World History with Professor Rohl

A (very) basic introduction to the history of the Early Medieval world, designed to supplement assigned reading for students in my HIST151: History of the World to AD 1500 course at Calvin University. This episode offers a summarized view of some key aspects of the early middle ages, specifically from the perspective of continental western Europe and the Byzantine Empire.

A (very) basic introduction to the history of Central Asia, designed to supplement assigned reading for students in my HIST151: History of the World to AD 1500 course at Calvin University. This video offers a summarized view of the geography, key animals, social structure, and select key developments in Central Asia from prehistory to around 1400 CE.

This episode offers a very basic introduction to Ancient Egypt, designed to supplement introductory learning with an open-access world history textbook (https://oer.galileo.usg.edu/history-textbooks/2/). This episode offers a summarized view of the key periods for Ancient Egypt, from prehistory to the Roman period, but also emphasizes the danger of over-simplifying a 3,000+ year-long society in a single snapshot image.

This episode offers a very basic introduction to world prehistory, designed to supplement introductory learning with an open access world history textbook (https://oer.galileo.usg.edu/history-textbooks/2/). Learn what the terms "prehistory," "paleolithic," and "neolithic" mean, and some of the main reasons why the Neolithic Revolution was so significant in the development of human societies.

This episode, prepared as a basic introduction for students in several of my History courses at Calvin University, defines and distinguishes between the terms "history" and "the past." While many people use the word "history" to refer to old times, "the past" is really more accurate. "History," on the other hand, should more accurately be understood as humanity's documentation of the past, which is something quite different from the past itself. The episode ends with a short summary of four key "historical reading skills," drawn from the Stanford History Education Group's "Historical Thinking Chart."