Rutledge & Peters
Fredericton High School
Winter 2011
Grade 10 History – Essay Topics – Possible Questions for Thesis statement
1. Alexander the Great --- How was Alexander able to conquer the “known world”? Why were Alexander’s journeys so significant?
Benchmarks: Significance, Evidence
2. Julius Caesar --- How was Julius Caesar able to come to power in Rome? Was Julius Caesar the “greatest” Roman general or
emperor? Benchmarks: Significance, Historical Perspective
3. The Vikings --- Why were the Vikings considered some of the best explorers in Europe? Is the modern perspective of a Viking a
misconception? Benchmarks: Historical Perspective, Evidence
4. Joan of Arc --- Why is Joan of Arc seen as a strong female figure in history? How did Joan of Arc get command of French troops?
Benchmarks: Significance, Historical Perspectives
5. Roman Entertainment --- Why were the Roman gladiator games so popular? Besides gladiators, how did Romans entertain
themselves? Did the average Roman citizen have much time for entertainment? Benchmarks: Evidence, Historical Perspective
6. Egyptian Religion --- How did the Ancient Egyptians worship their gods? What roles did the gods play in Ancient Egyptian society?
Benchmarks: Significance, Evidence
7. The Pyramids of Egypt --- How were the pyramids built? What is the most popular theory? Why were the pyramids built? What role
did they perform? Benchmarks: Evidence, Significance
8. The Crusades --- How successful were the Crusades for the Christian Europeans? What underlying causes led to the call for
Crusades into the Holy lands? How have the Crusades influenced the modern world? Benchmarks: Significance, Continuity and
Change, Historical Perspective, Moral Judgment
9. Medieval Towns --- How and when did medieval towns rise in popularity? What was life like in a medieval town? Benchmarks:
Significance, Historical Perspective
10. Charlemagne --- How did Charlemagne gain control of the Holy Roman Empire? Why was Charlemagne’s crowning as Holy
Roman Emperor significant? Benchmarks: Significance, Historical Perspective
11. Medieval Cathedrals --- What role did cathedrals play in the lives of commoners? Why are Medieval Cathedrals designed so
grandly? Benchmarks: Continuity and Change, Historical Perspective, Evidence
12. Christianity during the Middle Ages --- How did Christianity shape the lives of various groups during the middle ages? (rulers,
knights, peasants, etc) Why did Christianity have such strong control over the social aspects of the medieval world? Benchmarks:
Evidence, Historical Perspective
13. Women in the Middle Ages --- What was daily life like for a woman during the Middle Ages? How did women survive their
positions in medieval society? Benchmarks: Moral Judgment, Evidence, Historical Perspective
14. The Black Death – How was the Plague able to spread so rapidly amongst the European populations? Why was the Plague so
deadly? Benchmarks: Significance, Evidence, Historical Perspective
15. Early Explorers --- What types of problems did early explorers face? How did early explorers see themselves? Did explorers
consider the consequences of their actions? Why or why not? Benchmarks: Historical Perspective, Significance, Evidence
16. The Roman Army --- Why was the Roman army so successful against its enemies? How did the Roman army spread Roman
culture? Who was the Roman soldier, and what was his life like? Benchmarks: Significance, Evidence, Moral Judgment
17. Roman Architecture --- How did Roman architecture influence the building of cities in the ancient world? Why were Romans
successful “city builders”? What are some of the Roman inventions? Benchmarks: Cause & Consequence, Historical Perspective
18. The Etruscans --- Why did the Etruscan civilization disappear? Did the Etruscans disappear? Why or Why not? How did the
Etruscans advance culture and society on the Italian peninsula? Benchmarks: Significance, Evidence
19. Cleopatra --- Why is Cleopatra seen as a powerful woman ruler? How did Cleopatra influence the Roman world during her time?
Was Cleopatra a true Egyptian? Why or why not? Benchmarks: Evidence, Historical Perspective
20. The Punic Wars --- Why did this series of wars occur? How did the Romans come to dominate the Mediterranean world? Why
were the Carthaginians unable to defeat the Romans? Benchmarks: Evidence, Significance, Moral Judgment
21. The Ancient Olympics --- How did the ancient Olympic Games bring the ancient world together? Can the ancient Olympics be
compared to the modern Olympic Games? Benchmarks: Continuity & Change, Evidence, Historical Perspective
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22. The Reformation --- How did the Reformation influence the evolution in Europe from the Middle Ages to the Modern period? Why
was Martin Luther determined to question the Catholic church? How has the Reformation influenced the development of religion?
Benchmarks: Continuity & Change, Historical Perspective, Significance
23. The Renaissance --- How did the Renaissance influence the evolution in Europe from the Middle Ages to the Modern period? Was
the Renaissance really about “new” ideas? Why or why not? How did the Renaissance spread around Europe? Benchmarks:
Continuity & Change, Historical Perspective, Significance
24. The Aztecs --- Why did the Aztec civilization disappear? How did the Aztecs live? What was daily life like in an Aztec society?
Benchmarks: Evidence, Significance, Moral Judgment
25. Mesopotamia --- Who ruled Mesopotamia in the ancient world and how did the power center in the Fertile Crescent change over
time? Why could one culture not maintain control in Mesopotamia? Benchmarks: Continuity & Change, Historical Perspective,
Significance
26. The Feudal System --- Why was the feudal system successful in controlling the general population of the Middle Ages? Was the
feudal system a “good” or “bad” thing for the population of the Middle Ages? Benchmarks: Continuity & Change, Historical
Perspective, Significance
27. Henry VIII --- How did Henry VIII influence the evolution of the English church? Why did Henry VIII challenge the authority of the
Pope? Benchmarks: Cause & Consequence, Historical Perspective
28. Life in a Medieval Castle --- How did people live together in a castle? What did a castle symbolize to the Medieval population?
How did a castle function on a daily basis?
Benchmarks: Evidence, Significance
29. The Medieval Knight --- Compare the reality of the knight to the popular view of a knight. How were knights perceived by the
public? What was life like for a knight? Benchmarks: Historical Perspective, Evidence, Moral Judgment
30. The Fall of Rome --- Was the collapse of Rome a slow or fast event? Why did Roman civilization fall? Was the Roman Empire the
greatest civilization of all time? Why or why not? Benchmarks: Cause & Consequence, Evidence, Moral Judgment
31. William the Conqueror --- How did William influence the development of Medieval England? Why did William choose to invade
England? Did England benefit from this invasion? Why or why not? Benchmarks: Historical Perspective, Moral Judgment
32. Queen Elizabeth I --- Why was Elizabeth such a successful monarch? How did Elizabeth succeed in defending England from the
Spanish? How did Elizabeth influence art and culture in England? Benchmarks: Significance, Moral Judgment
33. Theatre in Ancient Greece --- How did theatre evolve over the course of Greek history? Why did the Greeks develop theatre?
What role did theatre play in the daily lives of the Greek people? Benchmarks: Significance, Evidence, Historical Perspective
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