Early Civilizations
Grade Level: 7th Grade
Subject: Social Studies
Time Frame: 8 weeks (January-March)
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Big Understandings
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- use a variety of primary and secondary sources from multiple perspectives to formulate an appropriate thesis supported by evidence
- the historical context of significant current events, groups, ideas, and themes within regions of the Eastern Hemisphere and their relationships with one another
- regional differences and perspectives in the Eastern Hemisphere impact human and environmental interactions
- describe how economic systems in the Eastern Hemisphere address the problem of scarcity
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Essential Questions
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- why is continued questioning of historical events beneficial?
- how can various primary and secondary perspectives in history be beneficial in understanding past and current issues?
- why is it advantageous to identify historical roots of change?
- how can an artifact be utilized to interpret history?
- how does the rise or collapse of a government affect surrounding societies over time?
- how have ideas fundamentally changed various cultures in the Eastern Hemisphere?
- how has technology shaped the development of civilizations?
- what key ideas from ancient Eastern Hemisphere eras continue to demonstrate importance in modern times?
- how do geographers apply information from a variety of sources?
- how can a location be in different regions at the same time?
- how do regional issues affect larger areas?
- how do geographic characteristics impact regional issues?
- how do different types of economic systems affect societies?
- how can economic systems be reflected using data?
- when goods and services are scarce what might happen to price? why?
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By the end of the unit, students will be able to:
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- utilize primary and secondary sources to explain the interdependence and uniqueness among peoples in the Eastern Hemisphere during significant eras or events; including the influence on modern society (the silk road and cultural diffusion, and the Chinese inventions of gunpowder and compass)
- examine primary and secondary sources to identify points of view while formulating historical claims and questions (art, eyewitness accounts, letters and diaries, artifacts, historical sites, charts, graphs, diagrams, and written texts
- identify and explain the historical context of key people, regions, events, and ideas; including the roots of current issues (Mansa Musa, the conflicts in the Middle East, the Black Death, and Confucianism)
- investigate and evaluate the social, political, cultural, and technological development of regions in the Eastern Hemisphere (the river valley civilizations, Hammurabi's Code, the Hellenistic period, and the printing press)
- describe the interactions and contributions of various peoples and cultures that have lived in or migrated within/to the Eastern Hemisphere (conflicts over land and resources between countries, the foundations of world religions, East/West contact, settlement patterns, and the historical roots of current issues)
- determine how physical and political features impact cultural diffusion and regional differences (modern environmental issues, culutral patterns, trade barriers, and economic interdependence)
- examine the geographic location and distribution of resources within a region to determine the economic and social impact on its people (Middle Eastern water rights, the acceptance of refugees from other countries, and the Salt Trade)
- describe how different societies develop economic systems (the barter system, traditional, command, market, and mixed)
- evaluate the different economic systems in the Eastern Hemisphere, utilizing economic data (economic growth, per capita income, and standard of living)
- explain how trade affects the production of goods and services in different regions
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Topics:
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â—¦ Eastern Hemisphere- Early civilizations
â—¦ Geography, maps, geographic tools
â—¦ Patterns in human and physical systems
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Standards
SS.7.1.1
SS.7.1.2
SS.7.2.2
SS.7.3.1