Course Number: SS170
Course Title: World History I

STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES  

General 

1. Demonstrate an understanding of the evolution and prehistory of the human species.
2. Demonstrate an understanding of the development of ancient civilizations in China, India and the Middle East
3. Demonstrate knowledge of the geographical features and conditions in which civilizations arose and the impact which these physical
    features had upon their development; and be able to locate their centers on a map.
4. Demonstrate knowledge of the cultural, political, economic and intellectual accomplishments of the world's early civilizations.
5. Demonstrate an understanding of the ways in which ancient, classical, medieval and renaissance era civilizations laid the
    foundations for the present modern global society.

Specific 

Students will be able to:

Unit 1-The Origins of Civilization: The Ancient Middle East to 500BC

1. Define the following in terms of concept, time, or place: Prehistory, Old Stone Age, New Stone Age, Culture, and Civilization
2. Locate on a map and describe the geographical conditions in each area of the Ancient Middle East where early civilizations
    appeared.
3. Describe the conditions, persons, event, and time periods associated with each of the early civilizations.
4. Describe the governmental and religious organization of Egypt under the Old and New Kingdoms.
5. Distinguish the similarities and differences in the religions of the Egyptians, Hebrews, and Persians.
6. Describe the rise and decline of the Assyrian, Chaldean, and Persian Empires, including major contributions of each empire to later
    civilizations.

Unit 2 - Greek Civilization

1. Describe the relationship between the geographical features of Greece and developments of Greek culture in the Bronze Age; and
    describe the interactions of Minoan civilization, the Sea Peoples, Dorian's and pre-classical Greece.
2. Trace the development of Greek commerce, cities, and political institutions during the Dark Ages and Archaic Period and relate
    these to religious beliefs and practices.
3. Describe the political and social structure of the Greek polis, the rise of tyrants, and the role of lawgivers before the Persian wars.
4. Contrast the political and social structures of Athens and Sparta and trace the interaction of the two city-states during the Persian
    Wars and the Peloponnesian War.
5. Describe the qualities of classical civilization and trace the growth of Athenian ,political and cultural influence among Greek and
    non-Greek peoples in the fifth and fourth centuries B.C.
6. Explain the circumstances that enabled the Macedonians to dominate Greece. Show how Alexander established his empire, why it
    declined, and what long range historical impact it had.
7. Describe the political and cultural features of Hellenistic civilization and explain the fall of the Hellenistic states.

Unit 3 - India and China in Antiquity

1. Explain who the early Aryans were and what is known of their early history and expansion.
2. Describe the religious traditions identified with the Rig Veda and the Upanishads and early Buddhism in India.
3. Discuss the persons, events, and qualities of government under the Mauryan and Gupta Empires.
4. Explain how Indian cultures spread to China, Japan, and Southeast Asia and estimate the historical importance of this phenomenon.
5. Describe the earliest periods of Chinese history and show how Chinese writing acted as a unifying force in China.
6. Explain the main elements of the thought of Confucious and his followers.
7. Describe the working of the Chinese Empire under the Qin and Han dynasties and in the disruption that followed.

Unit 4 - Rome and the Unification of the Mediterranean World

1. Describe the origins of the Latin peoples, the origins of Roman republican institutions, and relate the early history of the Romans to
   the Etruscans.
2. Describe the role of class structures and conflicts between patricians and plebeians in early Rome.
3. Describe the events of Roman conquest of the Italian Peninsula and explain why it occurred
4. Explain the events and outcome of Roman struggles against the Carthaginians and show how Roman successes created economic,
    social, and political challenges among Romans.
5. Discuss the literary, artistic, and religious changes that resulted from Roman exposure to the rest of the Mediterranean Basin after
    the Punic Wars.
6. Describe the sources of strife and the events that led to the collapse of the Roman republican institutions between 146 and 59 B.C.
7. Describe the interaction of powerful politician-soldiers in the late republican era, showing

Unit 5- The Roman Empire

1. Explain how the boundaries, army, and political structures of Rome developed under the Principate of Augustus.
2. Trace the course of political events in Rome under Tiberius, Caligula, Claudius, Nero and the Five Good Emperors.
3. Describe third century urban and rural social and economic patterns, the relationships between upper and lower classes, and the
    cultural differences between the eastern and western regions.
4. Discuss the rise of early Christianity and the response of the Roman Empire to it.
5. Describe the roles of Diocletian and Constantine in the evolution of Roman political institutions.
6. Discuss the qualities of the Roman Empire in the fourth and fifth centuries and explain the causes of the political, economic and
    military decline. 

Unit 6 - The Germanic Kingdoms in the West

1. Describe the origins, characteristics, and events of the history of the Ostrogothic Kingdom in Italy, the Visigothic Kingdom of Spain,
    and the Vandal Kingdom of North Africa.
2. Discuss the origins and rise to power of the Franks and the Anglo-Saxons.
3. Explain the characteristics of Germanic tribal, legal, and family institutions and compare them to Roman institutions. 
4. Describe the evolution of Christian missions, law, administration, and monastic practices in Europe during the Roman period and
    show how they affected Germanic institutions.   

Unit 7 -Africa: Early History to 1000 A.D

1. Trace the evolution of the human species in eastern and southeastern Africa.
2. Describe the physical geographical features of the African continent in relation to early settlement sites.
3. Discuss the diffusion of peoples and languages throughout Africa
4. Characterize the early Saharan cultures in terms of settlement patterns and technology
5. Trace the development of the Napatan, Meroitic, Kushite and Aksumite empires of Nilotic Africa and the Ethiopian Highlands
6. Discuss the Western and Central Sudan in terms of agriculture, trade and the rise of urban centers.
7. Characterize the Khoisan and Bantu cultures of Central, Southern and East Africa

Unit 8 Islam and the Rise of the Arab Empire

1. Describe religious and political institutions and trace the development of factional disputes in the formative period of Islam.
2. Trace the events and explain the social and religious issues which led to the establishment of the Umayyad and Abbasid caliphates.
3. Relate the geneology of the various caliphs to political and religious rivalries, especially the Umayyad, Abbasid, Fatimid dynasties
    and the Shiites and Ismailis.
4. Discuss the origins of the Turkish people and the processes whereby they gained a dominant role in the Islamic world.
5. Explain the origins and impacts of Mongol invasions on Islam.
6. Describe the social and economic institutions and explain the sources of science, literature, and the arts of the Islamic world.

Unit 9 - The Emergence of Western European Civilization

1. Explain the rise of the Carolingians and the relationship between Charlemagne, the Pope and the Byzantine empire.
2. Describe the career of Charlemagne and show how his personality affected the government and institutions of western Europe.
3. Discuss the institutional weaknesses of the Carolingian state, the impact of Viking and Magyar invasions, and the process of political
    decline in the Frankish lands.
4. Describe the persons, policies, and events involved in the establishment of the German Empire in the tenth century.
5. Discuss the institutions, concepts, and conditions of feudal politics and social organization, including the role of women.

Unit 10 The Medieval Period in Europe

1. Describe medieval agriculture, commerce and industry.
2. Describe the conditions of the Roman Catholic Church in the eleventh century, explain how monastic and secular clergy functions,
    and how the investiture controversy affected church-state relationships.
3. Discuss the Crusades and explain their importance from the standpoint of western Christendom.
4. Describe the institutions and practices of urban society and characterize the lives of urban men and women.
5. Describe the major accomplishments in philosophy, theology, science and literature in the thirteenth century.
6. Discuss the economic and political weaknesses that disrupted the order of society in the late medieval period.
7. Explain the rise of powerful secular states in France, England, Spain the Holy Roman Empire.

Unit 11-- South and East Asia from 600-1600

1. Describe and compare the political development of southern and northern India between 600 and 1600.
2. Trace in chronological order the events and accomplishments of the Mughal Empire and explain its decline.
3. Discuss the influence of the Mongols and Moslems in Southeast Asia.
4. Describe the political, cultural, and social developments in China under the Tang dynasty.
5. Explain the governmental, economic, and cultural developments in China under the Song dynasty.
6. Compare the Yuan and Ming periods with regard to political control in China and relations with foreign countries.
7. Trace the origins and development of Japanese government and society from its earliest beginnings to the establishment of the
    Tokugawa Shogunate.

Unit 12 - Africa from 1000 to 1500

1. Trace the spread of Islam in Africa south of the Sahara in terms of persons and events.
2. Discuss the Sahelian Empires of the Western Sudan in Ghana, Mali and Songhai and describe their social, political, economic and
    religious institutions.
3. Characterize the social and political entities of West and Central Africa including Benin, Senegambia, Gold Coast, Kongo and Angola.
4. Discuss the origins and development of the slave trade in Africa prior to and after the involvement of Europeans.
5. Describe the Atlantic slave trade in terms of its impact on individual human slaves, West African societies and the newly developing
   American societies.
6. Describe the major accomplishments of the Swahili culture in East Africa and Great Zimbabwe in southeastern Africa

Unit 13 - The Renaissance in Europe

1. Explain the concept of the Renaissance as a new historical era and show why and how Italy took the lead in its development.
2. Describe the city-state structures of Milan, Venice, and Florence and describe their military and diplomatic activities.
3. Describe the roles of individualism, secularism, humanism, and historical consciousness in fifteenth-century Italian cities.
4. Describe the development and content of Renaissance literature, arts, philosophy, scholarship and social and political thought.
5. Discuss the intellectual and artistic accomplishments of France and England during the Renaissance.
6. Explain the processes, persons and events in the political consolidation of France, Spain and England during the Renaissance.