Unit 7 - Social Studies Curriculum

Transcription

Seventh Grade: Early World History
SS0707
Unit 7: Converging Patterns: 1000 CE – 1450 CE (Era 4, Part 2)
Seventh Grade Social Studies: Early World History
Converging Patterns: 1000 CE – 1450 CE (Era 4, Part 2)
Big Picture Graphic
Overarching Question:
How did political, economic and cultural growth set the stage for globalization?
Previous Unit:
Unit 6: Patterns of
Adaptation: Reorganizing
and Restoring Order After the
Fall of Empires (500 C.E. –
1000 C.E.)
This Unit:
Converging Patterns:
1000 CE – 1450 CE
(Era 4, Part 2)
Questions to Focus Assessment and Instruction
1. How and why did African and American empires develop
similarly to and differently from the empires in Eurasia?
2. How did large scale movements of people, ideas,
technologies, and disease change the world on the eve of
modernity?
3. Why is it helpful to explore human history in terms of
continuity and change over time?
Michigan Citizenship Collaborative Curriculum
Copyright © 2010-2015 by Oakland Schools
Next Unit:
Eighth Grade Social Studies:
Integrated American History
Types of Thinking
Evidentiary argument
Compare and Contrast
Cause and Effect
Description
Generalizing
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Graphic Organizer
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High School Foundations
F1 World Historical and Geographical “Habits of Mind” and Central Concepts
Explain and use key conceptual devices world historians/geographers use to organize the past including
periodization schemes (e.g., major turning points, different cultural and religious calendars), and different spatial
frames (e.g., global, interregional, and regional).
F2 Systems of Human Organizations
Use the examples listed below to explain the basic features and differences between hunter-gatherer societies,
pastoral nomads, civilizations, and empires, focusing upon the differences in their political, economic and social
systems, and their changing interactions with the environment.
 Changes brought on by the Agricultural Revolution, including the environmental impact of settlements
F3 Growth and Development of World Religions
Explain the way that the world religions or belief systems of Hinduism, Judaism, Confucianism, Buddhism,
Christianity, and Islam grew, including
 spatial representations of that growth
 interactions with culturally diverse peoples
 responses to challenges offered by contact with different faiths
 ways they influenced people’s perceptions of the world.
F4 Regional Interactions
Identify the location and causes of frontier interactions and conflicts, and internal disputes between cultural, social
and/or religious groups in classical China, the Mediterranean world, and south Asia (India) prior to 300 C.E.
(Teacher Note: Although the foundational expectation is limited to 300 C.E., we include this foundation for high
school here because regional interactions continued to intensify after 300 C.E.
Historical Overview
This unit addresses the period from 1000 CE to 1450 CE, which according to most world historians
comprises a second portion of a much larger era (500 CE to 1500 CE). Between 1000 and 1500
CE, long distance commerce intensified across Afroeurasia as the world reached the edge of
modernity. Two empires emerged that were substantially larger than the Han and Roman
states: the Arab Muslim Empire of the eighth century and the Mongol Empire of the thirteenth
century. Other large empires such as Mali in West Africa and the Aztec and Incan empires in
Mesoamerica and South America also emerged during this time. In short, humanity
experienced political, economic, and cultural growth that would set the stage for the
beginnings of globalization.
In West Africa, sophisticated societies and empires followed patterns similar to those of Eurasia.
They grew and thrived due to trade and the exploitation of raw materials, however, both internal
and external factors led to their decline. For example, the Mali Empire was the largest empire in
Africa during its existence and had political, economic, and social systems much like other empires
in world history.
Advanced civilizations and empires also developed in the Americas, most notably the Aztec and
Incan Empires. These empires built on the networks and advances of past American empires like
the Olmec, Maya and Moche. The Aztec and Incan empires were characterized by powerful
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emperors tied to a religious hierarchy, strong militaries, and expanding networks of trade and
political connections. These empires were similar to the empires of Afroeurasia in some broad,
general ways, but lacked certain technologies because of Geographic Luck. These differences
would be most evident when societies from different world zones finally come into contact.
Important events in this era involved the geographic theme of movement, as large scale
movements of people, ideas, technologies, and disease changed the world. Long-distance
commerce intensified across Afroeurasia between 1000 and 1500 CE with the Indian Ocean
emerging as a major trading hub. The Silk Roads continued to carry goods, ideas, and even
disease as the Mongol Empire consolidated its hold over a vast area of Eurasia. The Mongol’s
focus on trade, quest for knowledge, and organizational skills resulted in a more rapid and
extensive diffusion of ideas and goods throughout Eurasia. As inventions such as mechanical
printing, gunpowder, and the compass emanated from China, a great deal of scientific and
technological cross-fertilization occurred making the world more connected.
Religion, trade and empire continued to be closely connected in this era. Just as imperial
administrations consolidated political power, so too did belief systems. Local traditions and beliefs
were eclipsed by Universalist religions because they appealed to people from different cultural
backgrounds and were a means to facilitate trade. Islam, a new major monotheistic religion,
developed during this time and spread rapidly through trade, warfare, and intensified cultural
diffusion.
Religion played a critical role in the movement of people across large expanses of land. The
Crusades were an attempt by Christian Europe to reclaim holy lands lost during the Islamic
invasions. Despite the violence and carnage, the Crusades promoted an exchange of ideas and
goods which in turn stimulated connectedness between peoples. These increased connections
were not without negative consequences, however. The spread of the Bubonic Plague, one of the
most devastating pandemics in human history, was facilitated by the extensive trade networks
characteristic of this period.
Despite the political, economic and cultural growth witnessed during this era, the benefits of
increased interactions were not equally shared by individuals and societies. Many people died in
the numerous wars and authoritarian rulers taxed their subjects ruthlessly. Even though humanity
made progress, slavery continued to endure. On the eve of the Age of Exploration, this would have
a huge impact on the trajectory of human history.
Instructional Overview
This is the final unit of the course. As such, it is designed to not only introduce students to content
contained within the historical period under study, but provide a way for students to reflect on the
patterns of human history over time.
Students begin this unit with an investigation of the kingdoms in Africa, with a particular focus on
Ghana and Mali. After considering the factors that led to the decline of the kingdom of Ghana,
students read six historical accounts to investigate the Mali Empire, the biggest African empire
during this era. Based on what students learn from these accounts, they make some conclusions
about the Mali Empire and consider other historical perspectives about African history.
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Students then investigate the Aztecs and Incans by engaging with maps, timelines, images, and
information about both empires in an interactive PowerPoint. By analyzing and comparing
important social institutions from both societies, as well as the Mayans, students develop a broad
picture of the “American” pattern with respect to social institutions. They use this pattern to
compare it with the development of social institutions in Afroeurasia as a way to review concepts
and patterns from previous units and revisit images and slides from past lessons. In doing so,
students examine how people from different world zones are converging and make predictions
about what will happen. Optional projects on the Americas are offered as performance
assessments.
Using the theme of movement, the unit then explores three significant events occurring during this
era – the Crusades, Mongol Invasions, and the spread of the Bubonic Plague. Students analyze
maps and images in a PowerPoint presentation to explore the geographic theme of movement with
respect to these three events. They read an overview article and engage in a text coding exercise
to analyze the large patterns of change in the world between 1000 and 1453 CE. Students then
focus on changes related to trade networks, government, movement and migration, culture and
knowledge, religion, and technology. Working in small groups, students analyze the large patterns
of change and study temporal and spatial patterns. The lesson ends with an optional extension
research project in which students focus on one of three large events to explore its impact on the
world.
The final lesson in this unit serves as an opportunity to review the course through a project.
Students review how human societies have become more complex since the Neolithic Revolution,
with more people living in concentrated areas. As this has happened, new problems have
developed, and in response, so have new and innovative solutions to these problems. Collective
learning has been a key factor of human development across our history, and the speed and reach
of collective learning has been steadily increasing. Students use the historical frame of “continuity
and change” to conduct research about human history by looking at what has stayed the same and
what has changed in Eras 1-4. They learn that there have been many important turning points in
human history that signaled the beginnings of new eras. Basic human needs have remained the
same, although the ways in which humans have met these challenges has changed greatly. By
selecting a topic, gathering evidence, making conclusions, and presenting their ideas to peers,
students explore major trends across Eras 1-4.
Challenges for Students
Simultaneity will continue to be problematic for some students. Some of the lessons focus on
different world regions. It is easy for students to not realize that these events are happening at the
same time so it is important for teachers to remind students of simultaneity through the use of
timelines and maps.
Likewise, it is imperative that teachers help students appreciate the large patterns of human history
by focusing on the commonalities shared across societies. One common theme throughout the
unit is the impact of cultural diffusion on human history. As goods, ideas, and people moved along
trade routes, there were both intended and unintended consequences of these movements. It is
also important for students to see how the political, economic, and cultural growth of this era
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set the stage for the beginnings of globalization. These long-term complex causal relationships
will be difficult for some students to comprehend. It is also necessary to remind student that in
history “hindsight is 20-20.” While looking back at events one perceives a sense of clarity from a
contemporary vantage point, such a perspective was not present for the people who lived at that
time.
Finally, students may continue to have problems considering structural, environmental, or large
scale institutional causes for events. Most students – even through college – attribute change to
strictly human agency, ignoring the factors that shape human agents. Using case studies to
showcase similarities in the human story allows teachers to highlight these other causes of human
events.
Focus Questions
1. How and why did African and American empires develop similarly to and differently from the
empires in Eurasia?
2. How did large scale movements of people, ideas, technologies, and disease change the world
on the eve of modernity?
3. Why is it helpful to explore human history in terms of continuity and change over time?
Content Expectations
6 and 7
Explain why and how historians use eras and periods as constructs to organize and
H1.1.1:
explain human activities over time.
6 and 7
H1.2.1:
Explain how historians use a variety of sources to explore the past (e.g., artifacts,
primary and secondary sources including narratives, technology, historical maps,
visual/mathematical quantitative data, radiocarbon dating, DNA analysis).1
6 and 7
H1.2.2:
Read and comprehend a historical passage to identify basic factual knowledge and
the literal meaning by indicating who was involved, what happened, where it
happened, what events led to the development, and what consequences or
outcomes followed.
6 and 7
H1.2.3:
Identify the point of view (perspective of the author) and context when reading and
discussing primary and secondary sources.
6 and 7
H1.2.4:
Compare and evaluate competing historical perspectives about the past based on
proof.
7 – H1.2.5:
Describe how historians use methods of inquiry to identify cause effect relationships
in history noting that many have multiple causes.
1
This unit emphasizes the understanding of how historians use primary and secondary sources to explore the past by
having students demonstrate their understanding rather than merely explain what a historian would do.
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6 – H1.2.5:
7 – H1.2.6:
Identify the role of the individual in history and the significance of one person’s
ideas.
6 and 7
H1.4.1:
Describe and use cultural institutions to study an era and a region (political,
economic, religion/belief, science/technology, written language, education, family).
6 and 7
H1.4.2:
Describe and use themes of history to study patterns of change and continuity.
6 and 7
H1.4.3:
Use historical perspectives to analyze global issues faced by humans long ago and
today.
6 – W2.1.2: Describe how the invention of agriculture led to the emergence of agrarian
civilizations (seasonal harvests, specialized crops, cultivation, and development of
villages and towns).
6 – W2.1.3: Use multiple sources of evidence to describe how the culture of early peoples of
North America reflected the geography and natural resources available.2
7 – W2.1.3: Examine early civilizations to describe their common features (ways of governing,
stable food supply, economic and social structures, use of resources and technology,
division of labor and forms of communication).
6 – W2.1.4: Use evidence to identify defining characteristics of early civilizations and early
pastoral nomads (government, language, religion, social structure, technology, and
division of labor).
7 – W2.1.4: Define the concept of cultural diffusion and how it resulted in the spread of ideas and
technology from one region to another (e.g., plants, crops, plow, wheel, bronze
metallurgy).
6 – W3.1.1: Analyze the role of environment in the development of early empires, referencing
both useful environmental features and those that presented obstacles.
7 – W3.1.1: Describe the characteristics that classical civilizations share (institutions, cultural
styles, systems of thought that influenced neighboring peoples and have endured for
several centuries).
6 – W3.1.2: Explain the role of economics in shaping the development of early civilizations (trade
routes and their significance – Inca Road, supply and demand for products).
2
The examples have been removed because this unit does not address those specifics examples. Rather, the focus
of this includes the Inca and Aztec and it explores how the culture of these American civilizations reflected the
geography and natural resources available through an examination of artifacts, primary and secondary sources. The
original examples read, “(e.g., Inuit of the Arctic, Kwakiutl of the Northwest Coast; Anasazi and Apache of the
Southwest).”
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7 – W3.1.2: Using historic and modern maps, locate three major empires of this era, describe
their geographic characteristics including physical features and climates, and
propose a generalization about the relationship between geographic characteristics
and the development of early empires.
6 – W3.1.3: Describe similarities and difference among Mayan, Aztec, and Incan societies,
including economy, religion, and role and class structure.3
6 – W3.1.4: Describe the regional struggles and changes in governmental systems among the
Mayan, Aztec, and Incan Empires.
6 – W3.1.5: Construct a timeline of main events on the origin and development of early and
classic ancient civilizations of the Western Hemisphere (Olmec, Mayan, Aztec, and
Incan).
7 – W3.1.5: Describe major achievements from Indian, Chinese, Mediterranean, African, and
Southwest and Central Asian civilizations in the areas of art, architecture and culture;
science, technology and mathematics; political life and ideas; philosophy and ethical
beliefs; and military strategy.
7 – W3.1.6: Use historic and modern maps to locate and describe trade networks among empires
in the classical era.
7 – W3.1.7: Use a case study to describe how trade integrated cultures and influenced the
economy within empires.4
7 – W3.1.8: Describe the role of state authority, military power, taxation systems, and institutions
of coerced labor, including slavery, in building and maintaining empires (e.g., Han
Empire, Mauryan Empire, Egypt, Greek city-states and the Roman Empire).
7 – W3.1.9: Describe the significance of legal codes, belief systems, written languages and
communications in the development of large regional empires.
7 – W3.2.3: Identify and describe the ways that religions unified people’s perceptions of the world
and contributed to cultural integration of large regions of Afro-Eurasia.
6 – G1.1.1:
Describe how geographers use mapping to represent places and natural and human
phenomena in the world.
3
While the expectation focuses on both the similarities and differences, this course emphasizes the common patterns
that unite humanity. As such, the differences are not stressed in this unit.
4
The examples have been removed because they apply to a different historical period than the one addressed in this
unit, “(e.g., Assyrian and Persian trade networks or networks of Egypt and Nubia/Kush; or Phoenician and Greek
networks).” We have included it in this unit because trade continues to integrate cultures and influence economies as
the world became more connected.
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7 – G1.1.1:
Explain and use a variety of maps, globes, and web based geography technology to
study the world, including global, interregional, regional, and local scales.
6 and 7
G1.2.1:
Locate the major landforms, rivers (Amazon, Mississippi, Missouri, Colorado), and
climate regions of the Western Hemisphere.
6 and 7
G1.3.2:
Explain the locations and distributions of physical and human characteristics of Earth
by using knowledge of spatial patterns.
6 and 7
G1.3.3:
Explain the different ways in which places are connected and how those connections
demonstrate interdependence and accessibility.
6 and 7
G2.2.1:
Describe the human characteristics of the region under study (including languages,
religion, economic system, governmental system, cultural traditions).
6 and 7
G2.2.2:
Explain that communities are affected positively or negatively by changes in
technology.5
7 – G2.2.3:
Analyze how culture and experience influence people’s perception of places and
regions.6
6 and 7
G4.1.1:
Identify and explain examples of cultural diffusion.7
6 – G4.3.1:
Identify places in the Western Hemisphere that have been modified to be suitable for
settlement by describing the modifications that were necessary.8
5
The examples from sixth grade have been removed as most of them do not relate to the time period under study
“(e.g., Canada with regard to mining, forestry, hydroelectric power generation, agriculture, snowmobiles, cell phones,
air travel).” The idea of the expectation - that technology changes how people live - is explored in the lessons with
respect to the spread of technological innovations by cultural diffusion and its impact during this period. The examples
from seventh grade “(e.g., increased manufacturing resulting in rural to urban migration in China, increased farming of
fish, hydroelectric power generation at Three Gorges, pollution resulting from increased manufacturing and
automobiles)” have been removed because they unnecessarily limit the application of the idea contained in the content
expectation and do not apply to the time frame under study.
6
The examples have been removed as they are not helpful in understand the essence of this content expectation.
They read: “(e.g., that beaches are places where tourists travel, cities have historic buildings, northern places are
cold, equatorial places are very warm).”
7
The expectations for 6th and 7th grade refer to particular locations and particular ideas and goods which are affected
by cultural diffusion. These lists unnecessarily limit the students’ understanding of the concept of cultural diffusion and
have thus been removed. Sixth grade is limited to cultural diffusion “within the Americas (e.g., baseball, soccer, music,
architecture, television, languages, health care, Internet, consumer brands, currency, restaurants, international
migration)” while seventh grade limits culture diffusion to “within the Eastern Hemisphere (e.g., the spread of sports,
music, architecture, television, Internet, Bantu languages in Africa, Islam in Western Europe).” In both instances, the
idea of globalization is lost. We have modified the expectation to reflect a global perspective in a world historical
context.
8
Although the major concept contained in the expectation is addressed in this unit, the examples have been removed
because they do not apply (e.g., Vancouver in Canada; irrigated agriculture; or clearing of forests for farmland).
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6 and 7
G4.3.2:
Describe patterns of settlement by using historical and modern maps.9
6 and 7
G4.4.1:
Identify factors that contribute to conflict and cooperation between and among
cultural groups (control/use of natural resources, power, wealth, and cultural
diversity).
6– G5.2.1:
Describe the effects that a change in the physical environment could have on human
activities and the choices people would have to make in adjusting to the change.10
Common Core State Standards for Literacy in History/Social Studies
RH. 6-8.1: Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of primary and secondary sources.
RH.6-8.2:
Determine the central ideas or information of a primary or secondary source; provide
an accurate summary of the source distinct from prior knowledge or opinions.
RH.6-8.3:
Analyze in detail how a key individual, event, or idea is introduced, illustrated, and
elaborated in a text (e.g., through examples or anecdotes).
RH.6-8.4:
Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including
vocabulary specific to domains related to history/social studies.
RH.6-8.6:
Identify aspects of a text that reveal an author’s point of view or purpose (e.g., loaded
language, inclusion or avoidance of particular facts).
RH.6-8.7:
Integrate visual information (e.g., in charts, graphs, photographs, videos, or maps)
with other information in print and digital texts.
RH.6-8.8:
Distinguish among fact, opinion, and reasoned judgment in a text.
RH.6-8.9:
Analyze the relationship between a primary and secondary source on the same topic.
RH.6-8.10:
By the end of grade 8, read and comprehend history/social studies texts in the
grades 6–8 text complexity band independently and proficiently.
The examples have been removed for clarity. The sixth grade examples read “(e.g., coastal and river cities and towns
in the past and present, locations of megacities – modern cities over 5 million, such as Mexico City, and patterns of
agricultural settlements in South and North America),” while the seventh grade examples read: “(e.g., the location of
the world’s mega cities, other cities located near coasts and navigable rivers, regions under environmental stress such
as the Sahel).”
9
10
The examples have been removed because the curriculum uses the concepts contained in the expectation in a
different context. They read: “(e.g., drought in northern Mexico, disappearance of forest vegetation in the Amazon,
natural hazards and disasters from volcanic eruptions in Central America and the Caribbean and earthquakes in
Mexico City and Colombia).”
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WHST.6-8.1: Write arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence.
a. Introduce claim(s) and organize the reasons and evidence clearly.
b. Support claim(s) with clear reasons and relevant evidence, using credible sources
and demonstrating an understanding of the topic or text.
WHST.6-8.4: Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style
are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
WHST.6-8.7: Conduct short research projects to answer a question, drawing on several sources
and refocusing the inquiry when appropriate.
WHST.6-8.8: Gather relevant information from multiple print and digital sources; assess the
credibility of each source; and quote or paraphrase the data and conclusions of
others while avoiding plagiarism and providing basic bibliographic information for
sources.
WHST.6-8.9: Draw evidence from informational texts to support analysis reflection, and research.
SL11.6-8.1:
Initiate and participate effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-on-one,
in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grades 9–10 topics, texts, and
issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly and persuasively.
a. Come to discussions prepared, having read and researched material under
study; explicitly draw on that preparation by referring to evidence from texts and
other research on the topic or issue to stimulate a thoughtful, well-reasoned
exchange of ideas.
b. Work with peers to set rules for collegial discussions and decision-making (e.g.,
informal consensus, taking votes on key issues, presentation of alternate views),
clear goals and deadlines, and individual roles as needed.
c. Propel conversations by posing and responding to questions that relate the
current discussion to broader themes or larger ideas; actively incorporate others
into the discussion; and clarify, verify, or challenge ideas and conclusions.
d. Respond thoughtfully to diverse perspectives, summarize points of agreement
and disagreement, and, when warranted, qualify or justify their own views and
understanding and make new connections in light of the evidence and reasoning
presented.
SL.6-8.2:
Integrate multiple sources of information presented in diverse media or formats (e.g.,
visually, quantitatively, orally) evaluating the credibility and accuracy of each source.
SL.6-8.3:
Evaluate a speaker’s point of view, reasoning, and use of evidence and rhetoric,
identifying any fallacious reasoning or exaggerated or distorted evidence.
11
SL refers to the Speaking and Listening standards in the Common Core State Standards.
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SL.6-8.4:
Present information, findings, and supporting evidence clearly, concisely, and
logically such that listeners can follow the line of reasoning and the organization,
development, substance, and style are appropriate to purpose, audience, and task.
SL.6-8.5:
Make strategic use of digital media (e.g., textual, graphical, audio, visual, and
interactive elements) in presentations to enhance understanding of findings,
reasoning, and evidence and to add interest.
Key Concepts
continuity and change over time
corroboration
crusade
cultural diffusion
evidence
inferences
Mesoamerica
movement
pandemic / plague
polytheism
the Americas
turning points
world religion
Duration
2-3 weeks
Lesson Sequence
Lesson 1: Empire in West Africa: The Kingdom of Mali
Lesson 2: Empires of the Americas: The Aztecs and Incas
Lesson 3: Afroeurasia Overview: Crusades, Mongols, and the Black Death
Lesson 4: Change and Continuity in World History – Final Project
Assessment
The project in Lesson 4 serves as an assessment for this unit.
Instructional Resources
Equipment/Manipulative
Computer with PowerPoint capability
Projector for computer
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Student Resource
The Agricultural Revolution. Kids Past.com. 10 June 2015 <http://www.kidspast.com/worldhistory/0022-agricultural-revolution.php>.
“Ancient African Kingdom of Mali.” Mr. Donn’s Site for Kids and Teachers. 10 June 2015
<http://africa.mrdonn.org/mali.html>.
“Ancient African Kingdom of Songhay.” Mr. Donn’s Site for Kids and Teachers. 10 June 2015
<http://africa.mrdonn.org/songhay.html>.
Ancient Egypt Facts. KidsKonnect. 2015. 10 June 2015 <https://kidskonnect.com/history/ancientegypt/>.
Ancient Egypt. Mr. Donn’s Site for Kids and Teachers. 10 June 2015
<http://egypt.mrdonn.org/index.html>.
“The ancient Olmec Civilization.” Aztec-History.com. 10 June 2015 <http://www.aztechistory.com/olmec-civilization.html>.
The Assyrian Empire. Kids Past.com. 10 June 2015 <http://www.kidspast.com/world-history/0055assyrian-empire.php>.
The Bantu Peoples. Kids Past.com. 10 June 2015 <http://www.kidspast.com/world-history/0098bantu-peoples.php>.
Black Death. History.com. A & E Television Network. 2015. 12 June 2015
<http://www.history.com/topics/black-death>.
“The Black Death, 1348.” EyeWitness to History.com. 2001. 12 June 2015
<http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/plague.htm>.
The Black Death: Bubonic Plague. The Middle Ages.net. 12 June 2015
<http://www.themiddleages.net/plague.html>.
Carr, Karen E., “Ancient Egypt.” History for Kids. 2015. 10 June 2015
<http://www.historyforkids.org/learn/egypt/>.
- - - . “Ancient Greece for Kids.” History for Kids. 10 June 2015
<http://www.historyforkids.org/learn/greeks/>.
- - - . “Ancient Rome for Kids.” Kidipede. 10 June 2015
<http://www.historyforkids.org/learn/romans/>.
- - - . “Assyrians.” History for Kids. 2015. 10 June 2015
<http://www.historyforkids.org/learn/westasia/history/assyrians.htm>.
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- - -. “The Black Death.” Kidipede. 2015. 11 June 2015
<http://www.historyforkids.org/learn/medieval/history/highmiddle/plague.htm>.
- - -. “Bubonic Plague.” Kidipede. 2 June 2015 12 June 2015
<http://www.historyforkids.org/learn/science/medicine/plague.htm>.
- - -. “Carolingians.” Kidipede. 10 June 2015
<http://www.historyforkids.org/learn/medieval/history/highmiddle/carolingians.htm>.
- - - . “Early Bronze Age Greece.” Kidipede. 10 June 2015
<http://www.historyforkids.org/learn/greeks/history/earlybronze.htm>.
- - - . “Early Dynastic Mesopotamia.” History for Kids. 2015. 10 June 2015
<http://www.historyforkids.org/learn/westasia/history/earlydynastic.htm>.
- - -. “Feudalism.” Kidipede. 10 June 2015
<http://www.historyforkids.org/learn/medieval/government/feudalism.htm>.
- - - . “Government.” Kidipede. 10 June 2015 <http://www.historyforkids.org/learn/government/>.
- - - . “Guptan Empire.” Kidipede. 10 June 2015
<http://www.historyforkids.org/learn/india/history/gupta.htm>.
- - - . “Han Dynasty China.” Kidipede. 10 June 2015
<http://www.historyforkids.org/learn/china/history/han.htm>.
- - - . “Justinian.” Kidipede. 10 June 2015
<http://www.historyforkids.org/learn/medieval/history/byzantine/justinian.htm>.
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_(1185_-_1868_AD)>.
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10 June 2015 <http://china.mrdonn.org/rivers.html>.
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Teacher Resource
A Tour to Machu Pichu and The Inca Empire. YouTube. 30 May 2015
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(Cambridge University Press 1981) pp. 269-273.
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African American Experience, Kwame Anthony Appiah, and Henry Louis Gates, Jr., (New
York: Oxford: University Press, 2005).
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Big Era Five: Patterns of Interregional Unity, 300-1500 CE. This Big Era and the Three Essential
Questions. World History for Us All. National Center for History in the Schools at UCLA and
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Candice<http://worldhistoryforusall.sdsu.edu/eras/era5.php>.
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Crusades. History.com. A & E Television Networks. 10 June 2015
<http://www.history.com/topics/crusades/print>.
“The Crusades.” Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. 10 June 2015
<http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/crus/hd_crus.htm>.
Department of Asian Art. "Shoguns and Art". In Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. New York: The
“Early History to the Ashikaga Shoguns.” History of Japan. InfoPlease.com. 10 June 2015
<http://www.infoplease.com/encyclopedia/world/japan-history.html>.
Empire of the Incas. YouTube. 30 May 2015
<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GcMHwLTURqU>.
Feudal Life. Interactives. Annenberg Learner. 10 June 2015
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The Fujiwara: 9th - 11th century. History of Japan. World History.net. 10 June 2015
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Geographic Understandings of Latin America and the Caribbean. Wikispaces. 30 May 2015
<https://mccainsocialstudies.wikispaces.com/D1.+Geography>.
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Mali Empire in West Africa.” Bridging World History. 21 May 2015
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High Trevor-Roper. Wikipedia. 21 May 2015 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hugh_Trevor-Roper>.
Ibn Batutta, from Travels to Kingdom of Mali, 1352 CE
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Inca mythology. Wikipedia. 30 May 2015 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inca_mythology>.
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2015 <http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/sbook1k.asp>.
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John Middleton, and Joseph C. Miller, eds., (New York: Scribner’s, 2008)
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Machu Picchu. Wikipedia. 30 May 2015 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:80_-_Machu_Picchu__Juin_2009_-_edit.2.jpg>.
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Mali & Songhai. Collapse: Why Do Civilizations Fall? Annenberg Learner. 21 May 2015
<http://www.learner.org/interactives/collapse/mali.html>.
Mali Empire. BlackPast. 21 May 2015 <http://www.blackpast.org/gah/mali-empire-ca-1200>.
Mali Empire. Wikipedia. 21 May 2015 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mali_Empire>.
“Mansa Musa of Mali Named World’s Richest Man of All Time; Gates and Buffet Also Make List. “
The Huffington Post. 17 October 2012. 21 May 2015
<http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/17/mansa-musa-worlds-richest-man-alltime_n_1973840.html>.
Mansa Musa’s Pilgramage – Grade Seven. Ohio Department of Education. 21 May 2015
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1.pdf>.
Modern History Sourcebook: Pedro de Cieza de Léon: Chronicles of the Incas, 1540 Pedro Cieza
de Léon, The Second Part of the Chronicle of Peru, Clements R. Markham, trans. & ed.,
(London: Hakluyt Society, 1883), pp. 36-50, passim. Fordham University. 30 May 2015
<http://www.fordham.edu/HALSALL/MOD/1540cieza.asp>.
Modern History Sourcebook: Hernan Cortés: from Second Letter to Charles V, 1520. Fordham
University. 30 May 2015 <http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/1520cortes.asp>.
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<https://sites.google.com/site/mrvailsclass2/mongolian-empire-and-feudal-japan>.
Nehemia Levtzion, Ancient Ghana and Mali (New York: Africana Publishing Company, 1980).
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Pachacuti Inca Yupanqui (or Pachacutec), Sapa Inca from 1438 to 1471 or 1472. Wikipedia. 30
May 2015 <http://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sapa_Inca>.
Peer Evaluation of Group Work Rubric. St. Norbert College Ocean Voyagers Program. 10 June
2015 <http://cosee-centralgom.org/seascholars/lesson_plans/lesson2web/intro/peerrubric1.html>.
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The Rise and Fall of the Aztec. YouTube. 30 May 2015
<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FwUAJbOcubM>.
“The roots of the feudal system.” BBC. 2014. 10 June 2015
<http://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/ks3/history/middle_ages/feudal_system_domesday_book/rev
ision/3/>.
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<http://www.visiblethinkingpz.org/VisibleThinking_html_files/03_ThinkingRoutines/03c_Core
_routines/SeeThinkWonder/SeeThinkWonder_Routine.html>.
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<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spanish_conquest_of_the_Aztec_Empire>.
“The Spread of the Balck Death in Europe Map.” Philip’s Atlas of World History. 12 June 2015
<https://qed.princeton.edu/getfile.php?f=The_Spread_of_the_Black_Death_in_Europe,_134
7_to_1352.jpg>.
Stockdill, Darin and Stacie Woodward. Supplemental Materials (Lessons 2-4, Unit 7). Teachermade materials. Oakland Schools, 2015.
- - -. PowerPoint (Lesson 2-4, Unit 7). Teacher-made materials. Oakland Schools, 2015.
Tenochtitlan Model. Wikipedia. 30 May 2015
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:TenochtitlanModel.JPG>.
"The Trans-Saharan Gold Trade (7th–14th century)". In Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. New
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“The Wealth of Africa, The Kingdom of Mali, Teachers’ Notes.” The British Museum. 21 May 2015
<http://www.britishmuseum.org/pdf/KingdomOfMali_TeachersNotes.pdf>.
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materials. Oakland Schools, 2015.
- - -. PowerPoint (Lesson 1, Unit 7). Teacher-made materials. Oakland Schools, 2015.
Page 21 of 21
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Unit 7: Converging Patterns (1000 CE – 1450 CE)
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Lesson 1
Lesson 1: Empire in West Africa - The Mali Empire
Big Ideas of the Lesson
 West Africa had sophisticated societies and empires that followed patterns similar to those of
Eurasia. They grew and thrived due to trade and the exploitation of raw materials, however,
both internal and external factors led to their decline.
 The Mali Empire was the largest empire in Africa during its existence and had political,
economic, and social systems much like other empires in world history.
 Religion, trade and empire continued to be closely connected in this era. The world religion,
Islam, thrived in West Africa during this time period and continued to spread along major trade
routes.
Lesson Abstract:
Students begin this lesson by recalling what they previously learned about the Kingdom of Ghana
and then make predictions about what happened to that kingdom. Through a short secondary
account, students explore the factors that led to the decline of the Kingdom of Ghana and compare
what they learned from the account with their original predictions. Next, students read six historical
accounts to investigate the Mali Empire, the biggest empire in Africa during this era and the
successor of the Kingdom of Ghana. Based on what students learn from these accounts, they
come to some conclusions about the Mali Empire. Finally, students consider a controversial
statement made by a 20th Century British historian about African history and write an evidencebased response.
Content Expectations1:
7th Grade – H1.2.6; W3.1.2; W3.1.6; W3.2.3; G1.1.1; G2.2.3
6th and 7th Grades – H1.2.2; H1.2.3; H1.2.4; H1.4.1; H1.4.2; H1.4.3;
G1.3.2; G1.3.3; G2.2.1; G4.4.1
6th Grade – H1.2.5; W3.1.1; W3.1.2; G1.1.1; G5.2.1
Common Core State Standards for Literacy in History/Social Studies: RH. 6-8.1, 2, 4, 6, 7, 8,
9, 10; WHST.6-8.4 and 9
Key Concepts
corroboration
evidence
inferences
world religion
Lesson Sequence
1
The language of the content expectations and the common core standards can be found in the Reference Section at
the end of the lesson.
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Lesson 1
1. Begin the lesson by asking students to jot down what they remember about Sub Saharan Africa
from the previous unit (See Unit 6, Lesson 7). If students need some prompting, you might
mention key words like the Kingdom of Ghana, gold and salt. Allow time for students to share
their responses. If necessary, guide them toward remembering that in the previous era (5001000 CE) the Kingdom of Ghana in West Africa was a trading kingdom famous for its gold. As
the era ended, the Kingdom of Ghana found itself more and more connected to the rest of
Eurasia through trade. Now, have students jot down their predictions about what happened to
the Kingdom of Ghana in the next era, 1000 CE and 1450 CE and why. Next, ask students to
turn and talk with a partner about their predictions. Solicit a few student predictions about what
happened to the Kingdom of Ghana, as well as student reasoning for these predictions. Write
down a couple of the predictions on the board.
2. Next, display the PowerPoint (Lesson 1, Unit 7) located on the Atlas website. Move to Slide 2
which has a map of West African kingdoms over time. (Teacher Note: This is the same map
students saw in the previous unit.) Have students engage in the Turn & Talk on the slide (What
does this map show us? How could we use this map to make predictions about what happened
to the Kingdom of Ghana?).
3. When students are done discussing, have a pair or two come up to the map and explain their
responses to the Turn and Talk. Students should note that the map depicts West African
Kingdoms from the 9th-16th Centuries as well as sea and land trade routes. Students might also
point out that the globe in the lower left side of the map zooms out a little bit more than the main
map and is there to help situate us spatially. Students should also note that it is reasonable to
predict that the Mali Empire succeeded the Kingdom of Ghana given their respective locations
and time frames of existence.
4. Explain to students that they will now explore the factors that contributed to the decline of the
Kingdom of Ghana through a brief secondary account. Distribute “Student Handout 1: The
Decline of the Kingdom of Ghana,” located in the Supplemental Materials (Lesson 1, Unit 7)
and show Slide 3 of the PowerPoint (Unit 7, Lesson 1), which depicts a model of what students
are to do with the account. Go over the model with students, demonstrating that as they read
the account on the left side, they are to underline key ideas related to the decline of the
Kingdom of Ghana. Next, they should summarize in their own words what they have underlined
in a list format. In the final column on the right, they need to draw conclusions as to HOW/WHY
the factors listed in the middle column could lead to the decline of a kingdom. You might want
to make it evident to students that in the last column they are making inferences and that the
“answers” cannot be found in the text—the answers are in their heads.
5. After you have modeled for students what to do, have students work in pairs on the remaining
portions of the account (labeled B and C) while you circulate around the room and monitor
student work and thinking. Once students have completed sections B and C, direct them to
complete section D which requires them to synthesize the information from the handout based
on the following questions:
 Why did the Kingdom of Ghana decline?
 Who took over after the Kingdom of Ghana declined?
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Lesson 1
Once the pairs finish section D, they should find another pair of students with whom to compare
their responses, editing and improving as necessary. This group of four students should then
complete the final section of the graphic organizer (Part E) and discuss their responses.
Section E asks students to make connections using the question: How does your response in
the box above connect to or compare with the predictions you made at the beginning of the
lesson about the decline of the Kingdom of Ghana?
6. To wrap-up this portion of the lesson, have student volunteers share their responses to the
questions raised on the handout.
 Why did the Kingdom of Ghana decline? (they lost control of the salt/gold trade, drought,
outside forces of invasion or maybe just a slow take-over, military conflict)
 What happened to the Kingdom of Ghana after its decline? (another empire, Mali, rose
up in its place)
 How did their initial predictions compared with what they learned? (answers will vary)
7. Explain to students that they will learn about the empire that took over after the Kingdom of
Ghana fell---the Kingdom/Empire of Mali. In order to provide a little historical and spatial
context, show Slide 4 from the PowerPoint (Lesson 1, Unit 7), which provides two maps. One
is of the Mali Empire and the other is of the Mongol Empire. Explain that during this time in
World History, the Mongol Empire was the largest.
8. Distribute “Student Handout 2: Understanding The Mali Empire through Six Accounts,”
located in the Supplemental Materials (Lesson 1, Unit 7) and explain to students that they will
be learning about this empire through examining various accounts and then coming to some
informed conclusions based on these accounts. Depending on the needs of your students,
there are various approaches you could take to this portion of the lesson, including:
a. Carousel--Create stations for each account and have students travel in small teams to
each station in timed increments.
b. Gallery Walk-- Hang the accounts on the wall and have students use their own copies to
record their answers to the corresponding questions. Students travel in pairs at their own
pace to explore the accounts and respond to the questions.
c. Divide and Conquer-- Assign different pairs of students different accounts (student pairs
could number off by 6 and take one account or split your class in half and group A tackles
the even numbered accounts while group B tackles odd numbered accounts) and then
have them share out at the end so that everyone has the same information.
d. Individually-- Everyone does all of the accounts so that students tackle all of the accounts
and questions at their own pace.
Decide on an approach to Student Handout 2 and explain the procedures to students,
modeling anything that you think is necessary.
Teacher Note: Some of these accounts are easier to read and understand than others, so take
that into consideration when you are deciding which option to pursue and how you want to
group students or assign them different accounts.
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Lesson 1
9. Once students have read the accounts and you are satisfied with their responses, distribute
“Student Handout 3: Summing up what we know about the Mali Empire,” located in the
Supplemental Materials (Lesson 1, Unit 7). Explain to students that their task is to come up
with conclusions about the Mali Empire based on the information they gleaned from the six
accounts. You may want to model how to do this using the first category “Political Structure,”
and then have students continue the rest in pairs.
If you find that students do not have enough information to complete the graphic organizer, you
can provide to students “Student Handout 4: Overview of the Mali Empire,” located in the
Supplemental Materials (Lesson 1, Unit 7), which is a secondary account about the Mali
Empire. Students can read for new information and add it to their graphic organizer in Student
Handout 3.
10. Once the graphic organizers are complete, have some students share their responses and
explain how they used the information in the accounts to come to those conclusions. You may
want to create a graphic organizer on the overhead or board that captures students’
conclusions about the Mali Empire.
11. After reviewing students’ work as a class, instruct students to complete the two questions on
the bottom of the handout. The purpose of this section is to focus students’ attention on the
importance of corroboration in doing history. The importance of recognizing the limitations of
historical accounts is an important skill that has been developed throughout this course. Give
students time to think reflectively about the activity. Teacher Note: The tendency for students
is to either dismiss an account altogether if it does not fit with their particular sentiments or
embrace it dogmatically without regard to perspective or other limiting factors. In short, humans
sometimes oscillate between dogmatism and relativism, both of which are impediments to
understanding. Similarly, this course has stressed using the term “perspective” instead of “bias”.
This is primarily because of the negative connotations of the term “bias” which tends to lead
students to dismiss an entire account.
12. Show students Slide 5 of the PowerPoint (Lesson 1, Unit 7). Have students turn and talk about
the following prompt: What makes the Mali Empire worthy of talking about in a World History
class? Have students share some of their responses with the class.
13. Then, show Slide 6, which has the following quote by H.R. Trevor-Roper, a 20th Century British
historian:
“Perhaps in the future, there will be some African history to teach. But, at present
there is none: there is only the history of the Europeans in Africa. The rest is
darkness….”
Through discussion, have students decode what this quote means and consider why he would
say something like this. Students may need a little background knowledge from you that
Europeans colonized most of Africa in the next era of World History and often referred to Africa
as the “dark continent” that lacked history or culture. You could also add to the discussion that
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one of Trevor-Roper’s “complaints” about African history was that it was based too much on
oral tradition and the work of anthropologists, so it did not count as history.
14. Lastly, have students respond to the exit ticket prompt on Slide 6: Respond to Mr. TrevorRoper’s thinking. Use evidence and reasoning to support your claim. Students could use
information they learned about the Mali Empire to make their case for the existence of African
history and/or what they learned previously about the Kingdom of Ghana and Egypt.
Reference Section
6 and 7
H1.2.2:
happened, what events led to the development, and what consequences or outcomes
followed.
6 and 7
H1.2.3:
Identify the point of view (perspective of the author) and context when reading and
discussing primary and secondary sources.
6 and 7
H1.2.4:
proof.
6 – H1.2.5:
7 – H1.2.6:
Identify the role of the individual in history and the significance of one person’s ideas.
6 and 7
H1.4.1:
6 and 7
H1.4.2:
6 and 7
H1.4.3:
Use historical perspectives to analyze global issues faced by humans long ago and
today.
7 – W3.1.2: Using historic and modern maps, locate three major empires of this era, describe
their geographic characteristics including physical features and climates, and propose
a generalization about the relationship between geographic characteristics and the
development of early empires.
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7 – W3.1.6: Use historic and modern maps to locate and describe trade networks among empires
in the classical era.
6 – G1.1.1:
7 – G1.1.1:
6 and 7
G1.3.2:
6 and 7
G1.3.3:
6 and 7
G2.2.1:
7 – G2.2.3:
Analyze how culture and experience influence people’s perception of places and
regions.2
6 and 7
G4.4.1:
Identify factors that contribute to conflict and cooperation between and among
cultural groups (control/use of natural resources, power, wealth, and cultural
diversity).
6– G5.2.1:
Describe the effects that a change in the physical environment could have on human
activities and the choices people would have to make in adjusting to the change.3
Common Core State Standards for Literacy in History/Social Studies:
RH. 6-8.1: Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of primary and secondary sources.
RH.6-8.2:
RH.6-8.4:
2
The examples have been removed as they are not helpful in understand the essence of this content expectation.
They read: “(e.g., that beaches are places where tourists travel, cities have historic buildings, northern places are cold,
equatorial places are very warm).”
3
The examples have been removed because the curriculum uses the concepts contained in the expectation in a
different context. They read: “(e.g., drought in northern Mexico, disappearance of forest vegetation in the Amazon,
natural hazards and disasters from volcanic eruptions in Central America and the Caribbean and earthquakes in
Mexico City and Colombia).”
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RH.6-8.6:
Identify aspects of a text that reveal an author’s point of view or purpose (e.g., loaded
language, inclusion or avoidance of particular facts).
RH.6-8.7:
RH.6-8.8:
Distinguish among fact, opinion, and reasoned judgment in a text.
RH.6-8.9:
Analyze the relationship between a primary and secondary source on the same topic.
RH.6-8.10:
By the end of grade 8, read and comprehend history/social studies texts in the grades
6–8 text complexity band independently and proficiently.
WHST.6-8.9: Draw evidence from informational texts to support analysis reflection, and research.
Computer with projector
Student Resource
Woodward, Stacie and Darin Stockdill. Supplemental Materials (Lesson 1, Unit 7). Teacher-made
Teacher Resource
“Ancient Ghana.” The Story of Africa. West African Kingdoms. BBC World Service. 21 May 2015
<http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/africa/features/storyofafrica/4chapter1.shtml>.
Al-Umari cited in Levitzion and Hopkins Corpus of Early Arabic Sources for West African History
(Cambridge University Press 1981) pp. 269-273.
Andrew Marr’s History of the World. BBC World Service. 21 May 2015
<http://www.bbc.co.uk/learningzone/clips/mansa-musa-of-mali-the-richest-manever/14207.html>.
Ari Nave and Elizabeth Heath, “The Mali Empire” in Africana, The Encyclopedia of the African &
African American Experience, Kwame Anthony Appiah, and Henry Louis Gates, Jr., (New
York: Oxford: University Press, 2005).
Big Era Five: Patterns of Interregional Unity, 300-1500 CE. This Big Era and the Three Essential
Questions. World History for Us All. National Center for History in the Schools at UCLA and
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San Diego State University. 21 May 2015
<http://worldhistoryforusall.sdsu.edu/eras/era5.php>.
Goucher, Candice, Charles LeGuin, and Linda Walton. “Trade, Technology, and Culture: The Mali
Empire in West Africa.” Bridging World History. 21 May 2015
<http://www.learner.org/courses/worldhistory/support/reading_11_1.pdf>.
High Trevor-Roper. Wikipedia. 21 May 2015 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hugh_Trevor-Roper>.
Ibn Batutta, from Travels to Kingdom of Mali, 1352 CE
Kent Glenzer, Dorothea E. Schultz and Stephen Wooten, “Mali” in the New Encyclopedia of Africa,
John Middleton, and Joseph C. Miller, eds., (New York: Scribner’s, 2008)
Kevin Shillington, History of Africa (New York: Palgrave, 2005).
Mali & Songhai. Collapse: Why Do Civilizations Fall? Annenberg Learner. 21 May 2015
Mali Empire. BlackPast. 21 May 2015 <http://www.blackpast.org/gah/mali-empire-ca-1200>.
Mali Empire. Wikipedia. 21 May 2015 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mali_Empire>.
“Mansa Musa of Mali Named World’s Richest Man of All Time; Gates and Buffet Also Make List. “
The Huffington Post. 17 October 2012. 21 May 2015
<http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/17/mansa-musa-worlds-richest-man-alltime_n_1973840.html>.
Mansa Musa’s Pilgramage – Grade Seven. Ohio Department of Education. 21 May 2015
<https://ims.ode.state.oh.us/ODE/IMS/Lessons/Web_Content/CSS_LP_S03_BA_L07_I02_0
1.pdf>.
Mongolian Empire. East Asia History for Kids. 21 May 2015
<https://sites.google.com/site/mrvailsclass2/mongolian-empire-and-feudal-japan>.
Nehemia Levtzion, Ancient Ghana and Mali (New York: Africana Publishing Company, 1980).
"The Trans-Saharan Gold Trade (7th–14th century)". In Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. New
York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000.
“The Wealth of Africa, The Kingdom of Mali, Teachers’ Notes.” The British Museum. 21 May 2015
<http://www.britishmuseum.org/pdf/KingdomOfMali_TeachersNotes.pdf>.
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Graphic Organizer
Global Pattern
Growth and decline of sophisticated societies
and empires
• Grew and thrived due to trade and the
exploitation of raw materials
• Declined due to internal and external
factors
Eurasia
Africa
The Mali
Empire was
the largest
empire in
Africa during
its existence
Mali had
political,
economic,
and social
systems
much like
other
empires in
world history
The world
religion Islam
thrived in West
Africa during this
time period and
continued to
spread along
major trade
routes
Religion,
trade, and
empire
continued to
be closely
connected in
this era
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Big Idea Card
Big Ideas of Lesson 1, Unit 7
 West Africa had sophisticated societies and empires that followed patterns
similar to those of Eurasia. They grew and thrived due to trade and the
exploitation of raw materials, however, both internal and external factors led to
their decline.
 The Mali Empire was the largest empire in Africa during its existence and had
political, economic, and social systems much like other empires in world history.
 Religion, trade and empire continued to be closely connected in this era. The
world religion, Islam, thrived in West Africa during this time period and continued
to spread along major trade routes.
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Word Cards
1
summary
2
conclusion
using a few
words to give
the most important information about
something
an opinion or
decision that is
formed after a
period of thought or research
Example: The student wrote a summary Example: In conclusion, the jury gave a
of the historical account.
verdict of guilty.
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3
monopoly
4
drought
almost
complete
control of a product or service
an extended
period of dry
weather
Example: Ghana had a monopoly on
the salt and gold trade for many years.
Example: The livestock and plants
suffered during the drought.
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5
cultivation
6
Almoravid
to prepare or
work on the
land in order
to raise crops
a racially diverse
ethnic group native
to North Africa that
established a short-lived empire in North
Africa and southern Spain
Example: As cultivation techniques
improved, people were able to raise more Example: Accounts vary as to the role
crops.
of the Almoravids in the fall of the Ghana
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7
synthesis
8
corroboration
combining ideas to
form a new whole
to confirm or give
support to a statement,
theory, or finding
Example: The teacher asked students
to prepare a synthesis by combining
ideas from a variety of sources.
Example: In order for the historian to be
confident in his conclusions, he engaged
in a corroboration of the facts through
multiple sources.
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9
world religion
10
pilgrimage
a belief system whose
followers consider it to be
sacred, has a large
following, and is independent from any
particular place or region
a journey to an
important place for
special reasons;
can be to an important religious location
for spiritual reasons as an act of devotion
Example: Islam and Christianity are
both world religions.
Example: Mansa Musa made a
pilgrimage to Mecca.
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11
inferences
12
sultan
a conclusion or opinion
that is formed because
of known facts or
evidence
a king or ruler in a
Muslim nation
Example: The students had to make
inferences to answer the question
Example: Mansa Musa was a sultan.
because it was not specifically addressed
in the text.
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13
repugnant
14
opulence
causing a strong feeling of
dislike or distrust
wealth,
affluence,
abundance
Example: Chocolate covered bugs are
repugnant to some people.
Example: The
palace was awash in opulence with the
gold leaf walls and crystal chandeliers.
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15
prodigal
16
cajole
spending
money or
resources freely
and recklessly
persuade someone
to do something by
sustained coaxing
or flattery
Example: Today people complain about
the prodigal behavior of the U.S.
Congress.
Example: Suzanne was not able to
cajole John into marrying her.
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17
incalculable
18
provinces
too great to be
estimated or
measured
an administrative
district or division
of a country or
empire
Example: The distances between
galaxies seem to be incalculable.
Example: During the decline of Ghana,
some of the provinces broke away.
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19
vassal
20
ethnicity
a person in the
past who
received
protection and
land from a lord in return for loyalty and
service
cultural factors,
including nationality,
regional culture,
ancestry, and language
that set apart one group of people from
another
Example: The vassal betrayed his lord
by joining with the enemy.
Example: In the United States a
person’s ethnicity has nothing to do with
how he or she is treated under the law.
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21
alliance
an agreement
between
people, groups,
or countries to
work together
Example: The alliance enabled its
members to triumph over its rivals.
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Student Handout 1: The Decline of the Kingdom of Ghana
Text:
Summary:
Drawing conclusions:
As you read the text,
underline key ideas that help
us understand why the
Kingdom of Ghana declined.
List reasons for the
Kingdom of Ghana’s
decline (use your own
words).
Why/how would these factors
contribute to the decline of a
kingdom?
A. There were a number of
reasons for Ghana's decline.
The King lost his trading
monopoly. At the same time
drought was beginning to have a
long-term effect on the land and
its ability to sustain cattle and
cultivation. But the Empire of
Ghana was also under pressure
from outside forces.
1. The Kingdom of Ghana
lost control of the gold/salt
trade
B. There is an Arab tradition
[story] that the Almoravid
Muslims came down from the
North and invaded Ghana.
Another interpretation is that this
Almoravid influence was gradual
and did not involve any sort of
military take-over.
1.
1. Losing control of the
trade=losing lots of
money=problems with
supporting kingdom’s wellbeing and defense
2. Drought caused problems
with growing crops and
2. When a kingdom cannot
raising cows
grow crops or livestock, it
cannot feed its people
3. Outsiders caused
problems
3. We have seen other
examples of outsiders causing
problems in kingdoms/empires
through invasion (i.e. The
Guptas were invaded by
pastoral nomads and could not
defend themselves)
OR
2.
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1.
C. In the 11th and 12th century
new gold fields began to be
mined at Bure (modern Guinea)
out of the commercial reach of
Ghana and new trade routes
were opening up further east.
Ghana became the target of
attacks by the Sosso ruler
Sumanguru. Out of this conflict,
the Malinke emerged in 1235
under a new dynamic ruler,
Sundiata Keita. Soon Ghana
was totally eclipsed by the Mali
Empire of Sundiata.
2.
D. Synthesis: Now use the information above to answer the following questions: Why did the
Kingdom of Ghana decline? Who took over after the Kingdom of Ghana declined?
E. Connections: How does your response in the box above connect to or compare with the
predictions you made at the beginning of the lesson about the decline of the Kingdom of Ghana?
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Answer Key for Student Handout 1: The Decline of the Kingdom of Ghana
Text:
Summary:
Drawing conclusions:
As you read the text,
underline key ideas that help
us understand why the
Kingdom of Ghana declined.
List reasons for the
Kingdom of Ghana’s
decline (use your own
words).
Why/how would these factors
contribute to the decline of a
kingdom?
A. There were a number of
reasons for Ghana's decline.
The King lost his trading
monopoly. At the same time
drought was beginning to have a
long-term effect on the land and
its ability to sustain cattle and
cultivation. But the Empire of
Ghana was also under pressure
from outside forces.
B. There is an Arab tradition
[story] that the Almoravid
Muslims came down from the
North and invaded Ghana.
Another interpretation is that this
Almoravid influence was gradual
and did not involve any sort of
military take-over.
1. The Kingdom of Ghana
lost control of the gold/salt
trade
1. Losing control of the
trade=losing lots of
money=problems with
supporting kingdom’s wellbeing and defense
2. Drought caused problems
with growing crops and
2. When a kingdom cannot
raising cows
grow crops or livestock, it
cannot feed its people
3. Outsiders caused
problems
3. We have seen other
examples of outsiders causing
problems in kingdoms/empires
through invasion (i.e. The
Guptas were invaded by
pastoral nomads and could not
defend themselves)
Answers may vary but
below are some suggested
targets.
1. Almoravid invaders
from the north took
over militarily
2. Almoravid influence
gradually
undermined the
empire.
Answers may vary but below
are some suggested targets.
1. Military takeover
weakens those subject
to it and results in
someone else ruling.
2. Gradual influence can
slowly result in change
in leadership.
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C. In the 11th and 12th century
new gold fields began to be
mined at Bure (modern Guinea)
out of the commercial reach of
Ghana and new trade routes
were opening up further east.
Ghana became the target of
attacks by the Sosso ruler
Sumanguru. Out of this conflict,
the Malinke emerged in 1235
under a new dynamic ruler,
Sundiata Keita. Soon Ghana
was totally eclipsed by the Mali
Empire of Sundiata.
Answers may vary but
below are some suggested
targets.
1. New gold fields were
mined which were
out of the control
zone of Ghana.
2. Ghana was attacked
by the Sosso.
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Lesson 1
Answers may vary but below
are some suggested targets.
1. The loss of more access
to gold hurt Ghana’s
economy.
2. Military conflict hurts
societies in many ways.
D. Synthesis: Now use the information above to answer the following questions: Why did the
Kingdom of Ghana decline? Who took over after the Kingdom of Ghana declined?
The Kingdom of Ghana declined due to a combination of factors. Drought, disruption of trade,
the disruption of access to key resources and military attacks all contributed to the weakening of
Ghana. The Mali Empire took over after the decline of Ghana.
E. Connections: How does your response in the box above connect to or compare with the
predictions you made at the beginning of the lesson about the decline of the Kingdom of Ghana?
Answers will vary.
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Student Handout 2: Understanding the Mali Empire through Six
Accounts
Directions: Use the accounts provided to form conclusions about the Mali Empire.
Account 1: Wealth of the Mali Empire
Source: "The Trans-Saharan Gold Trade (7th–14th century)". In Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History.
New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000.
The flow of sub-Saharan gold to the northeast probably occurred in a steady but small stream.
Mansa Musa's arrival in Cairo carrying a ton of the metal (1324–25) caused the market in gold to
crash, suggesting that the average supply was not as great. Undoubtedly, some of this African gold
was also used in Western gold coins. African gold was indeed so famous worldwide that a Spanish
map of 1375 represents the king of Mali holding a gold nugget. When Mossi raids destroyed the
Mali Empire, the rising Songhai empire relied on the same resources. Gold remained the principal
product in the trans-Saharan trade, followed by kola nuts and slaves.
Questions about Account 1:
a. According to this account, what evidence is there that Mansa Musa was a wealthy and
powerful ruler?
b. What inferences can we make about the Mali Empire based on this account?
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Account 2: Law and Order in the Mali Empire
Ibn Batutta was a Muslim traveler from Morocco who wrote about his journeys. Here is one excerpt
about his experience in the Kingdom of Mali from his book, Travels to Kingdom of Mali, 1352 CE.
They are seldom unjust, and have a greater hatred of injustice than any other people. Their sultan
shows no mercy to anyone who is guilty of the least act of it. There is complete security in their
country. Neither traveler nor inhabitant in it has anything to fear from robbers. –Ibn Batutta, from
Travels to Kingdom of Mali, 1352 CE.
a. According to this account, what are Ibn Battuta’s observations about the justice system in
the Kingdom of Mali?
b. What inferences about the Mali Empire can we make based on this account?
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Account 3: Mansa Musa’s Pilgrimage
The following description of the visit to Cairo in 1324 by the King of Mali, Mansa Musa, was written
by Al-Umari, who visited Cairo several years after Mansa Musa’s visit.
Source: Al-Umari cited in Levitzion and Hopkins Corpus of Early Arabic Sources for West African
History (Cambridge University Press 1981) pp. 269-273.
From the beginning of my coming to stay in Egypt I heard talk of the arrival of this sultan Musa on his
Pilgrimage and found the Cairenes eager to recount what they had seem of the Africans’ prodigal
spending. I asked the emir Abu…and he told me of the opulence, manly virtues, and piety of his
sultan. “When I went out to meet him {he said} that is, on behalf of the mighty sultan al-Malik al-Nasir, he
did me extreme honour and treated me with the greatest courtesy. He addressed me, however, only
through an interpreter despite his perfect ability to speak in the Arabic tongue. Then he forwarded to the
royal treasury many loads of unworked native gold and other valuables. I tried to persuade him to go up to
the Citadel to meet the sultan, but he refused persistently saying: “I came for the Pilgrimage and nothing
else. I do not wish to mix anything else with my Pilgrimage.” He had begun to use this argument but I
realized that the audience was repugnant to him because he would be obliged to kiss the ground and the
sultan’s hand. I continue to cajole him and he continued to make excuses but the sultan’s protocol
demanded that I should bring him into the royal presence, so I kept on at him till he agreed.
When we came in the sultan’s presence we said to him: ‘Kiss the ground!’ but he refused outright saying:
‘How may this be?’ Then an intelligent man who was with him whispered to him something we could not
understand and he said: ‘I make obeisance to God who created me!’ then he prostrated himself and went
forward to the sultan. The sultan half rose to greet him and sat him by his side. They conversed together
for a long time, then sultan Musa went out. The sultan sent to him several complete suits of honour for
himself, his courtiers, and all those who had come with him, and saddled and bridled horses for himself and
his chief courtiers….
This man [Mansa Musa] flooded Cairo with his benefactions. He left no court emir nor holder of a royal
office without the gift of a load of gold. The Cairenes made incalculable profits out of him and his suite in
buying and selling and giving and taking. They exchanged gold until they depressed its value in Egypt and
caused its price to fall.” …
Gold was at a high price in Egypt until they came in that year. The mithqal did not go below 25 dirhams and
was generally above, but from that time its value fell and it cheapened in price and has remained cheap till
now. The mithqal does not exceed 22 dirhams or less. This has been the state of affairs for about twelve
years until this day by reason of the large amount of gold which they brought into Egypt and spent there. …
a. What can you tell about Mansa Musa and the extent of his wealth from the above
account? How did he view himself?
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Account 4: Just how wealthy was Mansa Musa?
This is recent article from an online source that discusses Mansa Musa’s wealth.
Mansa Musa Of Mali Named World's Richest Man Of All Time; Gates And Buffet Also Make
List
The Huffington Post | Posted: 10/17/2012 12:22 pm Updated: 10/17/2012 4:02 pm
You've probably never heard of him, but Mansa Musa is the richest person ever.
The 14th century emperor from West Africa was worth a staggering $400 billion, after adjusting for
inflation, as calculated by Celebrity Net Worth. To put that number into perspective -- if that's even
possible -- Net Worth's calculations mean Musa's fortune far outstrips that of the current world's
richest man Carlos Slim Helu and family.
According to Forbes, the Mexican telecom giant's net worth is $69 billion. Slim edges out the
world's second wealthiest man, Bill Gates, who is worth $61 billion, according to Forbes…
According to the Encyclopedia Brittanica, when Musa died sometime in the 1330s, he left behind
an empire filled with palaces and mosques, some of which still stand today. But the emperor really
turned historic heads for the over-the-top extravagances of his 1324 pilgrimage to Mecca.
The trip, which he embarked up on during the 17th year of the monarch's glittering reign, was
hosted by the leaders of both Mecca and Cairo and apparently was so brilliant, it "almost put
Africa’s sun to shame."
Musa's wealth was a result of his country's vast natural resources. The West African nation was
responsible for more than half of the world's salt and gold supply, according to Net Worth. Of
course, the entry also notes that the fortune was also fleeting. Just two generations later, his net
worth was gone -- wasted away by invaders and infighting.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/17/mansa-musa-worlds-richest-man-alltime_n_1973840.html
a. What information in this account is corroborated in the other accounts you have read so far?
b. This account gives us a clue as to why the Mali Empire fell. What is that clue?
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Account 5: Religion, Trade and Empire in Afroeurasia
Source: Big Era Five: Patterns of
Interregional Unity, 300-1500 CE. This Big
Era and the Three Essential Questions.
World History for Us All. National Center
for History in the Schools at UCLA and San
Diego State University. 21 May 2015
http://worldhistoryforusall.sdsu.edu/eras/era
5.php
“It is significant that all the major religions of the era tended to thrive in and around cities and to
spread along the major trade routes. This happened partly because organized religion tended to be
closely linked with and supported by central governments, including large empires. Meanwhile, far
from big cities and trade routes, people continued to practice local religions that often involved
worship of gods and spirits associated with nature.”
a. Study the map and list 3 observations.
b. According to this account, how were trade and religion connected in Afroeurasia during this
era? How were empire and religion connected?
c. In what ways did the Mali Empire reflect the global patterns surrounding religion, trade and
empire described in the account?
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Account 6: The Decline of the Mali Empire
The rise and fall of Mali and Songhai
Source: Mali & Songhai. Collapse: Why Do Civilizations Fall? Annenberg Learner. 21 May 2015
The empire of Mali, which dated from the early thirteenth century to the late fifteenth century, rose
out of what was once the empire of Ghana. Mali had been a state inside of the Ghanaian empire.
After Ghana fell because of invading forces and internal disputes, Mali rose to greatness under the
leadership of a legendary king named Sundiata, the "Lion King." Later, another great leader named
Mansa Musa extended the empire. After his death, however, his sons could not hold the empire
together. The smaller states it had conquered broke off, and the empire crumbled.
As Mali's power waned, Songhai asserted its independence and rose to power in the area…
a. According to this account, why did the Mali Empire decline?
b. How do the reasons that the Mali Empire declined compare with the reasons other empires
in history declined? Provide an example to support your thinking.
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Answer Guide for Student Handout 2: Understanding the Mali Empire
through Six Accounts
Account 1: Wealth of the Mali Empire
Source: "The Trans-Saharan Gold Trade (7th–14th century)". In Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. New York: The Metropolitan
Museum of Art, 2000.
The flow of sub-Saharan gold to the northeast probably occurred in a steady but small stream. Mansa Musa's arrival in Cairo
carrying a ton of the metal (1324–25) caused the market in gold to crash, suggesting that the average supply was not as great.
Undoubtedly, some of this African gold was also used in Western gold coins. African gold was indeed so famous worldwide that a
Spanish map of 1375 represents the king of Mali holding a gold nugget. When Mossi raids destroyed the Mali Empire, the rising
Songhai empire relied on the same resources. Gold remained the principal product in the trans-Saharan trade, followed by kola nuts
and slaves.
a. According to this account, what evidence is there that Mansa Musa was a wealthy and
powerful ruler?
Mansa Musa carried so much gold with him when he visited Cairo that it caused the gold
market to crash.
b. What inferences can we make about the Mali Empire based on this account?
The Mali Empire had relatively easy access to an abundance of gold and the gold was used
to fund or drive much of the trans-Saharan trade._________________________________________________________________________
Account 2: Law and Order in the Mali Empire
Ibn Batutta was a Muslim traveler from Morocco who wrote about his journeys. Here is one excerpt about his experience in the
Kingdom of Mali from his book, Travels to Kingdom of Mali, 1352 CE.
They are seldom unjust, and have a greater hatred of injustice than any other people. Their sultan shows no mercy to anyone who is
guilty of the least act of it. There is complete security in their country. Neither traveler nor inhabitant in it has anything to fear from
robbers. –Ibn Batutta, from Travels to Kingdom of Mali, 1352 CE.
a. According to this account, what are Ibn Battuta’s observations about the justice system in
the Kingdom of Mali?
The citizens of Mali had a profound respect for justice. The authority in Mali did not tolerate
injustice.
Mali was a well ordered society which had a very low rate of crime.
_________________________________________________________________________
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Account 3: Mansa Musa’s Pilgrimage
The following description of the visit to Cairo in 1324 by the King of Mali, Mansa Musa, was written by Al-Umari, who visited Cairo
several years after Mansa Musa’s visit. Source: Al-Umari cited in Levitzion and Hopkins Corpus of Early Arabic Sources for West
African History (Cambridge University Press 1981) pp. 269-273.
From the beginning of my coming to stay in Egypt I heard talk of the arrival of this sultan Musa on his Pilgrimage and found the
Cairenes eager to recount what they had seem of the Africans’ prodigal spending. I asked the emir Abu…and he told me of the
opulence, manly virtues, and piety of his sultan. “When I went out to meet him {he said} that is, on behalf of the mighty sultan alMalik al-Nasir, he did me extreme honour and treated me with the greatest courtesy. He addressed me, however, only through an
interpreter despite his perfect ability to speak in the Arabic tongue. Then he forwarded to the royal treasury many loads of unworked
native gold and other valuables. I tried to persuade him to go up to the Citadel to meet the sultan, but he refused persistently
saying: “I came for the Pilgrimage and nothing else. I do not wish to mix anything else with my Pilgrimage.” He had begun to use
this argument but I realized that the audience was repugnant to him because he would be obliged to kiss the ground and the
sultan’s hand. I continue to cajole him and he continued to make excuses but the sultan’s protocol demanded that I should bring
him into the royal presence, so I kept on at him till he agreed.
When we came in the sultan’s presence we said to him: ‘Kiss the ground!’ but he refused outright saying: ‘How may this be?’ Then
an intelligent man who was with him whispered to him something we could not understand and he said: ‘I make obeisance to God
who created me!’ then he prostrated himself and went forward to the sultan. The sultan half rose to greet him and sat him by his
side. They conversed together for a long time, then sultan Musa went out. The sultan sent to him several complete suits of honour
for himself, his courtiers, and all those who had come with him, and saddled and bridled horses for himself and his chief courtiers….
This man [Mansa Musa] flooded Cairo with his benefactions. He left no court emir nor holder of a royal office without the gift of a
load of gold. The Cairenes made incalculable profits out of him and his suite in buying and selling and giving and taking. They
exchanged gold until they depressed its value in Egypt and caused its price to fall.” …
Gold was at a high price in Egypt until they came in that year. The mithqal did not go below 25 dirhams and was generally above,
but from that time its value fell and it cheapened in price and has remained cheap till now. The mithqal does not exceed 22 dirhams
or less. This has been the state of affairs for about twelve years until this day by reason of the large amount of gold which they
brought into Egypt and spent there. …
a. What can you tell about Mansa Musa and the extent of his wealth from the above
account? How did he view himself?
Mansa Musa was generous and extremely wealthy.
The ruling authority had great control over society and the wealth available to Mali was
enormous. Mansa Musa was deeply religious.
________________________________________________________________________
Account 4: Just how wealthy was Mansa Musa?
This is recent article from an online source that discusses Mansa Musa’s wealth. Mansa Musa Of Mali Named World's Richest
Man Of All Time; Gates And Buffet Also Make List.The Huffington Post | Posted: 10/17/2012 12:22 pm Updated: 10/17/2012
4:02 pm http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/10/17/mansa-musa-worlds-richest-man-all-time_n_1973840.html
You've probably never heard of him, but Mansa Musa is the richest person ever.
The 14th century emperor from West Africa was worth a staggering $400 billion, after adjusting for inflation, as calculated by
Celebrity Net Worth. To put that number into perspective -- if that's even possible -- Net Worth's calculations mean Musa's fortune
far outstrips that of the current world's richest man Carlos Slim Helu and family.
According to Forbes, the Mexican telecom giant's net worth is $69 billion. Slim edges out the world's second wealthiest man, Bill
Gates, who is worth $61 billion, according to Forbes…
According to the Encyclopedia Brittanica, when Musa died sometime in the 1330s, he left behind an empire filled with palaces and
mosques, some of which still stand today. But the emperor really turned historic heads for the over-the-top extravagances of his
1324 pilgrimage to Mecca.
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The trip, which he embarked up on during the 17th year of the monarch's glittering reign, was hosted by the leaders of both Mecca
and Cairo and apparently was so brilliant, it "almost put Africa’s sun to shame."
Musa's wealth was a result of his country's vast natural resources. The West African nation was responsible for more than half of
the world's salt and gold supply, according to Net Worth. Of course, the entry also notes that the fortune was also fleeting. Just two
generations later, his net worth was gone -- wasted away by invaders and infighting.
a. What information in this account is corroborated in the other accounts you have read so far?
The wealth and power of Mansa Musa and his passionate commitment to Islam.
b. This account gives us a clue as to why the Mali Empire fell. What is that clue?
Fighting within the ruling group and outside invaders.
______________________________________________________________________________
Account 5: Religion, Trade and Empire in Afroeurasia
Source: Big Era Five: Patterns of Interregional Unity,
300-1500 CE. This Big Era and the Three Essential
Questions. World History for Us All. National Center for
History in the Schools at UCLA and San Diego State
University. 21 May 2015
http://worldhistoryforusall.sdsu.edu/eras/era5.php
“It is significant that all the major religions of the era tended to thrive in and around cities and to spread along the major trade routes.
This happened partly because organized religion tended to be closely linked with and supported by central governments, including
large empires. Meanwhile, far from big cities and trade routes, people continued to practice local religions that often involved
worship of gods and spirits associated with nature.”
a. Study the map and list 3 observations.



The longest trade networks run along an east/west axis.
Relatively little trade flows to Europe.
Most of the trade is overland.
b. According to this account, how were trade and religion connected in Afroeurasia during this
era? How were empire and religion connected?
Trade and religion were closely connected. Religion was linked to and supported by central
government.
c. In what ways did the Mali Empire reflect the global patterns surrounding religion, trade and
empire described in the account?
Trade and religion were closely connected to the central government.
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Account 6: The Decline of the Mali Empire
The rise and fall of Mali and Songhai
Source: Mali & Songhai. Collapse: Why Do Civilizations Fall? Annenberg Learner. 21 May 2015
http://www.learner.org/interactives/collapse/mali.html
The empire of Mali, which dated from the early thirteenth century to the late fifteenth century, rose out of what was once the empire
of Ghana. Mali had been a state inside of the Ghanaian empire. After Ghana fell because of invading forces and internal disputes,
Mali rose to greatness under the leadership of a legendary king named Sundiata, the "Lion King." Later, another great leader named
Mansa Musa extended the empire. After his death, however, his sons could not hold the empire together. The smaller states it had
conquered broke off, and the empire crumbled.
As Mali's power waned, Songhai asserted its independence and rose to power in the area…
a. According to this account, why did the Mali Empire decline?
Mansa Musa’s sons were not able to keep the empire together and smaller states broke off
from Mali.
b. How do the reasons that the Mali Empire declined compare with the reasons other empires
in history declined?
Provide an example to support your thinking. Mali also experienced loss of resources and
outside attacks. The Roman Empire and Ghana both experienced similar things.
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Student Handout 3: Summing up what we know about the Mali Empire
Now, use what you learned from the accounts in the previous activity to make some conclusions
about the Mali Empire. Record your conclusions in the middle column of the chart below. Then in
the column on the right, document the account and information on which you based each of your
conclusions. An extra row is at the bottom in case you reach a conclusion that does not fit the
categories provided.
Category
Conclusions about the Mali Empire
Account and
information on which
I based my
conclusion
Political structure
Law and order
Wealth
Religion
Size of the empire
Reasons for decline
Student
Choice/Extra
Category:
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Thinking about our Work: Reflect on what the different sources provide in terms of information
and how they may be similar and different. Then, answer the questions below.
1. Why might some sources be similar in some respects but different other ways?
2. Why is it important to corroborate information contained in accounts?
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Answer Guide for Student Handout 3: Summing up what we know about the
Mali Empire
Now, use what you learned from the accounts in the previous activity to make some conclusions
about the Mali Empire. Record your conclusions in the middle column of the chart below. Then in
the column on the right, document the account and information on which you based each of your
conclusions. An extra row is at the bottom in case you reach a conclusion that does not fit the
categories provided.
Category
Political structure
Conclusions about the Mali Empire
Account and
information on which
I based my
conclusion
1,2
Monarchy
2
Law and order
Strict code of justice
Wealth
Enormous- gold based.
1, 3, 4
3, 4
Religion
Islam
Size of the empire
Large- 9000 square miles
5
6
Reasons for decline Internal disputes, loss of resources and outside
attacks.
Student
Choice/Extra
Category:
Will vary.
Thinking about our Work: Reflect on what the different sources provide in terms of information
and how they may be similar and different. Then, answer the questions below.
1. Why do you think this is so? Answers will vary but should identify author perspective,
knowledge, and/or experience as affecting the account.
2. Why is it important to corroborate information contained in accounts? Since accounts vary based
on perspective, knowledge and experience, corroborating is an essential task in order to better
understand the past.
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Student Handout 4: Overview of the Mali Empire
Directions: As you read this account, underline any NEW information about the Mali Empire and
jot a note down in the margin that summarizes. After you have read the account, go back and look
for information you could use to either add to the conclusions you have already made about the
Mali Empire or to reach new conclusions about the Mali Empire. Add this to your graphic organizer
in Student Handout 3: Summing Up What We Know About the Mali Empire.
The Mali Empire was the second of three West African empires to emerge in the vast
savanna grasslands located between the Sahara Desert to the north and the coastal
rain forest in the south. Beginning as a series of small successor trading states,
these ancient west African empires grew to encompass the territory between the
Atlantic Ocean and Lake Chad, a distance of nearly 1,800 miles. At its height in
1300, Mali was one of the largest empires in the world.
The Mali Empire was strategically located between the West African gold mines and
the agriculturally rich Niger River floodplain. Mali’s rise begins when the political
leaders of Ghana could not reestablish that empire’s former glory following its
conquest and occupation by the Almoravids in 1076. Consequently a number of
small states vied to control the salt and gold trade that accounted for Ghana’s wealth
and power.
In 1235 Sundiata Keita, the leader of one of these states began consolidating power
in the region. Sundiata’s conquest in 1235 is considered the founding of the Malian
Empire. Under Sundiata’s successors Mali extended its control west to the Atlantic,
south into the rain forest region, including the Wangara gold fields, and east beyond
the great bend of the Niger River.
At its height in 1350 Mali was a confederation of 3 states, Mali, Memo and Wagadou
and twelve other provinces. The emperor or mansa ruled over 400 cities, towns and
villages of various ethnicities and controlled a population of approximately 20 million
people from the capitol at Niani. The Malian Army numbered 100,000 men including
10,000 cavalry. During this time only the Mongol Empire exceeded Mali in size. The
mansa reserved the exclusive right to dispense justice and to tax both local and
international trade. That trade was centered in three major cities, Timbuktu, Djenne
and Gao.
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Between 1324 and 1325 Mansa Musa, the most famous of the Malian Emperors,
made an elaborate pilgrimage to Mecca, bringing thousands of followers and
hundreds of camels carrying gold. Through the highly publicized pilgrimage and
indirectly through an elaborate trade that sent gold to the capitals of Europe and
Asia, Mali and its ruler became famous throughout the known world.
Mali’s power was eventually weakened by corruption within the ruling class that
prevented an orderly succession of imperial power. Additionally, some of the smaller
states wanted to break free of Malian rule to reap the benefits of the salt and gold
trade. The first people to achieve independence from Mali were the Wolof who
resided in what is now Senegal. In 1430 the nomadic Tuareg seized Timbuktu. This
conquest had enormous commercial and psychological consequents: a relatively
small but united group had occupied the richest city in the Empire and one of the
major sources of imperial wealth.
The greatest challenge, however, came from a rebellion in Gao that led to rise of
Songhai. Gao had been subjected to Malian control, but was able to conquer Mema,
one of the Malian Empire’s oldest possessions in 1465.
Beginning in 1502, Songhai forces under Askia Muhammad took control of virtually
all of Mali’s eastern possession including the sites for commercial exchange as well
as the gold and copper mines at the southern and northern borders. Even the
desperate effort by Mansa Mahmud III to craft an alliance with the Portuguese failed
to stop Songhai’s advances. In 1545 a Songhai army routed the Malians and their
emperor from their capital, Niani. Although Songhai never conquered what remained
of the Empire of Mali, its victories effectively ended Malian power in the savanna.
Sources:
Nehemia Levtzion, Ancient Ghana and Mali (New York: Africana Publishing Company, 1980);
Kevin Shillington, History of Africa (New York: Palgrave, 2005); Kent Glenzer, Dorothea E. Schultz
and Stephen Wooten, “Mali” in the New Encyclopedia of Africa, John Middleton, and Joseph C.
Miller, eds., (New York: Scribner’s, 2008); Ari Nave and Elizabeth Heath, “The Mali Empire” in
Africana, The Encyclopedia of the African & African American Experience, Kwame Anthony
Appiah, and Henry Louis Gates, Jr., (New York: Oxford: University Press, 2005);
http://www.blackpast.org/gah/mali-empire-ca-1200
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The Mali Empire
Lesson 1
Map of West African
Kingdoms and
Empires Over Time
Kingdom of Ghana:
9th-13th Centuries
Mali Empire:
13th-15th Centuries
Songhay Empire:
15th-16th Centuries
Turn & Talk:
• What does this map show
us?
• How could we use this map
to make predictions about
what happened to the
Kingdom of Ghana?
Comparing the territorial extent of the
Mali and Mongol Empires
Mali Empire: 9,000 sq. miles
Mongol Empire: 7 million sq. miles
What makes the Mali Empire worthy of talking
about in a World History class?
“Perhaps in the future, there will be
some African history to teach. But, at
present there is none: there is only the
history of the Europeans in Africa. The
rest is darkness….”
-Hugh Trevor-Roper, 1963, in a lecture
aired on the BBC
Wait, what is he saying?
Hugh Trevor-Roper, 1960
Exit ticket: Respond to Mr. Trevor-Roper’s thinking.
Use evidence and reasoning to support your claim.
Property of Oakland Schools
Authors: Stacie Woodward and Darin Stockdill
Editors: Amy Bloom
Academic Review: Ian Moyer
7
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Lesson 2
Lesson 2: Empires of the Americas: The Aztecs and Incas
 Advanced civilizations and empires developed in the Americas during Era 4, most notably the
Aztec and Inca Empires. These empires built on the networks and advances of past American
empires like the Olmec, Maya and Moche.
 The Aztec and Inca empires were characterized by powerful emperors tied to a religious
hierarchy, strong militaries and conquest, and expanding networks of trade and political
connection.
 These empires were similar to the empires of Afroeurasia in some broad, general ways, but
lacked certain technologies because of Geographic Luck. These differences would come into
play when societies from different world zones finally came into contact.
Lesson Abstract:
Students begin this lesson on the Aztecs and Incans by engaging with maps, timelines, images,
and information about both empires in an interactive PowerPoint. Next, students analyze and
compare important social institutions from both societies, as well as review them for the Maya, in a
stations activity. Across stations, students explore secondary accounts, primary documents, and
videos to take notes on major social institutions of these empires, and then compare them to
develop a broad picture of the “American” pattern. This pattern is then compared to the
Afroeurasian pattern as students review concepts and patterns from previous units and revisit
images and slides from past lessons. Students are then introduced to the idea that people from
different world zones are converging and make predictions about what will happen. A final,
creative project is then offered as an option for teachers and students. In this activity, students
choose among a set of creative options and topics related to the Aztecs and/or Incas.
Content Expectations1: Grades 6 and 7 – H1.2.1; H1.2.2; H1.4.1; H1.4.2; G1.2.1; G1.3.3; G2.2.1;
G4.3.2
Grade 7 – W2.1.3; W3.1.1; W3.1.9; G1.1.1
Grade 6 – W2.1.3; W3.1.1: W3.1.2; W3.1.3 W3.1.4; G1.1.1; G4.3.1;
Common Core State Standards for Literacy in History/Social Studies: RH.6-8.1, 2, 4, 7, 10;
WHST. 6-8.4 and 9
Key Concepts
polytheism
the Americas
Mesoamerica
1
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Lesson Sequence
1. Begin the lesson with the PowerPoint, showing the title slide for the lesson, Slide 1, and then
move to Slide 2 and ask students to Stop and Jot as directed to make a prediction about the
similarities and differences between the Aztecs and Incas and the empires of Afroeurasia.
Teacher Note: As you work through the Turn and Talk and Stop and Jot opportunities, invite
students to share their thinking with the class as appropriate, and push them to explain their
thinking when necessary.
2. Advance to Slide 3 and have student volunteers read different sections out loud. Explain to the
students that this is a timeline of some of the key developments and civilizations that existed in
the Americas before the Aztecs and Incas. Explain that just as it happened in Afroeurasia,
large empires built upon and extended the systems developed by previous civilizations... they
didn’t just pop up! Also, take this opportunity to remind the students that they already studied
the Olmecs, Teotihuacan, and the Mayans.
3. Move on to Slide 4 and show the maps of the Americas to reintroduce the students to the terms
Mesoamerica and South America. Then, advance to Slide 5 and review the timeline with the
students. Make sure they understand that the top of the timeline is for Mesoamerica and that
the bottom is South America. Direct students to Turn and Talk about which civilizations built off
others, using the timeline and regions to make inferences.
Next, have students talk about the questions on the slide related to why we often only focus on
the Maya, Aztec, and Inca in school, and also why we study them all together even though they
didn’t occur at the same time. Encourage students to make their best guesses, but explain that
one reason might be that these three societies left more ruins and more records, so they are
easier to study in some ways than some of the others.
4. To continue pushing the students to think and make conclusions, show them Slide 6 and the
timeline on the slide. Call students’ attention to the fact that this is a timeline for Mesoamerica,
and ask students to stop and jot about why we know more about some groups than others
(Teotihuacan versus Aztecs). Use probing questions and prompts to help them understand that
the Aztecs left more records, and were also more recent historically, and had direct contact with
Europeans who left written records.
5. Advance to Slide 7, a South American timeline, and have students study the timeline and then
Turn and Talk about why drought was so important and why water was key to these societies.
Help students get to the conclusion that the mountains in South America were dry and so rain
was critical to irrigation to keep the crops growing.
6. Move to Slide 8 which contains a map, and have students Turn and Talk about why the Aztecs
had minimal trade with Mayans. Help them understand that although both civilizations were
advanced, the Mayan civilization was in a state of decline when the Aztec civilization emerged.
Remind students to think about the map for the next question, and have them note the
geographic barriers between Mesoamerica and South America. Teacher Note: While the
heyday of Mayan civilization had passed, there were still Mayan people living there who
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interacted with the Aztecs. This lesson focuses on the civilizations and not individuals, drawing
attention to the main themes in human history.
7. The next section of the PowerPoint introduces the Aztecs more specifically. Show Slide 9, then
advance to Slide 10. Have students study the map of the Aztec empire and then turn and talk
as directed about what tribute might mean. After a minute or so, elicit several responses from
students. If they do not suggest it, remind students that when empires conquered others, they
often made the subjected people pay tribute, payments to the empire that theoretically showed
loyalty and provided a level of protection. To the conquered, paying tribute was a way to avoid
trouble by appeasing their conqueror.
Show students Slides 11 – 13 and stop and jot as directed on the slide about technology. Then
have students Turn and Talk as directed on Slide 14 about the map of the Aztec capital city,
Tenochtitlan.
Teacher Note: With these slides, the goal is to get students talking and making predictions, so
there is no need to focus on finding a “right” answer. Rather, probe students’ thinking as they
share their thoughts and push them to explain their reasoning.
8. Continue to Slide 15 and have students Stop and Jot to make inferences about Aztec religion
from the images and captions on the slide. Close out this introduction to the Aztecs with Slide
16, and as explained on the slide, have students generate questions they have about the
Aztecs after engaging with the information and images from the PowerPoint. Tell them that
they should keep these questions in mind as they learn more about the Aztecs.
9. Explain to the students that the next set of slides will get them thinking about the Incan Empire.
As you did with the slides above, engage students in thinking, talking, and writing about the
questions on the slides, and push them to explain their reasoning. Give a few students
opportunities to share their thinking with every activity if time allows.
Move to Slide 17 and have students study the map and the extent of the Incan empire.
Advance to Slide 18 which shows the Incan leader Pachacuti. Have students Turn and Talk
about this image of an emperor to see if it reminds them of images of other leaders. Students
might notice, for example, the head piece and the staff, similar to images of some other rulers
they have studied.
10. Proceed to Slide 19, and have students Stop and Jot then Turn and Talk about Machu Picchu
and the resources they think would have been needed to build the city (stone, materials to
make the tools, wood, human resources – labor, planning, funding, etc.). Next show the
students Slide 20 and the images and list of Incan deities, and have them stop and jot to make
inferences about Incan religion (polytheistic, tied to nature, etc.).
Close out this introduction to the Incas with Slide 21, and as explained on the slide, have
students generate questions they have about the Incas after engaging with the information and
images from the PowerPoint. Tell them that they should keep these questions in mind as they
learn more about the Incas.
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11. Teacher Note: The next portion of this lesson is designed to be a stations activity, although
there are many ways you can reshape it to fit your context. The goal is to have students
engage with three different forms of content about these empires: secondary accounts, primary
documents, and video. As they engage with the content, they are to take notes individually on
each category identified on the Note Tracker: government, religion, economy, class structure,
conflicts/problems, and human/environment interaction. After they have completed collecting
data, students compare across the American civilizations/empires, and then compare them to
Afroeurasian societies. The Mayans are included in this comparison in order to meet the
Michigan Grade Level Content Expectations for this course, so there are no primary documents
or videos on them as students have already done some initial learning about the Maya in Unit 4.
12. Divide students into groups of three or four students each and provide each student with a copy
of “Student Handout #1 - American Civilizations and Empires – Note Tracker,” located in
the Supplemental Materials (Lesson 2, Unit 7) (It is a four-page document). Explain to students
that they will be working with their group to amass information from a variety of sources. It is
recommended that the group moves together from station to station, and each group member
should take the lead at one station or for part of the work (if there are more than three in a
group).
Set up three distinct stations in the room with desks grouped in three separate clusters. The
size of your class will dictate how many identical stations you may need. (For example if you
have six groups, you will need two of each station.) At each station, place copies of the
following materials (documents can be found in the Supplemental Materials (Lesson 2, Unit 7)):
 Station 1: A computer lab or several computers with headsets for five separate videos
(See Slide 22 and Handout 4 – Video Clips for Station Activity)
 Station 2: Student Handout #2 - Civilization and Empire in the Americas
 Station 3: Student Handout #3 – Primary Accounts of the Aztecs and Incas
13. Have each group rotate through the stations, reading, watching videos, discussing, and taking
notes at each stop. At each station, students should read or view the materials, discuss the
categories of information with their group members, and then take notes. For note taking,
students should jot down key pieces of information that relate to each category. By rotating
through the three stations, students will have read and summarized a secondary account of
each empire, read and analyzed primary documents about the Aztecs and Incas, and watched
videos about the Aztecs and Incas.
14. Next, return to the PowerPoint, starting with Slide 23, and tell students they are going to
analyze the larger historical patterns of empires to see if the Aztecs and Incas follow these
patterns. Show the students Slide 24, and remind them that it came from the previous unit.
Have students read the information in the graphic organizer and then Turn and Talk whether or
not the Aztecs and Incas also follow this pattern. After eliciting several responses with the
whole class, have student volunteers help to review and read Slides 25-29, which summarize
the global patterns from Afroeurasia that they studied in past units.
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15. Move on to Slide 30 and have students follow the instructions on the slide. Have students
number their paper 1-5 and write down “yes” next to the patterns they think were truly global...
patterns that held true in both Afroeurasia and the Americas. Now advance to Slide 31 and
have a student or two read the slide out loud to the class. This slide explains to students that
all of the patterns listed on Slide 30 apply to both Afroeurasia and the Americas.
16. Display Slide 32 and read over the question and list with the students (Which of these
important advances had not yet happened not in the Americas?). Have students talk about
each item with a partner, then advance to Slide 33 and complete the chart with the students on
your screen (you might also choose to print this as a handout). Ask different students to share
their thoughts about the different advances and where they thought they happened, and fill out
the chart using their ideas. Allow students to respectfully disagree with each other, but press
them to explain their thinking, especially with regard to the column labeled “If not, why not?”
The idea is for to students to see that certain advances that took place in Afroeurasia did not
take place in the Americas in part because of Geographic Luck. On the other hand, students
should also note that other advances, like astronomy, happened in both parts of the world.
17. When students have completed the chart, advance to Slide 34 and review the correct answers
with the class.
18. At this point, direct the students back to Student Handout #1, and have students work in small
groups to answer the Analysis Questions on the handout, with each student being responsible
for writing the answers on their own sheet (unless you prefer to have group work sheets to save
paper). These questions ask students to compare and contrast the American societies they
learned about in the lesson and also look for regional patterns in the Americas, and then
compare these regional patterns to Afroeurasian patterns.
19. Advance to Slide 35 and have students Stop and Jot (you can use this as an exit pass if the
timing is right) about the “So what?” implications of these differences in patterns. If students
struggle, you might engage them in discussion with prompting questions like, “Why would it
matter if one part of the world had access to iron weapons and the other did not?”
20. Next, have students Turn and Talk as directed on Slide 36 (below) (you can do this first if it
makes more sense in your lesson).
“Turn and Talk: Based on your prior knowledge and your analysis of the
differences between the Americas and Afroeurasia… what happened
when they met?”
If students need help, remind them to think about what happened when English and
other European colonists came to the Americas and encountered Native Americans
(they should have studied this a bit in fifth grade). Teacher Note: Known as the
Columbian Exchange, the widespread transfer of animals, plants, culture, human
populations, technology, and ideas between the Americas and Afroeurasia resulted
in the spread of disease to the indigenous Americans. Since those in America had
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not developed immunities to these new diseases, the results were catastrophic to
the indigenous populations living in the western hemisphere.
21. Optional Activity: If you have time and want students to delve more deeply into the Aztecs and
Incas, you can engage in the following activity, substitute this activity for a part of the lesson, or
use it as an assessment project. Distribute Student Handout #5 – Aztec and Inca Tic-TacToe, located in the Supplemental Materials (Lesson 2, Unit 7). Explain to students that this is a
creative project which gives them a range of opportunities to delve more deeply into the Aztecs
and Incas. It is set up as a Tic-Tac-Toe assignment grid from which students can choose
different project options. Depending upon the amount of time you have available for the project,
you can choose how you want to assign the different tasks. One option, which is typical for this
type of Tic-Tac-Toe layout, is to give students limited choices. For example, you might require
students to choose three total projects, one from each row, and one from each column. Or, you
might have students work in groups of three, and have them each pick a project from a different
row but the same column, and then have students present to each other.
Provide time for students to complete their projects and have them share the results in small
groups or with the whole class.
Reference Section
6 and 7
H1.2.1:
6 and 7
H1.2.2:
followed.
6 and 7
H1.4.1:
6 and 7
H1.4.2:
6 – W2.1.3: Use multiple sources of evidence to describe how the culture of early peoples of
North America reflected the geography and natural resources available.3
2
This lesson emphasizes the understanding of how historians use primary and secondary sources to explore the past
by having students demonstrate their understanding rather than merely explain what a historian would do.
3
The examples have been removed because this lesson does not address those specifics examples. Rather, the
focus of this lesson is on the Inca and Aztec and it explores how the culture of these American civilizations reflected
the geography and natural resources available through an examination of artifacts, primary and secondary sources.
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stable food supply, economic and social structures, use of resources and technology,
division of labor and forms of communication).
styles, systems of thought that influenced neighboring peoples and have endured for
several centuries).
6 – W3.1.3: Describe similarities and difference among Mayan, Aztec, and Incan societies,
including economy, religion, and role and class structure.4
6 – W3.1.4: Describe the regional struggles and changes in governmental systems among the
Mayan, Aztec, and Incan Empires.
6 – G1.1.1:
7 – G1.1.1:
6 and 7
G1.2.1:
Locate the major landforms, rivers (Amazon, Mississippi, Missouri, Colorado), and
climate regions of the Western Hemisphere.
6 and 7
G1.3.3:
6 and 7
G2.2.1:
6 – G4.3.1:
Identify places in the Western Hemisphere that have been modified to be suitable for
settlement by describing the modifications that were necessary.5
The original examples read, “(e.g., Inuit of the Arctic, Kwakiutl of the Northwest Coast; Anasazi and Apache of the
Southwest).”
4 While the expectation focuses on both the similarities and differences, this course emphasizes the common patterns
that unite humanity. As such, the differences are not stressed in this lesson.
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6 and 7
G4.3.2:
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Describe patterns of settlement by using historical and modern maps.6
RH.6-8.1:
Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of primary and secondary sources.
RH.6-8.2:
RH.6-8.4:
RH.6-8.7:
RH.6-8.10:
By the end of grade 8, read and comprehend history/social studies texts in the grades
6–8 text complexity band independently and proficiently.
WHST 6-8.4: Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style
WHST.6-8 9: Draw evidence from informational texts to support analysis reflection, and research.
Student Resource
Stockdill, Darin and Stacie Woodward. Supplemental Materials (Lesson 2, Unit 7). Teacher-made
5
Although the major concept contained in the expectation is addressed in this lesson, the examples have been
removed because they do not apply (e.g., Vancouver in Canada; irrigated agriculture; or clearing of forests for
farmland).
6
The examples have been removed for clarity. The sixth grade examples read “(e.g., coastal and river cities and towns
in the past and present, locations of megacities – modern cities over 5 million, such as Mexico City, and patterns of
agricultural settlements in South and North America),” while the seventh grade examples read: “(e.g., the location of
the world’s mega cities, other cities located near coasts and navigable rivers, regions under environmental stress such
as the Sahel).”
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Teacher Resource
A Tour to Machu Pichu and The Inca Empire. YouTube. 30 May 2015
<http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=knpzNN258_0&list=PLsEXWHRN_4S2_exf5F6BpwaVfH7gFCgy>.
Aztec. Wikipedia. 30 May 2015 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aztec>.
Aztecs. The History Channel. 30 May 2015 <http://www.history.com/topics/aztecs/videos/aztecaqueducts>.
Empire of the Incas. YouTube. 30 May 2015
<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GcMHwLTURqU>.
Geographic Understandings of Latin America and the Caribbean. Wikispaces. 30 May 2015
<https://mccainsocialstudies.wikispaces.com/D1.+Geography>.
Inca Empire. Wikipedia. 30 May 2015 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Inca_Empire.svg>.
Inca mythology. Wikipedia. 30 May 2015 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inca_mythology>.
Machu Picchu. Wikipedia. 30 May 2015 <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:80_-_Machu_Picchu__Juin_2009_-_edit.2.jpg>.
Modern History Sourcebook: Pedro de Cieza de Léon: Chronicles of the Incas, 1540 Pedro Cieza
de Léon, The Second Part of the Chronicle of Peru, Clements R. Markham, trans. & ed.,
(London: Hakluyt Society, 1883), pp. 36-50, passim. Fordham University. 30 May 2015
<http://www.fordham.edu/HALSALL/MOD/1540cieza.asp>.
Modern History Sourcebook: Hernan Cortés: from Second Letter to Charles V, 1520. Fordham
University. 30 May 2015 <http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/1520cortes.asp>.
Overview. Aztecs, Maya, and Inca. Ducksters. May 2015. 30 May 2015
Pachacuti Inca Yupanqui (or Pachacutec), Sapa Inca from 1438 to 1471 or 1472. Wikipedia. 30
May 2015 <http://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sapa_Inca>.
The Rise and Fall of the Aztec. YouTube. 30 May 2015
<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FwUAJbOcubM>.
Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire. Wikipedia. 30 May 2015
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spanish_conquest_of_the_Aztec_Empire>.
Tenochtitlan Model. Wikipedia. 30 May 2015
<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:TenochtitlanModel.JPG>.
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Graphic Organizer
Built on the cultures,
networks, and advances of
previous civilizations in their
regions
Had powerful leaders who
used religion to justify their
power
- Olmec
- Maya
- Moche
Empires in the
Americas:
Aztecs and Incas
Had strong militaries and were
also connected to other
societies through trade.
Very advanced in some ways,
but lacked some of the
technologies that existed in
Afroeurasia because of their
available resources
- Did not have iron plows and weapons
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Big Idea Card
 Advanced civilizations and empires developed in the Americas during Era 4,
most notably the Aztec and Inca Empires. These empires built on the networks
and advances of past American empires like the Olmec, Maya and Moche.
 The Aztec and Inca empires were characterized by powerful emperors tied to a
religious hierarchy, strong militaries and conquest, and expanding networks of
trade and political connection.
 These empires were similar to the empires of Afroeurasia in some broad,
general ways, but lacked certain technologies because of Geographic Luck.
These differences would come into play when societies from different world
zones finally came into contact.
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Word Cards
Word cards from previous lessons used in this lesson:
 drought – Word Card #4 from Lesson 1
corroboration – Word Card #8 from Lesson 1
 inferences – Word Card #11 from Lesson 1
22
tribute
23
apothecaries
a gift or payment to
one who has power
over another to show
respect and
obedience
a historical name for a
medical professional who
formulates and dispenses
medicines to physicians,
surgeons and patients
Example: The rulers received tribute
from many other societies.
Example: The apothecaries spend their
days mixing and dispensing medicine.
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24
edifices
25
quipus
large,
imposing
buildings
knotted cords used as
memory aids by the
Inca
Example: The
visitor noted the many impressive
edifices in the city.
Example: The Incas
accounted for tributes through the use of
quipus.
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Student Handout #1 - American Civilizations and Empires – Note Tracker
Maya
Government
Religion
Economy
Class Structure
Conflicts/ Problems
Human/Environment Interaction
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Inca
Government
Religion
Economy
Class Structure
Conflicts/ Problems
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Aztec
Government
Religion
Economy
Class Structure
Conflicts/ Problems
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Analysis Questions
1.
How are these civilizations of the Americas similar?
2.
How are these civilizations of the Americas different?
3.
What is the regional pattern for large civilizations in the Americas?
4.
How is the pattern similar and/or different to the pattern of large civilizations in Afroeurasia?
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Answer Guide for Student Handout #1 - American Civilizations and Empires – Note Tracker
Maya
Government
Ruled by Kings and Priests. Religion was key to political power.
City-states were basic political units surrounded by farming
villages.
Economy
Based on trade of various goods- gold, obsidian, and cacao were
traded. Corn, beans and squash were the main crops grown in
villages which surrounded the cities.
Conflicts/ Problems
City-States sometimes warred with one another. Eventually a
prolonged drought had a devastating impact on Mayan society
and opened the way for outside invasion. Epidemic disease was
also a problem.
Religion
Mayans were polytheistic- believed in many gods. The gods
were nature gods with a strong emphasis on astronomy. There
was some human sacrifice and priests were very important.
Class Structure
Kings and Priests were at the top on Mayan society. There was
also a wealthy nobility, merchants, artisans, farmers and some
slaves.
Mayan cities and the population got too large for the natural
resources to support.
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Inca
Government
Religion
Emperor was considered a god, had almost total power. High
Priest had great power and the nobility staffed the bureaucracy.
There were four main sections of the Empire. People paid taxes
to the government in the form of tribute.
Religion was polytheistic and connected to the natural world and
human activity. There was a creator god named Viracocha. The
Incas celebrated many religious festivals.
Economy
Class Structure
The Inca traded agricultural products and precious metals
like gold, silver, and copper. They used caravans of llamas
to carry the goods they traded over a network of roads.
Trade was controlled by the government, whose officials
kept track of production. The maintenance of the road
system was key to the economy. Roads were used to
spread not only information, but also goods, from one part
of the empire to another. Incan runners even carried fresh
fish from the coast into inland areas.
Conflicts/ Problems
Disease, outside military threats, internal disputes and resource
depletion all posed occasional problems for the Inca.
The society had an Emperor and High Priest at the top followed
by the nobles. There were farmers and artisans and some
slaves. Men generally had more authority than women.
The Incas built a vast road system and terraced the foothills for
agriculture. In some places there was resource depletion due to
expanding human populations.
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Aztec
Government
Religion
The Aztec government was ruled by an emperor who was
seen as directly connected to the gods. The Aztec empire
consisted of connected city-states. The Aztec emperor did
not directly rule every aspect of these city-states as long as
the city-states paid tribute. City-states managed their own
affairs as long as they kept the emperor paid and happy.
The emperor of the Aztecs was the final authority in Aztec
government. He had the authority to go to war and
demand tribute from subject groups
Religion was very important in Aztec society, the emperor
was seen as directly connected to the gods. The Aztecs
were polytheistic. Their gods were associated with different
activities – such as farming – or with different parts of the
natural world. The sun god was particularly important, for
example.
Economy
Class Structure
Aztec economy was based on farming in areas outside the
cities. The Aztecs were skilled farmers who produced
enough food for the urban centers; they used crop rotation
and created floating beds of reeds in lakes where they
planted additional crops. Main crops included beans, corn,
squash, tobacco, peppers and avocados. In large markets
in the cities, people traded food products, raw materials,
and a wide range of crafts and other goods including
jewelry, medicine, and tools. Their trade networks
extended well beyond the borders of their empire. Aztecs
also used things like cacao beans as a form of currency
Conflicts/ Problems
The Aztecs experienced frequent warfare with other states.
Resource depletion also occurred in places. When the
Spaniards arrived huge epidemics devastated Aztec society.
Aztec society was controlled by a class of nobles; there
were also commoners, most of whom were farmers, as well
as slaves. Slaves in Aztec society were generally criminals
or people who had been captured in war with other
societies. Slaves in Aztec society could improve their
conditions and move up, particularly if they performed well
in battle.
The Aztecs effectively used their environment but the filling in of
parts of lakes did hurt the ecosystems there.
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Analysis Questions
1.
How are these civilizations of the Americas similar?
Answers will vary.
All of them were polytheistic, had a social hierarchy, traded with neighboring people, were generally well organized and
experienced similar problems. All used human sacrifice occasionally.
2.
How are these civilizations of the Americas different?
Answers will vary.
The Incas did not have a formal writing system. The Mayans did not have a strong central government beyond that of
each city-state. The Aztecs warred very frequently.
3.
What is the regional pattern for large civilizations in the Americas?
Answers will vary. A hierarchical social order, authoritarian government, extensive trade and primarily agrarian.
How is the pattern similar and/or different to the pattern of large civilizations in Afroeurasia?
4.
Answers will vary.
They had different crops and did not have any large work animals due to geographic luck. They did not use iron.
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Student Handout #2 - Civilization and Empire in the Americas
The Mayans – A Quick Review
The Mayan civilization began to develop in the area of the Yucatan peninsula in Mesoamerica
sometime around 2000 BCE. Their society began as small agricultural villages that, over time,
grew into large, organized city-states. Chichen Itza, Tikal, and El Mirador were some of these
cities. The period of their greatest power was between 250 and 900 CE.
The homeland of the Maya was in the area of what is now southern Mexico and the Central
American nations of Guatemala, Belize, El Salvador, and Honduras. Across this region, the
Mayans built a network of cities connected through trade and religion. These cities had many
large, stone structures - including pyramids - that were built as religious sites where
ceremonies honoring different gods were held. There were also large public plazas and even
stone courts for Mayan ball games.
Culture:
The Mayans also developed a complex system of writing using glyphs, or hieroglyphic
symbols. In this writing system, they had logograms – symbols used to express an idea or
concept, and syllabograms- symbols that represented a sound in their language. They
created amazing works of art as well, including pottery, statues, carved stone decorations, and
paintings. The Mayans were also very advanced in astronomy, math, and architecture. They
had a very accurate yearly calendar as well.
Mayan religion centered on the worship of many different gods, most of whom were tied to the
natural world. Priests were considered very important and had more power and influence than
most people. Their religion was tied to astronomy and the movement of the sun and moon.
They practiced many rituals, including some human sacrifice, and built large temples that were
the centers of their cities.
Government:
The Mayans had a clear power structure, and their governments were ruled by kings and
priests. The larger cities were ruled as independent city-states. Outside of the large cities
were smaller farming communities that were connected to the city-state. City-states traded,
and sometimes fought, with each other, but they did not share governments. City-states
formed armies when they needed them, but didn’t seem to have permanent, organized military
forces. Religion was key to political power, and kings were seen as connected to the gods.
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Economy:
The Mayan economy was based on the trade of different types of goods, including both basic
necessities like food and clothing, and luxury items like cacao, gold, jewelry, and obsidian.
The city-states of the Maya were self-sufficient early on, and they produced all of the food and
basic goods they needed. Corn, beans, and squash were important crops, and most people
worked as farmers. Goods like pottery and clothing were generally made in people’s homes
for their own families. As Mayan cities got larger however, they needed increased food
production, and trading food products across regions also increased. Some things like fish,
salt, or stone tools were more easily found or produced in specific areas, and these would then
be traded to areas that needed these products. Powerful members of the elite particularly
wanted special goods like gold and jade objects that showed how rich and powerful they were,
and they traded to get things not produced in their cities. Mayan trade extended across the
whole region, and into other parts of Mexico and Central America.
Mayan city-states declined in their power before 1000 CE, and many of the people who lived in
them moved away. The Mayan civilization didn’t completely disappear as some people claim,
but the level of organization and the size of their cities certainly did. Historians and
archaeologists aren’t certain why this happened, but they do know that the Mayans had
conflicts with the Toltec people at times. They also know the Mayans sometimes faced
epidemic diseases, and there was a drought in Mesoamerica during this period of time as well.
Also, the Mayans may have used up too many resources in too short a time to support their
cities. Although nobody knows exactly what happened, the decline of the Maya was probably
caused by some combination of these problems.
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The Aztec Empire
The Aztecs developed their empire in the central valley of Mexico in the 1400’s. They arrived
in this region during the early 1300’s as nomads migrating from an area in the north they called
Aztlan. They fought with different groups in this region, were almost wiped out at one point,
but survived and managed to build a capital city called Tenochtitlan, located on an island in
Lake Texcoco. From this capital, they expanded and came to rule a large part of what is now
Mexico in the 1400’s. At its largest, the population of Tenochtitlan was estimated to be as
much as 200,000 people, making it one of the largest cities in the world at the time. The city
was centered around a religious complex with temples, pyramids, and the king’s palace. The
Aztecs constructed these elaborate temples to honor their gods, and at times, they even
sacrificed people captured in battle as a sacrifice to these gods. The other areas of the city
were planned out and organized into a grid system. There were bridges built to connect the
island city to the mainland, and fresh water was carried to the city through a system of
aqueducts that brought water from the mountains.
Culture:
Like the Maya, the Aztecs had a very accurate calendar with 365 days that was used to keep
track of time for planting, and also to keep track of religious events and ceremonies. The
Aztecs also had a writing system similar to the Mayan system that was based on glyphs,
symbols that represented either sounds or words. They wrote books called codices that
described their belief systems and their society.
Religion was very important in Aztec society, and the emperor was seen as directly connected
to the gods. The Aztecs were polytheistic, meaning that they worshipped many different gods.
These gods were associated with different activities – such as farming – or with different parts
of the natural world. The sun god was particularly important, for example.
Government and social structure:
The Aztec government was ruled by an emperor or king who was seen as directly connected
to the gods. The Aztec empire was a bit different from empires like Rome though, as it
consisted of connected city-states. The Aztec emperor did not directly rule every aspect of
these city-states as long as the city-states paid tribute to the emperor. City-states were left to
manage their own affairs as long as they kept the emperor paid and happy. The emperor of
the Aztecs was called the Huey Tlatoani, and he was the final authority in Aztec government.
The Huey Tlatoani was believed to have been chosen by the gods to rule, and he had the
authority to go to war and to demand tribute from other groups,
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Besides the emperor, there were other officials in the government. The emperor had a main
advisor who oversaw the daily running of the government, which included a complex
bureaucracy with many different officials. There was also a sort of city-council in each citystate, and these councils made decisions about basic issues and consulted with the emperor.
Priests also had power and were in charge of religious ceremonies, and they advised the
emperor with respect to religious issues, which were very important in Aztec society. There
were also judges who made legal decisions and managed the Aztec’s advanced legal system
of laws and codes. There was also a system for military leadership.
Aztec society was controlled by a class of nobles; there were also commoners, most of whom
were farmers, as well as slaves. Slaves in Aztec society were generally criminals or people
who had been captured in war with other societies. Slaves in Aztec society could improve their
conditions and move up, particularly if they performed well in battle.
Economy:
Although Aztec society was centered in cities, the economy was based on farming in rural
areas outside the cities. The Aztecs were skilled farmers and were able to produce enough
food for their large urban centers; they used crop rotations and even created floating beds of
reeds in the lake where they planted additional crops. Aztec crops included beans, squash,
tobacco, peppers, avocados, and corn. In large markets in their cities, people traded food
products, raw materials, and a wide range of crafts and other goods including jewelry,
medicine, and tools. Their trade networks extended well beyond the borders of their empire.
The Aztecs bartered for goods, but also used things like cacao beans as a form of currency.
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The Inca Empire
The Inca people settled in a valley in the mountains of what is now Peru around the year 1200
CE, and they developed their kingdom around the city of Cuzco. Around the year 1400 CE,
they began to transition from a local kingdom into a regional empire. In 1438, the prince
Pachacuti lead his people in battle and defeated a neighboring kingdom. Pachacuti then
became the Sapa Inca, emperor, and lead a period of expansion. He helped to organize the
government and he also had the famous city of Machu Picchu built high in the mountains.
Pachacuti’s son Tupac Inca Yupanqui became the next emperor, and he expanded the empire
even more as he defeated and took over other kingdoms. Under the rule of Tupac’s son,
Huayna Capac, around 1493, the Inca empire reached its height.
Centered in Peru, their empire eventually spanned 2,500 miles along the Andes mountains
and the western coast of South America, and it had a population of more than 10 million
people. The Inca developed a complex bureaucracy to control this vast territory, as well as a
system of roadways with 14,000 miles of roads, even though they did not have wheeled
vehicles.
The Incans perfected means of farming in the steep mountainous terrain of the Andes, using
complicated irrigation systems and terraced farming.
Culture:
The Incans did not have a writing system, but they did use a system of knotted cords called
quipus to keep track of goods produced and/or traded.
The Inca also practiced a polytheistic religion (with many gods). Like the Aztecs, their gods
were connected to the natural world and also to human activities. There were gods that
represented the sun, the moon, the wind, lightning, rain, and other elements of nature. The
Inca did believe in a first, creator god called Viracocha. Viracocha was worshipped in this area
before the Inca established their empire. There were many festivals that were connected to
different deities and the natural changes connected to these gods.
Government:
The Incan government had a strong military to maintain control across the empire, and they
also developed a system of laws, an official language, and a calendar. The emperor, the Sapa
Inca, was seen in many ways as a god, and he had almost total authority which he exercised
through his representatives, many of whom were his family members. There was a high priest,
usually related to the emperor, who served as the top religious leader after the emperor. The
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empire was sectioned into four main areas, each controlled by a governor and divided into
smaller political regions. The nobility of Inca society played a key role in the bureaucracy that
controlled these regions and collected taxes from people. In many local areas, local leaders
were allowed to keep their power and influence as long as they were loyal to the emperor.
The Incan government required people to provide tribute in the form of labor, and this labor
was used to build temples, other structures, roads, and massive irrigation projects that
provided water for farming in the mountains. These projects were so large that they depended
on this type of forced labor. The road system was very important in keeping information
moving across the empire. Way-stations were built in many places along the road system, and
these served as supply stations for armies as well as relay spots for messengers.
The Inca also used their language and culture to bring different parts of the empire together,
making Quechua the official language of the empire. They event sent out groups of people
from the capital and central region to colonize other, more far-away areas.
Economy:
The Inca traded agricultural products as well as precious metals like gold, silver, and copper
that they mined in the mountains. They used caravans of llamas to carry the goods that they
traded over this network of roads. Trade was regulated and controlled by the government, and
government officials kept track of production. The maintenance of the road system, also
important for government, was key to the economy. The roads were used to spread not only
information, but also goods, from one part of the empire to another. Incan runners even
carried fresh fish from the coast into inland areas.
Page 17 of 22
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Lesson 2
Student Handout #3 – Primary Accounts of the Aztecs and Incas
AZTECS:
Hernan Cortez, a Spanish conquistador, wrote this account of the Aztecs after he visited their capital city. He
was viewing the city as an outsider, and also as a soldier and explorer who was looking to take over new lands in
the name of the king of Spain.
Modern History Sourcebook:
Hernan Cortés: from Second Letter to Charles V, 1520
This great city of Temixtitlan [Mexico] is situated in this salt lake, and from the main land to the denser
parts of it, by whichever route one chooses to enter, the distance is two leagues. There are four avenues
or entrances to the city, all of which are formed by artificial causeways, two spears' length in width. The
city is as large as Seville or Cordova; its streets, I speak of the principal ones, are very wide and straight;
some of these, and all the inferior ones, are half land and half water, and are navigated by canoes. All the
streets at intervals have openings, through which the water flows, crossing from one street to another;
and at these openings, some of which are very wide, there are also very wide bridges, composed of large
pieces of timber, of great strength and well put together; on many of these bridges ten horses can go
abreast. Foreseeing that if the inhabitants of the city should prove treacherous, they would possess great
advantages from the manner in which the city is constructed, since by removing the bridges at the
entrances, and abandoning the place, they could leave us to perish by famine without our being able to
reach the main land, as soon as I had entered it, I made great haste to build four boats, which were soon
finished, and were large enough to take ashore three hundred men and the horses, whenever it should
become necessary.
This city has many public squares, in which are situated the markets and other places for buying and
selling. There is one square twice as large as that of the city of Salamanca, surrounded by porches,
where are daily assembled more than sixty thousand souls, engaged in buying and selling; and where are
found all kinds of merchandise that the world affords, embracing the necessaries of life, as for instance
articles of food, as well as jewels of gold and silver, lead, brass, copper, tin, precious stones, bones,
shells, snails, and feathers. There are also exposed for sale wrought and unwrought stone, bricks burnt
and unburnt, timber hewn and unhewn, of different sorts. There is a street for game, where every variety
of birds in the country are sold, as fowls, partridges, quails, wild ducks, fly-catchers, widgeons,
turtledoves, pigeons, reed-birds, parrots, sparrows, eagles, hawks, owls, and kestrels; they sell likewise
the skins of some birds of prey, with their feathers, head, beak, and claws. There are also sold rabbits,
hares, deer, and little dogs [i.e., the chihuahua], which are raised for eating. There is also an herb street,
where may be obtained all sorts of roots and medicinal herbs that the country affords. There are
apothecaries' shops, where prepared medicines, liquids, ointments, and plasters are sold; barbers' shops,
where they wash and shave the head; and restaurateurs, that furnish food and drink at a certain price.
There is also a class of men like those called in Castile porters, for carrying burdens. Wood and coal are
seen in abundance, and braziers of earthenware for burning coals; mats of various kinds for beds, others
of a lighter sort for seats, and for halls and bedrooms.
There are all kinds of green vegetables, especially onions, leeks, garlic, watercresses, nasturtium,
borage, sorrel, artichokes, and golden thistle; fruits also of numerous descriptions, amongst which are
Page 18 of 22
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SS070702
Lesson 2
cherries and plums, similar to those in Spain; honey and wax from bees, and from the stalks of maize,
which are as sweet as the sugar-cane; honey is also extracted from the plant called maguey, which is
superior to sweet or new wine; from the same plant they extract sugar and wine, which they also sell.
Different kinds of cotton thread of all colors in skeins are exposed for sale in one quarter of the market,
which has the appearance of the silk-market at Granada, although the former is supplied more
abundantly. Painters' colors, as numerous as can be found in Spain, and as fine shades; deerskins dressed
and undressed, dyed different colors; earthen-ware of a large size and excellent quality; large and small
jars, jugs, pots, bricks, and endless variety of vessels, all made of fine clay, and all or most of them
glazed and painted; maize or Indian corn, in the grain and in the form of bread, preferred in the grain for
its flavor to that of the other islands and the main land; meat paste of birds and fish; great quantities of
fish---fresh, salt, cooked and uncooked; the eggs of hens, geese, and of all the other birds I have
mentioned, in great abundance, and cakes made of eggs; finally, everything that can be found throughout
the whole country is sold in the markets, comprising articles so numerous and because their names are
not retained in my memory, or are unknown to me, I shall not attempt to enumerate them.
Every kind of merchandise is sold in a particular street or quarter assigned to it exclusively, and thus the
best order is preserved. They sell everything by number or measure; at least so far we have not observed
them to sell anything by weight. There is a building in the great square that is used as an audience house,
where ten or twelve persons, who are magistrates, sit and decide all controversies that arise in the
market, and order delinquents to be punished. In the same square there are other persons who go
constantly about among the people observing what is sold, and the measures used in selling; and they
have been seen to break measures that were not true.
This great city contains a large number of temples, or houses, for their idols, very handsome edifices,
which are situated in the different districts and the suburbs; in the principal ones religious persons of
each particular sect are constantly residing, for whose use, besides the houses containing the idols, there
are other convenient dwellings. All these persons dress in black, and never cut or comb their hair from
the time they enter the priesthood until they leave it; and all the sons of the principal inhabitants, both
nobles and respectable citizens, are placed in the temples and wear the same dress from the age of seven
or eight years until they are taken out to be married; which occurs more frequently with the first-born
who inherit estates than with the others. The priests are separated from female society, nor is any woman
permitted to enter the religious houses. They also do not eat certain kinds of food, more at some seasons
of the year than others.
http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/1520cortes.asp
Primary Accounts of the Inca
Modern History Sourcebook:
Pedro de Cieza de Léon:
Chronicles of the Incas, 1540
Another view of the Incas, from a conquistador. It provides quite a lot of information about the Incan
economy--a redistributive typical of all early civilizations.
It is told for a fact of the rulers of this kingdom that in the days of their rule they had their
representatives in the capitals of all the provinces, for in all these places there were larger and finer
Page 19 of 22
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Lesson 2
lodgings than in most of the other cities of this great kingdom, and many storehouses. They served as the
head of the provinces or regions, and from every so many leagues around the tributes were brought to
one of these capitals, and from so many others, to another. This was so well-organized that there was not
a village that did not know where it was to send its tribute. In all these capitals the Incas had temples of
the Sun, mints, and many silversmiths who did nothing but work rich pieces of gold or fair vessels of
silver; large garrisons were stationed there, and a steward who was in command of them all, to whom an
accounting of everything that was brought in was made, and who, in turn, had to give one of all that was
issued. ...The tribute paid by each of these provinces, whether gold, silver, clothing, arms and all else
they gave, was entered in the accounts of those who kept the quipus and did everything ordered by the
governor in the matter of finding the soldiers or supplying whomever the Inca ordered, or making
delivery to Cuzco; but when they came from the city of Cuzco to go over the accounts, or they were
ordered to go to Cuzco to give an accounting, the accountants themselves gave it by the quipus, or went
to give it where there could be no fraud, but everything had to come out right. Few years went by in
which an accounting was not made....
At the beginning of the new year the rulers of each village came to Cuzco, bringing their quipus, which
told how many births there had been during the year, and how many deaths. In this way the Inca and the
governors knew which of the Indians were poor, the women who had been widowed, whether they were
able to pay their taxes, and how many men they could count on in the event of war, and many other
things they considered highly important. The Incas took care to see that justice was meted out, so much
so that nobody ventured to commit a felony or theft. This was to deal with thieves, rapists, or
conspirators against the Inca.
As this kingdom was so vast, in each of the many provinces there were many storehouses filled with
supplies and other needful things; thus, in times of war, wherever the armies went they drew upon the
contents of these storehouses, without ever touching the supplies of their confederates or laying a finger
on what they had in their settlements....Then the storehouses were filled up once more with the tributes
paid the Inca. If there came a lean year, the storehouses were opened and the provinces were lent what
they needed in the way of supplies; then, in a year of abundance, they paid back all they had received.
No one who was lazy or tried to live by the work of others was tolerated; everyone had to work. Thus on
certain days each lord went to his lands and took the plow in hand and cultivated the earth, and did other
things. Even the Incas themselves did this to set an example. And under their system there was none
such in all the kingdom, for, if he had his health, he worked and lacked for nothing; and if he was ill, he
received what he needed from the storehouses. And no rich man could deck himself out in more finery
than the poor, or wear different clothing, except the rulers and the headmen, who, to maintain their
dignity, were allowed great freedom and privilege.
Source:
From: Pedro Cieza de Léon, The Second Part of the Chronicle of Peru, Clements R. Markham, trans. &
ed., (London: Hakluyt Society, 1883), pp. 36-50, passim.
http://www.fordham.edu/HALSALL/MOD/1540cieza.asp
Page 20 of 22
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Lesson 2
Student Handout #4: Video Clips for Station Activity
Aztecs
•
http://www.history.com/topics/aztecs/videos/aztec-aqueducts
•
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FwUAJbOcubM
Incas
•
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=knpzNN258_0&list=PLsEXWHRN_4S2_exf5F6BpwaVfH7gFCgy
•
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GcMHwLTURqU
Page 21 of 22
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SS070702
Lesson 2
Student Handout #5 – Aztec and Inca Tic-Tac-Toe
Maps
Aztec
Research the
geography of the
Aztec empire and
create an illustrated
map that shows:
 their region
 important
cities or sites
 key natural
resources
 Nearby
societies that
were allies or
enemies
Include a map key!
Inca
Research the
geography of the Inca
empire and create an
illustrated map that
shows:
 their region
 important
cities or sites
 key natural
resources
 Nearby
societies that
were allies or
enemies
Include a map key!
the
Create a physical
Americas
map of the Americas
(geography) that shows both the
Aztec and Incan
empires, major cities,
and physical features.
Include a map key!
Multimedia / graphics
Choose one aspect of Aztec society to
learn about more in detail (for
example: religion, writing, war, art, or
architecture). Find at least 10 images
that relate to this topic, and create a
PPT show that teaches your
classmate about your topic. Be sure
to provide explanatory captions for
each image that summarize what it is,
where it came from, and what it tell us
about your topic. You must write your
own captions. DO NOT COPY.
Writing
Write a short story or
a fictional diary entry
that describes daily
life in the Aztec world.
You can choose to
write from the
perspective of a
farmer, a warrior, a
priest, or an emperor.
You must include at
least 7 clear
references to
historical facts about
the Aztec.
Choose one aspect of Inca society to
learn about more in detail (for
example: religion, writing, war, art, or
architecture). Find at least 10 images
that relate to this topic, and create a
PPT show that teaches your
classmate about your topic. Be sure
to provide explanatory captions for
each image that summarize what it is,
where it came from, and what it tell us
about your topic. You must write your
Write a short story or
a fictional diary entry
that describes daily
life in the Inca world.
You can choose to
write from the
perspective of a
farmer, a warrior, a
priest, or an emperor.
You must include at
least 7 clear
references to
the Inca.
Choose one aspect of Aztec and
Incan societies to learn about more in
detail (for example: religion, writing,
war, art, or architecture). Find at least
5 images that relate to this topic for
each society, and create a PPT show
that teaches your classmate about
your topic. Be sure to provide
explanatory captions for each image
that summarize what it is, where it
came from, and what it tell us about
your topic. Provide one slide with text
that compares your topic across the
two societies. You must write your
Create a fictional email or letter
exchange between
Aztec and Incan
emperors comparing
their lives, and
discussing problems
they face. You must
include at least 7 clear
references to
these emperors.
Page 22 of 22
May 30, 2015
Empires of the Americas:
The Aztecs and Incas
Unit 7, Lesson 2
1
Stop and Jot:
Make your best guess based on prior knowledge
and logic…
• How were the empires of the Aztec’s and Inca’s
similar to the empires of Afroeurasia (Rome, Han,
Islamic Caliphates, etc.)?
• How were they different?
2
Civilizations in the Americas Before
Common Era
• 6500-5000 BCE
Agriculture began in Mesoamerica, including maize
(a variety of corn)
• 2000 BCE
Early civilizations develop across Mesoamerica
• 1300-400 BCE
Olmec civilization in Mexico
• 1200-400 BCE
Chavín civilization develops in the Andes Mountains
of South America
• 31 BCE
Early evidence of Olmec monument building and
early glyph writing in Mesoamerica
• 500 CE to 300 CE
Pre-classic Maya period, development of Mayan
civilization
3
Mesoamerica
The Americas
South
America
4
Common Era
100
200
300
400
500
Pre-classic Maya
600
700
800
900
1000
1100
1200
1300
1400
1500
Classic Maya
Mesoamerica
Teotihuacan
Toltecs
Aztecs
Tiahuanaco
South
America
Wari
Inca
Turn and Talk: Which civilizations do you think built off of the beliefs, systems, and structures
(government, religion, roads, etc.) of which other civilizations?
Why do you think we often learn about only the Maya, Aztec, and Inca, and why do you think
people often learn about them together, even though they really belong in different historical
eras (Maya in an earlier era)?
5
Stop and Jot: We know why the Aztec
empire ended, but aren’t sure why
Teotihuacan declined. Why do you think
we know more about some groups than
others?
6
Turn and Talk: Why do you think that
both the Tihuanaco and Wari civilizations
were so damaged by drought? Why was
rain so important?
7
https://mccainsocialstudies.wikispaces.com/D1.+G
eography
http://www.ducksters.com/history/aztec_maya_inca.php
Turn and Talk:
Why didn’t the Aztecs trade with the large city-states of the Mayan civilization?
Why do you think both groups had no significant contact with the civilizations of the Andes like
8
the Inca?
The Aztecs
9
http://en.wikipe
dia.org/wiki/Spa
nish_conquest_
of_the_Aztec_E
mpire
Turn and Talk:
In a previous unit, you learned about tribute.
What do you think Tributary States are?
10
This drawing, from the 16th century
Florentine Codex, shows Aztec warriors
brandishing macuahuitls
11
A piece of obsidian.
Macuahuitls are made
of wood and a
volcanic stone called
obsidian.
12
Stop and Jot:
What do these images tell you about Aztec weapons
and technology? What guesses can you make?
13
Turn and Talk: This is a model of the Aztec capital city of
Tenochtitlan. What do you notice? What does this make you think?
Model of the Aztec City of Tenochtitlan at the
National Museum of Anthropology in Mexico City
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:TenochtitlanModel.JPG
14
• Aztec cosmogram in the pre-Hispanic Codex
Fejérváry-Mayer—the fire god Xiuhtecuhtli is
in the center
The Aztec Sun Stone, also known as the Aztec
Calendar Stone, at National Museum of
Anthropology, Mexico City.
Aztec cosmogram in the pre-Hispanic Codex
Fejérváry-Mayer—the fire god Xiuhtecuhtli is
in the center
Stop and Jot: What inferences can you make about Aztec
religion from these pictures and the captions?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aztec
15
Stop and Jot
• Based on what you already know, and based
on the images you just saw, what questions do
you have about the Aztecs?
• As you learn more about the Aztecs, pay
attention to the answers to your own
questions!
16
Incans
The Inca Empire at its greatest extent
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Inca_Empire.svg
17
Turn and Talk: This picture
shows Pachacuti, one of the
most important Incan
emperors.
How is this picture similar to
pictures of other leaders (kings
or emperors) that you have
seen?
•
•
Pachacuti Inca Yupanqui (or Pachacutec), Sapa Inca
from 1438 to 1471 or 1472
http://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sapa_Inca
18
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:80_-_Machu_Picchu_-_Juin_2009_-_edit.2.jpg
Stop and Jot, then
Turn and Talk:
This picture shows
the ancient Incan
city of Machu
Picchu. What do
you think the Incan
empire would have
needed – what
types of resources
- to build this city?
19
Deities
List of some Incan deities:
Viracocha, is the great creator god in Inca
mythology
•Apu Illapu – Rain God, prayed to when they need
rain
•Ayar Cachi – Hot-tempered God, causes
earthquakes
•Illapa – Goddess of lightning and thunder (also
Yakumama water goddess)
Viracocha, is the great creator
god in Inca mythology
Stop and Jot: What inferences can
you make about Incan religion from
the picture and information on this
slide?
•Inti – sun god and patron deity of the holy city of
Cusco (home of the sun)
•Kuychi – Rainbow God, connected with fertility
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inca_mythology
20
Stop and Jot
• Based on what you already know, and based
on the images you just saw, what questions do
you have about the Inca?
• As you learn more about the Incans, pay
attention to the answers to your own
questions!
21
Videos on the Aztecs, Incas
• Aztecs
http://www.history.com/topics/aztecs/videos/aztec
-aqueducts
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FwUAJbOcub
M
• Incas
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=knpzNN258_0&
list=PLsEXWHR-N_4S2_exf5F6BpwaVfH7gFCgy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GcMHwLTURq
U
22
Looking for larger patterns…
23
Turn and Talk: Do you think the Aztecs and Incas followed this pattern?
Why or why not?
24
Looking back to patterns in Era 3 Afroeurasia…
1000 B.C.E. to 500 C.E.
Cities
• Between 1000 BCE and 500 CE in Afroeurasia, cities grew and
multiplied.
• People from many cities traded with each other, sometimes across
long distances.
• About 100 CE, the world's two biggest cities were almost certainly
Rome, with a population nearing one million, and Luoyang in
China's Han empire.
• Most cities at this time served many purposes. They were centers
of government, religion, trade, manufacturing, education, and art.
25
Technology and Expansion
• New technologies allowed rulers to extend their
systems of central command farther and farther
away from their capitals.
• All across Afroeurasia, armed cavalry (soldiers on
horses) replaced chariots as a tool for military
conquest and control.
• Soldiers, as well as state messengers, could carry
political orders and news across large expanses of
land by horseback faster than any other way.
26
• Other innovations helped empires grow as well,
such as advanced road construction (the Persians
and Romans), canal building (the Chinese), and
the use of the camel as the main transport
animal in arid (dry) lands.
• Iron tools and weapons developed and improved,
continuing to change both work and war.
• Iron production and the manufacture of tools and
weapons was important for empires.
27
Trade
• Long-distance exchanges of products and ideas
increased, not just within states but between
them as well.
• Between about 300 BCE and 300 CE, merchants
extended trade routes across Inner Eurasia on the
Silk Roads. They also used ships to carry goods on
the Mediterranean and Black Seas and the Indian
Ocean.
28
Social Hierarchy
• The majority of the world's population were farmers, herders, or foragers.
They subsisted on their own production, and they lived short lives
compared to today.
• In big cities, and in empires with lots of wealth, the gap between the rich
and the poor increased.
• Cities also had groups of merchants, artisans, scholars, and other people
with special skills who accumulated wealth, though not necessarily much
political power.
• At the bottom of the social scale were slaves. This era witnessed a huge
expansion of slavery and an organized slave trade in many parts of the
world.
• In all the urbanized societies of this era, adult males dominated political
and social life, as far as we know.
29
Which of these then were GLOBAL patterns… patterns
that applied in both Afroeurasia and the Americas?
Number 1-5 on a piece of paper and write “yes” if you think the
pattern applies to both areas, and “no” if not.
1. Growing cities that were centers of power,
religion, trade, culture, and science
2. Trade across regions
3. Technological advances
4. Growing military power and conquests by
empires
5. Social hierarchy, from monarchs to nobles to
farmers to slaves
30
ALL of these were GLOBAL patterns… patterns that
applied in both Afroeurasia and the Americas.
• Growing cities that were centers of power,
religion, trade, culture, and science
• Trade across regions
• Technological advances
• Growing military power and conquests by
empires
• Social hierarchy, from monarchs to nobles to
farmers to slaves
31
Which of these important advances had
not yet happened not in the Americas?
•
•
•
•
•
Wheeled vehicles for work and war
Iron weapons and tools
Advanced road construction
Writing systems
Widespread use of large mammals for
transportation, work, and war
• Developed understandings of math and
astronomy
• Advanced agricultural (farming) practices
32
Afroeurasia
the Americas
If not, why
not?
Wheeled vehicles for work
and war
Writing systems
Widespread use of large
mammals for
transportation, work, and
war
Developed understandings
of math and astronomy
Advanced agricultural
(farming) practices
33
Advances
Afroeurasia
the Americas
If not, why not?
Wheeled vehicles for work
and war
YES
NO
Without animals to pull vehicles,
wheels never developed in this
way.
YES
NO
Basic metallurgy was known, but
iron ore was harder to find and the
technology did not develop.
YES
YES
Writing systems
YES
YES
Widespread use of large
YES
mammals for transportation,
work, and war
NOT REALLY… the
Developed understandings
of math and astronomy
YES
YES
Advanced agricultural
(farming) practices
YES
Yes… although
only exception was
the llama, used as a
pack animal only
perhaps on a
smaller scale
There were no species of large
mammal that could be
domesticated for this kind of
work.
The lack of iron tools and work
animals like oxen in the
Americas limited production
when compared to
34
Afroeurasia.
Exit Pass / Stop and Jot:
• So What?
• Think about the differences between the
Americas and Afroeurasia. Why would these
differences matter?
35
These world zones were about to converge and meet!!
Afroeurasia
The Americas
Sub-Saharan
Africa
Oceania
Turn and Talk: Based on your prior knowledge and your analysis of the differences
between the Americas and Afroeurasia… what happened when they met? 36
PROPERTY OF OAKLAND SCHOOLS
AUTHORS: DARIN STOCKDILL AND STACIE WOODWARD
EDITOR: AMY BLOOM
ACADEMIC REVIEW: IAN MOYER
37
Lesson 3:
SS070703
Lesson 3
Overview of the World, 1000 to 1450 CE: Focus on Afroeurasia Crusades, Mongols, and the Black Death

In Era 4, large scale empires continued to rise and fall in some places, but in other areas,
power became more fragmented.

Important events in this era involved the geographic theme of movement, as large scale
movements of people, ideas, technologies, and even disease changed the world.

With these movements and the spread of technologies like the compass and the printing
press, the world became more connected and was on the edge of modernity.

In West Africa and the Americas, new powerful empires emerged that would later come into
contact with powerful Afroeurasian societies, most notably European powers.
Lesson Abstract:
In this lesson, students get an overview of key world events and patterns that took place between
1000 and 1450 CE, focusing in particular on three major events in Afroeurasia: The Crusades, the
Mongol conquests, and the Black Death. To do so, students analyze maps and images in a
PowerPoint presentation to explore the geographic theme of movement with respect to these three
events. Then students read an overview article and engage in a text coding exercise to analyze the
large patterns of change in the world between 1000 and 1453 CE. Students then focus on
changes related to trade networks, government, movement and migration, culture and knowledge,
religion, and technology. Students work in small groups to analyze the large patterns of change,
and conduct map and timeline work to study temporal and spatial patterns. The lesson ends with
an optional extension research project in which students focus on one of three large events to
explore its impact on the world.
Grade 6 and 7 – H1.1.1; H1.2.1; H1.2.2; H1.2.4; H1.4.1; H1.4.2;
G1.1.1; G1.3.2; G1.3.3; G2.2.2; G4.1.1
Grade 6 – H1.2.5
Grade 7 – H1.2.5; H1.2.6; W3.1.6; W3.1.7; W3.2.3
Common Core State Standards for Literacy in History/Social Studies: RH.6-8.1, 2, 3, 4, 7, 9
and 10; WHST.6-8.1 (a and b only), 4, and 9
Key Concepts
crusade
cultural diffusion
evidence
movement
pandemic / plague
1
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Lesson Sequence
1. Begin the lesson with Slide 1 and explain to the students that this lesson is the last one in the
course to introduce new historical material. Tell the students they will get an overview of key
world events and patterns that took place between 1000 and 1450 CE, and that they will focus
on three major events in Afroeurasia: The Crusades, the Mongol conquests, and the Black
Death.
2. Advance to Slide 2 and explain that each of these events was, in some way, tied to the
geographic theme of movement. Review the concept of movement as explained on Slide 2 and
in Word Card #26. Display Slide 3 and explain to the students that they are going to have to
think about several important events and changes that took place in Afroeurasia during the time
from 1000 to 1450 CE, including the ones already mentioned: the Crusades, the Mongol
invasions, and the Black Death. Tell the students they are going to analyze maps and images
on slides about each of these events to make a prediction about how MOVEMENT affected an
event, and what impact that movement might have had on the event.
3. Proceed to Slide 4 and direct students to study the map of the Crusades. Explain that the
Crusades were military campaigns of Christian soldiers from Europe trying to conquer territory
controlled by Muslim forces in the Middle East. Then have the students Turn and Talk about
what moved during the Crusades. Students should be able to figure out that soldiers moved.
Push their thinking with questions that help them think about what else moved... what would
soldiers have brought with them?
4. Move to Slide 5 and have students study the images of the Crusades. Point out that there are
two pictures on the slide (labeled 1-2). With the class, model the process of observation for the
first picture by identifying what you see or have students describe what they see in the first
picture:
 Three men with headscarves are riding horses and wearing the same clothing.
 The other men have shields, are dressed differently, and are more heavily armored
(have shields)
 One horse looks like it has fallen/injured and its rider is being stabbed with a sword by a
man with a headscarf.
 The man that is stabbed is bleeding
Then, ask students some probing questions interpreting what they see, such as:
 What is this picture telling us about the Crusades?
 What conclusions can you draw from this image?
Guide students to see that there are two different groups in a fight or in close combat known as
melee. One group is probably Muslim by the headscarf, and the other group is comprised of
Christian knights as evidenced by their armor.
5. Have students Turn and Talk about the second picture with a partner, recording their
observations. Then have two pairs combine into groups of four students and have the students
share their observations. Once they have agreed on what they see, ask students to draw some
inferences about the Crusades from the picture. Discuss students’ observations and inferences
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with the whole class. If necessary, call their attention to important details in the pictures with
probing questions.
6. Display Slide 6 and ask students to Turn and Talk with a partner about the questions on the
slide. Have student pairs share out important ideas or questions with the whole class. Move to
Slide 7 and have student volunteers read the text out loud to the class. Explain that today
people view the crusades from different perspectives. Ask students why this may be so. Guide
students to recognize that because the crusades pitted religious groups against one another,
adherents of these sects today view the crusades from their perspective – as aggressor or
defender. Conclude the discussion on the Crusades by having students identify what was
“moving” (people, ideas, technology, etc.)
7. Next, explain to students that they are going to investigate the Mongol Invasions next, using a
similar process. Show students Slide 8 and have students follow the instructions on the slide.
After they have jotted down their ideas on what moved based on the map, display Slide 9.
Have students make a two-column chart on a sheet of paper. On top of the left column, have
students label it “observations” and label the other column “inferences.” Working with a partner,
have students use their observation skills to describe what they see in each picture and draw
some inferences based on this information. Then move to Slide 10 and have students use the
back of their observation/inferences chart to stop and jot as directed on the slide. Conclude this
section on the Mongol invasion by having students read out loud the text on Slide 11.
8. Introduce the Plague by moving to Slide 12 and having students study the map. Discuss the
Black Death with students using the text and map on the slide and then have students Turn and
Talk as directed on the slide. Then move to Slide 13 and have students use their powers of
observation to make inferences to answer the questions on the slide with a partner.
9. Move on to Slide 14 and review the definition of cultural diffusion. Have the students Turn and
Talk as directed to discuss whether or not these key events lead to cultural diffusion. Have
students then share out about their conversations. Use questions to probe their thinking and
press for more information when necessary. Ask students to explain their thinking and use
examples to justify their conclusions. Wrap this part of the lesson up by telling students that
they will now read overviews of these events, as well as other events, from this time period.
10. Pass out Student Handout 1: Era 4 Overview - Continuity and Change across the Era,”
located in the Supplemental Materials (Unit 7, Lesson 3). Explain to the students they will use a
reading strategy called Text Coding while they read, and that they will use codes that stand for
important social studies concepts. They may work with a partner to do the text coding. In the
exercise, students should use the codes below. These codes are also on Slide 15 if you want
to project them during the explanation of the task.
Areas of possible change:
Text Code
Trade networks
Government
Movement and Migration
TN
G
M
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Culture and knowledge (including science, math, arts, etc.)
Religion
Technology
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Lesson 3
C
R
T
This reading is divided into two larger sections: the first section is titled Major events/trends in
Afroeurasia and the Americas between 1000 and 1215 CE, and the next section is titled The
World between 1200 and 1453 CE. At this point, have students read only the first section, 1000
to 1215 CE of the handout.
Students should work with their partner to read each paragraph in this section and study the
accompanying images. After reading a paragraph, prompt them to talk about the types of
changes described in the paragraph using the coding areas (trade networks, government,
movement and migration, etc.). They should jot down letter codes next to examples of the
changes directly on the handout. To help students begin this work, show them Slide 16. Have
a student volunteer read the paragraph out loud and describe the images. Ask for student
volunteers to suggest codes and ask them to explain their thinking. Proceed to Slide 17, which
shows them what the coding process might look like, and review the codes in place with the
students. This is a lengthy reading activity, so students might need a break, or you may choose
to ask them to pause at different points to check in with them.
11. When students have completed reading and coding the first section, create groups of four by
pairing reading teams. Each pair should share their coding results with the other pair and then
talk about the types of changes that took place during 1000 to 1215 CE. Ask the students to
look for patterns. Did one type of change seem more important or frequent than another? The
goal here is to get students talking about the ideas in the text, not for them to find a “right”
answer. Ask these groups to summarize the major patterns of change during 1000 to 1215,
create a written summary statement, and then have a few groups share their summary
statements with the whole class.
12. Have students then repeat the process they used above with the next section of text on the
world from 1200 to 1453 CE. They should work in pairs to read and code the paragraphs, and
then work in small groups to identify and summarize patterns of change in this era. They
should create a written summary statement again as well.
13. Advance to Slide 18 and ask students to work in their groups to compare the changes across
the two sections of the reading using the questions on the slide:
 How were the changes in the world between 1000 CE and 1215 CE both similar to and
different from the changes that took place between 1200 and 1453 CE?
 What is the larger pattern of change across the whole era, 1000 CE to 1453 CE? In
other words, how did the world change in those 453 years?
 What changes seemed most important?
As student discuss the questions, have them jot down an answer for their group to each
question. Then, have the share their thinking with the whole class, probing for more information
and analysis when necessary. Use thinking prompts like, “That’s interesting, say more,” or
“Can you explain your thinking about that with an example?” to push students for more details.
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Teacher Note: Student answers may vary but should include the following:
 How were the changes in the world between 1000 CE and 1215 CE both similar to and
different from the changes that took place between 1200 and 1453 CE? They were
similar in that trade, conflict, and religion brought people together from different regions
and resulted in cultural diffusion. They differ in the scope and scale of the cultural
diffusion taking place. Also the rate of change became greater over time.
 What is the larger pattern of change across the whole era, 1000 CE to 1453 CE? In
other words, how did the world change in those 453 years? The larger pattern is that
the rate of change increased throughout the entire time period, and cultural diffusion
grew more expansive over time.
 What changes seemed most important? Answers will vary but may include that
improved technologies and increased knowledge enhanced communication and
transportation, resulting in closer contact and more intense and accelerated cultural
diffusion.
14. Next, pass out “Student Handout 2 – Mapping Change,” located in the Supplemental
Materials (Unit 7, Lesson 3). Ask students to select eight important events or trends that they
read about and coded in the last exercise. Students should then develop a symbol for that trend
or event (such as a little book for printing press and technology), and place the symbol on the
blank world map on the handout where it belongs with a date or span of dates. They should
then create a key to explain the symbols. Have students discuss any geographic patterns they
notice as well.
15. Finally, advance to Slides 19 and 20, one at a time, to review the timeline for this era with
students. With each slide, ask the students to study the timeline and identify which events were
happening at the same time. Ask student volunteers to then make predictions or best guesses
about which of these events were connected to each other.
Next, ask students to identify which events did NOT overlap (one ended and the other began).
Ask them to think and talk about whether or not any of these events might have caused
another. Ask them to use both temporal and spatial frames when examining the events. How
might events in one place shape events somewhere else. Finally, ask students to identify more
global events, things that affected more than one region. As they suggest global events, push
their thinking by questions such as: “Do you think the events were connected to each other?
Did one event cause another?”
16. The remainder of the lesson is an optional extension or assessment task around the concept of
historical significance. To close this lesson out and give students a more focused look at one
topic, you may choose to assign the following task.
Assign students one of three topics, or put students into groups with these same assigned
topics:
1. The Crusades
2. The Mongol Empire
3. The Black Death
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17. Have students research their topic using the websites below, or others identified in the student
and teacher resources for this lesson. They should also use any available textbooks or
classroom resources, or resources from the media center. They are to explore the following
primary question: How did this event change the world?
 Impact of the Crusades: http://medievaleurope.mrdonn.org/effects_of_the_crusades.html
 Impact of the Black Death: http://www.brighthubeducation.com/history-homeworkhelp/88775-social-effects-of-the-black-death/
 Impact of the Mongols: http://asianhistory.about.com/od/mongolia/f/Effects-MongolsEurope.htm
To answer this question, they need to answer the following questions in this order:
 What was this event?
 Who was involved?
 Where and when did it take place?
 Why was it important?
 How did it change the world? What is the evidence for these changes?
Students should use a note-taking process or approach that they have learned, or one modeled
by the teacher, to take notes on these questions. They will then use their notes to create a
graphic organizer on large chart paper that summarizes their event and explains how it
changed the world. Encourage students to consider what type of graphic organizer best
represents the ideas they want to share.
18. Once students have created these organizers, have them post them on the wall and engage in
a gallery walk to see each other’s work and learn about other topics. Then, list the events on
the board and have students use sticky notes labeled with a 1, 2, and 3, to rank each event in
order of how important they think it was, with a 1 representing the most important. Explain to
students that there is no right or wrong answer, but they should be prepared to defend their
thinking. Students should walk to the board and place their sticky notes under the appropriate
label (i.e. if they think the Crusades were most important, they will place a sticky note with a 1
under the Crusades).
17. Next, have students divide into groups by their first choices, and then divide into sub-groups of
3 or 4 students each, as needed. Students should then be with other students who made the
same choice for the most important event. Each group should prepare a short statement
explaining their thinking, and then each group shares their thinking with the class. Encourage
students to question each other appropriately to ask for clarification or challenge ideas, or to
ask for evidence, but keep the discussion positive and focused on ideas. Close the discussion
by explaining to students that all of these events were critical and it is instructive to see how
different people’s perspectives might result in them seeing some events as more important than
others.
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Lesson 3
Reference Section
6 and 7
H1.1.1:
6 and 7
H1.2.1:
6 and 7
H1.2.2:
followed.
6 and 7
H1.2.4:
proof.
7 – H1.2.5:
Describe how historians use methods of inquiry to identify cause effect relationships
in history noting that many have multiple causes.
6 – H1.2.5:
7- H1.2.6:
Identify the role of the individual in history and the significance of one person’s
ideas.3
6 and 7
H1.4.1:
6 and 7
H1.4.2:
7 – W3.1.6: Use historic and modern maps to locate and describe trade networks among
empires.4
7 – W3.1.7: Use a case study to describe how trade integrated cultures and influenced the
economy within empires.5
2
This lesson emphasizes the understanding of how historians use primary and secondary sources to explore the past
by having students demonstrate their understanding rather than merely explain what a historian would do.
3
This lesson only addresses the role of specific individuals such as Genghis Khan, Mansa Musa, and Timur the Lame
with respect to their role in significant events, not their ideas.
4
While this expectation is limited in the state document to the classical era, we have included here because of the
skills it describes (using historical and modern maps to describe connections among places) should be transferrable to
a variety of contexts including the time period addressed in this unit.
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6 – G1.1.1:
6 and 7
G1.3.2:
6 and 7
G1.3.3:
6 and 7
G2.2.2:
Explain that communities are affected positively or negatively by changes in
technology.6
6 and 7
G4.1.1:
RH.6-8.1:
Cite textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as
inferences drawn from the text.
RH.6-8.2:
Determine a central idea of a text and how it is conveyed through particular details;
provide a summary of the text distinct from personal opinions or judgments.
5
The examples have been removed because they apply to a different historical period than the one addressed in this
unit, “(e.g., Assyrian and Persian trade networks or networks of Egypt and Nubia/Kush; or Phoenician and Greek
networks).” We have included it in this unit because trade continues to integrate cultures and influence economies as
the world became more connected.
6 The examples from sixth grade have been removed as most of them do not relate to the time period under study
“(e.g., Canada with regard to mining, forestry, hydroelectric power generation, agriculture, snowmobiles, cell phones,
air travel).” The idea of the expectation - that technology changes how people live - is explored in the lesson with
respect to the spread of technological innovations by cultural diffusion and its impact during this period. The examples
from seventh grade “(e.g., increased manufacturing resulting in rural to urban migration in China, increased farming of
fish, hydroelectric power generation at Three Gorges, pollution resulting from increased manufacturing and
automobiles)” have been removed because they unnecessarily limit the application of the idea contained in the content
expectation and do not apply to the time frame under study.
7
Although the original expectations were limited to the Americas and the Eastern Hemisphere (grades six and seven,
respectively) we have revised it to reflect the global impact of cultural diffusion. Moreover, we have removed the
examples for several reasons (for grade six - “e.g., baseball, soccer, music, architecture, television, languages, health
care, Internet, consumer brands, currency, restaurants, international migration; and for grade seven – “e.g., the spread
of sports, music, architecture, television, Internet, Bantu languages in Africa, Islam in Western Europe”). While some of
examples contained in the expectation do not apply to the time period under study, the idea of examples in this
instance tends to unnecessarily limit understanding of the significant social studies concept of cultural diffusion, which
transcends both temporal and spatial frames. Finally, this curriculum focuses on the development of human history
through a global lens. It is important for students to see how cultural diffusion has had huge impact on the trajectory of
human history.
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RH.6-8.3:
RH.6-8.4:
figurative, connotative, and technical meanings.
RH.6-8.7:
Integrate information presented in different media or formats (e.g., visually,
quantitatively) as well as in words to develop a coherent understanding of a topic or
issue.8
RH.6-8.9:
Compare and contrast one author’s presentation of events with that of another (e.g.,
a memoir written by and a biography on the same person).
RH.6-8.10:
By the end of the year, read and comprehend literary nonfiction in the grades 6–8 text
complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the range.
WHST.6-8.1: Write arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence.
a. Introduce claim(s) and organize the reasons and evidence clearly.
b. Support claim(s) with clear reasons and relevant evidence, using credible sources
and demonstrating an understanding of the topic or text.
are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience. (Grade-specific expectations for
writing types are defined in standards 1–3 above.)
WHST.6-8.9: Draw evidence from literary or informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and
research.
Student Resource
Black Death. History.com. A & E Television Network. 2015. 12 June 2015
<http://www.history.com/topics/black-death>.
“The Black Death, 1348.” EyeWitness to History.com. 2001. 12 June 2015
<http://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/plague.htm>.
The Black Death: Bubonic Plague. The Middle Ages.net. 12 June 2015
<http://www.themiddleages.net/plague.html>.
Students are comparing how other students present a series of events and determine
significance.
8
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Lesson 3
Carr, Karen E. “The Black Death.” Kidipede. 2015. 11 June 2015
<http://www.historyforkids.org/learn/medieval/history/highmiddle/plague.htm>.
- - -. “Bubonic Plague.” Kidipede. 2 June 2015 12 June 2015
<http://www.historyforkids.org/learn/science/medicine/plague.htm>.
- - -. “Feudalism.” Kidipede. 10 June 2015
<http://www.historyforkids.org/learn/medieval/government/feudalism.htm>.
- - -. “Mongol Empire.” Kidipede. 10 June 2015
<http://www.historyforkids.org/learn/centralasia/history/mongols.htm>.
The Crusades. The History Learning Site. 10 June 2015
<http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/the_crusades.htm>.
Dowling, Mike. "The Renaissance at mrdowling.com." 30 December 2014. 12 June 2015
<http://www.mrdowling.com/704renaissance.html>
“Feudal Japan – 1185 CE to 1868 CE.” East Asia History for Kids. 10 June 2015
<https://sites.google.com/site/mrvailsclass2/feudal-japan>.
Feudalism Develops in Europe. Kids Past.com. 10 June 2015 <http://www.kidspast.com/worldhistory/0207-feudalism.php>.
Kendersley, Dorling. “Renaissance.” Fact Monster. 2007. 12 June 2015
<http://www.factmonster.com/dk/encyclopedia/renaissance.html>.
“A Look at the Social Effects of the Black Death.” Bright Hub Education. 10 June 2015
<http://www.brighthubeducation.com/history-homework-help/88775-social-effects-of-theblack-death/>.
Medieval Life – Feudalism. History on the Net. 10 June 2015
<http://www.historyonthenet.com/Medieval_Life/feudalism.htm>.
Middle Ages for Kids – The Crusades. Mr. Donn.com. 10 June 2015
<http://medievaleurope.mrdonn.org/crusades.html>.
Middle Ages for Kids - The Effects of the Crusades. 10 June 2015
<http://medievaleurope.mrdonn.org/effects_of_the_crusades.html>.
Mongol Empire. How Stuff Works. 10 June 2015 <http://history.howstuffworks.com/asianhistory/mongol-empire.htm>.
The Mongol Empire. Kids Past.com. 10 June 2015 <http://www.kidspast.com/world-history/0238mongol-empire.php>.
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Lesson 3
Mongolian Empire for Kids and Teachers. Mr. Donn.com. 10 June 2015
<http://mongols.mrdonn.org/mongolempire.html>.
Nelson, Ken. "History: Renaissance for Kids." Ducksters. Technological Solutions, Inc. (TSI), 11
June 2015 <http://www.ducksters.com/history/renaissance.php>.
- - -. “Biography for Kids: Genghis Kahn.” Ducksters. Technological Solutions, Inc. (TSI), 10 June
2015 <http://www.ducksters.com/biography/world_leaders/genghis_khan.php>.
- - -. “Middle Ages – Feudal System.” Ducksters. Technological Solutions, Inc.
(TSI), <http://www.ducksters.com/history/middle_ages_feudal_system.php>.
- - -. Middle Ages – The Crusades. Ducksters. Technological Solutions, Inc. (TSI), 10 June 2015
<http://www.ducksters.com/history/middle_ages_crusades.php>.
“Renaissance.” Spotlight :Renaissance. Kids Discover. 9 Jan. 2014. 12 June 2015
<http://www.kidsdiscover.com/spotlight/renaissance-for-kids/>.
“The Renaissance in Italy.” Kids Past.com. 12 June 2015 <http://www.kidspast.com/worldhistory/0289-the-renaissance-italy.php>.
“Seii Taishogun of Feudal Period Japan (1185-1868 AD).” Shogun. Encyclopedia. Kids.Net.Au.
2015. 11 June 2015
<http://encyclopedia.kids.net.au/page/sh/Shogun#Seii_Taishogun_of_Feudal_Period_Japan
_(1185_-_1868_AD)>.
Snell, Melissa. “Crusades Basics.” About Education. 10 June 2015
<http://historymedren.about.com/od/crusades/p/crusadesbasics.htm>.
Teacher Resource
Crusades. History.com. A & E Television Networks. 10 June 2015
<http://www.history.com/topics/crusades/print>.
“The Crusades.” Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. The Metropolitan Museum of Art. 10 June 2015
<http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/crus/hd_crus.htm>.
Department of Asian Art. "Shoguns and Art". In Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. New York: The
Metropolitan Museum of Art. October 2004. 12 June 2015
<http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/shga/hd_shga.htm>.
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Lesson 3
“Early History to the Ashikaga Shoguns.” History of Japan. InfoPlease.com. 10 June 2015
<http://www.infoplease.com/encyclopedia/world/japan-history.html>.
Feudal Life. Interactives. Annenberg Learner. 10 June 2015
<http://www.learner.org/interactives/middleages/feudal.html>.
The Fujiwara: 9th - 11th century. History of Japan. World History.net. 10 June 2015
<http://www.historyworld.net/wrldhis/PlainTextHistories.asp?ParagraphID=dxf>.
Genghis Khan. History Channel. 10 June 2015 <http://www.history.com/topics/genghis-khan>.
Internet Medieval Sourcebook Selected Sources: The Crusades. Fordham University. 10 June
2015 <http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/sbook1k.asp>.
“The roots of the feudal system.” BBC. 2014. 10 June 2015
<http://www.bbc.co.uk/bitesize/ks3/history/middle_ages/feudal_system_domesday_book/rev
ision/3/>.
“The Spread of the Balck Death in Europe Map.” Philip’s Atlas of World History. 12 June 2015
<https://qed.princeton.edu/getfile.php?f=The_Spread_of_the_Black_Death_in_Europe,_134
7_to_1352.jpg>.
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Lesson 3
Graphic Organizer
 Important events in this era involved the
geographic theme of movement, as large scale
movements of people, ideas, technologies, and
even disease changed the world.
 With these movements and the spread of
technologies like the compass and the printing
press, the world became more connected and was
on the edge of modernity.
 In west Africa and the Americas, new powerful
empires emerged that would later come into
contact with European powers.
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Lesson 3
Big Idea Card
 In Era 4, large scale empires continued to rise and fall in some places, but in
other areas, power became more fragmented.
 Important events in this era involved the geographic theme of movement, as
large scale movements of people, ideas, technologies, and even disease
changed the world.
 With these movements and the spread of technologies like the compass and
the printing press, the world became more connected and was on the edge of
modernity.
 In West Africa and the Americas, new powerful empires emerged that would
later come into contact with powerful Afroeurasian societies, most notably
European powers.
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Lesson 3
Word Cards
Word cards from previous lessons used in this lesson
 inferences – Word Card # 11 from Lesson 1
26
movement
27
Crusades
one of the five themes of
geography that describes how people,
goods, technologies, ideas and other
things (like diseases) get from one
place to another
a medieval military
expedition, one of a
series made by Europeans to recover
the Holy Land from the Muslims in the
11th, 12th, and 13th centuries
Example: The Crusades were military
Example: The Crusades, the plague
and the Mongol invasions are events that campaigns that pitted Christians against
Muslims.
contributed to the movement of people,
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ideas, and diseases to new places.
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28
melee
29
modernity
close combat in
battle that looks
disorganized with
very little central control; hand-tohand fight among several people
a historical period
marked by an
emphasis on individualism, freedom and
equality, faith in science and technology,
and movement away from feudalism
toward capitalism
Example: The soldiers engaged in a
melee when they came upon the enemy.
Example: At the dawn of the 16th
century, the world was on the edge of
modernity.
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30
pandemic
31
epidemic
widespread sudden
outbreak of an
infectious disease affecting a large
part of the population of a region,
continent or the world
widespread
occurrence of an infectious disease in
a community at a particular time
Example: The disease soon became a
pandemic.
Example: The flu epidemic hit Michigan
this winter.
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32
Mongol invasions
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33
plague/ bubonic
plague
some of the
deadliest conflicts
in human history that occurred during
the 13th century that resulted in the
vast Mongol Empire
Example: The Mongol invasions were
some of the deadliest conflicts that
humans have experienced.
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the most common
form of the plague
with symptoms of fever, vomiting,
diarrhea, and inflamed lymph nodes
transmitted by fleas from infected rats
or other rodents
Example: The plague was a Eurasian
pandemic that began in the 14th century.
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34
Black Death
36
cultural diffusion
a common name given
to the pandemic of
bubonic plague that occurred
between 1347 and 1400, originating in
Asia that swept through Europe,
where it killed about a third of the
population
the spread of objects
and ideas from one
cultural group to
another typically as a result of
migration, communications, or trade
Example: The Black Death was a
pandemic of the bubonic plague.
Example: The movement of religious
ideas across the world is an example of
cultural diffusion.
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Lesson 3
Student Handout 1 - Era 4 Overview: Continuity and Change across the Era
As you read the texts about how the world changed between 1000 CE and 1453 CE, look for
examples of the types of changes shown in the table below. For each example you find,
place the appropriate text code next to it. For instance, if you find an example of a trading
network growing larger and expanding into new areas, write the letters TN at the end of the
sentence to mark it as an example of change in trading networks.
You will do this work with a partner in two sections, exploring changes between 1000 and
1215 CE, and then between 1200 and 1453 CE. Between these two sections, you will work
with another team to compare codes and summarize large patterns of change.
Text Code
Trade networks
Government
Religion
Technology
TN
G
M
C
R
T
The World around 1200 CE:
By 1200, large empires had risen and fallen across Afroeurasia, and they were on the rise in
parts of the Americas. Organized world religions continued to spread – particularly in
Afroeurasia – and were becoming more and more connected to political power. Islam in
particular was growing, reaching into West Africa, East Africa, and even into northern India and
South East Asia.
Trade networks continued to grow, leading to increasing interactions between different groups
of people. Technology continued to develop as well, as people improved upon old ideas and
tools and developed new solutions to new problems. Some key advances that would change the
world began to take hold around this time, including the compass, gunpowder, and large-scale
printing processes.
Populations across the world were increasing at a faster rate as well. People also continued to
move and migrate, including large nomadic groups who interacted, and clashed, with
agricultural societies. Wars were fought for power and control of territory, sometimes along
religious lines and sometimes even within organized societies.
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Lesson 3
Governments continued to develop and change, but equality did not increase. As societies
grew, smaller groups of people developed more wealth and power, and larger groups of people
did most of the work, including many forced to work as slaves.
Major events/trends in Afroeurasia and the Americas between 1000 and 1215 CE
Trend / events / patterns
Images
In China, the Song Dynasty built upon the systems and
advances of the previous Han Dynasty. It was the most
prosperous and technologically developed state in the
world at this time. Gunpowder, the compass, and block
printing were all developed in China during this time
period.
In Korea and Japan, bureaucratic governments based on
the Chinese system had been developed, and many
cultural advances were taking place. The Samurai culture
was developing in Japan amidst periods of internal
conflict.
In Islamic societies centered in the Middle East, education
and scholarship were highly valued. Important advances
were made in mathematics as well as different areas of
science like physics, astronomy, and medicine. Through
trade, and even through contact during war, these new
ideas and bodies of knowledge were moving into Europe.
The religion of Islam itself was also spreading beyond the
borders of the Middle East. In Africa, kingdoms in West
and East Africa continued, or began to, adopt Islam.
Muslim sultanates also emerged in parts of northern India
and the religion also began to spread into South East Asia.
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Lesson 3
At the same time, kingdoms in Europe were struggling to
get organized after long periods of conflict. The system of
feudalism, in which rulers and an elite group of nobles
shared power, began to emerge. Feudal lords were given
land to control by kings, and they ruled over a serf or
peasant class of people who worked the land in exchange
for protection. Although life was hard and short for serfs,
the overall system lead to more organization in European
society, and population increased as did trade.
Religious leaders were connected to political leaders, and
the Catholic church gained power across Europe. In many
cases, religious leaders had conflicts with political leaders
who were worried about their power. In some countries,
strong monarchies developed while in other places there
were more problems establishing strong governments.
Many large cathedrals were built during this time as a
symbol of the church’s power and importance.
One way the church exercised its power during this time
was through the Crusades, a series of military efforts to
gain control of important areas of the Middle East that
were under Muslim rule. In particular, the Church wanted
to take control of the city of Jerusalem, seen as the
birthplace of Christianity. Church leaders called for kings
and nobles to form armies to march to Jerusalem and do
battle with Muslim forces. The Crusades caused many
deaths and much destruction, but failed to accomplish
much for any side. However, trade in the Mediterranean
did increase, and merchants – especially in Italy – gained
wealth and influence that would later spur the cultural
Renaissance in Europe.
In central Asia on the steppes, nomadic societies played an
important role, and continued to clash and interact with
agricultural societies. A Turkish people who came to be
known as the Seljuks moved westward where they
encountered Islam and began to convert. They would
have a significant impact in Asia Minor, the area where
Europe meets Asia, and went on to conquer a large section
of the Middle East by 1100 CE.
To the east, in what is now Mongolia, by 1200, a new
nomadic empire was rising under the rule of Genghis
Khan. The Mongol Empire under Genghis Khan would
come to be the largest in human history.
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Lesson 3
In South Asia, in what is now Cambodia, the Khmer
Kingdom emerged with its capital city of Angkor Wat.
Huge temples were built as expressions of power and
wealth.
In the Pacific Ocean, the island of New Zealand was
discovered and settled by Polynesian explorers.
Towns like Cahokia in the Mississippi Valley were
developing and growing in North America, and in
Mesoamerica, the Toltec civilization had fallen apart and
the Mexica, later known as the Aztecs, were beginning to
move into central Mexico.
In the Andes Mountains of South America, the Chimu
Empire was at its height, but the Incan people were
beginning to come onto the scene.
The World between 1200 and 1453 CE:
By 1453, the world was preparing to enter a more modern age in which the different world zones
became connected. The growth of the Mongol Empire, for example, connected parts of Europe and
Asia that had traded before but had never been united under one political authority. Trade across
Afroeurasia, which had already been growing, increased even more, and this part of the world was
functioning in many ways as one large region. Technologies with the potential to change the world,
like the compass and gunpowder, were spreading and began to have a huge impact across
Afroeurasia.
The same connections between societies that allowed these technologies to spread also helped
disease move across wide spaces. The Black Death (the Bubonic Plague) spread along the growing
trade pathways and killed millions of people across this world zone. As this horrible epidemic ended,
some regions within this zone closed themselves off. Yet Europe began to look westward and seek
new trade routes to Asia in the other direction. Culturally, the Renaissance took off in Europe and
resulted in a time of great artistic expression and production. Large empires developed in both
Mesoamerican and South America, and trade networks expanded across the Americas as well.
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Lesson 3
Images
The Mongol Empire under the
leadership of Genghis Khan connected
most of Eurasia from Russia to China. It
declined in the middle of the 1300’s and
a new conqueror from central Asia,
Timur the Lame, gained control of a
large piece of the former Mongol
Empire.
Travel and trade networks increased
across Eurasia in part because of these
empires, even though they also
increased war and conflict at different
times. New ideas and technologies
continued to spread at even faster
rates... but so did diseases!
Although emperors like Genghis Khan
and Timur came from Central Asia and
conquered other areas, this area itself
became divided up and ruled by
different regional leaders.
In the mid-14th century (1340’s) the
Black Death - or Bubonic Plague - killed
millions of people across both Asia and
Europe. Somewhere between 1/3 and
½ of the population of Europe died in
the epidemic. No other disaster in
recorded history up to that point had
killed more people and had such a huge
impact. The disease spread in part
because of increased trade, both on
land and on sea.
Even though the Black Death was an
enormous tragedy, it also changed the
economic and social balance in
different societies, particularly in
Europe. Because of the large number of
deaths, there were more jobs and more
land available for the survivors,
particularly in the countryside. For
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Lesson 3
peasants, the long term result was
increased opportunity and a better life.
In East Asia, China and Korea struggled
to get free of Mongol rule. By the end of
the 1300’s, Chinese and Korean
dynasties took control of their territory
once more. In China, the Ming Dynasty
emerged in 1368 and China once more
grew in population and resources.
A Ming official and mariner was given
command of a massive Ming fleet by an
early emperor, and he lead a series of
expeditions and diplomatic missions
between 1405 and 1433. Chinese ships
under his command traveled to
Southeast Asia, South Asia, the Middle
East, and East Africa.
The Japanese government had escaped
a takeover by the Mongols due to a
famous storm that destroyed many
Mongol ships in an attempted invasion.
Nevertheless, Japanese leaders fought
among themselves, and civil war and
political conflict were consistent
problems.
In the Middle East, many kingdoms had
been taken over by the Mongols, and
then by Timur the Lame. In Asia Minor,
however, the growing Ottoman Empire
managed to avoid defeat, even though
battle with Timur’s forces left them
weakened for a time.
Once recovered, the Ottoman Empire
went on the offensive and began to gain
control of much territory. In 1453, the
Ottomans finally defeated the Christian
Byzantine powers of Constantinople
and took control of this famous city.
With this loss, the Byzantine Empire
was officially over. Across Europe,
Christian rulers were surprised and
frightened by this shift in power.
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Lesson 3
In Europe, new technologies were
taking hold after being introduced from
Asia. The compass, gunpowder, and
printing were changing European
society in different ways. The compass
opened up new opportunities for
exploration and navigation, while
gunpowder changed the tools of war
and power. Printing made it possible to
spread information and share cultural
expressions even more.
Europeans began major explorations
across the oceans, and these journeys
would only end when Europeans had
made contact with people in most parts
of the world. This was the beginning of
the European exploration and later
conquest of many different areas.
Another important development was
also beginning in Europe – the
Renaissance. This was a time of great
cultural innovation that began in Italy
and later spread to other countries.
Renaissance philosophers, artists, and
writers worked to rediscover and
develop Greek and Roman ideas about
beauty, learning, truth, and other
concepts. Renaissance artists and
thinkers created a movement that
changed the way people thought about
art and culture and also opened up the
doors for modern science.
On the Indian sub-continent, Muslim
kingdoms ruled much of the area; the
Delhi Sultanate was the largest and
most powerful of these states.
The Delhi Sultanate, based in the city of
Delhi, ruled the northern part of India
from the 13th through the 16th century.
Although threatened by the Mongols,
they managed to defend themselves
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Lesson 3
and stay independent. At different
times, they controlled large portions of
the Indian sub-continent.
Under the Delhi Sultanate, many Hindu
temples and monuments were
destroyed. Nevertheless, in some ways
the Delhi Sultanates ruled India in a
similar fashion as the Gupta Empire.
Local leaders were still granted a large
degree of authority and independence
as long as they stayed loyal.
In 1398, Timur the Lame invaded Delhi
and defeated the Delhi Sultanate,
although they later regained much of
their power. In the early 1500’s, the
sultanate was taken over by a new
empire, the Mughal Empire.
Meanwhile, the Mali Empire of west
Africa was connecting to the trade
networks of Europe and the Middle
East, as were trading towns on the east
coast of Africa. Gold and salt were
important products in this trade.
The Mali Empire emerged as a powerful
force during the 13th century, but its
most famous ruler, Mansa Musa, ruled
from 1312 to 1337. During his time,
the empire was very wealthy, trade
expanded, and the empire grew almost
double in size. Mali was larger than any
kingdom in Europe at this time, and its
cities were busy trading centers that
developed large libraries and
universities.
Mansa Musa went on a pilgrimage to
Mecca in 1324. He brought with him a
vast force of servants, diplomats, and
soldiers, along with huge amounts of
gold and silver and other riches. The
pilgrimage served to show the world
how powerful, rich, and generous he
was.
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Lesson 3
In central Mexico, the Aztecs were
building their empire and conquering
territory. They built enormous temples
and studied the stars and planets.
Further north along the Mississippi and
Ohio Rivers, the larger settlements of
“mound builder” societies, like Cahokia,
were in decline.
Further south, in the Andes Mountains
of South America, the Inca Empire also
expanded, though it had not yet
reached its full power. The Inca began
building a vast network of roads and
trade routes that would run almost the
length of the entire continent.
Far to the west, in the islands of the
Pacific Ocean, the Maori people arrived
on the island of New Zealand in the
course of exploring the ocean. They
settled there and established large
villages with extensive gardens, and
they also fished and hunted. They
developed advanced oral history
traditions and celebrated their skills at
navigation and warfare.
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Lesson 3
Student Handout 2 – Mapping Change
Map Key:
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June 12, 2015
Unit 7, Lesson 3
1
The geographic theme of
movement:

 Movement describes how
people, goods, technologies, ideas
and other things (like diseases)
get from one place to another.
 This is one of the 5 themes of
geography… remember them?
2
Make a prediction…

 In this lesson, you will learn about several important events
and changes that took place in Afroeurasia during the time
from 1000 to 1450 CE.
 You will focus on the Crusades, the Mongol invasions, and
the Black Death. Each of these events involved
movement.
 Study each of the maps on the following slides, and make a
prediction about what was MOVING, and what impact that
movement might have had.
3

Study this map. The Crusades were military campaigns of Christian soldiers
from Europe trying to conquer territory controlled by Muslim forces in the
Middle East.
Turn and Talk: What moved? What is your best guess?
Okay… beyond the obvious things, what else moved?
4
1
Make more
predictions.
Turn and Talk:
What do these pictures
tell you about the
Crusades?
2
What questions do you
still have?
5
The Crusades

 What have we learned about the crusades based on
these pictures?
 What questions do these pictures raise about the
Crusades?
6
The Crusades
 Military campaigns sanctioned by the Latin Roman
Catholic Church during the High Middle
Ages and Late Middle Ages.
 In 1095, Pope Urban II proclaimed the First
Crusade with the stated goal of restoring Christian
access to holy places in and near Jerusalem.
 Following the First Crusade there was an intermittent
200-year struggle for control of the Holy Land, with
seven more major crusades and numerous minor ones.
 In 1291, the conflict ended in failure with the fall of the
last Christian stronghold in the Holy Land at Acre,
after which Roman Catholic Europe mounted no
further coherent response in the east.
7
Study this map. The Mongols formed an empire by moving into new lands and
conquering other areas through military campaigns.
Stop and Jot:
What moved? What is your best guess?
8
9
Stop and Jot
What do these
pictures tell you
about the Mongols?
What questions do
you still have?
10
Mongol Invasion
 Mongol invasions and conquests progressed
throughout the 13th century, resulting in the
vast Mongol Empire
 By 1300, the Mongol Empire covered much of Asia
and Eastern Europe.
 Historians regard the Mongol raids and invasions as
some of the deadliest conflicts in human history.
 By facilitating international trade on an
unprecedented scale, the Mongols brought the
bubonic plague along with them, helping cause the
massive loss of life in the Black Death.
11
Study this
map.
The Black
Death was a
massive
epidemic of
the Bubonic
Plague that
spread from
Asia to
Europe.
It killed
millions of
people.
Turn and Talk:
What moved? What is your best guess?
12
Make more predictions as you
Turn and Talk.
What do these pictures tell you
about the Black Death (Bubonic
Plague)?
What questions do you still have?
The Dance of Death (1493) by
Michael Volgemut
Illustration of the Black Death from the
Toggenburg Bible (1411)
13
Cultural Diffusion

Cultural diffusion is the process of different cultures
adopting ideas, technology, beliefs from other
cultures over time.
Think about the maps and how you answered the
question, “What else moved?”
Do you think these events lead to cultural
diffusion? Turn and Talk to explain your thinking
about this question to a partner.
14
Text Codes

Text Code
Trade networks
Government
Culture and knowledge (including science,
math, arts, etc.)
TN
G
M
C
Religion
Technology
R
T
15
Images
period.

conflict.
Text Code
Trade networks
Government
TN
G
M
C
Religion
Technology
R
T
16
Images
period.
C

T
G
conflict.
T
C
Text Code
Trade networks
Government
TN
G
M
C
Religion
Technology
R
T
17
1000 to 1453 CE

 How were the changes in the world between 1000 CE
and 1215 CE both similar to and different from the
changes that took place between 1200 and 1453 CE?
 What is the larger pattern of change across the whole
era, 1000 CE to 1453 CE? In other words, how did
the world change in those 453 years?
 What changes seemed most important?
18

19
20
21
SS070704
Lesson 4
Lesson 4: Change and Continuity in World History – Final Project

The historical frame of “continuity and change” helps us think about human history across
the eras by looking at what has stayed the same and what has changed.

There have been many important turning points in human history that signaled the
beginnings of new eras. Basic human needs have remained the same across our history,
but the ways humans have met these challenges has changed greatly.

Since the Neolithic Revolution, human societies have become increasingly more complex,
with more people living in concentrated areas. As this has happened, new problems have
developed, and in response, so have new and innovative solutions to these problems.

Collective learning has been a key factor of human development across our history, and
the speed and reach of collective learning has been steadily increasing since the Neolithic
Revolution, and continues today.
Lesson Abstract:
This lesson introduces no new content but instead has students carry out research into examples
of change and continuity across Eras 2-4. Essentially, this is a project-based lesson to help
students review some of the big ideas of the course and revisit things they studied over the
school year. The lesson begins with a PowerPoint segment to lay out the goals and products of
the lessons. Then, students work in small groups to research one assigned research topic (belief
systems; settlements and social organization; tools and technology; government and decision
making; interaction and cultural diffusion) with guiding questions across Eras 2-4. Using either
web-based research or teacher provided handout sets from previous lessons, students take
notes to develop answers to their questions. They then develop a graphic organizer poster that
summarizes the larger pattern of change and continuity connected to their topic for each era,
clearly referencing examples and evidence. Students then teach each other about the different
topics using café conversations. After student groups create a more detailed illustrated timeline
to capture at least two major trends connected to the research topics across Eras 1-4, they
individually write exit passes to summarize world history up to 1450 on an index card.
Grades 6 and 7 – H1.1.1; H1.2.1; H1.2.2; H1.2.4; H1.4.1; H1.4.2
Grade 6 – W1.2.1; W1.2.3; W2.1.2; W2.1.4; W3.1.5; G4.1.1
Grade 7 – W1.1.1; W1.1.2; W1.2.2; W2.1.1; W2.1.3; W2.1.4; W3.1.1;
W3.1.5; W3.1.8; W3.1.9; W3.2.3; G4.1.1
Common Core State Standards for Literacy in History/Social Studies: RH.6-8.1, 2, 3, 4, 7
and 10; WHST.6-8.4, 7, and 8; SL.6-8.1, 2, 3, 4, and 5
1
The language of the content expectations and the common core standards can be found in the Reference Section
at the end of the lesson.
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Lesson 4
Key Concepts
continuity and change over time
corroboration
evidence
inferences
turning points
Teacher Note: This lesson engages students in a research project, and requires access to, and
organization of, research resources. Please read this lesson plan and get organized with plenty
of lead time!
Lesson Sequence
1. Congratulations! This lesson marks the end of this course. The lesson is more of a
culminating project than a lesson, and it will engage students in researching a global pattern
or trend across Eras 2, 3, and 4. The idea is to have students think deeply about the
concepts of continuity and change across these eras, exploring how different aspects of
human societies stayed the same and/or changed over time.
This lesson introduces no new information, but asks students to remember what they have
learned and revisit materials and resources from past lessons. Before teaching this lesson, it
is important that you review the lesson and gather and/or prepare the necessary resources for
student research (see Steps 5, 6, and 8 below). Students will need either sets of handouts
(see Steps 5, 6, and 8 below) and/or access to the Internet. You will also need a way to
organize students in groups of three to four.
2. To introduce the lesson, open up the PowerPoint (Unit 7, Lesson 4) located on the Atlas
website, show students the title slide, and advance to Slide 2. Have students Turn and Talk
about Continuity and Change as directed on the slide. After students have had a minute or
two to talk, ask several pairs to share their thinking.
Explain to the students that one of the major questions they will be thinking about during this
lesson is how human problems and solutions stayed the same, but also changed, across Eras
2, 3, and 4. Advance to Slide 3 and talk through the graphic organizer with students,
explaining that this is just one way you could represent continuity and change across time.
Make sure that students understand that the graphic organizer on the slide is just one way to
represent continuity and change in world history and that it leaves a lot of important ideas out.
3. Advance to Slide 4 and review the bullets with students. This slide lays out the steps in this
final lesson and gives students an idea of what to expect. Explain to the class that the
underlined, bold type items represent the actual products they will develop over the course of
the lesson as pieces of their final project.
Proceed to Slide 5 and have students help you read the unit titles out loud. Ask students to
Turn and Talk briefly about one thing they remember from each unit, and then randomly
select different groups to share their ideas until you have touched on each unit.
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Lesson 4
Advance to Slide 6 and review the Timeline with students. Remind them that this timeline,
which they have seen before, divides all of human history into only three eras. Ask students
to Turn and Talk about what the Turning Points would have been that moved one era to the
next (there are only two major Turning Points when there are only 3 eras!). Prompt their
thinking as needed and have a few pairs share their ideas.
4. Advance to Slide 7 to begin explaining and assigning the group project. Explain to the
students that they are going to work in small groups, and that each group will be assigned one
of the guiding questions on the slide. Each question represents a key characteristic of human
societies throughout history (belief systems; settlements and social organization; technology
and tools; power and government; interaction and cultural diffusion). Have different student
volunteers read the different sections of questions out loud.
Explain to the class that each group will research one of these question areas across Eras 2,
3, and 4 to explore what changed over time and what stayed the same as they compare their
answers across the eras. For example, the belief system group will explore how world
religions developed and changed across these three eras.
5. Proceed to Slide 8. Explain to students that these are some (but not all) of the societies,
technological changes, belief systems, and interactions that different groups will need to study
to answer their assigned questions. Advance to Slide 9 and review the table on the slide to
give students a clearer picture of what they are working towards. Explain to the students that
the goal is for the whole class, working in small groups, to answer all of these questions for
eras 2-4 and then to look for big patterns of change and continuity as they share what they
learned.
Divide students into groups of three or four students each, and assign each group a question.
More than one group may end up with the same question. If you feel that you need to
scaffold and support their research more, you can choose to assign only two of the questions
so that you can provide more direct instruction to larger groups.
Pass out “Student Handout #1 - Research Guide” as well as “Student Handout #2 –
Group Research Notes,” both of which are located in the Supplemental Materials (Unit 7,
Lesson 4).
Important Note: There is a different version of Student Handout #2 for each question
area/topic. Make sure you give the right version of the second handout to the right group.
Instruct the students to copy the table as needed if they need more room to write. They can
easily recreate it on a computer or in interactive notebooks as well. You might also choose to
develop your own format for note taking instead of using Student Handout #2. The narrow
columns might make it problematic for some students.
Review the instructions on Handout #1 with students. Advance to Slide 10 next, read the
prompts on the slide, and ask each group to read and discuss the notes for Era 1 on Student
Handout #2. Have them talk in their groups about what was happening with respect to their
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Lesson 4
driving questions during Era 1 and what they think/remembered happened next. Ask each
group to select a spokesperson to share out a few ideas they generated to the class.
6. Next, students need access to research materials so that they can find information that will
help them answer their questions. There are a few different ways to make this happen.
 If you have access to technology, a list of helpful websites is provided in the “Handout #3
- Website(s) for Student Research,” located in the Supplemental Materials (Unit 7,
Lesson 4). These websites are listed by broad topic, not by question or era. So, students
in completely different groups will likely use the same sites. For example, the group
focusing on power and government might focus their research on a few key societies
across the eras, looking at each website for information on government. The group
looking at settlement and social organization might use the same websites, but look at
different information.
 Another option for providing research resources is to use handouts from past lessons.
The “Handout #4 - List for Student Research Packets,” located in the Supplemental
Materials (Unit 7, Lesson 4) contains a guide to useful handouts that lists Unit and Lesson
numbers, along with specific handout numbers and titles, for resources that students can
use to answer their research questions. We suggest that you develop “Era packets” (Eras
2, 3, and 4) with copies of the handouts listed in the Teacher Resource section. You will
need a set of packets for each group.
 If you are lucky enough to have a functioning media center with a media specialist, this
project provides a great opportunity for collaboration and for getting your students into the
media center. If this is an option, give your media specialist an overview of the research
topics well in advance of when you want students to do this project and let them do their
magic!
7. Once groups are formed, questions are assigned, and resources have been provided, review
the instructions on Slides 11 and 12. Explain to the students that they are trying to answer
their questions for each era, and then they will summarize what they learn about the larger
pattern of continuity and change. Direct them to take notes and tell them to use the Era 1
notes as examples of the types of notes they should take. They are to write down relevant
facts and ideas as they read.
8. Think about how you want groups to structure their work as well. You may want groups to
divide up the eras, or you may prefer that they all work on the same era but with different
sources. Next, pass out “Student Handout #5 – Group Work Roles and Responsibilities,”
located in the Supplemental Materials (Unit 7, Lesson 4) and direct students to fill out the form
once they have had time to plan out their group’s approach to the work. Move around and
provide the necessary guidance to each group. It is recommended that you also use a rubric
for group work to develop group accountability. Two such rubrics can be found at the
websites listed below if you don’t already have one. If these links are no longer active, search
for “group work peer evaluation” and you will find many possible options.
 http://cosee-centralgom.org/seascholars/lesson_plans/lesson2web/intro/peerrubric1.html
 http://www-tc.pbs.org/now/classroom/peer2.pdf
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9. Once groups have their questions, resources, and a plan, they should begin their research.
At this point, they may need quite a bit of oversight and monitoring to help them work through
Era 2. As needed, bring the class together as a whole group to check in on their progress.
Also use these opportunities to engage in Think-Alouds to model how you might take notes on
different questions from different sources. If you notice a group doing a particularly good job,
you may choose to have them show their work on a document camera and do their own thinkaloud. Give groups adequate time to work while still regularly checking in on their progress.
10. When students’ groups have gathered information on their questions for Eras 2, 3, and 4,
direct their attention to the final column/question:
 Big picture of change over time. What changed, what stayed the same, and why do
you think this happened?
Depending upon how you structure and time the group work, you may want to discuss this big
picture question with the whole class, or with individual groups. Help students think through
the larger pattern of change emerging from the examples and evidence in their notes. Direct
them to summarize this pattern of change in a short paragraph.
11. Once students have completed their initial research and taken notes on their question area for
Eras 2-4, they are to develop a graphic representation on a poster that summarizes the big
pattern they noted. The posters must clearly reference examples and evidence from their
notes. The posters can be digital if your technology allows (PowerPoint is an option, but also
explore padlet.com or glogster.com as options), or can produced on poster board, chart
paper, butcher paper, etc.
Explain to students that their task is to create a graphic organizer that shows the big picture of
change across Eras 2-4 with respect to their research questions and includes some specific
examples from each era to show this pattern. Tell them that their group will use this graphic
organizer as a visual aid to teach other groups about their research findings.
To help students generate some ideas, pass out “Student Handout #6 – Graphic Organizer
Model,” located in the Supplemental Materials (Unit 7, Lesson 4) and also show Slide 13.
Have students read and study this graphic organizer as a model for their own work, but
encourage them not to just copy this format. Call students’ attention to the text boxes about
continuity and change, and explain that these summary statements capture continuity and
changes over thousands of years of human history and represent big patterns. Also make
sure they notice how the examples in the organizer are used to support these larger claims.
12. Advance to Slide 14 and explain to the students that their graphic organizers should do the
following (you can also use these bullets as the basis for a rubric):
• Clearly identify and explain a pattern of continuity connected to your research
questions. Show development across Eras 2, 3, and 4 and use at least two examples
from each era as evidence for the continuity.
• Clearly identify and explain a pattern of change connected to your research questions.
Show development across Eras 2, 3, and 4 and use at least two examples from each
era as evidence for the changes.
• Graphically represent some sort of process or shift over time.
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13. Give groups time to work on their graphic organizers and move around to support them as
needed.
14. Instruct students to call you over to their group once they feel their graphic organizer is
complete so that you may check it for accuracy and completeness (referring back to Slide 14,
and showing it again, as needed). Once a group is ready to move on, provide the members
with the materials and directions they need for the next portion of the lesson.
Teacher Note: You may choose to set-up this part of the lesson so that small groups of
students receive the directions and materials for the next portion of the lesson as they finish a
portion because groups will work at different paces. While this method requires the teacher to
give the same set of directions to small groups of students multiple times, it also allows for
groups to work at their own pace and to decrease downtime.
15. For the next portion of the lesson, students will prepare to teach their fellow students from
other groups the content related to their questions (contained in their graphic organizer) in a
café conversation format. In order to do this, have each group design a teaching plan
connected to their visual aid (graphic organizer poster). Explain to the students that while
they work to develop the teaching plan, all members of the group will take turns teaching the
other groups and learning from the other groups, so they all need to know what to present.
Stress that both roles, teacher and learner, are important, and that everyone in the class is
depending upon each other to share information and learn from one another.
16. Students should use a common format to develop their café conversation presentations. The
note taking form will be easier this way, as it can follow the format. Show Slide 15, and
explain that each presentation needs to include the following elements:
• The Question – Introduce and explain the question you worked on.
• The Answers – Using your graphic organizer as a visual, present your group’s
“answers” to the question for each era, also explain one example or piece of
evidence from each era.
• Present your summary statements about continuity and change.
• Answer any questions or clarify any points of confusion.
17. Explain to the students that the “learners” are required to ask questions and share at least
one thing they found interesting. Show Slide 16 to reinforce this point. (During presentations,
walk around the room with a clipboard and pen to take notes on, or give check marks, for
participation.)
To develop their presentation, direct the groups to review the material in their graphic
organizer. They should discuss the main ideas they need to communicate to their fellow
students and then consider the most effective ways to communicate these big ideas to other
students (thinking about how they learn best). Give them structured and supervised time to
develop their plans, and then move into the conversations.
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If your students need an extra scaffold, turn the bullet points in Step 16 into a handout, or
have students copy them from the board or screen, and have them write a script following the
bullet points. Rotate through the groups to make sure they understand the task and actually
plan their presentations.
18. Once groups have developed their teaching plans, they should begin their café conversations.
Have two “rounds” of café conversations (you can certainly carry out more, but at least two
are necessary). Have each group designate teachers and learners for Round 1. Teachers
stay at their tables/desks, and learners move to a different group that focused on a different
set of questions. Based on your classroom layout and number of students, develop a plan
ahead of time to minimize the confusion.
19. When students have moved, pass out “Student Handout #7 – Café Conversation Notes,”
located in the Supplemental Materials (Unit 7, Lesson 4). Explain to the class that the
“learners” need to use this handout to jot down at least one important big idea, as well as a
specific example connected to the big idea, about the teaching group’s research findings in
the correct space on the chart. Each person needs to have his/her own chart filled out for the
time when they are a learner. Inform the class, that you will spot check to see if they
understand the ideas they have written down (and then follow through on this).
20. Now students are ready to begin the conversations. In the café conversation, students
discuss the question and make notes on their conversation. The presenter shares his/her
findings and their organizer, and the other students should ask questions, press for
clarification, and share one question and one thing they found interesting. Allow the groups
about 6-8 minutes to converse and take notes. Once this is done, they have completed
Round 1.
21. For Round 2, have learners return to their tables in order to take on the role of teachers. The
former teachers become learners and need to go to a table to learn from students who
answered a 3rd set of questions (different from their own, and different from the one that their
peers learned about in Round 1).
At the end of Round 2, before students reconvene in their research groups, have them talk at
their tables about the big patterns and examples they learned about from other groups as
well, quickly sharing their reflections.
22. Have students reconvene in their original research group. Each student should share the
notes they took, and give time for the other students to fill in their charts for questions/groups
they did not hear about. They should help each other clarify anything they did not
understand.
23. Advance to Slide 17 and direct the groups to discuss the “Reflection Question” and then
summarize their ideas in writing as directed on “Student Handout #7 – Café Conversation
Notes.”
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Reflection question: Go back to your work group. Compare your notes with your group
members. As a group, select two of the research questions to focus on. Talk about how the
research findings about continuity and change connect to your findings. In other words, what
is the connection between technology and social organization? Or what is the connection
between world religions and cultural diffusion? Make two clear connections and summarize
them below.
24. At this point in the lesson, students have now studied one question in depth across three eras
and identified global patterns connected to their question topic, and they have learned about
two other patterns from other groups. They should have a completed set of notes now
summarizing three broad patterns.
The final step in this project is the creation of a large, illustrated timeline that summarizes
major shifts in human societies and life across the four eras that students have studied over
the course. These timelines can be tackled in two ways: similar timelines created by each
group, or a whole-class timeline to which each group contributes. Timeline formats also have
two options: digital, using timeline apps, poster making software or websites; or hard copies
done on butcher paper or chart paper. For a whole class timeline on hard copies, you will
need to cover a large stretch of wall with butcher paper, and then have students help you
create the actual timeline. Students can then produce smaller posters for each era, as
described below, that can be placed on the larger timeline. If you choose to go with group
timelines, just follow the steps below.
To introduce this process, show the students Slide 18. Explain to them that they are going to
work on an illustrated timeline to tell the story of world history in a summarized or abbreviated
way that focuses on big picture ideas and large patterns of continuity and change. Have them
review Slide 18 and remind them that this is just one way to tell the story of human history.
Take students through Slides 19 and 20 and have them Turn and Talk and Stop and Jot as
directed on the slides. These slides will help get them thinking about how to tell a story
through images.
25. Advance to Slide 21 and explain to the students that they are going to create a timeline
similar to the blank models on the slide, but that theirs will include lots of information as well
as illustrations. Their goal is to tell the story of human history by explaining and illustrating at
least two broad patterns of continuity and change based upon their own research and what
they learned in the café conversations. Proceed to Slide 22 and review the requirements on
the slide with the students. Each illustrated timeline must contain these elements:
• Four eras in order, clearly labeled with dates
• A unique name for each era and named (they make up your own name for the era
based on the big patterns they noticed)
• A short summary of what made each era unique (1-4 sentences).
• Description of at least two examples of major patterns of continuity and change per
era. These patterns are what they researched and learned about in the café
conversations (e.g. how did belief systems change and stay the same; how did
government change and stay the same; etc.).
• For each pattern / research area:
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– 2-3 illustrations per era that connect to these patterns.
– A short caption for each illustration.
26. Display Slide 23 and explain that this is one possible way they could structure their timeline.
If you are creating a whole class timeline, students can create separate sheets or posters for
each era and then place them on the class timeline. Encourage students to be creative.
They should not be tied to this structure as long as they include all elements. At the same
time, if your students need extra support, you might choose to require everyone to use this as
a template.
27. To give students a more concrete model, proceed to Slide 24 (if possible, you might want to
print out and laminate a few color copies of this on 11x17 and share with students that way).
This provides a more complete model similar to what they might produce, although it only
focuses on one pattern (communication). Ask students to read and study this poster and
think about how they might produce something similar for their question and one more topic
area. Again, encourage students not just to copy this format or design, but to look at it for the
story it tells.
28. Pass out “Student Handout #8 – Illustrated Timeline Planning Sheet,” located in the
Supplemental Materials (Unit 7, Lesson 4). Explain to the students that they need to work
with their groups to plan their timeline before they actually work on it. The handout asks them
to identify the two research areas (out of the five covered in the first part of their lesson), but
you might choose to assign these to different groups to make sure that all research areas get
covered. If students need a reminder of what these areas are, direct them to look at their
notes and also show them Slide 25, which has the research questions on it.
Carefully walk students through the instructions on the handout to make sure they understand
what is expected of them, and give them time to review their notes and begin planning. Move
around and check in with each group to make sure they are on track.
Each group should identify the topics they are going to address; develop a title for each era
(these can be creative, see Slide 24 for an example); write a big picture summary statement
for each topic for each era, and decide how they are going to illustrate the patterns for the era.
You can choose to allow them to create and/or find illustrations, but be clear about your
expectations.
Direct students to the checklist towards the end of the handout, and tell them to use this both
before they begin the actual production and afterwards to make sure they have met all
requirements. Monitor the planning of each group.
Checklist:
 Four eras in order, clearly labeled with dates ______
 A unique name for each era and named (you make up your own name for the
era based on the big patterns you noticed) ______
 At least two examples of major patterns per era. _____
 2-3 illustrations per era that connect to these patterns. _____
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
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Lesson 4
A short caption for each illustration. _____
A 1-3 sentence summary of what made each era unique. _____
29. When groups are ready to move on, they can begin to actually develop their illustrated
timelines. You will need either poster boards, chart paper, butcher paper, or technology for
them to carry this out. Redirect students to the checklist as needed to keep them on track.
The checklist can also form the basis for a rubric with 3-4 levels of proficiency or quality for
each of the requirements.
30. Once students have completed their posters, they should view each other’s’ work and provide
feedback. Depending upon how your organize this activity the process will look a little
differently. If you have created a whole-class timeline, students can view the complete
product and do a QuickWrite on similarities and differences between the work of different
groups. You might also have students use the See Think Wonder thinking routine from
Visible Thinking (use the hyperlink above or see the link below).
If you carried this out completely in small groups, have students engage in a Gallery Walk in
which students view the work of at least two other groups and then process what they see
using the See Think Wonder routine or the QuickWrite suggestion above.
31. To complete the lesson, once the students have examined the timeline posters, show them
Slide 26 and explain to them that their assignment is to write the history of humanity, Eras 14, on an index card. They can use as much space as they want on one side of the card, but
no more!
Before students begin their summaries, have them Turn and Talk in small groups to
brainstorm ideas about the big patterns that summarize world history. Go back through any
slides that might be helpful as well before having students write their summaries.
There are multiple ways to vary this activity, so don’t feel limited! You might have different
people or groups summarize one era on an index card, and then put index cards together to
create longer summaries. You could engage in shared writing where one student starts a
section and the other finishes it. The goal is to force students to write concisely and to really
focus on the big picture of changes human history.
Reference Section
6 and 7
H1.1.1:
6 and 7
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Lesson 4
H1.2.1:
6 and 7
H1.2.2:
happened, what events led to the development, and what consequences or
outcomes followed.
6 and 7
H1.2.4:
proof.
6 and 7
H1.4.1:
6 and 7
H1.4.2:
7 – W1.1.1: Explain how and when human communities populated major regions of the Eastern
Hemisphere (Africa, Australia, Europe, Asia) and adapted to a variety of
environments.
7 – W1.1.2: Explain what archaeologists have learned about Paleolithic and Neolithic patterns
of living in Africa, Western Europe, and Asia.
6 – W1.2.1: Describe the transition from hunter gatherers to sedentary agriculture
(domestication of plants and animals).
6 – W1.2.3: Explain the impact of the Agricultural Revolution (stable food supply, surplus,
population growth, trade, division of labor, development of settlements).
7 – W1.2.2: Explain the impact of the Agricultural Revolution (stable food supply, surplus,
population growth, trade, division of labor, development of settlements).
7 – W2.1.1: Describe the importance of the development of human language, oral and written,
and its relationship to the development of culture
• verbal vocalizations
• standardization of physical (rock, bird) and abstract (love, fear) words
• pictographs to abstract writing (governmental administration, laws, codes, history
and artistic expressions)
6 – W2.1.2: Describe how the invention of agriculture led to the emergence of agrarian
civilizations (seasonal harvests, specialized crops, cultivation, and development of
villages and towns).
2
This lesson emphasizes the understanding of how historians use primary and secondary sources to explore the
past by having students demonstrate their understanding rather than merely explain what a historian would do.
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stable food supply, economic and social structures, use of resources and
technology, division of labor and forms of communication).
6 – W2.1.4: Use evidence to identify defining characteristics of early civilizations and early
pastoral nomads (government, language, religion, social structure, technology, and
division of labor).
7 – W2.1.4: Define the concept of cultural diffusion and how it resulted in the spread of ideas
and technology from one region to another (e.g., plants, crops, plow, wheel, bronze
metallurgy).
styles, systems of thought that influenced neighboring peoples and have endured
for several centuries).
6 – W3.1.5: Construct a timeline of main events on the origin and development of early and
classic ancient civilizations of the Western Hemisphere (Olmec, Mayan, Aztec, and
Incan).
7 – W3.1.5: Describe major achievements from Indian, Chinese, Mediterranean, African, and
Southwest and Central Asian civilizations in the areas of art, architecture and
culture; science, technology and mathematics; political life and ideas; philosophy
and ethical beliefs; and military strategy.
7 – W3.1.8: Describe the role of state authority, military power, taxation systems, and
institutions of coerced labor, including slavery, in building and maintaining empires
(e.g., Han Empire, Mauryan Empire, Egypt, Greek city-states and the Roman
Empire).
7 – W3.2.3: Identify and describe the ways that religions unified people’s perceptions of the
world and contributed to cultural integration of large regions of Afro-Eurasia.
6 and 7
G4.1.1:
3
The expectations for 6th and 7th grade refer to particular locations and particular ideas and goods which are affected
by cultural diffusion. These lists unnecessarily limit the students’ understanding of the concept of cultural diffusion
and have thus been removed. Sixth grade is limited to cultural diffusion “within the Americas (e.g., baseball, soccer,
music, architecture, television, languages, health care, Internet, consumer brands, currency, restaurants,
international migration)” while seventh grade limits culture diffusion to “within the Eastern Hemisphere (e.g., the
spread of sports, music, architecture, television, Internet, Bantu languages in Africa, Islam in Western Europe).” In
both instances, the idea of globalization is lost. We have modified the expectation to reflect a global perspective in a
world historical context.
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RH.6-8.1:
Cite textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as
inferences drawn from the text.
RH.6-8.2:
Determine a central idea of a text and how it is conveyed through particular details;
provide a summary of the text distinct from personal opinions or judgments.
RH.6-8.3:
RH.6-8.4:
figurative, connotative, and technical meanings.
RH.6-8.7:
Integrate information presented in different media or formats (e.g., visually,
quantitatively) as well as in words to develop a coherent understanding of a topic or
issue.
RH.6-8.10:
By the end of the year, read and comprehend literary nonfiction in the grades 6–8
text complexity band proficiently, with scaffolding as needed at the high end of the
range.
WHST.6-8.4: Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and
style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
WHST.6-8.7: Conduct short research projects to answer a question, drawing on several sources
and refocusing the inquiry when appropriate.
WHST.6-8.8: Gather relevant information from multiple print and digital sources; assess the
credibility of each source; and quote or paraphrase the data and conclusions of
others while avoiding plagiarism and providing basic bibliographic information for
sources.
SL4.6-8.1:
4
Initiate and participate effectively in a range of collaborative discussions (one-onone, in groups, and teacher-led) with diverse partners on grades 9–10 topics, texts,
and issues, building on others’ ideas and expressing their own clearly and
persuasively.
a. Come to discussions prepared, having read and researched material under
study; explicitly draw on that preparation by referring to evidence from texts and
other research on the topic or issue to stimulate a thoughtful, well-reasoned
exchange of ideas.
b. Work with peers to set rules for collegial discussions and decision-making (e.g.,
informal consensus, taking votes on key issues, presentation of alternate
views), clear goals and deadlines, and individual roles as needed.
SL refers to the Speaking and Listening standards in the Common Core State Standards.
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c. Propel conversations by posing and responding to questions that relate the
current discussion to broader themes or larger ideas; actively incorporate
others into the discussion; and clarify, verify, or challenge ideas and
conclusions.
d. Respond thoughtfully to diverse perspectives, summarize points of agreement
and disagreement, and, when warranted, qualify or justify their own views and
understanding and make new connections in light of the evidence and
reasoning presented.
SL.6-8.2:
Integrate multiple sources of information presented in diverse media or formats
(e.g., visually, quantitatively, orally) evaluating the credibility and accuracy of each
source.
SL.6-8.3:
Evaluate a speaker’s point of view, reasoning, and use of evidence and rhetoric,
identifying any fallacious reasoning or exaggerated or distorted evidence.
SL.6-8.4:
Present information, findings, and supporting evidence clearly, concisely, and
logically such that listeners can follow the line of reasoning and the organization,
development, substance, and style are appropriate to purpose, audience, and task.
SL.6-8.5:
Make strategic use of digital media (e.g., textual, graphical, audio, visual, and
interactive elements) in presentations to enhance understanding of findings,
reasoning, and evidence and to add interest.
Student Resource
The Agricultural Revolution. Kids Past.com. 10 June 2015 <http://www.kidspast.com/worldhistory/0022-agricultural-revolution.php>.
“Ancient African Kingdom of Mali.” Mr. Donn’s Site for Kids and Teachers. 10 June 2015
<http://africa.mrdonn.org/mali.html>.
“Ancient African Kingdom of Songhay.” Mr. Donn’s Site for Kids and Teachers. 10 June 2015
<http://africa.mrdonn.org/songhay.html>.
Ancient Egypt Facts. KidsKonnect. 2015. 10 June 2015 <https://kidskonnect.com/history/ancientegypt/>.
Ancient Egypt. Mr. Donn’s Site for Kids and Teachers. 10 June 2015
<http://egypt.mrdonn.org/index.html>.
“The ancient Olmec Civilization.” Aztec-History.com. 10 June 2015 <http://www.aztechistory.com/olmec-civilization.html>.
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Lesson 4
The Assyrian Empire. Kids Past.com. 10 June 2015 <http://www.kidspast.com/worldhistory/0055-assyrian-empire.php>.
The Bantu Peoples. Kids Past.com. 10 June 2015 <http://www.kidspast.com/world-history/0098bantu-peoples.php>.
Carr, Karen E., “Ancient Egypt.” History for Kids. 2015. 10 June 2015
<http://www.historyforkids.org/learn/egypt/>.
- - - . “Ancient Greece for Kids.” History for Kids. 10 June 2015
<http://www.historyforkids.org/learn/greeks/>.
- - - . “Ancient Rome for Kids.” Kidipede. 10 June 2015
<http://www.historyforkids.org/learn/romans/>.
- - - . “Assyrians.” History for Kids. 2015. 10 June 2015
<http://www.historyforkids.org/learn/westasia/history/assyrians.htm>.
- - -. “Carolingians.” Kidipede. 10 June 2015
<http://www.historyforkids.org/learn/medieval/history/highmiddle/carolingians.htm>.
- - - . “Early Bronze Age Greece.” Kidipede. 10 June 2015
<http://www.historyforkids.org/learn/greeks/history/earlybronze.htm>.
- - - . “Early Dynastic Mesopotamia.” History for Kids. 2015. 10 June 2015
<http://www.historyforkids.org/learn/westasia/history/earlydynastic.htm>.
- - - . “Government.” Kidipede. 10 June 2015 <http://www.historyforkids.org/learn/government/>.
- - - . “Guptan Empire.” Kidipede. 10 June 2015
<http://www.historyforkids.org/learn/india/history/gupta.htm>.
- - - . “Han Dynasty China.” Kidipede. 10 June 2015
<http://www.historyforkids.org/learn/china/history/han.htm>.
- - - . “Justinian.” Kidipede. 10 June 2015
<http://www.historyforkids.org/learn/medieval/history/byzantine/justinian.htm>.
- - - . "The Maya." Kidipede. March 10, 2015. Web. 10 June 2015
<http://www.historyforkids.org/learn/southamerica/before1500/history/maya.htm>.
- - - . “Medieval Islamic History.” Kidipede. 10 June 2015
<http://www.historyforkids.org/learn/islam/history/history.htm>.
- - - . “Omecs.” Kidipede. 10 June 2015
<http://www.historyforkids.org/learn/southamerica/before1500/history/olmec.htm>.
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Lesson 4
- - - . “Persians. Persion Empire for Kids.” Kidipede. 10 June 2015
<http://www.historyforkids.org/learn/westasia/history/persians.htm>.
- - - . “Religious History for Kids.” Kidipede. 10 June 2015
<http://www.historyforkids.org/learn/religion/>.
- - - . “The Silk Road.” Kidipede. 10 June 2015
<http://www.historyforkids.org/learn/centralasia/economy/>.
- - - . “Vikings.” Kidipede. 10 June 2015
<http://www.historyforkids.org/learn/medieval/history/earlymiddle/vikings.htm>.
- - - . “West Africa for Kids.” Kidipede. 10 June 2015
<http://www.historyforkids.org/learn/africa/history/bantu.htm>.
Explore Ancient Mesopotamia. Mr. Donn’s Site for Kids & Teachers. 10 June 2015
<http://mesopotamia.mrdonn.org/>.
The Golden Age of the Guptas. Mocomi.com. 10 June 2015 <http://mocomi.com/gupta-empire/>.
“Han Times.” Ancient China for Kids. Mr. Donn’s Site for Kids and Teachers. 10 June 2015
<http://china.mrdonn.org/han.html>.
Hays, Jeffrey. “Catalhoyuk, Wolds Oldest Town.” Facts and Details. 2013. 10 June 2015
<http://factsanddetails.com/world/cat56/sub362/item1504.html>.
The Indus Valley Civilization. Kids Past.com. 10 June 2015 <http://www.kidspast.com/worldhistory/0039-indus-valley-civilization.php>.
Indus Valley Civilization for Kids, 3000 – 1500 BCE. Mr. Donn’s Site for Kids and Teachers. 10
June 2015 <http://india.mrdonn.org/indus.html>.
Indus Valley Civilization. Mocomi.com. 10 June 2015 <http://mocomi.com/indus-valleycivilization/>.
Iron Age. Academic Kids Encyclopedia. 10 June 2015
<http://www.academickids.com/encyclopedia/index.php/Iron_Age>.
Islam. Kids Past.com. 10 June 2015 <http://www.kidspast.com/world-history/0171-islam.php>.
“The Kingdom of Songhai.” Kids Past.com. 10 June 2015 <http://www.kidspast.com/worldhistory/0101-kingdom-songhai.php>.
Mysteries of Catalhoyuk! Science Museum of Minnesota. 2003. 10 June 2015
<http://www.smm.org/catal/top.php?visited=TRUE>.
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Nelson, Ken. “Ancient Africa – Empire of Ancient Mali.” Ducksters. 10 June 2015
<http://www.ducksters.com/history/africa/empire_of_ancient_mali.php>.
- - -. “Ancient Mesopotamia – Science, Inventions, and Technology.” Ducksters. 10 June 2015
<http://www.ducksters.com/history/mesopotamia/science_and_technology.php>.
- - -. “Aztecs, Maya, and Inca Overview.” Ducksters. 10 June 2015
- - -. "Ancient Greece: The City of Athens." Ducksters. Technological Solutions, Inc. 10 June
2015 <http://www.ducksters.com/history/ancient_greek_athens.php>.
- - -. “History for Kids: Ancient Mesopotamia.” Ducksters. Technological Solutions, Inc. June 2015.
10 June 2015
<http://www.ducksters.com/history/mesopotamia/ancient_mesopotamia.php>.
- - -. "History for Kids: Aztecs, Maya, and Inca ." Ducksters. Technological Solutions, Inc. (TSI),
June 2015. Web. 10 June 2015<http://www.ducksters.com/history/aztec_maya_inca.php>.
- - -. "History: Ancient Rome for Kids." Ducksters. Technological Solutions, Inc. (TSI), June 2015.
Web. 10 June 2015 <http://www.ducksters.com/history/ancient_rome.php>.
- - -. “Middle Ages for Kids: Byzantine Empire.” Ducksters. 10 June 2015
<http://www.ducksters.com/history/middle_ages_byzantine_empire.php>.
- - -. “Middle Ages – The Franks.” Ducksters.com. 10 June 2015
<http://www.ducksters.com/history/middle_ages/the_franks.php>.
Neolithic Revolution. Academic Kids Encyclopedia. 10 June 2015
<http://academickids.com/encyclopedia/index.php/Neolithic_Revolution>.
The Persian Empire. Kids Past.com. 10 June 2015 <http://www.kidspast.com/world-history/0057persian-empire.php>.
The Silk Road. Kids Past.com. 10 June 2015 <http://www.kidspast.com/world-history/0135-thesilk-road.php>.
“Yellow River & Yangtze River.” Ancient China For Kids. Mr. Donn’s Site for Kids and Teachers.
10 June 2015 <http://china.mrdonn.org/rivers.html>.
Page 17 of 18
June 10, 2015
SS070704
Lesson 4
Yellow River Valley Civilization. The River Valley Civilization Guide. 10 June 2015
<http://rivervalleycivilizations.com/yellow.php>.
Teacher Resource
Peer Evaluation of Group Work Rubric. St. Norbert College Ocean Voyagers Program. 10 June
2015 <http://cosee-centralgom.org/seascholars/lesson_plans/lesson2web/intro/peerrubric1.html>.
Per Work Group Evaluation Forms. Now with Bill Moyers. PBS. 10 June 2015 <http://wwwtc.pbs.org/now/classroom/peer2.pdf>.
See Think Wonder Routine. Visible Thinking. Harvard Project Zero. 10 June 2015
<http://www.visiblethinkingpz.org/VisibleThinking_html_files/03_ThinkingRoutines/03c_Cor
e_routines/SeeThinkWonder/SeeThinkWonder_Routine.html>.
Page 18 of 18
June 10, 2015
SS070704
Lesson 4
Graphic Organizer
Page 1 of 20
June 12, 2015
SS070704
Lesson 4
 The historical frame of “continuity and change” helps us think about human
history across the eras by looking at what has stayed the same and what has
changed.
 There have been many important turning points in human history that signaled
the beginnings of new eras. Basic human needs have remained the same
across our history, but the ways humans have met these challenges has
changed greatly.
 Since the Neolithic Revolution, human societies have become increasingly
more complex, with more people living in concentrated areas. As this has
happened, new problems have developed, and in response, so have new and
innovative solutions to these problems.
 Collective learning has been a key factor of human development across our
history, and the speed and reach of collective learning has been steadily
increasing since the Neolithic Revolution, and continues today.
Word Card
37
continuity
and change
over time
analyzing the past to see what stayed
the same and what changed over a
period of time
Example: The study of history
demonstrates continuity and change over
time.
(SS070704)
Page 2 of 20
June 12, 2015
SS070704
Lesson 4
Student Handout #1 - Research Guide
Use Student Handout #2 – Group Research Notes to take notes as you research your questions. First, read the notes
provided for Era 1. These notes show you the type of information you should gather. You will need more than one page
to take notes, so start out using this handout, and just create additional pages with the same kind of note taking table as
you need them.
But how will you find information? Use the list of possible case studies below to help guide your reading and research.
Focus on the suggested topics for your question area across the eras and look for information to summarize that helps
you answer your research question.
Possible case studies
(there are more!)
Era 2 (4,000 BCE to 1,000 BCE)
•
Catalhoyuk
•
Jericho
•
Chilca
Technologies

Belief Systems
Interactions
Societies:
(helpful for both
government/power
and social
organization research)
Era 3 (1,000 BCE to 500 CE)
Era 4 (500 CE to 1450 CE)
•
•
•
Roman Empire
Han
Gupta
Neolithic Revolution
•
•
•
•
Bronze Age
Iron Age
Development of writing systems
Changes in architecture, transportation, tools, and weapons

Animism
•
•
•
Judaism
Buddhism
Christianity
•
Islam

Farming villages trading
with pastoral nomads
•
•
Silk Roads
Maritime trade (on oceans
and seas)
•
Salt and gold trade from West
Africa
Viking trade
•
•
•
•
•
•
Caliphates
Byzantine Empire
Carolingian Empire
Mali Empire
Aztec and Inca
Page 3 of 20
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SS070704
Lesson 4
Student Handout #2 – Group Research Notes
Era
Group 1:
1
Beginnings to 4,000
BCE
Belief Systems
In this era, what were
important patterns
related to belief
systems? How did
people understand
and explain their
world, and how did
they create and
spread shared
systems of beliefs?
2
4,000 BCE to
1,000 BCE
3
1,000 BCE to
500 CE
4
500 CE to
1450 CE
Big picture of change
over time.. What
changed, what stayed
the same, and why do
you think this
happened?
-animistic belief
systems… tied to
nature and the
environment
-local belief systems
that helped explain
the natural world
-most of this era was
before writing, so not
a lot of records
-spiritual leaders
important in
communities, seen as
having strong
connection to spirits,
ancestors, and/or
natural world
Page 4 of 20
June 12, 2015
Era
Group 2:
1
Beginnings to 4,000
BCE
2
4,000 BCE to
1,000 BCE
3
1,000 BCE to
500 CE
4
500 CE to
1450 CE
SS070704
Lesson 4
over time
Settlement and
Social Organization
In this era, where and
how did most people
live together? What
were the most
common settlement
patterns and social
hierarchies or
systems?
-people lived in small,
hunting and gathering
communities in
places with access to
food and water
-communities based
on kinship, or family
connections
-people moved as
small groups to look
for food, follow game
animals, etc.
-many groups moved
to different places
according to the
seasons
-people lived in
different kinds of
homes, using their
environment for
materials… from
caves to mammoth
bone huts
Page 5 of 20
June 12, 2015
Era
Group 3:
1
Beginnings to 4,000
BCE
2
4,000 BCE to
1,000 BCE
3
1,000 BCE to
500 CE
4
500 CE to
1450 CE
SS070704
Lesson 4
over time
Technology and
Tools
In this era, what tools
and technologies did
people use for
important purposes?
How did the
technologies they
had shape their lives?
-fire was one of the
earliest technologies,
and was important
for warmth, living in
colder places, cooking
food, and for making
different tools, also
for clearing land
-early tools were
made from wood,
stone, and bone
-tools helped people
hunt, gather food,
prepare food, build
shelters, and make
clothing
-people depended on
their environment for
resources to make
tools, so tools varied
across regions
-people taught each
other to make tools,
and improved them
over time
Page 6 of 20
June 12, 2015
Era
Group 4:
1
Beginnings to 4,000
BCE
Student Handout #2 – Group Research
3
4
Notes
2
4,000 BCE to
1,000 BCE
1,000 BCE to
500 CE
500 CE to
1450 CE
SS070704
Lesson 4
over time
Power and
Government
In this era, how were
decisions made for
communities and
societies? Who was
in charge and how
was power and
authority used?
What problems were
there in maintaining
power?
-family elders were
leaders and made
decisions for
community
-successful hunters,
and later warriors,
were also respected
as leaders, and so
were spiritual leaders
-in early human
history, they didn’t
think a lot about
private property, but
about community
resources
-people using too
many resources
might have caused
problems
-people were focused
on surviving, but they
probably had a lot of
free time too
Page 7 of 20
June 12, 2015
Era
Group 5:
1
Beginnings to 4,000
BCE
2
4,000 BCE to
1,000 BCE
3
1,000 BCE to
500 CE
4
500 CE to
1450 CE
SS070704
Lesson 4
over time
Interaction and
Cultural Diffusion
-as people moved in
tribes or clans, they
met and traded
In this era, how did
communities and
societies interact
with each other?
What was exchanged,
how was it
exchanged, and what
impact did these
exchanges have?
-archaeological
evidence suggests
that people taught
each other to make
tools
-people probably
found partners/mates
outside of their family
network, and
connected for this
reason
-people probably
started trading for
materials they
couldn’t easily find in
this era
-because there
weren’t large groups
of people living
together in one place,
there was less
interaction than in
later eras
Page 8 of 20
June 12, 2015
SS070704
Lesson 4
Handout #3 – Websites for Student Research
Topic / Case Study
Website(s) for Student Research
http://www.kidspast.com/world-history/0022-agricultural-revolution.php
Catalhoyuk
http://academickids.com/encyclopedia/index.php/Neolithic_Revolution
http://www.smm.org/catal/top.php?visited=TRUE
Mesopotamia
http://factsanddetails.com/world/cat56/sub362/item1504.html
http://mesopotamia.mrdonn.org/
http://www.ducksters.com/history/mesopotamia/ancient_mesopotamia.php
Egypt
http://www.historyforkids.org/learn/westasia/history/earlydynastic.htm
http://www.historyforkids.org/learn/egypt/
https://kidskonnect.com/history/ancient-egypt/
Indus
http://egypt.mrdonn.org/index.html
http://mocomi.com/indus-valley-civilization/
http://www.kidspast.com/world-history/0039-indus-valley-civilization.php
Yellow River
http://india.mrdonn.org/indus.html
http://rivervalleycivilizations.com/yellow.php
Assyria
http://china.mrdonn.org/rivers.html
http://www.kidspast.com/world-history/0055-assyrian-empire.php
Greece
http://www.historyforkids.org/learn/westasia/history/assyrians.htm
http://www.historyforkids.org/learn/greeks/
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/primaryhistory/ancient_greeks/
Persia
http://www.ducksters.com/history/ancient_greek_athens.php
http://www.historyforkids.org/learn/westasia/history/persians.htm
Olmec
http://www.kidspast.com/world-history/0057-persian-empire.php
http://www.historyforkids.org/learn/southamerica/before1500/history/olmec.htm
Maya
http://www.aztec-history.com/olmec-civilization.html
http://www.historyforkids.org/learn/southamerica/before1500/history/maya.htm
Rome
http://www.historyforkids.org/learn/romans/
http://www.ducksters.com/history/ancient_rome.php
Page 9 of 20
May 30, 2015
SS070704
Lesson 4
Gupta
http://www.historyforkids.org/learn/india/history/gupta.htm
Han
http://mocomi.com/gupta-empire/
http://www.historyforkids.org/learn/china/history/han.htm
Silk Roads
http://china.mrdonn.org/han.html
http://www.kidspast.com/world-history/0135-the-silk-road.php
Byzantine Empire
http://www.historyforkids.org/learn/centralasia/economy/
http://www.ducksters.com/history/middle_ages_byzantine_empire.php
Vikings
http://www.historyforkids.org/learn/medieval/history/byzantine/justinian.htm
http://www.historyforkids.org/learn/medieval/history/earlymiddle/vikings.htm
Islam and Islamic Kingdoms
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/primaryhistory/vikings/
http://www.historyforkids.org/learn/islam/history/history.htm
Carolingian Empire
http://www.kidspast.com/world-history/0171-islam.php
http://www.historyforkids.org/learn/medieval/history/highmiddle/carolingians.htm
Bantu Migrations
http://www.ducksters.com/history/middle_ages/the_franks.php
http://www.kidspast.com/world-history/0098-bantu-peoples.php
Mali
http://www.historyforkids.org/learn/africa/history/bantu.htm
http://africa.mrdonn.org/mali.html
Songhai
http://www.ducksters.com/history/africa/empire_of_ancient_mali.php
http://africa.mrdonn.org/songhay.html
Aztec
http://www.kidspast.com/world-history/0101-kingdom-songhai.php
Inca
History of World Religions
http://www.historyforkids.org/learn/religion/
History of Government
http://www.historyforkids.org/learn/government/
History of Technology
http://www.ducksters.com/history/mesopotamia/science_and_technology.php
http://www.historyforkids.org/learn/greeks/history/earlybronze.htm
http://www.academickids.com/encyclopedia/index.php/Iron_Age
Page 10 of 20
May 30, 2015
SS070704
Lesson 4
HANDOUT #4 - LIST FOR STUDENT RESEARCH PACKETS
Relevant Supplemental
Resources for Group
Research
Consider making a
packet of these for
each era and providing
each group with the
three era packets.
Era 2
Era 3
Era 4
Unit 2, Lesson 7:
 Handout readings and drawings
for Catalhoyuk
Unit 4, Lesson2:
 Empire Expert Group Handouts
(select two empires, students
don’t need all of them)
Unit 6, Lesson 1:
 Student Handout 1 – Guided
Reading on the Byzantine Empire
Unit 2 Lesson 8:
 Student Handout – Jigsaw on
Archaeological Sites
 Student Handout – Investigating
Archaeological Sites
Unit 3, Lesson 2:
 Handout 1: Characteristics of a
Civilization
 Handout 2: Early Cities
Unit 3, Lesson 3:
 Graphic Organizer
 Student Handout 1: Mesopotamia
and Egypt
Unit 3, Lesson 5:
 Student Handout 2 – AnimalHerding Societies
 Student Handout 3 – Large
Mammals and Nomadic
Pastoralists
 Student Handout 5: Pastoral
Nomads: Adaptations and
Unit 4 Lesson 3:
 Student Handout 1 – Introduction
to Athens and Athenian
Democracy
 Student Handout 2 Introduction to
Ancient Rome… Republic to
Empire
 Student Handout 4 The Fall of the
Roman Republic and the Rise of
the Empire
Unit 4, Lesson 4:
 Student Handout 1 – Social
Hierarchy and Slavery in the
Ancient World
Unit 4, Lesson 5:
 Student Handout 1: World
Religions in Expanding Networks
Unit 4, Lesson 7:
 Student Handout #2: Silk Roads
Unit 6, Lesson 2:
 Student Handout 1 – Overview of
the History of Islam in the Middle
East
Unit 6 Lesson 4:
 Student Handout #1 – Interaction
and Conflict in Era 4
Unit 6 Lesson 5:
 Student Handout #1 - The
Carolingian Empire and
Charlemagne
Unit 6 Lesson 6:
 Student Handout #3A – Overview
of the Vikings
Unit 6, Lesson 7:
 Student Handout 2: States and
Societies of on Sub-Saharan Africa
 Student Handout 3: The Kingdom
of Ghana
Page 11 of 20
June 12, 2015
Interactions
Unit 3, Lesson 8:
 Student Handout 3 – World Zone
Resources
SS070704
Lesson 4
 Student Handout #4 – The Iron
Age
Unit 4, Lesson 8:
 Student Handout #4: Era 3
Societies around the World

Unit 5, Lesson 1:
 Student Handout 2b and 2c – Han
Overview Article
Unit 7, Lesson 1:
 Student Handout 2:
Understanding the Mali Empire
through Six Accounts
Unit 7, Lesson 2:
Student Handout #2 – Civilization
and Empire in the Americas
Unit 5, Lesson 2:
 Technology and Engineering
Unit 5, Lesson 4:
 Student Handout 1 – Overview of
the Mayans
Unit 5, Lesson 5:
 Student Handout #2 Historical
Overview of the Gupta Empire and
Summarization Exercise
Page 12 of 20
June 12, 2015
SS070704
Lesson 4
Student Handout #5 – Group Work Roles and Responsibilities:
Each person in your group is responsible for contributing to the work of the group. On this sheet, summarize how you decided to divide up the
work so that each person is contributing.
Summary of how we are dividing up the work:
Write down the names, roles, and responsibilities of each group member:
1) Name: _________________________________________
Role and responsibility:
2)
Name: ________________________________________
3)
Name: ________________________________________
4) Name: ________________________________________
Page 13 of 20
June 12, 2015
SS070704
Lesson 4
Student Handout #6 – Graphic Organizer Model
Page 14 of 20
June 12, 2015
SS070704
Lesson 4
Student Handout #7 – Café Conversation Notes
Instructions: As you visit different groups, jot down at least one important big idea about their research findings in the correct space on the chart
below. Ask for further information or clarification if you need it! Each person needs to have their own chart filled out, and the teacher will spot
check to see if you understand the ideas you have written down!
Era:
Group Questions:
Belief Systems:
2 -Big Ideas and examples
4,000 BCE to1,000 BCE
1,000 BCE to500 CE -
500 CE to1450 CE
Change over time
Big Ideas
In this era, what were
important patterns related
to belief systems? How
did people understand and
explain their world, and
how did they create and
spread shared systems of
beliefs?
Settlement and Social
Organization:
In this era, where and how
did most people live
together? What were the
most common settlement
patterns and social
hierarchies or systems?
Page 15 of 20
June 12, 2015
Era
Group Questions:
Technology and Tools:
SS070704
Lesson 4
2 -Big Ideas and examples 3 -Big Ideas and examples 4 -Big Ideas and examples Big picture of change over
4,000 BCE to1,000 BCE
1,000 BCE to500 CE 500 CE to1450 CE
time
Big Ideas
In this era, what tools and
technologies did people use
for important purposes?
How did the technologies
they had shape their lives?
Power and Government:
In this era, how were
decisions made for
communities and societies?
Who was in charge and how
was power and authority
used? What problems were
there in maintaining power?
Page 16 of 20
June 12, 2015
Era
Group Questions:
Interaction and Cultural
Diffusion:
SS070704
Lesson 4
2 -Big Ideas and examples 3 -Big Ideas and examples 4 -Big Ideas and examples Big picture of change over
4,000 BCE to1,000 BCE
1,000 BCE to500 CE 500 CE to1450 CE
time
Big Ideas
In this era, how did
communities and societies
interact with each other?
What was exchanged, how
was it exchanged, and what
impact did these exchanges
have?
Reflection question: Go back to your work group. Compare your notes with your group members. As a group, select two of the research
questions to focus on. Talk about how the research findings about continuity and changes connect to your findings. In other words, what is the
connection between technology and social organization? Or what is the connection between world religions and cultural diffusion? Make two
clear connections and summarize them below:
Page 17 of 20
June 12, 2015
SS070704
Lesson 4
Student Handout #8 – Illustrated Timeline Planning Sheet
Now that you have studied one important category across three eras of world history, and now that you have taken notes on other
important questions from other groups, you are to create an illustrated timeline that summarizes world history. Your timeline will be
BIG PICTURE, meaning that the only dates you need to include are those for the historical eras. Use the worksheet below as a
planning checklist to help you plan your illustrated timeline before you begin it.
Questions / topics (for example,
belief systems, technology) we
will cover in our timeline. You can
use your own, but you have to
include at LEAST one more.
Era 1
Our summary statement… what was the major
pattern for this topic during this era, and what
examples can we see it in?
Illustrations and captions… how
will we illustrate and explain these
changes (don’t actually do the
illustration here, just plan it!)
a)
Our name for
the era:
b)
Era 2
a)
Our name for
the era:
b)
Page 18 of 20
June 12, 2015
Era 3
SS070704
Lesson 4
a)
Our name for
the era:
b)
Era 4
Our name for
the era:
a)
b)
Page 19 of 20
June 12, 2015
SS070704
Lesson 4
Illustrated Timeline Checklist:

Four eras in order, clearly labeled with dates ______

A unique name for each era and named (you make up your own name for the era based on the big patterns you
noticed) ______

At least two examples of major patterns per era. _____

2-3 illustrations per era that connect to these patterns. _____

A short caption for each illustration. _____

A 1-3 sentence summary of what made each era unique. _____
Group Roles (who did what?):
1)
2)
3)
4)
Page 20 of 20
June 12, 2015
Unit 7, Lesson 4
Continuity and Change in World
History – Final Project
1
Continuity and Change
• Turn and Talk:
– Across all of the history you have studied this year,
what things stayed the same for people across the
eras? (Continuity is when things pretty much stay the same.)
– What do you think the biggest changes for humans
were across Eras 1-4?
• Be ready to share your thinking with the class!
2
3
Our Process
1.
A quick review and reminder of what we have studied this year
2.
Introduction of our key questions for this lesson and project
3.
Small group work to research one of the questions across Eras 2, 3,
and 4
4.
Group work to develop a poster and a presentation about your
answer to your group’s question
5.
Sharing with, and learning from, other groups through café
conversations about their research questions and answers with note
taking on what other groups did.
6.
Group work to develop an illustrated timeline of world history that
summarizes what you learned
7.
On your own, write the history of the world as an exit pass!
(Well… a summary at least)
4
7th Grade World History: Units of Study
Unit 1
Unit 2
Unit 3
Introduction to World
History
Beginnings of Human Societies
Early Civilizations and the
Emergence of Pastoral Peoples
(Beginnings-4000 BCE)
ERA ONE
(4000 BCE-1000 BCE)
ERA TWO
Unit 4
Unit 5
Unit 6
The Rise of Classical
Empires and the Emergence
of World Religions
Interactions, the Fall of Empires
and Other Stories
Patterns of Consolidation and
Conflict
(1000 BCE-500 CE)
ERA THREE
(500 CE-1000 CE)
ERA FOUR
(1000 BCE-500 CE)
ERA THREE
Unit 7
Converging Patterns
(1000 CE-1450 CE)
ERA FOUR
5
Turn and Talk:
What changed?
What was the
Turning Point?
Turn and Talk:
What changed?
What was the
Turning Point?
6
Project Overview –
Continuity and Change over Time
Belief Systems:
For each era, what were important patterns related to belief systems? How did
people understand and explain their world, and how did they create and spread
shared systems of beliefs?
Settlement and Social Organization:
For each era, where and how did most people live together? What were the most
common settlement patterns and social hierarchies or systems?
For each era, what tools and technologies did people use for important purposes?
How did the technologies they had shape their lives?
For each era, how were decisions made for communities and societies? Who was
in charge and how was power and authority used? What problems were there in
maintaining power?
For each of these
questions, what
was the longer
term pattern of
change over
three eras?
In other words,
how did these
things change, or
not, between
4,000 BCE and
1400 CE… over
the course of
5,000 years?
Interaction and Cultural Diffusion:
For each era, how did communities and societies interact with each other? What
was exchanged, how was it exchanged, and what impact did these exchanges
have?
7
Possible case
studies (there
are more!)
Era 2
Era 3
Era 4
Societies:
•
•
•
•
•
•
Roman Empire
Han
Gupta
•
•
•
•
•
Technologies
•
•
Bronze Age
Iron Age
Belief Systems
Animism
•
•
•
Judaism
Buddhism
Christianity
•
Islam
Interactions
Villages and pastoral
nomads
•
Silk Roads
•
Salt and gold trade
from West Africa
Viking trade
Catalhoyuk
Jericho
Chilca
•
Caliphates
Byzantine Empire
Carolingian Empire
Mali Empire
Aztec and Inca
8
Era:
Group Questions:
Belief Systems:
2 - Big Ideas
4,000 BCE to1,000 BCE
3 - Big Ideas
1,000 BCE to500 CE -
4 - Big Ideas
500 CE to1450 CE
Change over time
Big Ideas
In this era, what were important patterns related to belief systems?
How did people understand and explain their world, and how did
they create and spread shared systems of beliefs?
Settlement and Social Organization:
In this era, where and how did most people live together? What
were the most common settlement patterns and social hierarchies or
systems?
In this era, what tools and technologies did people use for important
purposes? How did the technologies they had shape their lives?
In this era, how were decisions made for communities and societies?
Who was in charge and how was power and authority used? What
problems were there in maintaining power?
Interaction and Cultural Diffusion:
In this era, how did communities and societies interact with each
other? What was exchanged, how was it exchanged, and what
impact did these exchanges have?
9
Era 1 Review
• Look at the Era 1 notes on your handout.
• This is the type of information you should try to
gather for your research question.
• What was happening in Era 1 in your question
area (your assigned research questions)?
• What do you remember about how the topic of
your question changed after Era 1?
10
Research Instructions
• Review Students Handout #1 – Research Guide and
think about which possible case studies you might use.
• Review your assigned question.
• Use the resources your teacher provides to start your
research.
• For each era, find information connected to your
assigned questions.
• Focus on 2-3 case studies, if available.
• Use Student Handout #2 to jot down notes as you
work.
11
• Focus on big ideas and patterns.
• For religions, what were the main types of religions or
belief systems and why were they important?
• For social organization, what were some of the ways
people lived together and organized themselves?
Which ones seemed most important?
• Approach the other question areas in a similar way.
• Your notes don’t need to be super detailed, but should
capture important ideas.
12
13
Your graphic organizer should…
• Clearly identify and explain a pattern of continuity connected to your
research questions.
• Show development across Eras 2, 3, and 4 and use at least two examples
from each era as evidence for the continuity.
• Clearly identify and explain a pattern of change connected to your research
questions.
• Show development across Eras 2, 3, and 4 and use at least two examples
from each era as evidence for the changes.
• Graphically represent some sort of process or shift over time.
– Remember, your group is going to use as a visual aid to teach others about your research
findings!
14
Your Café Conversation presentation:
• The Question - Introduce and explain the question you
worked on.
• The Answers - Using your graphic organizer as a visual,
present your group’s “answers” to the question for each
era, also explain one example or piece of evidence from
each era.
• Present your summary statements about continuity and
change.
• Answer any questions or clarify any points of confusion.
15
As a learner / audience member:
• Ask questions about things you don’t
understand.
• Ask for more information as needed.
• Each learner should share one thing they
found interesting in the presentation and
generate at least one question!
16
Reflection question:
• Go back to your work group. Compare your notes
with your group members. As a group, select two of
the research questions to focus on. Talk about how
the research findings about continuity and change
connect to your findings.
• In other words, what is the connection between
technology and social organization? Or what is the
connection between world religions and cultural
diffusion?
• Make two clear connections and summarize them on
your handout.
17
One way to tell the story…
More people
and more
resources
Conquest and
trade
Need for more
people and
resources to
maintain army
and power
Need for
central control
and
government
Development
of armies,
government
systems, taxes,
etc.
18
The Abbreviated History of Humanity!!
Turn and Talk about Continuity and
Change:
Continuity is when things stay the same.
What do you think has stayed the same for
humans for thousands of years?
What do you think has changed?
Stop and Jot:
What story about change and
continuity do these pictures tell?
19
An Abbreviated History of Humanity in
pictures…
http://www.toonuniversity.com/
flash.asp?err=208
Try watching this video on the history
of money (if the link is still good).
Think about it:
Did people’s basic needs
change? Did the way they met
these needs change?
Turn and Talk:
What story about continuity and
change do these pictures tell?
20
Era 1
Era 3
Beginnings to 4,000 BCE
1,000 BCE to 500 CE
Era 1: Beginnings
to 4,000 BCE
Era 2
Era 4
4,000 BCE to 1,000 BCE
500 CE to 1450 CE
Era 2: 4,000 BCE
to 1,000 BCE
Era 3: 1,000 BCE
to 500 CE
Era 4: 500 CE to
1450 CE
21
Timeline Requirements:
• Four eras in order, clearly labeled with dates
• A unique name for each era and named (you make up your own name for the
era based on the big patterns you noticed)
• A short summary of what made each era unique (1-4 sentences).
• Describe at least two examples of major patterns of continuity and change
per era. These patterns are what you researched and learned about in the
café conversations (e.g. how did belief systems change and stay the same;
how did government change and stay the same; etc.).
• For each pattern / research area:
– 2-3 illustrations per era that connect to these patterns.
– A short caption for each illustration.
22
Era 1: Beginnings
to 4,000 BCE
Era 2: 4,000 BCE
to 1,000 BCE
Era 3: 1,000 BCE
to 500 CE
Era 4: 500 CE to
1450 CE
• Era Name:
• Era Name:
• Era Name:
• Era Name:
• Era Summary:
• Era Summary:
• Era Summary:
• Era Summary:
Pattern 1
illustration and
short
description
Pattern 2
illustration and
short
description
Pattern 1
illustration and
short
description
Pattern 2
illustration and
short
description
Pattern 1
illustration and
short
description
Pattern 2
illustration and
short
description
Pattern 1
illustration and
short
description
Pattern 2
illustration and
short
description
23
Era 1:
Voice Carry
Era 2:
Era 3:
Era 4:
Let’s get
symbolic!
A, B, C, D
Hot off the
press!
Write with me!
24
Research Areas:
• What types of belief systems were common, how did they spread,
and why were they important?
• What were important types of human settlements? Where and how
did people tend to live together?
• What types of tools did people use and how did new tools change
their lives?
• How were decisions made for different types of societies? Who had
power?
• How did people interact with people from other societies? What
kind of trade happened? Was there conflict?
25
Write an abbreviated history of humanity…. Tell
the story of humanity on an index card!
• But how do we summarize a long, complicated story?
• Skip the details
• Focus on the big ideas, major changes, and patterns
• How do you fit human
history up to 1450 on one
index card?
You think about the BIG pattern,
the summary of our story.
26
PROPERTY OF OAKLAND SCHOOLS
AUTHORS: DARIN STOCKDILL AND STACIE WOODWARD
EDITOR: AMY BLOOM
ACADEMIC REVIEW: IAN MOYER
27

Unit 7 - Social Studies Curriculum

Transcription

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