to continuity.
3. Ancient Civilizations of the Americas
a. Hypothesize about which ideas of the Olmecs may have been used by later
peoples.
b. Analyze Mayan civilization to identify features the Mayans may have
passed on to others.
III.
Unit III: Asia’s Classical Age
A. China
1. The Zhou Dynasty
a. Summarize how the Zhou replaced the Shang as rulers of China.
b. Analyze China’s economic and political system under the Zhou.
c. Evaluate the Warring Kingdoms Period as a time of conflict.
d. Interpret Confucianism as a response to disorder.
2. The Qin Dynasty
a. Analyze how Shi Huangdi unified China.
b. Compare the Legalist ideas about leadership with those of Confucianism.
c. Evaluate the benefits and costs of building Shi Huangdi’s Great Wall.
d. Summarize how Shi Huangdi kept the empire together.
3. The Han Dynasty
a. Compare the Han government with that of Zhou and Qin.
b. Analyze how Wu Di protected and governed his empire.
c. Evaluate the achievements of the Han dynasty.
d. Summarize the development of international trade during the Han dynasty.
B. India and Persia
1. Aryans bring changes to India
a. Speculate about why the Aryans moved to India.
b. Analyze the Aryan religion and its connection with Hinduism.
c. Classify the Indian people according to caste.
d. Summarize Gautama’s search for truth and the message he carried about
the meaning of life.
2. Two Fables for Jataka tales
a. Interpret the special message of fables.
b. Evaluate the lessons of fables for people today.
c. Observe the commonality of values across societies.
3. United rule in India
a. Evaluate how the Maurya rulers used force to govern their empire.
b. Analyze how the Buddhist principles followed by Ashoka helped to unify
his people.
c. Compare the period of peace during the Gupta Empire with the centuries
of conflict preceding it.
d. Summarize advances made during India’s Golden Age.
4. The Persian Empire
a. Analyze how the Persian leader Cyrus built a large empire.
b. Evaluate why Darius was successful in organizing the Persian Empire.
c. Summarize how the prophet Zarathustra changed the religious beliefs of
the Persians.
IV.
Unit IV: The Mediterranean
A. Ancient Greece
1. Early People of Greece
a. Evaluate how geography affected the way early people lived in ancient
Greece.
b. Analyze the effect of trade on the development of Minoan civilization.
c. Observe that the Mycenaean’s adapted Minoan customs and ideas to fit
their own way of life.
d. Interpret the Homeric poems as a reflection of Mycenaean civilization.
2. City-States and Greek culture
a. Compare and contrast features of the Greek city-states.
b. Analyze the Spartan way of life.
c. Summarize how democracy worked in ancient Athens.
d. Evaluate cultural ties the Greek people had with one another.
3. The Golden Age of Athens
a. Observe that the Greek city-states cooperated against a common enemy in
the Persian Wars.
b. Analyze how Pericles improved Athenian democracy.
c. Observe the achievements of the Golden Age of Athens.
d. Evaluate the tensions between Athens and Sparta that led to the
Peloponnesian War.
4. Alexander’s great empire
a. Observe that an outsider, Philip II of Macedonia, was successful in uniting
the Greeks after the Peloponnesian War.
b. Analyze how Alexander the Great built a multi-cultural empire.
c. Summarize the reasons for the breakup of Alexander’s empire.
d. Evaluate the achievements of the thinkers of the Hellenistic Age.
B. Ancient Rome
1. The Roman Republic
a. Observe the effect of geography on the lives of early people of the Italian
peninsula.
b. Evaluate the geographic advantages of the site of Rome.
c. Analyze the government in Rome during the republic.
d. Summarize Rome’s conquests between 500 B.C. and 146 B.C.
e. Interpret the dictatorship of Julius Caesar as a contributing factor to the
end of the Roman Empire.
2. The Roman Empire
a. Analyze the beginning of the Roman Empire.
b. Observe how Augustus helped to unite the Roman Empire.
c. Compare and contrast Roman construction and Greek architecture.
d. Evaluate how the arts, literature, and language helped unify the peoples of
the Roman Empire.
3. “The Footsoldier”
a. Evaluate military life in the Roman Empire.
b. Hypothesize about why people become soldiers.
4. Beginnings of Christianity
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
V.
Observe that the Roman religion was a unifying force in the empire.
Identify Jesus as a religious leader who would change the Roman Empire.
Summarize the spread of Christianity after Jesus’ death.
Evaluate Rome’s reaction to Christianity.
Analyze Constantine’s role in the growth of Christianity.
Compare Rome’s decline with the rise of Constantinople.
Unit V: Rise of New Empires
A. Heirs of Rome and Persia
1. The Byzantine Empire
a. Evaluate how Justinian I looked to the Roman past to build the Byzantine
Empire.
b. Analyze the changes Theodora brought to the Byzantine Empire.
c. Summarize the disagreement that divided the Christian Church.
2. The Muslim Empire
a. Evaluate how trade affected the Arab people.
b. Analyze the growth of Islam.
c. Summarize how Islam spread and the Muslim Empire developed.
d. Identify achievements of the Muslim culture.
e. Analyze the causes of division in Islam and in the Muslim Empire.
3. Europe in the Middle Ages
a. Analyze how Charlemagne used cooperation to strengthen his empire.
b. Describe the feudal system.
c. Evaluate the impact of the Crusades on life in Europe.
d. Compare conditions in Europe before and after the Black Death.
e. Interpret the Magna Carta as a reaction to the rise of nation-states.
4. “Sir Dana: A Knight”
a. Analyze the role of a knight in the Middle Ages.
b. Evaluate how individual knights acted interdependently under the
chivalric code.
B. Empires in Asia and the Americas
1. Growth for China
a. Compare how the Sui and Tang helped build China’s empire.
b. Evaluate the achievements of China’s Golden Age
c. Analyze life in China during the Song dynasty.
2. The Mongol Empire
a. Evaluate the effect of the Mongol conquests on diverse peoples from Asia
to Europe.
b. Analyze how Marco Polo helped the exchange of ideas and goods between
Europe and Asia.
c. Summarize features of the Mongol way of life under Kublai Khan.
3. Development of Japanese culture
a. Observe that Japan was isolated and so the Japanese developed unique
lifeways.
b. Evaluate China’s influence on Japan.
c. Analyze the Japanese feudal system.
4.
VI.
Civilizations in the Americas
a. Analyze how the Aztecs adapted to and changed their environment.
b. Compare the Aztec and Mayan civilizations
c. Evaluate why the Incas adapted to and changed their environment.
d. Summarize ways the native people of North America interacted with their
environment.
Unit VI: Growth of Trade
A. Overland Trade
1. The trading empires of West Africa
a. Evaluate the Sonikes’ role as go-betweens in trade.
b. Analyze how the Ghanaian kings became rich.
c. Summarize the ways that North African traders changed life in West
Africa.
d. Observe that Mali was known far and wide for its wealth and as a center
of learning and trade.
e. Interpret the Songhay Empire’s control of trade routes and trading centers
as the key to its wealth.
2. Trade routes linking Asia and Europe
a. Observe that trade helped connect the different peoples living in Muslim
lands.
b. Summarize the achievements brought about by the exchange of ideas in
the Muslim Empire.
c. Evaluate the trade opportunities under Mongol rule for Asians and
Europeans.
d. Analyze trade in South Asia.
3. “The Silk Route”
a. Analyze trade on the Silk Route.
b. Evaluate how trade builds interdependence among peoples.
B. Sea and River Trade
1. Indian Ocean Trade
a. Summarize how the monsoons enabled Arab traders to travel to China and
home again.
b. Observe how Arab traders helped spread Muslim ways and religion to
places on the Indian Ocean.
c. Analyze the development of the Swahili city-states.
d. Evaluate the role of the Shonas in trade across the Indian Ocean.
2. The Mediterranean and Black Sea
a. Summarize how trade made the Byzantine Empire wealthy.
b. Evaluate the importance of Mediterranean trade to the Muslim Empire.
c. Analyze the development of the Italian city-states monopoly on trade in
the Mediterranean.
3. The Northern Seas
a. Analyze why the Vikings began raiding other lands and why they
eventually stopped their raids.
b. Evaluate the importance of the trade routes controlled by the Rus.
c. Summarize the purpose and the operation of the Hanseatic League.
4. Conquering the Pacific
a. Observe that fear of the unknown was the greatest barrier to travel in the
Pacific.
b. Compare and contrast trade along the Pacific coasts in the west and east.
c. Summarize how the Pacific Islanders made the ocean a “highway.”
VII. Unit VII: The Early Modern World
A. New Directions for Europe
1. Rebirth of ideas in Europe
a. Analyze the causes of the rebirth of ideas in Italy.
b. Compare Greek and Roman culture with Renaissance thought.
c. Summarize how art changed during the Renaissance.
d. Observe the effect of the printing press on the spread of ideas.
e. Describe the contributions of Copernicus, Galileo, and Newton.
2. Changes in Europe
a. Summarize how each of the new monarchies in Europe established its
authority.
b. Observe that the life of a peasant farmer remained unchanged from the
Middle Ages until the mid-1500s, when it became worse.
c. Evaluate the factors that weakened the Catholic Church in the 1500s.
d. Analyze how the Reformation changed Europe.
3. Europeans explore the globe
a. Evaluate the effect of the fall of Constantinople on trade.
b. Summarize developments that allowed Europeans to sail out into the
Atlantic Ocean.
c. Analyze the significance of the voyages led by Portugal and Spain.
d. Observe that England’s defeat of the Spanish Armada helped it become a
world power.
B. Europe, Africa, and the Americas Interact
1. Africa and Europe
a. Compare and contrast new African kingdoms south of the Sahara.
b. Analyze Portuguese trade in Africa.
c. Summarize how the system of triangular trade worked.
d. Evaluate the effect of the slave trade on the peoples of Africa, Europe, and
the Americas.
2. A time of encounter
a. Evaluate why Spain created an empire in the Americas.
b. Analyze the effects of the encounters between the Spanish and peoples of
the Americas.
c. Summarize how he French and Native Americans interacted.
d. Describe how Native Americans helped English settlers.
3. “The Morning Girl”
a. Compare and contrast different cultures’ views of an event.
b. Analyze why different cultures have different ideas.
C. Changes in Asia
1.
China and Japan in early modern times
a. Evaluate China’s growth under Hong Wu and Yong Le of the Ming
Dynasty.
b. Analyze developments under Yong Le’s successors.
c. Observe the effects of outside interests and internal conflict in China.
d. Summarize life in Tokugawa, Japan.
2. The Ottoman and Mogul Empires
a. Analyze how the Ottoman Turk Mehmed II built a great empire.
b. Summarize developments in the Ottoman Empire under Süleyman.
c. Evaluate the effects of Mogol rule in India under the emperor Akbar.
d. Observe that the lack of central control in India under later Mogol rulers
enabled Europeans to gain land there.
VIII. Unit VIII: Times of Rapid Change
A. Growth of Democracy
1. Democratic revolutions
a. Compare the roles of leaders in the American Revolution.
b. Summarize how Louis XVI’s actions helped start the French Revolution.
c. Analyze how the focus of the French Revolution changed.
d. Evaluate the effects of Napoleon Bonaparte’s reign on Europe.
2. Democratic ideas in Latin America
a. Summarize how society in colonial Latin America was organized.
b. Analyze why the Creoles disliked being ruled by distant governments.
c. Compare and contrast the pathways to independence for different regions
of Latin America.
B. Beginning of the Industrial Age
1. The Industrial Revolution
a. Summarize changes in agriculture in Britain in the eighteenth century.
b. Evaluate how technology changed the British textile industry.
c. Analyze the reasons why Britain led the Industrial Revolution.
d. Describe what life was like for working people during the Industrial
Revolution.
e. Identify steps industrial nations took to find new markets and sources of
raw materials.
2. “The Clock”
a. Analyze how the Industrial Revolution affected workers.
b. Evaluate the role of individuals in the development of industry.
3. Capitalism and classes
a. Compare economic systems.
b. Analyze changes in the European class system during the Industrial
Revolution.
c. Evaluate the causes of class conflict in Europe.
d. Summarize what socialism is.
e. Analyze why there was less class conflict in the United States than in
Europe.
C. Growth of Nationalism and Imperialism
1.
Rise of nationalism
a. Identify conditions that encourage the rise of national feelings.
b. Analyze how Italy became united.
c. Summarize how Otto von Bismarck united Germany.
d. Evaluate the causes of the rise of nationalism in Japan.
2. Age of Imperialism
a. Summarize why European countries built colonial empires in Africa.
b. Describe how Africans responded to European control.
c. Observe that European nations showed more interest in Egypt after the
building of the Suez Canal.
d. Evaluate how the East India Company gained and then lost authority in
India.
e. Analyze how foreign powers came to control much of China.
IX.
Unit IX: The World At War
A. The Early Twentieth Century
1. World War I
a. Evaluate how European nationalism caused conflicts throughout the
continent in the early 1900s.
b. Analyze how countries that formed alliances cooperated with one another
in preparing for war.
c. Interpret the events creating conflict among European countries that
evolved into a world war.
d. Analyze how women on both sides supported the war efforts of their
countries.
e. Explain how technology affected the war and its participants.
f. Evaluate how cooperation among the Allies helped end the war.
2. The Russian Revolution
a. Analyze the role that the czars had in the changes that took place in Russia
in the early 1900s.
b. Evaluate the reasons the Russians wanted a change in 1917.
c. Summarize Lenin’s rise to power.
d. Evaluate Stalin’s success in continuing the goals of the communist
revolution in the Soviet Union.
3. The Great Depression
a. Analyze how buying and spending patterns led to the Great Depression.
b. Evaluate how the Great Depression affected countries other than the
United States.
c. Summarize the steps taken to recover from the Great Depression.
d. Evaluate the methods used by Adolph Hitler to gain power.