My oldest completed a modern world history study several years ago. This year my 16 year old will be completing this study. I am updating and revising it to suit him.
This is a world history course, but it contains more US history than other countries. I’ve combined readings, documentaries, and writing to create a 1 credit history course. The workload is approximately 180 hours of work.
Because I want to emphasize thinking and understanding, I’ve opted for writing assignments rather than tests. While I’ve assigned one research paper, the rest of the papers assigned are opinion papers. I’ve used a textbook to organize our topics, but the bulk of time will be spent reading other books and watching documentaries.
I have it organized into 2 week chunks. They don’t need to be completed in that time frame, but it will help him pace himself.
These are the books used in our study:
- McDougal Littell Modern World History Patterns of Interaction textbook – used as a spine for a documentary-focused study
- A People’s History of the United States
- A People’s History of American Empire
- Anne Frank: Diary of a Young Girl
- Night
- Infamy: The Shocking Story of the Japanese American Internment in World War II
- Why We Can’t Wait
- Overthrow: America’s History of Regime Change
Weeks 1-2
- Research Paper: Begin research on the rise of fascism in Europe before World War II. Take notes
- Read Fascism Rises in Europe pg 427-430
- Watch Mussolini Biography https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zkHDDzynA6I
- Watch The Dark Charisma of Adolf Hitler Part 1 https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x52ogmo
- Watch The Dark Charisma of Adolf Hitler Part 2 https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x52ogli
- Watch The Dark Charisma of Adolf Hitler Part 3 https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x7rj31k
- Read Aggressors on the March pg 431-435
- Watch Woodrow Wilson and League of Nations https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NG8bQVMjv7E
- Watch China’s Schindlers and Nanking Massacre https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wOp2MwZqCfY
- Watch American Isolationism https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xlUgGQV6-Zs
- Watch Britain Appeasement https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jc5S6l7ecb0
- Read Hitler’s Lightning War pg 441-446
- Read A People’s War – A People’s History of the United States pg 407-442
- Read A People’s War? – A People’s History of American Empire pg 116-140
- Write 300 word opinion paper on historical topics
Weeks 3-4
- Reasearch Paper: Continue to research the rise of fascism before World War II. Take notes.
- Watch The World at War: A New Germany https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0b4g4ZZNC1E
- Watch The World at War: Distant War https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zKSOLR-LUe0
- Watch The World at War: France Falls https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zHmxmUfekdQ
- Watch The World at War: Alone https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mi1T8Uez8zc (part 1), https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IBSjAcANEZY (part 2), https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OcJpzEL52RQ (part 3), https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jOGCBR_1F-Q (part 4)
- Watch The World at War: Barbarossa https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x3p7ao6
- Watch The World at War: Banzai https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x3oeao3
- Read Japan Strikes in the Pacific pg 447-450
- Watch The World at War: On Our Way USA https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x3p7amf
- Watch The World at War: The Desert https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x3p7c1h
- Write 300 word opinion paper on historical topics learned this week
Weeks 5-6
- Research paper: Research the rise of fascism today. Take notes
- Watch The World at War: Stalingrad http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x13rsvc_the-world-at-war-1974-ep09-stalingrad_shortfilms
- Watch The World at War: Wolf Pack https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x3p7bjc
- Watch The World at War: Red Star https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x3oeavv
- Watch The World at War: Whirlwind Bombing Germany https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x125rue
- Watch The World at War: Tough Old Gut https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x3oeanr
- Watch The World at War: It’s a Lovely Day Tomorrow https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x3p7bdk
- Watch The World at War: Home Fires https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x125ubg
- Watch The World at War: Inside the Reich https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x3p7bxr
- Write 300 word opinion paper on historical topics learned.
Weeks 7-8
- Research paper: Research the rise of fascism today. Take notes.
- Read The Holocaust pg 451-454
- Watch I’m Still Here: Real Diaries of Young People Who Lived Through the Holocaust https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E_cpvkIU6IY
- Read Anne Frank: Diary of a Young Girl
- Watch Auschwitz The Forgotten Evidence https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GeNxKUPW8bU
- Watch The Boy in the Striped Pajamas
- Watch Science and the Swastika https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FZquBH0CH24
- Read Night by Wiesel
- Write 300 word opinion paper on historical topics learned this week
Weeks 9-10
- Research paper: Create a thesis and an outline of research paper comparing/contrasting the rise of fascism before WW II and today.
- Read The Allies are Victorious pg 455-461
- Watch Tora, Tora, Tora: The True Story of Pearl Harbor https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4SB8YvVmbU
- Watch The World at War: Morning https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x125wqk
- Watch The World at War: Occupation Holland https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x3oeavq
- Watch the World at War: Pincers https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x3p7c0i
- Watch The World at War: Genocide https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x3p7bqw
- Watch The World at War: Nemesis https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x125l6l
- Watch The World at War: Japan https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x3oeb2l
- Write 300 word opinion paper on historical topics learned.
Weeks 11-12
- Research paper: Turn in rough draft of research paper. (5-7 pages of content)
- Watch The World at War: Pacific https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x69bwnz
- Watch The World at War: The Bomb https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x3p7bjw
- Watch 24 Hours After Hiroshima https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Ygx-sT4yGE
- Watch Seconds from Disaster Nagasaki https://vimeo.com/83808946
- Read The Devastation of Europe and Japan pg 462-466
- Write 300 word opinion paper on historical topics learned.
Weeks 13-14
- Research paper: Turn in works cited page.
- Read Infamy: The Shocking Story of the Japanese American Internment in World War II
- Watch The World at War Reckoning https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x6t6clk
- Watch The World at War Remember https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x3p7bbp
- Watch Visualization The Massive Death Toll http://www.washingtonpost.com/posttv/national/visualization-the-massive-death-toll-of-world-war-ii/2015/06/10/aa19c09a-0ee1-11e5-a0fe-dccfea4653ee_video.html
- Watch Japanese-American Internment During World War II https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6mr97qyKA2s
- Write 300 word opinion paper on historical topics learned.
Weeks 15-16
- Research paper: Revise content and works cited page(s)
- Read Two Superpowers Face Off pg 474-481
- Read The Cool War – A People’s History of American Empire pg 142-150
- Read Overthrow: America’s History of Regime Change Chapters 1-9
- Watch Cold War: Comrades https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=22KIQ1QNnhE
- Watch Cold War: Iron Curtain https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yzcZBFlmLoA
- Watch Cold War: Marshall Plan https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g0I6UVPkGWM
- Watch The Hollywood 10 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=taancRcLQ8o
- Watch Cold War: Sputnik https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3uGT0mZOhR0
- Write 300 word opinion paper on historical topics learned this week.
Weeks 17-18
- Watch Space Race: Race for Rocketshttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ST4emxOd9Qo
- Watch Space Race: Race for Satellites https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H6Kc-Zi4tU0
- Watch Space Race: Race for Survival https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8B94ftc9UVA
- Watch Space Race: Race for the Moon https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wZI8uLCsjlU
- Read Or Does It Explode? – A People’s History of the United States pg 443-467
- Read Children of the Empire – A People’s History of American Empire pg 152-176
- Read What Happens to a Dream Deferred? – A People’s History of American Empire pg 178-180
- Watch Klansville https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gL-DFSKV8uU
- Read Why We Can’t Wait by MLK Jr.
- Write 300 words on historical topics learned this week
Week 19-20
- Research paper: Final copy due. 5-7 pages of content plus works cited page. MLA format required.
- Watch Martin Luther King Jr. The Man and the Dream https://vimeo.com/8817655
- The March on Washington https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_c2lLYuYU1I
- Watch Freedom Riders https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x3dv7vl
- Read Overthrow: America’s Century of Regime Change Chapters 10-14
- Watch Malcom X Make it Plain https://vimeo.com/406850158
- Watch Detroit Race Riots 1967 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_hOoW0U6g_E
- Read Communists Triumph in China pg 482-485
- Cold War: China https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gSPIonMrLq0
- Watch China: The Great Leap Forward https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mld_mueKWU0
- Watch Mao’s Great Famine https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r33Q8cl87HY
- Write 300 word opinion piece on a historical topic from this week
Week 21-22
- Read War in Korea and Vietnam pg 486-490
- Watch Cold War: Korea https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eYeWURHhr04
- Watch Korean War https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lzMGZX9eJ1U
- Read The Impossible Victory: Vietnam – A People’s History of the United States pg 469-501
- Read War Resistance at Home – A People’s History of American Empire pg 181-186
- Read The Same Rotting Barrel – A People’s History of American Empire pg 194-202
- Watch Cold War: Vietnam https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6s0Z2mwTrXY
- Watch Cold War: Make Love Not War https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pFSfq6AMhWM
- Four Dead in Ohio https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TdCpI2qdsd8
- Why America Lost the Vietnam War https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x3sk008
- Read Surprises – A People’s History of United States pg 503-539
- Read The Second Battle of Wounded Knee – A People’s History of American Empire pg 187-192
- Watch Roe vs. Wade https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FDRNypYU_KM
- Watch Sitting Bull Biography https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3b4-ph1W_1E
- Watch Siege at Wounded Knee movie https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WuLe7OD6kWI
- Write 300 word opinion paper on historical topic this week
Week 23-24
- Read Cold War Around the World pg 491-495
- Read Resurgence of Empire – A People’s History of American Empire pg 210-230
- Watch Cold War: Reds https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n0U-b1TNf1Q
- Watch Cold War: After Stalin https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7K-hcgPom7Q
- Watch Cold War: The Wall https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VVX-iOKty9k
- Watch Cold War: Cuba https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yOxeZt217uw
- Watch Cold War: Mutually Assured Destruction https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MV8MdlxtqaU
- Watch Cold War: Red Spring https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1m5umoiFoXI
- Read Iran: Overthrowing Democracy – A People’s History of American Empire pg 232-235
- Read Operation Ajax – A People’s History of American Empire pg 236-248
- Read The Rule and Ruin of the Shah – A People’s History of American Empire pg 249-253
- Watch 1953 – CIA Overthrow of Iran https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=urAjTX51ebc
- Watch History of Iran, Operation Ajax https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H8ybj5KULmA
- Watch Anatomy of a Revolution https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CDifaCVanaM&index=5&list=PL6DFC4B38C241DB0F
- Watch Iran Hostage Crisis 1979 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A8bC1DEYbI4
- Watch Iran Hostages Released on Day 444 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z-jwFrgCGt4
- Cold War: Soldiers of God https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p6zOcaKKxA8 (Soviet Union/Afghanistan)
- Write 300 word opinion paper on historical topic this week
Week 25-26
- Watch Nicaragua: An Unfinished Revolution https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LpEhi9XYllA
- WatchBehind the Iran-Contra Affair https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZDdItm-PDeM
- Read The Seventies: Under Control? – A People’s History of the United States pg 541-562
- Watch Who Was Richard Nixon? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z0jjCkwA0MQ
- Watch Year Zero: The Silent Death of Cambodia https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x6h90m8
- Read The Cold War Thaws pg 496-499
- Read Carter-Reagan-Bush: The Bipartisan Consensus – A People’s History of the United States pg 563-600
- Watch Cold War Detente https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s6qd1Ai3yXw
- Watch Cold War: Good Guys, Bad Guys https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N7KTtTK_J8c
- Watch Cold War: Backyard https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_PuF5k9GoKc
- Watch Cold War: Freeze https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fqXaGCBjfCU
- Watch Cold War: Spies https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1bw-AdK-6rg
- Watch Cold War: Star Wars https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N2RfVP3eOAQ
- Write 300 word opinion paper on historical topics this week
Week 27-28
- Read The Unreported Resistance – A People’s History of the United States pg 601-629
- Watch Ronald Reagan: The Making of a Leader https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=szb33s9LiN0
- Watch George Bush https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bw9UhBlFUDA
- Watch The Panama Deception https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zo6yVNWcGCo
- Watch Gulf War https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HMV_0iTk1qs
- Watch Selling the First Gulf War https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cx_VQf4eOQQ
- Read The Indian Subcontinent Gains Independence pg 504-511
- Watch The Nehru Gandhi Story https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tshyh8DnJzI
- Watch India Pakistan Partition https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ZS40U5yFpc
- Write 300 word opinion paper on historical topics learned this week
Week 29-30
- Watch Pakistan’s Benazir Bhutto’s Assassination https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cd0cZ8Ept0I
- Watch Sri Lanka Evolution of the Ethnic War https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t1UnhPq8Pio&list=PL28E5D8FA6B24DCD5
- Read Southeast Asian Nations Gain Independence pg 512-515
- Watch US/Philippines relations https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1O5R7NXck_Q
- Read New Nations in Africa pg 516-521
- Watch Africa States of Independence: DR Congo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LL0HiuPLBWQ
- Watch The French in Algeria https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NOPfoaTaINU
- Read Conflicts in the Middle East pg 521-525
- Watch Promises and Betrayals: Middle East https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZdH792hmOhc
- Watch Birth of Israel https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OANN8hwNqX0
- Watch 1967 The Six Day War https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mxEXGA0RU5c
- Watch Palestine Divided https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mW0O0KIfsxs
- Read Democracy Case Study: Latin American Democracies pg 530-535
Watch The Mexicans https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q2J0d0Ht5d0
Watch The War on Democracy http://topdocumentaryfilms.com/the-war-on-democracy/ - Write 300 word paper on historical topic learned this week
Week 31-32
- Watch South of the Border https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bubyASLW-aE
- Watch Falklands War https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WlxJordnHhs
- Read Democratic Challenges in African Nations pg 536-540
- Watch Africa: States of Independence The Scramble for Africa https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CgzSnZidGuU
- Watch Nelson Mandela The Fight for Freedom https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YoC20GPmXc8
- Watch Apartheid Did Not Die https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P_gggPRLeic
Read Gorbachev Moves Toward Democracy pg 541-545
Watch Glasnost and Perestroika https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yfnZRaC4dAI
Watch The Rise and Fall of the Berlin Wall https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X_tXxR-ET2Y
Watch Gorbachev: The Man Who Changed the World https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CzOaKhSmj1I - Write 300 word opinion paper on historical topic covered this week
Week 33-34
- Read Collapse of the Soviet Union pg 546-550
- Watch The End of the USSR https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0g6arFbKZ60&list=PLD9316DC99DA38798
- Read China Follows Its Own Path pg 551-555
- Watch China A Century of Revolution: Born Under a Red Flag https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q1JjViQfZuY&list=PL29B2717C9EBC500B
- Read The Clinton Presidency – A People’s History of the United States pg 643-674
- Watch Clinton and the Clintons https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pGIpEURVn2c
- Read The 2000 Election and the “War on Terrorism” – A People’s History of the United States pg 675-682
- Read Permanent War: The Bipartisan Consensus- A People’s History of American Empire pg 254-258
- Watch 2000 Election https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OliETWsZxc0
- Watch World Trade Center Attacks https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A62SUIjpZs8
- Watch Mission Accomplished: Langan in Iraq https://amzn.to/30wYOt9
- Watch Breaking the Silence https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UJZxir00xjA
- Obama: The President Who Hoped to Change America https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i-aU7i6oMdE
- Write 300 word opinion paper on historical topics learned this week
Week 35-36
- Watch Wikileaks https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PvmfOaZ34Pk
- Watch Unmanned America’s Drone Wars https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mpzk7OdbjBw
- Watch Capitalism A Love Story
- Watch Genesis of the Islamic State (ISIS) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NdeoL2zX6-c
- Watch Trump: An American Dream series on Netflix
- America’s Great Divide part 1 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SnMBYMOTwEs
- America’s Great Divide part 2 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l5vyDPN19ww
- Requiem for the American Dream https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hZnuc-Fv_Tc
- Stay Woke: The Black Lives Matter Movement https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eIoYtKOqxeU
- The Virus: What Went Wrong https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h4la0YzxFZ4
- Write 300 word opinion paper on historical topics this week.
