PISCATAWAY TOWNSHIP SCHOOLS
8th Grade Social Studies
Course Title: World Civilizations and Cultures II
Textbook: Journey Across Time: The Early Ages, Course 2, McGraw-Hill.
Course Description:
The curriculum of this course focuses upon major historical civilizations and themes that spanned Africa, Asia, Europe,
and the Americas between the years 100 and 1500 CE. Particular emphasis is paid to the impact of geography, natural
resources, trade, and the exchange of ideas on the development of civilizations and cultures over time. Students will
continue to develop the skills that will permit them to succeed in high school and college level historical study; among
those skills include critical thinking, historical document analysis, reading comprehension, writing, effective note-taking,
and study.
Course Schedule: Scope and Sequence
Approximate Time Frame
Topic
1st Marking Period
Rome/Christianity/Byzantines
 Review/extension of Roman history
 Analyze how Christian beliefs were shaped by life within
Judea and the Roman Empire
 Compare and contrast the teachings of Christianity with
other major world religions
 Discuss how Christian ideas spread
 Analyze the rise and impact of the Byzantine Empire upon
medieval society
Journey Across Time: The Early Ages,
Chapter 8, Chapter 9, Chapter 10, and
Chapter 11
Possible DBQ/PBA Topics:
 Why did Christianity take hold in
the Ancient World?
 What were the primary reasons for
the “Fall” of Rome?
 What is the primary reason to
study the Byzantines?
 Why did Islam spread so quickly?
2nd Marking Period
Journey Across Time: The Early Ages,
Chapter 12, Chapter 13 and Chapter 14
Possible DBQ/PBA Topics:
 Mansa Musa’s Hajj
 Were Zheng He’s voyages
significant to world history?
 Marco Polo’s Travels
Islamic Civilization
 Analyze how Muslim beliefs were shaped by life within the
Arabian Peninsula during the time of Muhammad
 Analyze the rise of Islam and how it spread so quickly
 Analyze and summarize the characteristics of Islamic
empires
 Describe and explain Muslim ways of life
Medieval Africa
 Describe and explain the growth of West African kingdoms
 Analyze and compare various forms of African government
 Analyze the importance of various African religions
 Explain how West African kingdoms used supply and
demand to enrich themselves
 Describe various aspects of African society and culture
Medieval China
 Explain developments and innovations that occurred during
Tang and Song China
 Analyze and discuss cultural elements of Chinese civilization
 Explain the rise of the Mongols and the effects of the
Mongol Empire upon various areas of the world
 Explain the impact of trade upon world civilizations
 Discuss the importance of the Ming Dynasty, in particular
their decision to become isolationist
Medieval Japan
 Discuss how Japan’s geography has shaped its development
 Explain how Japan developed its own unique culture
 Explain the importance of various historical figures in
Japanese history
3rd Marking Period
Journey Across Time: The Early Ages,
Chapter 15 and Chapter 17
Possible DBQ/PBA Topics:
 Were samurai and knights more
similar or more different?
 How did the Renaissance change
man’s view of the world?
4th Marking Period
Journey Across Time: The Early Ages,
Chapter 16, Chapter 17, and Chapter 18
Possible DBQ/PBA Topics:
 What was the most remarkable
achievement of the Maya?
 How should historians remember
the Aztec?
 Should Magellan’s crew have
defended him?
 What was more important, the
Exploration or the Reformation?
 Which scientist during the
Scientific Revolution made the
biggest contribution to world
history?
Medieval Europe
 Describe life in the early and late Middle Ages
 Analyze why feudalism rose as a governing system in
medieval Europe
 Discuss how Christianity shaped life in medieval Europe
 Explain the causes and effects of the Crusades
 Explain how the Black Death signaled the end of medieval
Europe
The Renaissance and Reformation
 Explain why the Renaissance began and prospered in Italy
 Explain how Renaissance thinking was a shift from medieval
thinking
 Discuss the cultural developments of the Renaissance
 Analyze the reasons that led Martin Luther to break with the
Roman Catholic Church
 Identify ways that Protestant thought appeared in colonial
America
The Age of Exploration
 Identify various reasons why Europeans invested in sea
travel during Renaissance times
 Discuss the contributions of various explorers to European
understanding of the globe
 Explain the mercantile system and how it enriched Europe
The Americas
 Explain how humans arrived in the Americas and the impact
of isolation from Eurasia upon the Native Americans
 Discuss the ways that Native Americans were affected by
geography and the means by which they adapted to it
 Explain the impact of the Spanish arrival upon Native
American civilizations
The Scientific Revolution/Enlightenment
 Explain how the Scientific Revolution contributed to modern
understandings of how the world operates
 Discuss how Enlightenment values appear in the founding
documents of the United States