World History II / Foundations of U.S. History

The first half of this course focuses on World History in the modern era, beginning with the changes brought about by the Renaissance, and the impact of the Enlightenment on the governmental and social institutions of the modern world, including the Protestant Reformation, the Counter-Reformation, and the emergence of democratic ideas. Particular emphasis is placed on the influence of the Enlightenment on the establishment of the U.S.A. and on the emergence of the republic and the constitutional monarchy elsewhere. Important issues in world history in the 19th and 20th centuries will be examined, including colonialism, World War I and World War II, the Cold War, and developments of the last half century.

In the second semester, the course will focus on the foundations of the United States, with particular emphasis on examining the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, including the arguments, inconsistencies, and struggles related to the emergence of democracy in this country. Students will be encouraged to explore the meaning and possibilities of the Constitution as the framework of our government.

They will be encouraged to examine these issues through primary documents, research, lecture and textbook. Students will be required often during the school year to present orally, and in writing, their findings from their research.

First Semester: World History II

COMPETENCY GOAL 1: The learner will become familiar with the forces that brought about the European Renaissance, the subsequent revolutions in government and technology, and the mingling of world cultures, all of which shaped the modern world. Objectives:
The learner will

  • Discover how the Renaissance came about and how it ushered in the modern era of history
  • Explore the ways in which the Renaissance led to a new recognition of individual rights
  • Learn about individuals during the Renaissance who had an impact on art, literature, and politics
  • Learn about how the Renaissance and its widening of horizons led to the Age of Exploration and Discovery
  • Trace social, political, economic, and cultural changes associated with the Renaissance, Reformation, the rise of nation-states, and absolutism
  • Study the overseas exploration of the 15th and 16th centuries, and the establishment of overseas empires
  • Analyze the effects of European empire-building
  • Learn about the Protestant Reformation and its far-reaching effect on Europe
  • Learn about the Counter-Reformation, the Catholic Church’s response to the Reformation
  • Study the “scientific revolution” of the 16th through 18th centuries, and how it was a result of the Renaissance

COMPETENCY GOAL 2: The learner will understand the connection between the Renaissance, with its concomitant spread of literacy and education, and the resulting “Enlightenment.”The learner will come to see how the Enlightenment led, in turn, to democratic ideas and popular revolution. Objectives:
The learner will

  • Explore the age of the “Enlightenment,” and how it led to a revolution in ideas about individual rights and forms of government
  • Analyze the impact of the Enlightenment on the governmental and social institutions of the modern world
  • Analyze the impact of the Enlightenment on the founding fathers of the United States in particular
  • Consider the influence of the Enlightenment on the emergence of the republic and the constitutional monarchy elsewhere
  • Learn about the French Revolution and how it followed from the Enlightenment and affected European governments
  • Consider how the ideas of the Enlightenment and the French Revolution in particular affected the future of slavery and colonization in the New World
  • Learn about the wars of independence waged by peoples of the Western Hemisphere against their colonizers
  • Learn about the resistance of European governments to Enlightenment ideas and their reactions to the French Revolution
  • Study the impact of Napoleon on Europe and the Western Hemisphere

COMPETENCY GOAL 3: The learner will investigate significant events, people, and conditions in the growth of monarchical and imperial systems of government, and analyze how these systems affected the societies subjected to colonialism. Objectives:
The learner will

  • Learn about the colonization of peoples in Africa and Asia
  • Look at how China and Japan reacted to the threat of European colonialism
  • Analyze how competitive colonialism affected the course of world history in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

COMPETENCY GOAL 4: Global Wars - The learner will analyze the causes and results of twentieth century conflicts among nations. Objectives:
The learner will

  • Analyze the factors leading to World War One
  • Discover why the Balkan Peninsula was called “the powder keg of Europe.”
  • Study the course of World War One, “the war to end all wars”
  • Analyze the results of World War One, including the impact of the Treaty of Versailles
  • Learn about the Russian Revolution of 1917, the events that followed it, and its lasting impact
  • Discuss the breakdown of the world economy following World War One
  • Analyze the rise of nationalism, particularly in Europe and Asia, after World War One
  • Explore the causes of the rise of totalitarian dictatorships in the 20th century
  • Analyze the factors leading to World War Two
  • Follow the course of World War Two
  • Analyze the results of World War Two, including the beginning of the “Cold War” and the division of the world into two ideological factions
  • Study the impact of the United Nations and the dissolution of the world’s big empires
  • Explore the end of colonialism and the rise of the newly independent nations, particularly in Africa and Asia.

Second Semester:Foundations of U.S. History

COMPETENCY GOAL 1: The learner will become familiar with the colonization and settlement of the Western Hemisphere, specifically North America, and will focus in greater detail on the English colonies along the Atlantic seaboard and the steps leading toward their independence. Objectives:
The learner will

  • Learn about the foundation of the English colonies in North America, with particular emphasis on the differences in their founding and development, and the peculiar developments that had a special impact on the founding of the United States (e.g., the separation of church and state in Rhode Island and Pennsylvania; the establishment of slavery as a way of life in the South)
  • Examine the colonial struggles between the French and the English, and how these events affected the future of the English colonists
  • Call upon their knowledge of the Enlightenment, covered in the first semester, to evaluate its impact on the colonies in the 18th century
  • Explore the events leading up to the outbreak of the American Revolution

COMPETENCY GOAL 2: The learner will become familiar with the struggle for independence and the birth of the United States of America. Objectives:
The learner will

  • Study the beginning of the war
  • Become familiar with the people who were most important in the struggle for independence
  • Explore the course of the war
  • Analyze the results of the war and the beginnings of the new nation

COMPETENCY GOAL 3: The learner will examine and assess the efforts of the founders of the United States of America to establish a new nation. Objectives:
The learner will

  • Consider the impact of the Enlightenment on the founders of the United States
  • Explore the extent to which the new nation and its state governments followed the ideas they had inherited from the mother country, Great Britain, with its parliamentary system
  • Consider the areas in which the new United States departed from the ideas of Great Britain
  • Examine the Articles of Confederation, with particular emphasis on the ways in which it proved inadequate to the new nation

COMPETENCY GOAL 4: Our Nation’s Framework --The learner will examine and analyze the Constitution of the United States of America, its origins, and its evolution. The learner will become particularly familiar with how this document organizes our government, how it is designed to safeguard our civil rights, and how it is able to adapt to society’s changing needs.  Objectives:
The learner will

  • Analyze the events leading up to the Constitutional Convention
  • Discover the main arguments brought out by the delegates to the Constitutional Convention, and the resulting compromises
  • Analyze the impact of the major compromises made in drafting the U.S. Constitution
  • Examine the U.S. Constitution
  • Use their critical thinking skills to consider the meaning of the Constitution, its value to us, and its potential for adaptation
  • Examine some of the arguments brought out in The Federalist Papers
  • Examine the Bill of Rights, the reasons why it was added to the Constitution, and its lasting importance
  • Consider the gradual expansion of democracy in the United States within the framework of the U.S. Constitution