Overview: The Ancient World | Stage 4

Summary Duration 4 wks

Overview is the first topic of the Year 7 History Course.

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:

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)

Overview Content

Overview content for the ancient world (Egypt, Mesopotamia, Persia, Greece, Rome, India, China and the Maya) includes the following:

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

Teacher created worksheets

OUP Big Ideas 7

Retroactive 1 NSW

Pearson History 7

Outcomes Assessment overview

History K-10

› 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

Informal assessment based on student engagement and participation in class-based activities.

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Stage 4 - Overview The Ancient World 60 000 – 650 BC

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

SUGGESTED INTRODUCTORY ACTIVITY: Introducing Human Life on Earth

Duration: 15 minutes

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 QUESTIONS1. How do we know about the ancient past?2. Why and where did the earliest societies develop?

3. What emerged as the defining characteristics of ancient societies?

4. What have been the legacies of ancient societies?

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ACTIVITY: Create a Learning Map – create a learning map based on this overview

***Board notes are BOLDED***

OVERVIEW - THE ANCIENT WORLD 60 000 – 650 BCModern 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 ACTIVITYGlossary 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

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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=fu9-7ZJ1h1g&feature=autoplay&list=PL75CD7606913F4D89&lf=plpp_video&playnext=1.

Suggested responses, WorksheetQuestion ResponseWhat did prehistoric humans need to survive?

Food, water

How did they make sure they survived?

Acquired food, reproduced

As population grew in the area, what threatened the survival of early humans?

Other people vying for food resources, depletion of food resources

How might early humans have adapted their behaviour in response to such threats? i) Food productionii) Land useiii) Exchangeiv) Communication

Planted cropsBecame 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,’

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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.)

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

Finding Lucy http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SPit_Mca8dM

Various worksheets from folder

Human Odyssey Maps

‘Out of Africa Theory’

‘Multi-regional Theory’

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how they differ.

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

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.

Aboriginal Australia Hunter-Forager Society Source Task

Life at Lake Mungo Source Analysis Task

Episode 4 (Australia) BBC’s 2009 documentary The Incredible Human Journey (59 mins).

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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

EVIDENCE OF ANCIENT SOCIETIESAs 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 IconographyArt 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

WritingScholars 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.

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Tools and potteryArchaeological 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 Persia

Greece Rome India

China The Maya

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 Persia

Greece Rome India

China The Maya

Each group should show the following details on the appropriate part of a class map:

1. Name, duration and geographical region of the chosen civilisation2. An example of written communication from the civilisation3. An artwork or art form from the civilisation4. A technical invention that emerged from the civilisation.

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Stage 4 - Overview - The Ancient World 60 000 – 650 BC

key features of ancient societies (farming, trade, social classes, religion, rule of law)

KEY FEATURES OF ANCIENT SOCIETIESThe 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.

FarmingFarmers 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

TradeGrowing 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 ExpositionThis 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

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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 letterFor 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 classesAs 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

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ReligionBelief 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

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

Worksheet – Belief Systems

Blank map of the world

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modern religious practices? Give specific examples in your answer.

Rule of lawAs 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?

SUGGESTED ACTIVITY Aboriginal tribal lawDiscusses Australian Aboriginal law, punishment and payback

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.

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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