Joshua Thompson

In this course traditional historical points of reference in world history are identified as students analyze important events and issues in western civilization as well as in civilizations in Southwest, East, and South Asia, Africa, and the Americas. Students evaluate traditions and institutions, which form the basis of the world’s major civilizations and cultures. Students examine the impact of geographic factors on major historic events and identify the historic origins of contemporary economic systems. Students analyze the process by which democratic-republican governments evolved as well as the ideas from historic documents that influenced that process. Students trace the historical development of important legal and political concepts. Students examine the history and impact of major religious and philosophical traditions. Students analyze the connections between major developments in science and technology and the growth of economies, and they use the process of historical inquiry to research, interpret, and use multiple sources of evidence.

The purpose of the course, however, extends beyond the possibility of earning college credit by providing students with the opportunity to develop skills and knowledge that will form a useful foundation for college studies.