Welcome to World History part 1! Have you ever considered how history has shaped today’s world? In this course you’ll learn about important events of the past and—arguably more important—how these events impact our existence today.

You’ll begin with an analysis of early prehistoric people from the Paleolithic era to the Agricultural Revolution. Next, you’ll follow the rise and fall of early empires, including the fall of the Rome Empire and its aftermath. Continuing through the Middle Ages, you’ll analyze the Crusades, feudalism, the plague, and Asian empires. From there you’ll explore the impact and effects of the Renaissance and the Protestant Reformation on human culture and analyze conflicts between the Roman Catholic Church and Protestant reformers. You will examine the Age of Discovery: European explorers who sought new trade routes to Asia, the discovery of the Americas, the rise of joint-stock companies, the slave trade, and emergence of the American colonies. Lastly, you’ll explore important revolutions in history, including the Scientific Revolution and Enlightenment, the American and French Revolutions, South American Revolutions, and the Industrial Revolution.

Introduction Video Transcript

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

What are learning objectives? They are the skills, knowledge, and attitudes you will gain from your schoolwork. Upon completing this lesson, you will be able to

• Analyze primary and secondary sources.
• Demonstrate comprehension of history/social studies texts. 
• Analyze the Agricultural Revolution by examining how it influenced the development of human settlements, society, religion, and culture.
• Analyze historical data from a variety of media. 
• Analyze ancient empires and their impact on later civilizations by examining their contributions to government, citizenship, religion, and culture.  
• Assess the impact of the Roman Catholic Church by examining patterns of change in European society in the 12th to 16th centuries.
• Evaluate the effects of the Renaissance by analyzing how it led to scientific and artistic innovations.
• Identify conflicts between the Roman Catholic Church and Protestant and Catholic reformers by examining key religious issues of the Reformation era.
• Analyze the Age of Discovery by examining how trade and religion motivated European nations to expand and colonize.
• Examine the historical developments of the Scientific Revolution and Enlightenment by evaluating its lasting effect on religious, political, and cultural institutions.
• Explain the American, French, and Latin American Revolutions by analyzing their impact on democracy.
• Identify how the Industrial Revolution impacted society by examining significant inventors, inventions, and working and living conditions of workers.

Please review the course syllabus.

Course Syllabus

Click the link to read through the Student Course Overview, which provides more detailed information on what you can expect throughout the course.

Check with your instructor for your school's site specific rules and expectations.