World History Fall
Planned Course Statement NBMS
Revised July 2001 by Woody Mateski
A.
COURSE DESCRIPTION
1. Dept: Social Studies, Required
2. Level: 7th grade
3. Length: 1 term
4. Prerequisites: None
Brief Overview:
World History Fall is a one term course that studies World history eras 1 thru 3 of the Common
Curriculum Goals found in the Oregon Department of Education’s social studies content
standards: Beginnings of Human Society, Early Civilizations, and the Emergence of Pastoral
Peoples.
B. GOALS Upon successful completion of this course, students should be able to:
 Identify major characteristics and historical influences of early civilizations.
 Understand the political, economic, and social characteristics and impact of early civilizations and
eras on world development, including ancient civilizations of Egypt, the Americas (Maya, Inca,
Aztec).
 Use maps, charts and graphs to understand patterns of movement over time and space.
 Use maps, charts, graphs, and photographs to analyze spatial distributions and patterns.
 Identify the location of major mountain ranges, deserts, rivers, cultural regions and countries in the
world.
 Locate and identify population centers and geographic reasons for their locations.
C. CIM BENCHMARKS
 Understand the importance and lasting influence of significant eras, cultures, issues, events, and
developments in world history.
 Interpret and represent chronological relationships and patterns of change and continuity in world
history.
 Analyze cause and effect relationships, including multiple causation.
 Understand relationships among events, issues and development in different spheres of human
activity (i.e. economic, social, political, cultural.)
 Understand how contemporary perspectives affect historical interpretations.
 Locate places and explain geographic information or relationships by reading, interpreting, and
preparing maps and other geographic representations.
 Identify and explain physical and human characteristics of places and regions, the processes that
have shaped them, and their geographic significance.
D. RESOURCES
1. The main course text is Greenblatt, Lemmo. Human Heritage: A World of History. (Glenco
McGraw-Hill, 1999).
2. Other resources include: various primary source documents, NBMS library resources, and Coos
ESD videos.
E. Evaluation
Activities such as worksheets, maps, video reviews, discussions, research, and participation will
be given a possible value that will account for about 40% of the points possible of the term grade. There
will be tests following each chapter that will account for about 40% of the term grade. Projects will
account for about 20% of the term grade. At the end of the grading period points will be totaled and the
following scale used to determine letter grades and credit:
A = 100% - 90% B = 89% - 80% C = 79% -70% D = 69% - 60% F = 59% - 0 %
F. TAG, SPECIAL NEEDS
Enrichment activities will be provided for students identified as “TAG” (Talented and Gifted).
These students may lead special team research, analyze additional resources, and choose individual topics
for projects that meet their needs. The instructor will work closely with other faculty members who
instruct students on I>E>P> (Individual Education Plans) or those with other special needs. These
students will be provided with alternative lessons and evaluation procedures based upon their needs.
G. SCOPE AND SEQUENCE: FALL TERM
Chapter 1: Geography and History (10 Periods)
Acquaints the students with five fundamental geographic themes that geographers use to study the earth,
and with geographical features. It also discusses how scientists uncover clues that help them piece together what
happened in the distant past.
Ch. 1 Sec 1
(Five Themes of Geography) (2)
Ch. 1 Sec 2
(Land, Water, Climate) (3)
Ch. 1 Sec 3
(Natural Resources) (1)
Ch. 1 Sec 4
(Legends) (1)
Ch. 1 Sec 5
(Archaeology) (1)
Chapter/ Final Exam (2)
Chapter 2: Prehistoric People (5 Periods)
Deals with prehistory and the various stages of development people went through before civilization
evolved.
Ch. 2 Sec 1
Paleolithic Age (1)
Ch. 2 Sec 2
Neolithic Age (2)
Chapter/ Final Exam (2)
Chapter 3: Mesopotamia (5 Periods)
Discusses the rise of civilization in the Tigris-Euphrates Valley of Mesopotamia, focusing on Sumer as
well as later Mesopotamian empires.
Ch. 3 Sec 1
Rise of Sumer (1)
Ch. 3 Sec 2
Mesopotamian Empires (1)
Ch. 3 Sec 3
Mesopotamian Contributions (1)
Chapter/ Final Exam (2)
Chapter 4: Egypt (10 Periods)
Summarizes how civilization developed in the Nile Valley of Egypt and highlights the Old, Middle, and
New Kingdoms.
Ch. 4 Sec 1
The Nile (1)
Ch. 4 Sec 2
The Old Kingdom (2)
Ch. 4 Sec 3
The Middle Kingdom (2)
Ch. 4 Sec 4
The New Kingdom (2)
Ch. 4 Sec 5
Egyptian Contributions (1)
Chapter/ Final Exam (2)
Chapter 5: Eastern River Valleys (10 Periods)
Deals with the Harappan Civilization of the Indus River valley in India and Pakistan, and the Shang
civilization of the Huang Ho River valley in China.
Ch. 5 Sec 1
The Indus River Valley (4)
Ch. 5 Sec 2
The Huang Ho Valley (4)
Chapter/ Final Exam (2)
Chapter 6: The Phoenicians and the Hebrews (5 Periods)
Describes eh Phoenicians and the Hebrews and their interest in trade and religion, and their contributions to
later civilizations.
Ch. 6 Sec 1
The Phoenicians (2)
Ch. 6 Sec 2
The Hebrews (1)
Chapter/ Final Exam (2)
Chapter 7: Military Empires (5 Periods)
Discusses the contributions of the Assyrians, Chaldeans, and Persians, examines how their empires were
forged and maintained, and how their ideas spread through conquest and trade.
Ch. 7 Sec 1
The Assyrians (1)
Ch. 7 Sec 2
The Chaldeans (1)
Ch. 7 Sec 3
The Persians (1)
Chapter/ Final Exam (2)
Chapter 8: Africa and the Americas (8 Periods)
Explains the development of civilization in sub-Saharan Africa and the Americas, and how ideas spread
through trade and through conquest of these civilizations.
Ch. 8 Sec 1
Ancient African Kingdoms (1)
Ch. 8 Sec 2
Middle Kingdoms (1)
Ch. 8 Sec 3
East African Civilizations (1)
Ch. 8 Sec 4
Path to the Americas (1)
Ch. 8 Sec 5
Mesoamerica (1)
Ch. 8 Sec 6
The Incas (1)
Chapter/ Final Exam (2)
Trimester Final Exam (2 Periods)