WH 1200 Teacher Course Plan
Tyrone Shaw, World History Teacher, McKinley Technology High School, Washington, DCOverviewI have been teaching with DCPS for the past 14 years. I’ve taught World History I and AP World History. I approach World History I as deliberate preparation for my ninth-grade students’ transition into AP World History: Modern in tenth grade, balancing content knowledge with a strong emphasis on historical skills. Throughout the year, I prioritize the development of comparison, causation, and continuity and change over time so students learn not just what happened in history, but how historians analyze the past.Course Pacing*UnitLessonsPacingTyrone’s Must-Do’sUnit 1—Origins of History42 WeeksFrame OverviewUnit 2 (WH Origins)—Early Humans53 WeeksCausation: From Foraging to Complex SocietiesUnit 3 (WH Origins)—Early Agrarian Societies 63 WeeksMapping Regional Trade NetworksUnit 4 (WH Origins)—Empires and Belief Systems74 WeeksWomen in Rome and Han Dynasty ChinaUnit 5 (WH Origins)—Regional Webs74 WeeksCausation: Autopsy of an EmpireUnit 6 (WH 1200 U2)—The Global Tapestry94 WeeksCauses and Consequences of the CrusadesUnit 7 (WH 1200 U3)—Transoceanic Connections94 WeeksGunpowder Empires You can access an editable version of this resource: Google Doc or Word Doc. WH Origins Unit 1: Origins of HistoryUnit 1 Problem: How does changing perspectives change our understanding of history?Teacher Unit Notes: Unit 1 explicitly emphasizes multiple perspectives, historical narratives, frames, sourcing, memory, and interpretation. I like to spend a lot of time front-loading skills work for students to set them up for what they’ll be encountering in the course. I also use this time to introduce the historical themes of politics, innovation, environment, culture, economics, and social structures.WH Origins Unit 2: Early Humans (250,000 BP to 3000 BCE) Unit 2 Problem: What caused some humans to shift from foraging to farming and what were the effects of this change? Teacher Unit Notes: Lessons on migration, early art, foraging societies, and the Neolithic Revolution directly correspond with DCPS expectations for early human development and interdisciplinary evidence. This unit also continues to introduce students to a lot of skills work that will be useful to them later in the course while weaving in crucial content. Lesson 2.5 is also a great opportunity to set up an inquiry for students.OER PROJECT: WORLD HISTORY ORIGINS AND 1200 COURSE PLAN*Takes into account school holidays, in-service days, and other commonly missed time such as testing days.