Middle School World History

In this course students will compare the geography, government, history, and economic systems of cultures around the World.  In the course we will study Ancient cultures from Greece, Rome, China, India, medieval Europe, Mongolia, Enlightenment, and current events.  The class is broken down into 4 different time periods: Classical civilizations, Medieval period, Pre-modern era, and Current events.  Additionally each time period is split into Eastern and Western countries.  

As students hear about how and why different cultures behave they will inherently begin to think about their own world.  This will lead to them thinking critically about themselves, and how they interact socially.  My job as the teacher will be to ask questions using examples from the past to spark thinking inside of them.

Additionally, within the class there will be concrete examples of why governments were formed throughout history to help with social order.  This will be used as a spring board into an activity where students will work collaboratively to create their own government using examples from the past to guide them.

Finally, we will be discussing the role of economic systems in history, and how this has impacted our modern world.  The students will participate in a hands on experience to understand the role of economic systems. 

                                                                                                Weekly schedule
Week 1
Early civilizations (1900 BCE- 400 CE) of the Western World
      Main topics: Ancient Greeks and Romans

Week 2
Main activity: Create your own government activity with the class

Week 3
Early civilizations (1900 BCE- 400 CE) of the Eastern World
     Main topics: Ancient India and the caste system

Week 4
Early civilizations of the Eastern World cont...
     Main topics:  Ancient China and Mongolia (Genghis Khan)

Week 5 
Medieval Europe (400 CE - 1500 CE)
     Main topics: Feudal system, and the Black death

Week 6
Western European enlightenment (1500 CE - 1800 CE)
     Main topics: Exploration, Enlightenment, and the Scientific Revolution.

Week 7
Middle East and Africa
    Main topics: Middle East and Early African civilizations (Ghana, Mali, and Songhai)

Week 8
The Americas
    Main topics: North and South America

Week 9
Eastern World modern history and current events
     Main topics will vary depending on current news events from Eastern countries

Week 10 
Western World modern history and current events
     Main topics will vary depending on current news events from Western countries

I'm an experienced teacher with years of expertise at tailoring this class to meet the needs of each student.  My class will be a mixture of interactive lectures, discussion questions, short video clips, and thought provoking reading.  Honestly the key to the whole experience is getting to know each student so that I can meet their needs on their path to becoming life long learners who are capable of being active members of a well functioning modern society.  I will be sending out a survey before the first class so that I know how your child learns best before we even begin.