As ancient civilizations fell larger empires began to form throughout the world. These empires spread through conquest, political alliance, and religious/cultural conversion. This class will study the rise and fall of the classical era empires of Persia, Greece, China, and Rome. We will study the different ways each empire spread throughout their region, the factors that made them successful, and the circumstances that eventually led to their downfall. By comparing and contrasting these different empires students will gain insight into the forces that strengthen or weaken a society whether it be ancient or modern.

Unit 1: The Persian Empire and Classical Greece
• Cyrus the Great and the Founding of the Persian Empire
• Achaemenid Persia
• The Greco-Persian Wars

Unit 2: Classical Greece and the Empire of Alexander
• Classical Greece and the Golden Age
• The Peloponnesian War
• Alexander the Great and the Hellenistic Period

Unit 3: Imperial China
• The Warring States Period
• The Qin, and Han Dynasties
• The Founding of the Silk Road

Unit 4: The Rise of Rome
• The Republic of Rome
• The Punic Wars
• Julius Caesar, Augustus, and The Pax Romana
• Christianity in the Roman Empire
• The Fall of Rome

Classes are taught with a mix of learning strategies including; instructor presentation, maps, videos, activities, and student discussion. All classes will include informal assessments to check for student understanding such as review activities or short writing assignments. Students are provided with guided notes to assist them in organizing the material covered. Units will conclude with a formal assessment for students to practice their historical knowledge and skills. These assessments are given to check for student understanding, and will be used to asses student progress as part of a growth mindset. Grades are available upon parent request.

**This class is the second of a four part series that will cover World History 1: Prehistory to 1450 CE. The full series is made up of Ancient Civilizations, The Rise and Fall of Classical Empires, The full series is made up of "Ancient Civilizations", "The Rise and Fall of Classical Empires", "The Dark Ages, Vikings, and the Islamic Golden Age ", and "The Late Middle Ages and World Conflict". Completion of all four parts of this course is designed to fulfill the requirements for 2 credits of World History at the Middle School level, or 1 credit at the High School level. Students do not need prior knowledge of world history to take this class. These courses can be taken individually, and in any order students prefer.**