- How to Use This Curriculum
- 36 Week Schedule
- 30 Week Schedule
- Alignment Chart: OpenStax World History and Videos
- End of Unit Projects
How to Use This Curriculum
This World History I course is designed to guide you and your learner through world history step by step, blending the OER Project curriculum with supplemental resources from OpenStax, extra projects from RHL, and carefully selected multimedia. Here’s how to get started:
1. Preview the Week-by-Week Breakdown
- Each week’s lessons, readings, and activities are organized for you.
- Choose which of our weekly breakdowns work best for your family or feel free to adjust if your learner needs more or less time on a topic.
2. Set Up Your OER Project Teacher Account
- Go to the OER Project website and create a free teacher account.
- This will give you access to:
- Answer keys for OER Project activities.
- Teaching guides and strategies.
- Extra background information to help you confidently guide discussions.
3. Use the Alignment Chart (optional)
- The alignment chart shows how OER Project lessons connect with OpenStax readings and YouTube videos
- This allows you to build a strong backbone (OER lessons) and then add depth and variety through additional resources.
4. Preview or Watch Multimedia with Your Student
- Some of the linked videos may include content that isn’t suitable for every learner.
- Please pre-watch or watch alongside your child so you can decide what fits best.
- Treat videos as discussion starters—pause to ask questions, make connections, or clarify.
5. Incorporate Enrichment Projects (Optional)
- Rabbit Hole Learning’s enrichment projects are original and separate from OER Project.
- These projects are optional, but they encourage deeper exploration, critical thinking, and creativity.
6. Take Notes and Encourage Discussion
- Encourage your student to keep a history notebook or digital document where they summarize readings, answer questions, or reflect on what they’ve learned.
- Use the guiding questions provided in the OER Project lessons to spark meaningful discussion.
7. Adapt to Your Needs
- The curriculum is flexible—you can add more primary sources, assign extra writing, or shorten lessons as needed.
- The goal isn’t just to memorize dates, but to see the big picture of history and how events, people, and ideas connect across time.
8. Sharing Your Journey
- We love seeing how families use this curriculum! If you post about your history journey on social media, make sure to tag our social media accounts so we can celebrate and share your work.
- Tagging helps us build a community of learners and inspires other families along the way!
- Use our hashtag: #RabbitHoleLearning
- Show off student projects, notebooks, or discussion moments!
36 Week Schedule
This schedule is designed for families following a traditional 36-week school year. It moves at a pace of one to two lessons per week, with a full week dedicated to OER’s writing projects in Units 2 through 6. A buffer week is built in between each unit for review, catch-up, or the optional projects I’ve included. The course concludes with two weeks set aside for the final class projects.
| 7 | Writing: Evaluating the Agricultural Revolution |
| 8 | Buffer/Review/Project |
| 9 | 3.1 Cities, Societies, and Empires |
| 10 | 3.2 Foragers and Village Networks 3.3 The First Cities, States, and Empires |
| 11 | 3.4 Ancient Trade Networks 3.5 Early Agrarian Societies |
| 12 | Writing: Impacts of Early Societies |
| 13 | Buffer/Review/Project |
| 14 | 4.1 Empires and Beliefs |
| 4.2 Comparing Portable Belief Systems | |
| 15 | Writing: Comparing Chinese Belief Systems |
| 16 | 4.3 Comparing Portable Belief Systems |
| 17 | 4.4 Comparing Ancient Empires |
| 18 | 4.5 Rome and Han China 4.6 Women in the Ancient World |
| 19 | Buffer/Review/Project |
| 20 | 5.1 Collapse and Restructuring |
| 5.2 Why do Empires Collapse? | |
| 21 | Writing: Comparing Collapse |
| 25 | Buffer/Review/Project |
| 31 | 6.7 Age of Exploration 6.8 The Columbian Exchange TedED video for a better representation of Columbus |
| 32 | Writing: Impacts of The Columbian Exchange |
| 33 | 6.9 The Transatlantic Slave Trade |
| 34 | Buffer/Review/Project |
| 35 | End of Class Projects |
| 36 |
30 Week Schedule
This schedule is designed for families who prefer a shorter, 30-week school year or for homeschool co-ops that typically follow a shorter semester. It maintains the pace of one to two lessons per week, but without the built-in buffer weeks. The course concludes with one week set aside for the final class projects.
| 6 | Writing: Evaluating the Agricultural Revolution |
| 7 | 3.1 Cities, Societies, and Empires |
| 8 | 3.2 Foragers and Village Networks 3.3 The First Cities, States, and Empires |
| 9 | 3.4 Ancient Trade Networks 3.5 Early Agrarian Societies |
| 10 | Writing: Impacts of Early Societies |
| 11 | 4.1 Empires and Beliefs |
| 4.2 Comparing Portable Belief Systems | |
| 12 | Writing: Comparing Chinese Belief Systems |
| 13 | 4.3 Comparing Portable Belief Systems |
| 14 | 4.4 Comparing Ancient Empires |
| 15 | 4.5 Rome and Han China 4.6 Women in the Ancient World |
| 16 | 5.1 Collapse and Restructuring |
| 5.2 Why do Empires Collapse? | |
| 17 | Writing: Comparing Collapse |
| 21 | Buffer/Review/Project |
| 27 | 6.7 Age of Exploration 6.8 The Columbian Exchange TedED video for a better representation of Columbus |
| 28 | Writing: Impacts of The Columbian Exchange |
| 29 | 6.9 The Transatlantic Slave Trade |
| 30 | End of Class Projects |
Alignment Chart: OpenStax World History and Videos
This alignment chart connects the OER Project curriculum with additional resources from OpenStax textbooks, and selected YouTube videos. The goal is to provide both the strong, structured backbone of OER Project lessons and opportunities to extend learning through supplemental readings, and multimedia.
A quick note on the videos:
- While chosen to enrich and support the curriculum, some may include content or language that are not suitable for every learner.
- Please pre-watch or watch alongside your child to decide what is appropriate for your specific student.
- Use the videos as conversation starters—pause, ask questions, and encourage your learner to connect what they see back to the OER lessons and OpenStax readings.
By weaving together OER Project lessons, OpenStax readings, and multimedia, this chart provides a more cohesive and engaging path through history.
Find something you think I should add? Find something you think doesn’t fit RHL’s values? Email me at admin@rabbitholelearning.org
OpenStax | Free Textbooks Online with No Catch (Part 1)
OpenStax | Free Textbooks Online with No Catch (Part 2)
| Unit 1: Origins of History How does changing perspectives change our understanding of history? | |
| Chapter 1: Understanding the Past Introduction 1.1 Developing a Global Perspective 1.2 Primary Sources 1.3 Causation and Interpretation in History It’s Not About Memorization – How to Study History (Robin Waldun) 3 tips on how to study effectively (tedED) How to Do Research (Overly Sarcastic) |
| Unit 2: Early Humans (c. 250,000 Years Ago to 3000 BCE) What caused some humans to shift from foraging to farming and what were the effects of this change? | |
| Chapter 2: Early Humans Introduction What Happened Before History? Human Origins (Kurzgesagt – In a Nutshell) When Time Became History – The Human Era (Kurzgesagt – In a Nutshell) Human Evolution: We Didn’t Evolve From Chimps: Crash Course Biology #19 Human Evolution: Crash Course Big History #6 |
| Unit 3: Early Agrarian Societies (c. 6000 BCE to 100 CE) How did complex societies develop and how did they impact humans inside and outside these communities? | |
| Chapter 3 Early Civilizations and Urban Societies Introduction The History of Writing – Where the Story Begins – Extra History |
| Unit 4: Empires and Belief Systems (c. 600 BCE to 700 CE) How did the emergence of portable belief systems affect how people lived and support new types of networks among them? | |
| The Growth of Empires | Chapter 5 Asia in Ancient Times 5.1 Ancient China 5.2 The Steppes 5.3 Korea, Japan, and Southeast Asia Buddha and Ashoka: Crash Course World History #6 2,000 Years of Chinese History! The Mandate of Heaven and Confucius: Crash Course World History #7 Who was Confucius? – Bryan W. Van Norden (tedEd) What makes the Great Wall of China so extraordinary – Megan Campisi and Pen-Pen Chen (tedEd) The incredible history of China’s terracotta warriors – Megan Campisi and Pen-Pen Chen (tedED) Chapter 11 The Rise of Islam and the Caliphates Introduction 11.1 The Rise and Message of Islam Christianity from Judaism to Constantine: Crash Course World History #11 Crash Course Religions Preview(whole playlist on Crash Course Religions) The complex geometry of Islamic design – Eric Broug (TedED) |
| Unit 5: Regional Webs (c. 200 to 1500 CE) How do human systems restructure themselves after catastrophe? | |
| A Dark Age? | Chapter 10 Empires of Faith (not directly related) Introduction 10.1 The Eastward Shift 10.2 The Byzantine Empire and Persia 10.3 The Kingdoms of Aksum and Himyar 10.4 The Margins of Empire Fall of The Roman Empire…in the 15th Century: Crash Course World History #12 The Dark Ages…How Dark Were They, Really?: Crash Course World History #14 The past, present, and future of the bubonic plague – Sharon N. DeWitte (TedED) |
| The Middle Ages | Chapter 13 The Post-Roman West and the Crusading Movement Introduction 13.1 The Post-Roman West in the Early Middle Ages 13.2 The Seljuk Migration and the Call from the East 13.3 Patriarch and Papacy: The Church and the Call to Crusade 13.4 The Crusading Movement The Crusades – Pilgrimage or Holy War?: Crash Course World History #15 |
| Chapter 11 The Rise of Islam and the Caliphates 11.2 The Arab-Islamic Conquests and the First Islamic States 11.3 Islamization and Religious Rule under Islam Mansa Musa and Islam in Africa: Crash Course World History #16 |
| Unit 6: The First Global Age (c. 1200 to 1750 CE) How did the first ongoing connections between the hemispheres promote change both globally and regionally? | |
| Afro-Eurasia | Chapter 14 Pax Mongolica: The Steppe Empire of the Mongols Introduction 14.1 Song China and the Steppe Peoples 14.2 Chinggis Khan and the Early Mongol Empire 14.3 The Mongol Empire Fragments 14.4 Christianity and Islam outside Central Asia Wait For It…The Mongols!: Crash Course World History #17 Russia, the Kievan Rus, and the Mongols: Crash Course World History #20 History vs. Genghis Khan – Alex Gendler (TedED) A day in the life of a Mongolian queen – Anne F. Broadbridge (TedED) Chapter 16 Climate Change and Plague in the Fourteenth Century Introduction 16.1 Asia, North Africa, and Europe in the Early Fourteenth Century 16.2 Famine, Climate Change, and Migration 16.3 The Black Death from East to West 16.4 The Long-Term Effects of Global The Renaissance – Was it a Thing?: Crash Course World History #22 |
| Connecting the Americas | Chapter 8 The Americas in Ancient Times Introduction 8.1 Populating and Settling the Americas 8.2 Early Cultures and Civilizations in the Americas 8.3 The Age of Empires in the Americas History Summarized: The Maya, Aztec, and Inca (overly sarcastic) |
| Global Connections | Chapter 3 Early Modern Africa and the Wider World Introduction 3.1 The Roots of African Trade 3.2 The Songhai Empire 3.3 The Swahili Coast 3.4 The Trans-Saharan Slave Trade Columbus, de Gama, and Zheng He! 15th Century Mariners. Crash Course: World History #21 The Columbian Exchange: Crash Course World History #23 |
End of Unit Projects
The unit projects included in this guide are not part of the official OER Project curriculum. They are original Rabbit Hole Learning creations, designed to deepen understanding and give students a chance to apply what they’ve learned in creative, meaningful ways. These projects are completely optional, but they offer rich opportunities for exploration, discussion, and hands-on learning that can make the material more engaging.
Unit 1 Projects
Project Idea 1: “Memory vs. History: Whose Story Gets Told?”
Big Idea:
Personal memories offer powerful, firsthand perspectives that can challenge or enrich official historical narratives. By comparing lived experience with textbook accounts, students explore how memory shapes history—and whose stories are remembered or erased.
Steps:
- Interview someone (e.g., grandparent, elder, or community member) about a historical event they lived through.
- Find a textbook or mainstream account of the same event for comparison.
- Analyze differences in tone, focus, and detail between the personal memory and official version.
- Create a visual or written piece (e.g., collage, zine, short essay) highlighting contrasting perspectives.
- Reflect on what the comparison reveals about memory, bias, and historical storytelling.
Project Idea 2: “History According to AI: Whose Voice Is Missing?”
Big Idea:
Students use AI to generate a short historical narrative, then analyze it for bias and missing perspectives. They rewrite the story to include a more inclusive, multi-frame view of history.
Steps:
- Reflect on how the added voice changes the story and what this reveals about history and bias.
- Prompt the AI with a specific historically based question (e.g., “Who was the best president?”).
- Analyze the response for bias and identify the dominant historical frame used (community, networks, or production/distribution).
- Reframe the story by adding a missing or marginalized perspective and shifting the narrative frame.
Unit 2 Projects
Project Idea 1: “Stone Age Stories: Walk in the Footprints of a Forager”
Big Idea:
By imagining life in a Paleolithic foraging community, students explore how early humans adapted to their environment, built relationships, and shared knowledge without written language.
Steps:
- Research Paleolithic life using lesson materials and outside sources.
- Create a fictional but historically grounded journal entry, short story, or comic from the point of view of a forager.
- Include key elements: daily life, migration, tools, food, art, and social structure.
- Reflect on how life as a forager compares to life today.
Project Idea 2: “History in Your Hands: Create a Cave Wall”
Big Idea:
Art was one of humanity’s earliest tools for communication. Students explore how symbolic expression helped early humans share knowledge, beliefs, and identity.
Steps:
- Explore Paleolithic cave art and petroglyphs.
- Create your own symbolic artwork inspired by early human art—use natural materials if possible.
- Include symbols that represent your family, beliefs, or daily life.
- Present the “cave wall” and explain its meaning.
Project Idea 3: Foraging vs. Farming: A Choose-Your-Own-Path Experience
Big Idea:
The shift from foraging to farming was a major turning point in human history. Students will explore this transition by creating a branching-choice story that reflects key decisions and consequences faced by early humans.
Steps:
- Research the pros and cons of foraging and farming.
- Create an interactive story (paper or digital) where the reader chooses between foraging and farming paths.
- Base each decision point on historical context (e.g., climate, food access, community).
- Reflect on how different choices led to long-term changes in human society.
Project Idea 4: Claim Testing Challenge: Myths and Misconceptions
Big Idea:
Students explore how historians test claims using evidence and challenge common myths about early human history.
Steps:
- Brainstorm or research common claims (e.g., “Farming was always better than foraging”).
- Use claim testing tools—authority, evidence, logic, and intuition—to evaluate each one.
- Create a mini-presentation, zine, or infographic that debunks 2–3 historical myths.
- Reflect on how different types of evidence shape historical understanding.
Unit 3 Projects
Project Idea 1: Build a Civilization Simulation
Big Idea:
Students explore how early agrarian societies formed and what factors led to their success—or collapse—by designing their own ancient civilization.
Steps:
- Choose a region (real or inspired by historical societies) with geographic and resource constraints.
- Decide how your society will meet basic needs, govern itself, trade, and defend its people.
- Create a map, symbols, and a short description of the society’s culture, economy, and structure.
- Present your civilization and explain its strengths and vulnerabilities.
Project Idea 2: Voices from the Trade Routes: Ancient Interview Project
Big Idea:
Trade connects people across vast distances, and students will bring this history to life by crafting character-driven interviews between ancient merchants, artisans, and travelers.
Steps:
- Research one trade route or network and choose a historical role (Phoenician sailor, African pastoralist, Iron Age smith, etc.).
- Write a first-person interview transcript between your character and a traveler from another region.
- Include details about goods traded, technologies, dangers, and cultural exchange.
- (Optional) Record it as a podcast or video performance.
Project Idea 3: Debate: Was the Rise of States a Good Thing?
Big Idea:
Agrarian societies brought technological and cultural growth—but also hierarchy, inequality, and warfare. Students will debate the consequences.
Steps:
- Research benefits (infrastructure, trade, writing, etc.) and drawbacks (slavery, conquest, disease) of states and empires.
- Form teams or take solo positions and prepare evidence-based arguments.
- Hold a structured debate or write opposing essays.
Project Idea 4: Museum of Forgotten Societies (Hidden Histories Exhibit)
Big Idea:
Mainstream history often centers Mesopotamia, Egypt, and China. In this project, students build an exhibit highlighting lesser-known agrarian societies.
Steps:
- Choose a society from 3.5.3d–g (e.g., Nok, Aksum, Olmec, Indus).
- Research their innovations, art, and legacy.
- Design a “virtual museum” exhibit with artifact descriptions, a short curator’s intro, and an exhibit layout.
- Bonus: Make a diorama or 3D model of a cultural element.
Unit 4 Projects
Project 1: Design Your Own Syncretic Belief System
Big Idea: As religions spread, they often adapted and blended with local customs. What might a syncretic belief system look like if invented today?
Student Task:
- Combine 2–3 belief systems from the unit (e.g., Buddhism + Greek philosophy + local traditions).
- Define core beliefs, symbols, rituals, social rules, and sacred texts.
- Include a short origin story and a “spread plan” based on historical patterns.
- Present it as a digital flyer, slideshow, or mini-booklet.
- Project 2: Ancient Empire News Network (AENN)
- Big Idea: Empires thrived on communication. Imagine there was a news outlet reporting on ancient events.
- Student Task:
- Choose a moment in the life of an empire (e.g., Ashoka converting to Buddhism, Rome adopting Christianity, Han administrative reforms).
- Create a “news broadcast” with segments like: breaking news, interviews (in character), religious reform analysis, and editorial commentary.
- Include at least one segment showing how belief systems influenced policies or alliances.
Project 3: Visual Timeline of Women’s Roles
Big Idea: Women’s roles in society varied widely across cultures and time.
Student Task:
- Create a comparative visual timeline highlighting women’s roles in at least 3 societies (e.g., Rome, Han China, Gupta India).
- Include legal rights, religious influence, family roles, famous figures (like Babatha), and artistic depictions.
- Bonus: Include present-day reflections—what legacies linger?
Project 4: “Dear Diary” Historical Fiction Series
Big Idea: Empires and belief systems shaped people’s daily lives and inner worlds.
Student Task:
- Write 3–5 diary entries from the POV of someone living in a classical empire, showing how belief systems influenced their choices and worldview.
- Possibilities: A Confucian student under the Han, a Roman convert to Christianity, a Mauryan merchant observing Buddhist traditions.
- Entries should reference real historical context and events.
Project 5: Build an Empire Challenge
Big Idea: Students explore what it takes to create and maintain a thriving empire.
Student Task:
- Design a fictional empire based on historical models (Rome, Maurya, Persia, etc.).
- Include government structure, belief system (or syncretic mix), military, economy, trade networks, and cultural policies.
- Present via slideshow, gameboard, infographic, or short video.
- Must reference at least 3 historical empires and their strengths/weaknesses.
Unit 5 Projects
Project 1: Rebuild the Empire
Big Idea: Students apply lessons from historical collapses to design a resilient post-catastrophe society.
Student Task: Design a fictional society rising after collapse.
- A new government and social structure
- Economic plans and trade strategy
- A system of beliefs or syncretic values
- Strategies for avoiding past mistakes
- Present through a constitution, illustrated guide, poster, or Minecraft/world-build.
Project 2: Dark Ages Mythbuster Blog
Big Idea: Students challenge simplified historical narratives by evaluating the “Dark Ages” debate.
Student Task: Create a blog post or infographic titled “Were the Dark Ages Really Dark?”
- Use evidence from Europe, China, and/or the Islamic world
- Present a claim with supporting examples
- Include visuals, primary source quotes, and clear organization
Project 3: Empire Survival Guide
Big Idea: Students synthesize lessons from collapsed and resilient societies into a practical guide.
Student Task: Write a “How Not to Collapse” survival guide for empires.
Include:
- Case studies (Rome, Han, Mayans, Abbasids, etc.)
- Common collapse causes and warning signs
- Strategies for long-term stability
- Real examples of successful restructuring
- Format as a digital booklet, illustrated guide, or slide deck.
Unit 6 Projects
Project 1: HistoryTok – Global Age Edition
Big Idea: Students explore key moments of global connection by creating short-form video content.
Student Task: Create a series of 3–5 TikTok-style videos (or Reels/YouTube Shorts) based on major events or themes from Unit 6. Each video should:
- Highlight a specific moment (e.g., Mongol Empire rise, Columbian Exchange, the Black Death, the Middle Passage)
- Include humor, dramatic reenactment, or explainer style
- Use accurate historical information and cite at least one source
Project 2: The World in 1450 – Time Travel Survival Guide
Big Idea: Students understand life in different societies at a turning point in world history.
Student Task: Create a time travel survival guide for someone suddenly dropped into one of the following in 1450:
- Mali Empire
- Ming Dynasty China
- Inca Empire
- Ottoman Empire
Guide must include:
- What to wear, eat, say, and avoid
- Key political, cultural, and religious practices
- A “Don’t Get Executed” section
Project 3: “Canceled or Misunderstood?” History Debate
Big Idea: Students explore moral complexity in global history.
Student Task: “Should this historical figure be canceled or reconsidered?”
Options: Christopher Columbus, Genghis Khan, Hernán Cortés, Zheng He, Martin Luther
- Present evidence from multiple perspectives
- Address legacy, impact, and ethical issues
- Reflect on modern parallels
Project 4: Global Food Truck Festival
Big Idea: Students connect food to global exchange and cultural identity.
Student Task:Design a food truck based on a fusion of ingredients and cuisines from before and after the Columbian Exchange.
Truck must include:
- Menu with at least 3 fusion dishes
- Ingredients linked to global movement (e.g., maize, spices, livestock, cacao)
- Info signs with historical context on food origins and impacts
Project 5: Who Wore It Best? Empire Fashion Lookbook
Big Idea: Students investigate cultural values and global connections through clothing.
Student Task: Design a digital “lookbook” showcasing fashion from 3–5 cultures across the First Global Age. Each entry should include:
- Illustration or collage of the outfit
- Explanation of materials, symbolism, status markers, and cultural context
- Notes on how trade or empire expansion influenced the style
End of Class Projects
Project 1: Alternate History – What If?
Big Idea: Students consider how history might have changed if one major event or development had gone differently.
Student Task:
- Choose a key turning point from Units 1–6 (e.g., the Agricultural Revolution, the rise of Islam, the Mongol conquests, the Black Death, the Columbian Exchange, the Atlantic slave trade).
- Create an alternate timeline where this event never occurred or had a different outcome.
- Show ripple effects across political, economic, social, and cultural developments up to 1750.
- Present as a podcast, comic, storybook, video, or timeline poster.
Project 2: Museum of Human Connection
Big Idea: Students analyze how human societies have become more connected over time and how those connections transformed the world.
Student Task:
- Curate 5–7 “exhibits” showing turning points in global connection from prehistory to 1750 CE.
- Each exhibit includes an artifact or image (can be drawn or found), a description, and an explanation of how it changed global or regional history.
- Must include at least one from each unit.
- Present as a physical museum display, virtual exhibit, or slideshow.
Project 3: Global Citizen Yearbook – 1750 Edition
Big Idea: Students understand individuals as agents of historical change across diverse regions.
Student Task:
- Create a “yearbook” of 8–10 historical figures from Units 1–6.
- Include a “photo” (drawing or found image), a bio, major accomplishments, and superlatives like “Most Likely to Launch an Empire” or “Biggest Disruptor.”
- Must include diverse regions and cultures.
- Option: Include quotes, “social media profiles,” or fictional interviews.
Project 4: History Remix – Playlist of the Past
Big Idea: Students synthesize key themes in world history through storytelling and pop culture analogies.
Student Task:
- Create a 10-song playlist where each track represents a major development, theme, or group from Units 1–6 (e.g., “Empire State of Mind” for Rome, “Toxic” for Black Death).
- For each song, write a brief explanation (liner notes) connecting lyrics or tone to historical content.
- Present as a digital playlist, annotated Spotify list, or poster.
Project 5: “Connect the Dots” – Big History Web
Big Idea: Students see world history as an interconnected web rather than isolated facts.
Student Task:
- Design a web diagram or mind map showing 15–20 key ideas, people, or events from Units 1–6.
- Draw and explain connections between nodes (e.g., how the spread of religion impacted trade, or how empire expansion influenced cultural exchange).
- Include 3 mini-essays explaining the most important or surprising connections.
Rabbit Hole Learning 