Ancient History

6th-Grade

Students in the sixth grade expand their knowledge of history by studying the people and events that ushered in the dawn of the major Western and non-Western ancient civilizations. Geography is of special significance in the development of the human story. Continued emphasis is placed on the everyday lives, problems, and accomplishments of people, their role in developing social, economic, and political structures, as well as in establishing and spreading ideas that helped transform the world forever. Students develop higher levels of critical thinking by considering why civilizations developed where and when they did, why they became dominant, and why they declined. Students analyze the interactions among the various cultures, emphasizing their enduring contributions and the link, despite time, between the contemporary and ancient worlds.

Course Overview: 6th-grade Ancient History

Trimester I

Unit 1: Early Humans and the Rise of Civilization

Textbook Chapters

1 - Investigating the Past

2 - Early Hominids

3 - From Hunters and Gatherers to Farmers

4 - The Rise of Sumerian City-States

5 - Ancient Sumer

6 - Exploring Four Empires of Mesopotamia


Projects

Unit 2: Ancient Egypt and the Middle East

Textbook Chapters

7 - Geography and the Early Settlement of Egypt, Kush, and Canaan

8 - The Ancient Egyptian Pharaohs

9 - Daily Life in Ancient Egypt

10 - The Kingdom of Kush

11 - Origins of Judaism

12 - Learning about World Religions: Judaism


Projects

Trimester II


Unit 4: Ancient China

Textbook Chapters

19 - Geography and Early Settlement of China

20 - The Shang Dynasty

21 - Three Chinese Philosophies

22 - The First Emperor of China

23 - The Han Dynasty

24 - The Silk Road


Projects

Trimester III

Unit 5: Ancient Greece

Textbook Chapters

25 - Geography and Settlement of Greece

26 - The Rise of Democracy

27 - Life in Two City-States: Athens and Sparta

28 - Fighting the Persian Wars

29 - The Golden Age of Athens

30 - Alexander the Great and His Empire

31 - The Legacy of Ancient Greece


Projects

Unit 6: Ancient Rome

Textbook Chapters

32 - Geography and the Early Development of Rome

33 - The Rise of the Roman Republic

34 - From Republic to Empire

35 - Daily Life in the Roman Empire

36 - The Origins and Spread of Christianity

37 - Learning about World Religions: Christianity

38 - The Legacy of Rome in the Modern World


Projects