Live Oak Academy

World History and Geography: The Modern Era

2008-2009

Deborah Luoma

Luomafam1@verizon.net 

Texts:

1.   World History: The Human Journey         Holt, Rhinehart, and Winston

2.  The Longest Day  (Cornelius Ryan)                                                                                   

3.  Bright Candles  (Nathaniel Benchley)                                                                                             

  Course Description:

This year, we are going to build upon our knowledge of the history of civilizations and cultures as we examine and work to understand the events, the people, and the ideas of our own time—the world, from the French Revolution, through the 19th and 20th centuries, to our own days.  We will consult a variety of resources as we study—books of history and biography (secondary sources); first-hand accounts of events (primary sources); and oral interviews with people who lived through events themselves.

The history of any time includes much more than the stories of kings and queens, wars and migrations.  It also encompasses the story of the everyday lives of common people, the science and technology, the music and art, the religion and philosophy, and even the poetry and stories of the time. 

In addition to the history of ideas and people, we need to study the geography of the places we are reading about: the physical features, the political boundaries, and the cultural identities of the people.  The movement and isolation of peoples, the shelter or exposure offered by physical geography, the access to resources, and many other aspects of geography affect the progress of historical change.

This will be an exciting and challenging class, and the students will do a great deal of reading and research during the course of the year.  We will focus not only on memorization of dates and names, but also on linking events, people, ideas, and the arts in order to understand our modern era, the context of our own lives.

Grading:

            Students’ grades will reflect the following criteria:

                        Unit Tests:                  60%

                        Homework:                 40%

 

Expected Learning Outcomes:

At the end of this course, students will be able to do the following:

Ø      Outline written material to the third and fourth degrees, using standard outline form;

Ø      Identify and explain the significance of key people, places, and events related to the periods studied;

Ø      Create a time-line of the years from 1800-2006 indicating significant events and achievements;

Ø      In writing, discuss connections between people, events, and ideas of this time period;

Ø      Discuss and evaluate a variety of primary sources—speeches, artifacts, works of art, and written documents;

Ø      On a blank outline map of the world, identify designated rivers, mountains, deserts, oceans, seas, countries, and cities.

Ø      Research topics related to the time period using books, periodicals, and on-line resources; summarize and discuss the information found.

 

Course Outline:

 

Week

Date

Assignments

Week One

9/4,6

Review

Week Two

9/11,13

 The Industrial Revolution

Holt Chapter 22

Week Three

9/18,20

Test #1

Week Four

9/25,27

Life in the Industrial Age

Holt Chapter 23

Week Five

10/2,4

Test #2

School Holiday

10/9,11

 

Week Six

10/16,18

 Age of Reform

Holt Chapter 24

Week Seven

10/23,25

Test #3

Week Eight

10/30, 11/1

 Nationalism in Europe

Holt Chapter 25

Week Nine

11/6,8

Test #4

Week Ten

11/13,15

 Age of Imperialism

Holt Chapter 26

Thanksgiving Holiday

11/20,22

 

Week Eleven

11/27,29

Test #5

Week Twelve

12/4,6

WWI & Russian Revolution

Holt Chapter 27

Week Thirteen

12/11,13

 Test #6

Christmas Holiday

12/18-1/3

 

Week Fourteen

1/8,10

The Great Depression

Holt Chapter 28

Week Fifteen

1/15,17

Start reading Bright Candles

Test #7

Week Sixteen

1/22,24

 Nationalist Movements

Holt 29

Week Seventeen

1/29,31

Test #8

Week Eighteen

2/5,7

 WWII

Holt Chapter 30

Finish reading Bright Candles

Week Nineteen

2/12,14

Start reading The Longest Day

Test #9

Week Twenty

2/19,21

Postwar Europe & N. America

Holt Chapter 31

Week Twenty-one

2/26,28

Finish reading The Longest Day

Test #10

Week Twenty-two

3/ 4,6

Asia since 1945

Holt Chapter 32

Week Twenty-three

3/11,13

Start reading The Small Woman

Easter Holiday

3/18,20

 Test #11

Week Twenty-four

3/25,27

 Africa & The Middle East

Holt Chapter 33

Week Twenty-five

4/1,3

Finish reading The Small Woman

Test #12

Week Twenty-six

4/8,10

Latin America Since 1945

Holt Chapter 34

Week Twenty-seven

4/15,17

 Test #13

Week Twenty-eight

4/22,24

Superpowers in the Modern Era

Holt Chapter 35

Week Twenty-nine

4/29,5/1

 Test #14

Week Thirty

5/6,8

The Modern World

Holt 36

Week Thirty-one 

5/13,15

Test #15

 Week Thirty-two

   5/20,22

 Final Exam