World History (Period 5)

7th Grade World History 500-1789

 

Social Science students at Western Sierra Collegiate Academy will develop many skills as they study the history of the world from medieval to early modern times. Students will learn to think like historians. Students will develop their critical thinking skills as they learn to analyze primary and secondary sources. Students will develop the ability to compare and contrast different documents and identify bias and point of view in certain readings. In addition, students will learn to develop an argument in their writing and speaking skills and they will learn how to use proper evidence to support their argument. Students will discover how to identify cause and effect in terms of historical events. Students will improve their ability to work independently and in a group setting, thus improving their intrapersonal and interpersonal skills. Overall, students will improve their ability to think critically and creatively as they engage in the study of world history.

 

Western Sierra students will learn to interact with maps and geography. In particular, students will study the changing geographic make up of the world through medieval and early modern times.

 

Students will analyze the geographic, political, economic, religious, technological, and social changes that occurred in the civilizations of the Roman Empire, Arabia, Persia, China, sub-Saharan Africa, Japan, Europe, and Mesoamerica. Moreover, students will explain how these various cultures interacted with one another and how these interactions lead to the exchange of ideas, beliefs, technologies, and commodities.

 

Western Sierra students will evaluate the impact of the Renaissance and Reformation and how these lead to a new interest in humanism. Students will study how the Renaissance lead to many advances in literature, the arts, science, mathematics, engineering, astronomy, and the eventual understanding of human anatomy.

 

Students will examine the Scientific Revolution and will identify the lasting effects it has had on religious and political institutions. Students will discuss the major technological inventions that resulted from the Scientific Revolution.

 

Students will study the Age of Exploration, the Enlightenment, and the Age of Reason in the 16th through the 18th centuries. Students will examine the trade routes and voyages of discovery from the Age of Exploration. Students will identify the origins of modern capitalism and its impact on today. Moreover, students will explain the ideas of Enlightenment thinkers and their impact on the American Declaration of Independence. Lastly, students will identify how the ideas of Enlightenment thinkers have influenced and continue to influence the world they live in today.

 

Please see the attached syllabus for a comprehensive course description and course expectations.

 

Also, please see the attached Essential Standards for 7th Grade World History to see what students can expect to learn by the end of the school year.