Humanities

State Course Description—Investigates philosophical ideas and values in human affairs with history and philosophy as the basis. Provides an interdisciplinary approach that embraces literature, language, composition, music and art, science and mathematics. Provides the curriculum connections that encourage analytical, comparative and critical thinking skills development.

Lassiter Course Desription

  • Humanities A and B (Grade 9)—Humanities is an introduction and foundation to high school Social Studies for ninth graders. It includes a survey of the history of civilization, including art, language, science, religion and architecture. It provides an interdisciplinary approach that encourages the development of critical thinking, as well as analytical writing and reading skills.

Unit / History / Humanities / Skill Building / Geography/Map/Charts / Readings
1. Introduction to the Humanities / -Cultural Appreciation: Art, Philosophy, Religion, Architecture, Music, Literature
-Foundational social organization and processes: religion, social class, economic systems, political systems, diffusion, population growth, migration, etc.
-Human Geography
-Current Events / -Literature: (1) The Demon in the Freezer – How did we get to this point? (2) The World Through Historians’ Eyes – Write and share the History of Today
-Religion: Creation Myths
-What is Humanities?
-Film: History of the World in Two Hours by History Channel
-World Organizations: WHO, UN- Summer Reading Assignments Group Work
-Writing- Turn in Summer Reading Assignments / -Note-taking (two column, Cornell, thematic, SPICE notes, etc.)
-Reading Comprehension: sentence summaries
- Historical Writing- Students write a history of the current era (2015)
-Vocabulary
-Summer Reading Assignments
-Compare WHO and United Nations
-Compare Anthrax and Smallpox / -Population Pyramids
-Human Migrations
-Economic and Political Systems Charts
-World Religions Map
-Human Geography Vocabulary / -Select Readings from the World Geography classroom set of books and from handouts and lecture notes
-The Demon in the Freezer summer reading
-WHO and UN websites
-The World Through Historians’ Eyes
2. Prehistory and First Civilizations / - Thinking Historically (Historiography)
-Archaeological Dig: How do we know?
-“Peopling” the Earth
-What is civilization? / -Art—Cave painting, including Altamira, “Cave of the Hands”, and Lascaux
-Film: Mankind The Story of Us- Fill in guide / -Critical Thinking: Paleolithic-Neolithic comparison
-World Food Production and World Population Growth / -Early River Valley Civilizations Maps
-Africa Physical Maps
-Africa Physical map Quiz
-Food Production, Life Expectancy, Death Rates, and World Population Maps
-Migration Maps / -WH Ch. 1-2
3. Middle East and North Africa Early Civilizations and Empires, 3500 BCE-500CE (Mesopotamia and the Fertile Crescent to Persia, and Egypt to the new Kingdom) / -Describe the development of Mesopotamian societies; include the religious, cultural, economic, and political facets of society, with attention to Hammurabi’s law code.
-Describe the relationship of religion and political authority in Ancient Egypt.
-Explain the development of monotheism; include the concepts developed by the ancient Hebrews, and Zoroastrianism.
-Describe early trading networks in the Eastern Mediterranean; include the impact Phoenicians had on the Mediterranean World.
-Explain the development and importance of writing; include cuneiform, hieroglyphics, and the Phoenician alphabet. / -Architecture: Ziggurats, Great Pyramids and Great Sphinx, Temple at Karnack, Persepolis
-Art: Reliefs
-Literature: Epic of Gilgamesh, Code of Hammurabi Analysis, Torah, The Story of the Flood from the Bible
-Religion: Judaism, Zoroastrianism
-Archeology: Tutankhamun’s tomb
-Film: Cartoon’s from Discovery Learning on Early Egyptian River Valley Civilizations / -SPICE notes / -Middle-East Physical and Political Maps
-North Africa Maps Political
-Map Quiz / -WH Ch. 1-2, 3.4, 4.1
4. South Asia Early Civilizations and Empires, to 500 CE (Harappa to Gupta) / -Describe the development of Indian civilization; include the rise and fall of the Maurya Empire, the “Golden Age” under Gupta, and the emperor Ashoka.
-Explain the development and impact of Hinduism and Buddhism on India and subsequent diffusion of Buddhism. / -Drama: works of Kalidasa
-Literature: Hindu scripture (Rig-Veda, Upanishads and Bhagivad Gita 200 BCE., The Mahabharata 200 BCE. Buddhism Philosophy- Siddhartha by Herman Hesse (novel)
-Architecture: Angkor, The Temple of Angkor Wat and the city of Anghkor Thom, Cambodia 800 CE.
-Religion: Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism
-Film: The Story of India / -Comparison Essay Writing: Hinduism & Buddhism
-SPICE notes / -South Asia Maps
-Mauryan and Gupta Maps / -WH Ch. 3, 4, and 7
5. East Asia Early Civilizations and Empires, to 500 CE (Shang to Han) / -Explain the impact of Confucianism on Chinese culture; include the examination system, the Mandate of Heaven, the status of peasants, the status of merchants, and the patriarchal family, and explain diffusion to Southeast Asia, Japan, and Korea. / -Art: Shang Bronzes, Daoist landscapes, Tomb of Shi Huangdi
Architecture: Great Stupa at Sanchi, India 300 BCE.
-Literature: Dao Dejing, The Analects of Confucius, The Tripitaka
-Religion: Daoism -Philosophy: Confucianism, Legalism
-Archeology- Terra Cotta Warriors from the first Qin Emperor of China, 100 BCE. / -Chinese Written Language Versus the Spoken Language
-SPICE notes
-Chinese Dynasties Graphic Organizer / -East Asia Maps
-Map Quiz / -WH Ch. 3, 4.4, 7, 10, 11, and 12
6. Classical European Society, to 500 CE (Greece and Rome) / -Compare the origins and structure of the Greek polis, the Roman Republic, and the Roman Empire.
-Describe the diffusion of Greek culture by Alexander the Great and the impact of Julius and Augustus Caesar.
-Analyze the factors that led to the collapse of the Western Roman Empire. / -Architecture: Greco-Roman contributions, including the Parthenon, Roman Cities, Coliseum
-Art: Athenian Agora 600 BCE, Greek and Roman contributions; Winged Victory of Samothrace 175 BCE, Altar of Zeus and Athena 175 BCE, Sarcophagus of the Spouses 520 BCE, Alexander Mosaic Pompei 100 BCE, Head of a Roman Patrician 75 BCE
-Architecture: Temple of Minerva Apollo Structure 510 BCE, Acropolis 447 BCE, , Petra of Jordan 400 BCE, Pantheon 118 CE, Colosseum 70 CE,
-Cultural Appreciation: Greco-Roman contributions in law and science
-Drama: Greek Comedy and Tragedy
-Literature: “Allegory of the Cave” analysis, Virgil’s Aeneid 50 BCE , Plato’s Republic, The Apologyby Plato 300 BCE,Odeipus Rex by Sophocles 400 BCE, Pericles’Funeral Oration by Thucydides 450 BCE, Homer’s Iliad 800 BCE and Odyssey,
-Philosophy: Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, Epicureanism, Stoicism
-Religion: Greco-Roman Mythology, Christianity
-Film and Engineering: Engineering and Empire- Rome / -Citizenship in Athens VS. Rome DBQ
-Alexander the Great DBQ
-Comparison Essay: Rome & Han Empires
-DBQ Essay: Fall of Rome
-Christianity DBQ / -Europe Maps
-Map Quiz
-Greece and Rome Maps
-Alexander the Great Map- Hellenistic Greek Map
-Persian Map / -WH Ch4.3, 5-6
7. Civilizations and Empires of the Americas, to 1450CE (Central and South America to the Inca and Aztec) / -Explain the rise and fall of the Olmec, Mayan, Aztec, and Inca empires.
-Compare the culture of the Americas; include government, economy, religion, and the arts of the Mayans, Aztecs, and Incas. / -Cultural Appreciation: mathematics and astronomy of the Americas
-Literature: PopolVuh / -Comparison Essay: New Kingdom & the Maya / -Latin America Maps
-North America Maps
-Map Quizzes
-Maya Map / -WH Ch. 9 and 16
8. Early African societies / -Identify the Bantu migration patterns and contribution to settled agriculture.
-Describe the development and decline of the Sudanic kingdoms (Ghana, Mali, Songhai) including the roles of the Sundiata, and the pilgrimage of Mansa Musa to Mecca
-Describe the trading networks by examining trans-Saharan trade in gold, salt, and slaves, including Swahili trading cities
-Analyze the process of religious syncretism as a blending of new ideas from Islam and Christianity
Describe the development and decline of the Sudanic kingdoms (Ghana, Mali, Songhai); include the roles of Sundiata, and the pilgrimage of Mansa Musa to Mecca.
-Describe the trading networks by examining trans-Saharan trade in gold, salt, and slaves; include the Swahili trading cities.
-Analyze the role of geography and the distribution of resources played in the development of trans-Saharan trading networks / -Architecture: Conical tower and circular wall of Great Zimbabwe 100 CE, Great Mosque of Djenne, Mali 1200 CE
-Art: ritual masks (ie. kanaga and bakongo, Nok sculptures
-Cultural Appreciation: Griot storytelling
-Film: Mankind the Story of US, Crash Course Indian Ocean Trade / -African Potato Art, Jewelry, Masks, Food, Recipe Book, Sculpture
-Mansa Musa DBQ / -North Africa Maps and
Sub-Saharan Africa Maps
- Map Quiz
-Bantu Migrations
-African Trade Maps / -WH Ch 8 and 15
8. Rise of Islam and Islamic Civilization, includes empires of South Asia and North Africa / -Identify the Muslim trade routes to India, China, Europe, and Africa and assess the economic impact of this trade.
-Describe the development and decline of the Sudanic kingdoms (Ghana, Mali, Songhai); include the roles of Sundiata, and the pilgrimage of Mansa Musa to Mecca.
-Describe the trading networks by examining trans-Saharan trade in gold, salt, and slaves; include the Swahili trading cities.
-Mughal Empire in India / -Architecture: mosque development, including a discussion of the Dome of the Rock, Great Mosque of Djenne, and the Great Mosque of Damascus, Hagia Sophia
-Cultural Appreciation: Discussion of the “Islamic Golden Age”, including the contributions of Islamic Civilization in science and math, and also individuals such as Ibn Sina and Ibn Battuta)
-Literature: Arabian Nights, The Quran
-Religion: Islam
-Film: Mankind the Story of US, Islam by PBS / -Spread of Islam DBQ
-Mansa Musa DBQ / -World Religions Maps
-Spread of Islam Maps
-Ottoman Map / -WH Ch. 10, 15, 18 (Mughals and Ottomans)
9. Europe in the Middle Ages, to 1450 (up to the fall of the Byzantine, does not include the Renaissance and Reformation) / -Describe the relationship between the Roman and Byzantine Empires; include the impact Byzantium had on the Russian Empire, and the rise of Constantinople as a center for law, religion, and the arts.
-Analyze the importance of Justinian, include the influence of the Empress Theodora, Justinian’s Code, and Justinian’s efforts to recapture the west.
-Explain the manorial system and feudalism; include the status of peasants and feudal monarchies and the importance of Charlemagne. --Describe the political impact of Christianity; include Pope Gregory VII and King Henry IV of Germany (Holy Roman Emperor).
-Crusades
-Russian Empire
-Mongols
-Turks
-Explain the Ottoman Empire’s role in the decline of Byzantium and the capture of Constantinople in 1453CE. / -Architecture: cathedral building, including Chartres Cathedral, Hagia Sophia, Notre Dame
-Engineering- Constantinople
-Film- Engineering and Empire- Byzantines, Mankind the Story of US
-Music: medieval music, including Gregorian chants
-Religion: Roman Catholicism, Orthodox Christianity
-Literature: The Inferno by Dante Alighieri 1300 CE, The Canterbury Tales 1475 / -Byzantine Empire DBQ
-Mongols DBQ / -Russia and Northern Eurasia Maps; Eastern Europe Maps
-World Religions Maps
-European Political Changes Maps
-Byzantine Map
-Mongols Expansion Map
-Ottoman Map / -WH- Ch. 12-14
Further Skill Building / -Essay Writing—Document Based Questions, Essay Writing Format (ie. general assertions, supporting evidence, etc.)
-Reading Comprehension—sentence summaries, reading passage analysis/comparison (PSAT), primary documents analysis (APParts)
-Study Smarter activities
10th Grade World History Curriculum / 1. Mongols, China (Tang, Song, Yuan), Japan
2. Renaissance and Reformation
3. Exploration and the Americas—includes Inca and Aztec
4. Absolutism and Enlightenment
5. French Revolution and Napoleon
6. Nationalism, Industrialization, and Democracy
7. Imperialism and Transformation
8. The Great War and Russian Revolution; Collapse of Ottoman Empire
9. Between the Wars and World War II
10. The Cold War World and Contemporary World