Asia Society’s
Graduation Portfolio System (GPS) and
Curriculum Frameworks Project
Experiences in
World History
Unit III: Cultural
Exchanges, 1100-1600 CE
A unit presented to be piloted by
ISSN schools during the 2009-2010 school year
Developed by Tim Kubik, Ph.D. with
David Tabano
DRAFT, version July 2009
Experiences
World
III: Cultural
CE
Narrative Summary: As the world
civilizationsIn
that
rose History--Unit
in the first millennium
of the Exchanges,
Common Era1100-1600
came to understand
one another, they also came to understand the ways in which they might relate to another and, in time, networks of
exchange arose, both commercial and intellectual. This cross-cultural diffusion occurred through travel and trade,
scholarship, and war, and it had a profound impact in terms of the way these civilizations engaged with each other,
and eventually in the way they understood themselves. Perhaps the most dramatic example was the exchange
between the hemispheres, in part because it changed many earlier relationships, including the identity of “Western”
culture as “Atlantic” rather than “Mediterranean.” Perceived at the time as a “Renaissance in and of the West,” the
effects of the Colombian Exchange remain with us to this day.
This unit has been developed by ISSN teachers and consultants to be piloted and further refined during
the 2009-2010 school year as part of the Asia Society Graduation Portfolio System and Curriculum
Frameworks project. If you would like to be part of the team piloting this unit, please send your contact
information with the name of the unit to Jennifer Chidsey Pizzo at jenniferp@asiasoc.org
Questions to refine scope and place in sequence for this unit:
Question
Answer
Who are the students who
Depending on the existing state standards, this unit can be taught in 9th,
will learn from this unit?
10th, or 11th grade. While the content and concepts may be “set”
What grade level(s)?
according to state standards, the general framework of cultural exchange
can be adapted to meet the needs of students across these grade levels.
What will make this unit
The adventure of exploration is inherently exciting if presented in terms of
most interesting to
“entering the unknown” rather than “telling the story” once you’ve been
students? (Promising
there. In this unit, we acknowledge that students begin their experience
Connections)
in World History with a similar degree of unfamiliarity with other cultures,
but will engage in activities during the unit that will allow them to explore
cultures other than their own, and also to learn how these cultures
influenced their own identity through the process of cultural exchange and
diffusion. By structuring the lessons in a way that reflects the actual
process of exploration (and reinforces the AS/ISSN H/SS Frameworks),
students are encouraged to see, and seize upon, parallels to their own
learning of state standards from different perspectives as part of what
they are learning about Cultural Exchanges
How can this be developed
Because the unit is focused on exploration, the technologies of
as an interdisciplinary unit
exploration (map-reading and map-making, navigation, environmental
(what disciplines can/should science, and medicine) can all be incorporated into this unit depending on
be addressed)?
what is going on in courses the students are also taking. Because
journaling was also an important technology of exploration, students
might also be encouraged to make connections between the writing they
do in this unit in the “Explorer’s Log,” and ELA lessons pertaining to
personal and reflective writing.
How does this unit address
This unit connects students to the world and prepares them for college by
the ISSN graduate
helping them to understand the relationships between geography,
profile/GPS Leadership
environment, and culture, and the relationships between cultures, and the
Goals?
ways in which these relationships gave shape to the world we know
today. By emphasizing trade, scholarship, and war as important modes
of cultural exchange, students also have the opportunity to develop their
appreciation of the history of today’s events. As many of the learning
experiences offered in the unit depend on effective teamwork, students
will also improve their ability to collaborate and analyze information in
order to arrive at reasonable and responsible decisions.
In what course/s do we
Experiences in World History, or any “World History” course mandated by
envision this unit being
state standards, or offered as part of an AP program. Given its
taught?
multicultural/trans-cultural focus, this unit is NOT ideally suited for a
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What pre-requisite
knowledge is required of
students?
Experiences In World History--Unit III: Cultural Exchanges, 1100-1600 CE
traditional “Western Civilization” course.
An advantage of this unit is that nearly all high school students will have
heard of Christopher Columbus and the “age of exploration” in earlier
Middle School studies. They are also likely to know some “famous
explorers” (whether from the time, or today). However, because this unit
is highly dependent on a knowledge of world geography, students will
have to have had a course that exposes them to the basic fundamentals
(world maps; physical and political geography; cultural diffusion, latitude
and longitude, etc.). It is NOT necessary, however, for students to have a
prior-knowledge of countries around the world, and in fact, it may be
better if they do not know all of the countries of the world, but use this unit
as an opportunity to explore the way cultural relationships such as trade,
scholarship, and war, helped to produce the countries we know today.
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Experiences In World History--Unit III: Cultural Exchanges, 1100-1600 CE
Part A-I: Planning and Preparation—EUs, EQs, Results and ISSN Graduate Profile
What are the big
Students should come to appreciate the way that cultural systems of
ideas/enduring
thought foster relationships of competition (conflict/war) or cooperation
understandings students (trade/exchange of ideas) in a way that ultimately forms relational networks
will understand and be
along which information and goods come to be exchanged. They will also
able to explain as a result
have an opportunity to consider the ways that existing cultural systems
of this unit (EUs)
attempt to regulate exchange, and the degree to which the success or
failure of these efforts impacts the viability of systems.
EU1: Students will understand how informal social networks form
across and between cultural systems.
EU2: Students will understand how social networks and cultural
systems regulate cooperation and competition between cultural
systems.
What provocative
questions will students try
to answer in this unit?
How are these related to
the Big Ideas above?
(EQs)
Keeping the EQ for this unit “general” is important in order to allow students
to explore the full range of options that can be considered under the word
“relate.” Looking at relationships as “informal social networks” and more
“formal systems” should engage the students curiosity by connecting their
own social networking experiences to important moments of systemic
cultural change.
EQ: How do global cultures relate around ‘1492?’
What will students know
and be able to do as a
result of this unit?
(Results; content and
skills)
How will this unit support
the development of
students who reflect the
graduate profile for the
ISSN network?
In addition to learning the geography and history of the five cultures under
examination in this unit, students will develop historical understandings of
the patterns of conflict (Crusades and Colonial Conquest—two sides of the
same coin; Islamic expansion, Warring States period, etc.) and patterns of
cooperation (trade networks in Asia, Africa, Americas, and Mediterranean),
and also the economic basics of trade (as opposed to mercantilism or
capitalism), and historical developments in the history of warfare (tactical
organization and the use of new technologies). As many of the learning
experiences offered in the unit depend on teamwork, students will also
improve their ability to collaborate and analyze information in order to arrive
at reasonable and responsible decisions.
This unit connects students to the world and prepares them for college by
helping them to understand the relationships between geography,
environment, and culture, and the relationships between cultures, and the
ways in which these relationships gave shape to the world we know today.
By emphasizing trade, scholarship, and war as important modes of cultural
exchange, students also have the opportunity to develop their appreciation
of the history of today’s events. As many of the learning experiences
offered in the unit depend on teamwork, students will also improve their
ability to collaborate and analyze information in order to arrive at
reasonable and responsible decisions.
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Experiences In World History--Unit III: Cultural Exchanges, 1100-1600 CE
Part A-II: Preparation and Planning—Possible Standards Addressed
Note: National Standards are addressed here. Individual ISSN schools should align their State’s
standards with these to meet requirements. Web sites for state standards of ISSN schools are
provided in additional resources section of this document.
Link to all standards: http://www.mcrel.org/compendium/browse.asp
Social Studies
Geography
Career/Occupation
Era 5 - Intensified Hemispheric Interactions 1000-1500 CE
19. Understands the maturation of an interregional system of
communication, trade, and cultural exchange during a period of
Chinese economic power and Islamic expansion
20. Understands the redefinition of European society and culture from
1000 to 1300 CE
22. Understands the growth of states, towns, and trade in Sub-Saharan
Africa between the 11th and 15th centuries
23. Understands patterns of crisis and recovery in Afro-Eurasia
between 1300 and 1450
24. Understands the expansion of states and civilizations in the
Americas between 1000 and 1500
25. Understands major global trends from 1000 to 1500 CE
Era 6 - Global Expansion and Encounter, 1450-1770
26. Understands how the transoceanic interlinking of all major regions
of the world between 1450 and 1600 led to global transformations
27. Understands how European society experienced political,
economic, and cultural transformations in an age of global
intercommunication between 1450 and 1750
28. Understands how large territorial empires dominated much of
Eurasia between the 16th and 18th centuries
29. Understands the economic, political, and cultural interrelations
among peoples of Africa, Europe, and the Americas between 1500
and 1750
30. Understands transformations in Asian societies in the era of
European expansion
31. Understands major global trends from 1450 to 1770
Human Systems
9.
Understands the nature, distribution and migration of human
populations on Earth's surface
10. Understands the nature and complexity of Earth's cultural mosaics
11. Understands the patterns and networks of economic
interdependence on Earth's surface
12. Understands the patterns of human settlement and their causes
13. Understands the forces of cooperation and conflict that shape the
divisions of Earth's surface
Environment and Society
14. Understands how human actions modify the physical environment
15. Understands how physical systems affect human systems
16. Understands the changes that occur in the meaning, use,
distribution and importance of resources
Uses of Geography
17. Understands how geography is used to interpret the past
18. Understands global development and environmental issues
Working With Others
1.
Contributes to the overall effort of a group
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Experiences In World History--Unit III: Cultural Exchanges, 1100-1600 CE
2.
Uses conflict-resolution techniques
3.
Works well with diverse individuals and in diverse situations
4.
Displays effective interpersonal communication skills
5.
Demonstrates leadership skills
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Experiences In World History--Unit III: Cultural Exchanges, 1100-1600 CE
Part B: Assessing the Unit
How will students demonstrate that they know and can do what was planned? Include assessment
strategies that are formative and summative. What do I want to know about student prior
understanding of the topics covered in this unit before the unit begins and how will what I find out be
useful in making sure that the way the unit is planned meets the students where they are (preassessments)?
Explorer’s Logs: Because exploration was not only about travel and
Pre-Assessment
Ideas
discovery, but also collecting and accounting, instructors should consider
assigning an Explorer’s Log as an ongoing note-taking assessment for each
student individually (see template included in the unit documentation). In
addition to offering an authentic learning experience, it also offers an effective
formative assessment with which the instructor can spot-check the student’s
own management of his or her learning. A three-column note format is
strongly encouraged, in which students record what they learned on their own,
what they learned from others (in their own groups, and from other groups),
and finally their observations or reflections about this learning. Time should be
budgeted at the end of each class (5-10 minutes) to allow for journaling. A
well-kept journal will offer students an excellent set of notes with which to start
their end of the unit reflection essay.
Summative
The primary “task” for Unit III, Cultural Exchanges, is entitled “The Columbus
Assessment Ideas
Debate.” Using student’s prior knowledge of Christopher Columbus as an
explorer, we look at cross-cultural relationships through exploration and long
distance trade in Europe (Columbus), Asia (Zheng Ho), Central Asia (IbnBatutta), Africa (Mali’s Tauregs), and the Americas (the Pochteca class among
the Aztecs). Beginning with a group based, comparative study of these five
world civilizations, students are tasked with producing a “flag poster” and
offering a presentation that will communicate their understanding the crosscultural relationships that bring these cultures together as explorer cultures,
AND with relating the independent activities of their culture to a pattern, or
relationship, that can help to explain the main trends considered in this Unit. A
final reflective essay will allow the students to bring it all together, and offer an
overview of student learning in the unit that can be assessed in direct
reference to the HSS Performance Outcomes.
Formative Assessment:
Explorer’s Log
Assessments for
Learning Experience
1
Explorer’s Log, Structured Learning Teams
Assessments for
Learning Experience
2
Explorer’s Log, IDs, Short-Writings, and Cultural “Map”
Assessments for
Learning Experience
3
Explorer’s Log, Map of Cultural Relationships
Assessments for
Learning Experience
4
Explorer’s Log, IDs, Short-Writings
Assessments for
Learning Experience
5
Explorer’s Log, “Flag Poster,” Group Presentation.
Assessments for
Learning Experience
6
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Assessments for
Learning Experience
7
Experiences In World History--Unit III: Cultural Exchanges, 1100-1600 CE
Explorer’s Log, Reflective Essay using GPS H/SS Rubric
Resources for planning assessments:
See the rubrics provided for the Explorer’s Logs and both Mapping Activities, as well as the final GPS
rubric for assessing the “flag/poster” presentations and the reflective essay. The remainder of the work
for this unit, including the IDs and short-writing prompts, should be spot-checked using a simple scoring
system that notes whether the answers provided approach, meet, or exceed state standard expectations
for the assigned content.
The following texts were used as resources in class:
Davidson, Basil. African Civilization Revisited. (Trenton, NJ: Africa World Press, Inc., 1991).
Dunn, Ross E., et. al. Links Across Time and Place: A World History. (Evanstaon, IL: McDougal,
Littell, & Company, 1990). Core Textbook.
Reilly, Kevin. Worlds of History: A Comparative Reader, Vol. One: To 1550, 2nd Ed. (Boston:
Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2004).
Reilly, Kevin. Worlds of History: A Comparative Reader, Vol. Two: Since 1400, 3rd Ed. (Boston:
Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2007).
The video Columbus and the Age of Discovery (BBC, 1992) is an effective multi-media supplement to aid
students in the discovery of information regarding the IDs and short-paragraph writings, and can be
viewed as a class, or “checked out” by the groups once they have worked through a text, and perhaps
before moving on to on-line resources.
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Experiences In World History--Unit III: Cultural Exchanges, 1100-1600 CE
Part C: Implementation—Teaching the Unit
Learning Experience I
Description: Opening debate that establishes EMERGING pros & cons
and facts & prejudices. Collect these on a board, poster-paper, or
overhead slide, and then conclude the discussion with a COMPARISON of
Time required: 1 Day
the main pros & cons, facts and prejudices WITHOUT rendering any value
judgments at this point. Students should also be allowed 10-15 minutes to
set up their Explorer’s Log, and enter any initial observations.
Materials
Core Skills and Content Addressed
Skills
Content
Conflict resolution techniques,
Major regions of the world and their
collaborative work with diverse
transoceanic linkages between 1450
individuals in diverse situations,
and 1600; global transformation of
effective interpersonal
“Columbian Exchange;” resulting
communication skills
political, economic, and cultural
transformations; major global trends
1000-1750.
Standards Addressed for all Disciplines Included in the Unit
Social Studies
Era 6 - Global Expansion and Encounter, 1450-1770
26. Understands how the transoceanic interlinking of all major regions of
the world between 1450 and 1600 led to global transformations
27. Understands how European society experienced political, economic,
and cultural transformations in an age of global intercommunication
between 1450 and 1750
Career/Occupation
Working With Others
2.
Uses conflict-resolution techniques
3.
Works well with diverse individuals and in diverse situations
4.
Displays effective interpersonal communication skills
Pre-Requisites
Speaking, Listening,
Protocol-based group discussion
Reading and Writing
Skills Required
Community Connection/Home Work
Students should be encouraged to carry on their discussion points at home,
in order to determine whether their opinions of Columbus are different from
those of an earlier generation, and if so, how.
Title: “What do you
think of Columbus?”
Resources for Existing Lessons: A short one-paragraph blurb (Wikipedia entry shown below, for
example, given the social production of Wiki text), might serve as a good common starting point for the
discussion. This can be read individually by the students, or by the teacher.
Christopher Columbus (between August 25 and October 31, 1451 – May 20, 1506) was a Genoese
navigator, colonizer and explorer whose voyages across the Atlantic Ocean—funded by Queen
Isabella of Spain—led to general European awareness of the American continents in the Western
Hemisphere. Although not the first to reach the Americas from Europe—he was preceded by the
Norse, led by Leif Ericsson, who built a temporary settlement 500 years earlier at L'Anse aux
Meadows— Columbus initiated widespread contact between Europeans and indigenous Americans.
With his several hapless attempts at establishing a settlement on the island of Hispaniola, he
personally initiated the process of Spanish colonization which foreshadowed general European
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Experiences In World History--Unit III: Cultural Exchanges, 1100-1600 CE
colonization of the "New World." (The term "pre-Columbian" is usually used to refer to the peoples
and cultures of the Americas before the arrival of Columbus and his European successors.) Source:
Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christopher_Columbus 29 March, 2009.
See also: Explorer’s Log handout for students.
Notes for the teacher:
While it is important to establish some protocols of respect and civility to promote a positive
discussion environment, it is also important to let the debate range as freely as possible, without
interruptions for “corrections” or “clarifications” from the teacher, so that the students’ prior knowledge
of Columbus can be established as a baseline for learning about explorer cultures from around the
world during the unit. ALL comments--accurate or not, justifiable or not--should be posted for the
whole class to see. It is NOT necessary, however, to attribute the comments to particular students.
As the discussion winds down, students should be encouraged to compare the items on the
board/slide, and perhaps to organize them into categories for the purposes of this comparison. This
may take an extra class-period, depending on the range of discussion topics. Regardless, save all
topics and categories for use at the end of the unit. Students should also be given time to make
entries in their Explorer’s Log.
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Experiences In World History--Unit III: Cultural Exchanges, 1100-1600 CE
Learning Experience 2
Description: Students must develop a teamwork strategy for RELATING
their different categorical perspectives on trends pertaining to Columbus
with global trends and perspectives drawn from other cultures. While
students will be solidifying their understanding of these global trends, they
will also be forming teams around one of the five world cultural
perspectives based on existing principles for the management of their own
learning.
Materials
Core Skills and Content Addressed
Skills
Content:
Group effort, conflict resolution
Major global trends 1000-1500 CE,
techniques, collaborative work with
1500-1750 CE
diverse individuals in diverse
situations, effective interpersonal
communication skills, leadership
Standards Addressed for all Disciplines Included in the Unit
Social Studies
Era 5 - Intensified Hemispheric Interactions 1000-1500 CE
25. Understands major global trends from 1000 to 1500 CE
Era 6 - Global Expansion and Encounter, 1450-1770
31. Understands major global trends from 1450 to 1770
Career/Occupation
Working With Others
1.
Contributes to the overall effort of a group
2.
Uses conflict-resolution techniques
3.
Works well with diverse individuals and in diverse situations
4.
Displays effective interpersonal communication skills
5.
Demonstrates leadership skills
Pre-Requisites
Speaking, Listening,
Protocol based team management requires effective listening and reflection
Reading and Writing
upon the information one learns in order to make an effective choice. If
Skills Required
students have not had prior experience with this sort of activity, other than
forming a group “on the fly,” it may be wise to spend more time reviewing
the protocols provided in the unit.
Community Connection/Home Work
Title: “How Can We
Form a Common
Opinion?”
Time required: 1-2 Days
Resources for Existing Lessons: Structured Learning Teams
Notes for the teacher: Although social networks will not yet have been discussed in detail as part of the
unit, students will naturally be inclined to form groups based on their existing social networks at school.
This is a great opportunity to get students thinking explicitly about what these social networks offer to the
individual, and to reflect on whether the offering is sufficient enough to meet the demands of the project.
For example, while Al and Veronica might be a lot of fun to work with, if all three are great readers but
not great writers, the network won’t likely deliver the goods. Students will then be compelled to make
their first exploratory venture to other teams in formation, asking if they would be willing to trade possible
team-mates in order to produce more balanced teams. Of course, this will take a little monitoring on the
part of the teacher so that such exchanges are fair and considerate, but it is a great way to start the
processes necessary for this unit. It is also important to remember that, once teams are formed, their
own protocols of responsibility should be established, and “contracts” between them signed so that each
student is accountable to the team.
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Experiences In World History--Unit III: Cultural Exchanges, 1100-1600 CE
Title: “How Do We Map
a Culture?”
Time required: 10 Days
Materials
Social Studies
Geography
Career/Occupation
Learning Experience 3
Description: It’s one thing to draw a map of a country, quite another to
“map a culture.” If students are going to understand how cultures relate to
each other, they need to begin with their own EMERGING sense of how
these cultures represent themselves to themselves. Each group of
students will be given a list of IDs and short paragraph writing assignments
regarding their chosen culture, and will then divide up the questions among
themselves in order to develop their EMERGING understanding of the
culture they’ve chosen. These short writing assignments offer formative
assessments in order to prepare the to “map” their culture in any medium
they wish as the summative assessment of this learning experience.
Core Skills and Content Addressed
Skills
Content
Conflict resolution techniques,
Chinese, Islamic, European, Afrocollaborative work with diverse
Eurasian, Sub-Saharan, and
individuals in diverse situations,
American cultural interaction with the
effective interpersonal
physical environment and resources
communication skills
in the context of cultural
expansion1100-1600 CE; territorial
empires; major global trends as seen
through geography, 1000-1500 CE.
Standards Addressed for all Disciplines Included in the Unit
Era 5 - Intensified Hemispheric Interactions 1000-1500 CE
19. Understands the maturation of an interregional system of
communication, trade, and cultural exchange during a period of
Chinese economic power and Islamic expansion
20. Understands the redefinition of European society and culture from
1000 to 1300 CE
22. Understands the growth of states, towns, and trade in Sub-Saharan
Africa between the 11th and 15th centuries
23. Understands patterns of crisis and recovery in Afro-Eurasia between
1300 and 1450
24. Understands the expansion of states and civilizations in the
Americas between 1000 and 1500
25. Understands major global trends from 1000 to 1500 CE
Era 6 - Global Expansion and Encounter, 1450-1770
27. Understands how European society experienced political, economic,
and cultural transformations in an age of global intercommunication
between 1450 and 1750
28. Understands how large territorial empires dominated much of
Eurasia between the 16th and 18th centuries
Environment and Society
14. Understands how human actions modify the physical environment
15. Understands how physical systems affect human systems
16. Understands the changes that occur in the meaning, use,
distribution and importance of resources
Uses of Geography
17. Understands how geography is used to interpret the past
Working With Others
1.
Contributes to the overall effort of a group
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Experiences In World History--Unit III: Cultural Exchanges, 1100-1600 CE
2.
Uses conflict-resolution techniques
3.
Works well with diverse individuals and in diverse situations
4.
Displays effective interpersonal communication skills
5.
Demonstrates leadership skills
Pre-Requisites
Speaking, Listening,
Students must be able to: write short, one sentence answers to ID
Reading and Writing
questions; write short, one-paragraph answers to simple questions about
Skills Required
their culture, and to listen to one another in order to learn within their group
as they work to produce a common “map” of their culture.
Community Connection/Home Work
Much of the ID and short-paragraph writing can be done as homework,
though it should either be modeled in class, or spot-checked by the
instructor early in the Learning Experience. Students should also be
encouraged to consider ways in which their OWN culture is mapped locally
(i.e., styles of dress and speech/language, signage/”tagging,” religious
practices, etc.)
Resources for Existing Lessons: University of Texas Perry Castañeda Library Historical Map
Collection < http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/historical/>
See also: Culture Mapping Rubric, students will also need a variety of “creative arts” resources
(paper, pens, odds and ends) as well as a space in which to work artistically.
Notes for the teacher: It is important to hold the students accountable to sufficient and satisfactory
answers to their ID questions and short answer questions before letting them move on to the process of
mapping their culture. While the students should divide up their responsibilities so that each has a
clearly assigned task, it is also important that they work in their teams to allow them to exchange what
they’ve learned individually in order to arrive at a better team product. Student wok should be
individually spot-checked, either through the Explorer’s Log, or the short writing assignments themselves,
prior to team discussions in order to assure that the information shared is reliable. This spot-checking by
the teacher might also be reinforced with similar validations from the students on the team, recorded in
their Explorer’s Logs as a second indicator of performance. The teams should work in isolation during
this learning experience, and not interact with other teams until they have completed their own map for
their culture. While creativity is certainly encouraged, be sure that the students understand that their final
map should be a reflection of the culture they are studying, such that other students in the classroom
might immediately recognize it as being “African” or “Eurasian” in nature. The Culture Mapping Rubric is
designed to offer students guidance as to what a quality product will include.
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Experiences In World History--Unit III: Cultural Exchanges, 1100-1600 CE
Title: “How do you Map
a Culture on the World?”
Time required: 4 Days
Materials
Social Studies
Learning Experience 4
Description: Each group of students will work with AT LEAST ONE (1)
other group of students (time being the crucial factor here) in order to
COMPARE their work in Learning Experience 3. They should
communicate and understand each other’s IDs and short paragraph
answers in order to exchange and COMPARE their understanding of the
two (or more) cultures. These short exchanges offer formative
assessments (that can be scored by the students themselves) in order to
prepare a group map of the world that respects each culture’s ideas and
previous representational media. Producing this new representation is the
summative exercise for this learning experience.
Core Skills and Content Addressed
Skills
Content
Conflict resolution techniques,
Chinese, Islamic, European, Afrocollaborative work with diverse
Eurasian, Sub-Saharan, and
individuals in diverse situations,
American cultural interaction with the
effective interpersonal
physical environment and resources
communication skills
in the context of cultural
expansion1100-1600 CE; territorial
empires; the importance of oceans in
global trade networks; and the
importance of global trade in drawing
the global cultural mosaic into
interaction across cultures, as well
as other major global trends as seen
through geography, 1100-1600 CE.
Standards Addressed for all Disciplines Included in the Unit
Era 5 - Intensified Hemispheric Interactions 1000-1500 CE
20. Understands the redefinition of European society and culture from
1000 to 1300 CE
22. Understands the growth of states, towns, and trade in Sub-Saharan
Africa between the 11th and 15th centuries
23. Understands patterns of crisis and recovery in Afro-Eurasia between
1300 and 1450
24. Understands the expansion of states and civilizations in the
Americas between 1000 and 1500
25. Understands major global trends from 1000 to 1500 CE
Era 6 - Global Expansion and Encounter, 1450-1770
26. Understands how the transoceanic interlinking of all major regions of
the world between 1450 and 1600 led to global transformations
27. Understands how European society experienced political, economic,
and cultural transformations in an age of global intercommunication
between 1450 and 1750
28. Understands how large territorial empires dominated much of
Eurasia between the 16th and 18th centuries
29. Understands the economic, political, and cultural interrelations
among peoples of Africa, Europe, and the Americas between 1500
and 1750
30. Understands transformations in Asian societies in the era of
European expansion
Asia Society Curriculum for International Studies Schools Network Pilot, 2009-2010
v 1.2 July 2009, Page 14
Geography
Career/Occupation
Speaking, Listening,
Reading and Writing
Skills Required
Experiences In World History--Unit III: Cultural Exchanges, 1100-1600 CE
31. Understands major global trends from 1450 to 1770
Human Systems
9.
Understands the nature, distribution and migration of human
populations on Earth's surface
10. Understands the nature and complexity of Earth's cultural mosaics
12. Understands the patterns of human settlement and their causes
13. Understands the forces of cooperation and conflict that shape the
divisions of Earth's surface
Environment and Society
14. Understands how human actions modify the physical environment
15. Understands how physical systems affect human systems
16. Understands the changes that occur in the meaning, use,
distribution and importance of resources
Uses of Geography
17. Understands how geography is used to interpret the past
18. Understands global development and environmental issues
Working With Others
1.
Contributes to the overall effort of a group
2.
Uses conflict-resolution techniques
3.
Works well with diverse individuals and in diverse situations
4.
Displays effective interpersonal communication skills
5.
Demonstrates leadership skills
Pre-Requisites
Protocol-based group discussion
Community Connection/Home Work
Students should be encouraged to carry on their discussion points at home,
in order to share their observations with others outside the classroom as yet
another form of “exploration.”
Resources for Existing Lessons: University of Texas Perry Castañeda Library Historical Map
Collection < http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/historical/>, Culture Relationship Mapping Rubric, students
will also need a variety of “creative arts” resources (paper, pens, odds and ends) as well as a space in
which to work artistically.
Notes for the teacher: While it will be tempting for some students to sit back and let others engage in
this learning experience, it is important that ALL students from EACH team play their role as
“ambassador,” going out to meet with others from other teams, gathering observations about the way
they mapped their culture, and looking for clues to a deeper understanding of the IDs and short-writings
they were asked to do originally. Ideally, students will not work as teams, but engage other teams
through social networks that exist naturally in the classroom (i.e., all the basketball players or bandmembers get together). Regardless, all of these observations should be noted in the Explorer’s Log, so
that the students can return to their original cultural teams to share and compare new information learn
from these interactions. The information they gather here will be critical to preparing them for producing
their revised map, AND for reinforcing what they’ve already learned about their own culture. Thus, it is
important that the teacher spot-check the kinds of information students are collecting from each other as
individuals (perhaps by flipping through student Explorer’s Logs) and as teams (perhaps using a
standard “Know, Want to Know, Learned (KWL)” protocol with each team prior to moving on to actually
working on the revised common map. IF there is a sense that information has been missed which would
be essential to completing the common map, or essential to meeting standards, this might be an
appropriate time to inject a more traditional lecture for a class period, but be sure you are addressing
gaps, and not just covering things the students clearly already understand.
Asia Society Curriculum for International Studies Schools Network Pilot, 2009-2010
v 1.2 July 2009, Page 15
Experiences In World History--Unit III: Cultural Exchanges, 1100-1600 CE
Learning Experience 5
Description: Having compared cultures and mapped them in light of that
comparison, students now have a practical application of what it means to
explore. This application should then be used to address a second series
Time required: 3
of IDs and short-writings targeted specifically to exploration, the informal
Days
social networks that arise to support it, and the formal systemic
relationships that can respond in support, or in opposition, to these new
relationships. While students should complete their own work individually,
students should be ENCOURAGED to use the “social networks” established
in Learning Experience 4 to INTEGRATE each team’s learning into that of
their own team. By exploring these relationships, students will now have a
more informed position on which to judge the explorers of their culture, and
Columbus in a more global context.
Materials
Core Skills and Content Addressed
Skills
Content
Conflict resolution techniques,
Chinese, Islamic, European, Afrocollaborative work with diverse
Eurasian, Sub-Saharan, and
individuals in diverse situations,
American cultural interaction with the
effective interpersonal
physical environment and resources
communication skills, integrating
in the context of cultural
new knowledge into existing
expansion1100-1600 CE; territorial
understandings
empires; the importance of oceans
in global trade networks; and the
importance of global trade in
drawing the global cultural mosaic
into interaction across cultures, as
well as other major global trends as
seen through geography, 1100-1600
CE.
Standards Addressed for all Disciplines Included in the Unit
Social Studies
Era 5 - Intensified Hemispheric Interactions 1000-1500 CE
19. Understands the maturation of an interregional system of
communication, trade, and cultural exchange during a period of
Chinese economic power and Islamic expansion
20. Understands the redefinition of European society and culture from
1000 to 1300 CE
22. Understands the growth of states, towns, and trade in Sub-Saharan
Africa between the 11th and 15th centuries
23. Understands patterns of crisis and recovery in Afro-Eurasia between
1300 and 1450
24. Understands the expansion of states and civilizations in the
Americas between 1000 and 1500
25. Understands major global trends from 1000 to 1500 CE
Title: “What does it
mean to explore?”
Era 6 - Global Expansion and Encounter, 1450-1770
26. Understands how the transoceanic interlinking of all major regions of
the world between 1450 and 1600 led to global transformations
27. Understands how European society experienced political, economic,
and cultural transformations in an age of global intercommunication
between 1450 and 1750
28. Understands how large territorial empires dominated much of
Eurasia between the 16th and 18th centuries
Asia Society Curriculum for International Studies Schools Network Pilot, 2009-2010
v 1.2 July 2009, Page 16
Geography
Career/Occupation
Speaking, Listening,
Reading and Writing
Skills Required
Experiences In World History--Unit III: Cultural Exchanges, 1100-1600 CE
29. Understands the economic, political, and cultural interrelations
among peoples of Africa, Europe, and the Americas between 1500
and 1750
30. Understands transformations in Asian societies in the era of
European expansion
31. Understands major global trends from 1450 to 1770
Human Systems
9.
Understands the nature, distribution and migration of human
populations on Earth's surface
11. Understands the patterns and networks of economic
interdependence on Earth's surface
12. Understands the patterns of human settlement and their causes
13. Understands the forces of cooperation and conflict that shape the
divisions of Earth's surface
Environment and Society
14. Understands how human actions modify the physical environment
15. Understands how physical systems affect human systems
16. Understands the changes that occur in the meaning, use,
distribution and importance of resources
Uses of Geography
17. Understands how geography is used to interpret the past
18. Understands global development and environmental issues
Working With Others
1.
Contributes to the overall effort of a group
2.
Uses conflict-resolution techniques
3.
Works well with diverse individuals and in diverse situations
4.
Displays effective interpersonal communication skills
5.
Demonstrates leadership skills
Pre-Requisites
Protocol-based group discussion
Community Connection/Home Work
The final activity for the class should be a two (2) page take home reflection
essay.
Resources for Existing Lessons: Explorer’s Logs, previous ID and short-writing answers, social
networks in class.
Notes for the teacher: While in some ways this will be a repeat of the previous learning experience, in
the end, that’s the idea. Having learned the value of cultural exchanges, students will now return to
newly-formed social networks between teams in order to arrive at the answers to the second round of
IDs and short-writings, now focused more on the dynamic interactions of the age rather than the
transformations occurring exclusively within the cultures they have been studying. Students making
adequate progress should be able to rely on their Explorer’s Logs and social networks with other teams
to effectively answer the questions, while those who have less developed understandings will need to
push back out into their networks with greater intensity in order to demonstrate results. The key here is
in the design of the questions asked in this learning experience (see the examples provided in the unit
documentation). Regardless of your state standards, there is an objective, and rather un-engaging way
to explore economic, political, and cultural interrelations among peoples of Africa, Europe, and the
Americas, and a more dynamic way to ask the same question. For example, “Look for commonalities in
reactions to the slave trade in Europe, Africa, and the Americas” requires students to interview those
from other groups, and then draw their own conclusions, whereas “Describe the slave trade in Africa,
Asia Society Curriculum for International Studies Schools Network Pilot, 2009-2010
v 1.2 July 2009, Page 17
Experiences In World History--Unit III: Cultural Exchanges, 1100-1600 CE
Europe, and the Americas” is a question that is likely only to result in affirmation of “triangle trade” as an
historical pattern.
Asia Society Curriculum for International Studies Schools Network Pilot, 2009-2010
v 1.2 July 2009, Page 18
Experiences In World History--Unit III: Cultural Exchanges, 1100-1600 CE
Learning Experience 6
Description: While the focus of the unit to this point has been on
understanding cultures in their own right, and in contexts of cultural
exchange, this learning experience asks students to present an
understanding of their culture that TRANSCENDS these earlier
understandings by making a statement that could be true for many of the
other cultures represented in the class, as well as for their own team’s
culture. Students will create a “flag poster” that makes a statement about
the explorers of their culture as much, or more than, about their culture
itself, and will then defend this statement in a brief presentation to the class
in which each member of the team will be expected to discuss and defend
their own, unique contribution to the “flag poster.” Effectively, as the unit
draws to a close, students should begin to see this time period not from the
point of view of the cultures they represent, but from the point of view of the
new “explorer culture” that arose from cultural exchanges around the globe,
and which would set the tone for an emerging global society obsessed not
with the question of “Who am I?” but rather with the very modern question,
“Where am I going?” In appreciating this new understanding, they will be
ready for the challenges of Unit IV.
Core Skills and Content Addressed
Skills
Content
Conflict resolution techniques,
Major global trends from 1100collaborative work with diverse
1600CE, especially changes in
individuals in diverse situations,
understanding the distribution of
effective interpersonal
resources; transoceanic trade;
communication skills
economic conflict and
interdependence; and the
relationship between economics and
the environment.
Standards Addressed for all Disciplines Included in the Unit
Era 5 - Intensified Hemispheric Interactions 1000-1500 CE
25. Understands major global trends from 1000 to 1500 CE
Title: “How do
Explorers Cross
Cultures, and what
Happens When They
Do?”
Time required: 5 Days
Materials
Social Studies
Geography
Career/Occupation
Era 6 - Global Expansion and Encounter, 1450-1770
26. Understands how the transoceanic interlinking of all major regions of
the world between 1450 and 1600 led to global transformations
31. Understands major global trends from 1450 to 1770
Human Systems
11. Understands the patterns and networks of economic
interdependence on Earth's surface
13. Understands the forces of cooperation and conflict that shape the
divisions of Earth's surface
Environment and Society
15. Understands how physical systems affect human systems
16. Understands the changes that occur in the meaning, use,
distribution and importance of resources
Uses of Geography
17. Understands how geography is used to interpret the past
18. Understands global development and environmental issues
Working With Others
1.
Contributes to the overall effort of a group
2.
Uses conflict-resolution techniques
Asia Society Curriculum for International Studies Schools Network Pilot, 2009-2010
v 1.2 July 2009, Page 19
Speaking, Listening,
Reading and Writing
Skills Required
Experiences In World History--Unit III: Cultural Exchanges, 1100-1600 CE
3.
Works well with diverse individuals and in diverse situations
4.
Displays effective interpersonal communication skills
5.
Demonstrates leadership skills
Pre-Requisites
Protocol-based group discussion
Community Connection/Home Work
Students should be encouraged to carry on their discussion points at home,
in order to determine whether their opinions of explorers are different from
those of an earlier generation, and if so, how.
Resources for Existing Lessons: It is highly recommended that the student presentations be videotaped for later review, whether in grading, or in setting exemplars for future classes.
Notes for the teacher: Teachers should expect some initial struggles with the transcendent goals of
this learning experience. Steeped in their cultures for several weeks, there will be a tendency for early
drafts of the “flag poster” to simply reproduce basic cultural images from earlier in the unit. There are
three possible techniques that could be used to guide the students to the desired outcomes. First, and
perhaps most authentic to the task, would be to allow the students to work their social networks in the
class to seek understandings that transcend a single group. Keeping track of comments in the Explorer’s
Log and tally-marking them will very easily reveal patterns such as concern for profit over patriotism, or
opportunities over certainties. Alternatively, a fresh set of short-writing prompts to be worked on in each
group could be used, as could a short lecture on common traits of the explorers as a culture, following
which students would be tasked to identify examples of these traits in their Explorer’s Logs or previous
work as a team. Regardless, the end products from each team should not be five identical posters
explaining explorer cultures, but rather five distinct poster’s which reflect each culture’s understanding of
the culture of exploration that emerged in this time period. If a student from the Americas group
responds to a presentation by the European or African group and says, “Hey, we were on the edges of
our society, too!” You’ll know the lesson is sinking in!
Asia Society Curriculum for International Studies Schools Network Pilot, 2009-2010
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Experiences In World History--Unit III: Cultural Exchanges, 1100-1600 CE
Learning Experience 7
Description: Having completed the unit, students should return to the original
categories used to think about Columbus from the opening debate, AND their
Explorer’s Logs. They will use these materials (and NO others!) to write a
two (2) page personal opinion/reflective essay that establishes a clear
purpose question, uses evidence to advance and defend an argument, offers
contrasting perspectives, and considers the implications of their opinion as
well as any questions left unanswered. This final summative assessment
closes the unit, and allows an opportunity to consider student learning in the
context of the H/SS Graduate Performance Outcomes.
Core Skills and Content Addressed
Skills
Content
Personal opinion/reflective essay
writing, advance and defend an
opinion, share learning
Standards Addressed for all Disciplines Included in the Unit
Era 5 - Intensified Hemispheric Interactions 1000-1500 CE
19. Understands the maturation of an interregional system of
communication, trade, and cultural exchange during a period of
Chinese economic power and Islamic expansion
20. Understands the redefinition of European society and culture from
1000 to 1300 CE
22. Understands the growth of states, towns, and trade in Sub-Saharan
Africa between the 11th and 15th centuries
23. Understands patterns of crisis and recovery in Afro-Eurasia between
1300 and 1450
24. Understands the expansion of states and civilizations in the Americas
between 1000 and 1500
25. Understands major global trends from 1000 to 1500 CE
Title: “So, What do I
Think of Columbus
Now?”
Time required: 2 Days
Materials
Social Studies
Geography
Era 6 - Global Expansion and Encounter, 1450-1770
26. Understands how the transoceanic interlinking of all major regions of
the world between 1450 and 1600 led to global transformations
27. Understands how European society experienced political, economic,
and cultural transformations in an age of global intercommunication
between 1450 and 1750
28. Understands how large territorial empires dominated much of Eurasia
between the 16th and 18th centuries
29. Understands the economic, political, and cultural interrelations among
peoples of Africa, Europe, and the Americas between 1500 and 1750
30. Understands transformations in Asian societies in the era of European
expansion
31. Understands major global trends from 1450 to 1770
Human Systems
9.
Understands the nature, distribution and migration of human
populations on Earth's surface
10. Understands the nature and complexity of Earth's cultural mosaics
11. Understands the patterns and networks of economic interdependence
on Earth's surface
12. Understands the patterns of human settlement and their causes
13. Understands the forces of cooperation and conflict that shape the
divisions of Earth's surface
Asia Society Curriculum for International Studies Schools Network Pilot, 2009-2010
v 1.2 July 2009, Page 21
Speaking, Listening,
Reading and Writing
Skills Required
Experiences In World History--Unit III: Cultural Exchanges, 1100-1600 CE
Environment and Society
14. Understands how human actions modify the physical environment
15. Understands how physical systems affect human systems
16. Understands the changes that occur in the meaning, use, distribution
and importance of resources
Uses of Geography
17. Understands how geography is used to interpret the past
18. Understands global development and environmental issues
Pre-Requisites
Personal opinion/reflective essay writing.
Community Connection/Home Work
Students should be encouraged to carry on their discussion points at home,
in order to explain how their opinion of Columbus has changed, if at all, and
to be able to articulate and defend these opinions to others outside of the
classroom setting.
Resources for Existing Lessons: The essay should be introduced and assessed (for grade or merely
for feedback, depending on the grade level at which the unit is taught) using a developmentally
appropriate version of the GPS H/SS Rubric. IF Experiences in World History is taught in Grade 9 or 10,
expectations should be set to the “emerging” and “developing” level, and the essay might only be graded
for feedback. IF Experiences in World History is taught in Grade 11, students should be working at the
developing or “college-ready” level, and the essay should be scored accordingly.
Notes for the teacher: This essay may be used for a variety of purposes, from genuine reflection for
the student’s own grounding after the learning experience, all the way to something like a take-home
exam at the end of the unit. This will depend primarily on the nature of your state standards and school
culture. Regardless, it is an important opportunity to “write across the curriculum” in a way that wraps up
all the learning experiences into a single, personal demonstration of learning. Upon completion,
regardless of the “grade” earned, all students will be able to describe a journey that went from a “gut
response” to Columbus, to a more scholarly, defensible opinion based on the consideration of multiple
cultural perspectives. As a result, they will have taken another step toward mastering the skills of the
historian or social scientist, and toward informed global citizenship.
Asia Society Curriculum for International Studies Schools Network Pilot, 2009-2010
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Experiences In World History--Unit III: Cultural Exchanges, 1100-1600 CE
Appendix A: AS/ISSN Global Leadership Performance Outcomes Addressed
Investigate the World: Produce New Global Knowledge


Generate and explain the personal and societal significance of locally, regionally, or globally focused researchable topics or
questions.

Investigate approaches and actions that have been taken to address this question in the past, analyze the context in which they
occurred, and evaluate proposed or enacted solutions.

Use a variety of international sources, media, methods, and languages to identify, collect and analyze the knowledge and
evidence required to answer a specific research question.

Develop an argument/position based on compelling evidence that considers multiple perspectives and draws defensible
conclusions.
Recognize Perspectives: Apply Cross-Cultural Understanding

Recognize and articulate one’s own perspective on situations, events, issues and phenomena and identify the influences that
shape one’s own perspective.

Recognize and articulate the perspectives of other people, groups, or schools of thought and identify the influences that shape
those perspectives.

Analyze similarities and differences in the behaviors, attitudes and values of people from different cultures to develop an
understanding of multiple cultural perspectives.

Seek deeper understanding about situations, events, issues and phenomena by synthesizing evidence, interpretations, and
implications from varied cultural perspectives.

Articulate how different perspectives interact to influence local, regional, or global situations, events, issues, or phenomena.
Communicate Ideas: Connect and Collaborate Across Boundaries

Recognize that diverse audiences may perceive different meanings from the same information.

Use appropriate language, behavior and strategies to effectively communicate, both verbally and non-verbally, with diverse
audiences.

Select and effectively use appropriate media and technology to creatively foster communication and collaboration with diverse
audiences.

Identify, participate in, or build networks with organizations, groups, or individuals from around the world who share common
interests and goals.

Present findings, interpretations and implications of investigations to diverse audiences in ways that recognize and
accommodate different perspectives.
Take Action: Enact Global Solutions

Identify opportunities for personal and collaborative action to address situations, events, issues or phenomena in ways that will
contribute to a globally interconnected, environmentally sustainable and diverse society.

Assess and adjust options for action based on evidence and the potential for impact, taking into account varied perspectives
and potential consequences for individuals, cultures, and ecosystems.

Contribute to the development of the local and global community based on an understanding of and respect for human needs
and human dignity across cultures.

Act creatively and innovatively to raise awareness and advocate action among groups of peers and/or community members to
contribute to improvement locally, regionally, or globally.
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