Ninth Grade World History I

 

Instructor: Jeff Donnelly

 

Curriculum Map, Class Page

 

In World History I, students learn how and why early peoples joined together to form societies. Students compare the origins of ancient civilizations in Mesopotamia, Egypt, the Indus Valley, and the Yellow River Valley. Students then examine the impact of written communication and trade in the advancement of civilizations such as the Greeks and Romans.

 

Students then learn how some civilizations, such as the Han Dynasty in China, become dominate over a region. They explore the impact of religion in the spread of a civilization such as the Islamic conquests or the spread of Buddhism through Southeast Asia. They investigate civilizations that developed independent of the global exchange of goods and ideas. They also examine the impact of individuals in the direction and fate of civilizations.

 

Finally, students investigate the reasons why some civilizations do not progress as rapidly as others. They look at civilizations in decline such as the “dark ages” in Western Europe and draw conclusions as to causes for the fall of civilizations. Their final paper examines patterns in the rise and fall of great civilizations and the ramifications for our world today.

 

Students will be asked to consider the following questions:

• How and why do groups of people join together to form civilizations? What are basic characteristics of all civilizations? What causes differences in societies?
• How do some civilizations become dominate over other civilizations? What characteristics are present in a civilization that is “flourishing”? What impact does religion have on civilizations? How do individuals impact a civilization?
• Why do civilizations progress at different rates? What characterizes a civilization in decline? Why do civilizations fall?

 

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