Spain 1º ESO School Syllabus - Geography and History

This course syllabus outlines the topics covered in Geography and History for 1º ESO in Spain, based on a document from IES Valdebernardo for the 2024-25 academic year. The course integrates textbook learning with online resources.

Unit 0: History and Historians

• What is History? History is the science of studying past events of humanity, analyzing their causes and consequences. Historians use various tools, including chronology, to order events.
• Stages of History:
• Prehistory: From the appearance of humans (2.5 million years ago) to the invention of writing (3500 BCE).
• History:
• Ancient Age: From the invention of writing to the Fall of Rome (476 AD).
• Middle Ages: From the Fall of Rome to the discovery of America (1492).
• Modern Age: From the discovery of America to the French Revolution (1789).
• Contemporary Times: From the French Revolution to the present.

Unit 1: The Origins of Humanity: The Prehistory

• Human Origins and Evolution: Hominization is the process of physical changes in apes that led to humans. Key features include bipedalism, opposable thumbs, and increased brain size and complexity.
• Periods of Prehistory:
• Paleolithic: 2.5 million years ago - 10,000 BCE. Focus on the Upper Paleolithic (40,000-10,000 BCE). Hunter-gatherer economy, nomadic lifestyle, lived in caves and shelters. Animistic beliefs.
• Neolithic: 10,000 - 4,000 BCE. Neolithic Revolution: development of agriculture and livestock farming. Led to sedentary societies, permanent settlements, and the beginnings of social inequalities.
• Age of Metals: 4,000 BCE - Romanization. Development of metallurgy, leading to better tools and weapons. Increased trade and craftwork, larger towns, and the emergence of social hierarchies.

Unit 2: The First Civilizations: Ancient Egypt

• River Valley Civilizations: Emerged in the 4th millennium BCE due to irrigation techniques, leading to food surpluses, population growth, and the development of cities. Key transformations included territorial expansion, political organization, economic development, and social stratification. Invention of writing around 3500 BCE.
• Ancient Egypt:
• Geography: Located in northeastern Africa, along the Nile River. Divided into Upper Egypt (south) and Lower Egypt (north).
• Historical Context: Unified around 3100 BCE by King Menes (Narmer). Dynastic periods, including the Old Kingdom (pyramids), Middle Kingdom, and New Kingdom. Later periods saw foreign control.
• Pharaohs and Social Organization: Pharaohs held absolute power (religious, political, military, economic). Rigid social hierarchy.
• Religion: Polytheistic, with gods associated with natural forces and human characteristics. Belief in the afterlife and mummification.
• Art: Stone architecture (temples, tombs), sculpture, and painting.

Unit 3: Greece and the Hellenistic World

• Natural Environment: Located in southeastern Europe and the eastern Mediterranean. Mountainous terrain led to the development of independent city-states (poleis).
• Historical Evolution:
• Minoan and Mycenaean civilizations (Bronze Age).
• Greek Dark Age (Dorian invasion).
• Archaic Period (8th-6th BCE): Development of poleis, colonization.
• Classical Greece (5th-4th BCE): Golden age, Persian Wars, Peloponnesian Wars.
• Hellenistic Period (4th-1st BCE): Alexander the Great's conquests, Hellenistic kingdoms.

Unit 4: Ancient Rome: From City to Empire

• Founding and Monarchy: Founded in the 8th century BCE (753 BCE according to legend). Monarchy (753-509 BCE), with kings holding absolute power.
• Republic (509-27 BCE): Political system with shared power (Senate, magistrates, assemblies). Social conflicts between patricians and plebeians. Territorial expansion (Punic Wars). End of the Republic marked by civil wars and the rise of Julius Caesar.
• Empire (27 BCE-476 AD): Augustus became the first emperor, holding absolute power. High Empire (1st-3rd centuries AD): Pax Romana, territorial expansion, Romanization. Low Empire (4th-5th centuries AD): Crisis, division of the empire, Germanic invasions.

Unit 5: The Iberian Peninsula during Prehistory and Antiquity

This unit will be covered through a project. Topics include:

• Prehistory in the Iberian Peninsula
• Pre-Roman peoples
• Roman conquest of Hispania
• Romanization: Society, economy, and cities
• Roman culture and art in Hispania

Unit 6: Planet Earth and its Representation

• Earth and the Solar System: Earth's place in the universe, planets, asteroids, satellites, comets.
• Earth's Movements: Rotation (days and nights), revolution (seasons).
• Geographic Coordinates: Parallels (latitude), meridians (longitude).
• Representation of the Earth: Map projections, maps and their elements, scales.
• Time Zones.

Unit 7: What is the Earth Made of? Lithosphere and Hydrosphere

• Structure of the Earth: Core, mantle, crust. External layers: lithosphere, hydrosphere, atmosphere.
• Formation of Relief: Internal forces (tectonic plates), external forces (water, wind, humans).
• Elements of Relief: Continental, coastal, and submarine landforms.
• Hydrosphere: Marine waters (oceans, seas), fresh waters (rivers, lakes, glaciers).
• Geological Hazards and Water Problems: Earthquakes, volcanoes, water scarcity, floods, pollution.

Unit 8: The Atmosphere: Weather and Climate

• Weather and Climate: Atmosphere's role, weather (state of the atmosphere at a specific time and place), climate (average weather over a long period).
• Factors Affecting Climate: Latitude, altitude, distance from the sea.
• Elements of Climate and Weather: Temperature, humidity, precipitation, atmospheric pressure, wind.
• Climates of the Earth: Warm climates (equatorial, tropical, hot desert), temperate climates (oceanic, Mediterranean, continental), cold climates (polar, high mountain).

Unit 9: The Natural Environment of Europe and Spain

• Physical Geography of Europe: Relief, hydrosphere, climates, and landscapes.
• Spain: Physical map (relief, waters, climates, landscapes).

This syllabus provides a comprehensive overview of the Geography and History curriculum for 1º ESO in Spain. It emphasizes the interconnectedness of these subjects, exploring the relationship between human history and the physical environment.