World History Themes De nitions

I. Individual Development and Cultural Identity

1. Belief Systems Religious or ideological systems of belief
2. Impact of the Individual A single person’s importance in history
3. Moral / Legal Codes Religious rules/ laws that in uence a given culture or society


4. Tolerance/ Intolerance Allow/disallow a culture to maintain its cultural identity
5. Social Darwinism Applying Darwin’s ideas of survival of the ttest to societies/cultures who are seen as inferior
II. Development, Movement , and Interactions of Cultures
6. Cultural Diffusion Spread and/or blending of an idea over a wide area
7. Syncretism Blending of ideas that results in something new
III. Time, Change, and Continuity
8. Turning Point A transition that impacts millions/billions of people
9. Continuity Patterns of consistency throughout history
10. Revolution A fundamental change that alters established values/methods
11. Human Agency The impact of choices made by groups or individuals
12. Contingency The importance of chance/luck throughout history
IV. Geography, Humans, and the Environment
13.Human-Geography Interaction People’s interaction/adaptation to their geographic surroundings
14. Ecological Effects The in uence of environmental factors
V. Development and Transformation of Social Structures
15. Social Hierarchy Various groups that that make up a social class system creating inequality, a lack of power,
&/or the issue of social mobility
16. Human Rights Violations Denial of basic rights
17. Genocide The intent to destroy a racial, ethnic or religious group
VI. Power, Authority, and Governance
18. Political Systems Governmental systems & the relationship of power between the gov’t & the people
19. Power & Authority Methods a government uses to express or reinforce their power
20. Imperialism Conquest/dominance by a foreign group through political, economic, social, or cultural means
21. Con ict Regional or Cross-Regional war, battle, opposition and/or disagreement
22. Propaganda Information presented in a biased or misleading way to promote or publicize
a particular view point and/or cause
VII. Civic Ideals and Practices
23. Nationalism Extreme pride in one’s nation
24. Self-Determination The right of a nation or people to determine its own form of government without in uence
from outside forces
VIII. Creation, Expansion, and Interaction of Economic Systems
25. Economic Systems Relating to commerce(trade) or currency(money) & how societies deal with the issue of
scarcity(utilizing limited resources)
26. Long Distance Trade Cross-Regional movements of goods
27. Labor System The organization of labor forces both voluntary & involuntary( ie. exploitation of workers)
28. Inequity Unfair treatment and/or lack of access to resources
IX. Science, Technology, and Innovation
29. Technology/Scienc Ideas, inventions and their impact
30. Golden Age A period of signi cant achievements within a particular civilization (art, math,
architecture, science, and technology)
31. Modernization The impact of industrialization on societies and/or the environment
X. Global Connections and Exchange
32. Ecological Diffusion Spreading of crops, animals, and diseases between two or more cultures
33. Globalization Global connections/ exchanges in an interdependent worldwide system
34. Westernization Diffusion of western culture throughout the globe
35. Migrations Movement of people due to push &/or pull factors
36. Rise of the West Western/non-western reasons for the dominance of the West over the last 500 years
37. Southernization Diffusion of ideas from South and Southeast Asia throughout the world
38. Collective Security Cooperation among groups to deal with threats related to invasion, ecological concerns,
ideological &/or technological threats through the formation of alliances
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 Geographic Themes Geographic Feature How Geographic Features create/hinder

Trade, Transportation, Food Source,

1 In uence of Water RIVERS AND OCEANS
Movement, Sanitation, Barriers, Connectors

Opportunities to use areas near large bodies of

2 Access to Ports COASTAL AREA
water that impact development

MOUNTAINS, FORESTS,
3 In uence of Landforms Barriers, Connectors, Access to Resources
DESERTS, STEPPES

Opportunities to Trade, Move, and/or Access

LATITUDE, LONGITUDE, Plants, Animals, Diseases, Resources
PROXIMITY TO LANDFORMS
PROXIMTY TO DESIRED AREA AND/O
4 Location
PROXIMITY TO RESOURCES
The opportunity to acquire resources, control
strategic locations, expand territory, create or
control borders

The ways in which the environment shapes

culture
LANDFORMS, WATERWAYS,
Ecological
5 SOIL, ELEVATION, PLANTS, AND/OR
Relationships
ANIMALS
The opportunities for humans to modify/use
their physical surroundings

WIND PATTERNS, MONSOONS,

Opportunities to trade, move, farm, survive,
6 Climate ARID, RAINFALL, EXTREME
military plans
TEMPERATURES

The ability to use/access

ABUNDANCE OF NATURAL
7 Access to Resources
RESOURCES
Minerals, Coal, Gold Silver, Salt, Oil,

The inability to use/access

8 Scarcity of Resources LACK OF NATURAL RESOURCES
Minerals, Coal, Gold Silver, Salt, Oil,
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