List of AIMS

Themes:  Geography, Culture & intellectual life, Science & technology

Topics: Early ancient Africa, Neolithic Revolution, Early River Valley Societies

Themes: Interdependence, Law & justice, Turning point/change, Political systems, Movement/migration, Geography, Belief systems, Culture & intellectual life, Cultural diffusion, Science & technology

Topic: Ancient Greece

Themes: Interdependence, Law & justice, Power, Conflict, Political systems, Geography, Belief systems, Culture & intellectual life, Cultural diffusion

Topic: Roman Empire

Themes: Interdependence, Law & justice, Power, Conflict, Turning point/change, Political systems, Geography, Belief systems, Culture & intellectual life, War, Science & technology

Topic: Classical India

Themes: Law & justice, Power, Conflict, Political systems, Geography, Belief systems, Culture & intellectual life

Topic: Asian civilizations

Themes: Interdependence, Law & justice, Power, Conflict, Political systems, Economic systems, Movement/migration, Geography, Belief systems, Culture & intellectual life, Science & technology

Topic: Classical Japan

Themes: Law & justice, Power, Conflict, Political systems, Geography, Belief systems

Topic: Islam

Themes: Interdependence, Law & justice, Power, Conflict, Political systems, Movement/migration, Belief systems, Culture & intellectual life, War, Science & technology

Methodology to the Study of History

Why should we study history?

How are events connected across time and space?

How do we collect and evaluate information?

Is geography a key in understanding history? 

Why is it important to study and learn about culture?

Do all people develop civilizations?

Are the different elements of culture important when studying world history?

Have scientists successfully recreated the human past?

Has geography helped or hindered the people of Africa?

Can we recreate the past by studying artifacts?

Did humans originate in Africa?

Are we all of African ancestry?

Are people forced to migrate in order to survive?

In what ways does religious beliefs reflect society's values?

In what ways do the arts reflect and shaped culture? 

Why was the Neolithic Revolution important to the development of civilization?

How was the rise of cites related to the Neolithic Revolution and the development of early civilizations?

To what extent are early river civilizations similar and different?

Can the environment be more a friend or foe to communities?

Do religious beliefs shape/reflect the needs of society?

Is religion key to an orderly society?

Should law be based on religious or secular values?

How should a society deal with lawbreakers?

Does literature shape or reflect the values of a society?

What determines a civilization?

Are the contributions of classical civilizations still relevant in today’s world?

Will historians someday consider 20^th century America a classical civilization?

Does environment/man shape a society?

Which society created the ideal individual/community?

Was Athens truly democratic?

Should we follow our conscience or the law of the land?

To what extent did classical Greek culture contribute to Western civilization?

Is cultural diffusion beneficial to a society?

Does geography/people shape the society? OR

Was Rome destined for greatness?

In what ways is technology shaped by the needs of the society?

Can stability exist in a multicultural society?

In what ways can an individual influence society?

Can religious ideas endanger the state?

Do empires fall due more to internal/external forces?

Why did the Roman Empire rise and why did it fall?

Can effective leadership save an empire?

Could the Roman Empire have lasted into modern times?

Could the Roman Empire have been saved?

Was the fall of Rome predictable?

Was the Byzantine Empire a New Rome?

Should religion adapt to the changing needs of the people?

Is it geography/people that shape a society?

Would Greek and Roman knowledge and culture have been preserved and transmitted without the Byzantine Empire?

 Should the Byzantine Empire be considered the “cradle of civilization” for Russia and Eastern Europe?

 Could a modern world power duplicate the feat of Byantium and survive for 1,000 years?

 To what extent was the fall of Constantinople in 1453 a turning point in global history?

 Was the Byzantine Empire as “great” as Imperial Rome or other “classical civilizations” of the ancient world?

Was Constantinople the “greatest” city of its time?

Is India's cultural diversity a result of its geography?

Is it possible for a religion to promote unity and diversity?

Did the Caste System stimulate stability? OR

Can religion be a tool of social control?

Is Caste a thing of the Past?

Is Hinduism a belief system or a way of life?

Is Buddhism an extension of Hinduism?

Can people create change within themselves and society?

How important were the Gupta Empire’s contributions to human history?

To what extent was the Gupta Empire’s “Goldern Age” comparable to the golden ages of Han China, Ancient Greece or Byzantium?

 To what extent are the world views of Hinduism and Buddhism compatible with Judaism?,Christianity?, or Islam?

Is religious toleration possible?

Can leadership provide effective change in a society?

Is literature a reliable historical source?

Does geography shape the lives of the people?

What is the key to an orderly society?

In what ways did Confucianism create stability in China?

Were dynasties the blueprint for centralized government?

Can the rise and fall of a government be predicted?

Did the need for stability help/hinder the development of women?

Are there certain factors that define a Golden Age?

Does art reflect the values of a society?

Did the Tang Dynasty contribute to modern civilization?

Should the Tang Dynasty be admired today?

Should the Tang Dynasty be considered China’s golden age?

Was the Silk Road the internet highway of ancient times?

In what ways can cultural diffusion affect traditional religions?

Does Japan's geography shape the character of the Japanese people?

Why is Japan considered copycats of the Chinese culture?

Are religions a reflection of the environment?

How did the Samurai experience shape Japanese life?

Can a culture remain unchanged and survive?

In what ways can individuals influence their society?

In what ways does religion shape/reflect the values of a society?

Why did a brilliant civilization develop in the Mediterranean world and in Eastern Asia?

Why did Islam spread across the world?

 How did Islamic civilization promote cultural diffusion?

Why was there a Golden Age of Islam?

What factors contributed to the spread of Islam to Southeast and Southwest Asia, North Africa and Europe?

 Why was the spread of Islam so successful?

Should the church and state be separate?

Are women's lives protected/restricted by Islamic law?

Was the expansion of Islam due more to conquest or conversion?

Why are some religions considered more universal than others?

Is it environment/people that shape the society?

 How did the fall of the Roman Empire lead to the period known as the Dark Ages?

 How did the feudal system provide for the needs of people of the medieval manor?

 How did the Roman Catholic provide a sense of stability and order during the Middle Ages?

 How did the rule of Charlemagne contribute to the growth of the Church’s power?

 How did the Crusades aid in the transmission of Muslim culture in Europe?

Topic 15: The Crusades and their Impact on South Asia, Byzantium and Europe

Why did Pope Urban II call for a Crusade?

 How Did the Crusades affects life Europe?

 What was the impact of Crusades on Byzantium?