Study of the cultural, political, geopolitical, economic, and religious factors involved in global events from the Age of Exploration and Conquest to the present day. Mastery of basic historical content, the ability to analyze and interpret both primary and secondary source materials, note-taking and research skills will be developed. Writing skills for the Social Sciences, including the development of a formal thesis, the defense of that thesis through in-class writing and a formal research paper, and identifying historical significance are a major focus. Students will also be able to trace the roots of global inequality and consider the major world events of the 20th century that continue to form our modern world.