World History Do you find it difficult to get away from European or American perspectives in your world history courses? The Brazil, Cuba, Turkey, and Syrian Civil War units in our World History Series highlight viewpoints from people in these countries. The series also includes units on several significant revolutions (French, Haitian, and Russian) as well as the legacies of colonization in Africa, Indian Partition, apartheid, and more. This series brings the past to life and engages students in the hard questions and difficult, often controversial decisions that people have faced throughout history. Students engage with differing perspectives; learn to be comfortable with complexity and ambiguity; gain source analysis skills; and engage with relevant current issues, making connections between the past and the present. Pricing for the World History Series reflects a discount of 10 percent.
Afghanistan
The United States in Afghanistan
Students grapple with questions regarding the involvement of the United States in Afghanistan by exploring Afghanistan’s culture and history and then examining the events that led to the Soviet invasion, the role of Osama bin Laden, and the U.S. involvement following 2001.
Brazil
Brazil: A History of Change
The largest South American country has an often surprising and overlooked history. In this unit, students see Brazil as a unique, dynamic country with an important history, diverse culture, and its own path of development.
Colonization in Africa
Colonization and Independence in Africa
Students explore Africa in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, and consider the changes colonialism imposed on African governments, economies, and societies. Students consider some of the ways Africans responded to European colonialism.
Cuba
History, Revolution, and Reform: New Directions for Cuba
Cubans have very different opinions about their country and its history, particularly about the Cuban Revolution that began in 1959. In this unit, students explore Cuba’s history, the Cuban Revolution, and consider the country’s future.
French Revolution
The French Revolution
Students trace the history of France during this epoch and explore France's political and social organization, as well as its competition for empire, its financial crises, and the efforts to reshape French society.
Haitian Revolution
The Haitian Revolution
Students trace the development of the American colonial world and one of the greatest wealth-producing colonies in world history. They consider the groups involved in the conflict and reflect on the legacies of one of the most successful revolts of enslaved people in history.
Indian Independence
Indian Independence and the Question of Partition
Students examine the history leading up to the British withdrawal from the Indian subcontinent in 1947 and the legacies of partition that remain today.
Iranian Revolution
The Iranian Revolution
Students trace the history of Iran from its early dynasties to the present and explore Iran’s cultural history, its efforts to establish a representative democracy, and the role the great powers played in shaping events in Iran.
Iraq
A Global Controversy: The U.S. Invasion of Iraq
Readings and activities explore the history of Iraq, help students understand events surrounding the U.S.-led invasion, and examine the effects of the war on Iraq, the United States, and the international community.
Mexico
Between Two Worlds: Mexico at the Crossroads
Students explore Mexico's economic and cultural transformation and probe Mexico's complex identity and history, coming face-to-face with the difficult policy choices confronting the people of Mexico today.
Middle East
The Middle East: Questions for U.S. Policy
Students examine oil and geopolitics, issues between the Palestinians and Israel, the Egyptian revolution, Syrian refugees, and other issues that have shaped U.S. relations in the region.
Nigeria
Nigeria: History, Identity, and Change
Students explore Nigeria’s history—from the precolonial to the present—and consider the future of Africa's most populous country.
Racial Slavery
Racial Slavery in the Americas: Resistance, Freedom, and Legacies
This unit provides a wide-ranging overview of racial slavery in the Americas and the opportunity for students to consider how the past shapes the present.
Russian Revolution
The Russian Revolution
The second edition of this unit is a must-have overhaul and replacement for first edition of this popular unit. Students explore the events leading up to Lenin and the Bolsheviks' assumption of power; the political and economic conditions that led to the fall of the Tsar; and the competing political ideologies in revolutionary-era Russia.
South Africa
Freedom in Our Lifetime: South Africa’s Struggle
Students examine the history of South Africa and the development of a race-based society, the effects of apartheid, and the use of violence by some members of the anti-apartheid community.
Syria
The Syrian Civil War
Students explore the history of Syria from the Ottoman Empire to French colonial rule, Syrian independence, and the rise of the Assad regimes as historical background to understand the recent conflict.
Turkey
Empire, Republic, Democracy: Turkey’s Past and Future
Students trace the final years of the Ottoman Empire, the struggle for independence, and Turkish resistance against European imperialism.