Verona High School
Department of History and Social Sciences
Modern World History – Honors
Summer Assignment 2012
DUE: Monday, September 10, 2012
Modern World History is the study of the advancement of government, culture, and society in Europe,
and how those advancements impacted the remainder of the world, including Asia, Africa, and the
Americas. Prior to the emergence of The Enlightenment, people tended to accept commonly held,
antiquated philosophies and practices as the truth of the universe. The goal of this summer
assignment is for you to think like historians and political scientists in order to trace the impact of the
Enlightenment period. In order to do this, take the steps that follow.
1.) Use a print or internet source to understand the nature of the enlightenment. Write a concise
(one page) summary of the enlightenment. Highlight the key themes of the period. (What was
the Enlightenment about? Why did it occur? Why was this time in history so important?)
2.) For each of the following philosophers of the period, explain:
A. Their background
B. Their country of origin
C. The years of their contributions to political thought
D. Their main contributions to the intellectual developments of the period
Thomas Hobbes
Montesquieu
Isaac Newton
John Locke
Renee Descartes
Voltaire
Denis Diderot
Jean-Jacques Rousseau
Immanuel Kant
This information may be presented in a table or graphic organizer.
3.) Select the philosopher who interests you the most. Write a speech designed to introduce the
individual into the Philosopher Hall of Fame at Verona High School. In order to do this, you
should be able to:
A. Describe what the world was like prior to the introduction of their theories;
B. Explain the significant, lasting components of their theories;
C. Analyze how their theories are evident in the modern (current) world.
In order to complete these tasks, you will need to conduct independent research. You may use the
Internet; however, non-academic sites such as Wikipedia, ask.com, about.com, and Yahoo answers, are
not acceptable. Submit a list of works cited with your final product.
Papers should be typed, double spaced, in Times New Roman size 12-point font. 1” margins should be
used on all sides. High quality work deserving of the “honors” designation is expected.
E-mail: Mr. Maher: rmaher@veronachools.org; Mr. Tamburro: ctamburro@veronaschools.org
Students are encouraged to ask questions early in order to receive a timely response.
Grading Rubric
Modern World History – Honors
Summer Assignment
Name:
Period:
Points
Earned
Assignment
Requirements
Spelling, Grammar,
and Mechanics
Works Cited
Summary Analysis
Summary Supporting
Information
Philosopher Analysis
Philosopher
Supporting
Information
Speech Analysis
Speech Supporting
Information
TOTAL / 90
Excellent
(9-10)
Product meets or exceeds
all requirements on the
instruction page; contains
all components
All components of the
product are well
constructed; assignment
demonstrates evidence of
planning and
proofreading; few, if any
spelling or grammar
errors are present
Works cited page is
present; multiple sources
are referenced; references
are to academic sites
Summary highlights the
most significant themes of
the enlightenment;
demonstrates thorough
research; student
demonstrates thoughtful
analysis of the research
Summary is supported by
numerous accurate
examples and specific
references to history
Philosopher analysis
demonstrates student
understanding of the
impact of the individuals
on the Enlightenment
period
Multiple specific
examples are used for
each philosopher; all
examples are historically
accurate and relevant
Speech is creative;
product demonstrates a
thorough understanding
of the role of the
philosopher; student
successfully and
thoughtfully connects the
philosopher to today
Speech is supported by
multiple historic and
current examples
Satisfactory
(7-8)
Unsatisfactory
(0-6)
Product fails to meet one
or two of requirements
Product fails to meet
more than two
requirements
Some components of the
product are disorganized;
some spelling or grammar
errors are present
Very disorganized;
multiple spelling or
grammar errors
Works cited page is
present; few sources are
referenced; sources include
non-academic sites
Summary highlights some
of the key themes of the
Enlightenment, but misses
some; demonstrates some
research; analysis lacks
thoughtfulness
Works cited page is not
present, or is
significantly flawed
Summary is supported by
examples; some examples
are not historically
accurate
Philosopher analysis
demonstrates that
students are approaching
an understanding of the
impact of the individuals
on the Enlightenment
period
Some specific examples
are used for each
philosopher; most are
historically accurate and
relevant
Speech is somewhat
creative; product
demonstrates a basic
understanding of the role
of the philosopher; student
approaches a connection to
today
Summary is supported by
few accurate examples
Speech is supported by
some historic and current
examples
Speech is supported by
limited historic and
current examples
Summary fails to address
most major themes of the
enlightenment;
demonstrates little
research or thought
Philosopher analysis fails
to demonstrate an
approach toward
understanding the
impact of the individuals
on the Enlightenment
period
Few specific examples
are used for each
philosopher; examples
lack historical accuracy
and relevance
Speech lacks creativity;
product demonstrates
limited understanding;
student does not make a
connection to today
Internal Attachment
NJCCCS: 6.2.12.A.2.a-c; 6.2.12.D.2.d-e; 6.2.12.A.3.a,c,e; 6.2.12.C.3.c; 6.2.12.D.3.a
Transfer Goal: Students will be able to independently use their learning to apply the themes of
Enlightenment thought and writing to a modern context to establish the enduring value of the
movement
Enduring Understandings:



Dissent is a tradition born of the Enlightenment
Superstition is no longer a basis for human knowledge
Transformative change results from social, political, and economic problems
Essential Questions:



What is responsible dissent?
Why do people believe in things without tangible evidence?
What causes countries and/or people to demand transformative change?