1. science
2. social science
3. history

Sample
Instructional Activities
for History and
Social Science
World History and
Geography to 1500 A.D.
Commonwealth of Virginia
Department of Education
2002
Sample Instructional Activities
for History and Social Science
World History and Geography to
1500 A.D.
Developed by
Newport News City Public Schools
Edited by
Harvey R. Carmichael
LeAnne Forney
Jerry R. Moore
VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
RICHMOND, VIRGINIA
Copyright © 2002
by the
Virginia Department of Education
P.O. Box 2120
Richmond, Virginia 23218-2120
All rights reserved. Reproduction of these materials
for instructional use in Virginia classrooms is permitted.
Superintendent of Public Instruction
Jo Lynne DeMary
Deputy Superintendent
M. Kenneth Magill
Assistant Superintendent for Instruction
Patricia I. Wright
Department of Education Staff
Colleen C. Bryant, History and Social Science Specialist
Beverly M. Thurston, History and Social Science Specialist
Betsy S. Barton, History and Social Science Specialist
Edited and produced
by the
Virginia Vocational Curriculum and Resource Center
Margaret L. Watson, Administrative Coordinator
Bruce B. Stevens, Writer/Editor
Richmond Medical Park
2002 Bremo Road, Lower Level
Richmond, Virginia 23226
Phone: 804-673-3778
Fax: 804-673-3798
Web Address: http://vvcrc.tec.va.us
The VVCRC is a Virginia Department of Education Grant Project administered by the
Henrico County Public Schools.
NOTICE TO THE READER
In accordance with the requirements of the Civil Rights Act and other federal and state laws and regulations, this
document has been reviewed to ensure that it does not reflect stereotypes based on sex, race, or national
origin.
The Virginia Department of Education does not unlawfully discriminate on the basis of sex, race, color, religion,
handicapping conditions, or national origin in employment or in its educational programs and activities.
The activity that is the subject of this report was supported in whole or in part by the United States Department
of Education. However, the opinions expressed herein do not necessarily reflect the position or policy of the
United States Department of Education, and no official endorsement by the United States Department of
Education should be inferred.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
The Newport News Curriculum Committee that drafted the outline for this guide consisted of
World Geography Team
World History Team
Renita Williams, Denbigh High School
Lynn Pierce, Heritage High School
Mike Mayhue, Menchville High School
Don Coccoli, Woodside High School
Gil Crippen, Warwick High School
Tom Garner, Warwick High School
Carol Frenck, Warwick High School
Mayrene Hutchinson, Heritage High School
This document was edited in 2002 following the adoption of the 2001 History and Social Science
Standards of Learning. The activities contained in this document are presented as samples only.
While some activities offer a broader scope than that required by the Standards of Learning, all of
the standards for this grade level or course have not necessarily been addressed. Teachers should
rely on the 2001 History and Social Science Curriculum Framework when developing lessons
that align with the History and Social Science Standards of Learning to ensure that all critical
content has been taught.
iii
TABLE OF CONTENTS
WORLD HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY TO 1500 A.D.
Content Overview........................................................................................................................... 1
Unit I
Geography Review ......................................................................................................................... 9
Unit II
Origins of Civilization................................................................................................................... 21
Unit III
Ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia................................................................................................. 29
Unit IV
Classical Civilization in the Mediterranean — The Greeks ......................................................... 35
Unit V
Classical Rome ............................................................................................................................. 43
Unit VI
Classical River Civilizations — Asia ........................................................................................... 51
Unit VII
Classical Civilizations in Africa and America............................................................................... 59
Unit VIII
The Rise of Christianity ............................................................................................................... 67
Unit IX
The Rise of Islam ......................................................................................................................... 75
Unit X
Feudal Society............................................................................................................................... 79
v
World History and Geography to 1500 A.D., OVERVIEW
1
CONTENT OVERVIEW
INTRODUCTION
This resource guide for World History and Geography to 1500 A.D. was created to provide
teachers with a set of activities and tasks for implementing a plan of instruction that will address
Virginia’s Standards of Learning. Activities described in the guide were carefully aligned with the
Standards of Learning. Of course, teachers are not bound to the initial activities, tasks, or
concluding activities contained herein. They may prefer alternative activities suggested by the
textbook, their local curriculum guide, or they may wish to design their own. Teachers should
also feel free to alter or adapt this guide’s instructional recommendations to accommodate their
students’ interests, skills, and experience. Teachers should keep in mind that not all essential
knowledge from the 2001 History and Social Science Curriculum Framework is included in the
tasks contained in this document. To ensure that all essential knowledge is covered in classroom
instruction, teachers should be guided by the 2001 History and Social Science Curriculum
Framework when using this instructional resources document. (Note: Teachers may also want to
consult the Sample Instructional Resources guide for World History and Geography: 1500 A.D. to
the Present plus World Geography combined; this contains several units devoted to a review of
World History and Geography to 1500 A.D.)
STRANDS
The Virginia History and Social Science Standards of Learning emphasize four content strands for
the history and social science curriculum: History, Geography, Economics, and Civics. These
strands are obvious in the primary grades where the Standards of Learning are actually grouped
according to these four content categories. Beginning with Virginia Studies, the integrating of
content is made obvious by the title of the course:
• Virginia Studies
• United States History to 1877
• United States History: 1877 to the Present
• Civics and Economics
• World History and Geography to 1500 A.D.
Civics. Democratic societies depend upon informed and enlightened citizens who actively
participate in their local, state, and national governance. Civics instruction provides
opportunities for students to understand politics and government and to practice citizenship
skills.
2
World History and Geography to 1500 A.D., OVERVIEW
Economics. Economics plays a fundamental role in the lives of all Americans. Choosing what
to produce and what to buy are concepts central to a market economy. Individual actions and
choices and group (government) actions in the marketplace are as much a part of civics as
political actions.
History. While students cannot know and remember all of the events of history, powerful
events that have lasting importance are reviewed and practiced throughout the year. Time
lines, prevalent in earlier years, are still useful tools when sequencing important events within
specific issues.
Geography. Space and spatial relations help us comprehend how humans influence their
environment and how the environment influences human development. Map and globe study
gives students a sense of where events occurred, how events altered human activities
(movement and settlement), and how physical features have influenced the spread of ideas,
inventions, and innovations.
ORGANIZATION
This guide is divided into 10 major units (themes) for study. Each unit opens with a Unit
Overview that defines its boundaries. The units are subdivided into multiple Essential
Questions, used as guides for teaching and learning, as well as Enabling Questions, used to
expand thinking and discussion.
The units are presented with the following components:
History and Social Science Standards of Learning. Every unit addresses one or more of
the World History and Geography to 1500 A.D. Standards of Learning, which are listed in
boxes.
Other Related Standards of Learning. Some units or questions include related Standards
of Learning from the other areas of English, science, mathematics, and computer/technology.
Question Overview. This section outlines the content necessary to respond successfully to
the question, and it guides instructional choices for student learning. The content description
identifies important concepts to be mastered.
Initial Activity. As the kick-off for the unit, this activity should capture the interest of
students and focus their attention on the content of the unit. As a motivational device, it
raises questions and/or defines conflicts that students must resolve.
Tasks. These instructional activities might be employed by the teacher to help the students
answer the essential questions and meet the Standards of Learning. Since much of the
World History and Geography to 1500 A.D., OVERVIEW
3
Standards of Learning content is knowledge-based, multiple-learning activities provide
students with practice using the content and an opportunity to enhance memory and recall.
Concluding Activity. This activity is designed for student practice and review in responding
to the essential and enabling questions. The activity provides the teacher with an assessment
of student learning.
Resources. Textual, visual, and electronic materials are sometimes cited for activities.
Resources cited may not be available in every school division, but similar resources should be
available.
THE TEXTBOOK, THIS GUIDE, AND THE STANDARDS OF LEARNING
Teachers will observe that not all chapters and parts of chapters in their textbook are covered in
this resource guide. This guide is concerned only with the World History and Geography to 1500
A.D. Standards of Learning, which are very specific. Hence, textbook content that does not
address the Standards of Learning has not been considered here. Much content is included in the
World History and Geography to 1500 A.D. Standards of Learning so there may not be sufficient
time to cover all of the additional topics in a given textbook. This does not mean that teachers
should not teach such material. But teachers must first and foremost make certain that they will
have the time and resources to do a thorough job of teaching the material that will be covered on
the Standards of Learning assessment.
VOCABULARY DEVELOPMENT
Throughout their study of history, students will encounter essential new vocabulary. In order for
them to understand the concepts to which they will be introduced during the year, they will have
to comprehend and be able to use the key terms related to those concepts. There are many ways
to teach new words. Activities in this guide will encourage students to understand the concepts
identified by these new words and not simply learn their dictionary definitions. Students should
also be encouraged to expand their understanding by learning not only what a word means but
also about examples and illustrations of the concepts involved with the word. The teachers who
developed this resource guide make use of concept walls and vocabulary journals. On a concept
wall, words are posted, meanings are expanded through visual maps and organizers, and
connections and relationships between terms are illustrated.
4
World History and Geography to 1500 A.D., OVERVIEW
FOCUS ON COMPREHENSION
Special effort has been made to include activities that will promote enhanced comprehension of
essential ideas. Among these are activities based on accepted strategies for successful content
reading. Regardless of the particular methods a teacher may select, attention should always be
paid to activating the students’ background knowledge, setting and revealing clear purposes for
instruction, and providing opportunities for students to reflect on and give feedback about what
they have learned. An instructional technique known as “KWL” has often been used in
classrooms. In this technique, teachers activate students’ prior knowledge by asking them what
they already Know; then students, collaborating as a classroom unit or within small groups, set
goals specifying what they Want to learn; and after reading, students discuss what they have
Learned. Students apply higher-order thinking strategies that help them construct meaning from
what they read and help them monitor their progress toward their goals. Every student is given a
worksheet (a KWL Chart) that includes columns for recording his/her responses to each of these
activities.
SPECIAL RESOURCES
Some of the activities in this guide refer to particular resources that may not be available in every
school district. They are included as potentially useful resources for those teachers who wish to
obtain and employ them. Decisions about the availability of particular resource materials are
made at the school and district levels. Mention of materials here is not an endorsement of the
materials by the Virginia Department of Education.
TECHNOLOGY
Technology should be an integral part of all content instruction. Its primary role in history
instruction is as a tool for producing, communicating, and accessing/researching information. A
great deal of information can be found and retrieved through the Internet and on CD-ROMs and
other software. By means of electronic mail, the Internet can also be used to communicate with
and request information from other e-mail users all over the world. As teachers and students
become more aware of the opportunities the Internet provides, more and more research will be
done in this way. For instance, the federal government maintains extensive Web sites with
information such as pending legislation, a floor plan of the White House, and access to the
Library of Congress.
Students who have computers at home and an online service such as America Online or Prodigy
are often very knowledgeable of and skillful with computers. Students who do not have home
computers must rely on those at school for locating information and for word processing.
Because a typical classroom will contain students with a wide variety of computer knowledge
and abilities, the teacher should assess the knowledge and abilities of each student and plan
instruction to insure that everyone is comfortable with using computers.
World History and Geography to 1500 A.D., OVERVIEW
Key: I = Initiate;
R = Reinforce;
M = Master;
5
MC = Master Complex New Material
SKILL CATEGORIES
7
8
R
M
R
M
9
MAP and GLOBE SKILLS
A. Making and Interpreting Maps and Globes
•
Draw maps of familiar, given objects or areas.
•
Interpret maps and globes.
•
Compare maps and globes and make inferences.
B. Interpreting Direction
•
Use compass rose to identify and use cardinal directions.
•
Identify and apply intermediate directions.
•
Locate places, using a grid system.
•
Locate places, using longitude/latitude on maps and globes.
R
M
•
Apply longitude/latitude (medians and parallels) to identify direction on maps and
globes.
R
M
C. Interpreting Location
•
Locate areas (regions) on maps and globes.
MC
•
Identify and locate continents, oceans, and major features on maps and globes.
•
Identify and explain distortions in map projections.
R
M
•
Identify regional patterns on maps and globes.
R
M
•
Interpret regional patterns on maps and globes.
R
M
D. Interpreting Distance
•
Measure distance, using a simple scale.
MC
•
Estimate distance, using a scale.
MC
E. Interpreting Symbols
•
Make/Use simple map symbols.
•
Differentiate color symbols on maps and globes.
MC
•
Use map key and legend.
MC
•
Interpret abstract map symbols.
R
M
R
M
R
M
CHART/GRAPH and PICTURE/CARTOON SKILLS
•
Make and explain pictorial, bar, and circle graphs.
•
Make and explain bivariate line graphs.
•
Construct and explain simple charts.
•
Explain charts comparing two or more concepts.
•
Identify primary ideas expressed in graphic data.
MC
•
Identify and explain symbols expressed in cartoons and pictures.
MC
•
Interpret the idea/concept or event expressed by a cartoon or picture.
•
Construct and explain a spreadsheet.
R
M
I
R
6
World History and Geography to 1500 A.D., OVERVIEW
SKILL CATEGORIES
7
8
9
TIME/DATE SKILLS
•
Sequence events in chronological order.
MC
•
Make and use time lines.
MC
•
Make and use calendars.
•
Use time zones.
R
M
•
Use B.C./A.D. time measures.
R
M
INFORMATION PROCESSING SKILLS
A. Locating Information
•
Follow oral and written directions.
•
Locate and use information from print and nonprint sources.
MC
•
Use resource materials.
MC
•
Use library and technology references.
MC
•
Define and use social science terms.
MC
B. Gathering Information
•
Collect, organize, and record information.
MC
•
Write a coherent paragraph on a social science topic.
MC
•
Write a letter expressing an opinion.
R
M
•
Identify and use reliable sources.
R
M
C. Evaluating Information
•
Gather, classify, and interpret information.
•
Distinguish between relevant and irrelevant information.
•
Evaluate information for accuracy, and separate fact from opinion.
•
Distinguish between primary and secondary sources.
MC
R
M
MC
R
R
D. Using Technology
•
Develop and design multimedia presentations.
R
M
•
Use a computer to write reports.
R
M
•
Use a computer to research information.
R
M
•
Participate in interactive videos.
R
M
•
Communicate with others through on-line programs (Internet).
MC
•
Evaluate information from various forms of multimedia materials.
MC
REASONING SKILLS
A. Interacting in Groups
•
Participate in groups, using democratic processes.
MC
•
Make decisions.
MC
•
Select and defend positions.
R
M
R
World History and Geography to 1500 A.D., OVERVIEW
SKILL CATEGORIES
140•
Differentiate among points of view, including one’s own and those of others.
7
7
8
R
M
B. Using Problem-Solving Skills
•
Identify and state the problem.
R
M
•
Draw conclusions and make generalizations about data.
R
M
•
Explain cause and effect relationships.
R
M
•
Recommend resolutions to issues involving conflicting points of view.
R
M
•
Make decisions based upon information.
R
M
HISTORICAL ANALYSIS SKILLS
•
Compare and contrast differing sets of ideas, values, personalities, behaviors, and
institutions.
R
M
•
Differentiate between historical facts and historical interpretations.
R
M
•
Distinguish fact from fiction.
R
M
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WORLD HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY TO 1500 A.D., UNIT I
9
UNIT I
GEOGRAPHY REVIEW
The activities contained in this document are presented as samples
only. While some activities offer a broader scope than that required
by the Standards of Learning, all of the standards for this grade
level or course have not necessarily been addressed. Teachers
should rely on the 2001 History and Social Science Curriculum
Framework when developing lessons that align with the History
and Social Science Standards of Learning to ensure that all critical
content has been taught.
Unit Overview
During the World History and Geography to 1500
A.D. course, students take a journey through time and
place, beginning with prehistoric humans and ending
in the Middle Ages. They travel up and down the
Nile and follow Alexander the Great as he seeks to
conquer the world. Using maps and globes, students
explore ancient civilizations on every inhabited
continent. This introductory unit serves as a review
of geography skills and knowledge that are essential
in the study of ancient civilizations.
FOCUS STANDARDS OF
LEARNING
History and Social Science
WHI.1
The student will improve skills in
historical research and geographical
analysis by
a) identifying, analyzing, and interpreting
primary and secondary sources to make
generalizations about events and life in
world history to 1500 A.D.;
b) using maps, globes, artifacts, and
pictures to analyze the physical and
cultural landscapes of the world and
interpret the past to 1500 A.D.;
c) identifying major geographic features
important to the study of world history to
1500 A.D.;
d) identifying and comparing political
boundaries with the location of
civilizations, empires, and kingdoms from
4000 B.C. to 1500 A.D.;
e) analyzing trends in human migration and
cultural interaction from prehistory to 1500
A.D.
Geography is defined as the study of the Earth and the relationship of humans with the
Earth. Students focus on the interaction between people and the Earth while exploring the
movement of goods and services (economics), human populations (demography), and ideas
(cultural diffusion) around the world. They are introduced to the concept of region as a
way of describing human activity and physical Earth phenomena.
Essential Questions
1. How did physical geography determine the lives of early humans?
2. How do map and globe skills relate to the study of world cultures?
3. How do map and globe skills relate to everyday life?
Questions Overview
Knowledge of the Earth’s characteristics and the mapping of the Earth are critical
components of historical reasoning and research. Knowing where (location) a place is located
and how to describe it is basic to geographical analysis.
WORLD HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY TO 1500 A.D., UNIT I
10
Knowing where a place is located provides students with insight into climate, landforms, and
population distributions. An especially useful teacher resource for exploring these questions
is Teaching the Five Themes of Geography by Bonnie Dill.
INITIAL ACTIVITY
Ask students, “Where would you go for the perfect vacation?” Have each of them draw a picture
of what that place would be like, with emphasis on physical features. This does not have to be
one specific place on Earth, but it must be a place that could realistically exist. After 10 to 15
minutes, have students share their pictures with the class. Discuss the landforms/physical
features in their pictures. Then ask, “Where do you think you could find such a place?”
Divide the class into groups. Distribute atlases, and direct the students to locate their vacation
sites on the maps. For each picture, ask the group to write a description of the specific place. As
closure, relate the importance of geography, not only in the study of world history, but as it
directly affects individuals, e.g., planning a vacation.
TASKS
Task 1: Review the use of grid systems and latitude and longitude, that were introduced in
third grade and practiced in subsequent grades. Review definitions of latitude as imaginary lines
that:
• measure distances north and south of the equator
• are of unequal length
• run parallel to but never intersect other latitudinal lines
• form a great circle of the Earth only at the equator.
Review definitions of longitude as imaginary lines that:
• measure distances east and west of the Prime Meridian
• are of equal length
• intersect at the poles
• all are great circles of the Earth.
Demonstrate on a globe how latitudinal and longitudinal lines form a grid system that can be used
to locate specific places on the Earth.
WORLD HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY TO 1500 A.D., UNIT I
11
Create a grid system on the classroom floor (tiles make an excellent grid), marking a central point
with a north/south (N/S) line and an east/west (E/W) line. (Note: If the lines between floor tiles
do not actually run N/S and E/W, explain that these directions are only theoretical in this
activity.) Label the central point as 0 degrees N/S and E/W. Mark subsequent lines with letters
for latitude and numbers for longitude. Locate items placed on the grid, using the grid system.
Distribute maps of the state of Virginia that use the letter and number grid system. Assign places
to locate, using the grid system.
Ask students to compare the flat-map grid system (or any other) with the grid system on the
globe. Prompt questions about distortion of the grid on the flat map versus the grid on the globe.
Ask students to explain why this distortion occurs. Why is map making so difficult? Are there
any flat maps that can perfectly represent an area from the globe?
Task 2: Review the mathematical concepts of a circle and sphere — 360 degrees in a circle,
which is always the face of the sphere (globe). Demonstrate on the globe why the maximum
number of degrees latitude is 90 degrees.
Place masking tape on the globe marking the Prime Meridian and the International Dateline
as great circles. Review that the Earth rotates once every 24 hours and that a sphere of 360
degrees divided by the number of hours in a day (360 ÷ 24 = 15) calculates the division of the
world time zones — one hour for every 15 degrees. Establishing 12:00 noon as the time at the
Prime Meridian, ask students to indicate the time at various degrees of longitude. In explaining
time zones, take students on an imaginary trip west of Hawaii (possibly on a boat from Los
Angeles to Sydney). Ask them what happens when they cross the International Dateline.
Ask students to explain why the International Dateline occurs at 180 degrees west and 180 east
of the Prime Meridian.
Task 3: Have the students examine physical world maps in order to review the geography terms
listed below. Have them work in pairs to create flash cards with a picture and definition on one
side and the term on the other. Have pairs of students prepare for a quiz by using these cards.
archipelago
atoll
bay
canal
canyon
cape
channel
delta
desert
glacier
GEOGRAPHY TERMS
gulf
harbor
island
isthmus
lake
mountain
mountain range
mouth of a river
oasis
ocean
peninsula
plain
plateau
river
sea
strait
swamp
tributary
valley
volcano
WORLD HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY TO 1500 A.D., UNIT I
12
Essential Questions
4. How does location on the Earth relate to climatic regions?
5. How do physical features influence climate?
Questions Overview
Where people live is frequently determined by the physical characteristics of a place and by
climate. Understanding determinants of climate and climatic regions furthers understanding of
human activities and culture. Landforms and climate influence not only where people live but
also how they conduct economic and other activities.
INITIAL ACTIVITY
Ask students to observe weather forecasts for their community for one week before conducting
this activity. Have them record information that is important to them: precipitation amounts;
sunrise and sunset times; and temperature, air pressure, humidity readings.
Locate weather data in several locations on the Internet and review the type of information
available. Ask the class to explain the difference between weather and climate (climate is the
average of daily weather). Point out that the averages and timings of temperature and
precipitation determine climatic regions.
Introduce simple climate categories:
A. Humid Tropical Climates (warm all year)
Af
Tropical Rain forest (rain all year)
Am
Tropical Monsoon (short dry season)
As
Tropical Savanna (dry winter)
B. Dry Climates
BS
Semiarid
BW
Arid
D. Humid Cold Climate
Df
no dry season
Dw
dry winter
E. Cold Polar Climate
Tundra and Ice Cover
H. Highland Climate
Varies by altitude
C. Humid Temperate Climates
Cf
no dry season
Cw
dry winter
Cs
dry summer
Have the students hypothesize about the location of the A, B, C, D, E, and H climates. Use a
climate map of the world to verify and question the hypotheses.
WORLD HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY TO 1500 A.D., UNIT I
13
TASKS
Task 1: Temperature is related to energy received from the sun. Present students with the solar
energy pattern that results from the rotation of the Earth and the revolution of the Earth around
the sun. Using the globe and a single beam of light, demonstrate how the sun’s rays strike the
Earth during the spring and fall equinox and the summer and winter solstice. Locate and explain
the Tropic of Capricorn and the Tropic of Cancer. Why are they 23 degrees north and south of
the equator? Locate and explain the Arctic and Antarctic circles. Why are they 62 degrees north
and south of the equator? Provide students with blank representations of the globe and have them
locate and label these sun lines and the various regions: tropical, temperate, and polar.
Task 2: Solar energy warms the land and water masses on the Earth. Land and water transfer
heat (solar energy) to the atmosphere. Warm air rises, creating a low-pressure belt near the
equator. Rising air at the equator moves northward and southward away from the equator. As the
warm air cools, it becomes heavier and descends. The descending air warms as it subsides,
creating two belts of high pressure around the Earth about 30 degrees north and south of the
equator. These belts of subtropical calms create wind systems — surface air moving away from
the subsiding high pressure air masses. In the northern hemisphere, the winds moving north of 30
degrees are called the prevailing westerlies, while the winds moving south of 30 degrees toward
the equator are called the northeast trades. In the southern hemisphere, the winds moving south
of 30 degrees are called the prevailing westerlies, and those moving north of 30 degrees are
called the southeast trades.
Define wind as the movement of higher pressure air toward lower pressure air. Locate 30 degrees,
the equator (calm low pressure), and the Arctic circles on the globe. Draw the wind patterns on
the globe, using an erasable/removable marker. Provide students with outline maps of the world,
and have them mark the location of the westerly wind and trade wind belts. Based on
temperature, ask students to draw and label the A, B, C, D, E and H climatic regions on their
maps.
Task 3: Winds blowing across the oceans cause the surface water to move. In the northern
hemisphere, the surface water moves north and west by the westerlies and south and east by the
trade winds. In the North Atlantic, the ocean currents thus created are named Gulf Stream
(warm), North Atlantic Drift (warm), and the Canary Current (cold). In the northern
hemisphere, the ocean currents circulate in a clockwise direction, while in the southern
hemisphere, the ocean currents circulate in a counter clockwise direction.
Using the outline maps of the world with winds marked and labeled, ask students to locate and
label the ocean currents (gyres) that occur in the North and South Atlantic and the North and
South Pacific.
14
WORLD HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY TO 1500 A.D., UNIT I
Task 4: Summarize that air masses warmed at the equator carry warmth to the colder regions of
the Earth. Likewise, the ocean gyres carry warm water to the colder regions.
Task 5: Temperature is one determinate of climate. The other important determinate is
precipitation. Introduce the water cycle, illustrating how evaporation carries moisture into the
atmosphere. Whenever air is warm, it can carry large amounts of moisture, but when the air
parcel cools (reaches dew point), it becomes denser and releases some of its moisture.
Precipitation occurs whenever warm air parcels are cooled to dew point. Rain occurs from any of
three conditions:
• Winds carry warm, moist air masses from over the oceans to the land, where it cools and
releases moisture. This is particularly pronounced when landforms (mountains) force the
air parcel to uplift, cooling quickly and releasing moisture. Thus moisture occurs on the
windward side of mountains leaving dry, warm air on the leeward side. This is called
orographic rainfall.
• Cool, dry, high-pressure air moves toward a lower, moist, low-pressure air mass. The
heavier, colder, high pressure forces the warm air upward, releasing moisture. This is
called frontal precipitation and usually occurs in the temperate zone.
• In the tropics, warm air rises only to be cooled, so that rain occurs almost daily. This is
called convectional rainfall.
Have the students turn to a physical map of the world in the text, or display the map on an
overhead projector. Ask students to hypothesize about locations where each type of rainfall
would occur. Choose locations on the map, and ask about the temperature and precipitation. Ask
students to explain reasons for their responses. Using the climate classification A, B, C, D, E, and
H, ask students to explain why climatic regions occur where they do.
WORLD HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY TO 1500 A.D., UNIT I
15
Essential Questions
6. What are the forces that build up the Earth’s surface?
7. How do physical forces degrade the Earth’s surface?
Questions Overview
Humans have always settled in places where Earth’s resources are abundant: game for
hunting, rich soils for crops, and/or abundant materials for building. Mountains are created by
tectonic activity. Water erodes the mountain soils, creating mineral-rich soils for crops in river
valleys.
INITIAL ACTIVITY
Introduce tectonics by demonstrating what happens to the surface of an object as it cools — an
apple pie top is a good choice as it breaks into segments or “plates.” Explain that the Earth’s
surface is broken into plates that move on the plasma below. Using a plate tectonics map of the
world, have the students take particular note of the directions in which plates move. Ask
students to hypothesize about landforms that seem to be associated with plate movement:
mountains, fault lines, lakes.
Ask students to imagine what happens when two plates move in the same direction. Use a
subduction model from the text to demonstrate mountain building/trench development, e.g., the
Andes Mountains.
Glue together three sponges of different colors. Ask the class to hypothesize what happens
when a plate is squeezed by pressure on two opposite sides. Fold the sponge upward with
pressure from each side, demonstrating what is happening when folded mountains occur. Show
pictures of rock strata in Virginia mountains that illustrate folding.
TASKS
Task 1: Provide maps of volcanic and earthquake activity around the world. Have the students
work in small groups to develop explanations for the location of these physical actions. Provide
each group with a model that illustrates the Rim of Fire, and have each group use the model to
verify or reject the hypotheses.
16
WORLD HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY TO 1500 A.D., UNIT I
Task 2: Have the students create a stream table featuring sand and clay soils. Pour water on the
elevated portion of the stream table to demonstrate the erosive characteristics of water. Ask the
class to describe what happens to the flow of water over the various sizes of particles. Ask small
groups of students to study four of the world’s great rivers: the Mississippi, Hwang He,
Colorado, and Ob. Have each group report on the characteristics of its river: source, course,
direction of flow, nature of its valley, flooding, and delta. Use a graphic organizer to compare and
contrast river systems
Task 3: Conduct a discussion of the four river systems studied in Task 2 above. Ask the
students to explain how these river systems are alike and how they are different. Ask the class to
determine where they would locate in order to have (1) the very best climate; (2) the richest soils
for farming; (3) the best river transportation possible? Have the students locate on a physical
map of the world some of the other great rivers. Ask them to explain how these compare with the
four rivers on their chart.
Task 4: Summarize how rivers erode highlands and deposit rocks, gravel, and soils along the
valley and at their mouths (deltas). Have the students locate some of the world’s great deltas on
the world physical map. Present them with a population map of the world, and ask them to
explain why some river valleys and deltas are heavily populated while others are not.
Task 5: Divide the class into pairs, and assign each pair (or let them choose) a country to
research. Facts gathered about each country must include:
• name
• latitude
• longitude
• major physical features (specific names of 10 different ones)
• climate regions
• time zone(s)
• major transportation routes within the country
• population distribution.
Have each pair create a map of their country that includes a title, key, and scale, and that
illustrates its characteristics. Have each pair draw information about their country onto a poster
board to be displayed and discussed.
WORLD HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY TO 1500 A.D., UNIT I
17
Essential Questions
8. What is culture, and how does it develop?
9. Why is culture important, and how is it learned?
Questions Overview
Students investigate culture by defining what it is, how it develops, how it is important, and
how it is learned. They explore concepts related to culture by examining the impact of
religion, politics, economics, language, and demography on culture. Ultimately they examine
how culture has altered the landscape and influenced settlement, architecture, and art.
INITIAL ACTIVITY
Show students pictures depicting people of ancient cultures, and have them guess which culture
the pictures depict. Use the pictures to promote a class discussion about various ancient cultures.
Have the students brainstorm ways in which cultural ideas are diffused from one country or
region to another, and list their responses on the board. Discuss cultural diffusion, using textbook
examples, or prepare handouts showing types of cultural diffusion. Ask students to make
predictions about the impact of landforms — mountains, rivers, plains, oceans, lakes — on
cultural diffusion. Ask them to explain how railroads, cars and trucks, telephone, television, and
the Internet have altered the impact of landforms on cultural diffusion. Prepare a list of their ideas
to post in the classroom.
Discuss the following questions: Why do you think there are different cultures around the world?
Do you think cultural differences are increasing or decreasing in the world?
WORLD HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY TO 1500 A.D., UNIT I
18
TASKS
FOCUS STANDARDS OF
LEARNING
Task 1: Have the students design a “travel journal” that they
will use while “traveling” in foreign countries. While the class
studies ancient cultures in a particular region, allow individual
students to “visit” the modern country or countries in that
region by:
• researching foods, dress, and tourist sights in that
country
• writing to or examining the Web site of that country’s
consulate or embassy to gather information
• displaying material about that country on a bulletin
board
• learning simple expressions from the language of that
country, such as
Hello
Please
Goodbye
How are you?
numbers 1–10
My name is...
I am fine
the alphabet
Thank you
yes, no
Task 2: Have students research music of different cultures to
share with the class. Have them point out major differences
in instruments and musical sounds.
Task 3: Discuss the many forms of migration that exist in
our contemporary culture, e.g., daily commutes to the inner
city, snowbirds to Florida in winter, migrant workers.
Review some historic migrations, e.g., African Americans
(forced migration), Irish Americans (pull migration), German
Jews (push migration). Have students use graphic organizers
to illustrate human migrations.
English
8.1 The student will use interviewing
techniques to gain information.
a. Prepare and ask relevant questions
for the interview.
b. Make notes of responses.
c. Compile and report responses.
d. Evaluate the effectiveness of the
interview.
8.4 The student will comprehend what is
read from a variety of sources.
a. Draw on background knowledge
and knowledge of text structure to
understand selections.
b. Analyze details for relevance and
accuracy.
c. Read and follow instructions to
assemble a model or simple
structure.
d. Evaluate and synthesize
information to apply in written and
oral presentations.
8.5 The student will write in a variety of
forms, including narrative, expository
and persuasive writings.
a. Use prewriting strategies to
generate and organize ideas.
b. Focus on elaboration and
organization.
c. Select specific vocabulary and
information.
d. Use standard sentence formation,
eliminating comma splices and
other nonstandard forms of
sentences that distract readers.
e. Revise writing for word choice,
appropriate organization, consistent
point of view, and transitions
among paragraphs.
f. Edit final copies to ensure correct
use of pronoun case, verb tense
inflections, and adjective and
adverb comparisons.
g. Edit final copies to ensure correct
spelling, capitalization,
punctuation, and format.
h. Use available technology.
8.6 The student will analyze mass media
messages.
a. Identify the persuasive technique
being used.
b. Describe the possible cause-effect
relationships between mass media
coverage and public opinion trends.
c. Evaluate advertisements,
editorials, and feature stories for
relationships between intent and
factual content.
WORLD HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY TO 1500 A.D., UNIT I
19
FORCES CAUSING MIGRATION
FORCED MIGRATION
PUSH MIGRATION
PULL MIGRATION
African Americans during slavery
Irish Americans during the famine
German Jews in Nazi Germany
Japanese Americans
Turkish workers in Germany
Palestinians in Gaza
Burmese in Thailand
Rwandans in Congo (Zaire)
Mexican fruit pickers in California
CONCLUDING ACTIVITIES
Ask your school principal and your students’ parents for permission to have students secure
eighth-grade pen pals from schools in other cultures. Many Web sites give addresses for this
purpose. If possible, have the students establish contacts with someone in each cultural region
they study.
Have students create their own culture. After they invent a continent and locate their country on
it, lead them in discussing characteristics of the people and the land, how the people survive on
the land, the clothing they wear (daily and for special occasions), their beliefs, arts, architecture,
and recreation. Have each student summarize these points in writing for presentation to the class.
WORLD HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY TO 1500 A.D., UNIT II
21
UNIT II
ORIGINS OF CIVILIZATION
The activities contained in this document are presented as samples only.
While some activities offer a broader scope than that required by the
Standards of Learning, all of the standards for this grade level or course
have not necessarily been addressed. Teachers should rely on the 2001
History and Social Science Curriculum Framework when developing
lessons that align with the History and Social Science Standards of
Learning to ensure that all critical content has been taught.
Unit Overview
Early peoples spent most of their time hunting and
looking for other types of food. In the beginning, they
were nomads traveling together in small groups. As
groups learned to plant seeds and roots and to tame
animals, they began to live together near their fields and
herds. In soil-rich river valleys, people were able to grow
more food than they consumed. Storage of grains
(savings) made it possible for some group members to
devote themselves to tasks such as making pottery,
creating art, weaving cloth, and working metals. Later,
communities traded these goods with goods from other
communities. Villages grew into cities and city-states, and
they began to share ideas as well as trade goods. In time,
people developed writing, law and government, religious
beliefs and institutions, technology, art, and architecture.
FOCUS STANDARDS OF
LEARNING
History and Social Science
WHI.2
The student will demonstrate
knowledge of early development of
humankind from the Paleolithic Era
to the agricultural revolution by
a) explaining the impact of geographic
environment on hunter-gatherer
societies;
b) listing characteristics of huntergatherer societies, including their
use of tools and fire;
c) describing technological and social
advancements that gave rise to
stable communities;
d) explaining how archaeological
discoveries are changing presentday knowledge of early peoples.
WHI.3
The student will demonstrate
knowledge of ancient river
civilizations, including Egypt,
Mesopotamia, the Indus River
Valley, and China and the
civilizations of the Hebrews,
Phoenicians, and Kush, by
a) locating these civilizations in time
and place;
b) describing the development of
social, political, and economic
patterns, including slavery;
c) explaining the development of
religious traditions;
d) describing the origins, beliefs,
traditions, customs, and spread of
Judaism;
e) explaining the development of
language and writing.
Students will explore a series of the world’s firsts: first
use of tools, domestication of animals, use of the wheel,
discovery of fire, pictography, metallurgy, manufacture of pottery, use of language.
Essential Questions
1. How did Homo sapiens develop from hominid life?
2. What was life like in prehistoric times?
Enabling Questions
1. Why did physical geography determine the lives of early humans?
2. What were the characteristics of hunter-gatherer societies?
3. Why did early humans develop simple tools, domesticate animals, and master the use of
fire?
WORLD HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY TO 1500 A.D., UNIT II
22
4. How did the cultivation of seed and the domestication
of animals promote the rise of settled communities?
5. How does archeology provide knowledge of early
human life and its changes?
Question Overview
Although the first evidence of man is found in central Africa,
the first civilizations were in the Fertile Crescent, a band
of land connecting Africa and southwest Asia. This area was
one of the world’s first cultures based on farming. Early
peoples tended crops and herded animals in the rich soil of
its river valleys. In time, they settled in cities and built
complex civilizations.
INITIAL ACTIVITY
Create an archaeology activity in which students practice
“digs” in a controlled environment. This activity might be as
simple as having students use toothpicks and a napkin to
conduct a dig on a chocolate chip cookie and then create grids
on paper to record and interpret their findings. A more
complex example would be to build an ancient civilization in
a garbage can, have students excavate the garbage can, and
keep records on the location of artifacts and how they would
have been used.
FOCUS STANDARDS OF
LEARNING
English
8.1 The student will use interviewing
techniques to gain information.
a. Prepare and ask relevant questions
for the interview.
b. Make notes of responses.
c. Compile and report responses.
d. Evaluate the effectiveness of the
interview.
8.4 The student will comprehend what is
read from a variety of sources.
a. Draw on background knowledge
and knowledge of text structure to
understand selections.
b. Analyze details for relevance and
accuracy.
c. Read and follow instructions to
assemble a model or simple
structure.
d. Evaluate and synthesize
information to apply in written and
oral presentations.
8.5 The student will write in a variety of
forms, including narrative, expository
and persuasive writings.
a. Use prewriting strategies to
generate and organize ideas.
b. Focus on elaboration and
organization.
c. Select specific vocabulary and
information.
d. Use standard sentence formation,
eliminating comma splices and
other nonstandard forms of
sentences that distract readers.
e. Revise writing for word choice,
appropriate organization, consistent
point of view, and transitions
among paragraphs.
f. Edit final copies to ensure correct
use of pronoun case, verb tense
inflections, and adjective and
adverb comparisons.
g. Edit final copies to ensure correct
spelling, capitalization,
punctuation, and format.
h. Use available technology.
8.6 The student will analyze mass media
messages.
a. Identify the persuasive technique
being used.
b. Describe the possible cause-effect
relationships between mass media
coverage and public opinion trends.
c. Evaluate advertisements,
editorials, and feature stories for
relationships between intent and
factual content.
After about 10 minutes of writing their personal
observations, have the students share some of their findings
with the class. Lead a discussion of what archaeologists do.
What is an archaeological dig? How is it like the garbage can?
Do archaeologists dig up earlier people’s garbage? How do
they reconstruct the life of the people who created the
artifacts in the dig? What resources were used to make these
items? To reinforce the discussion, dump on the floor the
contents of a garbage can that you pack with artifacts, and
ask the students to describe what they can infer from what has been thrown away.
WORLD HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY TO 1500 A.D., UNIT II
23
TASKS
Task 1: Read to the class this passage from Afrocentrism by David Creamer (1992):
Running into Lake Rudolf, in the area of Africa that stretches across northern Kenya into southwest
Ethiopia, is the Ono River. The rift valley embraces this river and is likely where man originated. Over
two million years ago, the first ancestor of man, the creature Australopithecus, freely roamed this area and
other regions in South Africa and Tanzania.
Scientific theory postulates that the first hominids lived in central Africa near Lake Ono. Locate
these places on the map. Have the students draw a picture of Australopithecus.
Task 2: Lead a discussion about periods of interglaciation and glaciation and how this
permitted migration of prehumans. Introduce land bridges and their locations between Asia and
the Americas and between Asia and Australia.
Task 3: Introduce the class to the Stone Age (2,000,000 to 3000 B.C.). Assign research projects
to small groups of students in which each group researches one aspect of culture in the Stone
Age:
• settlements
• language
• government
• tools
• art
• agriculture
• religion
• clothing
Prepare a poster-size graphic organizer on which each group may record information it discovers
about the Paleolithic and Neolithic periods of the Stone Age. When the chart is complete, have
each group orally explain how and why changes occurred in the Stone Age.
Cultural Activity
Paleolithic Period 2,000,000 to 8000 B. C.
Neolithic Period 8000 to 3000 B. C.
Settlements
Government
Art
cave art
Clothing
Tools
Religion
Language
Agriculture
irrigation begins
Task 4: Have the students use their records of progress in the Stone Age to create a two-column
chart on a sheet of ruled paper. Have them label one column TECHNOLOGICAL and the other
SOCIAL, note each development in the appropriate category, and write a sentence describing its
effect on the development of culture.
WORLD HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY TO 1500 A.D., UNIT II
24
Task 5: Time lines are an important tool to help students as they struggle with the concepts of
B.C. and A.D. and historical times that are enormously distant from our own. Keep time lines for
each unit visible, and have students create their own time lines. For example, the following time
line shows the relative lengths of the Paleolithic and Neolithic periods:
Paleolithic Stone Age
Neolithic Stone Age
| |
|
/\
/\
2,000,000 B.C.
/\
/\
/\
1,000,000 B.C.
/\
/\
0
______________________________________________________________________________
CONCLUDING ACTIVITY
Have each student use electronic resources (Internet and/or CD-ROM) to research and write a
short paper on one of the following events of Old Stone Age or the Bronze Age peoples. The
paper should answer the following questions: When did the event occur? Was this event part of
the Stone Age? Why or why not? Where did the event occur?
•
Stonehenge
•
Cro-Magnon Cave
WORLD HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY TO 1500 A.D., UNIT II
25
Essential Questions
3.
Why did civilization first occur in Mesopotamia?
4.
How did the culture of early Homo sapiens evolve into a civilization?
Enabling Questions
1.
Why did ancient civilizations develop in river valleys?
2.
What were the cultural characteristics of ancient river civilization?
Question Overview
Early humans developed a culture for guiding individual behavior and transmitted this
culture to new group members (children) through observation and imitation. Rules of
behavior were simple. Civilization — human society characterized by a high level of
culture — began around 3000 B.C. in Mesopotamia. Civilization is achieved when
complex cultural components have been developed in the areas of:
•
religion
•
language and writing
•
economics, trade, and tools
•
government, law, and social structure
•
art and architecture
•
demography and settlement.
Begin with Sumerian civilization and compare it with ancient civilizations in Egypt, the
Indus Valley (India), China, Africa, and the Americas.
INITIAL ACTIVITY
Using the six cultural components listed above, conduct two activities with the class — the first
centered on culture and the second centered on civilization. On the board, draw a circle with the
word Culture in the center. Draw six radiating lines out from the circle and list the six
components at the ends of the lines. Ask the students, “What do we associate with culture?” As
they brainstorm specific examples of things that fall into these six categories, write their
responses on the board. Repeat the activity with the word Civilization at the center of the circle.
Ask the students to explain how culture and civilization are similar concepts. How are they
different? Have them consult definitions of both concepts and post these definitions before the
class. Then ask the students to write and defend a hypothesis explaining why, how, and where
civilization began.
26
WORLD HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY TO 1500 A.D., UNIT II
TASKS
Task 1: Have the students define important terms related to history. Review their definitions,
and discuss the terms with the class:
age
B.C./A.D.
century
decade
era
generation
history
millennium
period
prehistory
culture
civilization
Task 2: Introduce a time line showing the origins of Sumer in relationship to the extended period
of the Neolithic Stone Age in order to emphasize how numerous important events (e.g.,
settlements in Mesopotamia, the rise of the Sumerian Empire, Hammurabi’s Code, and Babylon)
occurred within a relatively short period of time.
Task 3: Discuss the importance of the wheel. Stress that it is often thought of as the first great
invention because it had so many uses and that its earliest use around 3000 B.C. was for
transportation. Have the students list 12 methods of transportation today that depend upon the
wheel. Have them create and draw new inventions that use the wheel.
Task 4: Discuss development of the first writing (cuneiform) in Sumer. Distribute papers to the
class containing six words: sun, moon, mountain, river, wheat, and fish. Have the students draw
pictographs to match these words. Have them suggest at least three additional words for things
that would have been important to ancient Sumerians, and have them draw pictographs for these
words. Then have them use their pictographs to “write” communications that describe some
aspect of Sumerian life; have pairs of students attempt to decipher the communications of other
pairs. Find original Sumerian cuneiform pictographs for some of the words being used, and
compare them to the students’ inventions to find resemblances.
Task 5: Create small groups of students to research, using electronic media, the following
specific aspects of Sumerian culture:
Group 1.
Writing: How did limited writing (pictographs and ideographs) change to
become complete writing (alphabet and syllables)?
Group 2.
Mathematics: How were numbers used to keep track of property? Why was
place value important? How was mathematics useful in building cities?
Group 3.
Government: How did a city-state differ from the earlier villages? How were
city-states governed? Why was a law code important? Why did they have a
monarchy? Did they have a theocracy?
Group 4.
Religion: What did the Sumerians believe? How do we know that religion was
important to them? How does the ziggurat illustrate the importance of their
beliefs? What does polytheism mean?
Group 5.
Agriculture: How were Sumerian farms able to grow extra food for those who
spent their time working in art, religion, or defense? How did they store food
between harvests?
WORLD HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY TO 1500 A.D., UNIT II
Group 6.
27
Architecture: How did the Sumerians construct buildings in their city-state?
How were the buildings designed? How did the Sumerians form the materials?
Task 6: Provide students with an abbreviated version of the Epic of Gilgamesh. Ask them to
compare events in this story with similar events in the Jewish Torah or the Old Testament (e.g.,
the great flood and Noah).
Task 7: Present students with a summary of Hammurabi’s Code and a copy of Hebrew law,
which was produced much later. Ask the students to compare these codes of law to discover how
they are similar and how they are different (e.g., Code of Hammurabi: If a witness testifies
falsely, he will receive the penalty of the crime of the accused. Law of the Hebrews: If a witness
testifies falsely, he will be sentenced for the crime he testified against.) How might Hammurabi’s
code have influenced Hebrew law? Have each student write a paragraph explaining how the
Hebrew Ten Commandments influence law and society today.
Task 8: Emphasize that Sumerian culture could be found in various city-states in the Fertile
Crescent and that the most powerful city-state in the region would change from time to time
through conflicts. Provide students with outline maps of the Fertile Crescent and Mesopotamia,
and have them locate important Sumerian cities: Akkadia, Babylon, Elam, Sumer. Have them
draw in, using light-colored pencils, the boundaries of modern countries in the region: Egypt,
Iraq, Iran, Kuwait, Syria, Lebanon, Israel, and Jordan.
Task 9: Let the students carry out the travel journal activity (described in Unit I, Essential
Questions 7 and 8, Task 1) with modern countries of the Middle East.
CONCLUDING ACTIVITY
Ask the class to create a large collage of the Fertile Crescent as the birthplace of ideas and
inventions. Have the students work in pairs to select one significant development from this
period to represent, e.g., writing (cuneiform), the wheel, law codes. Have the pairs brainstorm a
list of achievements, events, and things associated with their development and then use this list
to gather and contribute to the collage words, phrases, drawings, pictures cut from magazines,
and other materials. Have each pair write and present to the class an explanation of their
contributions.
WORLD HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY TO 1500 A.D., UNIT III
29
UNIT III
ANCIENT EGYPT AND MESOPOTAMIA
The activities contained in this document are presented as samples only.
While some activities offer a broader scope than that required by the
Standards of Learning, all of the standards for this grade level or course
have not necessarily been addressed. Teachers should rely on the 2001
History and Social Science Curriculum Framework when developing
lessons that align with the History and Social Science Standards of
Learning to ensure that all critical content has been taught.
Unit Overview
While early settlement and civilization probably centered
on Sumer in southwest Asia, the Fertile Crescent
ranging from Mesopotamia to the Nile Valley was the
focus of human development for the next 2,000 years.
This period gave rise to numerous kingdoms, cultures,
and civilizations, each one dependent upon Sumerian
beginnings and the diffusion of ideas among conquered
and conquering peoples. Ancient Egypt was the place
from which many new developments were diffused
throughout the Mediterranean area.
Essential Questions
1. Why did the Nile River Valley nurture a great
civilization?
2. Why is the Egyptian civilization important to the
modern world?
Enabling Questions
1. Why did ancient civilizations develop in river
valleys?
2. What were the cultural characteristics of ancient river
civilization?
FOCUS STANDARDS OF
LEARNING
History and Social Science
WHI.3
The student will demonstrate
knowledge of ancient river
civilizations, including Egypt,
Mesopotamia, the Indus River
Valley, and China and the
civilizations of the Hebrews,
Phoenicians, and Kush, by
a) locating these civilizations in time
and place;
b) describing the development of
social, political, and economic
patterns, including slavery;
c) explaining the development of
religious traditions;
d) describing the origins, beliefs,
traditions, customs, and spread of
Judaism;
e) explaining the development of
language and writing.
English
8.1 The student will use interviewing
techniques to gain information.
a. Prepare and ask relevant questions
for the interview.
b. Make notes of responses.
c. Compile and report responses.
d. Evaluate the effectiveness of the
interview.
8.4 The student will comprehend what is
read from a variety of sources.
a. Draw on background knowledge
and knowledge of text structure to
understand selections.
b. Analyze details for relevance and
accuracy.
c. Read and follow instructions to
assemble a model or simple
structure.
d. Evaluate and synthesize
information to apply in written and
oral presentations.
8.6 The student will analyze mass media
messages.
a. Identify the persuasive technique
being used.
b. Describe the possible cause-effect
relationships between mass media
coverage and public opinion trends.
c. Evaluate advertisements,
editorials, and feature stories for
relationships between intent and
factual content.
Question Overview
The Egyptians and other peoples in the Fertile Crescent had a profound influence on
subsequent civilizations by developing an alphabetic language, religious thought, economic
activities, and political systems (city-states). They produced art and architecture that
continue to be marvels in our modern world.
30
WORLD HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY TO 1500 A.D., UNIT III
INITIAL ACTIVITY
Provide students with copies of physical maps of Africa and southwest Asia. Display a large
map of the same region. Have the students identify and label on their maps the Nile River; Red
Sea; Sahara, Syrian, and Rub-al-Khali desert regions; boundaries of Africa and Asia; and the
Mediterranean Sea. After the physical features have been located, have the students write brief
explanations to answer the following questions:
• Why did ancient Egypt develop in the river valley rather than in the desert?
• How was ancient Egypt easily defended from invaders?
• Where does the Nile River originate? What direction does it flow?
Have the students share their written ideas with the class. List their hypotheses on the board for
discussion later in the unit.
TASKS
Task 1: Assign pairs of students to research and orally report to the class on one of the
following:
• why the Rosetta Stone was important in understanding Egyptian writing
• how hieroglyphics were developed and how they evolved from pictures to ideas
• the concept of pharaoh as ruler, priest, and god
• Egyptian trade routes along the Nile River, Red Sea, and Mediterranean Sea
• a theocracy and how it functioned(s)
• Egyptian deities and their role in society
• why and how the pyramids were built
• Egyptian numbers and how they were used
• social classes in ancient Egypt and how society functioned
• Egyptian irrigation systems and how they functioned
• why mummies were important and how the process was accomplished
• Egyptian medicines and their achievements in this field
• artistic decorations of the Egyptian temples and tombs
• Egyptian dress style and art forms
WORLD HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY TO 1500 A.D., UNIT III
31
Provide students with a matrix for note taking during oral reports:
CULTURAL CATEGORY
COMMENTS AND NOTES
Religious Life
Economic Life
Political Life
Social Structure
Language (Oral and Written)
Art/Architecture
Task 2: Provide the students with a list of Egyptian symbols for numbers 1; 10; 100; 1,000;
10,000; 100,000; and 1,000,000; along with explanations about how other numbers were
constructed (e.g., the larger number always appears before the smaller number; when there are
two rows of symbols, those in a column are added.) Assign students some numbers to write in
Egyptian symbols and some Egyptian numbers to write in Arabic numbers.
Task 3: Provide the students with a selection of Egyptian hieroglyphs and their meanings. Ask
them to write several short messages, using hieroglyphs, and share them with other class
members to try to read. Have the entire class work on writing a longer message or saying, using
hieroglyphs. Post this message across the top of the chalkboard or bulletin board.
Task 4: Create committees of students, each of which has the responsibility to construct a model
of one of the following:
• Pyramids at Giza
• Sphinx
• irrigation system — lift systems
• river barges
• temples at Karnak
Task 5: Distribute outline maps of the Middle East. Have the students develop map keys and
locate the primary cities of ancient Egypt, e.g., Memphis and Thebes. The map should show the
Egyptian empire at its height. Ask the students to save their maps for use with subsequent
questions.
Task 6: Have the students develop time lines of ancient Egypt, showing the Old, Middle, and
New Kingdoms. Ask them to retain their time lines for use with subsequent questions.
WORLD HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY TO 1500 A.D., UNIT III
32
CONCLUDING ACTIVITY
Make a list of Egyptian achievements, and ask each student to place them in the appropriate
category in a Venn diagram or a three-column organizer:
BORROWED IDEAS
hieroglyphics
SHARED/IMPROVED IDEAS
irrigation
NEW CREATIONS
pyramids
When they are finished, have the students compare their responses. Ask, “Is it possible to place
all items in perfect categories?” Discuss with the students how they determined where to place
each item on the list.
WORLD HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY TO 1500 A.D., UNIT III
33
Essential Questions
3. How did other cultures in southwest Asia relate to ancient Egypt?
4. What contributions did these cultures make to the world?
Question Overview
The Fertile Crescent and other areas in the Middle East were settled by cultures that
competed with Egypt. At times these peoples were prominent in the region while at other
times they were conquered and dominated by other cultures. During peaceful times, the
peoples of the Fertile Crescent diffused culture through trade.
INITIAL ACTIVITY
Review the Sumerian culture with the class, focusing upon language, law, and architecture. Have
the students explain how the Code of Hammurabi was related to Hebrew Law, how cuneiform
was related to hieroglyphics, and how the ziggurat was related to the pyramids.
Provide students with a chart on which they can write what they “know” (their hypotheses)
about the contributions of cultures in the Fertile Crescent. (Note: They may have some
knowledge of the Hebrews and the Phoenicians, but less about the others.)
CULTURAL GROUP
CONTRIBUTIONS OF THE GROUP
Chaldeans
Hebrews
Assyrians
Arameans
Phoenicians
Hittites
Point out that they should consider characteristics found in every culture, e.g., government,
economics (trade), religion, language, art and architecture, and agriculture. Create a large chart
divided into two columns for each of these cultural groups. Have the students record class
comments (hypotheses) on the left side of the chart and then later record their findings on the
right side (see Task 1 below).
34
WORLD HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY TO 1500 A.D., UNIT III
TASKS
Task 1: Divide the class into groups, and have each group investigate the contributions of one of
the cultures listed above. Have each group record its research on the right side of the large chart
mentioned above. Have each group present the results of its research, comparing what was
hypothesized with the actual results of the research.
Task 2: Have the students, using the outline maps from the previous question, locate the
homeland of each of the culture groups listed above. It may take a series of maps to completely
illustrate the empires and kingdoms of each of the groups. Be certain that the maps have
appropriate titles and map keys.
Task 3: Have the students use the time lines from Essential Questions 1 and 2, Task 6, to add
lines that show the period of time that each culture had its greatest influence.
CONCLUDING ACTIVITY
Provide students with a series of generalizations about the accomplishments of ancient cultures in
the Fertile Crescent. Some of the generalizations should be inaccurate and require editing. Give
the students time to write responses to each statement. The following are some examples:
• Limited written language began in ancient Sumer and led to the first alphabet in ancient
Phoenicia.
• City-states were formed in ancient Mesopotamia until they were limited by the rise of
empires.
Conduct a class discussion of student responses, correct their errors, and reinforce appropriate
answers.
WORLD HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY TO 1500 A.D., UNIT IV
35
UNIT IV
CLASSICAL CIVILIZATION IN THE MEDITERRANEAN — THE GREEKS
The activities contained in this document are presented as samples only.
While some activities offer a broader scope than that required by the
Standards of Learning, all of the standards for this grade level or course
have not necessarily been addressed. Teachers should rely on the 2001
History and Social Science Curriculum Framework when developing
lessons that align with the History and Social Science Standards of
Learning to ensure that all critical content has been taught.
Unit Overview
Classical Greek culture began to emerge about 700 B.C.
from a blend of more ancient cultures. Classical Greece
produced extremely fine art and architecture, developed
the polis (city-state), provided the Western world with
an alphabet and a language, and promoted concepts of
citizenship and republic.
Greek mythology was based on a polytheistic religion
that was integral to the culture, politics, and art in
ancient Greece. Many of modern Western civilization’s
idealized images, literary and political symbols, and
political vocabulary come from ancient Greek
mythology.
FOCUS STANDARDS OF
LEARNING
History and Social Science
WHI.5
The student will demonstrate
knowledge of ancient Greece in
terms of its impact on Western
civilization by
a) assessing the influence of
geography on Greek economic,
social, and political development,
including the impact of Greek
commerce and colonies;
b) describing Greek mythology and
religion;
c) identifying the social structure and
role of slavery, explaining the
significance of citizenship and the
development of democracy, and
comparing the city-states of Athens
and Sparta;
d) evaluating the significance of the
Persian and Peloponnesian Wars;
e) characterizing life in Athens during
the Golden Age of Pericles;
f) citing contributions in drama, poetry,
history, sculpture, architecture,
science, mathematics, and
philosophy, with emphasis on
Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle;
g) explaining the conquest of Greece
by Macedonia and the spread of
Hellenistic culture by Alexander the
Great.
With limited agricultural land, the Greeks migrated to
new locations outside Greece, colonizing the eastern Mediterranean area. Trade between
Greek city-states and Greek colonies produced a commercial revolution in the area. Contact
with the Fertile Crescent expanded culture and trade.
Students will explore ways classical Greece has influenced life in Virginia today. Pictures of
government buildings in Washington, D.C., and Richmond might be used to stimulate thought.
Common words with classical Greek derivations (e.g., politics) might be listed and discussed.
Essential Question
1. How did the mountains, seas, islands, harbors, peninsulas, and straits of the Aegean Basin
shape Greek economic, social, and political development and patterns of trade and
colonization?
36
WORLD HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY TO 1500 A.D., UNIT IV
Enabling Questions
1. Why did geography influence economic, social, and
political development in ancient Greece?
2. What was the impact of Greek commerce and
colonies on the Mediterranean region?
3. How did Greek mythology influence modern Western
civilization?
Question Overview
The area around the Aegean Sea was settled probably
very early, perhaps as early as 6000 B.C. Sometime
between 2000 and 1400 B.C., a Minoan culture developed
on the island of Crete, a location central to regional trade.
About the same time, Mycenaeans migrated to the Greek
mainland and, through trade, adopted much of the
Minoan culture. These early peoples settled Mycenae
and Troy, controlling trade in the Aegean area.
INITIAL ACTIVITY
FOCUS STANDARDS OF
LEARNING continued
English
8.1 The student will use interviewing
techniques to gain information.
a. Prepare and ask relevant questions
for the interview.
b. Make notes of responses.
c. Compile and report responses.
d. Evaluate the effectiveness of the
interview.
8.2 The student will apply knowledge of
word origins, derivations, and idioms
and will use analogies, metaphors, and
similes to extend vocabulary
development.
8.4 The student will comprehend what is
read from a variety of sources.
a. Draw on background knowledge
and knowledge of text structure to
understand selections.
b. Analyze details for relevance and
accuracy.
c. Read and follow instructions to
assemble a model or simple
structure.
d. Evaluate and synthesize
information to apply in written and
oral presentations.
8.6 The student will analyze mass media
messages.
a. Identify the persuasive technique
being used.
b. Describe the possible cause-effect
relationships between mass media
coverage and public opinion trends.
c. Evaluate advertisements,
editorials, and feature stories for
relationships between intent and
factual content.
Display a map of the Mediterranean area showing physical
features, e.g., the Pindus Mountains, the Aegean Sea and the
Greek islands, Asia Minor, and the Taurus Mountains. Ask the class to make guesses about the
following questions:
• How did the early peoples on the Greek peninsula and islands make a living? (Promote
discussion about farming, fishing, and trading by sea.)
• Where did they build their settlements?
Post students’ comments for further discussion later in the unit.
TASKS
Task 1: Have students work in pairs to investigate one of the Greek gods who was central to the
Mycenaean religion. Ask the students to summarize the mythology surrounding the deity,
explaining how the myth helps to explain life at the time.
WORLD HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY TO 1500 A.D., UNIT IV
37
Task 2: Have the class read a brief account of the Trojan War. Locate Troy on a wall map, and
discuss why Troy was important to Mycenaean trade. When Homer wrote about the Trojan War
in the Iliad and Odyssey, was he relating a myth or a bit of history? Raise other questions about
myth and history. How do they differ? When is mythology important to historians? Tell the
students about archaeologists uncovering the foundations of a city they believe to have been
Troy. (Note: A good resource on this topic is Irving Stone’s historical novel The Greek
Treasure.) Does this discovery make Homer’s poem history? How do we determine truth within
mythology?
Task 3: Ask the students to locate Mycenae, Crete, and Troy on outline maps. Ask them to
briefly explain on the back of their maps why these locations enabled rich cultures to develop.
Task 4: After the Dorian invasion caused the Dark Ages, Greece emerged with a new alphabet.
Provide students with the Phoenician, Greek, and English alphabets, and ask them to note the
similarities and differences. What important changes have occurred in the English alphabet? A
source for the old English alphabet is
http://www.engl.virginia.edu/OE/courses/handouts/oealpha.html.
Task 5: Physical prowess and athletic games were important to the earliest Greeks, resulting in
the beginning of the Olympic Games in 776 B.C. Ask students to write a description of the
ancient games and how the modern games are similar and different.
WORLD HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY TO 1500 A.D., UNIT IV
38
Essential Question
2. Why were the Greeks so accomplished in philosophy and the arts?
Enabling Questions
1. Why did democracy develop in ancient Athens?
2. How did changes in Greek society influence changes in Athenian government?
3. Why was the Golden Age of Pericles important to the development of Athenian life and
Greek culture?
4. Why was the Golden Age of Pericles so important to modern Western civilization?
Question Overview
Participation by male citizens in the affairs of Athens was an accepted part of daily life.
These rights and responsibilities evolved into an organized system of government, which
became the foundation of modern democracies. The social structure of life in Athens
contributed to the creation of democratic government for its citizens. Citizenship was based
on the idea that public life was very important for the individual.
Greek culture was based upon a heavy use of slave and peasant labor. People without rights
and privilege provided food and other products for an idle nobility, who in turn used their
leisure time to study the universe and nature and produce art and great architecture.
With the threat of external invasion removed, the Greeks, particularly the Athenians,
experienced a Golden Age in which art, drama, philosophy, science, mathematics,
architecture, and other aspects of culture flourished. Pericles (ca. 495–429 B.C.) so dominated
life in Athens that his years of leadership were called the Golden Age of Pericles.
TASKS
Task 1: Divide the class into groups of four to six students each. Have half of the groups write
and present short skits showing a typical day in the life of a Spartan family, while the other half
does the same for an Athenian family.
Task 2: Have each of the students write a short play that includes roles for the Greek gods. The
script should include a summary of the plot, descriptions of each of the characters, and stage
directions interspersed within the dialogue. The study of a classic Greek play may provide a
helpful foundation for this activity.
WORLD HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY TO 1500 A.D., UNIT IV
39
Task 3: Have the students gather pictures of Greek-inspired American buildings and compare
them to pictures of actual ancient Greek buildings. When good matches are found, they can be
pasted side by side on poster board and labeled. Have the students research whether the architect
of the American buildings actually copied the Greek buildings in the matching pictures.
Task 4: Supply students with a contemporary political map of the Mediterranean area. Have the
students locate the Greek colonies (new city-states) of Syracuse, Cyrene, Neapolis, Massila, and
Byzantium and the important Phoenician city-state of Carthage. Have them color areas controlled
by the Greeks at the height of Greek civilization and, using a different color, denote areas
controlled by Phoenician city-states. How were the new city-states similar to the old cities? Why
was their physical location of importance? Why did the ancient Greeks seek to create new citystates?
Task 5: Provide students with outline maps of the Aegean region and southeast Europe, and
have them label the modern countries that occupy the area today: Macedonia, Serbia, Albania,
Bosnia, Croatia, Turkey, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Greece. Have the students complete a “travel journal”
activity (see Unit I, Essential Questions 7 and 8, Task 1) on an assigned country.
Task 6: Have the students research and write short papers in response to one of the following
questions:
• What is the marathon today and why was it an important event to the ancient Greeks?
• What was the polis and why was it important in the city-state?
• Why were city-states so independent of each other?
• How was Greek society organized? What role did landowners, merchants, peasants, and
slaves play in society?
• Who was Solon and what did he accomplish?
• What was a tyrant in Greek city-states? What does tyrant mean today?
• Who was Cleisthenes, and what did he have to do with ostracism?
• What does it mean to live a spartan life? What did it mean to be a Spartan?
• What was Thermopylae, and why was it important?
• What was Athenian democracy? How did it function?
• What was the role of women in Athenian society?
• What was liberal education for boys in Athens? For girls?
CONCLUDING ACTIVITY
Have the students present their papers from Task 6 to the class, and conduct an oral discussion
of each paper following its presentation. Prepare and hand out a graphic organizer for student to
use in making notes during these discussions.
40
WORLD HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY TO 1500 A.D., UNIT IV
Essential Questions
3. What were the enduring characteristics of classical
Greek civilization?
4. How did Greek culture spread throughout the
Mediterranean world and the Fertile Crescent?
Enabling Questions
1. Why were wars with Persia important to the
development of Greek culture?
2. Why was the Peloponnesian War so devastating to
the development of Greek culture?
3. How did Greek mythology influence modern Western
civilization?
4. How was the Hellenistic Age established by
Alexander the Great?
Question Overview
Culture is diffused when people from different cultures
come into contact with each other. Trade is one process
in which language and numbers are essential for
communication. War and conquest force people to accept
the ideas of others. As Greek city-states grew into
kingdoms and empires, the cultures of both the
conquerors and the conquered were diffused through
trade, war, and conquest. In many cases, the conquerors
embraced the captives’ culture (or part of it) and spread
it to other parts of the empire. The great Persian Empire
between 550 and 330 B.C. was the connection that spread
Greek civilization (along with other cultures) from the
Nile River in Egypt to the Indus River Valley in India.
FOCUS STANDARDS OF
LEARNING
History and Social Science
WHI.4
The student will demonstrate
knowledge of the civilizations of
Persia, India, and China in terms of
chronology, geography, social
structures, government, economy,
religion, and contributions to later
civilizations by
a) describing Persia, with emphasis
on the development of an imperial
bureaucracy;
b) describing India, with emphasis on
the Aryan migrations and the caste
system;
c) describing the origins, beliefs,
traditions, customs, and spread of
Hinduism;
d) describing the origins, beliefs,
traditions, customs, and spread of
Buddhism;
e) describing China, with emphasis on
the development of an empire and
the construction of the Great Wall;
f) describing the impact of
Confucianism, Taoism, and
Buddhism.
WHI.5
The student will demonstrate
knowledge of ancient Greece in
terms of its impact on Western
civilization by
a) assessing the influence of
geography on Greek economic,
social, and political development,
including the impact of Greek
commerce and colonies;
b) describing Greek mythology and
religion;
c) identifying the social structure and
role of slavery, explaining the
significance of citizenship and the
development of democracy, and
comparing the city-states of Athens
and Sparta;
d) evaluating the significance of the
Persian and Peloponnesian Wars;
e) characterizing life in Athens during
the Golden Age of Pericles;
f) citing contributions in drama,
poetry, history, sculpture,
architecture, science, mathematics,
and philosophy, with emphasis on
Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle;
g) explaining the conquest of Greece
by Macedonia and the spread of
Hellenistic culture by Alexander the
Great.
INITIAL ACTIVITY
Produce an outline biography of Alexander the Great for distribution to the students. After they
have read the basic information about his life, have them compare Alexander to one of America’s
great heroes, e.g., Martin Luther King, Jr. or Thomas Jefferson. Ask, “What is it that constitutes
greatness? What do we mean by heroes?”
WORLD HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY TO 1500 A.D., UNIT IV
41
Display a map of the Persian Empire under Alexander. Ask the class to list ways in which
Alexander’s great conquest might have diffused culture throughout the known world. List their
ideas on the chalkboard.
TASKS
Task 1: Divide the class into several small groups, and have each group investigate the legacies of
classical Greece. Have each group report its findings on a matrix like the one below. Using these
group reports as a basis, hold a class discussion on the contributions of Hellenistic culture to the
modern world. Provide every student with a copy of a blank matrix to use for taking notes during
the discussion.
CULTURAL
CHARACTERISTIC
Government
PROMINENT INDIVIDUALS
Pericles
Solon
Art/Architecture
Reflection/Logic
DESCRIPTION OF THE
CULTURAL CONTRIBUTION
Citizen debates
Loyalty to the city-state
Parthenon
Columns (e.g., Doric, Ionic)
Plato
Socrates
Aristotle
Stoicism
Euclid
Father of Medicine
History
Science/Mathematics
Drama
Theater
Task 2: Most textbooks contain maps of Alexander’s vast empire, including routes of invasion,
trade routes, and the Royal Road. Have the students follow Alexander’s path as he conquered
most of the then known world. Provide modern political maps of the region. Have the students
superimpose (color) Alexander’s empire over the region. Have the students locate the ancient
cities contained within the empire and determine the cultures that each city represents, e.g., Tyre:
Phoenicia. Have them describe the cultural landscape of the cities Alexander encountered during
the conquest (review Unit III).
Task 3: After students read textual material about the Persian Empire, ask them to explain:
• why the Greek alphabet was in use throughout the empire and why Aramaic became an
important language in Mesopotamia
• how Zoroastrianism spread throughout the empire and how Zoroastrianism compared
with Judaism and with Egyptian gods
• why the Persians used satrapies to govern the empire and whether the Persian empire was
a theocracy, a monarchy, or despotism.
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WORLD HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY TO 1500 A.D., UNIT IV
CONCLUDING ACTIVITY
Early in this unit assign each student (or permit students to select) a major figure from the ancient
world. Have each of them read and research the life of this person and write a summary
biography. As a conclusion to the unit, have them present their figures to the class, explaining
where they lived, their social class and dress, what they accomplished, and why they were
significant in world history. The list of individuals might include, among others,
Alexander the Great
Aristotle
Pericles
Socrates
Solon
Euclid
For presentations to the class, pair the students, and have them assume the identity of their
characters and then publicly interview each other.
WORLD HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY TO 1500 A.D., UNIT V
43
UNIT V
CLASSICAL ROME
The activities contained in this document are presented as samples only.
While some activities offer a broader scope than that required by the
Standards of Learning, all of the standards for this grade level or course
have not necessarily been addressed. Teachers should rely on the 2001
History and Social Science Curriculum Framework when developing
lessons that align with the History and Social Science Standards of
Learning to ensure that all critical content has been taught.
Unit Overview
The rise of Rome altered the Mediterranean area forever.
Fascinated with Greek civilization, the Romans adopted
the Greek culture and expanded Greek influence
throughout the known world.
Roman mythology was based upon a polytheistic religion
that was integral to ancient Roman culture. Many
idealized images, literary and political symbols, and
political vocabulary in modern Western culture are
derived from ancient Roman and Greek mythology.
The Roman Empire changed Europe through the spread
of language, development of cities, construction of roads,
instigation of laws, and extension of government. The
Roman legacy resulted in both negative and positive
impacts on the modern world, e.g., Jews lost their
homeland of Judea as a result of the Diaspora, while
Christianity emerged as a powerful world religion.
To introduce this unit, have students brainstorm what
they already know about Rome. Create a concept web
from their comments, including such terms as:
• Coliseum
• chariot races
• Pope
• Catholic Church
• Italian
• wine
• olives.
FOCUS STANDARDS OF
LEARNING
History and Social Science
WHI.6
The student will demonstrate
knowledge of ancient Rome from
about 700 B.C. to 500 A.D. in terms
of its impact on Western
civilization by
a) assessing the influence of
geography on Roman economic,
social, and political development;
b) describing Roman mythology and
religion;
c) explaining the social structure and
role of slavery, significance of
citizenship, and the development of
democratic features in the
government of the Roman Republic;
d) sequencing events leading to
Roman military domination of the
Mediterranean basin and Western
Europe and the spread of Roman
culture in these areas;
e) assessing the impact of military
conquests on the army, economy,
and social structure of Rome;
f) assessing the roles of Julius and
Augustus Caesar in the collapse of
the Republic and the rise of
imperial monarchs;
g) explaining the economic, social,
and political impact of the Pax
Romana;
h) describing the origin, beliefs,
traditions, customs, and spread of
Christianity;
i) explaining the development and
significance of the Church in the
late Roman Empire;
j) listing contributions in art and
architecture, technology and
science, medicine, literature and
history, language, religious
institutions, and law;
k) citing the reasons for the decline
and fall of the Western Roman
Empire.
Ask students to think of ways in which today’s world has been influenced by the culture of
ancient Rome. Create a list of student comments that will be addressed during this unit.
44
WORLD HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY TO 1500 A.D., UNIT V
Essential Question
1. Why did Rome come into existence as a city-state?
Enabling Questions
1. Why was geographic location important to the economic, social, and political
development of ancient Rome?
2. How did Etruscan life influence Roman life, e.g., social classes?
Question Overview
The mythical founding of Rome provides students with the opportunity once again to
compare myths with actual history. The Etruscans conquered the Latin tribes about 700 B.C.
and built the foundations of Roman culture, including such elements as patricians, plebeians,
senate, Greek alphabet, and the arch.
INITIAL ACTIVITY
Have the class read the story of Romulus and Remus. Display on the overhead selected sentences
from the story, and ask students to indicate whether each statement is myth or fact. (Be sure to
include statements that would evoke both responses.) Raise a series of questions, such as: “Did
the Romans believe the story of Romulus and Remus?” “How are beliefs different from facts?”
“How do historians discover truth from myths?”
TASKS
Task 1: Stress that the Etruscans from areas north of Rome conquered the Latin tribes that had
founded a city on the Tiber River. Have the students use the map (see Unit IV, Essential
Question 2, Task 4) of Greek and Phoenician colonies on the Mediterranean Sea to locate the
Tiber River and Rome. Be certain that they notice the proximity of Rome to the Greek cities.
Task 2: Note that the Etruscans brought the Greek alphabet to Rome and that Latin developed
as a language originally written in Greek letters. The Etruscans used the terms plebeian, patrician,
and senate. Have each student define these terms as used by the Etruscans and provide an
example of each term that shows how it is used in our society today.
WORLD HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY TO 1500 A.D., UNIT V
45
Essential Questions
2. What was the Roman Republic, and why was it important?
3. How did the Roman Republic become dominant in the Mediterranean area?
Enabling Questions
1. Why were class struggles for privileges in the Roman Republic important in the growth of
democracy?
2. How was the Roman Republic organized?
3. Why were the Punic Wars important to the spread of Roman culture and political
influence?
Question Overview
The Roman Republic contained three classes: patricians, plebeians, and slaves. Roman
citizens held rights and responsibilities not available to slaves, and non-Romans living in the
Republic. The Republic became increasingly democratic as plebeians gained rights and power.
The senate became the powerful governing body in Rome (509–53 B.C.), although it was often
challenged by the plebeian assembly. Citizenship was extended to some of the conquered
peoples. The growing power of the tribunes produced the Law of Twelve Tables, which
guaranteed equality before the law. Wars against Greek city-states and the Punic Wars made
the Mediterranean Sea a “Roman Sea” called mare nostrum, meaning “our sea.”
INITIAL ACTIVITY
Have the class simulate a Roman discussion in which patricians, plebeians, tribunes, consuls,
praetors, censors, and slaves explain their role in the Roman Republic. The role-play should
include descriptions of who these people were and the activities they performed.
Present the students with a series of problems that confronted the Republic:
• Gauls are invading from the north. Who will organize the defense? Why does the
senate sometimes appoint a despot for short periods? How are pro-consuls involved?
• Plebeians demand veto power in the senate. What does veto mean? Why would the
Senate permit a veto? How do we use this concept today? How would a veto help the
plebeians?
• A few patricians control most of the land. Citizens without land demand that land be
redistributed. How would the senate and consuls respond? If only a few patricians
controlled the land, how would this influence life in Rome? How are new lands acquired?
WORLD HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY TO 1500 A.D., UNIT V
46
TASKS
Task 1: Appoint student committees to investigate issues in the life of the Republic:
• Why was the Roman army so successful in conquering its enemies? What does a “citizen
army” mean? How did the Roman army treat conquered peoples?
• Why did Rome make war against the Greek city-states? What is a pyretic victory? List the
sequence of Roman conquest of the Greek city-states.
• What does Punic mean? What were the Punic wars? Why did Rome engage in three wars
with Carthage? What was the impact of the Punic Wars on the Mediterranean area?
• What was life like for the patrician family? The plebeian family? The slave family? What
was the role of men, women, and children? How did family loyalties help Rome?
• What were the Laws of the Twelve Tables? Why were they important in Rome? Why are
they important for our modern society?
• How do we know that the Romans adopted the Greek religion? Construct a table showing
the similarities of Greek and Roman gods.
• Who were the Gracchus brothers, and how were they important to the Republic?
Measure the success of their reform efforts.
Task 2: Provide the student groups with graphic organizers like the one shown below. Have each
group orally present information it has found in response to the questions above, and ask the
students to take notes about what they hear.
TOPIC
NOTES
Roman Army
Greek Wars
Punic Wars
Family Life
Roman Law
Roman Religion
Gracchus Reforms
CONCLUDING ACTIVITY
Returning to the simulation of the initial activity, hold a class discussion with the role-playing
individuals, having them respond to a series of questions, such as:
• Why was land ownership an important reason for the decline of the Republic?
• How did the spread of Roman influence in the Mediterranean area spread Greek culture?
WORLD HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY TO 1500 A.D., UNIT V
47
Essential Questions
4. Why did the Roman Republic collapse and give rise to dictators and emperors?
5. How did the Roman Empire shape the map of Europe?
Enabling Questions
1. Why did the Roman Republic fail to survive the challenges by Julius Caesar?
2. How did military conquests alter economic and social life in Rome?
3. How did an imperial monarchy come to rule Rome?
4. Why was Augustus Caesar able to establish the Pax Romana?
5. How did the Pax Romana influence modern civilization?
6. How did Christianity become established within the Roman Empire?
Question Overview
Following the Punic Wars, owners of large farms used slaves, which resulted in small farmers
losing their lands and migrating into the cities. Unemployment followed when these small
farmers were unable to find work.
Political turmoil surrounding the rise to power of Julius Caesar created great unrest, and
Republican forces were defeated. When Augustus Caesar became the first emperor with
absolute power, the Roman Republic ceased to exist. The early emperors achieved power
through military and political skills. Military conquests gave the emperors influence over the
Roman army, economy, and society.
Augustus Caesar established the Roman Empire by instituting a civil service, rule by law, a
common coinage, and secure travel and trade throughout the Empire. Rome became a world
capital. The next 200 years of peace and prosperity became known as the Pax Romana
(Roman Peace).
Followers of Jesus Christ spread the teachings of Christianity throughout the Roman Empire.
The teachings of Christianity, a monotheistic faith based upon Judaism, were in conflict with
those of Roman polytheism. As the Roman Empire declined, the Christian church grew in
membership, influence, and importance. Constantine’s conversion to Christianity established
the faith within the Empire. When the Empire was permanently divided in 396 A.D., the
organization of the church was also divided between the East (Rome) and West
(Constantinople).
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WORLD HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY TO 1500 A.D., UNIT V
INITIAL ACTIVITY
Present to the students a simple version of an economy and how it functions. Producers make
products and sell them to make money. They pay wages to the workers helping to produce the
goods. Consumers earn money by producing goods or services for others — e.g., cloth or army
service. Consumers pay money for products they need and want (in Rome, everyone needed, for
example, wheat for bread). Have the students hypothesize what happens to prices when:
• wages increase and workers have more money to spend
• the supply of money is doubled
• goods are imported from countries that have very low wages.
TASKS
Task 1: Have students work in pairs to research information related to the following individuals,
things, or events:
• Augustus Octavius as imperator. What does imperator mean? Why was he named
Augustus?
• Mark Antony and Cleopatra
• the Julian calendar
• the crucifixion of Jesus
• the Diaspora and the future of Judea
• the Council of Nicea
• the Roman arch, dome, and vault
• the conversion of Constantine to Christianity.
Task 2: Display a map of ancient Rome and ask students to explain the function of selected
buildings/structures, e.g., Coliseum, Circus Maximus, Forum.
Task 3: Give the students outline maps of modern Europe, and have them draw the boundaries
for and color in the Roman Empire at its height. Have them write in the names of the modern
countries that would have been included within the Roman Empire. Have them depict the
distribution of modern languages that were derived from Latin: French, Spanish, Portuguese,
Italian, Romansh, and Romanian. Have them locate major cities within the Empire, using their
Latin names and putting their modern name in parenthesis.
Task 4: Assign the students travel journal activities to European countries that emerged from the
Roman Empire:
France
Spain
United Kingdom
Belgium
Portugal
Italy
Slovenia
Romania
WORLD HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY TO 1500 A.D., UNIT V
49
Task 5: Have the students make a list of Roman words that continue to be used in modern
society, e.g., noble, audio, question. Have them list English words that use Latin prefixes such as
inter, ante, com, and sub.
Task 6: Have the class construct a time line that includes the origin of Rome, the period of the
Republic, and the period of the Empire. Have the students place the time line showing the span
of Greek civilization below that showing the Roman.
CONCLUDING ACTIVITY
The decline of Rome had many causes, but one of the prominent causes involved coinage of
money. Early in Roman history, the coins contained a high degree of precious material such as
silver. As the senate and the emperors needed more money to fight wars, they decreased the
amount of silver in each coin so they would have silver for minting more coins. Have the class
determine how changing the coins would influence:
• landowners
• workers
• slaves
• trade with other peoples.
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WORLD HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY TO 1500 A.D., UNIT V
Essential Question
6. Why was ancient Greek culture important in the development of Roman culture?
7. How did ancient Rome influence the Western world?
Question Overview
Rome embraced and adopted the culture of the ancient Greeks. Conquests and trade spread
Roman cultural and technological achievements throughout the Empire. Modern Western
civilization has been influenced by these cultural achievements.
TASKS
Return to the brainstorming session that initiated the unit. Redo the concept web to determine
how much more students can now relate to Rome. Ask the class to enumerate Roman
contributions to civilization from the following prompts:
• language, both literary and vernacular; Roman alphabet; Romance language
• law and government
• engineering and architecture
• literature and science (Ptolemy, Tacitus, Plutarch, Virgil, Cicero).
WORLD HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY TO 1500 A.D., UNIT VI
51
UNIT VI
CLASSICAL RIVER CIVILIZATIONS — ASIA
The activities contained in this document are presented as samples
only. While some activities offer a broader scope than that required
by the Standards of Learning, all of the standards for this grade
level or course have not necessarily been addressed. Teachers
should rely on the 2001 History and Social Science Curriculum
Framework when developing lessons that align with the History
and Social Science Standards of Learning to ensure that all critical
content has been taught.
Unit Overview
Great civilizations emerged in India and China in
much the same manner as the river cultures of Egypt
and Mesopotamia arose. Ancient India and China
also benefitted from rich river valleys that were
easily defended against invasion because of
surrounding deserts and mountains. Physical barriers
to invasion also prevented frequent contact with
other cultures. Late in the classical period, the Silk
Road connected China with the western world, while
India traded with the peoples of Mesopotamia.
Classical India existed in a geographical area along
and between the Indus and Ganges River valleys.
The Indo-Aryan people invaded the area about 1500
B.C., creating a rigidly structured society (caste
system) blended with native Hinduism. Buddhism
became the prominent faith during the Mauryan
dynasty when Asoka directed missionaries to spread
the faith. The Gupta dynasty produced the Golden
Age of Classical Indian culture, which contributed
greatly to Western civilization.
Chinese culture began around 1500 B.C. Great
cultural advances occurred under two dynasties, the
Zhou and Tang. Chinese contributions to civilization
are numerous, but Confucianism and Taoism are
among the most prominent. The Great Wall is an
architectural achievement that continues to astound
the world.
FOCUS STANDARDS OF
LEARNING
History and Social Science
WHI.1
The student will improve skills in historical
research and geographical analysis by
a) identifying, analyzing, and interpreting
primary and secondary sources to make
generalizations about events and life in
world history to 1500 A.D.;
b) using maps, globes, artifacts, and pictures
to analyze the physical and cultural
landscapes of the world and interpret the
past to 1500 A.D.;
c) identifying major geographic features
important to the study of world history to
1500 A.D.;
d) identifying and comparing political
boundaries with the location of
civilizations, empires, and kingdoms from
4000 B.C. to 1500 A.D.;
e) analyzing trends in human migration and
cultural interaction from prehistory to 1500
A.D.
WHI.4
The student will demonstrate knowledge of
the civilizations of Persia, India, and
China in terms of chronology, geography,
social structures, government, economy,
religion, and contributions to later
civilizations by
a) describing Persia, with emphasis on the
development of an imperial bureaucracy;
b) describing India, with emphasis on the
Aryan migrations and the caste system;
c) describing the origins, beliefs, traditions,
customs, and spread of Hinduism;
d) describing the origins, beliefs, traditions,
customs, and spread of Buddhism;
e) describing China, with emphasis on the
development of an empire and the
construction of the Great Wall;
f) describing the impact of Confucianism,
Taoism, and Buddhism.
WHI.7
The student will demonstrate knowledge of
the Byzantine Empire and Russia from
about 300 to 1000 A.D. by
a) explaining the establishment of
Constantinople as the capital of the
Eastern Roman Empire;
b) identifying Justinian and his contributions,
including the codification of Roman law,
and describing the expansion of the
Byzantine Empire and economy;
c) characterizing Byzantine art and
architecture and the preservation of Greek
and Roman traditions;
d) explaining disputes that led to the split
between the Roman Catholic Church and
the Greek Orthodox Church;
e) assessing the impact of Byzantine
influence and trade on Russia and Eastern
Europe.
Existing on four large islands near China and Korea,
Japan was influenced by classical Chinese culture while remaining free to develop a unique
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WORLD HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY TO 1500 A.D., UNIT VI
Japanese culture. Shinto (the native faith), Confucianism, and Buddhism were prominent
elements in Japanese culture.
Essential Questions
1. How were the Indus and Hwang He Rivers important to the development of civilizations
in India and China?
2. How did ancient civilizations in India and China compare with those in the Fertile
Crescent?
Enabling Questions
1. Why was the caste system central to Indian culture?
2. What were the accomplishments of the Mauryan dynasty?
3. What were the accomplishments of the Gupta dynasty?
4. What are the characteristics of the Hindu and Buddhist religions?
5. Why were physical geography and location important to the development of classical
Indian culture?
6. Why were Confucius and Laozi important in the formation of Chinese culture during the
Zhou period?
7. Why was the “mandate of heaven” an important concept in Chinese government?
8. What were the contributions of the Tang dynasty to the Golden Age of China?
9. Why was the Great Wall a product of the physical geography of China?
Question Overview
The study of cultures and civilizations in the Fertile Crescent provided students with some
basic skills to analyze other cultures and civilizations. Instruct them to examine the
development of language, religion, government, economics, and agriculture in ancient China
and India and discover how that development compared with cultural development in the
Fertile Crescent.
INITIAL ACTIVITY
Ask the students to identify on a relief map of Asia major physical features, e.g., Himalayas,
Hindu Kush, Taklamakan Desert, Gobi Desert, Rub al Khali, Indus River, Ganges River, Hwang
He River, Xi River, and other such features. As the physical features are identified, have the
students locate them on outline maps.
Ask individual students to hypothesize where civilization began on the Asian continent. Have
them write brief arguments to support their hypotheses. Post the hypotheses and arguments on a
classroom map of Asia.
WORLD HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY TO 1500 A.D., UNIT VI
53
TASKS
Task 1: Divide the class into two research teams. Make one of these teams responsible for
investigating ancient India, and the other for investigating ancient China. Have each team:
• create a physical map, showing rivers, deserts, and mountains of the area immediate to the
civilization, and summarize the physical geography, detailing how the physical
environment isolated and provided defense to the civilization
• prepare a poster illustrating language origins and development over time
• create a visual display of settlements and explain how they were organized
• create a time line showing the development of ancient India or China to 500 A.D.
• identify important religions that developed within the civilization, and create a chart
illustrating the primary beliefs of the religions
• illustrate (diagram or chart) social class structure and how it changed over time
• describe government operations in the civilization
• create maps illustrating how invasions and conquests changed the boundaries of the
civilization
• create maps illustrating trade routes connecting the civilization with other civilizations.
Task 2: Have the students assume the roles of important persons in classical Indian and Chinese
civilizations, e.g., Confucius, Laozi, Buddha, Mauryan emperor, rajah. Have the class interview
each important person concerning his/her social status, achievements, where and when he/she
lived, and other significant biographical data.
Task 3: Help the students create a large world map on which to record the early beginnings
(cultural hearths) of civilization in the:
• Americas (Inca and Maya)
• Africa (Egypt)
• Asia (India and China).
Task 4: Have the students use a map of Asia to:
• record the spread of Buddhism
• locate and name modern countries within the cultural regions being studied
• locate religious sites for Buddhism and Hinduism.
Task 5: Give the students travel journal assignments as follows:
For the India group, include
India
Myanmar
Sri Lanka
Bangladesh
Thailand
Cambodia
Afghanistan.
For the China group, include
China
Mongolia
Korea
Japan
Pakistan
Nepal
Vietnam
Taiwan.
WORLD HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY TO 1500 A.D., UNIT VI
54
Task 6. Compare ethnic and proselytizing (seeking converts) religions:
RELIGION
PROSELYTIZING
Christianity
ETHNIC
yes
Hinduism
yes
Buddhism
yes
Judaism
yes
Polytheism (Egypt)
yes
Ask the class to explain how these religions and their differences influenced cultural diffusion.
Task 7: Hold a class discussion about and record important cultural achievements in the
development of Indian and Chinese civilizations as follows:
TIME PERIODS
CLASSICAL INDIA
CLASSICAL CHINA
2500–2000 B. C.
Hrappan Age: Animist religion
2000–1500 B. C.
Hrappan Age
1500–1000 B. C.
Vedic Age: Aryan Invasion; caste system
Shang Dynasty
1000–500 B. C.
Vedic Age
Zhou Dynasty
500–0 B. C.
Buddha (563–483 B. C.); Alexander the Great; Mauryan
Empire
Qin Dynasty: Great Wall built;
Han Dynasty
0–500 A. D.
Gupta Empire
Tang Dynasty
500–1000 A. D.
Have the students leave plenty of space for notes as the class discusses cultural developments,
e.g., invention of paper, civil service, caste system.
CONCLUDING ACTIVITY
Have the two groups present their findings to the class, comparing one cultural characteristic at a
time. For example, ask representatives from each group to present the physical environment
features influencing their civilization and its development. After each cultural characteristic has
been presented, lead a discussion comparing the cultures of ancient India and China to early
civilizations in the Fertile Crescent and the Mediterranean.
WORLD HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY TO 1500 A.D., UNIT VI
55
Provide comparative charts for students to take notes of the comparisons, as follows:
INDIA
Religious life
Government/Law
Settlements
Social class
Agriculture
Physical location
Language
CHINA
FERTILE
CRESCENT
GREECE AND
ROME
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WORLD HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY TO 1500 A.D., UNIT VI
Essential Questions
3. How did Chinese civilization influence other cultures on its borders?
4. How did Indian civilization influence other cultures in southeast Asia?
Enabling Questions
1. Why were Shinto and Buddhism important to the development of Japanese culture?
2. Why did the Japanese language come to be written with Chinese characters?
Question Overview
The massive Himalaya Mountains separate China and India. China, with a desert to the north
and west and mountains to the south, expanded its influence into Korea and ultimately into
Japan. India exerted greatest influence on its neighbors in southeast Asia.
INITIAL ACTIVITY
Review the ways in which culture was diffused in the ancient world: religious conversions,
invasions, trade, migration of peoples. Have the students provide examples of these among
ancient peoples.
TASKS
Task 1: Have the students map the expansion of classical China under different dynasties. Have
them research and record the primary religions of countries bordering China.
Task 2: Have the students map the routes of traders between India and southeast Asia. Have
them research and record the primary religions of countries in southeast Asia.
Task 3: Have the students compare Chinese and Japanese written languages. How are they
similar? How are they different?
WORLD HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY TO 1500 A.D., UNIT VI
57
CONCLUDING ACTIVITY
Have the students present profiles of their travel journal countries (see Task 5 above) and explain
each country’s cultural relationship to modern and ancient India or China. Present the students
with special questions to challenge their understanding of cultural diffusion, such as the
following:
• The island of Bali in Indonesia is Hindu while the rest of the country has a different faith.
How did this happen?
• Myanmar (Burma) next to India is Buddhist and not Hindu. Explain why?
• Japan honors Confucius and Buddha. Why?
WORLD HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY TO 1500 A.D., UNIT VII
59
UNIT VII
CLASSICAL CIVILIZATIONS IN AFRICA AND AMERICA
The activities contained in this document are presented as samples only.
While some activities offer a broader scope than that required by the
Standards of Learning, all of the standards for this grade level or course
have not necessarily been addressed. Teachers should rely on the 2001
History and Social Science Curriculum Framework when developing
lessons that align with the History and Social Science Standards of
Learning to ensure that all critical content has been taught.
Unit Overview
For several reasons, classical civilizations emerged later in
Africa and the Americas. In Africa, climates created harsh
environments in which people struggled to make a living.
Tropical rain forests contained poor soils and were
therefore most conducive to hunting and gathering
activities. The savannas (grasslands) were suitable for
fixed agriculture, but drought often destroyed crops. In
addition, much of Africa consists of inhospitable deserts.
Despite the environment, classical civilizations — Kush,
Ashanti, Mali, Songhai — emerged.
In the Americas, pastoral activities and limited farming
began as early as 6000 B.C., but classic civilization did not
begin until around 300 A.D.
FOCUS STANDARDS OF
LEARNING
History and Social Science
WHI.8
The student will demonstrate
knowledge of Islamic civilization
from about 600 to 1000 A.D. by
a) describing the origin, beliefs,
traditions, customs, and spread of
Islam;
b) assessing the influence of
geography on Islamic economic,
social, and political development,
including the impact of conquest
and trade;
c) identifying historical turning points
that affected the spread and
influence of Islamic civilization,
with emphasis on the Sunni-Shi’a
division and the Battle of Tours;
d) citing cultural and scientific
contributions and achievements of
Islamic civilization.
WHI.10 The student will demonstrate
knowledge of civilizations and
empires of the Eastern Hemisphere
and their interactions through
regional trade patterns by
a) locating major trade routes;
b) identifying technological advances
and transfers, networks of
economic interdependence, and
cultural interactions;
c) describing Japan, with emphasis
on the impact of Shinto and
Buddhist traditions and the
influence of Chinese culture;
d) describing east African kingdoms
of Axum and Zimbabwe and west
African civilizations of Ghana, Mali,
and Songhai in terms of geography,
society, economy, and religion.
Essential Questions
1. How did the Mali, Kush, Ashanti, and Songhai
Empires develop, and what challenges did they face?
2. How did these civilizations compare with the first
African empire in Egypt?
3. How was Kush in East Africa different from Ghana in West Africa?
Question Overview
The story of Mali asserts the rich and varied history of West Africa by focusing on two
ancient empires: Mali and Songhai. Similarly, the story of Ghana illustrates how the
traditional society of the Ashanti people and the Ashanti Empire shaped modern culture.
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WORLD HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY TO 1500 A.D., UNIT VII
INITIAL ACTIVITY
FOCUS STANDARDS OF
LEARNING continued
Ask the students to close their eyes while you read a story
involving a typical day for an African boy or girl from a
selected country. Then ask each student to write a brief
essay comparing his/her daily life in America with that of the
African adolescent described in the story. Have the students
share their comparisons with a class discussion promoting a
similar-different comparison of the two societies. Write
summaries of this discussion on the chalkboard or on
newsprint, using a chart similar to the following:
SIMILAR
DIFFERENT
Recreation
Education
Religion
Foods
Family
TASKS
Task 1: Present the students with a collection of pictures
from ancient Egypt, Kush, Mali, and Songhai. Ask the class
to say what they know about the pictures: Who are these
people and where did they live? Do the pictures show
current or past conditions? Ask them to list the
accomplishments of these peoples and their empires. (Most
students will not have heard of or will know very little about
sub-Saharan kingdoms.)
Have the students hypothesize how Africa has changed from
the old empires to the countries that exist there today.
Present them with pictures of the same regions in
contemporary Africa, showing the problems of living in an
arid region (the Sahel), the problems of disease (e.g., AIDS),
and the problems of racial segregation (apartheid).
English
8.1 The student will use interviewing
techniques to gain information.
a. Prepare and ask relevant questions
for the interview.
b. Make notes of responses.
c. Compile and report responses.
d. Evaluate the effectiveness of the
interview.
8.4 The student will comprehend what is
read from a variety of sources.
a. Draw on background knowledge
and knowledge of text structure to
understand selections.
b. Analyze details for relevance and
accuracy.
c. Read and follow instructions to
assemble a model or simple
structure.
d. Evaluate and synthesize
information to apply in written and
oral presentations.
8.5 The student will write in a variety of
forms, including narrative, expository
and persuasive writings.
a. Use prewriting strategies to
generate and organize ideas.
b. Focus on elaboration and
organization.
c. Select specific vocabulary and
information.
d. Use standard sentence formation,
eliminating comma splices and
other nonstandard forms of
sentences that distract readers.
e. Revise writing for word choice,
appropriate organization, consistent
point of view, and transitions
among paragraphs.
f. Edit final copies to ensure correct
use of pronoun case, verb tense
inflections, and adjective and
adverb comparisons.
g. Edit final copies to ensure correct
spelling, capitalization,
punctuation, and format.
h. Use available technology.
8.6 The student will analyze mass media
messages.
a. Identify the persuasive technique
being used.
b. Describe the possible cause-effect
relationships between mass media
coverage and public opinion trends.
c. Evaluate advertisements,
editorials, and feature stories for
relationships between intent and
factual content.
Finally, present pictures of modern African cities (e.g., Ibadan, Capetown) and pictures of
American cities (e.g., Chicago, New York). Engage students in discussion about the cities: How
are they alike? How are they different?
WORLD HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY TO 1500 A.D., UNIT VII
61
Task 2: Assign the students travel journal activities for the following countries:
Ghana
Nigeria
Niger
Ivory Coast
Liberia
Sudan
Kenya
Union of South Africa
Angola
Mauritania
Morocco
Task 3: After studying classical civilizations in other parts of the world, students are prepared
to study separate African civilizations and compare their development to ancient Egypt. Group
the students into four small groups, and assign each group one of the following ancient African
civilizations to study: Kush (Meroe), Ashanti, Mali, Songhai. Ask each group to:
• locate and label the climatic and vegetation regions of the ancient culture on a physical
map of Africa. Report on the climate and vegetation in the areas where the ancient culture
was located.
• locate the ancient culture on a modern political map of Africa. List the names of the
modern countries that include lands once controlled by the ancient culture.
• describe the religious practices of the ancient culture. Research the prominent religion in
that area today.
• draw trade routes of the ancient culture on a map of Africa and describe products they
traded. With whom did they trade?
• construct a model of a city or community of the ancient culture. How did the environment
influence settlements?
• research and describe art produced by the ancient people
• describe language development (writing, pictography) of the ancient culture
• prepare a time line illustrating the time period when the ancient culture flourished
• compare the ancient culture with African civilization in Egypt studied earlier. Use a
graphic organizer like the one below:
ANCIENT EGYPT
SONGHAI
Religion
Language
Economics
Art/Architecture
Government/Law
Agriculture
Task 4: Have the students research different health problems associated with tropical Africa,
e.g., malaria, tuberculosis, or sleeping sickness. Have them prepare information sheets and
develop maps charting the diseases.
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WORLD HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY TO 1500 A.D., UNIT VII
CONCLUDING ACTIVITY
Have the small groups report information about their assigned civilizations. Provide students
with graphic organizers on which to keep notes during group presentations about African
civilizations:
Kush
Religion
Language
Economics
Art/Architecture
Government/Law
Agriculture
Songhai
Mali
Ashanti
WORLD HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY TO 1500 A.D., UNIT VII
63
Essential Question
4. What were the major accomplishments of early civilizations in the Americas?
Question Overview
The Americas (the Western Hemisphere) are separated from other continents by the Atlantic
and Pacific Oceans. Nevertheless, the land bridge between Asia and North America permitted
early peoples to migrate to the Americas. Over time, they created settlements that grew into
great civilizations: the Olmec, the Maya, the Aztec, and the Inca.
INITIAL ACTIVITY
Tell the students to imagine the following scenario: You are a teacher, and while at home you
have been informed that due to a bad storm, school has been called off for the rest of the week.
You must tell your 20 students about the unexpected holiday, but the storm has knocked out the
telephone system. You must physically go to all of the students to deliver the message.
Tell the students that they will engage in a free writing exercise in which they will write about
how they would go about communicating with their students. They should also bear in mind that
they may need to contact the students again with additional news. Tell the students that once
their pencil/pen hits the paper, they are not to stop writing until they have finished. After a brief
period of time for thinking, then have them begin writing their responses.
After they have finished, have them share their responses. Then make a connection with travel on
today’s roads with travelling on the network of stone roads the Incas built to create and maintain
an empire high in the Andes. Lead a discussion on the significance of roads in the early
civilizations in America.
TASKS
Task 1: Divide the class into four working groups with each group representing one of four early
American cultures: the Olmec, the Maya, the Aztec, or the Inca. Have each group research
aspects of its culture and record the data on a graphic organizer (see example below). It is
important that the research include books from the library, the textbook, and the Internet and
other electronic media.
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WORLD HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY TO 1500 A.D., UNIT VII
CULTURAL ACTIVITY
OLMEC
Settlements
Government/Law
Language
Religion
Economics
Clothing
Art/Architecture
Agriculture
Place a time line with appropriate dates above the chalkboard, and have each group record the
time period when its culture flourished. Then have each group record on 3” x 5” cards the data it
has collected about the culture and place the cards under appropriate headings on a large poster
board chart. Have each group report its findings to the class, and have the other students take
notes from these presentations on each culture.
Task 2: Assign the students travel journal activities for the following countries:
Peru
Ecuador
Colombia
Chile
Brazil
Bolivia
Mexico
Guatemala
Honduras
Belize
El Salvador
Nicaragua
Task 3: Provide each group with raw materials such as aluminum foil, cardboard, tape, and glue,
and have them use these materials to build a model of an architectural achievement produced by
that culture, e.g., temples, observatories, ball courts, Olmec heads. Have them include information
about the architecture to accompany the model, addressing the following questions:
• What were/are the physical dimensions of the architecture?
• Where was/is it located?
• What function did/does it perform in the culture?
Have the group explain its model as part of the final presentation.
Task 4: Provide each group with an outline map of South America and Central America, and
have it locate its culture on the map, showing the extent of the culture at its height of power or
influence. Have it provide a title and map key for the map. In addition, have it include physical
features that influenced the spread of its culture — mountains, rivers, rain forests. Have each
group include its map as part of its presentation.
WORLD HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY TO 1500 A.D., UNIT VII
65
CONCLUDING ACTIVITY
Have the four groups give their final presentations, and provide all the students comparative
devices such as graphic organizers or charts in outline form for notetaking purposes. Make
certain that the groups present all of the important information. After each group presents, hold
discussions comparing the American cultures to ancient Sumer and to each other.
WORLD HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY TO 1500 A.D., UNIT VIII
67
UNIT VIII
THE RISE OF CHRISTIANITY
The activities contained in this document are presented as samples
only. While some activities offer a broader scope than that required
by the Standards of Learning, all of the standards for this grade level
or course have not necessarily been addressed. Teachers should rely
on the 2001 History and Social Science Curriculum Framework when
developing lessons that align with the History and Social Science
Standards of Learning to ensure that all critical content has been
taught.
Unit Overview
As the Roman Empire continued to lose influence, the
Christian faith grew stronger within it. Proselytizing
converts spread the word of the Messiah throughout
the empire. In 395 A.D., Christianity became the only
legal religion of Rome. By that time, German tribes
from northern Europe were threatening the empire on
every front. While stoicism remained the philosophy
of many Romans, Christian hope of salvation won the
day.
With the fall of Rome, invading German tribes acquired
Roman lands and gradually converted to the Christian
faith. The Roman Catholic Church assumed political
influence, giving rise to a Christian Europe. Roman
dominance receded from memory as the faithful acted
to lead good lives in hope of salvation.
FOCUS STANDARDS OF
LEARNING
History and Social Science
WHI.9
The student will demonstrate
knowledge of Western Europe during
the Middle Ages from about 500 to 1000
A.D. in terms of its impact on Western
civilization by
a) sequencing events related to the
spread and influence of Christianity and
the Catholic Church throughout Europe;
b) explaining the structure of feudal
society and its economic, social, and
political effects;
c) explaining the rise of Frankish kings,
the Age of Charlemagne, and the
revival of the idea of the Roman
Empire;
d) sequencing events related to the
invasions, settlements, and influence
of migratory groups, including Angles,
Saxons, Magyars, and Vikings.
WHI.12 The student will demonstrate
knowledge of social, economic, and
political changes and cultural
achievements in the late medieval
period by
a) describing the emergence of nationstates (England, France, Spain, and
Russia) and distinctive political
developments in each;
b) explaining conflicts among Eurasian
powers, including the Crusades, the
Mongol conquests, and the fall of
Constantinople;
c) identifying patterns of crisis and
recovery related to the Black Death;
d) explaining the preservation and transfer
to Western Europe of Greek, Roman,
and Arabic philosophy, medicine, and
science.
Essential Questions
1. Why did German tribes pressure Roman defenses?
2. Who were the Germans, and what did they have to offer?
Enabling Questions
1. Why did the Roman Empire decline and finally cease to exist in Rome?
2. Why did the Eastern Roman Empire survive?
3. What was Justinian’s influence on the expansion of the Byzantine Empire and its
economy?
4. Why were law codes a vital strength of the Byzantine Empire?
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WORLD HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY TO 1500 A.D., UNIT VIII
Question Overview
The German tribes were under pressure from peoples in Eastern Europe: the Slavs and Huns.
Rome, with all its splendors, yet weakened through a declining economy, was an ideal prize.
Eventually in 476 A.D., a Germanic emperor ruled Rome, signaling the end of the empire.
INITIAL ACTIVITY
Ask the students to indicate on a modern political map of Europe countries where Germanic
people live. Promote a discussion of how we can determine who is Germanic: Must they live in
Germany? What if they speak a Germanic language but do not live in Germany? Do they have to
look German?
Spend some time going over the European map to indicate where Germanic languages are spoken:
in the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, Germany, Austria, and
parts of Belgium and Switzerland. Have the students hypothesize how this came about. Review
where Romance languages are spoken: in France, Spain, Portugal, Italy, and parts of Belgium and
Switzerland.
TASKS
Task 1: It is important to note how strong German tribes changed the Roman map. Have the
students locate on a map of Europe the areas controlled by the following German tribes after the
fall of Rome:
• Vandals (North Africa — Carthage)
• Visigoths (Spain)
• Franks (Gaul — France)
• Ostrogoths (Italy)
• Angles, Saxons, and Jutes (England).
Task 2: The ancient Germanic tribes elected their leaders, and freemen voted on tribal actions, a
process that contributed to the growth of democratic ideas in Europe. Have the students compare
German democracy with Athenian democracy, using a Venn diagram to depict their comparisons.
Task 3: The German tribes believed in a hierarchy of gods much like those of early Greece and
Rome. Have the students compare the ancient Germanic gods — Tiw, Wotan, Thor, Frey —
with the gods of ancient Rome. How are these names related to our calendar?
WORLD HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY TO 1500 A.D., UNIT VIII
69
CONCLUDING ACTIVITY
Return to the initial activity and ask students to explain the language patterns of Europe. Why is
English a Germanic language while French is a Romance language? Explain why some areas
retained a Latin or Romance language even after being conquered by German tribes.
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WORLD HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY TO 1500 A.D., UNIT VIII
Essential Questions
3. Why was Christianity spread so successfully throughout the Roman Empire?
4. How did the Roman Catholic Church come to have both religious and political power?
Enabling Questions
1. What were the essential beliefs of the early Christian faith?
2. How did Christianity become established within the Roman Empire?
Question Overview
The Roman Empire possessed the greatest amount of territory in 117 A.D., but by this time it
was already in trouble. The costs of the army and imperial spending contributed to a growing
problem with inflation. Imperial abuse of conquered peoples caused unrest in the empire.
Christian missionaries and martyrs successfully converted people living in the empire to the
faith. Finally in 392 A.D., the last Roman emperor declared Christianity the one official faith
of the empire.
INITIAL ACTIVITY
Brainstorm with the class why Christianity won such pervasive influence within the Roman
Empire. What do they know about the Christian faith that would appeal to Romans who worried
about the empire? How did Christianity provide Romans with hope? What did Jesus teach to his
followers?
TASKS
Task 1: Jesus was a Jew born in Palestine (Judea). Have each student write a description of
Roman actions against the Jews. Ask them to explain how the Diaspora influenced Jewish life
and describe Roman actions against the followers of Jesus as they spread his teachings within the
empire.
Task 2: Ask the students to explain why an ethnic religion like Judaism would have fewer
followers than a faith like Christianity.
WORLD HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY TO 1500 A.D., UNIT VIII
71
Task 3: Have the class simulate the debate at the Council of Nicea with one side supporting
Arian views of the Messiah and the other supporting the Nicene Creed. Hold a class discussion
about how the Nicene Creed promoted conversion of the Romans to Christianity.
Task 4: Have each student write a narrative description of the Christian Bible, explaining its
components, how it is organized, and why it was important in converting the empire.
Task 5: The empire was permanently divided into the Roman Empire with Rome as its capital
and the Eastern Roman Empire with its capital at Constantinople. Christianity in Rome
developed church organization on the Petrine Theory, while Christianity in Constantinople
retained the concept of a patriarch. Have the students research this difference and present oral
reports to the class.
Task 6: Have the students prepare a chart comparing early church organization with Roman
political units:
ROMAN POLITICAL UNIT
CHURCH ORGANIZATION
Village
Presbyter (priest)
Diocese (several villages)
Bishop
Province (several diocese)
Archbishop
City
Patriarch
Task 7: Research the lives of early church leaders and their impact on Europe, including:
St. Patrick
St. Augustine
St. Benedict
Constantine
Ulfilas
St. Jerome
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WORLD HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY TO 1500 A.D., UNIT VIII
Essential Questions
5. Why is Christendom an appropriate name for the period 800–1500 A.D.?
6. How did Christianity shape political and social life in Western Europe during those
years?
7. What factors produced division within the Christian Church?
Question Overview
The Papacy grew increasingly powerful, as the political fortunes of the empire declined.
While political turmoil reigned, the Catholic Church extended its authority by exerting its
right to establish courts and tax individuals. Charlemagne (Charles the Great) preserved
Greco-Roman culture within his Frankish kingdom. When the Pope proclaimed him emperor
of the Romans, the Catholic Church blended politics and faith. Europeans became loyal to the
Church leaving political loyalty behind.
INITIAL ACTIVITY
Engage the class in a discussion of the relationship of church and state in the United States.
Which is most supreme — political authority or church authority? Review from United States
History Thomas Jefferson’s role in separating church and state. Why did he believe that they
should be separated?
TASKS
Task 1: Divide the class into small groups, and have each group prepare a research report on one
of the following topics:
• Clovis and the Franks
• Charlemagne made emperor
• Charles Martel
• Anointment of Pepin
• Conversion of Arian believers
Task 2: Have the students prepare an argument that the Catholic Church was more important
and powerful than any king by 800 A.D. Be sure that they include the facts that:
• Europeans observed common church holidays (“holy days”) in all regions
• the Pope anointed kings (divine right)
• loyalty to the Roman Empire was gone
• church courts could excommunicate and execute.
WORLD HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY TO 1500 A.D., UNIT VIII
CONCLUDING ACTIVITY
Challenge the class to explain why the Christian Church was so successful in achieving
supremacy over European life by 800 A.D. Why did Christianity prevail over stoicism? How
important was a written testament (the Bible) to the success of the church?
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WORLD HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY TO 1500 A.D., UNIT IX
75
UNIT IX
THE RISE OF ISLAM
The activities contained in this document are presented as samples
only. While some activities offer a broader scope than that required by
the Standards of Learning, all of the standards for this grade level or
course have not necessarily been addressed. Teachers should rely on
the 2001 History and Social Science Curriculum Framework when
developing lessons that align with the History and Social Science
Standards of Learning to ensure that all critical content has been
taught.
Unit Overview
Followers of Islam must spread the word of God and
the prophet Mohammed. Mohammed believed that
mankind had failed to keep faith with the one true and
living God. Recognizing the importance of Hebrew and
Christian prophets, Mohammed established that he
was the true and final prophet. The Koran outlines for
its followers the five pillars of faith. Conversion of
nonbelievers makes conquests a justifiable action, thus
political and religious purposes were joined. The
expansion of Islam was justified as jihad, or holy war.
Essential Questions
1. Why did Islam spread across Africa and the Middle
East?
2. Why did Islam appeal to desert cultures?
FOCUS STANDARDS OF
LEARNING
History and Social Science
WHI.12 The student will demonstrate
knowledge of social, economic, and
political changes and cultural
achievements in the late medieval
period by
a) describing the emergence of nationstates (England, France, Spain, and
Russia) and distinctive political
developments in each;
b) explaining conflicts among Eurasian
powers, including the Crusades, the
Mongol conquests, and the fall of
Constantinople;
c) identifying patterns of crisis and
recovery related to the Black Death;
d) explaining the preservation and
transfer to Western Europe of Greek,
Roman, and Arabic philosophy,
medicine, and science.
WHI.13 The student will demonstrate
knowledge of developments leading to
the Renaissance in Europe in terms of
its impact on Western civilization by
a) identifying the economic foundations
of the Renaissance;
b) sequencing events related to the rise
of Italian city-states and their political
development, including Machiavelli’s
theory of governing as described in
The Prince;
c) citing artistic, literary, and
philosophical creativity, as contrasted
with the medieval period, including
Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, and
Petrarch;
d) comparing the Italian and the Northern
Renaissance, and citing the
contributions of writers.
Enabling Questions
1. Where did Islam begin, and what are its beliefs and practices?
2. What customs and traditions developed and were manifested in social, political, and
economic institutions in Muslim culture?
3. What were cultural and theological differences that created conflict between the Muslim
world and Christendom?
4. What were the critical events that served as turning points in the spread of Islam and
Christianity?
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WORLD HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY TO 1500 A.D., UNIT IX
Question Overview
Remnants of the old Persian Empire were in political disarray and susceptible to invasion.
Arab conquerors carried the word of Islam to their immediate neighbors. Jews and Christians
were allowed to continue their religious practices because they were followers of the same
God. Persuasion or the sword were used to convert polytheists.
INITIAL ACTIVITY
Have the class compare pictures of mosques in different Islamic countries to the cathedrals in
medieval Europe. How are they similar and different? Use a Venn diagram on the board to
illustrate student comments about both religions.
TASKS
Task 1: Have students chart the Roman Catholic sacraments alongside the five pillars of Islam.
Have them prepare notecards for an oral presentation to the class explaining the differences and
similarities between these two religions.
Task 2: Islam was established in countries where many followers were Bedouins. Have the
students define Bedouin and then explain why the Islamic faith was more appropriate than
Christianity to their lifestyle.
Task 3: Have the students locate, on a political outline map of the Middle East, the holy sites of
Islam. Have them label the countries that exist in this region today.
Task 4: Have the students indicate, on a map of Europe and the Middle East, Arab conquests
under the Arabian caliphs, the Umayyad caliphs, and the Abbasid caliphs. Have them identify
the capital city used by each caliphate.
Task 5: Have students describe the Moorish conquest of Spain and its impact on learning,
architecture, and science.
Task 6: The Koran teaches that all humans are equal before God and that no priest should come
between the individual and God. How did this belief influence religious organization? How did it
create conflicts with Hindus when Muslims conquered India?
Task 7: Have students trace the role of women in Islam from early conquest periods to later
contacts with the Persians. Why did women begin to use the veil? Why do some Islamic
countries today require the veil while others do not?
WORLD HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY TO 1500 A.D., UNIT IX
77
Task 8: Have the students prepare maps of the world showing those countries where Islam is
the majority faith. Have them indicate those countries where Arabic is the language of the
majority. Have them write paragraphs on the back of their maps, explaining the impact of the
faith on language. Ask them to explain why there are exceptions. Have them write a second
paragraph explaining why Latin (the language of the Roman Catholic Church) failed to become
the language of each Catholic country.
Task 9: Have the students compare and contrast Sunni and Shiite followers of Islam. How did
this division of the faith come about? Who was Hussein? Where are the Shiites mostly located?
Who are the Druse? Who are the Alawites? Have students make a poster to display this
information in the classroom.
Task 10: Assign the students travel journal activities for the following countries:
Libya
Tunisia
Algeria
Yemen
Chad
Review Middle Eastern countries from earlier assignments.
Task 11: Have the students choose an important person from Islam (see below) whom they will
portray in a class activity. Have them prepare a biographical sketch to be shared during the
portrayal.
Mohammed
Fatima
Saladin
King Idris
Ali
Tamerlane
Tarik
Richard Lion Heart
Abu Bakr
Task 12: Have the students make a classroom time line to illustrate the spread of Islam.
CONCLUDING ACTIVITY
Conduct a class discussion about important figures in the history of Islam. Have the class role
play interviews with the persons discussed.
Distribute a graphic organizer for a review of the four religions studied during the year:
HINDUISM
ISLAM
BUDDHISM
Sacred Writings
Organization
Holy Sites
Practices
Influence on Landscape
Holidays
Guide the discussion to promote a thorough review of the information.
CHRISTIANITY
WORLD HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY TO 1500 A.D., UNIT X
79
UNIT X
FEUDAL SOCIETY
The activities contained in this document are presented as samples only.
While some activities offer a broader scope than that required by the
Standards of Learning, all of the standards for this grade level or course
have not necessarily been addressed. Teachers should rely on the 2001
History and Social Science Curriculum Framework when developing
lessons that align with the History and Social Science Standards of
Learning to ensure that all critical content has been taught.
Unit Overview
The Feudal Age (800–1200) has been termed a “dark age”
because the Greco-Roman culture was diminished or lost
for most people. Ideas of republic and empire had long
passed from thought. Islamic cultures and the Eastern
Roman Empire, as well as certain monasteries in the
West, preserved the knowledge of the Greco-Roman
civilization. At the same time, the feudal age provided
economic and political stability at the local level.
FOCUS STANDARDS OF
LEARNING
History and Social Science
WHI.13 The student will demonstrate
knowledge of developments
leading to the Renaissance in
Europe in terms of its impact on
Western civilization by
a) identifying the economic
foundations of the Renaissance;
b) sequencing events related to the
rise of Italian city-states and their
political development, including
Machiavelli’s theory of governing
as described in The Prince;
c) citing artistic, literary, and
philosophical creativity, as
contrasted with the medieval
period, including Leonardo da
Vinci, Michelangelo, and Petrarch;
d) comparing the Italian and the
Northern Renaissance, and citing
the contributions of writers.
Essential Questions
1. What was feudalism, and why did the system last for such a long time?
2. Why did feudalism become established?
Enabling Questions
1. Why did a feudal society develop in Europe during the Middle Ages?
2. How did the manorial system serve as both a social and an economic system?
3. How did the rule of Frankish monarchs promote the foundation of Western civilization?
4. Why did invasions by the Magyars, Vikings, Angles, Saxons, and Muslims produce a
feudal society?
INITIAL ACTIVITY
Brainstorm with the class about the Feudal Age. Include the following terms in the discussion —
castles, lords, knights, serfs. Elicit as much information as you can about what the students
already know about this topic. Display a concept web with the term Feudalism at the center and
the terms Social Classes, Economics, Politics, and Religion shown around the center.
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WORLD HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY TO 1500 A.D., UNIT X
TASKS
The Feudal Age was an important time that is often misunderstood. We have often glamorized
the nobility without comprehending its complexity. The tasks that are listed require a
considerable amount of time, but they offer important opportunities to learn about feudal
society.
Task 1: Have the students research the manorial system and prepare a map of the manor,
including:
• a map key and title
• the manor house
• the field system and rotation
• the church and the priest’s home
• woodlands (wood and hunting)
• the castle keep
• pastures
• meadows
• areas for common activities (e.g., bake ovens).
Have the students write on 3” x 5” cards descriptions of each site and attach them to their map.
Task 2: Have the students write definitions of important personages in feudal society and
prepare a chart that carefully diagrams the relationships among these personages:
lord (knight)
priest
serf (peasant)
bishop
noble
king
archbishop
Pope
freeman
town
manor (castle)
Task 3: Economic life depended upon the feudal contract. Have the students prepare a feudal
contract between a lord and his serfs regarding the duties of each party and the use of the land. Be
certain that they include the concept of protection in the contract.
Task 4: Barter replaced the use of money for some time during the Feudal Age. Have the
students create a display of token items that serfs, lords, and priests would have exchanged in the
conduct of ordinary life. Ask them: How would you conduct a barter system? What would a
manor fair be like? Conduct a class barter using the items. Why is it difficult to arrive at an agreed
price?
Task 5: Have the students write a description of the conduct of government at the manor. Make
sure they include the roles of the priest and Church, the lord, and the serfs. What do we mean by
canon law? What is secular law?
Task 6: Have the students make a chart that illustrates the role of the Church in the conduct of
life. Be sure that they include the sacraments — baptism, matrimony, confirmation, penance,
Holy Eucharist, and extreme unction — and descriptions of how these activities were conducted.
For example, how were marriages arranged, and how were they conducted?
WORLD HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY TO 1500 A.D., UNIT X
81
Essential Questions
3. How were other parts of the world important in bringing change to the Feudal Age?
4. How did the Catholic Church preserve and promote art and architecture during the Feudal
Age?
Question Overview
Islamic regimes in Africa and southwest Asia preserved and extended the learning of the
Greeks while education was in decline in Europe. The Eastern Roman Empire
(Constantinople) preserved Greco-Roman civilization for one thousand years after the fall of
Rome.
Learning was not an important element for the masses under feudalism, but the Church
maintained monastic orders that fostered knowledge of Greek and Latin. While learning was
not available to the masses, monastic orders taught and preserved important knowledge from
the past.
Crusades against Islamic control of the Holy Land brought Western Europe into contact with
knowledge and new products from the Middle East such as silks, spices, and sugar. As trade
increased, the use of money increased leading to an increase in the need for money changers
(bankers). A merchant and craft class of freemen living in towns became important in a feudal
society.
INITIAL ACTIVITY
Show pictures of modern Roman Catholic churches and those built during the feudal period.
Select some well-known churches to display. Ask the class to observe aspects of medieval church
buildings that survive today in modern churches. Why were churches so ornate? Have the class
name Greek buildings that were built for the Greeks’ religion. Why were prominent Roman
buildings built for the public and the government?
TASKS
Task 1: Have the students construct a map of Europe and the Mediterranean area, illustrating the
Eastern Roman Empire and the Islamic world. Have them locate important Italian cities where
goods could be imported into Europe and draw in the trade routes for moving goods to and from
these ports. Have them locate Jerusalem and sites founded by the crusaders.
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WORLD HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY TO 1500 A.D., UNIT X
Task 2: Have the students make a list of Arabic words that are now a part of English, e.g., sugar.
Task 3: Have the students research the processes used in building cathedrals with high vaulted
ceilings. Have them make a model and demonstrate it in class.
Task 4: Have the students plan, design, and make a “stained glass window” for a medieval
cathedral. They may use colored tissue paper to copy a picture of a real medieval window or to
create a new window in the style.
Task 5: Have the students reproduce the alphabet in calligraphy and/or use calligraphy to write a
passage from the Bible.
Task 6: Many of the early bankers and merchants were Jewish. Have the students write an
essay on Jews in the feudal period, describing:
• why Jews were living in Europe rather than in Palestine
• why Jews were active in banking and trade
• where the Jews lived and why so many made their way to Poland.
Task 7: Have the students research life in a manor house (castle), including information about
family roles, eating habits and food, disposal of wastes, animal life, heating, floor coverings, and
furniture.
CONCLUDING ACTIVITY
Conduct a medieval fair with class members playing the roles of lord, lady, servants, serfs, priest,
merchants, craftsmen, court jester, and money changers.