Social Studies (Grades 5–12) Subtest 1

Subarea II. World History

0005

Understand major developments in world history from the beginnings of human society to 500 CE.

demonstrating knowledge of the biological, cultural, geographic, and environmental processes that gave rise to the earliest human communities and recognizing factors that influenced the development of agricultural societies
comparing major geographic, social, political, economic, and cultural characteristics of early civilizations in Southwest Asia, North Africa, and the Mediterranean
analyzing the development of early civilizations in Asia, sub-Saharan Africa, and the Americas
demonstrating knowledge of the characteristics and evolution of ancient Greek civilization and evaluating its influence throughout Eurasia, Africa, and the Mediterranean
demonstrating knowledge of major events, developments, and features of ancient Roman society and analyzing its influence on contemporary civilizations and the development of Western culture
demonstrating knowledge of the principal beliefs, sacred texts, and historical development of Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, Christianity, and indigenous religious traditions
recognizing chronological relationships between global events and developments during this period

0006

Understand major developments in world history from 500 to 1450.

demonstrating knowledge of the development and influence of the Byzantine Empire (e.g., the split between Eastern and Western Christianity, Justinian's conquests and reforms, the work of Byzantine artists and architects)
demonstrating understanding of major geographic, social, political, economic, and cultural features of Islamic civilization (e.g., the principal beliefs of Islam, the expansion of Islamic civilization, the work of Islamic scholars, and disunity and division within the Muslim caliphate) and examining the interaction between Christendom and the Islamic world
analyzing major social, political, and economic developments in Europe from 500 to 1450 (e.g., the emergence and structure of feudal society, the spread and influence of Christianity, the creation of the Holy Roman Empire, the Black Death, the Hundred Years' War, the emergence of European states)
demonstrating knowledge of major civilizations of Asia and Africa during this period and analyzing their economic and cultural interactions (e.g., the Muslim-Hindu encounter in India; Tang government and culture; the Sung commercial revolution; Japanese feudalism and the rise of the samurai; the spread of Islam south of the Sahara; the rise and decline of the Ghana, Mali, and Songhai empires)
examining the historical development and principal features of the Mayan, Aztec, and Inca civilizations, including political and economic systems, religious beliefs, cultural achievements, and patterns of growth and decline
analyzing overseas trade, exploration, and expansion in the Mediterranean Sea and the Indian and Atlantic oceans during this period (e.g., the Silk Road; Italian trade with the East; banking and finance in Europe and Asia; the voyages of Zheng He; Prince Henry the Navigator; artistic interactions; developments in navigation science, ship technology, and cartography)
demonstrating knowledge of the origins, major developments, significant individuals, and influence of the European Renaissance
recognizing chronological relationships between global events and developments during this period

0007

Understand major developments in world history from 1450 to 1850.

demonstrating knowledge of the causes, leading reformers, major developments, and consequences of the Protestant Reformation
assessing European expansion between 1450 and 1750, analyzing the interaction between Europeans and indigenous populations, and evaluating the effect of global trade on regional civilizations
comparing the integration and consolidation of large territories under regional and global empires (e.g., the Mughal Empire in South Asia, the Safavid Empire in Iran, the Ming and Qing dynasties in China, the Russian Empire, the Iberian empires in Asia and the Americas, Portuguese and Dutch penetration of southern Africa, the Tokugawa shogunate in Japan)
demonstrating knowledge of major political developments in Europe between 1450 and 1700 (e.g., the consolidation of nation-states, the growth of absolutism, the monarchy of Peter the Great, the English Civil War of the 1640s, the Glorious Revolution of 1688–1689, the emergence of parliamentary monarchy)
recognizing major figures of the Scientific Revolution and evaluating the effect of their discoveries on the development of the modern world
demonstrating familiarity with the central ideas of major thinkers of the European Enlightenment
analyzing the causes, similarities, differences, and consequences of the American and French revolutions, the wars for independence in Latin America, and the revolutions of 1848
examining technological, economic, social, and political factors related to the Industrial Revolution (e.g., the role of Great Britain in the industrializing process, major inventions and technological innovations) and analyzing the social, economic, and political consequences of industrialization (e.g., the growth of urban centers, the transformation of family and social relations, and major economic theories and social reforms)
recognizing chronological relationships between global events and developments during this period

0008

Understand major developments in world history from 1850 to the present.

comparing the emergence of the nation-state in Europe and Asia and analyzing the rise of nationalism
demonstrating understanding of major causes, developments, and effects of European imperialism during the second half of the nineteenth century and analyzing interactions between imperialist powers and the peoples of Asia, Africa, and the Middle East
examining the origins, major events, and consequences of World War I and the Russian Revolution
identifying the principal causes of the Great Depression and analyzing the economic, social, and political effect of global economic collapse
demonstrating knowledge of the origins, major events, leading figures, and consequences of World War II and examining how Nazi beliefs and policies led to the Holocaust
comparing varied perspectives on the origins and events of the Cold War (e.g., U.S.-Soviet differences concerning Eastern Europe, ideological confrontation, the Berlin airlift, the Chinese civil war, the Korean War, the nuclear arms race, the collapse of the Soviet Union)
demonstrating understanding of decolonization and struggles for independence in postwar Asia, Africa, and the Middle East
examining significant international developments and global challenges of the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries (e.g., economic globalization, democracy movements, the campaign for women's rights, the information revolution, ethnic conflicts, environmental degradation, genetic engineering, terrorism, growing demands on natural resources, economic imbalances among the world's peoples)
demonstrating knowledge of major literary, artistic, intellectual, scientific, and technological movements and developments from 1850 to the present
recognizing chronological relationships between global events and developments during this period

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