What+is+this+course+about?

 ** WORLD CIVILIZATIONS SURVEY **  ** Ms. Antonio, Mrs. Dittmar **  ** 2010-2011 **

** // What is this course about and why is it important? // **

The people of our world are increasingly interdependent on one another. As global interactions become common, high school students must learn about the // many // histories of people around the world. Together, we will embark on a journey to acquaint ourselves with the histories of Europe, the Middle East, Asia, Africa and other regions in order to understand people as products of their own unique histories. This course will hopefully help you come to appreciate the common problems humans have faced and the various solutions that have been tried.

In addition, this course gives students a thorough grounding in Western Civilizations so that the sources of American heritage and institutions can be appreciated. This approach will help you to better understand life in the 21st Century as well as appreciate your role in an interdependent world.

This course surveys the history of mankind through the 19th Century. The rise of ancient civilizations throughout the world and their ultimate collapse, the differing religious beliefs around the world, and the transition from antiquity to the modern age are all themes we will examine.

You will be introduced to certain thinking skills and “habits of mind” that will help you be successful in your study of history. For example, you will learn to analyze primary sources, make inferences, and identify points-of-view.