This course will employ a concept-based approach to studying the Ancient World from the beginnings of civilization until the end of the first century CE. Students will explore essential Social Studies concepts such as government, culture, technology, economics, and conflict, applying the knowledge to civilizations ranging from Africa, MesoAmerica, Europe, Southwest, South, and East Asia.
This course was designed to incorporate the Rhode Island Grade Span Expectations (GSE's) for Social Studies, UCLA Public History Initiative Standards*, and the Common Core Standards.
Rhode Island Grade Span Expectations:
HP 1: History is an account of human activities that is interpretive in nature.
HP 1 (7-8) –1 Students act as historians, using a variety of tools (e.g., artifacts and primary and secondary sources) by…
a. identifying appropriate sources and using evidence to substantiate specific accounts of human activity
c. asking and answering historical questions, evaluating sources of information, organizing the information, and evaluating information in terms of relevance and comprehensiveness
HP 1 (7-8) –2 Students interpret history as a series of connected events with multiple cause-effect relationships, by…
a. investigating and analyzing historical and visual data in order to draw connections between a series of events
b. developing, expanding, and supporting an historical thesis, based on a series of events
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HP 2: History is a chronicle of human activities, diverse people, and the societies they form.
HP 2 (7-8) – 2 Students chronicle events and conditions by…
a. identifying key events and people of a particular historical era or time period (e.g., centuries, BCE, “The Sixties”)
b. correlating key events to develop an understanding of the historical perspective of the time period in which they occurred
HP 2 (7-8) – 3 Students show understanding of change over time by…
a. establishing a chronological order by working backward from some issue, problem, or event to explain its origins and its development over time; and to construct a historical narrative
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HP 3: The study of history helps us understand the present and shape the future.
HP 3 (7-8) –1 Students demonstrate an understanding of how the past frames the present by…
a. analyzing and reporting on a social movement from its inception (including historical causes), its impacts on us today, and its implications for the future
HP 3 (7-8) – 2 Students make personal connections in an historical context (e.g., source-to-source, sourceto-self, source-to-world) by…
a. recognizing and reflecting on how the similarities of human issues across time periods influence their own personal histories
b. recognizing and reflecting on how the differences of human issues across time periods influence their own personal histories
c. comparing and contrasting the cultural influences that shape individuals and historical events
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HP 4: Historical events and human/natural phenomena impact and are influenced by ideas and beliefs.
HP 4 (7-8) –1 Students demonstrate an understanding that geographic factors and shared past events affect human interactions and changes in civilizations by…
a. citing specific evidence to explain how geographic factors impacted a civilization’s adaptation, development or decline (e.g., Fertile Crescent, China, Westward Expansion).
b. citing specific evidence from a society/civilization to explain how shared events affect how individuals and societies adapt and change (e.g., language, religion, or customs).
HP 4 (7-8) –2 Students demonstrate an understanding that innovations, inventions, change, and expansion cause increased interaction among people (e.g., cooperation or conflict) by…
a. identifying and describing how traits of civilization develop in response to innovations, inventions, change and territorial expansion
b. explaining the impact of interactions.
c. describing how inventions and technological improvements (e.g., irrigation systems, road construction, science) relate to settlement, population growth, and success of a civilization/ country/ nation.
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HP 5: Human societies and cultures develop and change in response to human needs and wants.
HP 5 (7-8) –1 Students demonstrate an understanding that a variety of factors affect cultural diversity within a society by…
a. identifying how movement (e.g., ideas, people, technology) impacts cultural diversity.
HP 5 (7-8) – 2 Students demonstrate an understanding that culture has affected how people in a society behave in relation to groups and their environment by…
a. comparing and contrasting how cultural expectations impact people’s behavior and role in different communities/ societies
c. describing how environment (e.g., physical, cultural, etc.) or changes in that environment affects a civilization/country/nation
HP 5 (7-8) – 3 Various perspectives have led individuals and/or groups to interpret events or phenomena differently and with historical consequences by…
a. describing how and why various factors impact an individual or a group’s perspective of events.
b. Explaining and analyzing how changing perspectives impact history using primary documents as evidence.
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C&G 1: People create and change structures of power, authority, and governance in order to accomplish common goals.
C&G 1 (7-8) –1 Students demonstrate an understanding of origins, forms, and purposes of government by…
a. identifying and explaining the origins and basic functions of government
b. comparing and contrasting different forms of government (e.g., dictatorship, democracy, theocracy, republic, monarchy)
c. explaining what happens when political structures do or do not meet the needs of people (e.g., democracy v. anarchy)
How and why do governments change over time?
d. explaining how geography and economics influence the structure of government
C&G 1 (7-8)–2 Students demonstrate an understanding of sources of authority and use of power, and how they are/can be changed by…
a. comparing and contrasting the key stages of development of the rule of law, as presented in various enduring/significant documents (e.g. Magna Carta, Preamble of U.S. Constitution, U.N. Rights of the Child, “I Have A Dream” speech)
b. explaining why the rule of law is necessary to the role of government (e.g., debate/ Robert’s Rules of Order, classroom procedures)
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Common Core Standards (6-8):
Key Ideas and Details
1. Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of primary and secondary sources.
2. Determine the central ideas or information of a primary or secondary source; provide an accurate summary of the source distinct from prior knowledge or opinions.
3. Identify key steps in a text’s description of a process related to history/social studies (e.g., how a bill becomes law, how interest rates are raised or lowered).
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Craft and Structure
4. Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including vocabulary specific to domains related to history/social studies.
5. Describe how a text presents information (e.g., sequentially, comparatively, causally).
6. Identify aspects of a text that reveal an author’s point of view or purpose (e.g., loaded language, inclusion or avoidance of particular facts).
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Integration of Knowledge and Ideas
7. Integrate visual information (e.g., in charts, graphs, photographs, videos, or maps) with other information in print and digital texts.
8. Distinguish among fact, opinion, and reasoned judgment in a text.
9. Analyze the relationship between a primary and secondary source on the same topic.
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Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity
10. By the end of grade 8, read and comprehend history/social studies texts in the grades 6–8 text complexity band independently and proficiently.
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*The UCLA World History Content Standards are highly specific to certain areas of historical content in question and, while essential to the creation of individual modules used in this course, are not listed here in the same manner as the Common Core and GSE's, which are more broad in scope. To view the UCLA-standards specific to each module, select the module in question at the top of the page.