Download Stage 4 History The Ancient World Overview

Overview: The Ancient World | Stage 4
Summary
Duration 4 wks
Overview is the first topic of the Year 7 History Course.
Overview Content
The following content is to be taught as part of an overview for the
historical period. It is not intended to be taught in depth. An overview will
constitute approximately 10% of the total teaching time for the year.
Overview content identifies important features of the period, approximately
60 000 BC (BCE) – c.650 AD (CE), as part of an expansive chronology
that helps students understand broad patterns of historical change. As
such, the overview provides the broader context for the teaching of depth
study content and can be built into various parts of a teaching and learning
program. This means that overview content can be used to give students
an introduction to the historical period; to make the links to and between
the depth studies; and to consolidate understanding through a review of
the period.
Overview content for the ancient world (Egypt, Mesopotamia, Persia, Greece, Rome,
India, China and the Maya) includes the following:
Overview content for the ancient world (Egypt, Mesopotamia, Persia,
Greece, Rome, India, China and the Maya) includes the following:
1. the theory that people moved out of Africa around 60 000 BC
(BCE) and migrated to other parts of the world, including Australia.
2. the evidence for the emergence and establishment of ancient
societies (including art, iconography, writing tools and pottery)
3. key features of ancient societies (farming, trade, social classes,
religion, rule of law)
the theory that people moved out of Africa around 60 000 BCE and migrated to other
parts of the world, including Australia
•using a map to describe the pattern of movement of humans ‘out of Africa’ and across
other continents over time, and looking at the types of evidence of these movements (for
example stone tools, human remains and cave paintings)
the evidence for the emergence and establishment of ancient societies (including
art, iconography, writing tools and pottery) exploring an early example of art (for
example the 17 000 BCE great bull paintings from the Lascaux Cave in France) and
discussing why they may have been painted
•discussing the evolving nature of the evidence in this period, which shows increasingly
sophisticated forms of technology (for example the transition from making tools out of
stone, bone and wood to metalworking)
•identifying sources of evidence for the emergence of organised states (for example the
Cuneiform script phonetic writing of the Sumerians c.3500 BCE; the ancient law code of
Hammurabi clay tablets from ancient Babylon c.1790 BCE; artefacts found in the tombs at
Ur Sumer c.2500 BCE, which indicate the presence of either royalty or priestesses;
pottery shards and fragments discovered in Palestine made of mud from the River
Nile in Egypt as evidence of trade
Key features of ancient societies (farming, trade, social classes, religion, rule of law)
exploring why the shift from hunting and foraging to cultivation (and the
domestication of animals) led to the development of permanent settlements
•identifying the major civilisations of the ancient world (namely Egypt, Mesopotamia,
Persia, Greece, Rome, India, China and the Maya); where and when they existed, and
the evidence for contact between them
•locating the major civilisations of the ancient world on a world map and using a timeline
to identify the longevity of each ancient civilisation
• identifying the major religions/philosophies that emerged by the end of the period
(Hinduism, Judaism, Buddhism, Confucianism, Christianity, Islam), and their key
beliefs (through group work)
Unit overview
Resource Overview
According to the 'Out of Africa' theory, about 60 000 years ago modern
humans (Homo sapiens) began to leave that continent and gradually
spread throughout the world. Some groups eventually settled down to
grow crops and domesticate animals. In some regions, villages, town and
finally cities emerged and specialised occupations and trades developed.
Organised activities and institutions developed, such as manufacture and
trade, art and writing, religion and law, military and political structures.
Some of these societies became the focal points of empires which shaped
various part of the ancient world.
Human Odyssey worksheets
Outcomes
Assessment overview
History K-10
Informal assessment based on student engagement and participation in class-based
activities.
›
HT4-2 describes major periods of historical time and sequences events,
people and societies from the past
›
HT4-4 describes and explains the causes and effects of events and
developments of past societies over time
›
HT4-5 identifies the meaning, purpose and context of historical sources
Teacher created worksheets
OUP Big Ideas 7
Retroactive 1 NSW
Pearson History 7
Content
8
Ways
Teaching, learning and assessment
Stage 4 - Overview
SUGGESTED INTRODUCTORY ACTIVITY: Introducing Human Life on Earth
The Ancient World 60
000 – 650 BC
Duration: 15 minutes

the theory that
people moved
out of Africa
around 60 000
years ago and
migrated to
other parts of
the world
including
Australia
Key terms
• Bronze Age
• cuneiform
• hominids
• Homo sapiens
• hunter-gatherers
• Neolithic period
• Palaeolithic period
Significant individuals
• Charles Darwin
• Mary and Louis
Leakey
Purpose: To assess students’ current understandings of ‘time’ and ‘the past’; to
introduce students to the time of human habitation of the planet; to introduce the idea
that there is uncertainty about knowing about the past.
Instructions
1. Ask students to recall the earliest date in history that they are aware of. You might
discuss with them what the event was and how they found out about it. This
question allows students to share their knowledge and for you to make an
assessment of the extent of their knowledge; also to gauge what their perceptions
of the past are and where they get their historical knowledge from (e.g. books,
online, TV, documentaries, films). It might also prepare students for the next part
of the task.
2. On a whiteboard or interactive whiteboard, draw a horizontal line with the following
markers (from left to right):
2 million years; 1.5 million years; 1 million years; 500,000 years; 400,000 years;
300,000 years; 200,000 years; 100,000 years; 50,000 years; 40,000 years;
30,000 years; 20,000 years; 10, 000 years; 5000 years; 4000 years; 3000 years;
2000 years; 1000 years; 500 years; 400 years; 300 years; 200 years; 100 years;
50 years; TODAY.
3. Ask students to discuss, in groups of 3–4, how long they think humans have lived
on the planet. A representative from each group should indicate on the
whiteboard the length of time that humans have inhabited the planet.
4. Once all the groups have submitted their estimates, suggest to students that there
is no exact date marking the beginning of human life on Earth but that many
historians and scientists have suggested what they think that date might be.
Some have agreed it is somewhere between 300,000 and 250,000 years ago. At
this point emphasise that the Year 7 course focuses on the human history of the
world and that there are different opinions on where and when human life began.
It is important to emphasise that history involves many interpretations and
theories, some of which differ on key points.
KEY ENQUIRY QUESTIONS
1.
2.
3.
4.
How do we know about the ancient past?
Why and where did the earliest societies develop?
What emerged as the defining characteristics of ancient societies?
What have been the legacies of ancient societies?
Registration
Resources
Content
8
Ways
Teaching, learning and assessment
Registration
Resources
ACTIVITY: Create a Learning Map – create a learning map based on this overview
***Board notes are BOLDED***
OVERVIEW - THE ANCIENT WORLD 60 000 – 650 BC
Modern humans (homo sapiens – meaning wise man) have existed on Earth
for about 200 000 years. Over this immense stretch of time, there have been
two major changes in all of human history:


the move from hunting and gathering for food (foraging) to the earliest
stages of farming
the move from farming or agriculture to manufacturing or industry.
These critical changes in human history took place from 60 000 BC to 650 BC.
During this time, people began to live in villages, and then towns, and then
cities. The people of the ancient world developed cultural practices and
organized societies that influence how we live today.
Use activities that show Cause and Effect, Significance.
SUGGESTED ACTIVITY
Glossary activity – introduce words such as history, archaeology, theory, artefacts,
migration, society, culture, homo sapiens, agriculture, domesticate, cultivate,
nomadic,
THE ‘OUT OF AFRICA’ THEORY
Around 100 000 BCE, our ancestors, Homo sapiens, began to migrate from
Africa to Europe and Asia. Gradually, humans spread around the world,
arriving in Australia by at least 60 000 BCE.
SUGGESTED ACTIVITY
Mapping exercise to show the pattern of movement of humans from their beginnings
in East Africa to other parts of the world, including Australia.
Blank world map
Content
8
Ways
Teaching, learning and assessment
Registration
Resources
Hominids – from whom Homo sapiens evolved – used tools and fire, and early
humans were hunter-gatherers. These ancient peoples were mostly nomadic,
meaning that they moved around a lot in search of food and shelter.
The development of agriculture began around 12 000 BCE. From then on,
humans started to develop increasingly complex societies and civilisations.
SUGGESTED ACTIVITY:
Foraging to Farming Worksheet – Duration: 20 minutes
Purpose: To introduce features of early foraging societies; to highlight the shift from
foraging to agrarian societies; to demonstrate the importance of communication to
Homo sapiens.
1. Ask students to complete Worksheet: From Foraging to Farming.
2. After going through the correct responses (see teacher notes below), show the
class a two-minute sketch from Horrible Histories entitled ‘Caveman Farmers,’
which demonstrates many of the points raised in the activity:
www.youtube.com/watch?v=fu97ZJ1h1g&feature=autoplay&list=PL75CD7606913F4D89&lf=plpp_video&playnext
=1.
Suggested responses, Worksheet
Question
What did prehistoric humans need to
survive?
How did they make sure they survived?
As population grew in the area, what
threatened the survival of early humans?
How might early humans have adapted
their behaviour in response to such
threats?
i) Food production
ii) Land use
iii) Exchange
iv) Communication
Response
Food, water
Acquired food, reproduced
Other people vying for food
resources, depletion of food
resources
Planted crops
Became less itinerant, used
surrounding land, became familiar
with immediate environment
Began to trade goods
Developed more complex
communication, e.g. named and
drew important objects, recorded
exchange of goods
Foraging to Farming Worksheet
adapted from – Human Odyssey
pp80-81
Horrible Histories - ‘Caveman
Farmers,’
Content
8
Ways
Teaching, learning and assessment
Registration
Resources
Archaeologists and scientists have gathered primary sources, such as bones
and early tools, to uncover evidence about early humans. We know about early
human cultures from art such as rock carvings, sculpture and pottery, as well
as buildings like the pyramids of ancient Egypt.
SUGGESTED ACTIVITIES:
Ensure students know that this is being debated
Finding Lucy film clip http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SPit_Mca8dM
Teachers to include own choice of activities that look at the types of evidence of
these movements (for example stone tools, human remains and cave paintings.)
Finding Lucy
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v
=SPit_Mca8dM
Various worksheets from folder
Some scholars argue that early humans developed simultaneously in different
parts of the world. However, fossil and genetic evidence strongly supports the
‘Out of Africa’ theory.
SUGGESTED ACTIVITY
Theories of Early Migration Duration: 25 minutes
Purpose: To examine the different theories regarding the population of the world by
Homo sapiens; to develop skills in explaining the two main theories verbally and in
writing.
Instructions
1. Divide the class into pairs (there may be one group of three). Give half of the pairs
a copy of the graphic entitled ‘Out of Africa Theory’ and the other half of the pairs
a copy of the graphic entitled ‘Multi-regional Theory’.
2. Ask each pair to note down answers to the following questions:
i. What does your graphic suggest about how the world became populated?
ii. Which species first moved out of Africa to populate other parts of the world, and
when did this occur?
iii. According to the theory, when did a human species emerge in the Australian
region?
3. Get pairs to share their responses with the class. Students will soon see that two
different interpretations of how the world became populated emerge. Have them
discuss which one sounds more plausible and why.
4. Ask students to write down in their own words what the two graphics show and
how they differ.
Human Odyssey Maps
‘Out of Africa Theory’
‘Multi-regional Theory’
Content
8
Ways
Teaching, learning and assessment
Registration
Resources
INDIGENOUS AUSTRALIAN TRADITIONS
The traditional culture and life of Aboriginal peoples gives insight into why
hunter-forager societies were so successful for so long. Our understanding of
traditional Aboriginal hunter-forager society comes from two sources:
1. The stories and beliefs Aboriginal peoples have of the past, known as ‘The
Dreaming’ or ‘Dreamtime’
2. The archaeological evidence from places where Aboriginal peoples lived,
called occupation sites.
The Mungo Man skeleton is the oldest ritually-buried human found anywhere
in the world.
SUGGESTED ACTIVITY:
Aboriginal Australia Hunter-Forager Society Source Task.
Life at Lake Mungo Source Analysis Task
EXTENSION ACTIVITY
Aboriginal Australia HunterForager Society Source Task
Life at Lake Mungo Source
Analysis Task
How Long have Humans Lived in Australia? Duration: 70 minutes
Purpose: To appreciate the relatively short amount of time in which humans have
inhabited the earth.
Instructions
1. In pairs, ask students to discuss what evidence there is to suggest that people
moved from Africa to Australia around 60,000 years ago (see graphics used in
Activity 4). Then, as a class, discuss the evidence and why it has been disputed.
2. As a class, view and discuss Episode 4 (Australia) of the BBC’s 2009
documentary The Incredible Human Journey (59 mins). Written and presented by
Dr. Alice Roberts, the episode gives a good overview of theories of migration and
looks at the various explanations for human origins in Australia. Students should
take notes as they watch the documentary.
3. For homework, students should write up their notes into a 100-word paragraph
summarising the key points of the documentary.
Episode 4 (Australia) BBC’s 2009
documentary The Incredible
Human Journey (59 mins).
Content
Stage 4 - Overview The Ancient World 60
000 – 650 BC

the evidence for
the emergence
and
establishment
of ancient
societies,
including art,
iconography,
writing, tools
and pottery
8
Ways
Teaching, learning and assessment
EVIDENCE OF ANCIENT SOCIETIES
As early farming communities developed into societies, interactions between
people increased, and people had more opportunities to discuss things that
puzzled or frightened them. These might have included birth and death, day
and night, the seasons, fertility, natural disasters, eclipses and so on. Beliefs
and behaviours evolved to explain such events, and cultures began to take
shape. Some ways in which ancient people expressed their cultures are
evident in their tools and utensils, art, writing, rituals, sacred sites and
monuments.
Suggested homework: Look up three definitions of the term ‘culture’, then write a
definition in your own words.
Art and Iconography
Art and iconography provide us with invaluable evidence of early human
cultures.
Archaeologists think early rock art may have been a ‘magical’ ritual to ensure
success in an important activity, such as a hunt. Later, ancient art often
became more elaborate and symbolic. For many societies, it became an
important part of funeral and religious rituals.
SUGGESTED ACTIVITY
Explore an early example of art (for example the 17000BCE great bull paintings from
the Lascaux Cave in France) and discuss why they may have been painted.
SUGGESTED ACTIVITY
The art of Australia - analysis and use of sources worksheet ?
SUGGESTED ACTIVITY
Tribal Encyclopedias – Worksheet 6 Human Odyssey PP82-84 Extention pp85-86
Writing
Scholars think that writing began as an attempt by people to keep visible
records of trading. These might be notches made on bones, or arrangements
of pebbles or sticks. The ancient Sumerians produced the first script around
3500BCE. Other scripts developed in Egypt, China, India and Mesoamerica.
SUGGESTED ACTIVITY
Map the areas or create a timeline.
Registration
Resources
Content
8
Ways
Teaching, learning and assessment
Registration
Tools and pottery
Archaeological evidence indicates there was a significant increase in the
creation of artefacts, such as pottery, from around 5000 years ago. They
include tools and pottery to hold water, oil or grain.
Discuss (or activities based on) the evolving nature of the evidence of this period,
which shows increasingly sophisticated forms of technology (for example, the
transition of making tools out of stone, bone and wood to metalworking.
SUGGESTED ACTIVITY – typology exercise - Pottery showing basic to more
elaborately decorated as time progresses.
-
Faience Bowl Activity
SUGGESTED ACTIVITY
Consider the following ancient civilisations.
Egypt
Mesopotamia
Greece
Rome
China
The Maya
Persia
India
a) use dot points to list 3 things you know about each civilization. Share this in a
class discussion.
b) Which civilisation is best known and least known among your classmates.
Propose why this might be the case.
SUGGESTED GROUP ACTIVITY
Put students into groups of 3–4 and allocate each group one of the following ancient
civilisations:
Egypt
Mesopotamia
Greece
Rome
China
The Maya
Persia
India
Each group should show the following details on the appropriate part of a class map:
1. Name, duration and geographical region of the chosen civilisation
2. An example of written communication from the civilisation
3. An artwork or art form from the civilisation
4. A technical invention that emerged from the civilisation.
Resources
Content
Stage 4 - Overview The Ancient World 60
000 – 650 BC

key features of
ancient
societies
(farming, trade,
social classes,
religion, rule of
law)
8
Ways
Teaching, learning and assessment
Registration
Resources
KEY FEATURES OF ANCIENT SOCIETIES
The shift in human behaviour—from hunting and gathering to farming—took
place in many societies at different times. It was such a significant
development that it is often called a revolution: the Neolithic Revolution. As
agricultural societies flourished, no longer did everyone have to be involved in
producing food. There was time for those who were not farmers to learn new
skills or to pursue other interests. Over time, people of like interests and skills
began to band together. Distinctive social groups began to form.
Farming
Farmers in different parts of the world farmed crops and animals that were
best suited to their environment. The earliest evidence of farming comes from
Mesopotamia in the Fertile Crescent, an area of rich soil between the Tigris
and Euphrates rivers in Iraq. Farmers there adapted native grasses and other
plants to create crops that could be harvested. Barley and Einkorn, a type of
wheat, were among the first crops to be grown. Sheep and goats were among
the first animals to be domesticated.
HANDOUT Civilisations based in the fertile areas – Human Odyssey
Trade
Growing villages and towns began to exchange their surplus crops and
manufactured goods for other goods that they needed. Grain and stone, which
was useful for making tools, were among the earliest trade goods. Trade
introduced settlements not only to new goods, but also to new ways of
conducting business and new ways of thinking. Trading towns became
prosperous, and the first economies took shape.
HANDOUT The Significance of Trade Routes – Human Odyssey
Teacher Exposition
This is a good place to pause and to consider the broad sweep of history covered so
far. Remind students how humans spread across the Earth, using the resources
available in an area and then moving on. Some areas encouraged permanent
settlement, where people developed a new way of life based on farming rather than
hunting and gathering.
In many ways, our current way of life is still based on the Neolithic Revolution. Most
of us live sedentary lifestyles and rely on the farming expertise of others to sustain
us. This allows us the time and resources to develop other skills. Paid employment,
formal education, leisure time, recreation and even childhood have become intrinsic
to our culture and lifestyle. These are, however, relatively new ‘inventions’ and are
only possible because of the Neolithic Revolution.
Worksheet – Civilisations Based
in the Fertile Areas
Worksheet – The Significance of
Trade Routes
Content
8
Ways
Teaching, learning and assessment
Discuss with students why this is referred to as a revolution rather than an evolution.
Have them search for the definition of ‘revolution’ in a dictionary.
Brainstorm the social and environmental consequences of the Neolithic Revolution,
both immediate and long-term, and how it changed the world and its peoples.
Emphasise that the changes were often gradual and were uneven both in time and
place. While inhabitants of the Fertile Crescent, for example, were building cities,
roads and political systems, many other peoples were still leading a nomadic way of
life based on hunting and gathering.
ACTIVITY: Poster or letter
For a bit of fun and to cement learning ask students to design a poster to be displayed in
an early city such as Jericho, advertising the advantages of farming and town living to
hunters and gatherers who might wander into town. Encourage creativity and clever
slogans that show that students understand the differences between the two lifestyles.
Some examples of suitable slogans are given below:





Are you tired of hunting?
Why go looking for berries and fruit when you can grow them right outside your door?
Live in one place!
Build something!
Tame an animal instead of eating it!
Alternatively, students could write a letter to the editor of the Jericho Journal
complaining about the loss of traditional lifestyles and skills as people stop hunting
and move into town.
Social classes
As societies flourished, distinct social groups began to form. A group’s rank
or class reflected the value that society placed on their roles. Rulers came
from social groups with the most wealth and prestige, often from landowners,
warriors or religious leaders. There were also administrative groups (such as
tax collectors and law makers), and farmers. Many ancient societies had
slaves, the lowest social class, whose role was to provide a vital source of
labour.
SUGGESTED ACTIVITY Construct a social class pyramid
Registration
Resources
Content
8
Ways
Teaching, learning and assessment
Registration
Resources
Religion
Belief systems explained the many things that ancient peoples did not
understand. The idea that ‘spirits’ or forces were responsible gave people
comfort that someone was in control. Societies created images to represent
these spirits or gods, and behaviours such as prayer and rituals emerged. The
world’s major religions emerged and spread in ancient times.
HANDOUT Belief Systems – Human Odyssey
Worksheet – Belief Systems
SUGGESTED ACTIVITY Exploring religions
Explore the origins of some or all of these religions in order to better understand their
current distribution. Most of the world’s great religions can trace their origins back to
a single person at a certain place at a certain time. Have students complete the
following activities on a blank world map and answer the associated questions.
1 Christians worship Jesus Christ, who lived about 2000 years ago in what is now
the country of Israel. Locate and label Israel on your world map.
2 Jesus Christ was born in Bethlehem and was crucified in Jerusalem. Locate and
label these places on your map.
3 Buddhists follow the teachings of Siddhartha Gautama, commonly called the
Buddha. He lived about 2500 years ago in modern-day Nepal. Locate and label
Nepal on your map.
4 People who follow the Islamic faith are called Muslims. They follow the teachings
of Muhammad who they believe to be a prophet of God. Muhammad lived in the
7th century in what is modern-day Saudi Arabia. Locate and label Saudi Arabia on
your map.
5 Muhammad was born in Mecca and died in Medina. Locate and label these
places.
6 Hinduism dates back thousands of years and doesn’t have any single founder. It
began in what is now the country of India. Locate and label India on your map.
Students then compare their maps to a map of the world’s religions today and
answer the following questions.
1 You have marked the birthplaces of four of the world’s major religions. The
birthplace of which of the four now lies in a country where most people practice a
different religion?
2 Why might this be a source of tension for some people?
3 Compare your completed map to a map of the Fertile Crescent (Source 1.39).
What similarities and differences do you notice between these two maps?
4 To what extent do the birthplaces of religions help to explain the pattern of
modern religious practices? Give specific examples in your answer.
Blank map of the world
Content
8
Ways
Teaching, learning and assessment
Registration
Rule of law
As societies developed and became more complex, people’s day-to-day
customs became ‘rules’ about how people should behave. The first written
laws were recorded about 4000 years ago by a king of Ur, in ancient Sumer.
About 300 years later, Hammurabi, the king of Babylon, recorded a detailed set
of 282 laws known as the Code of Hammurabi. The law codes of some ancient
societies were framed around religious practices.
SUGGESTED ACTIVITY Skillbooster: Examining evidence
One of the best primary sources for exploring the lives of slaves in the ancient world
is the Code of Hammurabi, a list of 282 laws inscribed on stone and clay tablets that
was found in 1901 in what is now Iran. (Hammurabi was the King of Babylonia when
the code was written in about 1700 BCE.) The code outlines laws and their
punishments in ancient Babylon and covers many aspects of life, including property
ownership, inheritance and divorce, and the treatment and ownership of slaves.
Students could explore the Code of Hammurabi. Skim over the code for laws that
relate to slaves and record them in a table. What do these laws tell us about the
treatment of slaves in Babylonia?
Code of Hammurabi
What this tells us about slavery in
Babylonia
If a man has caught either a male or
female runaway slave in the open
field and has returned him to his
owner, the owner of the slave shall
give him two shekels of silver.
Slaves tried to run away. Slaves were
considered to be personal property. It
was possible to earn money by
recapturing slaves.
SUGGESTED ACTIVITY
Aboriginal tribal law
Discusses Australian Aboriginal law, punishment and payback
Resources
Content
8
Ways
Teaching, learning and assessment
Registration
EXTENSION

Explore why the shift from hunting and gathering to cultivation (and the
domestication of animals) led to the development of permanent settlements.

Identify the major civilisations of the ancient world (namely Egypt, Mesopotamia,
Persia, Greece, Rome, India, China and the Maya); where and when they
existed, and the evidence for contact between them

Locate the major civilisations of the ancient world on a world map and use a
timeline to identify the length of time each ancient civilization existed.

Identify the major religions/philosophies that emerged by the end of the period
(Hinduism, Judaism, Buddhism, Confusianism, Christianity, Islam), and their key
beliefs (through group work)
Key features are also to be integrated into all 3 depth studies not just in this section.
Adjustments/Extension
Evaluation
Resources