Full course description
Course Description
World History B is the second semester in a two-semester series that surveys global history from the dawn of civilization to the dawn of the information age. Students will investigate the rise and fall of empires throughout time to better understand how political power, culture, and trade impact societies. In World History B, students will track the shifting balance of global power and influence from East to West as a result of European exploration and colonization around the world. Students will observe how new ideas sparked revolutionary change in the Americas and France. Following the industrial revolution, students will investigate how changes during this period paved the way to global conflicts, such as World War I, World War II, and the Cold War. Finally, students will have the opportunity to develop skills, such as making comparisons, determining causation, and analyzing change over time.
Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS)
UTHS courses are designed in alignment to the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) which define the skills and content to be taught in each course and grade level in the state of Texas.
Semester Topics
- Unit 10: The Renaissance, The Scientific Revolution, and The Reformation (1450-1750)
- Unit 11: Exploration and Colonization (1450-1750)
- Unit 12: Ottoman Empire, Safavid Empire, Mughal Empire, and Ming Dynasty (1400-1750)
- Unit 13: Absolutism, Enlightenment, Rise of Revolutions, and Independence
- Unit 14: Industrial Revolution and Economic Systems
- Unit 15: Imperialism
- Unit 16: World War I, The Russian Revolution, The Treaty of Versailles, and the Great Depression
- Unit 17: World War II, End of Colonialism, and the Cold War
- Unit 18: The World after the Cold War, Challenges Today
Course Objectives
Upon completing this course, you will be able to—
- identify the major causes and describe the major effects of the Renaissance, the Protestant Reformation, and the Scientific Revolution;
- identify major causes and describe the major effects of European Exploration, the Columbian Exchange, and European Expansion;
- explain the impact of the Atlantic slave trade on West Africa and the Americas;
- identify the major causes for the rise of the Ottoman, Safavid, Mughal, and Ming Empires;
- describe the causes and effects of the Enlightenment, including its influence on the American, French, and Latin American Revolutions;
- identify the major causes and effects of the Industrial Revolution, including its impact on politics, economics, and society;
- explain the characteristics and impacts of European Imperialism on different world regions;
- identify and explain the main causes of World War I;
- explain the causes and effects of World War II, including the events that led to the Cold War;
- describe the major challenges facing the Middle East and its role in the world today.
Required Course Materials
Please visit the Computer Requirements page to view minimum device, internet, and application requirements for all UT High School courses. Generally, a desktop or laptop device five (5) years or newer with access to an office suite, such as Microsoft Office or Google Workspace, will be adequate to participate in most UTHS courses.
Unless otherwise noted, students are responsible for purchasing or securing all the following course materials:
- Textbook: A textbook is not required for this course.
- Interactive Notebook: A paper or digital composition book is acceptable. For paper composition books, please also have the following items on hand:
- Pens or Pencils
- Tape or Glue
Course Organization
Students must complete the course in sequence: You will not be able to access the next unit until all work in the preceding unit is completed. You may take your final exam only after completing all units and submitting all graded assignments.
- Units: Each unit includes multiple lessons and graded assignments as well as ungraded practice quizzes to help you check your understanding of the material.
- Summative Assessments: Each course includes two online, virtually proctored summative assessments testing your understanding of the material presented in the preceding 2-3 Units.
- Format: Online, Multiple-choice
- Time Allowed: 1 hr 30 min
- Final Exam: Each course includes an online, virtually proctored final exam testing your knowledge of all material presented in the course.
- Format: Online, Multiple-choice
- Time Allowed: 3 hrs 20 min
Course Grade Weighting
Your final course grade is calculated by weighting the three assignment groups displayed in the table below:
| Assignment Group | Total Assignments | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Graded Assignments | 12-18 | 50% |
| Summative Assessments | 2 | 25% |
| Final Exam | 1 | 25% |
Online Proctored Exams
All course exams, including both summative assessments and the final exam, must be completed online. Students must test online with Proctorio and are required to add the Proctorio extension to either their Microsoft Edge or Google Chrome browser—installation instructions are provided in the student's course. Proctorio uses a student's computer, web camera, and microphone to record video of both the student and their desktop during the exam. Then, UTHS instructors review the student's exam video data collected by Proctorio. Only authorized UTHS staff and instructors can view the exam recordings. Student data is not shared with any persons or organizations outside of UTHS and are deleted after one year. We encourage you to visit Proctorio's Data Security and Privacy site pages to learn more about how we protect student date.