World History Modern Times
1300 AD - 1900 AD
Students in I Group study major turning points that shaped the modern world, from the late eighteenth century through the present, including the cause and course of the two world wars. They trace the rise of democratic ideas and develop an understanding of the historical roots of current world issues, especially as they pertain to international relations. They extrapolate from the American experience that democratic ideals are often achieved at a high price, remain vulnerable, and are not practiced everywhere in the world. Students develop an understanding of current world issues and relate them to their historical, geographic, political, economic, and cultural contexts. Students consider multiple accounts of events in order to understand international relations from a variety of perspectives. -California Department of Education
Week 1: The First Civilizations
Around 3,000 B.C., civilizations began to emerge in four different areas of the world – western Asia, Egypt, India, and China – and give rise to the great empires of the ancient world. By the beginning of the first millennium A.D., however, the great states of the ancient world were mostly in decline or at the point of collapse. On the ruins of the ancient empires, new patterns of civilization began to take shape... The Greek city-states of Sparta and Athens illustrate forms of Western government, while the Greek philosophers established the foundations of Western philosophy. The polis created a model for active citizenship, while the Athenian polis laid the foundations for democracy. Greek thinkers left an important legacy to the West in their commitment to rational inquiry. -Glencoe World History: Modern Times
Student Learning Outcomes:
Greek City-States WebQuest
Week 2: The Legacy of the Ancient World
Rome shifted from a republic into an empire, creating systems of law and government, as well as persecuting and ultimately embracing Christianity. The Romans made an important contribution to the West with their universal standards of justice. The vast extent of the Roman Empire explains why Roman culture has had such great influence in the West. Christianity was able to spread rapidly through the Roman imperial network, while both Roman and Christian values influenced the West... Between the sixth and sixteenth centuries, new systems of rule, religious doctrines, and intellectual movements emerged. In the 7th century, Muhammad spread a new faith that claimed to complete the promise of Judaism and Christianity. Charlemagne united the areas in Western Europe where European civilization took place. The Magna Carta won rights, mainly for nobles, but it established those rights in writing, and later they were extended to commoners. The High and Late Middle Ages traced a series of highs and lows for European agriculture, commerce, religion, and political stability. The Renaissance encouraged excellence in worldly pursuits, while its new ways of thinking encouraged trends that led to the Reformation. -Glencoe World History: Modern Times
Student Learning Outcomes:
Weeks 3 & 4: Revolution to Enlightenment
During the English civil war and the Glorious Revolution, nobles and wealthy commoners established the principle of representative government. Enlightenment thinkers believed that human nature was rational and good, and wanted government and society to be based on reason. Inspired by a belief in natural rights, American colonists rebelled against Britain to found a new nation. -Glencoe World History: Modern Times
Student Learning Objectives:
The Legacy of the Ancient World Summary Writing
Week 5: The Enlightenment
Enlightenment thinkers, or philosophes, believed that human nature was rational and good, and wanted government and society to be based on reason. The philosophe believed they could copy the rational methods of scientists to eliminate unjust laws and create a better society. Their belief in logic and reason promoted the beginnings of the social sciences, such as economics and political science. -Glencoe World History: Modern Times
Student Learning Objectives:
Enlightened Thinkers Poster Project
Week 6: The French Revolution Begins
Social inequality and economic problems contributed to the French Revolution, a struggle for rights that has shaped the modern world. The Third Estate, which made up the vast majority of the French people, were heavily taxed and discontented. By meeting as a separate assembly, the Third Estate claimed the right to have their votes count as much as those of the clergy and nobles. The National Assembly affirmed the ‘rights of man’ and set up a limited monarchy in the Constitution of 1791. -Glencoe World History: Modern Times
Student Learning Objectives:
Week 7: The French Revolution
Radical groups controlled the revolution, which many people in France and abroad opposed. Some European countries opposed the revolution and threatened to invade France to keep order. While the Committee of Public Safety was in power, thousands who opposed the government were executed. The revolutionary government raised a huge army that successfully defended France against invasion. The Constitution of 1795 set up a new government, but it was not able to inspire trust or solve the government's economic problems. -Glencoe World History: Modern Times
Student Learning Objectives:
Week 8: The Age of Napoleon
After the French Revolution, Napoleon built and lost an empire, and also spread ideas about nationalism. Napoleon, a popular general, overthrew the Directory, helped set up a new government, and eventually held complete power. Napoleon brought stability to France and established a single law code that recognized the equality of all citizens before the law. By conquering much of Europe, Napoleon established an empire. A feeling of nationalism spread by France to other countries led to the opposition to French rule in these countries. After major losses in Russia and Austria, Napoleon met his final defeat at Waterloo and was exiled. -Glencoe World History: Modern Times
Student Learning Objectives:
Week 9: Reaction and Revolution
In 1848, liberals and nationalists rebelled against many of the conservative governments of Europe. After Napoleon’s defeat, the victors met and redrew the map of Europe to create a balance of power and to strengthen conservatism. Liberals and nationalists opposed the existing political system and threatened conservative regimes. Beginning in France in 1848, the spirit of revolution spread quickly over Europe, but the uprisings were largely suppressed.-Glencoe World History: Modern Times
Student Learning Objectives:
Week 10: Quarter 1 Finals Week
Week 11: The Industrial Revolution
When coal and steam engines powered new industry, people migrated to expanding cities to find jobs. Plentiful natural resources, workers, wealth, and markets explain why Great Britain was the country where the Industrial Revolution began. The pace of industrialization in Europe in the United States, and Japan depended on many factors, including government policy. Industrialization urbanized Europe and created new social classes, as well as the conditions for the rise of socialism. -Glencoe World History: Modern Times
Student Learning Objectives:
Week 12: Romanticism and Realism
Artistic movements were influenced by the society around them. Romanticism was a reaction to the Industrial Revolution, while progress in science contributed to realism. In the arts, romanticism stressed individualism an emotion instead of the reason and universalism of the Enlightenment period. Rapid advances in science and technology fueled industrial growth, made medical care more effective, and challenged religious faith. The rise of science encouraged writers and artists to create realistic works that portrayed even the poor and degraded in society. -Glencoe World History: The Modern World
Student Learning Objectives:
Weeks 13 & 15: Industrialization and Nationalism
In the mid-1800s, the German and Italian peoples succeeded in creating their own nations, but not all national groups were able to reach that goal. By taking opposite sides in the Crimean War, the Great Powers of Europe ended decades of cooperation. After 1848, Great Britain liberalized while the governments of France, Austria, and Russia grew more authoritarian. -Glencoe World History: Modern Times
Student Learning Objectives:
Week 14: Thanksgiving Break, No School
Weeks 16-18: The Age of Imperialism
The imperialist powers of the nineteenth century conquered weaker countries and carved up the lands they seized. Their actions had a lasting effect on the world, especially the conquered peoples of Asia and Africa. Through "New Imperialism," Westerners controlled vast territories, exploited native populations, and opened markets for European products. Great Britain, France, Germany, Belgium, and Portugal placed virtually all of Africa under European rule. The British brought stability to India, but destroyed native industries and degraded Indians, while leaders like Mohandas Gandhi worked for independence through nonviolent action. Latin American countries served as a source of raw materials for Europe and the United States. -Glencoe World History: Modern Times
Through student-led research groups and presentations, students will be able to:
Weeks 19 & 20: Winter Break, No School
Week 21: An Era of European Imperialism, 1800 - 1914, Review Week
The period of world history from 1800 to 1914 was characterized by two major developments: the growth of industrialization and Western domination of the world. The Industrial Revolution became one of the major forces for change, leading Western civilization into the industrial ear that has characterized the modern world. At the same time, the Industrial Revolution created the technological means, including new weapons, by which the West achieved domination over much of the rest of the world. -Glencoe World History: Modern Times
Week 22: Quarter 2 Finals Week
Week 23: The Road to World War I
Militarism, nationalism, and a crisis in the Balkans led to World War I. Feelings of nationalism and a system of alliances contributed to the start of World War I. Serbia’s determination to become a large, independent state angered Austria-Hungary and started hostilities. -Glencoe World History: Modern Times
Student Learning Objectives:
The Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, 100 Years Ago
Weeks 24-25: The War
The stalemate at the Western Front led to a widening of World War I, and governments expanded their powers to accommodate the war. The war on the Western Front turned into a stalemate as a result of trench warfare, while on the Eastern Front Germany and Austria-Hungary defeated Russia. New weapons and trench warfare made WWI far more devastating than any previous wars. With the war at a stalemate, both the Allies and the Central Powers looked for new allies to gain an advantage. The U.S. attempt at neutrality ended when the Germans refused to stop unrestricted submarine warfare. WWI became a total war with governments taking control of their economies and civilians undergoing rationing of goods. -Glencoe World History: Modern Times
Student Learning Objectives:
BBC: Life in a WWI Trench
Weeks 26-28: All Quiet on the Western Front
"This book is to be neither an accusation nor a confession, and least of all an adventure, for death is not an adventure to those who stand face to face with it. It will try simply to tell of a generation of men who, even though they may have escaped its shells, were destroyed by the war." —Erich Maria Remarque, preface to All Quiet on the Western Front
Student Learning Objectives:
Weeks 29-30: End of World War I
Week 31: Final Exam Review Week
Week 32: Quarter 3 Final Exams
Week 33: The West Between the Wars
The peace settlement at the end of World War I had tried to fulfill nineteenth-century dreams of nationalism by creating new boundaries and new states. From the beginning, however, the settlement left nations unhappy. Border disputes poisoned relations in eastern Europe for years. Many Germans vowed to revise the terms of the Treaty of Versailles.
Weeks 34: World War II
The biggest conflict in history had lasted almost six years. Some 100 million people had been militarized, and 50 million had been killed. Of those who had died, 15 million were soldiers, 20 million were Russian civilians, six million were Jews and over four million were Poles. -BBC History
WWII Timeline Resources:
Ideologies of the Axis Powers Essay:
Essay Prompt
Primary Source Documents
Week 39: Asia and the Pacific
Read: Japan and the Pacific
Around 3,000 B.C., civilizations began to emerge in four different areas of the world – western Asia, Egypt, India, and China – and give rise to the great empires of the ancient world. By the beginning of the first millennium A.D., however, the great states of the ancient world were mostly in decline or at the point of collapse. On the ruins of the ancient empires, new patterns of civilization began to take shape... The Greek city-states of Sparta and Athens illustrate forms of Western government, while the Greek philosophers established the foundations of Western philosophy. The polis created a model for active citizenship, while the Athenian polis laid the foundations for democracy. Greek thinkers left an important legacy to the West in their commitment to rational inquiry. -Glencoe World History: Modern Times
Student Learning Outcomes:
- Students will define civilization and identify the characteristics of a civilization.
- Students will analyze the codes of law that developed in ancient civilizations.
- Students will explain how religious beliefs developed in ancient civilizations.
- Students will discuss details about the caste system’s influence in ancient India.
- Students will understand the civilization of the ancient Greeks.
- Students will describe the influence of ancient Greek political and ethical systems on modern-day systems.
- Students will analyze the works of important Greek philosophers who contributed to the development of Western political ideals.
Greek City-States WebQuest
Week 2: The Legacy of the Ancient World
Rome shifted from a republic into an empire, creating systems of law and government, as well as persecuting and ultimately embracing Christianity. The Romans made an important contribution to the West with their universal standards of justice. The vast extent of the Roman Empire explains why Roman culture has had such great influence in the West. Christianity was able to spread rapidly through the Roman imperial network, while both Roman and Christian values influenced the West... Between the sixth and sixteenth centuries, new systems of rule, religious doctrines, and intellectual movements emerged. In the 7th century, Muhammad spread a new faith that claimed to complete the promise of Judaism and Christianity. Charlemagne united the areas in Western Europe where European civilization took place. The Magna Carta won rights, mainly for nobles, but it established those rights in writing, and later they were extended to commoners. The High and Late Middle Ages traced a series of highs and lows for European agriculture, commerce, religion, and political stability. The Renaissance encouraged excellence in worldly pursuits, while its new ways of thinking encouraged trends that led to the Reformation. -Glencoe World History: Modern Times
Student Learning Outcomes:
- Students will understand the contributions the Romans made to the West with their universal standards of justice.
- Students will discuss the expansion of the Roman Empire and the influence of Roman culture.
- Students will describe how Christianity spread throughout the Roman Empire and became the state religion.
- Students will trace the origin and beliefs of Islam
- Students will explain the effect of the Magna Carta on Western European nations
- Students will describe the course of the Middle Ages in Europe
- Students will identify the causes and features of the Renaissance and the Reformation
Weeks 3 & 4: Revolution to Enlightenment
During the English civil war and the Glorious Revolution, nobles and wealthy commoners established the principle of representative government. Enlightenment thinkers believed that human nature was rational and good, and wanted government and society to be based on reason. Inspired by a belief in natural rights, American colonists rebelled against Britain to found a new nation. -Glencoe World History: Modern Times
Student Learning Objectives:
- Student will identify the causes and features of the Renaissance and the Reformation.
- Students will define absolutism and explain the basis for the power of absolutist monarchs.
- Students will explore the causes of the Glorious Revolution in England.
- Students will explain the effects of the Glorious Revolution on the principle of representative government
The Legacy of the Ancient World Summary Writing
Week 5: The Enlightenment
Enlightenment thinkers, or philosophes, believed that human nature was rational and good, and wanted government and society to be based on reason. The philosophe believed they could copy the rational methods of scientists to eliminate unjust laws and create a better society. Their belief in logic and reason promoted the beginnings of the social sciences, such as economics and political science. -Glencoe World History: Modern Times
Student Learning Objectives:
- Student will explain how the ideas of the Scientific Revolution led to the Enlightenment.
- Students will describe the tenets of Enlightenment thought.
- Students will give details about how scientific methods were applied to the social sciences.
- Students will recount the reasons for the spread of Enlightenment thought.
Enlightened Thinkers Poster Project
Week 6: The French Revolution Begins
Social inequality and economic problems contributed to the French Revolution, a struggle for rights that has shaped the modern world. The Third Estate, which made up the vast majority of the French people, were heavily taxed and discontented. By meeting as a separate assembly, the Third Estate claimed the right to have their votes count as much as those of the clergy and nobles. The National Assembly affirmed the ‘rights of man’ and set up a limited monarchy in the Constitution of 1791. -Glencoe World History: Modern Times
Student Learning Objectives:
- Students will describe the social inequalities that contributed to the French Revolution.
- Students will identify the economic problems that contributed to the French Revolution.
- Students will understand why certain groups opposed the new order.
Week 7: The French Revolution
Radical groups controlled the revolution, which many people in France and abroad opposed. Some European countries opposed the revolution and threatened to invade France to keep order. While the Committee of Public Safety was in power, thousands who opposed the government were executed. The revolutionary government raised a huge army that successfully defended France against invasion. The Constitution of 1795 set up a new government, but it was not able to inspire trust or solve the government's economic problems. -Glencoe World History: Modern Times
Student Learning Objectives:
- Students will examine the differences between the National Convention's factions.
- Students will analyze how the Committee of Public Safety identified enemies of the state.
- Students will evaluate how the French revolutionary army helped create modern nationalism.
- Students will describe the government that replaced the National Convention.
Week 8: The Age of Napoleon
After the French Revolution, Napoleon built and lost an empire, and also spread ideas about nationalism. Napoleon, a popular general, overthrew the Directory, helped set up a new government, and eventually held complete power. Napoleon brought stability to France and established a single law code that recognized the equality of all citizens before the law. By conquering much of Europe, Napoleon established an empire. A feeling of nationalism spread by France to other countries led to the opposition to French rule in these countries. After major losses in Russia and Austria, Napoleon met his final defeat at Waterloo and was exiled. -Glencoe World History: Modern Times
Student Learning Objectives:
- Students will describe personal qualities Napoleon possessed that gained him popular support.
- Students will evaluate the overall effect of Napoleon's Civil Code.
- Students will identify the three parts of Napoleon's Grand Empire.
- Students will explain why being a sea power helped Britain survive attack by the French.
- Students will examine why Napoleon invaded Russia.
Week 9: Reaction and Revolution
In 1848, liberals and nationalists rebelled against many of the conservative governments of Europe. After Napoleon’s defeat, the victors met and redrew the map of Europe to create a balance of power and to strengthen conservatism. Liberals and nationalists opposed the existing political system and threatened conservative regimes. Beginning in France in 1848, the spirit of revolution spread quickly over Europe, but the uprisings were largely suppressed.-Glencoe World History: Modern Times
Student Learning Objectives:
- Students will understand the decisions made at the Congress of Vienna.
- Students will explain changes in the popularity of conservative, liberal, and nationalist movements across Europe.
- Students will identify and explain reasons for revolutionary outbursts and reforms in Europe.
Week 10: Quarter 1 Finals Week
Week 11: The Industrial Revolution
When coal and steam engines powered new industry, people migrated to expanding cities to find jobs. Plentiful natural resources, workers, wealth, and markets explain why Great Britain was the country where the Industrial Revolution began. The pace of industrialization in Europe in the United States, and Japan depended on many factors, including government policy. Industrialization urbanized Europe and created new social classes, as well as the conditions for the rise of socialism. -Glencoe World History: Modern Times
Student Learning Objectives:
- Students will explain the factors that enabled Great Britain to industrialize.
- Students will describe the spread of the Industrial Revolution across Europe.
- Students will understand the social impact of the Industrial Revolution, including the growth of towns and cities and the emergence of capitalism.
- Students will discuss connections among natural resources, labor, and capital in an industrial economy.
Week 12: Romanticism and Realism
Artistic movements were influenced by the society around them. Romanticism was a reaction to the Industrial Revolution, while progress in science contributed to realism. In the arts, romanticism stressed individualism an emotion instead of the reason and universalism of the Enlightenment period. Rapid advances in science and technology fueled industrial growth, made medical care more effective, and challenged religious faith. The rise of science encouraged writers and artists to create realistic works that portrayed even the poor and degraded in society. -Glencoe World History: The Modern World
Student Learning Objectives:
- Students will identify and explain characteristics of romanticism.
- Students will describe events and key people in the new age of science.
- Students will discuss the realism movement and its effects on the literary and visual arts.
Weeks 13 & 15: Industrialization and Nationalism
In the mid-1800s, the German and Italian peoples succeeded in creating their own nations, but not all national groups were able to reach that goal. By taking opposite sides in the Crimean War, the Great Powers of Europe ended decades of cooperation. After 1848, Great Britain liberalized while the governments of France, Austria, and Russia grew more authoritarian. -Glencoe World History: Modern Times
Student Learning Objectives:
- Students will evaluate the social impact of the Industrial Revolution.
- Students will understand the effects of nationalism and the changes that took place in other states in Europe.
- Students will analyze how the Crimean War destroyed the Concert of Europe
Week 14: Thanksgiving Break, No School
Weeks 16-18: The Age of Imperialism
The imperialist powers of the nineteenth century conquered weaker countries and carved up the lands they seized. Their actions had a lasting effect on the world, especially the conquered peoples of Asia and Africa. Through "New Imperialism," Westerners controlled vast territories, exploited native populations, and opened markets for European products. Great Britain, France, Germany, Belgium, and Portugal placed virtually all of Africa under European rule. The British brought stability to India, but destroyed native industries and degraded Indians, while leaders like Mohandas Gandhi worked for independence through nonviolent action. Latin American countries served as a source of raw materials for Europe and the United States. -Glencoe World History: Modern Times
Through student-led research groups and presentations, students will be able to:
- Describe how colonial powers established control of Southeast Asia.
- Discuss the differences between indirect and direct rule.
- Explain the impact of colonialism on local economies and cultures.
- Trace the rise of nationalist movements in Southeast Asia.
- Describe how European countries maintained control over West Africa.
- Explain how the Suez Canal influenced the growth and colonization of Egypt.
- Discuss the explorations of Livingstone and Stanley and the resulting colonization of Central Africa.
- Understand the domination of Germany and Great Britain over East Africa.
- Describe the colonization of southern Africa.
- Trace the expansion of British control over India.
- Describe the effects of British rule on the economy, politics, and culture of India.
- Explain the causes of Indian nationalism.
- Understand the establishment of a modern Indian identity.
- Discuss how revolutionary ideas in Latin America were influenced by revolutions in North America.
- Describe the import and export of materials and goods in Latin America.
- Explain how the domination of the landed elite caused political instability in Latin America.
- Trace the causes of the Mexican Revolution.
Weeks 19 & 20: Winter Break, No School
Week 21: An Era of European Imperialism, 1800 - 1914, Review Week
The period of world history from 1800 to 1914 was characterized by two major developments: the growth of industrialization and Western domination of the world. The Industrial Revolution became one of the major forces for change, leading Western civilization into the industrial ear that has characterized the modern world. At the same time, the Industrial Revolution created the technological means, including new weapons, by which the West achieved domination over much of the rest of the world. -Glencoe World History: Modern Times
Week 22: Quarter 2 Finals Week
Week 23: The Road to World War I
Militarism, nationalism, and a crisis in the Balkans led to World War I. Feelings of nationalism and a system of alliances contributed to the start of World War I. Serbia’s determination to become a large, independent state angered Austria-Hungary and started hostilities. -Glencoe World History: Modern Times
Student Learning Objectives:
- Students will summarize the causes of World War I.
- Students will recognize how nationalism and a system of alliances contributed to the start of the war.
- Students will describe events on the Western Front and the Eastern Front.
- Students will explain what is meant by “total war” and its effects on society.
- Students will discuss major turning points in the war.
The Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, 100 Years Ago
Weeks 24-25: The War
The stalemate at the Western Front led to a widening of World War I, and governments expanded their powers to accommodate the war. The war on the Western Front turned into a stalemate as a result of trench warfare, while on the Eastern Front Germany and Austria-Hungary defeated Russia. New weapons and trench warfare made WWI far more devastating than any previous wars. With the war at a stalemate, both the Allies and the Central Powers looked for new allies to gain an advantage. The U.S. attempt at neutrality ended when the Germans refused to stop unrestricted submarine warfare. WWI became a total war with governments taking control of their economies and civilians undergoing rationing of goods. -Glencoe World History: Modern Times
Student Learning Objectives:
- Students will describe how trench warfare led to a stalemate.
- Students will explain why the United States entered the war.
- Students will identify which countries belonged to the Allies and the Central Powers.
BBC: Life in a WWI Trench
Weeks 26-28: All Quiet on the Western Front
"This book is to be neither an accusation nor a confession, and least of all an adventure, for death is not an adventure to those who stand face to face with it. It will try simply to tell of a generation of men who, even though they may have escaped its shells, were destroyed by the war." —Erich Maria Remarque, preface to All Quiet on the Western Front
Student Learning Objectives:
- Students will understand the far-reaching political and social consequences of the "Great War".
- Students will discuss the psychological effect of World War I on those who survived it.
- Students will explore what the war was like for the average soldier.
Weeks 29-30: End of World War I
Week 31: Final Exam Review Week
Week 32: Quarter 3 Final Exams
Week 33: The West Between the Wars
The peace settlement at the end of World War I had tried to fulfill nineteenth-century dreams of nationalism by creating new boundaries and new states. From the beginning, however, the settlement left nations unhappy. Border disputes poisoned relations in eastern Europe for years. Many Germans vowed to revise the terms of the Treaty of Versailles.
Weeks 34: World War II
The biggest conflict in history had lasted almost six years. Some 100 million people had been militarized, and 50 million had been killed. Of those who had died, 15 million were soldiers, 20 million were Russian civilians, six million were Jews and over four million were Poles. -BBC History
WWII Timeline Resources:
Ideologies of the Axis Powers Essay:
Essay Prompt
Primary Source Documents
Week 39: Asia and the Pacific
Read: Japan and the Pacific