2.2: Bronze Age Civilizations

Objective:

• Students will create a Google Slides presentation about a Bronze Age civilization as part of a group effort.
• Students will compare and contrast Bronze Age Civilization by answering questions on a worksheet based on presentations of civilizations by peers

Vocabulary:

Directions: This lesson is divided into two parts. The first part is a group project: creating a Google Slides presentation of a Bronze age civilization (If you were absent for this part of the assignment, see Mr. Booth for an alternative assignment). The second part of this lesson involves completing a worksheet based on student-created Google Slides presentations.

PART 1 - Bronze Age Civilization Group Project

Select your group from the options listed below and follow the directions found on that page.

PART 2 - Bronze Age Civilizations Presentations

Directions:

1. Get a copy of this worksheet: 2.2: Bronze Age Civilizations - Presentation Notes
2. Use the link below to access a number of articles on Bronze Age civilizations. Use the bullet points below as an aid to make sure that you learn about the important information from each civilization. If you were absent for just 1 day of presentations, you would be expected to read up on those civilizations you missed.

Click here to access the folder with articles on all of the Bronze Age Civilizations

• Aegean Civilization: Read the 2 articles on the Minoan and Mycenaean civilizations. You are expected to know about both. For the Minoans, make sure you know about the story of King Midas, the Minotaur, and the Labyrinth. For the Mycenaeans, make sure you know about Linear B script. Also, know the geographic location of both civilizations.
• Ancient Egypt: Read the 2 articles on Ancient Egypt. Be sure to know why the Nile river is important to Egypt, the pyramids and their purpose, and the role of the Pharaoh in Egyptian society.
• Indus River Valley: Read the 1 article on the Indus River Valley civilization. Make sure you have an understanding of their water system, their writing system, and how the civilization fell.
• Maya: Read the 1 article on the Maya civilization. Be sure to understand the purpose of their pyramids, their astronomical contributions, their calendar, and that the Maya people (not the civilization) continue to exist today.
• Mesopotamia: Read the 2 articles on Mesopotamia. Be sure to learn about the importance of the Euphrates and Tigris, the city-states of the early days (e.g. Sumer, Ur) and the empires of the later days (Akkadian, Babylonian, Assyrian). Make sure you know which empire came first. Know what a ziggurat and what cuneiform is.
• Olmec: Read the 2 articles on the Olmec. Make sure you are familiar with their colossal heads and the ballgame.
• Phoenicia & Etruria: Read the 2 articles on the Phoenicians and Etruscans. You are expected to know about both. For the Phoenicians, make sure you know the importance of the Phoenician alphabet and how it effects us today. Also have an understanding of the geographic location of the Phoenicians and what their economy was based on. For Etruria, get acquainted with their cultural contributions and their influence on Rome.
• Yellow River Valley: Read the 1 article on the Yellow River Valley civilization and the Shang dynasty. Be sure to learn about the importance of the Yellow River, bronze casting, and oracle bones.