During this unit, students will practice sharing out in class, taking notes, and putting dates into context.  Even though students have most likely already been introduced to this topic (What is an empire?) in sixth grade, and will ideally be able to activate this previously learned information, we will cover more in depth on the empires that we cover.

Students will use slides and maps to justify why Persia would be considered a classical empire.  We will also analyze and understand the establishment of Persia as an empire and the roles that Cyrus and Darius played in the establishment and expansion of the empire. 

Students will use maps and activities to justify why Greece would be considered a classical empire.

We will learn about about the geography of the region, Roman government, how Rome became an empire, and how it declined.

Finally, students will learn how the Han and Qin Dynasties contributed to the development of China.  The Han Dynasty expanded China’s borders, developed a strong central government, and made contributions to culture and technology that still exist today. The Qin Dynasty was the first great Chinese Empire.