World History and Geography: The Industrial Revolution to the Contemporary World

  • Students will study the rise of the nation-state in Europe, the origins and consequences of the Industrial Revolution, political reform in Western Europe, imperialism across the world, and the economic and political roots of the modern world. Students will explain the causes and consequences of the great military and economic events of the past century, including the World Wars, Great Depression, Cold War, and Russian and Chinese Revolutions. Students will study the rise of nationalism and the continuing persistence of political, ethnic, and religious conflict in many parts of the world. Students will explore geographic influences on history, with attention to political boundaries that developed with the evolution of nations from 1750 to the present and the subsequent human geographic issues that dominate the global community. Additionally, students will examine aspects of technical geography and how these innovations continuously impact geopolitics in the contemporary world.

    This course is a continuation of the 6th and 7th grade survey courses of world history and geography and is designed to help students think like historians, focusing on historical concepts in order to build a foundational understanding of the world. Appropriate primary sources have been embedded in the standards in order to deepen the understanding of world history and geography. Special emphasis will be placed on the contemporary world and its impact on students today.

For Social Studies Staff