Skip to main content

Ms. Parisi, World History

Posts

Week 11 11/3-11/7

Hi people! This week we will begin Topic 5: Emerging Europe and the Byzantine Empire. 
 
This week's assignments:
-Topic 5.1 Transforming the Roman World
-Topic 5.2 Feudalism
-Topic 5.3 The Growth of European Kingdoms
 
Objectives:
Topic 5.1 Transforming the Roman World
  • Explain how the new European civilization combined Germanic, Roman, and Christian elements. 
  • Describe why the Frankish kingdom was the strongest of the early German states and developed new laws based on the importance of family in Germanic society. 
  • Explain how the Bishop of Rome became the leader of the Christian Church. 
  • Discuss how Charlemagne expanded the Frankish kingdom and created the Carolingian Empire.
Topic 5.2 Feudalism
  • Describe how the collapse of central authority in Europe led to a new political order known as feudalism. 
  • Compare and contrast the methods used by Vikings, Magyars, and Muslims while invading Europe during the ninth and tenth centuries. 
  • Discuss how the system of lords and vassals spread throughout Europe after the collapse of the Carolingian Empire. 
  • Explain how men and women of the nobility were guided by a code of ethical behavior and society’s expectations of their roles.
Topic 5.3 The Growth of European Kingdoms
  • Explain how during the High Middle Ages, monarchs began to extend their power and build strong states. 
  • Discuss why King John of England put his seal on the Magna Carta in 1215, recognizing the rights of his nobles, and keeping the English monarch from ever becoming an absolute ruler.
  • Describe why unlike England and France, the lands of Germany and Italy did not become united during the Middle Ages. 
  • Explain how the Slavic peoples settled in central and eastern Europe, forming new kingdoms.
Due:
-Topic 4 Project due 11/3
-Topic 5 assignments due
-Topic 5 SPICE chart due 
 
Past due but will still accept:
-Topic 4 assignments (4.1-4.5) due 10/29
-Topic 4 SPICE chart due 10/29

Week 10 10/27-10/31

Hi people! This week we will wrap up Topic 4 Early Asian Civilizations. 
 
Important: 
I will be attending a conference on Whole Child Education from Tuesday to Thursday this week, and there will be a substitute on these days. Parents, please email me if you have any questions. Students, you may email or Teams chat me if you need anything. Directions for class on Tuesday-Thursday will be clearly explained during class on Monday.
 
This week's assignments: 
-Topic 4.4 India After the Guptas
-Topic 4.5 Civilizations in Southeast Asia
-Topic 4 Art and Religion Assessment
 
Objectives: 
Topic 4.4 India After the Guptas
  • Explain how tensions arose between the Muslim rulers and the majority Hindu population of India.
  • Describe how Buddhism, Hinduism, and Islam all influenced the development of India. 
  • Discuss how the rich culture of India was reflected in its art, literature, architecture, and technological advances.
Topic 4.5 Civilizations in Southeast Asia
  • Describe how the geographical features of Southeast Asia had a major effect on its political, cultural, and economic development. 
  • Explain how the geography of Southeast Asia led to the development of distinct cultures throughout the region. 
  • Discuss why the growth of the states of Southeast Asia depended largely on trade and agriculture. 
Topic 4 Art and Religion Assessment
  • Students will create their own artwork inspired by ancient Chinese landscape painting styles, particularly from the Song and Mongol (Yuan) dynasties. They will explore techniques, themes, and cultural significance while expressing their creativity.
  • Students will create a well-constructed paragraph that analyzes the impact Confucianism, Buddhism, Hinduism, and/or Daoism had on literature and/or social structure in ancient Asia.
 
Due:
-Topic 4 assignments (4.1-4.5) due 10/29
-Topic 4 SPICE chart (homework) due 10/29
-Topic 4 Art and Religion Assessment due 11/3

Week 9 10/20-10/24

Hi people, welcome back! This week we will begin Topic 4: Early Asian Civilizations. 
 
This week's assignments:
-Topic 4.1 China Reunified
-Topic 4.2 The Mongols and China
-Topic 4.3 Early Japan and Korea
 
Objectives:
Topic 4.1 China Reunified
  • Explain how the Sui, Tang, and Song dynasties unified China by bringing peace, stability, and technological progress. 
  • Describe how the political stability established by the three dynasties allowed Chinese society to grow in complexity. 
  • Understand how the Chinese economy grew in size and sophistication for 700 years.
Topic 4.2 The Mongols and China
  • Discuss how shifts in religious beliefs caused major changes in the organization of Chinese society.
  • Describe how the Mongols created the world's largest land empire by conquering all of China. 
  • Explain how neo-Confucianism differs from Confucianism.
Topic 4.3 Early Japan and Korea
  • Understand how the geography of Japan, a string of islands, and of Korea, a peninsula bordering China, have had a huge impact on their respective histories. 
  • Describe the ways in which Japan’s history has been marked by power struggles between rulers and independent families. 
  • Explain how Japan’s small size and relative isolation have had a major effect on the development of its economy, religion, and culture. 
  • Describe how the early history of Korea was marked by the presence of dominating neighbors.
 
Due:
-Topic 4 assignments (4.1-4.5) due 10/29
-Topic 4 SPICE chart (homework) due 10/29
-Topic 4 Project due 11/3

Week 8 9/29-10/2

Hi people! This week we will conclude Topic 3 Early African Civilizations. Our Topic 3 Essay we have been working on will be handwritten in class on Tuesday, 9/30.
 
This week's assignments: 
  • Topic 3 Essay
    • Part 1-3 (essay prep)
    • Part 4-6 (essay prep)
    • Essay handwritten in class on 9/30
Objectives:

  • Content Knowledge

    • Students will explain how iron ore smelting helped Kush become a powerful trading state or analyze the legacy of Mansa Musa’s pilgrimage to Makkah.

  • Use of Evidence

    • Students will select at least one piece of relevant text evidence from the textbook to support their argument.

    • Students will correctly integrate this evidence with an in-text citation and include a full citation of the textbook in a works cited/reference section.

  • Writing Skills

    • Students will organize their essay into three clear paragraphs (introduction, body, conclusion).

    • Students will develop a thesis/claim and support it with evidence and reasoning.

Due:
-Topic 3 essay will be handwritten in class on 9/30
 
Past due (but will still be accepted):
-SPICE Chart due 3/23
-Topic 3 assignments (3.1-3.3) due 9/25

Week 7 9/22-9/26

Hi people! This week we will continue Topic 3 Early African Civilizations, and conclude the unit with the summative assessment (Topic 3 Essay).
 
This week's assignments: 
-Topic 3 Essay
 
Objectives:

  • Content Knowledge

    • Students will explain how iron ore smelting helped Kush become a powerful trading state or analyze the legacy of Mansa Musa’s pilgrimage to Makkah.

  • Use of Evidence

    • Students will select at least one piece of relevant text evidence from the textbook to support their argument.

    • Students will correctly integrate this evidence with an in-text citation and include a full citation of the textbook in a works cited/reference section.

  • Writing Skills

    • Students will organize their essay into three clear paragraphs (introduction, body, conclusion).

    • Students will develop a thesis/claim and support it with evidence and reasoning.

 
Due:
-SPICE Chart due 3/23
-Topic 3 assignments due 9/25
-Topic 3 essay will be handwritten in class on 9/30

Week 6 9/15-9/19

Hi people! This week we will begin Topic 3: Early African Civilizations.
 
This week's assignments: 
-Topic 3.1 Development of African Civilizations
-Topic 3.2 Kingdoms and States of Africa
-Topic 3.3 African Society and Culture
 
Objectives:
Topic 3.1 Development of African Civilization
  • Describe how the widely varied geography of Africa influenced its culture and trade. 
  • Explain why Kush and Axum and later, Islam arose as strong early civilizations that would influence Africa.
Topic 3.2 Kingdoms and States of Africa
  • Understand how the expansion of trade enabled the kingdoms and states of Africa to protect their people and to prosper. 
  • Describe how powerful leadership helped Mali thrive.
  • Explain how the migration of the Bantu and Indian Ocean trade changed East Africa.
Topic 3.3 African Society and Culture
  • Understand that African society was centered on village and family life, with distinct religious beliefs and a rich culture. 
  • Explain why African society was strongly influenced by values and customs, such as the importance of the family, common ancestors, and community education. 
  • Describe why Africa’s rich culture of paintings, carvings, sculpture, music, and dance often served a religious purpose.
Due:
-Topic 3 assignments due 9/25
-SPICE Chart due 9/22
-Topic 3 essay due 10/1

Week 5 9/8-9/12

Hi people! This week we will wrap up Topic 2: The Islamic World
 
This week's assignments:
-Topic 2.3 Islamic Civilization
-Topic 2.4 Culture of Islam
-Topic 2 Quiz on Thursday 9/11
 
Objectives: 
Topic 2.3 Islamic Civilization
  • Explain how despite Islamic teaching that says that all people are equal under Allah, this was not strictly the case throughout the Arab Empire. 
  • Describe how growing trade and favorable geography allowed both urban and rural areas to flourish during the period of the Arab Empire.
Topic 2.4 Culture of Islam
  • Describe Islamic achievements in philosophy, science, and history. 
  • Explain how Islamic arts had an important influence on European civilization. 
  • Understand why The 1001 Nights is a major early Islamic work of literature that is still enjoyed today. 
  • Describe how Muslim art and architecture reflect the spiritual glory of Islam.
Due:
-Topic 2 assignments due 9/10
-SPICE Chart due 9/11
-Topic 2 Quiz on 9/11

Week 4 9/2-9/5

Hi People! 

This week we will begin Topic 2: The Islamic World.

Objectives:

Topic 2.1 The Rise of Islam

  • Understand how the creation of Islam led to great changes in the social and political systems of Southwest Asia. 
  • Describe how trade routes of the Arabs expanded, communities prospered, and tensions among the rich and poor increased. 
  • Explain how the revelations of Muhammad led to the creation of the Islamic religion. 
  • Relate how Islam is also both a set of religious beliefs and a way of life.

Topic 2.2 The Arab Empire and Its Successors

  • Describe how successors of Muhammad organized the Arabs and set in motion a great expansion. 
  • Explain how Islam experienced prosperity and a new cultural outlook under the Abbasid dynasty.
  • Understand why the violent invasion of the Mongols destroyed the old Islamic Empire established by the Arabs and created a new center of Islamic civilization in Cairo, Egypt.

This week's assignments:

  1. Topic 2.1 The Rise of Islam
  2. Topic 2.2 The Arab Empire and Its Successors

Due:

-Topic 2 SPICE Chart due 9/10

-Topic 2 assignments due 9/10

Week 3 8/25-8/29

Hi People!

This week we will finish Topic 1: Rome and the Rise of Christianity

Objectives: 

Topic 1.4 The Development of Christianity

  • Understand how Christianity spread throughout the Roman Empire and eventually became the state religion of Rome. 
  • Describe why prior to Christianity, Roman religion involved the worship of a number of gods and goddesses and the belief that Rome had earned the favor of the gods. 
  • Trace the changes through which despite early Christian persecution, Christianity grew in importance and spread throughout the Roman Empire.

Topic 1.5 The Decline and Fall of Rome

  • Explain how two strong emperors temporarily revived the Roman Empire and how Germanic tribes from central Europe helped bring it to an end. 
  • Describe how political upheavals, the plague, and the division of the empire led to its decline. 
  • Explain how the migration of Germanic tribes helped bring an end to the Roman Empire.

This week's assignments:

  1. Topic 1.4 The Development of Christianity
  2. Topic 1.5 The Decline and Fall of Rome
  3. Topic 1 Quiz on 8/28

Homework:

-Topic 1 assignments due 8/27

-Topic 1 SPICE Chart due 8/27

Week 2 8/18-8/22

Hi people! This week we will continue Topic 1 Rome and the Rise of Christianity.
 

Objectives: 

Topic 1.1 The Rise of Rome

  • Explain how the Romans conquered and controlled the Italian peninsula and then the entire Mediterranean world. 
  • Describe why Rome’s central location and geographic features made it a desirable location from which to expand. 
  • Demonstrate why The Romans were practical and skillful in both politics and military matters.
  • Describe why after their conquest of Italy, the Romans faced the state of Carthage.

Topic 1.2 From Republic to Empire

  • Summarize why the internal instability of the Roman Empire eventually led to civil wars and increased power for the military. 
  • Explain how political and social unrest led to civil wars responsible for ending the Republic.
  • Describe how Octavian, titled Caesar Augustus, created a new order that began the Roman Empire.

Topic 1.3 Roman Culture and Society

  • Describe the process through which the Romans spread both Greek and Roman contributions to art, architecture, and literature throughout the empire.
  • Compare and contrast how city life in ancient Rome had problems similar to life today.

This week's assignments:

  1. Topic 1.1 The Rise of Rome
  2. Topic 1.2 From Republic to Empire
  3. Topic 1.3 Roman Culture and Society
 

Homework:

-Topic 1 assignments due 8/27

-Topic 1 SPICE chart due 8/27

 

Week 1 8/11-8/15

Hi people! This week we will begin our World History class. 
 
This week's assignments:
-Signed syllabus
-Lunchroom Fight
-Topic 1.1 The Rise of Rome
 
Objectives:

Topic 1.1 The Rise of Rome

  • Explain how the Romans conquered and controlled the Italian peninsula and then the entire Mediterranean world. 
  • Describe why Rome’s central location and geographic features made it a desirable location from which to expand. 
  • Demonstrate why The Romans were practical and skillful in both politics and military matters.
  • Describe why after their conquest of Italy, the Romans faced the state of Carthage.
Due:
-Signed syllabus due 8/18
-Lunchroom Fight (turn in at the end of class)
-Topic 1 assignments due 8/27