Paleolithic and Neolithic Eras (PASS: 2.1-2.2)

I. The origins of humankind, from the Paleolithic Era to the development of farming

1. Characteristics of hunter-gatherer societies
   1. use and development of tools
   2. environmental and climatic factors (e.g., access to game animals, adaptations to Ice Age conditions)
   3. cultural, spiritual and social characteristics
   4. technological and social advancements
    
2. The origins of agriculture and pastoralism
   1. factors promoting the transition from hunting and gathering to farming and herding (e.g., climate change, species decline, population growth and technological development)
   2. society and culture in the Neolithic Era

 

I. Ancient civilizations (note: in some cases, material such as the origins of Buddhism and Confucianism may be covered in subsequent units instead at the discretion of the teacher).

1. Geography and timelines of river valley civilizations
   1. The Fertile Crescent
   2. Crossroads of civilization
   3. the role of trade and exchanges of ideas
   4. the effect of iron on war and culture
    

   (The Nile, 5 min)

2. The major ancient civilizations
   1. Mesopotamia (the land between two rivers)
   2. Egypt and ancient Africa
      • Egypt
         
      • Kush
       
   3. The Indus Valley
      • emergence of city-states Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro
      • Aryan invaders and the origins of the caste system
      • Spirituality, culture, and value systems; sacred texts
      • Tenets of Hinduism and Buddhism
       
   4. Shang China
      • Origins of civilization and kingship in China
      • The Zhou and the Warring States Period
      • Confucianism and Taoism
       
   5. Persia
      • Emergence of the Persian state (key kings: Cyrus, Xerxes and Darius)
      • Innovations in government and empire
      • Zoroastrianism and religious tolerance
      • Contributions: innovations in trade, communications (the Royal Road) and law
   6. Other regional cultures and civilizations
      • Hebrews
      • Phoenicians
      • Koreans
      • Lydians
    

I. Ancient Greece

1. Influence of geography on Greek culture and society, including the development of city-states
   1. Impact of technology on agriculture, warfare, transportation and commerce
   2. Religion and mythology
   3. Common cultural characteristics, including the Olympic games
    
2. Minoan and Achaean civilizations
   1. Knossos and the Minoan maritime empire
   2. the Achaean kingdoms
   3. Bronze Age culture
   4. the Iliad and the Odyssey attributed to Homer
       
      • Read The Illiad

        HOMER confined his Iliad to the last (tenth) year of the Trojan war and he saw in Achilles' wrath the main subject of his poem. In the very first verse of Iliad we see, that the poet is not interested in the cause and history of the war as such and in itself. He is interested primarily in two things, the life of men and the divine will. Singing about Achilles' wrath, Homer would give to the next generations the related events as an object of admiration, to help them live a life devoted equally to man and God.

      • Read The Odyssey

        ODYSSEY is about the return of Odysseus to his family. Anxious about his returning home, Odysseus visits the land of the dead to consult the prophet Teiresias.

   5. Dorian invasion and the dark ages

 
II. The rise of classical Greece

1. The city-states
   1. Athens
   2. Sparta
    
2. Colonization of the Mediterranean basin
    
3. The Persian Wars
   1. Causes of conflict
   2. Persian invasions, and Greek victory (battles of Marathon, Thermopylae and Salamis)
   3. Consequences of the war, including the rise of Athens and the Delian League
    
4. The Golden Age of Greek Culture
   1. Philosophy (Socrates, Plato and Aristotle; Stoics and Sophists)
   2. The arts (including sculpture, theater, literature and history)
   3. Architecture (including the Parthenon and temple design)
   4. Science (Archimedes, Hippocrates, Democritus and Ptolemy)
   5. Mathematics (Pythagoras and Euclid)
    
5. The Peloponnesian War
   1. Causes of the war (including Athens' use of the Delian League)
   2. Sparta v. Athens: differing strengths and approaches
   3. Consequences of the war: failure to unify
    
6. Alexander the Great
   1. The rise of Macedon under Philip II
   2. The unification of Greece
   3. Alexander's conquests and their aftermath
   4. The spread of Hellenistic culture

 

I. Rome

1. Influence of geography on Roman culture, society and economy
    
2. Etruscan contributions and Roman origins
   1. Myths of Rome's founding
   2. The Etruscan contribution (arts, technology, laws and government)
    
3. Foundations of the Roman Republic
   1. Class structure (patricians and plebeians)
   2. The Twelve Tables of law
   3. The Senate, Assemblies, tribunes, consuls, dictators and other officers
    
4. The Punic Wars
   1. Carthage and Rome: rivals in the Western Mediterranean
   2. The First Punic War: the role of naval power
   3. The Second Punic War: Hannibal challenges Rome
   4. Rome's triumph in the Third Punic War
   5. Consequences of victory for Roman government, economy and society (including further conquests)
   6. The formation of the legions: Rome's professional army
    
5. The decline of the Republic
   1. Economic factors:
   2. Political factors
   3. Military factors: the rise of generals

 
II. Imperial Rome

1. Augustus founds a stable imperial state
   1. Legions guard the borders (the Pax Romana)
   2. A civil service administers the empire
    
2. The first Roman Emperors
   1. Augustus' family: Tiberius, Caligula, Claudius, Nero
   2. The Five Good Emperors restore order
    
3. The Roman Empire in crisis: 180-284 CE
    
4. The reforms of Diocletian and Constantine
   1. The division of the empire
   2. The recognition of Christianity

 
III. The rise of Christianity

1. origins within Judaism
    
2. the life of Jesus
    
3. persecution by Rome: Nero, Domitian, Diocletian
    
4. the spread of Christian culture: Peter and Paul
    
5. Constantine and Theodosius

 
IV. The Fall of the Roman Empire

1. causes for Rome's decline and fall
   1. barbarian invaders: Huns and Goths
   2. military weaknesses
   3. internal weaknesses, including moral and economic decay
    
2. the fall of the Empire in the west
    
3. the rise of Germanic kingdoms
    
4. the survival of the Eastern Roman Empire

 
V. Contributions of Roman culture

1. architecture
    
2. law and government: Cicero
    
3. the arts and literature
    
4. science and medicine: Pliny and Galen
    
5. Roman cultural legacy links the Mediterranean world
    
6. Christianity

 

I. Origins of Islam

1. Cultural and geographical context
   1. Pagans, Jews and Christians in the Arabian peninsula
   2. The life of Mohammed: establishing the foundations of Islam
   3. The hegira: war between Mecca and Medina
    
2. Tenets of Islam
   1. The Five Pillars
   2. The role of the Koran and the hadith (sayings of Mohammed)
   3. Islam as a way of life
   4. Religious toleration
    
3. The Islamic Empire
   1. Conflicts with Byzantines and Persians
   2. Conquests of North Africa, Spain and the Middle East
   3. Laws and government in the Islamic world
   4. Islam creates a peaceful zone for trade and cultural development
    
4. Trade and cultural contacts
   1. Caravan routes link east and west (the Silk Road)
   2. sea trade in Mediterranean and Indian Ocean
   3. Islamic world is linked by Arabic language, system of Islamic law and judges
    
5. Contributions
   1. Science and medicine
   2. Mathematics - Algebra
   3. Education: Islamic universities and schools
      • Preservation of classical knowledge
   4. Art and architecture: mosques, aqueducts and city design