Week 1
Lesson 1
Welcome and Class Overview; Intro to First Theme
Humans create government, but why? And what has the relationship been between the governed and the government over time? Includes a look at a modern issue to introduce the concept.
Lesson 2
King Hammurabi: what were his goals?
Overview of the Babylonian Empire, discussion of why Hammurabi was driven to put laws in writing, and who the laws applied to
 Week 2
Lesson 3
The Han Dynasty: the philosophy behind ruling an empire
Overview of the Han Dynasty in China, including reading some of the philosophy that built the laws
Lesson 4
Roman Monarchy-Republic-Empire: how did the government systems change & why?
Discussion of the changes in Roman leadership over time and how leadership issues brought about the fall of the empire.
 Week 3
Lesson 5
Umayyad Caliphate: when the people and the government don't share a vision
Overview of the establishment of Islam, and the governments that arose after the death of the Prophet Muhammad. What made the Umayyads powerful and what brought about the downfall of the caliphate?
Lesson 6
Absolute Monarchy: Louis XIV in France
Discussion of how and where an absolute monarch gets power, and a look at the revocation of the Edict of Nantes as an example of absolute power.
 Week 4
Lesson 7
Modern Finland and the Nordic System
How and why did expectations about government change between the  1700s and the 1900s? By reading parts of the Finnish constitution, what do we learn about the expectations of the leadership and the citizens?
Lesson 8
Provincial Government in Canada: Nunavut
Canada allowed the Nunavut province to construct a provincial government based on the ideas of the Inuit people who inhabit the area. How does the government function and what does it tell us about expectations between the government and the governed? This class will also wrap up the first big theme.
 Week 5
Lesson 9
Introduction to Theme Two: who determines what is civilized?
Overview of different ways that humans have defined civilized over time, and a look at a modern example where definitions of civilized and "barbaric" are used.
Lesson 10
Does Writing Make You Civilized?
Some of the first writing came out of Sumer. Does the creation of writing make the Sumerians more civilized? Overview of Sumerian society.
 Week 6
Lesson 11
Does Perspective Define "Civilized?"
Alaric the Goth and Alexander the Great were both exceptional leaders, but one is considered a barbarian and one a great man. Who makes that decision, and what is it based on? We will read some of the early historians impressions of both men and try to analyze bias and intent.
Lesson 12
Henry the Navigator: Defining Civilization by Skin Color
Portugal's Prince Henry provided the first written description of a "barbaric" civilization based on skin color. Who was Henry, and what impact did his observations have on the world's conception of civilized and barbaric?
 Week 7
Lesson 13
The Spanish Requerimento
As the Spanish set about exploring and conquering the Americas, they presented the Indigenous people with an explanation of their right to take control of the area. To the Spanish, their civilization and the support of the church, gave them the right to control the barbarians. 
Lesson 14
The Qing Dynasty and the English King
The Qinlong Emporer and the English King did not see each other as equals. We will look at the correspondance between the men as an example of how "barbaric" may be in the eye of the beholder.
 Week 8
Lesson 15
The Meiji Restoration in Japan
When Japan transitioned away from the Shogunate system and restored the Meiji Emporer, they also created a new definition of what would be considered civilized. How did the do that, and what was the impact?
Lesson 16
The Third Reich
Discussion of the creation of the Nuremburg Laws, and a reading of Adolph Hitler's Obersalzberg speech, as a way of examing the concepts of civilization and barbaric among the Nazis in Germany.
 Week 9
Lesson 17
Structuring "Civilized" with the Creation of The UN Commission on Human Rights
Overview of the creation of the United Nations, and a look at the tenets that make up the UN statement of human rights. We wil also look at the UN's Strategic Development Goals as an expression of human rights.
Lesson 18
Intro to Big Question 3: Why Do Humans Fight or Pursue Peace?
Overview of the big question, and a look at a modern situation to illustrate that question
 Week 10
Lesson 19
Ashoka and the Mauryan Empire
Ahsoka was a reknowned fighter, until a battlefield conversion. Why did he fight? And what did he do when he chose to focus on peace instead?
Lesson 20
The Crusades: Fighting For, or Against, Religion
Why did the Crusades happen? How did the Muslims in control of Jerusalem respond? What triggered the fighting and what did it accomplish?
 Week 11
Lesson 21
The Berlin Conference of 1885, King Leopold, and the Free State of Congo
An overview of the European partitioning of Africa, and how King Leopold of Belgium took control of the area he named the Free State of Congo. What was he fighting for? Who fought back?
Lesson 22
The Serbian Black Hand, the Assassination of an Archduke, and World War I
What motivated the Serbian nationalist group known as The Black Hand to assassinate Archduke Franz Ferdinand? What impact did that have on World War I? 
 Week 12
Lesson 23
The Costa Rican Constitution and Funding Peace
A discussion of the history of Costa Rica, and an exploration of why the constitution specifically leaves out funding a standing military. Instead,  the country chose to set a spending level for education. How does this impact the way the citizens think about war and peace?
Lesson 24
The Rwandan Genocide
A discussion of the causes of the Rwandan Genocide in the 1990s. What drove two ethnic groups to battle, and how is the country handling peacetime now?
 Week 13
Lesson 25
Tension in the Middle East
The geographic area broadly known as the Middle East is a frequent spot for conflict in the world. What are some of the historical forces that have created this geopolitical reality? 
Lesson 26
Question 3 Wrap Up
Reflection activity that pulls together all of the big questions. We will work on the idea of positive and negative change in history.
 Week 14
Lesson 27
Historical Noodling - What It Is and How You Do It
Group activity involving historical thinking concepts like evaluating cause and effect, determining significance, and comparing impact.
Lesson 28
More Historical Noodling and Project Presentations
Completion of the group activity, wrap up of concepts, and final project presentations for those who choose to present.