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Standard 2 - World History

Students will use a variety of intellectual skills to demonstrate their understanding of major ideas, eras, themes, developments, and turning points in world history and examine the broad sweep of history from a variety of perspectives.

  • 1. The study of world history requires an understanding of world cultures and civilizations, including an analysis of important ideas, social and cultural values, beliefs, and traditions. This study also examines the human ...

    The study of world history requires an understanding of world cultures and civilizations, including an analysis of important ideas, social and cultural values, beliefs, and traditions. This study also examines the human condition and the connections and interactions of people across time and space and the ways different people view the same event or issue from a variety of perspectives.

    PERFORMANCE INDICATORS

    Students:

    • know the social and economic characteristics, such as customs, traditions, child-rearing practices, ways of making a living, education and socialization practices, gender roles, foods, and religious and spiritual beliefs that distinguish different cultures and civilizations
    • know some important historic events and developments of past civilizations
    • interpret and analyze documents and artifacts related to significant developments and events in world history.

    SAMPLE TASKS

    This is evident, for example, when students:

    • propose a list of characteristics to define the concepts of culture and civilization, explaining how civilizations develop and change
    • investigate the important achievements and accomplishments of the world’s early civilizations (e.g., African, Greek, Roman, Egyptian, Indian, Chinese)
    • analyze how the natural environments of the Tigris-Euphrates, Nile, and Indus valleys shaped the early development of civilization (Taken from National Standards for World History)
    • research an important event or development in world history and include information about how different people viewed the same event (e.g., the French Revolution as witnessed by members of the ruling classes, the revolutionaries, members of the Estates General, and the Church)
    • identify different ethnic, religious, and socioeconomic groups throughout the world and analyze their varying perspectives on the same historic events and contemporary issues. Explain how these different perspectives developed.
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  • 2. KEY IDEA - Establishing timeframes, exploring different periodizations, examining themes across time and within cultures, and focusing on important turning points in world history help organize the study of world cultures and civilizations.

    PERFORMANCE INDICATORS

    Students:

    • develop timelines by placing important events and developments in world history in their correct chronological order
    • measure time periods by years, decades, centuries, and millennia
    • study about major turning points in world history by investigating the causes and other factors that brought about change and the results of these changes.

     SAMPLE TASKS

    This is evident, for example, when students:

    • construct multiple-tier timelines that display a number of important historic events that occurred at the same time or during the same period of time e.g., age of exploration and contact showing events in Europe, Africa, and the Americas)
    • present historical narratives that link together a series of events in the correct chronological order
    • recognize the reasons for periodizing history and know some designations of historical periods; discuss the usefulness of the following historical periods:
      • The beginnings of Human Society
      • Early Civilizations to 1000 BC
      • Classical Traditions, Major Religions, and Giant Empires,1000 BC-300 AD
      • Expanding Zones of Exchange and Encounter, 300-1000 AD
      • Intensified Hemispheric Interactions, 1000-1500
      • Emergence of the First Global Age, 1450-1770
      • The Age of Revolutions, 1750-1914
      • The Twentieth Century.(Adapted from National Standards for World History)

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  • 3. KEY IDEA - Study of the major social, political, cultural, and religious developments in world history involves learning about the important roles and contributions of individuals and groups.

    PERFORMANCE INDICATORS

    Students:

    • investigate the roles and contributions of individuals and groups in relation to key social, political, cultural, and religious practices throughout world history
    • interpret and analyze documents and artifacts related to significant developments and events in world history
    • classify historic information according to the type of activity or practice: social/cultural, political, economic, geographic, scientific, technological, and historic.

    SAMPLE TASKS

    This is evident, for example, when students:

    • read historic narratives, biographies, literature, diaries, and letters to learn about the important accomplishments and roles played by individuals and groups throughout world history
    • explain some of the following practices as found in particular civilizations and cultures throughout world history: social customs, child-rearing practices, government, ways of making a living and distributing goods and services, language and literature, education and socialization practices, values and traditions, gender roles, foods, and religious/spiritual beliefs and practices
    • develop a map of Europe, the Mediterranean world, India, South and Southeast Asia, and China to show the extent of the spread of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, and Confucianism; explain how the spread of these religions changed the lives of people living in these areas of the world (Adapted from National Standards for World History)
    • write diary accounts, journal entries, letters, or news accounts from the point of view of a young person living during a particular time period in world history, focusing on an important historic, political, economic, or religious event or accomplishment
    • study the historical writings of important figures in world history to learn about their goals, motivations, intentions, influences, and strengths and weaknesses.
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  • 4. KEY IDEA - The skills of historical analysis include the ability to investigate differing and competing interpretations of the theories of history, hypothesize about why interpretations change over time, explain the importance of historical ...

    The skills of historical analysis include the ability to investigate differing and competing interpretations of the theories of history, hypothesize about why interpretations change over time, explain the importance of historical evidence, and understand the concepts of change and continuity over time.

    PERFORMANCE INDICATORS

    Students:

    • explain the literal meaning of a historical passage or primary source document, identifying who was involved, what happened, where it happened, what events led up to these developments, and what consequences or outcomes followed (Taken from National Standards for World History)
    • analyze different interpretations of important events and themes in world history and explain the various frames of reference expressed by different historians
    • view history through the eyes of those who witnessed key events and developments in world history by analyzing their literature, diary accounts, letters, artifacts, art, music, architectural drawings, and other documents
    • investigate important events and developments in world history by posing analytical questions, selecting relevant data, distinguishing fact from opinion, hypothesizing cause-and-effect relationships, testing these hypotheses, and forming conclusions.

    SAMPLE TASKS

    This is evident, for example, when students:

    • examine documents related to significant developments in world history (e.g., excerpts from sacred texts of the world’s great religions, important political statements or decrees, literary works, and historians’ commentaries); employ the skills of historical analysis and interpretation in probing the meaning and importance of the documents by:
      • identifying authors and sources for the historical documents
      • comparing and contrasting differing sets of ideals and values contained in each historical document
      • considering multiple perspectives presented in the documents
      • evaluating major debates among historians about the meaning of each historical document
      •  hypothesizing about the influence of each document on present-day activities and debates in the international arena. (Adapted from National Standards in World History)
    • study about an event or development in world history (e.g., the early civilizations, the age of exchange and global expansion, the industrial revolution, political and social revolutions, imperialism and colonization, case studies of genocide and human rights violations, world wars) by analyzing accounts written by eyewitnesses to the event or development; compare the eyewitness accounts with reports and narratives written by historians after the event or development
    • trace the impacts of different technological innovations and advances ( e.g., in transportation and communication, agriculture, health and science, commerce and industry) over time by analyzing the effects of technology on the lives of people.
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