Week 1: Skills Review

Watch the course introduction video to learn about what we will cover this semester and how the class is structured.

Review the course syllabus, grading policies, and expectations for success in World History.

This pre-assessment helps identify your current understanding of history and social studies skills. It is NOT graded for accuracy - just complete it honestly so we know where to focus our review.

Post a brief introduction in the Week 1 Discussion Board. Share your name, one thing you find interesting about history, and one question you hope to answer this semester.

Join the live Zoom session for our first class meeting. We will introduce ourselves, discuss the pre-assessment results, and preview the semester ahead. Come with questions!

Learn the difference between primary and secondary sources and why historians use both types of evidence.

Read Chapter 1, Section 1 (pages 1-8) in your textbook about different types of historical sources and evidence.

Using the Library of Congress analysis tool, analyze 3 different sources (one document, one photograph, one artifact). Complete the analysis worksheet for each.

Complete this short quiz to check your understanding of primary and secondary sources.

Review the five themes of geography (Location, Place, Human-Environment Interaction, Movement, Region) and how they connect to world history.

Read the handout on historical thinking skills: Causation, Context, Continuity & Change, and Perspective. Take notes on each skill.

Using National Geographic MapMaker, complete the map skills activity. Label key geographic features and regions that will be important for our study of world history.

Read the two short excerpts about the same historical event written from different perspectives. In the discussion board, explain how the author's perspective shapes their account. Reply to at least one classmate.

Learn about the BCE/CE dating system used in world history and how to read historical timelines.

Create a personal timeline of 10 important events in your life, using the BCE/CE format (even though they are all CE!). This will help you practice chronological thinking.

Study this week's vocabulary terms using the digital flashcards. You should be able to define all terms before next week.

Complete the Week 1 Reflection assignment. Answer the reflection questions about what you learned this week and how you will use these skills going forward. Submit by 11:59 PM.