Core Courses

Course #170 – 7th Grade Geography

This course has been designed to give 7th grade students the opportunity to study the geography and culture of the world outside of the western hemisphere. They will study the world by regions that reflect their similar cultural traits. Skills that will be addressed include map and graph skills, note-taking, critical thinking, researching and analyzing current events and developing discussion/presentation abilities. Students are introduced to a systemic approach to writing to historical, cultural and physical geographic topics.

Course #180 – 8th Grade World History I: 500 B.C.E. - 1815

In this first of two year-long courses in the World History sequence at Hopkins, students will briefly review the Classical Civilizations of Greece and Rome as a prelude to the study of world civilizations after the fall of the Roman Empire. Students study the history of the major empires and political entities of this period including the Byzantine Empire and the major pre-Columbian civilizations of the Western Hemisphere. Students examine geography, language, literature and the arts, as well as the important political, economic and religious developments of this period, including the development of Christianity and Islam, the conflicts between them in different parts of the world and the beginnings of European influence on the western hemisphere. Finally, students study the development of democratic, secular and scientific thought in the major events and developments of European history. As time permits, students may also examine African, Indian and East Asian civilizations from 500 B.C.E. to 1815. The course is designed to teach information as well as skills. Skills which will be addressed include reading for critical thinking, note-taking, test taking, researching, writing, map and graph skills, utilizing primary sources and developing discussion/presentation abilities.