The Standards Plus History Academy World History class, a full year (32 weeks) course, studies  the history of world civilizations. This course covers major events in history, from the dawn of  civilization through the present-day. Students will study the geography and populations of  different areas. Students will study the major events that have shaped society, examining how  different cultures and conflicts have affected the world as we know it today. 

Barry Jones 

Barry Jones has been a high school history and government teacher in the state of Tennessee  since 1997. He earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Toledo and a Master of  History Education degree from Liberty University. He currently teaches in a high school near  Nashville, TN. Known for his storytelling, Mr. Jones’ trademark JFK Assassination and  Watergate lessons have long been student favorites. Mr. Jones is also an author. Among his  works are several books on the JFK assassination, including Coup d’ Etat (2014), Wilderness of  Mirrors (2017), and Treasonous Cabal (2018). 

Course Guide / Pacing Guide 

Unit 1 – Weeks 1-2; Unit 2 – Weeks 3-4; Unit 3 – Weeks 5-6; Unit 4 – Weeks 7-8; Unit 5 – Weeks 9-10; Unit 6 – Weeks 11-12; Unit 7 – Midterm Exam: Week 13;

Unit 8 – Weeks 14-15; Unit 9 – Weeks 16-19; Unit 10 – Weeks 20-23; Unit 11 – Weeks 24-25; Unit 12 – Weeks 26-27; Unit 13 – Weeks 28-29; Unit 14 – Weeks 30-31; Unit 15 – Final Exam: Week 32 

NOTES: 

1. SILVER clients: It is recommended that you pace yourself, adhering to this schedule for  each unit. It has been set up in such a way that each day’s lesson (PowerPoint and guided  notes) fills an approximate 60-minute time frame. Additional assignments can be factored  into the end of each unit because extra time has been built into the schedule. 
2. GOLD clients: This is the overall schedule Mr. Jones will adhere to in his online sessions.  Weekly modules will be posted, pacing the content accordingly.  

 

Scope and Sequence 

Unit 1 

This unit examines Classical Greece, monarchy, and democracy. Students will learn about the  Roman Republic, the nature of empires, and the Roman Empire itself. They will explore  Christianity, the Silk Road, Confucianism, and Taoism. They will examine the fall of the Western  Roman Empire and consider the Byzantine Empire. 

Unit 2  

This unit examines early Russia. Students will explore Islam, Muslim Empires, the rise of the  Ottoman Empire, and the spread of Islam. They will consider Africa in the Middle Ages,  medieval India and Sikhism, and medieval China and the Mongols. They will investigate  Medieval Europe and the medieval church. They will examine the Crusades and Reconquista.  They will ponder the Black Death and the Hundred Years’ War. 

Unit 3  

This unit examines the Renaissance, the Protestant Reformation, and the Scientific Revolution.  Students will consider global exchange and exploitation. They will explore the Americas, Europe  and the New World, and the Atlantic Slave Trade. They will investigate the Commercial  Revolution, the Age of Absolutism, the Thirty Years’ War, and modern Russia. 

Unit 4  

This unit examines upheaval in England, the Glorious Revolution, and the English Bill of Rights.  Students will examine the Enlightenment, the American Revolution, the U.S. Constitution, the  Bill of Rights, and the United States of America. They will explore the Revolution in France and its growth, the Declaration of the Rights of Man, and the Haitian Revolution. They will analyze  the Napoleonic wars and the congress of Vienna. They will discuss Latin America, Mexican  independence, and new republics in the Americas. 

Unit 5  

This unit examines the Industrial Revolution and the spread of industrialization. Students will  consider liberalism and nationalism in Europe, and the 1848 Revolution in France. They will  learn about unification in Italy and Germany, about capitalism, socialism, communism, and the  communist manifesto. They will delve into the evolution of industrialism and the modernization  of Japan. They will explore societal improvements, the 19th century reform movement, science  and religion, and romanticism and realism. 

Unit 6  

This unit examines democratic reforms in Europe. Students will review the Dreyfus Affair and  the Jewish State. They will survey the United States expansion and reform in Russia. They will analyze the renewal of imperialism and the scramble for Africa. They will discover “An Open  Letter to His Serene Majesty Leopold II.” They will evaluate the African resistance. They will  explore India’s relationship with the British Empire and Indian Nationalism. They will discuss  the modern Muslim world, Japanese Imperialism, and China’s relationship with the West. They will study Chinese reform, Imperialism in Southeast Asia, the Pacific Islands and Australia, and  post-colonial Latin America.  

Unit 7 – Midterm Exam Prep 

This unit includes a mid-term exam review in preparation for a cumulative midterm exam  covering units 1-6. 

Unit 8 

This unit examines WW I. Students will consider the build-up to war, the beginning of the Great  War, and the concept of total war. They will examine the Armenian Genocide, the lasting effects  of World War I, and Western culture after WWI. They will learn about the revolution in Russia  and the birth of the Soviet Union. They will delve into the Mexican Revolution, modern  resistance in Africa, and nationalism in the Middle East. They will explore resistance in British  India, problems in the Chinese Republic, and Japan between world wars. 

Unit 9  

This unit examines the Great Depression and WW II. Students will review the rise of fascism,  Stalin’s Soviet Union, and Nazism in Germany. They will analyze authoritarianism in Eastern  Europe, aggression and appeasement, and the outbreak of World War II. They will learn about  the Holocaust and the “Final Solution”. They will discover how the course of the war was  changed, the victory in Europe and in the Pacific, and the aftermath of World War II. They will  study the charter of the United Nations and consider the State of Israel. 

Unit 10 

This unit examines the beginning of the Cold War, capitalism and communism, the nuclear arms  race, and the cold war on the home fronts. Students will examine the race to space and Western  Europe’s recovery. They will learn about the American civil rights movement and how images of  this movement impacted the way people felt about it. They will delve into Communist China, the  Korean War, the Vietnam War, and the Anti-War movement. They will explore communist  regimes in Southeast Asia, the end of the Cold War, the fall of the Soviet Union, and the decline  of communism. 

Unit 11  

This unit examines India and Pakistan, modern India, and Bangladesh. Students will study  Malaysia and Myanmar. They will study the essay “Freedom from Fear” by Aung San Suu Kyi.  They will discover Indonesia and the Philippines. 

Unit 12  

This unit examines the new African nations, war in Southern Africa, apartheid, and conflict in  Rwanda. Students will examine the modern Middle East, oil and the global economy, and  continued conflict between Israel and Palestine. They will learn about civil wars in the Middle  East and explore modern Iraq. 

Unit 13  

This unit examines developed and developing nations. Students will learn about China’s  emergence as a superpower, democracy in Latin America, and U.S.-Latin American relations.  They will study 21st-century Europe and issues in the former Soviet Union. They will discover  the former Yugoslavia and consider 21st-century Asia. 

Unit 14  

This unit examines globalization, transnational organizations, and global concerns. Students will  learn about the continued fight for human rights and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.  They will study the human impact on the environment. They will consider terrorism and ponder responses to terrorism. They will examine other threats to global security, the computer  revolution, and medical and biotechnical advancements.  

Unit 15 

This unit includes a final exam review in preparation for a cumulative final exam covering units  1-14.  

Unit 16 – Random History Essays 

This unit is a collection of short essays and research papers prepared by Mr. Jones on a variety of  history topics. Topics are random in nature and intended to serve as additional resource  materials, complimenting this and other history-related coursework for interested students.