NCPS Social Studies Unit Map – World History II/AP World History: Modern Curriculum Guide
All Social Studies classes are aligned in terms of skill development. The emphasis is on higher order thinking skills, such as close reading of primary sources and the analysis of pro-con, continuity and change over time, compare and contrast, and point of view. Students consistently learn to make connections between past and present. In addition, all students engage in research to solve problems and demonstrate life skills, such as oral presentation skills and their analysis of visual literacy, including charts, graphs, political cartoons, and art. The major difference between regular sections and advanced placement is the complexity of rubrics, readings and documents, content, materials and the rigor of scoring. Full AP course descriptions can be found at the website advanced placement.college board.com. The curriculum is aligned with the Connecticut Secondary Social Studies Frameworks.
Course Text:
World History II: World History: Connections to Today
AP World History: Modern: Worlds Together, Worlds Apart
Unit 1: Absolutism and Challenges to Power | |
Overview: The use of absolute power is often justified to establish order and manage conflict in an effort to meet the needs of an emerging nation-state/empire/dynasty. The success of a ruler is determined by their responses to political, economic, intellectual and social challenges to power. | |
Transfer Goal: Students will use their learning to… Evaluate how governments respond to challenges. Unit Topical Enduring Understandings and Essential Questions: Topical Enduring Understandings Absolute power, and the divine right of kings, sparks the development of the modern nation-state. Sample Essential Questions What is legitimate authority? To what extent do rulers weigh the divine right of kings against the well-being of the masses? How do rulers acquire, use and justify power? Topical Enduring Understandings Unmet wants and needs of the populace leads to challenges to power. Sample Essential Questions To what extent do rulers weigh the divine right of kings against the well-being of the masses? How do rulers acquire, use and justify power? Topical Enduring Understandings Absolute rule can be an effective and desired method of rule. Sample Essential Questions How do rulers acquire, use and justify power? Should all governments/rulers reflect the will of the people? Topical Enduring Understandings Political stability provides the opportunity to question leaders, leading to political instability. Sample Essential Questions To what extent do rulers weigh the divine right of kings against the well-being of the masses? What are the characteristics of effective leadership? | |
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Unit 2: Political Revolutions | |
Overview: Revolutions are rooted in the inability of the “haves” to meet the needs of the “have nots.” Political revolutions occur when leaders fail to honour the ruler-subject relationship. | |
Transfer Goal: Students will use their learning to… evaluate the causes and consequences of revolutions. Unit Topical Enduring Understandings and Essential Questions: Topical Enduring Understandings The causes of revolution are rooted in political instability, economic inequities, social inequalities that lead to shifting views on the role of government. Sample Essential Questions: How do geography and cultural diffusion affect civic ideals and practices? To what extent is it the responsibility of the government (the“haves”) to recognize the needs of the “have-nots”? How have ideas of the Enlightenment shaped the modern world? Topical Enduring Understandings The success of a revolution is not based on the meeting of immediate desires, but the ability to meet the continuing wants and needs of a nation. Sample Essential Questions: What happens in the absence of government? How does the conclusion of a revolution create both obstacles and opportunities for sustained development of a nation-state? Topical Enduring Understandings One man’s hero can be another man’s villain. Sample Essential Questions: What is effective leadership? How can a singular event have multiple interpretations? Topical Enduring Understandings Wars of independence are sometimes, but not always revolutions. Sample Essential Questions: What constitutes a revolution? How do competing interests influence how power is distributed and exercised? Is revolution just? | |
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Unit 3: Industrial Revolution, Urbanization and Expansion of Rights | |
Overview: A country’s economic philosophy can influence its political policies and determine or alter the quality of life of individuals and groups. New innovations in technology and industry lead to demographic changes and social awareness. | |
Transfer Goal: Students will use their learning to… analyze the impact of economic forces and policies. Unit Topical Enduring Understandings and Essential Questions: Topical Enduring Understandings: Society’s desire for cheaper and faster products leads to the development of new technologies and industries. Sample Essential Questions: Is change always progress? How have advancements in technology influenced history? How do we use the technological changes of the past to determine and plan for the future? How do various levels of technological development affect cultures differently? Topical Enduring Understandings: Regulations and laws are necessary to protect the needs of the masses from the wants of the few. Sample Essential Questions: Is greed always good? Is self-interest also society’s interest? How do governments balance the rights of individuals with the common good? Topical Enduring Understandings: Demands on labour and resources cause population shifts. Sample Essential Questions: Why do people move? Why does the IR start in Britain? What impact does trade have on a society? Topical Enduring Understandings: An expansion of economic power leads to an expansion of political power. | |
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Unit 4: Rise of Nationalism and Imperial Power | |
Overview: The need to compete on the global scale led to the development of national identities and new nation-states. The story of the 19th century largely concerns the process by which the world became divided into the developed and the underdeveloped, the rich and the poor, the industrialized and what became known as the “third” world. | |
Transfer Goal: Students will use their learning to… evaluate the impact of nationalism and imperialism on the world’s development. Unit Topical Enduring Understandings and Essential Questions: Topical Enduring Understandings: The needs of the Industrialized West forcibly globalized cultures, leading to conflict within colonized nations and between imperial powers. Sample Essential Questions: How does society deal with unlimited wants and limited resources? Why were Asia and Africa targeted for imperialism? How is imperialism still affecting the world today? Topical Enduring Understandings: Napoleon’s role in European national identities. Sample Essential Questions: Is Napoleon the father of European nationalism? What is a nation? State? Nation-state? What is nationalism? Does your definition of nationalism depend on your nation of origin? Topical Enduring Understandings: Global competition demanded the development of larger political units. Sample Essential Questions: Is bigger better? What role do individuals play in the unification of Italy and Germany? What are the benefits of unification? What are unifying characteristics of a state? What is the most effective means of unification – diplomacy or war? Topical Enduring Understandings: The subjugation of the “have-nots” to satisfy the economic desires of the “haves” was justified through Social Darwinism. Sample Essential Questions: What is Social Darwinism? What is the “white man’s burden”? Was progress achieved as a result of imperialism? Why did the West end up dominating? | |
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Unit 5: The World Wars and Rise of Authoritarianism | |
Overview: Nationalistic fervor of the 19th century set the stage for the rise of totalitarian regimes and catastrophic clashes in the 20th century. Industrialization of warfare enabled destruction on an unprecedented scale in the form of WWI, WWII, and genocide. Large multinational alliances emerge to counter the threat of mutually assured destruction, establishing a new world order. | |
Transfer Goal: Students will use their learning to… evaluate the impact of global conflict. Unit Topical Enduring Understandings and Essential Questions: Topical Enduring Understandings: Leaders looking for political and economic power led to the destruction of the 19th century status quo. Sample Essential Questions: Is war ever just? How does the alliance system, rise of militarism and growing nationalism and competition for resources cause global conflict? Topical Enduring Understandings: Economic and political instability led to the rise of authoritarian governments. Sample Essential Questions: How much power should government have? Can the individual affect change?/How do rulers acquire, use and justify power? Topical Enduring Understandings: Innovations in technology and how it was used leads to total war. Sample Essential Questions: How have advancements in technology influenced history? Should technology be controlled? By whom? What role do developments in technology, communication, transportation and warfare play in the first half of the 20th century? Topical Enduring Understandings: The Russian Revolution fundamentally changed the course of the 20th century. Sample Essential Questions: How did the czarist government fail to meet the needs of their subjects? What is necessary for a revolution to succeed? How did the Russian Revolution affect the global balance of power? | |
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Unit 6: Post-1945 Issues
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Overview: WWII’s end ushered in two competing ideologies/superpowers that divided the world. This polarization was driven by competition for political dominance and fears of nuclear Armageddon and led to many proxy wars. The world today is a product of the tensions between traditional states, non-state actors, and economic inequities. | |
Transfer Goal: Students will use their learning to… evaluate how changes in the world order affect the people. Unit Topical Enduring Understandings and Essential Questions: Topical Enduring Understandings: The desire to avoid another world war lead to the development of and active participation in supranational organizations such as the UN, ICC, EU, OPEC, OAS, NATO, IMF... Sample Essential Questions: How does social order, peace, human rights and climate change influence global connections? Whose responsibility is it to ensure human rights? How do values, beliefs and culture foster global understandings or misunderstandings? Topical Enduring Understandings: Due to an increasingly interconnected world, the dividing line between developed and developing regions is less clear. Sample Essential Questions: Is it fair to hold developing nations to the same environmental and labour law standards that developed nations have achieved? Are economic cycles/patterns inevitable? How can study of past economic cycles/patterns inform decision making? Topical Enduring Understandings: Genocide is the product of inaction and is a process that starts well before atrocities take place. Sample Essential Questions: What is genocide? Whose responsibility is it to protect human rights? How do ethnic or cultural tensions affect decision making and relationships? Topical Enduring Understandings: Competition between the US and the USSR led to the polarization of the world. Tensions between the US and its rivals continue to shape geopolitics. Sample Essential Questions: What is the legacy of the cold war? What caused the Soviet Union to collapse? How did the Cold War drive decolonization Topical Enduring Understandings: The forces unleashed by terrorism fundamentally changed international relations. Sample Essential Questions: What are the underlying goals and motivations of terrorism? How has the global community responded? | |
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