History Final Exam Study Guide

Instructions: Before the day of the final exam, draw a diagram for 10^th grade students next year that will help them understand the most important historical developments in modern history. Your diagram should be simple to remember, and yet it should reflect the ways the world has become modern since the Renaissance. It should show how the historical developments are related to each other. It should NOT be simply a sequential list of historical events (NOT A TIMELINE). It may use a simile to illustrate the main ideas. (For example, how is modern history like photosynthesis, or like Twilight, or like March Madness?)

On the day of the final exam, you will briefly present your diagram to the class. You can choose how you want to present it (as a poster, draw it quickly on the whiteboard, projected from the computer). Your presentation should be about 3 minutes in length.

1. Include key dates that you think are most important to remember. These dates should "anchor" the event so students next year can have a sense of sequence.
   

2. Remember--your diagram should help next year's students learn about key historical developments and how each contributed to modernity. For example, imperialism may have led to westernization and globalization.

3. Include the following historical developments along with any others you think are essential to a quick overview of our modern world:
   
   • Creation of the United Nations
     
   • Agricultural Revolution
   • French Revolution
     
   • The Cold War
   • Imperialism
   • The two World Wars
   • The two Industrial Revolutions
   • The Great Depression
   • Chinese and Russian Revolutions
   • Recent challenges in the Middle East

Grading:

If your diagram is up to expectations, then your grade for the quarter will stay the same. If the diagram exceeds expectations, then your grade can be raised as much as a full letter. If the diagram is below expectations, then your grade can be lowered as much as a full letter.