Introduction
Mummies, pyramids, Cleopatra, "an eye for an eye", the birth of major religions , the birth of democracy, the first Olympics, Julius Caesar, gladiators, the invention of writing, paper, and the wheel, kingdoms built of stone in Africa, the Great Wall of China, the introduction of such concepts as zero, time, and monotheism (the belief in one god), Samurai, martial arts, palaces of gold, and even the Sphinx.
WOW! All of these things have one thing in commom: they all came from an Ancinent Civilization.
The study of ancient civilizations and people raises some profound questions. Who are humans? Where did we come from? Where are we going?
Now YOU have the chance to explore these civilizations and discover their impact on our lives now.
[video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=21aSBeDfQ-4]
Task
You will be assigned one of the following ancient civilizations:
- Mesopotamia
- Ancient Egypt
- Kush and other African Kingdoms
- Ancient India
- Ancient China
- Mayan Civilization
- Ancient Greece
- Persian Civilization
- Ancient Rome
- The Aztecs Civilization
- The Incas Civilization
It will be your duty to inform your classmates on different aspects of your civilization, such as every day life as well as it's importance to our world today.
Process
Your Assignment will be divided into two main components:
- A group powerpoint presentation
- An individual creative component
TASK 1: GROUP POWERPOINT PRESENTATION:
1. The class will be divided into groups based on the Ancient Civilization you were assigned. (2-4 students per group)
2. In your group, you will create a powerpoint presentation which teaches the rest of the class:
- How geography and other key factors lead to the development your civilizations.
- Timeline of your civilization (When it began/Collaped)
- The civilization’s "daily life" by exploring the civilization’s government, religion, geography, economy, important people, and culture.
- The civilization’s biggest contributions to mankind and it’s influence in our lives today.
3. As a group, you will decide on how you will split up the research on your topic as well as on the specific tasks for the execution of your presentation.
4. The presentation must be between 8-12 minutes long.
TASK 2: INDIVIDUAL CREATIVE PROJECT
1. Based on the civilization you were assigned, you will research a topic within your civilization that interests you! (I will have to approve it first)
2. Based on your topic of interest, you will present to the class a work of art that you created which explains the topic.
- This may be a work of visual art (painting, collage), a musical or dramatic performance, a poem, a monoloque, or any other form of art as long as you get it approved by me first.
3. You will explain to the class how you came up with your work of art, and how it directly relates to your topic. (5 minutes per student)
4. This is your chance to have fun with the information you have researched :)
Some helpful links to begin your research for both the powerpoint and the creative project are:
http://www.history.com/topics/ancient-history
http://www.ancientcivilizations.co.uk/home_set.html
http://science.nationalgeographic.com/science/archaeology/ancient-civil…
Evaluation
Conclusion
After completing your assignment and watching your classmate's presentations, I hope you have gained so much knowledge and insight on the Ancient Civilizations. They have paved the way and built the foundations for the world as we know it! THAT IS HUGE!
I am so proud of your hard work and for trully exploring each civilization so deeply and thoughtfully!
I hope the process was fun!
Teacher Page
1. Objectives of this Assignment:
- Students will learn how geography and other key factors lead to the development of the first civilizations.
- Students will learn about the civilization’s daily life by exploring the civilization’s government, religion, geography, economy, and culture.
- Students will analyze the civilization’s biggest contributions to mankind and it’s influence in our lives today.
2. Florida Teacher's Standards (Social Science 6th Grade) covered:
Standard 1 SS.6.W.1: Utilize historical inquiry skills and analytical processes.