Guelph Collegiate Vocational Institute
Upper Grand District School Board
Course Outline
Department: History
Course Title: Adventures in History
Course Type: Workplace Preparation
Grade: 12
Course Code: CHM-4E
Credit Value: 1
Department Head: J. Goodreau
Teachers: K. Mullen
Date of Development: September 2015
Curriculum Document: (copy subjectspecific document from secondary curriculum
website
http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/curriculum/sec
ondary/)
Course Prerequisites/Corequisites:
CHC-2D, CHC 2P, or the locally developed
course LDCC in Canadian History
http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/curriculum/sec
ondary/2015cws11and12.pdf (pg. 427)
Course Description:
This course examines significant developments and events in world history from earliest times
to the present. Students will explore a variety of social, cultural, economic, and political
developments in different regions of the world and during different periods. In addition to
investigating how conflict, religion, work, and technology have helped shape people’s lives,
students will examine the contributions of some significant individuals to our global heritage.
Students will apply the concepts of historical thinking and the historical inquiry process,
including the interpretation and analysis of evidence, when investigating a variety of human
experiences in world history.
Term Work (70% of the final mark)
Unit Title, Big Ideas, and Unit Culminating Tasks
Unit One: Pre-History
Big Idea 1: The environment had a major impact on the location of societies as well as their
material life
Big Idea 2: Agriculture and trade were very important to the development of early societies
- Evolution of modern humans
- Paleolithic and Neolithic Ages
- Cradles of Civilization
Unit Two: Ancient Civilizations
Big Idea 1: Conflict played a large role in the decline of many early societies
Big idea 2: religion/spiritual beliefs and language were key aspects of the culture and heritage
of early societies
Big Idea 3: these societies left invaluable legacies to future generations, including us
- Mesopotamia
- Egypt
- Greece (The Classical Age)
- Rome
Unit Three: The Middle Ages, Renaissance
Big Idea: the daily lives of people in many societies underwent many changes
- Western Europe’s feudal system and Crusades
- Italian city-states usher back the Classical Age
Unit Four: the Age of Discovery (1492)
Big Idea: the European Age of Discovery had many intended and unintended consequences
- Old World Countries: Spain, France, England, Holland, Portugal
- New World countries: 13 colonies, New France, Mexico
Unit Five: The New World
Big idea: Both countries evolved in very different ways
- USA: revolution, 1812, Civil War
- Canada: New France, Native Canadians, BNA, 1812, Confederation
Unit Six: Leading to the 20th Century
Big Idea: Europeans refused to accept the status quo of their Absolutist rulers
- Glorious Revolution (England)
- French Revolution
- German re-unification
Unit Seven: 20th and 21st centuries
Big Idea: technology has altered the way people lived and worked in this period
Big Idea 2: the inability to settle conflicts led to a century of warfare
- World War One
- The Great Depression
- World War Two
- The Cold War
- 9/11
Culminating Tasks/Exams (30% or the final mark)
Course Culminating Task/Exams and Description
Final Assessment:
- 10% Historical topic PowerPoint Presentation
- 20% Final Exam
Based on the range of students’ learning needs, a selection from the strategies listed below may
be utilized. Refer to list of teaching and assessment strategies.
Teaching Strategies:
- Historical information is transferred via projector notes and graphics
- Course textbook provides thematic investigation into tragedies, natural disasters, kings
and emperors, persecuted peoples
- Chromebooks are used for on-line research
- Historical movies are analysed for authenticity and perspective
Assessment and evaluation strategies:
Course assessment is based upon in-class assignments and weekly Friday quizzes
Textbooks/Learning Resource Materials (align with Policy 603)
- various textbooks, historical movies, and web sources
Please refer to the GCVI Student Handbook for our school policies on:
● academic integrity
● late and missed assignments