College of Micronesia
PO Box 159
Pohnpei, FM 96941
Course Title: WORLD HISTORY PRIOR TO 1500
Department & Number: SS 170
Course Description:
This course provides a general study in history of world civilizations. It covers the
civilizations of Western Asia, China, the Harappan in India, the Greeks, the Romans, the
civilizations of the Americas, the rise of Islam in the Middle East, the early civilizations in
Africa, the rise of civilization in Southern Asia, the Eastern Asian Rimlands (Early Japan,
Korea, and Vietnam), the Making of Europe, the Byzantine Empire and Crisis and Recovery
in the West.
Course Prepared by: John Haglelgam
State: Pohnpei, National Campus
Hours per week
Credits
Lecture
Laboratory
Workshop
____3____
_________
__________
Purpose of Course:
No. of week
x
x
x
__16___
_______
________
Total Hours
x ___48___
x ________
x ________
Degree Requirement
Degree Elective
Certificate
Other
=
=
=
Semester
____3______
___________
___________
____X______
__________
___________
__________
 This course also meets PLO #(s) _3__ of Teacher Prep program.
Prerequisite Courses: EN110
________________________________________
Signature Chairperson, Curriculum & Assessment
Committee
__________________
Date Approved
______________________________________
__________________
Signature, VPIA, COM-FSM
SS170 WORLD HISTORY PRIOR TO 1500
Date Approved
RECOMMENDED BY CAC: 12/13/11
APPROVED BY VPIA: 12/19/11
A. PROGRAM LEARNING OUTCOMES (PLOs):
The student will be able to:
1. Demonstrate a fundamental knowledge of world geography.
2. Demonstrate knowledge of the cultural issues of a person’s own culture and other
cultures.
3. Demonstrate knowledge of major historical events affecting one’s culture and other
cultures.
4. Demonstrate familiarity with contemporary global issues.
5. Demonstrate an understanding of major ethical concerns.
B. STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES (SLOs) – GENERAL:
The student will be able to:
1. Know the development of civilizations in Mesopotamia, Egypt, and India.
2. Know the development of civilizations in ancient China and Greece.
3. Know the development of the first world civilizations of Rome and China.
4. Know the emergence of the civilizations in the Americas.
5. Know the rise of Islam in the Middle East and the emergence of civilizations in Africa.
6. Know the expansion of civilization in Southern Asia, the blossoming of traditional China
and the development of early of Japan, Korea, and Vietnam.
7. Know the making of Europe, the Byzantine Empire, and the Crisis and Recovery in the
West.
SLO
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
PLO1
D
D
D
D
D
D
D
PLO2
PLO3 PLO4
D
D
D
D
D
D
D
PLO5
I = Introduced
D = Demonstrated
M = Mastered
C. SPECIFIC STUDENT LEARNING OUTCOMES (SLOs) – SPECIFIC:
General SLO 1: Know the development of civilizations in Mesopotamia, Egypt, and India.
Student Learning Outcomes
Assessment strategies
1.1 Describe and explain the rise and fall of
SS170 WORLD HISTORY PRIOR TO 1500
RECOMMENDED BY CAC: 12/13/11
APPROVED BY VPIA: 12/19/11
the civilizations of the Sumerians, Akkad,
Amorites, Assyrian, Hittites, and the Persian. Comprehensive Exam
1.2 Describe the development of the Egyptian
civilization and the impact of the Nile River.
1.3 Explain the contributions of the
Phoenicians and Hebrews to the world.
1.4 Describe the rise and fall of the Harappan
civilization in India.
1.5 Explain the impact of the Aryan culture
on the Dravidian population of India.
1.6 Describe the development of Hindu,
Buddhism, Jainism, and Sikhism.
1.7 Describe the development of the first
empire in India.
General SLO2: Know the development of civilizations in ancient China and Greece.
Student Learning Outcomes
Assessment strategies
2.1 Explain the beginning of the civilization
in China.
Comprehensive Exam
2.2 Describe the Shang, Zhou, and Qin
dynasties of ancient China.
2.3 Explain the emergence of the first
Chinese Empire.
2.4 Explain the Hundred School of Ancient
Chinese philosophy.
2.5 Explain the impact of legalist philosophy
on Chinese society.
2.6 Describe development of the Minoan
civilization on Crete island.
2.7 Describe the first city-state and Dark Age
in Greek history.
2.8 Explain the development of poleis and
Classical Greece.
2.9 Describe the rise of Macedonia and the
conquests of Alexander the Great
2.10 Explain the emergence of the Hellenistic
kingdoms.
General SLO3: Know the development of the first world civilizations of Rome and China.
Student Learning Outcomes
Assessment strategies
3.1 Describe the early Rome and the
development of the Republic.
Comprehensive Exam
SS170 WORLD HISTORY PRIOR TO 1500
RECOMMENDED BY CAC: 12/13/11
APPROVED BY VPIA: 12/19/11
3.2 Explain the decline and fall of the Roman
Republic.
3.3 Describe the Roman Conquest of its
neighbors in Italy and the Mediterranean.
3.4 Describe the emergence of the Roman
Empire.
3.5 Explain the crisis in the 3rd century and
the late Roman Empire.
3.6 Describe the transformation of Rome by
Christianity.
3.7 Explain the triumph of Christianity.
3.8 Describe the Han Empire in China.
3.9 Explain the emergence of state
Confucianism in China.
3.10 Describe China’s imperial expansion
and explain the origin of the Silk Road.
3.11 Describe the decline and fall of the Han
Empire.
General SLO4: Know the emergence of civilizations in the Americas.
Student Learning Outcomes
Assessment strategies
4.1 Describe the development of the Olmecs,
the Zapotecs, the Maya, and the Aztecs
Comprehensive Exam
civilizations of Central America.
4.2 Describe the Caral, Moche, and Inca
civilizations of South America.
4.3 Describe the stateless societies of Eastern
Woodlands, Cahokia, and the Anasazi of
North American and the Arawak and
Amazonia of South America.
General SLO5: Know the rise of Islam in the Middle East and the Emergence of civilizations in
Africa.
Student Learning Outcomes
Assessment Strategies
5.1 Describe the role and the teaching of
Comprehensive exam
Muhammad vis-à-vis Islam.
5.2 Describe the creation of the Arab
Empire.
5.3 Explain the rise of the Umayyad, the
Abbasids caliphates, and the Seljuk Turks.
SS170 WORLD HISTORY PRIOR TO 1500
RECOMMENDED BY CAC: 12/13/11
APPROVED BY VPIA: 12/19/11
5.4 Explain the purpose and goal of Christian
Crusades.
5.5 Describe the Mongols invasion of the
Middle East.
5.6 Describe the emergence of the Islamic
civilization.
5.7 Describe the development of the
kingdoms of Kush, Axum, and Saba in
Africa.
5.8 Explain the introduction of Islam into
Africa.
5.8 Explain the African religious beliefs
before Islam.
5.9 Describe the land of Zanj in East Africa.
5.10 Describe the states and stateless.
General SLO6: Know the expansion of civilization into Southern Asia, the blossoming of
traditional China, and the development of early of Japan, Korea, and Vietnam.
Student Learning Outcomes
Assessment strategies
6.1 Describe the golden age of Gupta dynasty
in India.
Comprehensive Exam
6.2 Describe the arrival of Islam in India.
6.3 Describe the society and culture of India.
6.4 Describe the development of trade and
commerce in Southeast Asia.
6.5 Describe the religious beliefs of
Southeast Asian societies.
6.6 Describe the Sui, the Tang, and the Song
dynasties; and the reunification of China.
6.7 Describe emergence of the Mongols
Empire in Central Asia.
6.8 Describe the rise of the Japanese state,
the Koryo dynasty in Korea, and the Great
Viet in Vietnam.
General SLO7: Know the making of Europe, the Byzantine Empire, and the Crisis and Recovery
in the West.
SS170 WORLD HISTORY PRIOR TO 1500
RECOMMENDED BY CAC: 12/13/11
APPROVED BY VPIA: 12/19/11
Student Learning Outcomes
7.1 Describe the emergence of Europe in the
Early Middle Ages.
7.2 Describe Europe in the High Middle
Ages.
7.3 Describe Medieval Europe and the
World.
7.4 Describe Eastern Rome and rise of the
Byzantine Empire.
7.5 Describe the decline and fall of the
Byzantine Empire.
7.6 Describe the crisis of the 14th Century
7.7 Describe the Renaissance in Europe.
Assessment strategies
Comprehensive Exam
D. COURSE CONTENT
1. The First Civilization: The Peoples of Western Asia and Egypt.
2. The Ancient Civilization of India.
3. The Ancient Civilization of China.
4. The Civilization of the Greeks
5. The first World Civilizations of Rome and China.
6. The Civilizations of the Americas
7. The Rise of Islam in the Middle East
8. The Early Civilizations in Africa.
9. The Expansion of Civilization into Southern Asia
10. The Flowering of Traditional China
11. The Development of Early Japan, Korea, and Vietnam
12. The Making of Europe
13. The Byzantine Empire and the Crisis and Recovery in Europe
E. METHODS OF INSTRUCTION
Lecture and movies
F. REQURIED TEXT(S) AND COURSE MATERIALS
Duiker, William J., and Jackson J. Spielvogel, World History (Sixth Edition). Canada: Wadsworth (or
most recent edition).
G. REFERENCE MATERIALS
None
H. INSTRUCTIONAL COSTS
None
SS170 WORLD HISTORY PRIOR TO 1500
RECOMMENDED BY CAC: 12/13/11
APPROVED BY VPIA: 12/19/11
I. EVALUATION
None
J. CREDIT BY EXAMINATION
None
SS170 WORLD HISTORY PRIOR TO 1500
RECOMMENDED BY CAC: 12/13/11
APPROVED BY VPIA: 12/19/11