This survey course provides an overview of the world history and cultures — ancient to contemporary, spanning the entire globe. Suitable for any year of high school, it is also ideal as a first history course at the high school level because it lays a foundation and provides a context for other history and social studies courses. This course also teaches students how to study history, including consideration of sources and bias. Many students coming to this course will have previously written mainly descriptive essays, so this course helps to prepare the student for upper high school by guiding the student in writing an analytical history research essay, including source research, development of a thesis, and presentation of academic argument. This class also introduces students to ideas and beliefs different from their own, and consideration of other peoples and cultures is pursued with the goal of respectfully understanding diverse cultures, religions, political systems and people in their own context and from a biblical worldview.
World History and Cultures
Description
Prerequisites
Notes and Conditions
California A-G: This course has CA A-G approval.
“This class was a great look at history as a whole. Unlike other classes that focus on specific subjects or time periods, World History and Cultures provides a detailed look at all of human history, while still covering everything from the very earliest stages of human history right up to the 21st century. The teacher is excellent and thorough with his lessons, providing all the information you will need to successfully complete this course.”
“This course covered a huge amount of information, starting from prehistoric times to the modern world. It really helped to expose myself to different eras and events in history, not just the ancient history that I’ve learned before. The lessons on pre-modern world helped me learn so much about how the modern world arose.”
“This is an amazing course to take if you are new to world history. The lessons were never boring and would make you want to go do some research on your own. The teacher encouraged debate, and through the essays we wrote we would have to defend our points.”
“This course was extremely fun, and the work was very reasonable. The teacher is excellent, one of the best I’ve had, and really loves the subject. As far as work, it isn’t super stressful, but it still takes effort and thought. Overall I really enjoyed it and would take it again.”
“This course not only taught me new things about history, it taught me how to study history and write about history. The study guides are very helpful and the final essay preparation helped me know how to go about writing a 1200+ word essay. A year ago I thought I could never do something even half as long, after taking this course I feel like I could take on something double as long. I am so glad I took this course. Even if someone thinks they know a lot about history, I would still advise them to take this course.”
“I LOVE this class so much!! I used to think of history as a boring subject, but this class really changed my opinions. This course is very helpful for people who want to learn about global history.”
“Before taking this course, I had enjoyed history in the past, but never really applied it to modern life. However, this course takes you through thousands of years of history, and connects each part to Christ, and to life today. I learned so much, and the patterns of history I can now see everywhere. Not only did history become wildly more fascinating, it also became a key part of my understanding of the way society works today.”
“I took TPS History courses in high school. I am now going into my senior year of college as a history major. I recently had the opportunity to study for a semester at the University of Oxford. For my final seminar paper I wrote an extension of the final paper I wrote for TPS World History. For the Oxford paper I was able to research original documents at the National Archives in London. I then presented that paper at the Phi Alpha Theta Conference (U.S. national history honor society). I am applying for the Fulbright Scholarship to get my masters in England and I plan to go on to get my PhD. Thank you for inspiring and encouraging me in high school.”
“Unlike history courses I have taken in the past, World History is so comprehensive, and it brought to life just how relevant things that happened in the past are to today! I learned so much about the significance of events, and I have become more interested in history. Studying for this class was a joy, and the biblical worldview with which it is taught gives history its meaning!”