World Geography/History Pre-History to Ancient Greece THEME: Exploring World Geography and History

Grade 7

This list may be customized for individual lesson plans and records.  Alaska Content Standards (in history, geography, and government) should be recorded as they are addressed throughout the year.  For your convenience, each item in the Mastery and Developmental lists on the following pages is matched to the Content Standard (in history, geography, government) that it supports.   Items that meet the Alaska Cultural Standards are marked with an asterisk (* ).

CONTENT LIST	History	Geography	Government	Cultural
World Geography
Prehistory
Mesopotamia: social, religious, economic, political aspects
Egypt: social, religious, economic, political aspects
China: social, religious, economic, political aspects
India: social, religious, economic, political aspects
Ancient Americas, including Aztecs, Mayans, and Incas: social, religious, economic, political aspects
Ancient Greece, including philosophers and mythology: social religious, economic, political aspects

The seventh grade program explores how the interaction between people and their environment led to the development of major world civilizations, from Pre-History to Ancient Greece.  The course should give students a sense of the everyday lives of people, their problems, and accomplishments.  The study of each society should emphasize the contributions and belief systems that have endured to the present day. Students should use geography skills to understand problems that arise when people interact with their environments.  A significant portion of the course should include a study of unresolved problems of the modern world.  Problems should be examined to illustrate the relationships between current issues and their historic, geographic, political, and economic contexts. 

IN ORDER TO MEET THESE STANDARDS STUDENTS NEED TO

MASTERY

History • Know the eight (8) aspects of civilization: (B1, B2) • religion, • government, • writing, • cities, • architecture/art, • specialized labor, • public works, and • social classes. • Know various methods used in the archaeological field (e.g., radiocarbon dating, artifact identification). (A1, A2, A4, C2) • * Understand the social and cultural characteristics of hunter-gatherer communities, including Mesolithic and Neolithic life (e.g., tools, weapons, communication, housing, transportation, food). (B1 a, b, c, C2) • * Compare and contrast how groups, societies, and cultures address similar needs and concerns, such as religious beliefs, art, literature, and mythology. (A4, 5, 6, 8, B1 a, b, c, D6, C2, 3, D4) • Understand the environmental factors that influenced the rise of ancient civilizations (e.g., mountain and river civilizations). (B1 a, b, B2) • Understand the social, religious, economic, and political aspects of the Mesopotamian civilization, such as cuneiform, origins and basic beliefs of Judaism and Islam, walled cities, Ishtar Gate, artwork, Hammurabi’s code of laws, Sargon, Gilgamesh, Phoenician alphabet, and the barter system. (B1 a, b, c, e, B2, C3, C4, D4) • Understand the social, religious, economic, and political aspects of the Egyptian civilization, such as hieroglphyics, Hatshepsut, barter system, importance of river floods, art, mythology (Osiris, Isis, Set, Horus), pyramid building, relics, and Assyrians. (B1 a, b, c, e, B2, C3, C4, D4) • Understand the social, religious, economic, and political aspects of the Indian civilization, such as origin and basic beliefs of Hinduism and Buddism, caste system, Mohenjo-Daro, and Harappa. (B1 a, b, c, e, B2, C3, C4, D4) • Understand the social, religious, economic, and political aspects of the Chinese civilization, such as the origin and basic beliefs of Taoism, Confucianism, Legalism, and Moaism; Shang, Zhou, Chin, Han dynasties; importance of rivers; and the Silk Road. (B1 a, b, c, e, B2, C3, C4, D4) • Understand the social, religious, economic, and political aspects of the Ancient American civilizations, such as the scientific, mathematical, and medicinal achievements of the Incas, Aztecs and Mayans. (B1 a, b, c, e, B2, C3, C4, D4) • Understand the social, religious, and economic aspects of the ancient Greek civilization, such as Greek mythology; development and differences between city-states, architecture, and art; trade; Athens v. Sparta; origin of Olympic games; responsibilities of citizenship; Persian and Peloponnesian Wars; major philosophers; and the development of theatre. (B1 a ,b, c, e, B2, C3, C4, D4) • Understand the origin and beliefs of basic world religions. • Know how to construct and interpret multiple tier time lines. (A1) • Know how to calculate calendar time, including Before the Common Era (BCE) and Common Era (CE). (A1) • Understand and organize historical thought through a chronological framework. (A1, C2, C3) Geography • Make and use maps, graphs, and globes to gather, analyze, and report spatial (geographic) information.  (A1, A2, A4, A6, B) • Know the history and concepts associated with time, distance, and longitude and latitude coordinates.  (A6, B2) • Explain the purposes and distinguishing characteristics of different map projections.  (A3) • Understand the difference between cities/towns, countries/continents, seas/oceans.  (A1) • Identify the current location of countries of the world, the seven (7) continents, and the four (4) oceans.  (A1, A2) • * Know factors that contribute to changing regional characteristics.  (A5, E1, E2, E5, C3) • * Know the similarities and differences in various settlement patterns of the world.  (A5, B3) • * Understand factors that contribute to cooperation or conflict.  (A3, D5, D4) • * Know how the physical environment affects life in different regions.  (A5, E1, E2, E5, C3) • Know significant physical features that have influenced historic events.  (F1) • Know various geographical terms, such as bay, strait, channel, delta, valley, mouth, mesa, plateau, etc.  (A5, A6, B1) • Find locations on a map or globe using latitude and longitude coordinates.  (A1, A2, A4) Government • Demonstrate a basic understanding of the different types of government in ancient Greece, such as monarchies, oligarchies, dictatorships, and democracies.  (A3) • Examine the meaning of fundamental ideas, such as equality, authority, power, freedom, justice, property, and responsibility.  (A2) • * Analyze the rights, responsibilities, and roles of citizenship.  (E1, E2)

* Meets Cultural Standards

DEVELOPMENTAL

History • * Understand the role of art, literature, and mythology in Ancient civilizations. (A6, B1 c, C2) • Differentiate between historical interpretation and historical fiction. (A4, C1-4) • Recognize that human experience is recorded in different voices representing different perspectives. (C2) • Demonstrate understanding of history as a fundamental connection that unifies fields of human endeavors. (A8, A9) • Demonstrate critical thinking to solve problems, make decisions, evaluate actions, and understand traditions. (C2, C3) • Understand persisting issues involving the rights, roles, and status of individuals and groups in relation to the general welfare. (B1 e) • Know how conflict and cooperation shape social, economic, and political use of space. (B1 d) • Explore causes, consequences, and possible solutions to persisting contemporary and emerging global issues. (C3, D2-6) • Know conflicts that have arisen regarding fundamental values and principles, such as the caste system. (B1 a, c) Geography • Know the consequences of specific physical processes operating on Earth’s surface (e.g., plate tectonics, flooding, hurricanes). (C1, C2) • Know how maps help find patterns of movement in space and time. (D1) • Understand how physical places and human characteristics of places are connected. (B1-5) • * Know the ways in which human movement and migration influence the character of a place. (D, E1) • Understand the primary geographic, historic, and contemporary economic causes for world trade. (D1) • Understand how human changes in the physical environment in one place can cause changes in other places (e.g., dams, canals, irrigation systems, timber). (E2, E5, F1-5) • * Compare, contrast, and predict how places and regions change with time. (B1-4) Government • Understand persisting issues involving the rights, roles, and status of individuals and groups in relation to the general welfare. • Understand the basic structure of authoritarian systems and totalitarian systems. • Describe types of economic systems, past and present.  (F, G) • Analyze the forces and influences of economics, such as environmental issues, resources, transportation, communication, money, personal wants and needs, and natural disasters.  (F, G)

* Meets Cultural Standards

ENRICHMENT

History • Demonstrate understanding of the historical aspects of the positions and roles assumed by others. • * Understand that societies, communities, and environments experience continuity and change through time. Geography • * Understand the influences and effects of particular regional labels and images. • * Know the ways in which culture influenced the perceptions of places and regions. • Know changes that have occurred over time in ecosystems. • * Know the distinctive cultural landscapes associated with migrant populations. • Understand patterns of land use in urban, suburban, and rural areas. • * Discuss how conflict and cooperation shape social, economic, and political use of space. Government • Study, observe, and participate in government action. • Understand the possible consequences of the absence of a rule of law. • Develop thinking and decision making skills for different purposes and audiences through the use of multiple strategies, technology, community, and other resources to solve problems and complete projects. • Acquire and use personal and group interaction skills to develop interpersonal relationships and social participation. • Analyze the causes, consequences, and possible solutions to current state, national, and international issues. • Discuss international trade and organizations.

* Meets Cultural Standards

POSSIBLE ACTIVITIES

History • Create personal, thematic, and cause and effect timelines. • Prepare a presentation on a country at a particular point in history, integrating fine arts, literature, and architecture. • Read and analyze primary source materials. • Examine “turning points.” • Analyze the cause and effect of the rise and fall of empires. • Compare and contrast how various societies meet basic needs of food, shelter, and water; and chart results. • Discuss contemporary world problems from a historical perspective. • Develop a multimedia project to study a current issue. Geography • Choose a location for a settlement and defend your decision. • Use maps, charts, and graphic technology to determine latitude, longitude, and distance between locations. • Develop compare and contrast maps of early civilizations and empires. • Prepare a multimedia presentation proposing a solution to a world problem. • Use a topographical map to plan an invasion. • Create a map of an ancient empire which outlines the growth, sharing of ideas, and increase in trade. • Create a set of political maps that show how a place has changed over time. • Identify geographic themes in a news article. Government • Define monarchy, oligarchy, dynasty, and democracy. • Compare and contrast Athens and Sparta by looking at the role of the individual and types of government. • Develop class simulations and mock trials. • Write a description of the role and rights of the individual in past societies. • Compare and contrast ancient declarations/proclamations of rights to current documents of freedom. • Discuss current world problems. • Participate in real and mock elections. • Compare the Code of Hammurabi to classroom/school rules. • Compare and contrast foreign policy in resource-rich and resource-poor regions of the world. • Judge the accuracy, value, and relevance of information gathered from a variety of sources. • Diagram an economic system: • barter system, • spice trade, • raw material to product, and • gold for salt. • Analyze economic influences of the Nile: • transportation, • communication, • personal wants/needs, and • natural disasters. • Discuss related current economic problems.

ASSESSMENTS

• Essays • Hand-drawn maps • Interviews and conferences • Multimedia projects • Peer assessments • Personal histories • Personal maps and journals • Portfolios • Presentations • Problem solving • Projects • Reports • Rubric assessments • Self-assessments • Seminars • Shared inquiry • Teacher assessments • Tests and quizzes • Timelines • Written and other work samples