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World History I
CIV103 | 3 Credits
World History I explores the history of human societies with a focus on all the geographic and environmental factors that have shaped civilizations and influenced human development.
Professor: Ms. Amita Sane
About World History I
What You’ll Learn
Upon completing our online World History I course, you will be able to demonstrate an appreciation and understanding of how different civilizations were formed and their continued influence around the globe.
- Identify at least two societies on each continent
- Explain how different cultures evolved over time
- Understand how empires and societies rise and fall
- Identify, compare, and contrast key figures, events, and empires through time
- Chronologically organize key events in world history
- Understand cross-cultural exchange of ideas, agriculture, and technology
- Apply lessons from early societies to modern society, including geographical boundaries and daily life
- Improve geographical knowledge of the world
- Identify and use primary and secondary sources to support historical arguments
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WANT US TO CHECK?Course Details
This course guides students through an exploration of human societies across the world since the emergence of human civilization. By comparing and contrasting societies that developed at the same time across Asia, Europe, Africa, and the Americas, students will develop a better understanding of the foundations of modern society and global citizenry. students will learn how environmental factors, gender, politics, culture, and technology contributed to the development and growth of society across the globe.
ACE-Recommended
ACE Code:
OOSL-0092
Flexible Schedule
33-day Average Course Completion
Humanities Courses Have Transferred 26,400 times
$500,000 Saved on Tuition
Prerequisites
There are no prerequisites for this course.
Course Text
All course readings can be found within the course and are adapted from:
- Bentley, J. H., Ziegler, H. F., Streets-Salter, H. E., & Benjamin, C. (2024). Traditions & encounters: A brief global history (6th ed.). McGraw Hill Education.
Course Checkpoints
Checkpoint 1: Prehistoric Foundations
- Checkpoint 1 Check-in with Dr. Rendina
- Chapter 1 Presentation
- Textbook Reading: Chapter 1 Overview
- Textbook Reading 1.1: Human Origins and the Paleolithic Era
- Textbook Reading 1.2: Neolithic Developments
- Video Spotlight on World History: Göbekli Tepe and Early Religion
Checkpoint 2: Early Complex Societies
- Checkpoint 2 Check-in with Dr. Rendina
- Chapter 2 Presentation
- Textbook Reading: Chapter 2 Overview
- Textbook Reading 2.1: Mesopotamia and Urbanization
- Textbook Reading 2.2: Egypt and the Nile River Civilization
- Textbook Reading 2.3: The Indus and Yellow River Valleys
- Video Spotlight on World History: Writing and Administration in Ancient Sumer
Checkpoint 3: Early Empires and Belief Systems
- Checkpoint 3 Check-in with Dr. Rendina
- Chapter 3 Presentation
- Textbook Reading: Chapter 3 Overview
- Textbook Reading 3.1: The Rise of Empires
- Textbook Reading 3.2: Legal Systems and Governance
- Textbook Reading 3.3: Development of Major World Religions
- Video Spotlight on World History: Hammurabi’s Code
Checkpoint 4: Classical Civilizations
- Checkpoint 4 Check-in with Dr. Rendina
- Chapter 4 Presentation
- Textbook Reading: Chapter 4 Overview
- Textbook Reading 4.1: Greece and Rome
- Textbook Reading 4.2: Persia and India
- Textbook Reading 4.3: China and the Han Dynasty
- Video Spotlight on World History: Athenian Democracy
Checkpoint 5: Post-Classical Networks and Exchange
- Checkpoint 5 Check-in with Dr. Rendina
- Chapter 5 Presentation
- Textbook Reading: Chapter 5 Overview
- Textbook Reading 5.1: Trade Routes and Cultural Diffusion
- Textbook Reading 5.2: Rise of Islam and Islamic Empires
- Textbook Reading 5.3: Central Asian Nomads and Mongol Expansion
- Video Spotlight on World History: The Silk Road in Motion
Checkpoint 6: The Rise of Islam
- Checkpoint 6 Check-in with Dr. Rendina
- Chapter 6 Presentation
- Textbook Reading: Chapter 6 Overview
- Textbook Reading 6.1: Muhammad and the Quran
- Textbook Reading 6.2: Expansion of Islam
- Textbook Reading 6.3: Cultural Achievements of the Islamic World
- Video Spotlight on World History: Baghdad’s House of Wisdom
Checkpoint 7: China’s Golden Age
- Checkpoint 7 Check-in with Dr. Rendina
- Chapter 7 Presentation
- Textbook Reading: Chapter 7 Overview
- Textbook Reading 7.1: The Tang Dynasty
- Textbook Reading 7.2: The Song Dynasty
- Textbook Reading 7.3: Art, Science, and Technology in Imperial China
- Video Spotlight on World History: Chinese Invention and Innovation
Checkpoint 8: Japan, Korea, and Vietnam
- Checkpoint 8 Check-in with Dr. Rendina
- Chapter 8 Presentation
- Textbook Reading: Chapter 8 Overview
- Textbook Reading 8.1: Chinese Influence in East Asia
- Textbook Reading 8.2: Japan’s Heian Period
- Textbook Reading 8.3: Korean and Vietnamese Adaptations
- Video Spotlight on World History: Courtly Culture in Heian Japan
Checkpoint 9: The Expansion of Islam
- Checkpoint 9 Check-in with Dr. Rendina
- Chapter 9 Presentation
- Textbook Reading: Chapter 9 Overview
- Textbook Reading 9.1: Islamic Empires in Africa and Asia
- Textbook Reading 9.2: Cultural Exchange in the Islamic World
- Video Spotlight on World History: Islamic Architecture and Calligraphy
Checkpoint 10: Christian Societies of Europe
- Checkpoint 10 Check-in with Dr. Rendina
- Chapter 10 Presentation
- Textbook Reading: Chapter 10 Overview
- Textbook Reading 10.1: Early Christianity in Rome
- Textbook Reading 10.2: Byzantine Empire and Eastern Orthodox
- Textbook Reading 10.3: Medieval Western Europe
- Video Spotlight on World History: Charlemagne and the Carolingians
Checkpoint 11: The Americas Before European Contact
- Checkpoint 11 Check-in with Dr. Rendina
- Chapter 11 Presentation
- Textbook Reading: Chapter 11 Overview
- Textbook Reading 11.1: Mesoamerican Civilizations
- Textbook Reading 11.2: Andean Societies
- Textbook Reading 11.3: North American Peoples
- Video Spotlight on World History: The Temple of the Sun
Checkpoint 12: Africa in the Post-Classical Era
- Checkpoint 12 Check-in with Dr. Rendina
- Chapter 12 Presentation
- Textbook Reading: Chapter 12 Overview
- Textbook Reading 12.1: West African Kingdoms
- Textbook Reading 12.2: The Swahili Coast
- Textbook Reading 12.3: Religion and Culture in African Societies
- Video Spotlight on World History: Timbuktu as a Center of Learning
Checkpoint 13: Europe’s Middle Ages
- Checkpoint 13 Check-in with Dr. Rendina
- Chapter 13 Presentation
- Textbook Reading: Chapter 13 Overview
- Textbook Reading 13.1: Feudal Society and the Manor System
- Textbook Reading 13.2: The Role of the Catholic Church
- Textbook Reading 13.3: Late Medieval Challenges
- Video Spotlight on World History: Gothic Cathedrals and Pilgrimage Routes
Checkpoint 14: The Mongol Era
- Checkpoint 14 Check-in with Dr. Rendina
- Chapter 14 Presentation
- Textbook Reading: Chapter 14 Overview
- Textbook Reading 14.1: Mongol Conquests
- Textbook Reading 14.2: Pax Mongolica
- Textbook Reading 14.3: Cross-Cultural Impacts
- Video Spotlight on World History: The Mongol Postal System
Checkpoint 15: States and Societies of Sub-Saharan Africa
- Checkpoint 15 Check-in with Dr. Rendina
- Chapter 15 Presentation
- Textbook Reading: Chapter 15 Overview
- Textbook Reading 15.1: Effects of Early African Migrations
- Textbook Reading 15.2: African Societies and Cultural Development
- Textbook Reading 15.3: Islamic Kingdoms and Empires
- Video Spotlight on World History: Herodotus on Ancient Africa
Checkpoint 16: Western Europe in the Early Modern
- Checkpoint 16 Check-in with Dr. Rendina
- Chapter 16 Presentation
- Textbook Reading: Chapter 16 Overview
- Textbook Reading 16.1: The Quest for Political Order
- Textbook Reading 16.2: Economic Growth and Social Development
- Textbook Reading 16.3: European Christianity During the Late Medieval Period
- Textbook Reading 16.4: The Medieval Expansion of Europe
- Video Spotlight on World History: Environmental Pressures and Nomadic Migration on the Eurasian Steppe
Checkpoint 17: Worlds Apart: The Americas and Oceania
- Checkpoint 17 Check-in with Dr. Rendina
- Chapter 17 Presentation
- Textbook Reading: Chapter 17 Overview
- Textbook Reading 17.1: States and Empires in Mesoamerica and North America
- Textbook Reading 17.2: States and Empires in South America
- Textbook Reading 17.3: The Societies of Oceania
- Video Spotlight on World History: The Black Death
Checkpoint 18: Expanding Horizons of Cross-Cultural Interaction
- Checkpoint 18 Check-in with Dr. Rendina
- Chapter 18 Presentation
- Textbook Reading: Chapter 18 Overview
- Textbook Reading 18.1: Long-Distance Trade and Travel
- Textbook Reading 18.2: Crisis and Recovery
- Textbook Reading 18.3: Exploration and Colonization
- Video Spotlight on World History: The Dark and Deadly History of the Plague
Assignments & Grading
Your score provides a percentage score and letter grade for each course. A passing percentage is 70% or higher.
Assignments for this course include:
- 18 Checkpoints
- 4 Benchmarks
- 2 Capstones
What You’ll Need
- A reliable computer or laptop
- Stable internet connection
- Web browser
- Basic computer skills
- Any required course materials
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Course Professor
Ms. Amita Sane
MStat
Ms. Sane has a Master’s in Statistics with practical experience in statistical tools and teaching introductory statistics across diverse learning environments.
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Begin Your Career in History
Humanities courses explore thought and culture, including literature, history, philosophy, art, and cultural studies. Taking World History I will help you better understand how human societies have developed across continents and centuries. You can think of it as a lens that offers a broader perspective on how civilizations rise, fall, and shape the world we live in today.
Why it matters:
- Students save an average of 90% per course on general education courses with StraighterLine.
- The median annual salary for historians in 2023 was $67,940.
In-demand careers in this field include:
Museum Curator, Archivist, Educator, Historical Consultant, Cultural Resource Manager, Policy Analyst, And Roles In Government, Nonprofits, And International Organizations
How this course sets you up for success:
World History I gives you tools to think critically about the past, understand diverse cultures, and make connections across time and place. Gain insights that employers value and perspectives that will help you in your humanities career.
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