Monthly Archives: November 2025

Teaching, Uncategorized

Weekly Update: Wrapping Up Module 8 The Muslim World, the Last Day of the World War I Simulation and Preparing for the Challenges Ahead

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Hello,

As we return from a well-deserved Thanksgiving break, it’s time to dive back into the exciting world of our curriculum. This week, we’re finishing up Module 8: The Muslim World and preparing for the last day of our World War I Simulation in Modern World History 2.

Transitioning Back to School

I know many of us feel the post-break blues, especially when we have tests looming right after a holiday. In our case, we’re gearing up for the Module 8 Test on The Muslim World. To ease our students back into the swing of things, we’ll be reviewing with the video Secrets of the Koran before the test, which we’ll schedule for the following day. I always find it a bit tricky when a break falls at the end of a unit—ideally, we’d test first and then enjoy our time off. But, unfortunately, the calendar didn’t align this time!

Weather Challenges

To add to the mix, we’ve been battling a winter storm since Friday night. With over a foot of snow and strong winds, some local universities have already canceled classes for Monday. While the plows are working hard, the wind is picking up, and we’ve been snowed in since Friday. It’s anyone’s guess what tomorrow will bring!

Looking Ahead: New Units and Events

After we wrap up Module 8, we’ll jump into Module 9: Empires in East Asia, starting with the Tang and Song Dynasties. It’s a fascinating unit that will certainly engage our students! However, this week will be challenging as we also have a funeral on Wednesday and a Track Clinic on Friday to navigate.

Meanwhile, in Modern World History 2, we’re concluding our World War I Simulation. The students have truly risen to the occasion! There have been a few moments where I’ve had to threaten an F due to some outlandish ideas, but overall, their strategic sessions and negotiations have been incredibly insightful to observe.

A Week of Opportunities

Despite the challenges, I’m looking forward to an exciting week ahead. Both classes have shown remarkable resilience and creativity, and I can’t wait to see how they tackle the upcoming tests and units.

Stay warm and keep inspiring your students!

Best,

IMperialism Simulation, Teaching, World War One Simulation

Exploring Muslim Culture and Upcoming WWI Simulation

This week in my Modern World History 1 class, we will delve into the fascinating world of Muslim Culture. With Thanksgiving break approaching, we have a short week ahead, featuring just two days of class. On Tuesday, our school will experience a temporary internet outage due to construction, so we’ll need to adapt our activities accordingly!

Reflections on the Imperialism Simulation

In Modern World History 2, I recently graded the Imperialism Simulation Reports, and I was thoroughly impressed by the level of detail the majority of students provided. It’s always intriguing to witness students who initially feel lost- gradually find their footing and grasp the main concepts. While some may find this process challenging, it’s an essential part of developing critical thinking skills. Engaging with difficult material and persisting through challenges is what fosters growth!

The dice rolling and strategic elements of the simulation add an exciting layer to the learning experience. Students must carefully decide how to allocate their limited income for Research and Development, enhancing their critical thinking as they calculate risks and rewards.

Transitioning to World War I

As we move forward, our next unit will focus on World War I. We will kick off this unit with a World War I Simulation. To prepare, I review my list of participants and consider which students were most engaged during the Imperialism simulation, as well as the insights gleaned from their reports. This helps me assign major roles within the simulation thoughtfully.

On the first day, dubbed 1913, we will conduct a WWI Simulation Student Orientation. During this session, I’ll present a Keynote that outlines the simulation’s rules and scenarios. The highlight of this presentation is the shocking news of the Assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria-Hungary! The looks on the faces of the Serbian and Austria-Hungarian leadership are priceless, as the stakes suddenly become very personal.

Engaging in Negotiation and Strategy

After the orientation, we’ll enjoy some compelling speeches to kick off the simulation. Students often ask questions like, “Can I deceive them and then change my strategy later?” I smile and remind them that while they can do whatever they want, they must stay aligned with their objectives to succeed.

It’s incredibly rewarding to see students immersed in the simulation, negotiating, conducting diplomacy, and developing strategies. The best compliment I can receive as a teacher is hearing students say, “This class goes by too fast!”

Stay tuned for next week’s update on how our simulation unfolds!

Follow Along with Our Simulations

Here are the links to the read-only maps of our simulations—feel free to follow along! Please note that these links will remain active only while the simulation is ongoing. I will take down the maps a week or two after the simulation concludes.

Period 5 WWI Simulation Map

Period 4 WWI Simulation Map

Teaching

Wrapping Up Trimester 1 and Exciting Plans for Trimester 2!

As we conclude Trimester 1 with finals on Friday, I want to take a moment to reflect on our journey so far and share what’s ahead. Students are required to take two trimesters of Modern World History, covering both Modern World History 1 and 2. This past trimester, I had the pleasure of teaching three classes of Modern World History 1. Looking ahead to Trimester 2, I will be teaching two classes of Modern World History 1 and two classes of Modern World History 2.

Exciting Simulations Coming Up!

Trimester 2 is particularly thrilling because we’ll be diving into History simulations! On Monday, we will kick off the trimester with the introduction and explanation of the Imperialism Simulation. This engaging activity will involve eight countries, grouped into teams, competing to achieve the largest income per capita within the simulation. The focus will be on understanding the motivations behind imperialism.

What to Expect:

  • Imperialism Student Orientation: We’ll begin with an orientation session to set the stage for the simulation.
  • Round 1: In this initial round, each country will allocate all their income to research and development in an effort to enhance their technology. This increase in technology is crucial, as it directly affects their industrial production—the capacity to produce goods.

How It Works:

  • For example, if a country has a starting income of 24 credits, they will need to strategically decide on their dice rolls based on their risk tolerance.
    • A strategy could involve rolling all 24 dice at a low number (e.g., rolling for a 1), which offers many chances to succeed but with a lower probability.
    • Alternatively, rolling fewer dice with a higher target (like a 3) can yield a moderate chance of success, as they would need to roll a 1, 2, or 3.

The variety of strategies and possibilities creates a dynamic environment for students to explore!

  • Round 2: In this round, countries will use their income to conquer nations in Africa and Asia, gaining access to valuable resources and opening new markets for their goods. It’s fascinating to observe students initially feeling lost as they navigate the simulation, only to gradually find their footing and develop effective strategies as they see their countries ranked on the online platform.

Modern World History 1 Curriculum

In our Modern World History 1 classes, we will start by reviewing class rules and procedures, followed by a brief lesson on the Religions of the World, including Judaism, Buddhism, Hinduism, and Christianity. Our first unit will delve into Islam, exploring its rise, expansion, and rich cultural contributions.

I am excited to embark on this educational journey with the students and can’t wait to see their engagement and enthusiasm as we explore these important historical topics through simulation and discussion.

Feel free to reach out if you have any questions or would like to share your experiences with simulations in the classroom!

Teaching, Uncategorized

Modern World History 1 Week: 11/10/25

This is the last week of Trimester 1 at IFAHS. We are finishing up our unit on the French Revolution & Napoleon. We won’t have time to take the unit test on Module 19, but it will be on the comprehensive final.

During this trimester we studied, religions of the world: Judaism, Christianity, Hinduism and Buddhism and followed that up with Module 8 on The Muslim World, Module 9: Empires in East Asia. Module 10/11: European Middle Ages/Power of the Church, Module 11: Church & Society in Western Europe, Module 12: Societies & Empires of Africa, Module 14/15: The Renaissance & Reformation and Module 19: The French Revolution & Napoleon.

We have a couple Micro Lessons to finish up and then students will have time to work on their Trimester test study guides. The final will be given on Thursday and Friday. The final is rather large and no matter how students have done, they can pass the class with a D if they can pass this assessment-so students always have a chance to pass. Even though its quite large the success rate for students that are failing is very high. Students are also guaranteed to pass the class even if you fail the final and were passing going into it.

Modern World History is taken by Juniors, which is our toughest year of high school. We have an emphasis on rigor but we also make it reasonable to pass with a C if you put in the effort.