Unit #3: World War I

Welcome to our unit on World War I.  Here are the essential questions for our unit:

• How did the tensions of the late 19th century lead to the outbreak of the Great War?
• How did the events of the war impact both the soldiers and their societies?
• How did World War I challenge the 19th century notions of progress?
• Why was World War I a "Great War"?

Here are the important documents for this unit:

• Unit Calendar
• Reading Guides
• Causes of the War Writing Assignment
• Country Cards - if you'd like to reference the information 

Interesting websites on World War I:

• Great War and the Shaping of the 20th Century - the film we're watching in class
• First World War - you can find links to the Nicky-Willy telegrams, timelines, images...
• BBC World War I
• World War I - Trenches on the Web

Unit #2: Imperialism

Here are the essential questions for our unit on Imperialism:

• Why did newly industrialized nations seek to dominate other nations around the globe?  
• How did European nations justify their actions?  
• What was the impact on imperialized regions?  
• What are the legacies of European imperialism?

Some helpful handouts for this unit:

• Reading Guides 
• Unit Calendar - A Block; G Block  
• Scramble for Africa debrief - if you didn't get a chance to finish it in class, use these questions to write down your thoughts.
• Link to Kipling's White Man's Burden

Unit #1: Industrial Revolution

Our first unit is the Industrial Revolution.  Our guiding questions will be:

• Why did the Industrial Revolution begin in Britain?  
• How did the Industrial Revolution change industry and technology?  How did it change society?
• Was the Industrial Revolution more of a scientific/technological or social revolution?  
• Was it progress?  

Here are some important documents for our unit on the Industrial Revolution:

• Unit Calendar, including Homework assignments
• Reading Guides for Homework
• Unit Review - to help you prepare for the test

Welcome to Modern World History I!  An introduction and course overview:

          At the dawn of the 18th century, Europe and the rest of the globe were rural landscapes dotted mostly with small villages and towns; London only had half a million inhabitants.  By the turn of the 20th century, fueled by innovations in agriculture and technology, the belief in “progress”, and the rise of nationalism, the nations of Europe had scrambled to exercise dominion over the peoples in Africa and Asia with marked success, and the shifts in thinking about society and government were dramatic.  During the next fifty years, however, the relative stability that marked the 19th century would be shattered by two world wars and a series of upheavals that would fundamentally redefine global politics and culture.  In this course, we will look to understand the forces of the 19th and early 20th centuries, how they set the stage for the second half of the 20th century, and how they continue to influence our world today.

            Our year will be centered on the themes of identity and conflict.  We will work with your English teachers to use the following questions to understand these themes more deeply: What factors inform our identity? What does it mean to be an “insider” versus an “outsider”?  What does it mean to belong?  How does that belonging impact both the individual and society?  We will also pay particular attention to the variety of perspectives that are necessary to have a deeper understanding of history and certainly make it come alive.