WH Possible Vocabulary by Unit
Note: When deciding on vocabulary for a unit, pick around 10 new words. These would be your focus words
for the unit. The use of vocabulary in the classroom should be purposeful and relate to the standards.
Teaching vocabulary in isolation (writing out definitions and looking up words from the back of the book)
should be avoided. Instead, utilize the vocabulary as part of everyday class discussion and as part of
terminology used in developing warm-ups, EQs, and formative/summative assessments.
Suggestion for use:
Create three word walls for the unit. One with the conceptual lenses. One with question words (this can
remain from unit to unit but add a word or two each time). And, one with a mixture of 10 or so words.
When working on primary sources, notes, readings, etc., ask the class what lens does the work best go with
and why. Be sure they justify their reasons. Develop quick formative assessment questions for the class by
using a combination of the words from the wall. For Example: Why did salutary neglect play a significant role
in the conflict between Britain and the American Colonies?
Unit 2: Sun Rise, Sun Set – Civilization (5 days)
Possible
Question Words
Content
Lenses
Vocabulary
Civilization
Technology
Trade
Analyze
Compare
Develop
Element
Emerge
Explain
Function
Impact
Influence
Manage
Pattern
Shape Of
Structure
Techniques
Various
Ancient
Aristocracy
Barter
Caste
Civilization
Codify
Democracy
Fertile
Geography
Government
Oligarchy
Polytheism
Social Class
Society
Theocracy
Tyranny
Non-Content
Vocabulary
Agriculture
Complex
Composition
Confluence
Efficient
Engineering
Hierarchy
Implement
Inhabitant
Innovation
Irrigation
Networks (trade)
Period (time)
Resources
Specialization
Sustainability
Values
These words come from the NC Essential Standards and the WSFCS Unit Documents’ UEQ and LEQs.
*These words are on previous unit lists.
Unit 3: Effects of Expanding Empires (9 days)
Possible
Question Words
Content
Lenses
Vocabulary
Achievements
Culture
Trade*
Analyze*
Compare*
Evaluate
Composition
Contribute
Development
Element
Evolve
Factor
Function*
Impact*
Influence
Link
Relationship
Result
Structure*
Aristocracy*
Caste*
Civilization*
Cultural Diffusion
Democracy*
Domestic
Empire
Imperial
Oligarchy*
Social Class*
Territorial
Theocracy*
Tyranny*
Non-Content
Vocabulary
Achievement
Acquire
Complex*
Corruption
Diverse
Enduring
Ensure
External
Factor
Hierarchy*
Institution
Intellectual
Lasting
Legacy
Resources*
Sustain
System
Tension
Unity
These words come from the NC Essential Standards and the WSFCS Unit Documents’ UEQ and LEQs.
*These words are on previous unit lists.
Unit 4: The Big 5 – Religion (5 days)
Possible Lenses
Question
Words
Religion
Values and Beliefs
Analyze*
Contribute
Development
Element*
Function*
Impact*
In Terms Of
Influence*
Shape Of*
Structure*
Various*
Content
Vocabulary
Non-Content
Vocabulary
Ancient*
Aristocracy*
Caste*
Civilization*
Democracy*
Economics
Monotheism
Oligarchy*
Polytheism*
Religion
Social Classes*
Theocracy*
Tyranny*
Composition*
Condition
Convert
Hierarchies*
Status
Toleration
Values
These words come from the NC Essential Standards and the WSFCS Unit Documents’ UEQ and LEQs.
*These words are on previous unit lists.
Unit 5: Middle Ages (9 days)
Possible
Question Words
Content
Lenses
Vocabulary
Authority
Innovation
Power
Allow For
Analyze*
Development*
Emerge*
Encourage
Evolve*
Explain*
Impact*
In Terms Of*
Influenced*
Lack Of
Lead To
Recover From
Response
Structure Of*
Transform
Various*
Bill of Exchange
Bourgeoisie
Civilization*
Common Law
Economic
Empire
Feudalism
Guild
Manor
Medieval
Middle Class
Military
Monarch
Political
Pope
Region
Religion*
Revolution
Schism
Secular
Social*
Terrace
Theocracy*
Union
Urbanization
Non-Content
Vocabulary
Absolute
Achievement
Agricultural*
Alternative
Artisan
Commercial
Commercialization
Complex*
Contribution
Desire
Dominant
Emergence
Enclosure
Enhance
Force
Innovation
Institution*
Interaction
Isolation
Lack
Lasting*
Market
Merchant
Navigational
Outcome
Patterns
Practice
Pressure
Quality of Life
Revival
Shift
Specialization*
Stability
Structure
System
Unity*
Void
These words come from the NC Essential Standards and the WSFCS Unit Documents’ UEQ and LEQs.
*These words are on previous unit lists.
Unit 6: The World Shrinks – Renaissance, Nation-States, Exploration (7 days)
Possible
Question Words
Content
Non-Content
Lenses
Vocabulary
Vocabulary
Access
Change
Analyze*
Absolutism
Acquisition
Colonization
Catalyst
Capitalism
Advantage
Exploration
Cause
Civilization*
Boundary
Trade*
Consequence
Colonization
Catalyst
Contribute*
Conquistador
Centralized
Desire For
Corporation
Classical
Development*
Culture*
Commercial*
Effect/Affect
Economic*
Conquest
Explain*
Empire*
Consequence
Implication
Exploration
Conversion*
In Terms Of*
Geopolitical
Desire*
Motivate
Imperialism
Destruction
Pattern*
Inflation
Discontent
Result*
Humanism
Emerge*
Role Of
Joint-Stock
Expansion
Spread Of
Mercantilism
Exploit
Monarchy*
Force (noun)*
Nation-State
Global
Parliament
Implication
Plantation
Indigenous
Politics*
Infrastructure
Society*
Innovation*
Instigate
Intended
Interaction*
International
Investment
Market
Motive/Motivation
Overwhelming
Possession
Privileges
Quest
Renaissance
Resource*
Revival*
Revolution
Status Quo
Stimulate
System
Transatlantic
Transmission
Unintended
These words come from the NC Essential Standards and the WSFCS Unit Documents’ UEQ and LEQs.
*These words are on previous unit lists.
Unit 7: Changes Throughout the World (6 days)
Possible
Question Words
Content Vocabulary
Lenses
Change *
Conflict
Revolution
Affect/Effect*
Alter
Analyze*
Cause*
Develop*
Establish
Explain*
Impact*
Influence*
Lack Of*
Respond*
Result*
Transform*
Democracy*
Empiricism
Heliocentric
Humanism*
Laissez-Faire
Nationalism
Natural Rights
Politics*
Popular Sovereignty
Rationalism
Secular*
Society*
Non-Content
Vocabulary
Affair
Alter
Body (governing)
Catalyst*
Centralized*
Classical*
Coincide
Compromise
Condition*
Contractual
Deductive
Development*
Engineer (to)
Enlighten
Establishment
Foundations
Global*
Inductive
Inquisition
Institution*
Intellectual*
Interaction*
Lack*
Liberty
Movements
Natural
Reasoning
Reform*
Relation
Renaissance*
Status Quo*
Theory
Tolerance*
Transformation
These words come from the NC Essential Standards and the WSFCS Unit Documents’ UEQ and LEQs.
*These words are on previous unit lists.
Unit 8: Industrialization, Imperialism, and WWI (7 days)
Possible Lenses Question Words
Content
Vocabulary
Competition
Industrialization
Turning Point
War
Analyze*
Cause*
Consider
Determine
Effect/Affect*
Evaluate
Explain*
Factor*
Impact*
Influence*
Pattern*
Result*
Alliances
Assassination
Deforestation
Geography*
Geopolitical*
Imperialism*
Industrialization
Isolationism
Labor Union
Mass Production
Middle Class
Militarism
Nationalism*
Society*
Specialization
Treaty
Urbanization*
Non-Content
Vocabulary
Ability
Access*
Agriculture*
Arise
Competition
Consider
Determine
Drastic
Efficiency
Environment
Ethnic
Factor*
Globalization
Innovation*
International
Isolate
Labor
Market*
Natural*
Organization
Policy
Pollution
Productivity
Resource*
Rivalry
Shift
Status*
Tension*
Turning Point
Underlying
These words come from the NC Essential Standards and the WSFCS Unit Documents’ UEQ and LEQs.
*These words are on previous unit lists.
Unit 9: Interwar Years and WWII (8 days)
Possible Lenses
Question
Content
Words
Vocabulary
Global Economy
Power*
Nationalism
War*
Analyze*
Cause*
Challenge
Contribute*
Create
Effect/Affect*
Employ
Evaluate*
Explain*
Give Rise To
Impact*
In Terms Of*
Influence*
Lack Of*
Prompted
Result*
Shift In
Capitalist*
Communist
Economic*
Expansionist
Genocide
Imperialism*
Industrialization*
Isolationism*
Militarism*
Nationalism*
Politics*
Socialist
Total War
Totalitarianism
Treaty*
Non-Content
Vocabulary
Alternative
Boundary*
Collaboration
Competition*
Crisis
Depression
Distribution
Drastic*
Emerge*
Employ
Era
Ethnic*
Factor*
Financial
Global*
Innovation*
Instability
Mobilize
Modern
Movement*
Needs
Outcome*
Prompted
Quest
Revolution*
Rivalry*
Shift*
Signal
Stability*
Structure*
Substantial
System*
Tactic
Theory*
Turning Point*
Underlying*
Unprecedented
These words come from the NC Essential Standards and the WSFCS Unit Documents’ UEQ and LEQs.
*These words are on previous unit lists.
Unit 10: The World Divides – Cold War and Decolonization (8 days)
Possible
Question Words
Content
Non-Content
Lenses
Vocabulary
Vocabulary
Achievement*
Economics
Address
Bureaucracy
Adoption
Independence Challenge*
Capitalism*
Alter*
Politics
Contribute*
Colony*
Balance
Power*
Develop*
Communism*
Barrier
Explain*
Effect/Affect*
Containment
Blockade
Analyze*
Impact*
Decolonization
Brinkmanship
Evaluate*
Increase
Doctrine
Chaos
Influence*
Economic*
Coexistence
Pattern*
Geopolitical*
Compromise*
Prompted*
Missile
Condition
Response*
Nationalism*
Crisis*
Result*
Political*
Dependence
Shift In*
Social Class*
Depression*
Social*
Distribution
Socialism*
Dominance
Terrorism
Emergence*
Flexible
Foreign
Global*
Identity
Independence
Innovation*
Instability
Interaction*
Interdependence
International*
Leverage
Manmade
Movement*
National*
Option
Partition
Passive
Pattern*
Policy
Possession*
Prompted*
Represent
Resistance
Revolt*
Rivalry*
Stability*
Strategy
Structure*
Superpower
Symbolic
System*
Tension*
Theory*
Various
These words come from the NC Essential Standards and the WSFCS Unit Documents’ UEQ and LEQs.
*These words are on previous unit lists.
Unit 11: Contemporary World (8 days)
Possible
Lenses
Question Words
Content
Vocabulary
Non-Content
Vocabulary
Environment
Globalization
Human Rights
Innovation
Terrorism
Attempt To
Contribute*
Effect/Affect*
Extent Of
Impact*
Influence*
Reshape
Result*
Transform*
Decolonization*
Democracy*
Economic*
Fundamentalisms*
Hostage
Industrialization*
Liberal
Market Economy
Nationalism*
Political*
Social*
Standard of Living*
Terrorism*
Urbanization*
Achievement*
Alien
Alter*
Attributed
Barrier*
Binding
Blockade*
Boundary*
Breakthrough
Community
Competition*
Compromise*
Confrontation
Cooperation
Counteract
Crisis*
Declaration
Deforestation
Deliberate
Depletion
Destruction
Dilemma
Disadvantaged
Emission
Enterprise
Ethics
Exclude
Foreign*
Global Warming
Global*
Globalization*
Habitat
Humanity
Ideology
Identity*
Inequalities
Infrastructure*
Innovation*
Interact*
Interaction*
Interconnectedness
International*
Intervention
Manmade*
Market*
Media
Morals
Motivate
Movement*
Multinational
Organization*
Pollution*
Production
Proliferated
Quality of Life*
Resort
Resources*
Revolt*
Stability*
Standard
Symbolic*
System*
Tension*
Tourism
Unbalanced
Various*
Violation
These words come from the NC Essential Standards and the WSFCS Unit Documents’ UEQ and LEQs.
*These words are on previous unit lists.