9th Grade UNIT THREE: CLASSICAL CIVILIZATIONS
The First Civilizations, ca. 10,000 B.C.E. – ca. 630 C.E.
9.3 CLASSICAL CIVILIZATIONS: EXPANSION, ACHIEVEMENT, DECLINE (11-13 days)
Stage 1: Desired OutcomesTopic / Unit Title: Classic Civilizations
* How do civilizations expand, achieve and fall?
9.3 CLASSICAL CIVILIZATIONS: EXPANSION, ACHIEVEMENT, DECLINE (11-13 days)
Classical civilizations in Eurasia and Mesoamerica employed a variety of methods to expand and maintain control over vast territories. They developed lasting cultural achievements. Both internal and external forces led to the eventual decline of these empires. (Standards: 2, 3, 5; Themes: MOV, TCC, GEO, GOV, CIV)
9.3a Geographic factors encouraged and hindered a state’s/empire’s expansion and interactions.
Students will examine the locations and relative sizes of classical political entities (Greece, Gupta, Han, Maurya, Maya, Qin, Rome) noting the location and size of each in relation to the amount of power each held within a region.
· Students will investigate how geographic factors encouraged or hindered expansion and interactions within the Greek, Roman, and Mayan civilizations.
9.3b Empires used belief systems, systems of law, forms of government, military forces, and social hierarchies to consolidate and expand power.
· Students will compare and contrast how the Mauryan, Qin, and Roman civilizations consolidated and increased power.
9.3c A period of peace, prosperity, and cultural achievements can be designated as a Golden Age.
· Students will examine the achievements of Greece, Gupta, Han Dynasty, Maya, and Rome to determine if the civilizations experienced a Golden Age.
9.3d Political, socioeconomic, and environmental issues, external conflicts, and nomadic invasions led to the decline and fall of Classical empires.
· Students will compare and contrast the forces that led to the fall of the Han Dynasty, the Mayan civilization, and the Roman Empire. / Common Core Skills
Ø Reading-Social Studies (RH)
1. Use relevant information and ideas from documents to support analysis
2. Determine the main idea of a document
Ø Writing (W)
1. Write an argument to support claims
Ø Speaking and Listening (SL)
1. Initiate and participate in collaborative discussion
Ø Language (L)
1. Demonstrate appropriate grammar usage in writing and speaking
(sentence complexity)
Understandings
Chinese Civilization: Shang, Zhou, Qin, Han
■ Human and physical geography
(Himalayas, Pacific, Mongolian Steppe, Great Wall)
■ Location and relative size
■ Dynastic cycles
■ Mandate of Heaven
■ Factors leading to growth
■ Golden Age
■ Contributions (engineering, tools, writing, silk, bronzes, government systems, paper)
■ Role of migrating nomadic and pastoralist groups from Central Asia
■ Expansion and interaction (external and internal)
■ The beginning of global trade
■ Causes of decline
Greek Civilization (ca. 800 –ca. 100 B.C.E.)
■ Human and physical geography (mountainous topography, Mediterranean Sea, irregular coastline)
■ Location and relative size (Athens/Sparta)
■ Golden Age
■ Rise of Christianity
■ Causes of decline
Roman Republic and Roman Empire (ca. 500 B.C.E. –476 C.E.)
■ Human and physical geography (Mediterranean Sea, Roman system of roads)
■ Location and relative size
■ Factors leading to growth: engineering, empire building, trade
■ Expansion and interaction (external and internal)
■ Golden Age
■ Contributions (law, architecture, infrastructure, literature)
■ Role of migrating nomadic groups from Central Asia
■ Pax Romana / Essential Questions:
Ø What innovations & changes occurred in classical civilizations?
Ø To what extent did civilizations/states centralize power & impose unity on vast people’s and regions?
Ø How did classical empires spread culture?
Ø Why do civilizations/empires fall/decline?
Ø How did migrations & nomads threaten classical civilizations?
Ø How are the early river civilizations and the great classical civilizations alike and different?
Stage 2: Assessments and Tasks
Common Core Literacy Task
Ø Writing Reflection: Students will reflect on what they learned identifying 3-5 ways geography contributed to Greek civilization.
Ø Letter Writing: Students will write two ½ page letters to a Athenian and Spartan explaining which civilization offered a better life for its people, using 3-5 facts and details to support their letters.
Ø Recipe Card: Students will create a recipe that explains what factors were needed for tiny Rome to become the giant of the Western World. (example: 1 cup of taking new land, a pinch of greed)
Ø A Post Card from China: Students will create a post card describing how the Chinese contributed to world civilization –must be 3-4 sentences long. / Performance Task(s) – Other Evidence
Ø Compare the origins and structure of the Greek polis, the Roman Republic, and the Roman Empire.
Ø Identify the ideas and impact of important individuals; include Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle and describe the diffusion of Greek culture by Aristotle’s pupil Alexander the Great and the impact of Julius and Augustus Caesar.
Ø Analyze the contributions of Hellenistic and Roman culture; include law, gender, and science.
Ø Describe polytheism in the Greek and Roman world and the origins and diffusion of Christianity in the Roman world.
Ø Analyze the factors that led to the collapse of the Western Roman Empire.
How will students reflect upon and self-assess their learning?
Ø Students will reflect upon and self-assess their learning using essay formats and rubrics provided by the instructor. The instructor will provide prompts and make suggestions through regular feedback in continuous assessment
Stage 3: Learning Plan
Aim: Athens or Sparta: Which one offered a better lifestyle and society?
Ø Define/identify: acropolis, polis, city-state, militarism, Athens and Sparta
Ø Examine a map of Greece and discuss how its geography influenced its development.
Ø Compare and contrast the Athenian and Spartan economic, political, and educational, military and social systems and their impact on citizens.
Ø Compare and contrast the treatment of women in each of these societies.
Ø Take a position on which offered the better lifestyle and society: Athens or Sparta concerning citizenship, education, government, individuality, marriage, etc.
Aim: Should Greece be considered the “Cradle of Democracy?” ORIs the United States more democratic than ancient Athens? ORWas Athens truly democratic?
Ø Define/identify: Pericles, direct democracy, indirect democracy, ostracism, demos.
Ø Read and analyze documents and charts describing the structure and function of Athenian democracy. (Pericles’ Funeral Oration).
Ø Explain the limits of Athenian democracy.
Ø Compare and contrast Athenian democracy with United States democracy or other contemporary democratic governments.
Ø Evaluate whether Athens was truly democratic.
Ø Evaluate the impact of Athenian democracy on the contemporary world.
Aim: Did the Hellenistic age produce a universal culture?
Ø Define: Hellenistic Age, Hellenic Age, Hellas, cultural diffusion, Discobolus, Laocoon Group, Porch of Maidens (Erectheum), Nike of Samothrace, Parthenon, Altar of Zeus
Ø List and explain the main cultural contributions of the Hellenistic Age.
Ø Discuss the cultural blending of Greek and other cultures. (ex Greco-Buddhist art)
Ø Compare and contrast Hellenic and Hellenistic sculpture and architecture and discuss how it reflects the values of these different ages.
Ø Evaluate whether the Hellenistic civilization was truly a universal culture as the process of cultural diffusion influenced not only Western Europe but also the Middle East, India, China, and Japan.
Aim: Was Rome destined for greatness? OR How did tiny Rome become the giant of the western world?
Ø Explain and analyze the geographic, political, economic, and social factors that shaped Roman society under the Republic.
Ø Explain the reasons why the Romans were successful empire builders.
Ø Evaluate whether or not Rome was destined for greatness.
Aim: Do we owe a debt to the ancient Romans? OR Are the contributions of Classical civilizations still relevant in today’s world?
Ø Analyze several important contributions of the Romans: ex. art, architecture, law (Justinian’s Code), literature, philosophy, technology, and political organization.
Ø Analyze the extent to which these contributions have influenced modern society.
Ø Evaluate whether or not the modern world owes a debt to the Romans.
Aim: Can religious ideas threaten political structures? OR Were the ideas of Christianity a threat to the Roman empire? OR Why did Christianity triumph within the Roman empire?
Ø Explain how conditions within the Roman Empire favored the spread of Christianity.
Ø Describe the changes in religious practices that Christianity introduced into the Roman world.
Ø Explain how Christianity differed from other religions of the Roman Empire.
Ø Explain Roman opposition to Christianity and the reasons for its hostilities.
Ø Evaluate to what extent Christianity brought about changes in the values of the Roman world and whether or not religious ideas, such as Christianity, threaten political structures, such as the Roman Empire.
Aim: Was the Han dynasty a golden age of Chinese civilization?
Ø Define: Golden Age, civil service, merit system
Ø Locate, identify and describe Han China on a map of China.
Ø Analyze and assess the advances and achievements of Chinese civilization during the Han dynasty in science, technology, medicine, commerce (the Silk Road), government and the arts.
Ø Evaluate the extent to which the Han dynasty was a golden age of China.
Aim: Did Confucianism advance/strengthen dynastic rule in China? Or Does the conduct of a government official affect his ability to govern?
Ø Explain how during the Han dynasty Confucian ideas were accepted as the official belief system of the state which advanced policy of merit, as demonstrated on civil service examinations, rather than family background to fill government positions as well as only well-educated scholars should fill positions in the government bureaucracy.
Ø Explain how Confucian teachings about filial piety, loyalty to the government, and the superiority of men promoted “harmony” and strengthened Han dynastic rule but prevented most women from receiving an education and gaining access to government positions.
Ø Evaluate the extent to which Confucianism, which stressed harmony, loyalty, and merit (for males) strengthened dynastic rule in China.
Aim: QIN DYNASTY***
Aim: MAYAN EMPIRE***( optional?)
Aim: Should the Mauryan Empire be considered an example of good government?
Ø Discuss the economic, political, and social achievements of the Mauryan Empire.
Ø Describe the features of Chandragupta Maura’s centralized government which united all of northern India (the Indus Valley, the Ganges Valley, and the southern Himalayas): military rule, government bureaucracy, spy network.
Ø Explain how the “enlightened policies” of Asoka united the diverse empire.
Ø Evaluate if the Mauryan Empire (centralized rule) is an example of good government.
Aim: Was the Gupta Empire a Golden Age in India?
Ø Describe how the Gupta Empire was founded.
Ø Explain the relationship between the Gupta and Hindu religious art and culture.
Ø Explain why the Gupta period has been called India’s “classical age” with great advances in art, literature, mathematics, and science.
Ø Describe the organizational structure and gender relationships of Gupta society.
Ø Evaluate if the Gupta Empire was a “golden age” in India.
Aim: Is the decline and fall of empires inevitable? OR Do empires collapse from external forces or internal weaknesses?
[Compare case study: The decline and fall of the Han dynasty and the Roman empire; Is America a modern day Rome]
Ø Explain the political, economic, and social reasons for the decline and fall of both the Roman Empire and the Han Dynasty.
Ø Compare the reasons for the decline and fall of this empire and this dynasty.
Ø Compare and contrast Ancient Rome to present day America to determine if there is evidence of decline in contemporary America’s power and prestige in the world.
Ø Assess to what degree internal decay more than external pressure influenced the fall of the Roman Empire and to what extent these factors influence a nation.
Ø Evaluate whether the collapse of the Roman Empire and the Han Dynasty were inevitable and resulted from mainly internal weaknesses or external forces.
Teacher Reflection for Future Planning
Ø Evaluate student work and response to questions during discussion
Ø Will explore test results and essay writing skills on class exams to shape future writing lessons
4 What was one of the most important contributions of the Greek city-state of Athens?
(1) development of direct democracy
(2) diffusion of a monotheistic belief system
(3) promotion of the equality of all humans
(4) creation of a writing system using hieroglyphics
7 Which statement about ancient Greece is an opinion rather than a fact?
(1) Mountainous terrain was an obstacle to Greek political unity.
(2) The Spartan culture placed an emphasis on military skills.
(3) Athens granted voting rights to male citizens only.
(4) Greek architecture was superior to Persian architecture.
4 One explanation for the fall of the Roman Empire and of the Han dynasty is that they both
(1) refused the aid of foreign mercenaries
(2) grew too large to govern their territories effectively
(3) banned long-distance trade causing economic strain
(4) required devotion to a single religion
5. Which geographic feature was central in helping the Romans unify their empire?
(1) Alps
(2) Tiber River
(3) Mediterranean Sea
(4) Great Rift Valley
Base your answer to question 12 on the passage below and on your knowledge of social studies.
... Trade along the Silk Road enriched China in many ways. The Chinese sent silk, herbal medicines, ceramics, and other local products westward by caravan, and received exotic things in return. From Persia (modern-day Iran) and the Middle East, they received new kinds of musical instruments, and musicians to play them, as well as gold and silver cups, bowls, and vases. From India they imported cotton cloth. From Byzantium (the eastern capital of the Roman Empire, today the city of Istanbul in Turkey) came glassware and jewelry. Chinese merchants also traded some of these imported goods eastward to Korea and Japan....
—Des Forges and Major, The Asian World: 600-1500
12 Based on this passage, the Silk Road made it possible for the Chinese to import cotton cloth from
(1) Persia
(2) the Roman Empire
(3) Japan
(4) India
7 Both the Han dynasty and the Roman Empire were known for
(1) developing decentralized political structures
(2) having governments dominated by a merchant class
(3) using examinations to select officials
(4) having long periods of stable government
5 At the height of its power, which ancient civilization controlled the entire coastal region surrounding the Mediterranean Sea?