World History Part 1: Prehistory to the Renaissance

Name: World History Part 1: Prehistory to the Renaissance
Rating: 4.6 (124 reviews)

An engaging and fascinating overview of World History through short lectures, guided notes, and reading resources.

Created byLuke Rosa

Last updated 3/2023

English

What you'll learn

This course covers World History from early humans and the civilizations through about 1500 and the Renaissance Era in Europe.
Students will learn about ancient civilizations including those in Mesopotamia, Egypt, Greece, Rome, China, and India.
Students will learn about early empires, including the Mughal, Ottoman, Safavid, Aztec, Inca, and Roman.
Students will learn about the cultures, religion, and civilizations that developed across the world from 3,000 BCE to 1500 CE.

Course content

7 sections • 34 lectures • 14h 31m total length

Early Humans30:15
After learning about early humans, students will be able to compare and contrast hominids of the Paleolithic Age and describe early human evolution and cultural development.
The Paleolithic & Neolithic Eras15:41
The Characteristics of Civilization36:50
After learning about the first civilizations, students will be able to define civilization and identify and describe the characteristics of civilization.
Prehistory Quiz

Ancient Mesopotamia20:10
After an overview of Mesopotamia, students will be able to identify, describe, and map the geography of Mesopotamia, including important cities, civilizations, and geographic features.
Ancient Egypt26:06
After learning about ancient Egypt, students will be able to compare and contrast the three kingdoms of ancient Egypt and explain how ancient Egypt's religion and culture shaped Egyptian civilization.
Ancient China & the Yellow River Valley19:16
After an overview of ancient China, students will be able to identify, describe, and map the geography of ancient China, including important cities, civilizations, and geographic features.
Indus River Valley Civilizations17:00
After an overview of the Indus River Valley, students will be able to identify, describe, and map the geography of the Indus River Valley, including important cities, civilizations, and geographic features.
River Valley Civilization Quiz

The Geography and People of Early Greece21:42
After an overview of ancient Greece, students will be able to identify, describe, and map the geography of ancient Greece and explain how geography impacted early Greek culture.
The Persian and Peloponnesian Wars51:18
After reading about the Persian and Peloponnesian Wars, students will be able to describe the causes of the wars, identify and outline the major battles of the wars, and explain the effects the wars had on ancient Greece.
Athens and the Golden Age of Pericles28:04
After learning about Athenian culture during the Golden Age, students will be able to identify and describe significant cultural contributions from the period and evaluate their impact on the development of Western Culture.
Philosophers of Ancient Greece23:08
After learning about the ancient Greek Philosophers Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle, students will be able to compare and contrast and summarize their beliefs and teachings and explain their influence on the development of Western Culture.
Alexander the Great and Hellenistic Greece29:48
After learning about Alexander the Great and Hellenistic culture, students will be able to identify Alexander the Great's political and military achievements and evaluate the impact the spread of Hellenistic culture had on society.
Ancient Greece Quiz

The Early Roman Republic25:18
After an overview of ancient Rome, students will be able to analyze the laws of Rome and identify, describe, and map the geography of ancient Rome and explain how geography impacted Roman civilization.
The Punic Wars and Challenges to Rome28:16
After learning about the Punic Wars, students will be able to describe the causes, events, and results of each Punic War and identify the causes of the Roman Republic's decline.
Julius Caesar and the End of the Roman Republic17:07
After learning about Julius Caesar, students will be able to evaluate the life of Julius Caesar and outline and describe events that contributed to the decline of the Roman Republic.
Good and Bad Emperors of the Roman Empire33:08
After an overview of Roman emperors, students will be able to compare and contrast the leadership of Roman emperors and classify them as good or bad leaders.
Christianity in the Roman Empire24:17
After a lesson on Christianity in the Roman Empire, students will be able to explain how Christianity was able to grow in Rome despite the persecution of early followers.
The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire22:06
After analyzing the decline and fall of the Roman Empire, students will identify political, militaristic, economical, and social causes to the decline and fall of the Roman Empire and explain how the fall of Rome impacted the world.
The Byzantine Empire30:25
After an introduction to the Byzantine Empire, students will be able to identify, describe, and map the geography of the Byzantine Empire and Constantinople.
Ancient Rome Quiz

The Rise of Islam in the Middle East25:59
After an introduction to Muhammad and Islam, students will be able to identify, describe, and outline the origins and spread of Islam.
The Spread of Islam Across Asia and Africa19:14
China's Shang & Zhou Dynasties and Philosophies16:58
China's Qin and Han Dynasties33:26
Tang and Song China22:04
The Maurya and Gupta Empires of India17:40
The Silk Road and Cultural Diffusion25:35
Genghis Khan and the Mongols19:59
Civilizations and Culture in Asia Quiz

Requirements

There are no prerequisites or requirements needed for the course.

Description

This fantastic course covers everything you need to know about World History from early humans and the first civilizations through to the Renaissance Era around the year 1500. Straightforward and engaging videos break down each topic to the most important elements so you can understand even the most complicated issues. Each video lesson comes with a guided notes worksheet that you can fill out as you watch.

The course begins with a look at the development of early humans into the first civilizations in Africa and the Middle East. It then continues through empire building, the development of governments, religion, and more. There are 7 total units of study:

Prehistory
River Valley Civilizations
Ancient Greece
Ancient Rome
The Civilizations and Culture of Asia
Empires in Africa and the Americas
Medieval Europe

In addition to the videos and guided notes, each unit includes primary and secondary source documents and readings to help you further understand the main aspects of that era. Some of these include:

Ancient Egypt's Kingdoms
Roman Gladiators
Nero's Persecution of Christians
Justinian's Code
Early Islam and the Kaaba
Primary Source from Qin Shi Huang
Sources from the Tang and Song Dynasty
Charlemagne and the Franks
Feudalism
And more!

Answer keys for these are included to help you check your own understanding.

Finally, each unit concludes with a short quiz to test your understanding of the content.

This is the perfect course for any student looking to learn about early World History, for parents looking to support their children in their history courses, or students preparing for an exam and looking for help.

Who this course is for:

The course is perfect for anyone interested in learning more about World History, from middle school students through adults.

World History Part 1: Prehistory to the Renaissance

What you'll learn

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Course content

Prehistory3 lectures • 1hr 23min

River Valley Civilizations4 lectures • 1hr 23min

Ancient Greece5 lectures • 2hr 34min

Ancient Rome7 lectures • 3hr 1min

The Civilizations and Culture of Asia8 lectures • 3hr 1min

Empires in Africa and the Americas2 lectures • 47min

Medieval Europe5 lectures • 2hr 24min

Requirements

Description

Who this course is for: