A comprehensive week-long remediation packet covering Europe's history, culture, economics, and the European Union through reading passages and high-level analysis.
The spread of the Latin language and Christianity provided a unifying cultural thread. Today, Romance languages like French, Spanish, and Italian are direct descendants of Latin.
Short Constructed Response
Prompt: Compare and contrast the legacy of Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome. Which civilization do you believe had a more lasting impact on the structure of modern European societies? Support your answer with specific evidence.
Europe Archives
Unit 2: Age of Discovery (Day 2)
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The Triple G: Gold, God, and Glory
By the 15th century, Europe looked outward. Trade with Asia (spices, silk, and gold) had been controlled by Ottoman and Italian middlemen. Western European nations like Portugal and Spain sought a direct sea route to the East.
The motivations are summarized by the three G's:
Gold: Seeking wealth through natural resources and trade.
God: The desire to spread Christianity.
Glory: Personal and national prestige in competition.
Technologies like the Caravel ship, the Astrolabe, and the Magnetic Compass improved navigation, enabling sailors to venture far from land.
Prince Henry established a school for navigation, leading to Vasco da Gama reaching India. In 1492, Christopher Columbus forever linked the hemispheres.
Mapping Motivations
Identify a specific example or detail from the text for each category.
Gold
God
Glory
Europe Archives
Unit 2: Age of Discovery (Day 2)
PAGE 04
Global Consequences
The encounter between hemispheres led to the Columbian Exchange: the massive transfer of plants, animals, culture, and diseases.
Europe gained crops like potatoes and corn, fueling population growth. However, smallpox killed millions of Indigenous people lacking immunity.
Power shifted from the Mediterranean to the Atlantic coast (UK, France, Netherlands). They established colonies and practiced Mercantilism to enrich the "Mother Country."
This era also saw the rise of the Atlantic Slave Trade to provide labor for plantations in the Americas.
Critical Thinking
Prompt: How did the Age of Discovery change the global "balance of power"? Consider the shift in economic centers and the interaction between European nations and the rest of the world.
Europe Archives
Unit 3: Century of Conflict (Day 3)
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Total War: 1914 – 1945
The 20th century was the most violent in European history. World War I (1914–1918) shattered empires. It was a war of attrition characterized by trench warfare and technologies like tanks and chemical gas.
The Treaty of Versailles ended the war but left Germany crippled. Bitterness combined with the Great Depression allowed the Nazi Party to rise, leading to World War II (1939–1945).
WWII featured the Holocaust—the state-sponsored genocide of six million Jews. By 1945, most of Europe lay in ruins.
The war marked the end of European dominance. Two new superpowers emerged to fill the vacuum: the United States and the Soviet Union.
Crisis Chronology
Describe the significance of each year in European conflict.
1914
1919
1939
1945
Europe Archives
Unit 3: Century of Conflict (Day 3)
PAGE 06
The Iron Curtain
Following WWII, Europe split into two camps: democratic West and communist East. This period became known as the Cold War. Churchill famously remarked that an "Iron Curtain" had descended across the continent.
The West joined NATO; the East was dominated by the USSR under the Warsaw Pact.
The Berlin Wall (1961) symbolized this division. The Cold War ended in 1989-1991 with the fall of the Wall and the collapse of the Soviet Union.
Reunification paved the way for the EU, though economic scars remain today.
Short Constructed Response
Prompt: Explain how WWII led to the division of Europe during the Cold War. How did the "Iron Curtain" impact the lives of people living in both Western and Eastern Europe?
Europe Archives
Unit 4: United Economies (Day 4)
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Wealth and Work
An economic "gap" exists between West and East—a result of the Cold War. While West nations flourished under capitalism, East nations struggled under Command Economies.
Today, most utilize a Mixed Economy, combining private enterprise with government services like universal healthcare.
Germany leads in manufacturing; the UK and Luxembourg in financial services.
Europe faces challenges like an aging population, driving innovation in high-tech and green energy.
Economic Intelligence
1. Command Economy Government makes all decisions
2. Market Economy Decisions based on supply/demand
3. Mixed Economy Combines private/public sectors
Europe Archives
Unit 4: United Economies (Day 4)
PAGE 08
The European Union
The EU was created to ensure peace through economic interdependence. It established a "Single Market," allowing free movement of goods, people, and money.
Tension remains over Sovereignty, leading to Brexit. Challenges include bailouts and immigration disagreements.
The EU Balance Sheet
Benefits
Challenges
SCR: Why was economic interdependence seen as a path to peace after 1945?
Europe Archives
Unit 5: Cultural Mosaic (Day 5)
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Religion in Europe
Christianity dominates, divided into Roman Catholic (South), Protestant (North), and Eastern Orthodox (East).
Islam is the second-largest religion, growing through migration. Historically, Judaism has deep roots, though devastated by the Holocaust.
Modern Europe is defined by Secularism—the separation of religion and government. Integrating diverse practices while maintaining secular identity is a challenge.
Religious Geography
Match the region to its branch of Christianity:
South
North
East
Europe Archives
Unit 5: Cultural Mosaic (Day 5)
PAGE 10
Language Families
Romance: Latin-based (French, Spanish).
Germanic: (English, German, Dutch).
Slavic: (Russian, Polish, Czech).
English is the lingua franca—a common language for business. This fosters a "European Identity" alongside national ones.
Final Synthesis
Prompt: How do religion and language both unite and divide the people of Europe? Use specific examples from the text to support your analysis.
Short Constructed Response (SCR)
Prompt: Compare and contrast the legacy of Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome. Which civilization do you believe had a more lasting impact on the structure of modern European societies? Support your answer with specific evidence from the text.
Prompt: How did the Age of Discovery change the global "balance of power"? Consider the shift in economic centers and the interaction between European nations and the rest of the world.
