Regional World Studies—Where the World is our Classroom
First Semester Course Outline
First Quarter
Topics
UNIT 1
(2 weeks)
UNIT 2
(3 weeks)
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State of the World Today
(If the World Were a Village of
100 People)
 Neanderthals/Neolithic
Age/Rise of Civilization
 Six Elements of a
Civilization (Cities,
Government, Social Structure,
Religion, Writing, and Art)
Europe—Renaissance,
Reformation, and the
Enlightenment (1300s-1700s)
 Greece vs. Rome
 Feudalism
 Black Plague to plagues today
 “Rebirth” of civilization
 Patron-Client Relationship
 Art
 Architecture
 Music
 Invention
 Protestant Reformation
 Martin Luther and the 95
Theses
 Catholic vs. Protestant Church
 Enlightenment ideas and
thinkers
 Scientific Revolution
 Outcomes of American and
French Revolution
Things to discuss with your
student!
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TEST #1—COMMON
ASSESSMENT
Why should a student be in a global
studies class?
What does it mean to have a “worldmindedness” view?
Are Neanderthals “civilized”?
What impact did the Neolithic Age have
on the emergence of civilization?
What factors led to the rise of
civilization?
What the lasting contributions did the
ancient Greeks and Romans leave that
has impacted today’s society?
How did the fall of Rome lead to
feudalism?
Why were there few lasting
contributions between the fall of Rome
and the Renaissance?
How does chess relate to feudalism?
What does it mean to be a Renaissance
man?
What changes were brought about by
the Renaissance that impacted western
civilization?
What contribution(s) during the
Renaissance was/were most influential
in impacting the contemporary world?
What factors led to the Protestant
Reformation?
What impact did Enlightenment
thinkers and scientists during the
Scientific Revolution have on
contemporary society?
What key ideas were developed during
the Enlightenment and how did those
ideas related to the American and
French Revolutions?
TOPICS
UNIT 3 Europe—Industrial Revolution
(2 weeks)
and World War I
 Industrial Revolution
 Capitalism, Communism, and
Socialism
 Rise of the nation-state
 Causes of World War I
 Total Warfare
 Consequences of World War I
Things to discuss with your
student:
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UNIT 4
(2 weeks)
Europe—World War II and Cold
War
 Rise of dictators (Mussolini,
Stalin, Hitler)
 World War II
 Cold War—NATO and Warsaw
Pact
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What impact did the Industrial
Revolution have the production of
goods?
Describe the impact Karl Marx and
Friedrich Engels idea, communism, had
on the 19th century and early 20th
century.
What factors led to the rise of the
nation-state in Europe late 19th and
early 20th century?
What were the causes of World War I?
(World War I Simulation)
World War I Song Activity
What were the consequences of World
War I?
What factors led to the rise of dictators
in Europe pre-World War II?
What were the causes of World War II?
What were the consequences of World
War II?
What were the origins of the Cold War?
Second Quarter
Topics
UNIT 5
(2 weeks)
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Europe Today
Fall of Communism
Contemporary issues in Europe
Things to discuss with your
student!
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What factors led to the fall of
communism?
What is NATO and what is its
purpose/function today?
What is the EU and what is its
purpose/function today? (Apply to
current case studies)
TEST #2—COMMON
ASSESSMENT
UNIT 6
(2 weeks)
Europe/Africa--Genocide
 Genocide case studies
 US and world response to
genocide
 US policy when confronting
genocide
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UNIT 7
(5 weeks)
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Africa
Geographic Features of Africa
African culture prior to European
arrival
Causes of European colonization
Consequences of European
colonization
Africa today vs. Africa in the 19th
and 20th centuries
Choropleth mapping
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What is genocide?
Why did the Holocaust happen and
why are other genocides happening
today? Is there anything we as a
people can do about it?
Current Genocide Case Studies
(Armenia, the Holocaust, Cambodia,
Rwanda, and Bosnia)
What should the US’ policy be when
confronting genocide? (Genocide
Simulation)
What stereotypes do I have about
Africa? (Animals in Africa reading)
What did Africa look like before
Europeans arrived?
How is northern, central, and
southern Africa different from one
another?
How does Africa today compare to
Africa from the 19th and 20th century?
Throughout the year as different cultural and religious celebrations happen, such as Rosh Hashanah,
Yom Kippur, Halloween, Mardi Gras, Asian New Year, and St. Patrick’s Day just to name a few, we
will be “celebrating” them in class in terms of examining the significance/importance of these
celebrations to different people and cultures, the importance of food to these celebrations, as well as
the impact these celebrations have on contemporary society.
I look forward to having your child this year and as always, if you do have questions/concerns/or just
want to talk about RWS, please feel free to e-mail or call me at any time.
Thanks and have a great year!!
Mr. Klokkenga— klokkej@unit5.org or Phone Number 336-6365