The BIG ERAS
The Big Questions
and Seven Themes!
AKA: How to Study
World Studies!
World History is a bit
much…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4pnmZalx9YY
So then how do we possibly
study it?!
The History of the World covers a
HUGE amount of time, and yet
we will cover ALL of it this yearYou may be wondering- How can
we manage this?
Let’s First Divide the Time!
Nine Big Eras
This year, we will divide history into NINE
BIG ERAS.
Each Era will cover less and less time- for
example, Big Era One covers 12 billion200,000 years ago. Big Era 9 only covers
1945-present day.
Based on the video we watched- why does
this make sense?
Big Era 1
This will cover Humans in the
Universe 13 billion to 200,000 years
ago.
Big Era 2
This will cover Human Beings Almost
Everywhere: 200,000-10,000 years
ago
Big Era 3
This will cover Farming and the
Beginnings of Complex societies: 10,0001,000 BC
Big Era 4:
Expanding Networks of Exchange and
Encounter: 1200 BC-500 CE
Big Era 5
This will cover Patterns of
Interregional Unity 300-1500 CE
Big Era 6
This will cover the Great Global
Convergence 1400-1800
Big Era 7
This will cover Industrialization and
Its Consequences 1750-1914
Big Era 8
This era will cover a Half Century of Crisis
1900-1950
Big Era 9
This era will cover the Paradoxes of Global
Acceleration 1945-present day
So the Time is Split Up…
Now What?
Throughout the year- no matter what
we are talking about you should
have the following questions in
mind to better understand the
patterns, the story, and the point of
what we are learning!
Big Question 1!
What was the
relationship like
between the
humans and
environment
during this era?
Big Question 2!
What were humans’ relationship
with other humans like during
this era and why?
Big Question 3
What were human’s big ideas
and views of the world around
them during this era?
Now I’m sure you’re thinking…
“HOW THE HECK
DO WE ANSWER
THESE
QUESTIONS MS.
JOHNSON?!
YOU’RE DOING
TOO MUCH!”
BUT! HAVE NO FEAR!
To Answer the
Questions…
We have themes to guide
our thinking!
Theme 1: The Pattern of
Population during the era
1. How do changes in human population
effect/change the environment?
2. When human population changes how
does this effect of people treat one
another?
3. How have changes in human
population inspired new ideas or
inventions?
Theme 2: The Economic Networks
and Exchange during the Era
1. How does economic growth or decline effect
the environment? How does the growth or
decline of trade effect the environment?
2. How does economics or material
possessions effect human relationships
between one another?
3. How have human’s ideas or inventions
changed economics and exchange?
Theme 3: The Uses and Abuses of
Power during the Era
1. How have power struggles changed the
environment? How does the
environment effect who has power?
2. How do people use power in their
relationships with one another?
3. How do new ideas provide or take
power?
Theme 4: Who the have and havenots were during the era
1. How does the lifestyle of the haves effect
the environment? How does the lifestyle of
the have-nots effect the environment?
2. How has the strive to be a ‘have’ rather than
a ‘have-not’ effected human relationships
on the individual level and between groups
of people?
3. How has the idea of what a ‘have’ and what
a ‘have-not’ changed?
Theme 5: How People Expressed
their Identity During the Era
1. How has land been connected to human
identity?
2. How does personal identity (social and
cultural) determine who is one’s friend and
who is one’s enemy?
3. How has personal identity affected human
views of society?
Theme 6: The Science and
Technology During the Era
1. How has new science and technology helped
the environment? How has it hurt the
environment?
2. How does science and technology change
the ways human’s interact with one
another?
3. How do human views/ideas inspire new
science and technology? How do human
views/ideas restrict new
science/technology?
Theme 7: The Spiritual Life and
Moral Code of the Era
1. What does the spiritual/moral code of the era
say about the relationship between humans
and the natural world?
2. What guidelines does the spiritual/moral code
of the era set for relationships between
humans (men with women, family
relationships, relationships of old and young,
etc.)?
3. How have peoples’ spiritual/moral codes
inspired or guided their new ideas or views of
the world around them?