World History
Ms. Schirmer
Summer Reading Packet- World History 2014
Hi and I hope you all are enjoying your summer! I am so looking forward to meeting each and every one of you in my class next year.
To get you started I have assigned a bit of summer reading work. There are three parts to the World History summer assignment. Part
1 is a map of the world that asks you to locate and learn countries, bodies of water and areas of importance. Part 2 is vocabulary from
the book and Part 3 is an essay, of your choosing, from a list of topics. Each part of the assignment is outlined below. ALL THREE
assignments will be due in class the FIRST FRIDAY that we come back to school. If you have questions feel free to email me at
( abby.schirmer@stratford.org )
The Book
“Big History: From the Big Bang to the Present,” By Cynthia Stokes Brown. 2007 The New Press, New York.
ISBN 978-1-59558-196-9 (hardback), ISBN 978-1-59558-414-4 (paperback)
Part 1- The Map
Directions- For this section you have been provided a blank map of the World. You may use the internet, books or other resources to
find the countries, continents, bodies of water and empires that I have listed below. You should fill out this map in its entirety. Color
and label the empires. Make sure to create a Key as to which empire is which color. Above all, label your map neatly!
Continents- Label all but Antarctica (which isn’t pictured)
Australia
Oceans/Bodies of Water
Aegean Sea
Arctic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
Baltic Sea
Baltic Sea
Bay of Bengal
Black Sea
Caspian Sea
Great Lakes
Gulf of Mexico
Hudson Bay
Indian Ocean
Lake Victoria
Mediterranean Sea
Pacific Ocean
Persian Gulf
Red Sea
South China Seas
Yellow Sea/East China Sea
Countries
Afghanistan
Argentina
Austria
Brazil
Canada
Chile
China
Egypt
England
France
Germany
Greece
India
Iran
Iraq
Ireland
Israel
Italy
Japan
Mexico
Mongolia
North Korea
Norway
Pakistan
Peru
Poland
Portugal
Russia
Saudi Arabia
South Africa
South Korea
Spain
Syria
Taiwan
Turkey
USA
Empires
Roman Empire
Greek Empire
British Empire
Egyptian Empire
Shang Empire
Ottoman Empire
Persian Empire
Sumer/Fertile Crescent
Mesoamerican Empires
Part Two Vocabulary
While reading the book I want you to keep a list of words that you do not know. Look up the words while reading and write their
definition next to the word. You should keep this list and turn it in with the rest of this assignment. You should have at least 25 words
defined.
World History
Ms. Schirmer
Part Three Essays
Below are three essay topics. You are to choose ONE. As you read the book take notes on your topic. When you have finished, use
this information to construct a 3 page essay which answers the questions asked. This essay should be typed, double spaced using 12
point Times New Roman font and 1 inch margins.
1.
2.
3.
Trade- In the book you will learn that though major civilizations developed independently of each other, they were still
connected by major trade networks. By increasing trade, these networks brought economic wealth but also cultural change (a
process called cultural diffusion) which led to changes in beliefs, language, and religion. In your essay, write about one trade
network from three different time periods. For each trade net work you choose, explain how the network spread new ideas
about the proper way to live, different languages and different religious ideas to the civilizations that were part of the network.
For the network you chose in each of the three 3 time periods, be sure to explain how the civilizations interacted wither each
other using specific examples from the book.
Agriculture- The transition from hunter-gathering to farming societies was among the most advancements in human history.
In your essay, explain the causes of this transition. Also explain why the transition happened in certain regions of the world
earlier than it happened in others. Explain what advantages the transition to agriculture brought to the societies which were
able to embrace it. Conclude by explaining how did the development of farming lead to the development of more
specialized jobs, written language, organized religion, stronger government and large militaries.
Environment- Over the course of history, humans have exploited the natural environment for resources. In using the natural
environment, human societies have seldom considered the damage that their action might cause for the natural environment.
In your essay, write about two examples of human societies significantly altering the natural environment. Make sure that
each of the examples you choose comes from different time periods and, using details from the book, describes how humans
altered the environment. Describe positive and negative consequences of how humans altered the environment in each time
period. Conclude your essay by describing how the environmental changes made by each of the human societies led to its
collapse.
World History
Ms. Schirmer