北歐一千年－歷史、文化、地理

You probably know a few things about the Nordic countries—Vikings, cold weather, Ikea, high taxes, and perhaps blonde people. 

But there is so much more to know about this region. 

Did you know that Sweden, Norway, and Denmark were unified as one country during the 1300s? 

Did you know Finland has a dramatic history, including Russia and Sweden? 

Did you know that about 3 million people from the Nordic countries emigrated to the USA in the late 1800s?

Did you know that “the white busses,” a cooperative mission between the Nordic countries, saved people from the German concentration camps at the end of World War Two? 

This class will meet twice a week, and we will cover important historical events in Finland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, and Iceland. We will also look at the geography and culture (religion, language, Folklore, traditions) of these countries. 

We will start around the year 1000 when the Nordic countries are on the verge of becoming Christian and end today as this area faces very different challenges. 

Each week will cover a specific historical era, and the students will be asked to search for current news connected to the countries to learn about the present time in this area. The news will be shared in the second class of the week. 

Week 1: 1000-1200
Viking Age into the Middle Ages 

Week 2: 1300-1400 Unification between the Nordic countries, the Hansa, and the Black Death 

Week 3: 1500- 1700 
Reformation and the Era of War  and Empires in both Europe and the Nordic Countries 

Week 4:  1700-1850 
The fall of the Swedish Empire, Russian influences, and Napoleon’s Wars. Beginning of industrial production. 

Week 5: 1850- 1920 Famines and emigration, urbanization, socialism, and World War 1. 

Week 6: 1920- 1970, Depression, World War 2, Cold War, and new immigration. 

We will see what is happening in the Nordic countries today by sharing and discussing news during class. 

There will also be a document with questions for the students in the classroom. These questions will be short weekly research projects to help the students deepen their understanding of the class. These projects can be done weekly and sent to me for feedback or done at a time convenient to the students. 

The student needs to be able to do research for the news reporting and the weekly assignments and have a general knowledge of history.