Grade 9

Grade 9: Global History and Geography I ‐ Foundations of World History
Global History and Geography I is the first unit of study in the two‐year course of study. Grade 9 begins with the development of the first civilizations, continues with an examination of classical societies, and traces the expansion of trade networks and their global impact. The course continues into the early modern era, explores the emergence of new imperial powers, and concludes with the beginnings of the industrial revolution. Each key idea expresses an essential pattern or concept that unifies the content understandings. While the course emphasizes the importance of historical thinking, all of the social studies practices and standards are included in the study of global history.

The First Civilizations 3500‐500 B.C.E.

(9.1) The development of agriculture enabled the rise of the first civilizations, located primarily along river valleys; these complex societies were influenced by geographic conditions and shared a number of defining political, social, and economic characteristics.

(9.1a The definition of Neolithic, as characterized by a turn to agriculture and shift from nomadic to a stationary lifestyle, provides insight into the general characteristics of the emerging civilizations of the period.

(9.1b) Ancient civilizations developed common characteristics representative of complex societies including centralized governments, social class structures, and organized religions or belief systems.

(9.1c) Ancient civilizations adapted water resources to improve agricultural practices,transportation, and other forms of infrastructure.

(9.1d) The first civilizations made lasting historical contributions in the areas of agriculture, technology, record keeping, political and economic systems, religion, literature, and art.

Classical Societies 500 B.C.E. – 500 C.E.

(9.2) The emergence and spread of belief systems led to the development of universal truths and ethical codes to live by, and these belief systems created connections among people and influenced the development of cultural traditions; these beliefs had an ongoing influence on later historical periods.

9.2a Though different religions and belief systems emerged in various civilizations, these

religions developed universal truths and ethical codes that shaped the cultures in which they were practiced.

9.2b Religious traditions tended to support established authorities and social structures. Different gender roles emerged under varying belief systems.

(9.3) During the classical era, political organization became even more complex in Eurasia and Mesoamerica, which resulted in the rise of empires; these early empires employed a variety of techniques to expand and maintain control over vast territories, though both internal and external forces led to their eventual decline.

9.3a Geographic factors have both enabled and hindered empire’s desires to expand and interact with others.

9.3b Empires employed a variety of techniques to expand and maintain control over large territories.

9.3c Technological achievements were often used to provide for the practical needs of expanding populations and sometimes were preserved as monuments to the power and abilities of an empire or state.

9.3d Political, economic, and/or military conflicts led to the decline of empires, with regional impacts.

An Age of Expanding Connections 500 – 1450 C.E.

(9.4) During the classical and postclassical eras, transregional trade networks emerged and/or expanded in the Mediterranean Sea, along the Silk Roads, in the Indian Ocean Basin, across the Sahara Desert, and in the China Seas. There were a variety of factors that enabled these exchange networks, as well as similarities and differences among the political, cultural, and demographic impacts of exchange.

9.4a New technologies facilitated and improved interregional travel during this era by allowing

people to traverse previously prohibitive physical landscapes and waterways.

9.4b Interregional travelers carried ideas, inventions, products, natural resources, livestock, and diseases that led to cultural diffusion.

9.4c Interregional trade networks supported economic growth.

9.4d Transregional trade routes (including global trade routes), and the control of them, influenced regional power.

9.4e Greater economic power increased political and military power, which enabled the expansion of empires.

(9.5) New postclassical power arrangements emerged in the Americas, Europe, on the Arabian Peninsula, and across Asia; these political entities employed a variety of techniques for expanding and maintaining control.

9.5a Rulers, motivated by absolutism, religious values, and military strength, consolidated power and expanded empires.

9.5b Large empires attempted to take advantage of physical geography for economic reasons, for protection, and to expand.

9.5c Religion was used by the power elites to justify the established social hierarchy.

9.5d Leaders in these empires displayed their educational, cultural, religious, and political

advancement with achievements that had lasting impact.

9.5e Smaller empires in some areas of the world were often organized around cities as centers of

commerce and culture, and may have been limited in size due in part to geographic factors.

9.5f New decentralized states emerged, benefiting from the decline of larger empires.

9.5g Feudal systems developed that clearly delineated the rights and roles of secular

leaders, clergy, military, and commoners/peasants.

(9.6) Spurred by long‐distance trade and shifting power dynamics, cross‐cultural interactions increased in the postclassical era, leading to the diffusion of artistic,cultural, scientific, and technological practices. These exchanges also led to conflicts and the spread of disease.

9.6a Expanding empires spread their cultures, population, religions, and languages while uniting, assimilating, and reshaping the lives of peoples in conquered lands.

9.6b The social and economic exchange of ideas, beliefs, language, customs, and products led to

the development of blended and new cultures.

9.6c As states and empires changed over time, important educational ideas and achievements

were shared, preserved, and enhanced among and across different cultures and regions.

9.6d The interconnected relationship between and among religious and political authorities

often led to tensions and challenges to each other’s authority and power. Sometimes conflict ensued, weakening some groups and leaders while posing opportunities for others.

(9.7) Important political, technological, and cultural developments in Western Europe and Southwest Asia led to European efforts to find new trade routes to Asia in the 15th century. Eventually the three diverse societies of western Europe, Africa, and the Americas encountered one another, resulting in new long‐distance exchanges of goods, people, ideas, and disease.

9.7a Geographic factors such as access to water routes as well as access to technological innovations influenced the approaches used to increase and consolidate power.

9.7b Technological innovations increased opportunities to establish new trade routes beyond the regional water and land routes, resulting in transatlantic and global exploration.

9.7c States and empires that sought to centralize and expand power were energized by different motivations and used different means to achieve their goals.

9.7d As a result of the Columbian exchange, a variety of new agricultural resources, practices,

crops, and domesticated animals were introduced to different regions around the world.

9.7e The exchange of pathogens, plants, animals, and ideas resulted in far‐reaching demographic, political, social, and economic effects in the Americas, Europe, Africa, and Asia.

Millions of Native Americans died from new diseases and forced labor following the Encounter.

9.7f The global exchange of commodities included the enslavement, displacement, and relocation

of people.

(9.8) The Columbian exchange resulted in the reorientation of political and social structures in Latin American and African societies. Patterns of global exchange were restructured, as the Atlantic Ocean became a primary zone of exchange; western European countries that dominated this exchange emerged as new global powers.

9.8a Various forms of political control affected each colonized region differently while

consistently leading to foreign domination and decline of local autonomy.

9.8b The exchange of raw materials, goods, and enslaved people between Europe, Africa, and the Americas created a vast slave trade and fueled a new global economy.

9.8c Different levels of social, ethnic, and racial integration and assimilation occurred under

colonizing powers, laying the foundations for complex and varying social hierarchies and affecting conquered populations differently.

9.8d African, European, and Native American peoples came together to create a hybrid of

cultures that are shared and visible in the world today.

9.8e Kingdoms and states that benefited from these trade networks often experienced an increase in the standard of living.

(9.9) As western Europeans were building colonies and establishing ports in the Americas, Asia, and Africa, new imperial powers emerged in the eastern hemisphere, including the Russian, Qing, and Mughal empires. These empires employed various strategies to gain and maintain control over territories and resources; their approaches involved both continuations and innovations of past patterns.

9.9a Large empires attempted to take advantage of physical geography for economic reasons, for protection, and to expand.

9.9b The use of forced labor and the control of particular natural resources enabled empires to gain wealth and economic power.

9.9c The methods and process of empire expansion were characterized by different stages, actions, and patterns.

9.9d As empires expanded, the culture, beliefs, and political and economic structures of empires influenced how they interacted with other societies.

(9.10) Imperial expansion and economic and technological innovations in the early modern era fueled productivity and commerce at a new global scale; the benefits of this global commerce were unequally distributed, resulting in reshaped environments, social inequities, and a rise in human trafficking.

9.10a The implementation of the European system of mercantilism created economic disparity between regions involved in the trading system as some powers took control of how and what goods were produced and their value/cost.

9.10b The exchange of commodities between Africa, Asia, Europe, and America significantly affected trade and the social and economic development of colonized regions.

9.10c The increased wealth generated by Atlantic trade networks enabled European monarchs to consolidate power leading to the rise of absolutist governments.

9.10d European colonization and trade interactions in other regions led to instability and the decline in what were once stable political and cultural systems.

9.10e The Atlantic slave trade used physical and social structures in West Africa to capture and enslave Africans.

9.10f The Atlantic slave trade resulted in demographic shifts in Africa as well as the Americas. It established systems of slavery, sharing many characteristics with other, earlier coercive labor systems, which had repercussions that continue today.

9.10g The displacement of Africans from their communities, particularly strong young men and women of child‐bearing age, altered the economy and culture of these societies and relationships between ethnic groups.

Grade 10

Grade 10: Global History and Geography II ‐ Modern World History and Contemporary Global Issues
Global History and Geography II is the second unit of study in the two‐year course of study. Grade 10 is divided into three major time sections. Within the first section, which ranges from 1750‐1914, the course begins with the Enlightenment and examines the role of Enlightenment ideals in inspiring widespread political and social change. Next, the course addresses the origins and spread of the Industrial Revolution, tracing the changes brought about by industrialization, including the rise of the Age of Imperialism. The second section, which ranges from 1914‐1990, addresses global crises of the 20 th century including World War I, global depression, World War II, and the Cold War. Within this era, colonial independence movements are also addressed. The third section of the course is dedicated to the examination of four major contemporary global issues: human rights, globalization, environmental concerns, and population challenges. Each key idea expresses an essential pattern or concept that unifies the content understandings. While the course emphasizes the importance of historical thinking, all of the social studies practices and standards are included in the study of global history.

An Age of Revolutions, Industrialization, and Empires 1750‐1914

(10.1) Enlightenment ideas called into question traditional beliefs and inspired widespread political, economic, and social changes. These ideals were used to challenge political authorities in Europe and colonial rule in the Americas. These ideals inspired political and social reform movements.

10.1a Enlightenment thinkers developed political philosophies based on natural laws, which included the concepts of social contract, consent of the governed, and rights of citizens.

10.1b The transition into the 19th century was marked by revolutions in France and Latin America.

10.1c Enlightenment ideas and the American, French, and Latin American revolutions influenced movements in other cultures, countries, and regions across the globe. This wave of change resulted in the expansion of political, social, and economic rights and opportunities. The foundations of modern democracies emerged at this time.

10.1d Some absolutist regimes did not survive the new political, social, and economic philosophies of the Enlightenment, leading to sweeping changes in government and society. Some empires broke apart, and new nation‐states emerged.

10.1e New political philosophies and the distribution of their ideas affected the demands people made of their governments.

(10.2) Enabled by new agricultural efficiencies and innovations in production and transportation, the Industrial Revolution originated in western Europe and spread over time to central and eastern Europe, the United States, Russia, and Japan. This led to major population shifts, transforming economic and social systems. Economic, political, and social theories emerge to either justify or refute these changes.

10.2a Technologies enabled people to alter their physical landscape allowing them to increase and support farming on a large scale, develop new transportation systems and routes, and alter and construct urban industrial areas.

10.2b Many new communication and transportation technologies aided states’ development of a more unified culture and society across diverse geographic terrain.

10.2c Technological innovations and new methods of production led to increased efficiency in production and ultimately a higher standard of living for certain groups within an industrialized nation.

10.2d The decline in old production methods caused shifts in population and social change as people relocated from rural to urban areas.

10.2e Altered agricultural systems, industrialization, and urbanization profoundly affected class structure, family structure, and the daily lives of men, women, and children.

10.2f Industrial‐era technologies allowed artists to work with new materials. New social ideas became a powerful basis for expression.

10.2g Economic theories based on wealth, capital, and laissez‐faire ideas concerning the role of government replaced earlier theories based on mercantilism and economic and political traditions.

10.2h Some individuals and groups sought to counterbalance industrialization’s abuses and injustices through a variety of methods and actions.

10.2i The Irish Famine is seen as a violation of human rights. It led to the Irish migration and the growth of Irish nationalism.

(10.3) Strategic competition among industrialized states led to an Age of Imperialism, as states sought to protect existing interests and maintain or expand their access to new markets and raw materials. This imperialism included both informal empires of trade and formal empires based on colonization in Africa and Asia. While colonizers often invoked theories of racial and cultural superiority, those who were colonized engaged in varying forms of adaptations and resistance to colonial rule.

10.3a Competition spurred industrialized nations to seek dominance over natural resources and markets in less‐ industrialized regions.

10.3b The move to acquire new lands was driven by philosophies of nationalism, empire, and strategic advantage.

10.3c International conflicts developed between imperial powers over their competition for colonial territories, prestige, and political and economic advantage.

10.3d Foreign claims over land and people often resulted in borders being shifted on political maps in the 19th century.

10.3e Imperial efforts include both informal empires of trade and formal empires based on colonization in Africa and Asia.

10.3f While colonizers often invoked theories of racial and cultural superiority, those who were colonized engaged in varying forms of adaptations and resistance to colonial rule.

Crisis and Achievement in the 20th Century 1914‐1990

(10.4) The first half of the 20th century was marked by wars and depression on a global scale; the international competition fueled by industrialization, imperialism, and militarism led to World War I, beginning in 1914. In the 1930s a global economic depression set in; some governments responded by adopting ideologies such as nationalism and fascism to mobilize resources for the purpose of waging further war leading to World War II. The use of new, powerful technologies in each world war resulted in devastating destruction and immense loss of life across the globe.

10.4a International competition fueled by industrialization, imperialism, nationalism, and militarism led to World War I.

10.4b Global allegiances increased the scale and reach of conflict in the 20th century.

10.4c Developments in wartime technologies increased the extent of damage and casualties in World War I.

10.4d World War I left European economies struggling to rebuild war‐torn countries and infrastructure.

10.4e Economic depression resulting from struggles to rebuild, agricultural crisis, and over-extension on investments in individual countries had an international impact due to economic interdependence.

10.4f In response to economic inequity and the failures of industrialization, some countries adopted socialism and communism to reform their economic systems.

10.4g Some governments responded to the global depression by adopting ideologies such as nationalism and fascism to mobilize resources for the purpose of waging war. As a result, World War II broke out.

10.4h New and increasingly powerful wartime technologies were introduced in World War II, resulting in devastating human and environmental destruction across the globe. 10.4i New international agreements and organizations were formed after World War II in order to address war crimes and work to prevent further wars.

(10.5)' Fueled by anti‐ imperial ideologies, independence movements emerged in colonized countries and regions, beginning in the early 20th century and continuing through the latter part of the century; colonized peoples striving for independence employed a variety of methods from nonviolent resistance to armed struggle. The establishment of boundaries at the time of independence, based on those set up during colonization, often resulted in tensions and conflict.

10.5a World wars, nationalist ideology, communism, and democratic ideals contributed to the emergence of movements for national self‐rule or sovereignty in Africa and Asia.

10.5b Colonized peoples employed a variety of methods, from nonviolent resistance to armed struggle, in order to gain independence

10.5c Despite the reshaping of the global order, inequity between former colonial powers and previously dominated regions persisted, leading to a continued imbalance in the global economy and international diplomacy.

10.5d Newly independent states in Africa and Asia struggled to develop national identities, as well as viable and stable political, economic, and social structures.

10.5e In the post‐independence period internal and inter‐regional struggles occurred in parts of Africa and Asia, as nationalities and/or states sought to define or redefine political boundaries. 10.5f Tensions and conflicts developed within these post‐independent states as governments and people dealt with issues related to tradition and modernity, wealth and poverty, democracy and dictatorship.

(10.6) The global balance of power shifted at the end of World War II, as the United States and the Soviet Union emerged as global superpowers pitted in ideological, political, economic, and military struggles. Nuclear rivalries, new military alliances, and the development of military‐industrial complexes helped define world politics from 1947‐1990. The Cold War resulted in various crises that threatened world peace and global survival.

10.6a The Cold War expressed itself as a competition for geopolitical influence, power, prestige, and military, cultural, and ideological superiority.

10.6b The world became polarized as most countries aligned themselves with one of the new “superpowers.”

10.6c Economic, political, and cultural interactions among nations carried the undertone of this global competition and conflict.

10.6d Capitalist and communist nations tried to exercise influence over emerging economies. 10.6e Non‐ industrialized countries, having been exposed to industrialized beliefs and systems that lead to economic prosperity, strove to develop the infrastructure necessary to become industrialized nations.

Contemporary Global Issues, 20th Century to Present

(10.7) Since the Holocaust, human rights violations have generated worldwide attention and concern. The United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights has provided a set of principles to guide efforts to protect threatened groups and has served as a lens by which historical occurrences of oppression can be evaluated.

10.7a Governments, groups, and individuals have responded in various ways to the human atrocities committed in the 20th and 21st centuries.

10.7b The United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights provides a set of principles to guide efforts to protect threatened groups.

10.7c Multinational treaties and international court systems bind countries to adhere to international human rights.

10.7d International organizations work to maintain peace, stability, and economic prosperity, and to protect nations and people from oppressive governments and political violence.

10.7e New communication technologies have furthered cultural interactions and international efforts to broaden and protect human rights.

10.7f The source, definition, and justification of rights has broadened to encompass more ethnic groups, social groups, and women.

10.7g Economic equality and opportunity have become

a factor of international friction and an additional factor in the international debate over human rights.

10.7h Historical occurrences of oppression can be evaluated using the principles established within the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

(10.8) Innovations in science and technology have changed the perception of the world’s size and led to new ways of interacting with others locally, nationally, and globally. These changes have resulted in economic, political, and social transformations. Tensions have developed over how to maintain cultural diversity in a globalizing world.

10.8a Scientific and technological improvements over the last 100 years have resulted in an increasingly global economy.

10.8b Communication systems that link all regions on the planet instantaneously and transportation systems capable of moving goods quickly by air, sea, and land make globalization possible.

10.8c Technological innovations expose people to new ideas which inspire and create opportunities for countries and cultures to interact on new levels. Advances also provide new possibilities for conflict.

10.8d Government monetary policies, central banks, and international investment strongly influence and impact the stability of regional and global economies.

10.8e Long‐industrialized countries experience transitions as their economies continue to evolve and as production moves overseas to emerging economic powers. Transnational corporate structures have created global corporations more powerful than some sovereign nations.

10.8f Free trade zones have been developed to alleviate the negative effects of competition while spreading economic opportunity. These economic bonds provide participating partners with great global influence.

10.8g Variations in economic systems and the pressures of globalization have led to inequitable distribution of wealth across and within states and regions.

10.8h Transnational organizations and other independent organizations have responded to economic inequalities in various states by providing loans, development monies, support for projects, and policies that mandate reforms and the liberalization of economies.

10.8i Tensions have developed within states and across regions over how to maintain cultural diversity in a globalizing world.

(10.9) Rising global populations and intensified exploitation of natural resources have contributed to environmental issues such as pollution, global warming, and desertification. In response to these problems, movements to raise awareness and initiate change have emerged, alternate sources of energy have been developed, and international standards and agreements to counteract environmental issues have been created.

10.9a The world’s increasing demand for oil and other natural resources brought wealth, power, and influence to different nations and regions.

10.9b Human interaction with the environment has altered the physical geography of the planet and forced people to change their own practices as a result.

10.9c Depletion of natural resources has required countries to look for new sources of energy, some of which pose further risks to humans, wildlife, and the physical environment.

10.9d Countries have signed international treaties to reflect their commitment to minimizing environmental impact.

10.9e National and transnational organizations seek to alter and/or enforce internationally acceptable standards of environmental impact.

(10.10) Changes in food production, continued industrialization, and advances in medicine have led to a rise in global population. The expansion of the population and migration of peoples have created political, economic, social, and environmental challenges.

10.10a The world’s population is growing exponentially and is not evenly distributed.

10.10b Population pressures increase demands on limited natural resources and environments straining a state’s economy and government.

10.10c Governments create population policies to deal with demographic shifts and national issues.

10.10d People migrate from one location to another in response to social, political, or economic push factors in their current location and/or pull factors in a new location.

10.10e New technologies that have changed agricultural practices and increased productivity have also facilitated industrialization and encouraged migration to and the growth of urban areas.

10.10f The migration of people can increase the cultural diversity of states, reshape a state’s national identity, and influence changes in a state’s political and social systems. The movement of people can change the ethnic makeup of a country.

10.10g Natural disasters, conflicts, and human atrocities have sometimes created refugee crises.