As each group has presented the four early river civilizations, we start to see key characteristics emerge that they have in common. Today, we will review and discuss what these are and the role that their values and beliefs played in the development of their human-created systems they developed.  We also see the role that environment played in the development of their systems as they adapted to and modified their environment as their civilization grew.

Homework/Prep:
Go through "The Big History Project" website. Explore the videos and information presented in Unit 7: Agriculture and Civilization.  We will move beyond this topic when our class meets next time into World Religions. Be sure you have a solid foundation and understanding about why early civilizations began to settle where they did, what they had in common and how their ideas about the world and beliefs influenced the way they organized society.  There is no written requirement for homework but taking notes may be helpful. When you come to class next time, you will be expected to write for 20 minutes answering/responding to some of today's group questions about how early civilizations organized and developed systems based on their values and beliefs.  You will be allowed to use your notes for reference during your 20-minute writing practice.  You will be formatively assessed for your writing sample using the Explanatory Rubric (development and analysis strands only).

Students will work together with their group to further develop a group presentation to share what they have learned about their selected ancient civilization. Student groups will give a 5-minute presentation to their classmates. Each member within a group must present their own slide and speak to the class for approx. 1 minute.

Instructions: 

• 1 person in your group will start a Google Slide presentation. They will need to share it with the rest of your group giving them editing permission.
• You may choose any theme or background.
• 1 person in your group needs to fill out the following Google Survey/Form to submit the shareable link to your group presentation:
• Submit group presentation link to THIS Google Form

Students need to put their name on their slide.
The 1-minute presentation will be formatively assessed using the Explanatory Writing rubric on your presentation slide for your written communication of what you have learned. You should have a title, an image (with citation), a brief explanation of your topic/focus within the group, and your source (textbook, etc.)

In today's class, we will begin to examine what we know about systems and how prehistoric humans began to settle down and develop systems to help them sustain themselves in one area. We will examine their ideas (based on artifacts), values, and the formation of religious ideas (beliefs) and practices (rituals). We will also look at how what they valued and understood (believed) about the world shaped their development of systems: economic, political and social systems.

Today's Presentation

You will be assigned to a group in today's class and begin to explore and examine an ancient civilization in understanding more about how they lived, how they began to develop tools and methods that allowed them to settle into an area and how they began to organize their society in a much more complex and structured social, political and economic system. Your group will focus on how their values and ideas and beliefs began to also develop and the role religion played in influencing their daily life and affected how they organized their society.

Groups:
Mesopotamia

• ​   (textbook pages 29-34)
• Mesopotamia World History Volume 1 (pdf)

Egypt

• (textbook pages 35-43)
• Pre-Islamic Africa: World History Volume 1 (pdf)

Indus Valley

• (textbook pages 44-49)
• India: World History Volume 1 (pdf)

China

• (textbook pages 50-55)
• China: World History Volume 1 (pdf)

You will INDIVIDUALLY take notes from these readings. You will discuss what you have learned with your group. Next week, your group will present what you have learned about this civilization and their way of organizing society to the rest of class. For notetaking, you will find the following document in your WH Drop folder (do not make a copy--you already have a copy in your Google WH folder).

You will develop your first formative writing in class based on what you have researched and understand about your selected global issue/topic.

This is completely formative and will serve as your first writing sample so that we have a baseline of what your level of writing is and understand your strengths in writing and any areas that we can work on to make you a stronger writer.

Here is the link to today's writing task:
Global Issues Formative Writing (you do NOT need to copy this--you will receive a paper copy of this)
​