Thematic World History Part 1: Big Questions, Bold Thinking, Global Understanding

You need a World History credit, but you want something different.  You want a way to connect the dots, think critically, and understand history as a story that’s still unfolding.

🔍In this class you will:

• Investigate themes in human behavior across cultures and eras
• Read and analyze primary and secondary sources (documents, letters, speeches, images)
• Explore context through films, lecture, discussion, and creative projects
• Connect past to present through current events and global issues
• Build strong skills in critical thinking, comparative analysis, and argumentation

💡 Each unit begins with a central question and ends with thoughtful discussion, synthesis, and insight, helping students develop a strong grasp of both continuity and change throughout history. Students gain:

• A deeper understanding of world history through a lens of ideas, not just chronology
• Transcript-ready academic work that aligns with high school social studies requirements
• A greater ability to analyze complex texts, form arguments, and engage in meaningful dialogue
• A more informed view of today’s world—grounded in the lessons of the past

🧭Part 1 dives into the following themes:

• How have humans conceived of government? How and why have those conceptions changed over time?
• How and why have humans created the concept of “the other?”
• Why do humans fight each other? And in some cases, why do humans choose to seek peace?

Approximate Weekly Schedule

Week 1: Welcome and Introduction to Theme 1: Humans and Government; Hammurabi and Ancient Babylon
Week 2: Han Dynasty; Roman Republic and Empire
Week 3: The Umayyad Caliphate; Absolute Monarchy
Week 4: Modern Finland; Nunavut Province in Canada
Week 5: Introduction to Theme 2: How and Why Do Humans “Other” Each Other?; Does Writing Make You Civilized?
Week 6: Alexander the Great, Alaric the Goth; Henry the Navigator
Week 7: The Spanish Requerimento; The Qing Dynasty and the English King
Week 8: The Meiji Restoration in Japan; The Third Reich
Week 9: Structuring “Civilized” with the Creation of The UN Commission on Human Rights; Intro to Theme 3
Week 10: Ashoka and the Mauryan Empire; The Crusades: Fighting For, or Against, Religion
Week 11: The Berlin Conference of 1885, King Leopold, and the Free State of Congo; The Serbian Black Hand and WWI
Week 12: The Costa Rican Constitution and Funding Peace; The Rwandan Genocide
Week 13: Conflict in the West Asia; Big Question 3 Wrap Up
Week 14: Historical Noodling: Analysis, Synthesis, and Final Projects