World History Semester I Exploration to Empire and Enlightenment 16-18Th Century
What's included
8 live meetings
7 hrs 20 mins in-class hoursHomework
1-2 hours per week. Optional weekly quizzes using Booklet or Kahoot! Learners are asked to prepare a project presentation on one nation or group of people and how they were changed during this period of history. Learners are provided with sources of trade books and articles to read that will enhance their understanding of the weekly lesson. A weekly summary of reflection is helpful to show understanding of the content. This can be completed and sent in for review or just kept for the learner as review.Assessment
Informal assessment Learner scores on review quizzesClass Experience
US Grade 7 - 10
Many people have heard of the story of the 13 British colonies in North America, but what happened to the Native nations and land in the rest of the Americas? Have you wondered what was happening to the people in Asia, Europe, and Russia through these years? How did technology play a role over these 200 years of history? What were the positive and negative impacts on people and places through this time? Week 1: The Age of Exploration Why did exploration happen in the 1500s and not earlier? The pushes and pulls for exploration (religious, economic, political). What technology was involved? Who was the leader in exploration? What would motivate people to leave modern Europe to sail uncharted oceans and lands? Week 2: Colonization and Empires What were the pushes and pulls for nations to have colonies? (religious, economic, political). What were the pushes and pulls for people to move to colonies? (religious, economic, political). What were the differences between colonies of different nations? How was a colony governed from across the Atlantic Ocean? What was the impact of colonization on the Native Nations in the Americas? Which group or groups of people paid the highest price for colonization? Economics: who benefited, who lost? How did national borders change during this time? Columbian Exchange Week 3: England Explores and Colonizes North America What were the pushes and pulls for England to have colonies in the Americas? (religious, economic, political). What were the pushes and pulls for people to move to the British colonies? (religious, economic, political). Was there a difference between the 13 British colonies? How do you make money as a colonist? How did England govern from across the Atlantic Ocean? How did the English interact with the Native Nation people they encountered? Why did the slave trade become part of the British colonies' economy? Triangular Trade Route Week 4: East Meets West What were the positive and negative impacts of European nations in Asia and Oceania? What type of European colonies were in the East? Which European nations were successful in the East? How were colonies governed from across the Pacific Ocean? What was the result of Europeans arriving in the East? Week 5: Age of Enlightenment An overview of when, where, and why this time period developed in Europe. Social contracts Natural Laws Week 6: Age of Enlightenment Key people of the Enlightenment: Francis Bacon, John Locke, Montesquieu, Sir Isaac Newton, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, Adam Smith, Voltaire, and Mary Wollstonecraft Week 7: Russian Empires in the 18th century Russia before Peter the Great Who was Peter the Great? Westernizing Russia Who was Catherine the Great? Week 8: Summary and quiz review. Learners present their chosen project. I teach using a combination of slides, lectures, note-taking using graphic organizers, timelines maps, video clips, and projects. . I encourage reflection and personal connections with the history that we learn in class. Maps and primary sources are used throughout these lessons to illustrate the geography of the areas/nations that we are discussing. Students will be able to create a timeline of the Age of Exploration and Colonization. I encourage questions and discussions, as they arise during class. Each week's lesson will include review games using Blooklet or Kahoot! to be completed after class. Learners will answer the essential question, What was the result of European exploration?
Learning Goals
Trace the origins of exploration and trade during this time period.
Describe the motives of European nations to explore new lands. Describe the impact that exploration had on Indigenous people in the Americas.
Explore the motives for an isolationist policy in Asia.
Examine European motives for trade in Africa.
Explain the Triangular Trade Routes
Explain how empires grow and change
Compare and contrast exploration in the Americas and Africa with exploration in Asia
Other Details
Parental Guidance
Weapons were the main technology that allowed Europeans to overpower other nations and peoples. I will not show graphic images during the classes or on any handouts. The historical fact that Europeans killed many people in Africa, Asia, and the Americas as they explored will be discussed. The spreading of Christianity is a key motivating factor for exploration. Learners are provided the fact that this became a source of conflict in some non-Christian nations. No religious group is portrayed as good or bad. Discussion is focused on the impacts based on historical documents.
European exploration had a worldwide impact, because this class covers 200 hundred years of history it is impossible to discuss all of the individual Native Nation people that were impacted by exploration. I will focus on the Aztecs, Huron, Powhatan, and Wampanoag Native Nations in the Americas. I will focus on the Western Gold Coast of Africa, as slavery was a key source of economics during this time period, and is necessary to discuss its negative impact for a thorough understanding of the impacts on people and societies. We will also discuss the impact on people in the nations of China, India, Japan, and the Spice Islands in Asia.
I teach class directly using Canva, YouTube clips, and Google Docs. Learners may want to submit responses in the classroom using Google Docs, but this is not required. I supply direct links for learners to use the Kahoot! and Blooket review games as a way to review between lessons. These games do not require learners to enter any personal information. The links are provided via the classroom page each week. They are only sent to the enrolled learners in the current section and expire after the section ends.
Supply List
Learners will benefit from having a modern World History textbook that they can refer to for longer reading passages and references outside of the classroom. A very economical choice is the book, Everything You Need to Ace World History in One Big Fat Notebook: The Complete Middle School Study Guide A list of optional picture books and novels that learners may choose to read as an enhancement to the course will be provided upon enrollment.
External Resources
In addition to the Outschool classroom, this class uses:
Teacher expertise and credentials
South Carolina Teaching Certificate in Elementary Education
2 Degrees
Master's Degree in Education from Southern Wesleyan
Bachelor's Degree in Education from Limestone University
I am a highly-qualified and licensed teacher in history for grades elementary through grade 9. I have taught world history in a public school classroom for over 15 years. I was the lead history teacher for my school. I have presented at both local and state social studies teacher conferences. I have judged at all levels, including the national levels of the National History Day Project.
I love to travel and always travel with the purpose of exploring the history of an area.
In order for people to understand current events, we must make the effort to look at the difficult stories of the past. I believe it is only by looking at our past that we can better understand today. This class allows for discussion and reflection on the actions that people took over 400 years ago. The class will teach the causes and effects of exploration. The goal is not to demonize or glorify any group or people, but to have an understanding of events.
Reviews
Live Group Class
$15
weekly or $115 for 8 classes1x per week, 8 weeks
55 min
Completed by 4 learners
Live video meetings
Ages: 12-16
3-6 learners per class