Examining Agricultural Tools

Life at the Time: Tilling the Soil  Students: How might you plant a garden without using any tools?  It would be pretty difficult, wouldn't it. Therefore, can you understand why even early on using tools for farming was so important?  

Let's read the introductory paragraph from the passage below. Now take a moment and carefully study the images and accompanying captions in order.

Who probably made the tools show in the pictures? 

How might a toolmaker have been paid for the work? 

Look at how the toolmakers improved designs as time passed. Which sickle do you think would have been most efficient? 

Now imagine that you are farmer in the ancient Middle East and you have used one of the more advanced metal sickles for the first time. Discuss with the members of your group all the various benefits of using a metal sickle. In what what ways will it help you produce more food crops?   

Who Were the Ancient Greeks?

Video Warm-Up  The Ancient Greeks were known for their revolutionary politics and groundbreaking ways of thinking, and are called the fathers of Western civilization. But how much about them do you actually know? Watch the video below for a brief introduction. 

Who Were the Ancient Greeks?: Web Exploration  What's the story of early Greek history? How was ancient Greece ruled? What was it like living in ancient Greece? What did a typical ancient Greek family look like? What were Greek homes like? What food did people typically eat and drink? How did they dress? How did children play? You will discover the answers to these questions and many more during today's web exploration activity.  

Today you will be exploring BBC's Primary History Ancient Greeks website. You will focus on two areas: Who Were the Ancient Greeks? and What was it like to live in an ancient Greek Family? Explore both sections and use the assignment BBC Primary History: The Ancient Greeks Website Exploration, which can be found in your Social Studies Google Classroom, to record what you learn. 

Mapping Ancient Greece

 Today's Learning Objective  * Discuss the connections between geography and the development of city-states in the region of the Aegean Sea. 

Ancient Greece Map Project Greek civilization developed on dry, rocky lands surrounded by water. Most of Greece consists of a large peninsula, however the seas surrounding Greece also contain hundreds of small islands. Ancient Greece's unique geography made it a crossroads for travelers and traders who exchanged goods, ideas, and customs. Today you will have the opportunity to make a detailed map of Ancient Greece, featuring important regions, cities, bodies of water, islands, and other land forms. Map Instructions (Greece) have been placed in your Social Studies Google Classroom. The assignment Map of Greece has also been placed in your Social Studies Google Classroom. A sample map is here. Additionally, to help you complete the project, a collection of maps of Ancient Greece from the British Museum can be found here. A detailed map of Ancient Greece has also been posted above and below. You are also welcome to conduct your own independent research to help in completing your map. 

The Geography of Ancient Greece

 Today's Learning Objective  * Discuss the connections between geography and the development of city-states in the region of the Aegean Sea. 

EDpuzzle: Geography and Early Greece Today you are going to interact with an EDpuzzle video about Ancient Greek geography and history. Please take out your headphones, login to EDpuzzle, and locate the video "Geography and Early Greece." Watch the video carefully and answer the questions along the way to the best of your ability. You will be graded on the quality and completeness of your responses. If you don't finish in class, please finish for homework.  

Goodbye Ancient China, Hello Ancient Greece

Flocabulary Ancient China Video and Review  To help us say goodbye while reviewing some of the key concepts we've learned during this unit, the good folks at Flocabulary have put together an interactive music video about ancient China. After we watch the video together, be prepared to help answer questions in order to demonstrate your understanding of ancient China. 

Introduction to the Geography of Ancient Greece  The geography of Ancient Greece is unlike that of any other civilization we have studied this year.Familiarize yourself with the Geography of Ancient Greece by exploring The British Museum's website here. Read the introduction, follow the story of Odysseus' travels to many fantastic lands, explore maps of Ancient Greece, and finally investigate an Ancient Greek shipwreck. If you do not get to fully explore the site in class today, please do so outside of class. 

The Han Dynasty and the Silk Road

 Today's Learning Objective  * Detail the political contributions of the Han Dynasty to the development and expansion of the empire. 

Warm-Up: Ancient China Quiz  Show me what you've learned this past week about the Zhou Dynasty, the Warring States Period, Confucius, and Shi Huangdi and the Qin Dyansty by taking the online quiz here.  

The Han Dynasty: Jigsaw Reading Activity  Today we will be learning about the achievements of the Han, the dynasty that ends up replacing the Qin. However, due to limited time we are going to do a "jigsaw reading" of the passage about the Jigsaw Dynasty. Each group will be assigned one passage from the text, become experts on one particular topic, and then report out to the class about what they learned. You can find the Han Dynasty passage here. Please wait for your assignment before beginning to read.  

The Silk Road: EDpuzzle Video  One of the greatest achievements of the Han Dynasty was the innovation of the "Silk Road." Learn more about it by interacting with an EDpuzzle video today. After you log in, locate the video entitled "The Silk Road and Ancient Trade." Watch the video carefully and answer the five questions. What you don't finish in class becomes homework.  

What Does Confucius Say?

Chinese philosopher Confucius

 Today's Learning Objective  * Identify the political and cultural problems prevalent in the time of Confucius and how he sought to solve them.

Confucius Warm-Up  Read about the life and work of Confucius, one of the world's most famous philosophers, here. The reading is also available in video form below. 

Next, head over to your Padlet wall (Period 3 and Period 5) and share one thing you learned about his life and one thing you learned about his ideas.

EDpuzzle Video: Confucius  Put your developing understanding of Confucius to the test by interacting with an EDpuzzle video about the famous Chinese philosopher. Login, watch the video "Confucius" carefully, and answer the five questions.