NOTE: This section and its links are currently under construction (8-17-09). I will complete it eventually (as the year progresses).
Students, do you want to do well in my class or dig deeper into class topics that interested you? Parents, do you want to know what topics I teach or maybe learn more yourself? Teachers, are you looking for resources or ideas for your classroom? If so, explore the following links below. I teach 7th grade World History in California so these units are aligned to those stndards. |
 | 7.1 The Roman Empire
This unit covers the rise and fall of Rome in broad brush strokes. We also spend a fair amount of time on Roman acheivments and society. History Labs: Not posted yet - CSI: The Death of Julius Caesar - Barbarian Ordeals - Opera |
 | 7.6 Medieval Europe (The Dark Ages)
This covers European history from the fall of the Roman Empire up to the beginnings of feudalism with a specific focus on the lifestyles of the various groups of people. History Labs: Not posted yet. - Feudalism Simulation |
 | 7.6 Medieval Europe (The Late Middle Ages)
The second half of the Medieval Europe unit explores the conflict between kings and popes, the Crusades, and the Black Death. History Labs: Not posted yet. - CSI: The Black Death - Designing Castles |
 | 7.8 The Renaissance
After the Dark Ages and the Black Death, Europeans wanted a change. This unit examines how the artists sort of set the tone for sweeping changes in religion and science. History Labs: Not posted yet. - Perspective in Art |
 | 7.9 The Protestant Reformation
This unit examines how abuses within the medieval church led to theological and political changes. I have found that focusing the unit around Martin Luther simplifies the unit and increases student interest. History Labs: Not posted yet. - Latin Lesson - Indulgences |
 | 7.10 The Scientific Revolution
In this unit we study lives and experiences of Copernicus, Galileo and Newton and we examine the question: "What is truth and what are the consequences of seeking it?" History Labs: Not posted yet. |
 | 7.7 The Maya
The Maya were barbarically violent yet highly intellectual, a cultural contradiction. This unit highlights the good and the bad and attempts to paint the picture of who the Maya were. It's my favorite unit. History Labs: Not posted yet. |
 | 7.7 Aztec & Inca
The Aztec and Inca are both covered in this unit. They are broken up into seperate sets of notes but I test them together and the same themes are covered for both. History Labs: Not posted yet. |
 | 7.11 The Age of Exploration
So far we'v covered Europe and the Americas. This unit shows what happened when the two continents met up. It also surveys famous explorers, map-making, and the political and techological changes of the period. History Labs: Not posted yet. |
 | 7.3 China
This unit begins with the founding Q'in dynasty and continues with a discussion of the Han, Tang, and Song. I also love to talk about Chinese innovation. History Labs: Not posted yet. |
 | 7.5 Japan
Volcanoes, sumos, samurais, ninjas, origami, haiku - you can't ask for much more than that. But I also explore China's influence and the feudal system. History Labs: Not posted yet. - Sumo Ritual - Origami Crane - Haiku |
 | 7.2 Islam & Arabia
This unit explores Arabia both before and after the arrival of Islam. We also discuss the religious and technological acheivments of Islamic society. History Labs: Not posted yet |
 | 7.4 Africa
Typically I combine this unit with 7.2 as both mention the influence Islam had in Africa. The focus is on Ghana and Mali (where the Islamic influence was strong.) History Labs: Not posted yet. - Oral History - Folktales |