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The study of Africa is far more than exploration of Ancient Egypt - check out this resource on Kush and other African kingdoms.

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Big Ideas About the Kush Civilization
Culture : Ways of living change as humans interact with each other.
Kush civilization was influenced by Egyptian culture. Kush was under the rule of Egypt for hundreds of years. Kush adopted Egyptian customs, religion, hieroglyphs, and architecture. Later, Kush conquered Egypt. The two cultures influenced each other.
Nubia and the Land of Kush
Build on What You Know Have you ever traveled on a river or visited a river town? The Egyptians lived downstream on the lower, or northern, end of the Nile River. Now you will learn about another culture that developed to the south that interacted with Egypt and other parts of Africa.

ESSENTIAL QUESTION In what ways were Nubia and Egypt connected?

Nubia (NOO*bee*uh) is the name for a geographic region of Africa. (See the map of The Kingdom of Kush.) Nubia extended from the southern boundary of Egypt southward to include present-day Sudan. Its southern boundary was south of the Nile River's sixth cataract.

Upper and Lower Nubia Like Egypt, Nubia was divided into upper (southern, upstream) and lower (northern, downstream) areas. Like the Egyptians, the people of Nubia lived along the Nile. However, in southern Nubia, unlike in Egypt, a climate that provided greater moisture meant farming was not limited to the Nile valley.

ESSENTIAL QUESTION What were some of the achievements of Piankhi?

Egypt controlled parts of Nubia between 2000 and 1000 B.C. During these centuries, Nubia was a source of goods for Egypt. But as Egypt declined, a Nubian kingdom called Kush became a power in the region.

In ancient times, Nubia had a strong influence on Egypt. For example, some scholars believe Nubia's monarchy was the earliest in human history. Later, this monarchy was developed in the person of the Egyptian pharaoh. Cultural Relations Between Egypt and Kush

Then, when Egypt ruled Nubia, the Egyptian pharaoh appointed an official to govern the region. Contact with Egypt resulted in cultural exchanges. Egypt influenced the art and architecture of the Nubian region, including the emerging kingdom of Kush. Nubians also worshiped some of the gods sacred to Egyptians.
Young Kushite nobles went to Egypt where they learned the Egyptian language. They also adopted the customs and clothing styles of the Egyptians. They brought back royal rituals and a hieroglyphic writing system to Kush. Egyptian pyramids were also adapted by builders in Kush.

In the 700s B.C., the Nubian kingdom of Kush conquered all of upper and lower Egypt. In 751 B.C., Kush Rises to Power
Piankhi (PYANG*kee)-a Kushite king-attacked the Egyptian city of Memphis. By about 36 years later, Piankhi had gained control of Egypt.
From this point on, two periods make up the history of Kush. Each period is based on the location of the capital and king's tomb. The city of Napata was the capital during this first period. Meroë (MEHR*oh*EE) was the capital during the second.

Political and Commercial Relations with Egypt
Piankhi united Egypt and Kush. Nubia established its own dynasty, or line of royal rulers, on the throne of Egypt. Piankhi was declared Egypt's pharaoh. His reign marked the beginning of Egypt's 25th Dynasty. Although he was the pharaoh, Piankhi did not live in Egypt. Instead, he chose to live in Napata, the capital of Kush.
Napata was located at the head of a road used to move goods around the Nile River's cataracts. Traders used the road when boats loaded with goods were unable to navigate the rough water on certain sections of the river. Nubia was rich in goods that were scarce in Egypt: ivory, animal skins, timber, and minerals. This led to a lively trade along the Nile. Napata was the center for the spread of Egyptian goods and culture to Kush's other trading partners in Africa and beyond.

The Decline of Kush
Taharqa (tuh*HAHR*kuh) was a later Kushite ruler of Egypt. Taharqa spent much of his reign fighting the Assyrians, who had invaded and conquered Egypt in 671 B.C.
The Assyrians carried iron weapons that were more powerful than the bronze weapons of the Kushites. A large part of the Assyrian army was made up of foot soldiers, who were armed with bows and arrows.

Piankhi (ruled during the 700s B.C.)
Piankhi was a Kushite king who knew when to fight and when to make peace. When a Libyan chief threatened Upper Egypt, Piankhi decided to fight. He defeated the Libyans' land army and their river fleet as well. At the time, Egypt had many weak princes who ruled small areas. They welcomed Piankhi's protection. The Egyptian priests also were eager to have Piankhi come to their defense.
Around 750 B.C. Piankhi united Egypt and became the pharaoh. This marked the beginning of the 25th Dynasty. Having accomplished what he set out to do, Piankhi went home to Napata. There he had a stone slab built that celebrated his deeds. The slab lasted longer than his dynasty, which ended after about 100 years.

Some Assyrians drove chariots. The Assyrian army also was the first army to have a cavalry-men on horseback. Horses and Chariots

The Kushite armies under Taharqa were no match for the Assyrians, who took control of Egypt and parts of Kush. After their defeat, the Kushite kings retreated south.
The Kushite Capital of Meroë
ESSENTIAL QUESTION Why was the Kushite city of Meroë an important economic center?

The Kushite kings eventually chose a new capital, , in about 590 B.C. Meroë was located on the Nile and on trade routes leading from the Red Sea to the interior of Africa. It had access to gold and iron.

The defeat of Kush by the Assyrians taught the Kushites that they needed iron weapons. The people of Kush learned to smelt iron. An Economy of Ironworking and Trade
Smelting is the heating of material from Earth's crust to separate the elements it contains. The Kushites mined rock containing iron ore. Then they heated the rock in small earthen furnaces. The heat caused the iron to separate from other minerals.
Meroëwas an ideal location for producing iron. The city was close to iron ore deposits. The Kushites set up smelting furnaces to process the deposits. Meroë traded its iron in central and east Africa, and in Arabia.
Ivory, gold, and products made from them were traded at Meroë. These items were in demand in many other parts of the world. Trade was especially active with Egypt, which was under Greek rule beginning in the fourth century B.C.

A Rich Culture Develops
Some of the gods worshiped by the Kushites in Napata and Meroë were similar to those of Egypt. This similarity was especially true of the sun god Amon-Re and Isis, goddess of the moon. Other gods were Nubian in origin.

In Nubia, women played an important role. Amanirenas and Amanishakheto were important Nubian queens. Queen Amanitore and her husband ruled beginning around 12 B.C.
The people of Kush developed a written language. They appear to have at first used hieroglyphics similar to those used by the Egyptians. Later, their language changed to an alphabet of 23 symbols. The language has not yet been translated.
Royal tombs in Kush were built of stone. They were pyramid-shaped with steep sides. These tombs included a chapel attached to the side. Kushite kings were often mummified to preserve their bodies. These traditions continued in Nubia even after they had died out in Egypt.

Lesson Summary
* Nubia and Egypt interacted with each other.
* The Kushite king Piankhi conquered Egypt.
* The Kushite capital of Meroë was a trade center.

Why It Matters Now . . .
By studying the history of Nubia, we learn of the important role played by Africans in ancient history.

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Big Ideas About the Kush Civilization Culture : Ways of living change as humans interact with each other. Kush civilization was influenced by Egyptian culture. Kush was under the rule of Egypt for hundreds of years. Kush adopted Egyptian customs, religion, hieroglyphs, and architecture. Later, Kush conquered Egypt.

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Easily create beautiful interactive video lessons for your students you can integrate right into your LMS. Track students' progress with hassle-free analytics as you flip your classroom!

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Africa, 3000 BCE-1500 CE

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We are excited to announce that we've taken the same great professional development and instructional support resources you've come to rely on from History Hub, and created even more impactful communities
aligned to each of your needs.

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HISTORY HUB ANNOUNCEMENT History Hub Has a New Home! We are excited to announce that we've taken the same great professional development and instructional support resources you've come to rely on from History Hub, and created even more impactful communities aligned to each of your needs.

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Ancient Greece for Kids - Social Studies - Flocabulary

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Learn all about Ancient Greece, Socrates, Plato and Aristotle with Flocabulary’s educational rap song and lesson plan.

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Fertile Crescent - Social Studies - Flocabulary

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Learn about the ancient Fertile Crescent Civilizations of Sumer, Babylonia and Assyria with Flocabulary's educational rap song and lesson plan.

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Mesoamerica - Social Studies - Flocabulary

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Learn all about Mesoamerica?-the Olmecs, Mayans, Aztecs and Incas?-with Flocabulary's educational rap song and lesson plan.

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Textbook links to topics of 6th grade social studies from various textbooks.

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What inspires you? Get to know Alma Thomas, (b. Columbus, Georgia; lived and worked in Washington, DC, 1891-1978), an American artist and educator known for her signature painting style using bright colors and patterns inspired by nature. She became a full-time artist late in her life. Born in a time of horses and buggies, she lived through big advancements in technology, such as the space race and moon landing. Her art was inspired by the nature she saw outside her home studio, and awe for the exploration of our vast universe.
Get To Know Alma Thomas Use it in the classroom to teach:
is part of the Hirshhorn KIDS About the Artist series. About the Artist biographies are designed for kids under age 12. Modern and contemporary artists' lives reflect recent human history and events. Sharing these life stories and artworks can help kids see their own potential and better understand the world and their place in it. It is our goal to inspire future generations of artists, makers, and creative problem solvers-sharing artists stories is one way Hirshhorn KIDS realize this goal.
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Join Phoebe Sherman of the National Postal Museum to explore how postage stamps can be used in the classroom to encourage civic awareness and engagement. We'll examine how stamps can spark curiosity and deepen understanding of civics, American history, national identity, and commemoration by using thinking routines that focus on both subject matter and artistic design. You'll see how these approaches come to life with students and leave with classroom-ready resources and fresh ideas for incorporating postage stamps into your teaching practice.

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Smithsonian Learning Lab: Discover, Create, Share

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Smithsonian Learning Lab Discover the digital education platform that connects people to Smithsonian objects, resources, and stories. Explore some of our most popular Learning Lab Collections. Use them as a springboard to continue your exploration of the many collections available on the site. Talk with Me! Learn about your community and neighborhood.

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"The walls of China’s first cities were built 4,000+ years ago. [...] The civilization that began along one of China’s river systems continues to thrive today."

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"While Sumerian civilization was on the rise, a similar process took place along the banks of [...] the Nile in Egypt."

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The word Mesopotamia comes from Greek words meaning "land between the rivers."

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Ancient Mesopotamia and the Sumerians

The word Mesopotamia comes from Greek words meaning "land between the rivers." The rivers are the Tigris and Euphrates. The first settlers to this region did not speak Greek, it was only thousands of years later that the Greek-speaking Alexander the Great, King of Macedonia, conquered this land and carried with him his culture.

Mesopotamia is considered the cradle, or beginning, of civilization. Here large cities lined the rivers and many advances took place. Mesopotamia is located in Southwest Asia. The first known civilization started there. A civilization is a group of people who have a high level of culture and order. People in a civilization belong to different social classes and do different types of jobs. A civilization has science and the arts. It also has a government, values, and beliefs. Mesopotamia at first glance does not look like an ideal place for a civilization to flourish . It is hot and very dry. There is very little rainfall in Lower Mesopotamia. However, snow, melting in the mountains at the source of these two rivers, created an annual flooding. The flooding deposited silt, which is fertile , rich, soil, on the banks of the rivers every year. This is why Mesopotamia is part of the fertile crescent, an area of land in the Middle East that is rich in fertile soil and crescent-shaped.

The Sumerians were the first people to migrate to Mesopotamia, they created a great civilization. Beginning around 5,500 years ago, the Sumerians built cities along the rivers in Lower Mesopotamia, specialized, cooperated, and made many advances in technology. The wheel, plow, and writing (a system which we call cuneiform) are examples of their achievements. The farmers in Sumer created levees to hold back the floods from their fields and cut canals to channel river water to the fields. The use of levees and canals is called irrigation, another Sumerian invention.

Farmers in Mesopotamia got water from the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers. Sometimes, though, it rained too much. This caused the rivers to flood. A flood is when water overflows from a river onto land. Floods could destroy crops, but they also left the land covered with silt. Silt is a rich soil. It is good for farming.

By using irrigation, farmers could grow large amounts of food. The people of Mesopotamia had extra food, or a surplus. As a result, not everyone needed to farm. Some people could become artisans. An artisan is a person who makes a good, such as cloth, tools, or weapons. Soon people began to live together in places that helped them trade goods. Before long, small villages grew into cities. By 3000 B.C., many cities had started and grown in Sumer. Sumer is the region in southern Mesopotamia.

Sumer's Civilization
The people of Sumer were called Sumerians. They built many cities. The cities of Sumer had deserts around them.
Deserts were hard to travel across. As a result, each city stood alone.

As cities grew, they gained control of the land around them. In this way, they formed city-states. Each city-state had its own government. It was not part of a larger nation. Historians believe that each city-state was surrounded by a large wall. Sometimes Sumerian city-states fought each other for control of the river water, a valuable resource. Each city-state needed an army to protect itself from its neighbors; however, during times of peace, they traded with each other.

The Sumerian people had a common language and they worshiped many gods. This type of belief is called polytheism. Each city-state, though, claimed one god as its own. To honor this god, the city-state built a large temple called a ziggurat, a large pyramid-shaped building with a temple at the top, dedicated to a Sumerian deity . A temple is a building used to worship a god or many gods.

People in Sumer were divided into social classes. The upper class included kings, priests, warriors, and government workers. People in this class were powerful and wealthy. The middle class had farmers, fishers, and artisans. It was the largest group. Enslaved people made up the lowest class. They had no money and no power.

The basic unit of Sumerian life was the family. Men were the head of the family. Women ran the home and cared for
the children.

Sumerian Contributions

Sumerians created a way of writing called cuneiform. Cuneiform was written by using wedge-shaped marks cut
into damp clay. Only a few people learned to read and write cuneiform. Some of these people became scribes. A
scribe is a person who records business dealings and important events.

The oldest known story in the world comes from Sumer. This story is called the Epic of Gilgamesh. An epic is a long
poem that tells the story of a hero.

The Sumerians made many useful inventions. An invention is something new that is made. The Sumerians were the first people to use the wheel. They were also the first to use sailboats and wooden plows. In addition, they were the first to make bronze out of copper and tin.

The Sumerians studied mathematics and astronomy. Astronomy is the study of planets, stars, and other objects in space. By watching the position of the stars they learned the best times to plant crops.

Watch the video clip below from Discovery Education, as Nissaba, a young Sumerian girl, talks about her people's accomplishments.

In 1922, English archaeologist, C. Leonard Woolley went to Southern Iraq in hopes of finding the Sumerian city-state of Ur. Woolley learned archaeology from some of the best of his day, and now he was ready to strike off on his own. Many people felt that Ur was only a myth, but Woolley, the son of a clergyman, was fascinated by the stories his father told about Ur, which, according to the Bible, was the birth place of Abraham. Abraham is a central figure of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, three monotheistic religions.

Woolley decided to excavate near the ruins of a ziggurat and began to dig two trenches. Here, Woolley confirmed that the site was the ancient Sumerian city-state of Ur. Woolley's discovery of Ur along with the artifacts and burials there give us a glimpse of life in Sumer 4,500 years ago. Woolley discovered graves of common people, but also royal graves, including that of a Sumerian queen named Pu-Abi.

Around 2,300 BC, the independent city-states of Sumer were conquered by a man called Sargon the Great of Akkad, who had once ruled the city-state of Kish. Sargon was an Akkadian, a Semitic group of desert nomads who eventually settled in Mesopotamia just north of Sumer. The Sumerian king, Lugal-Zaggisi, tried to form a coalition of Sumerian city-states against Sargon, but he was defeated by the Akkadian. Sargon is considered the first empire builder. Sargon made Agade the capital city of his empire.

Sargon's daughter, Enheduanna, was first world's first credited author because she signed her name to a set of poems she wrote about her gods and goddesses. Sargon's son and grandson ruled after him, but eventually the Akkadian Empire fell, and was replaced by the Old Babylonian Empire.

Sadly, the Sumerians didn't spend enough time or money on weapons and defense. They were conquered by Sargon and his people, the Akkadians.

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Ancient Mesopotamia and the Sumerians The word Mesopotamia comes from Greek words meaning "land between the rivers." The rivers are the Tigris and Euphrates. The first settlers to this region did not speak Greek, it was only thousands of years later that the Greek-speaking Alexander the Great, King of Macedonia, conquered this land and carried with him his culture.

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By 5000 B.C., hunters and gatherers had moved into the Nile River valley. They settled there, farmed the land, and built villages. These people became the earliest Egyptians...

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Ancient Greeks believed gods and goddesses controlled nature and guided their lives. They built monuments, buildings, and statues to honor them. Stories of the gods and goddesses and their adventures were told in myths. The Greeks did not believe that gods and goddesses were all-powerful. They did have special powers, but they were just as flawed as humans. The gods and goddesses married humans, had children, fought wars, and argued with each other. The 12 most important gods and goddesses lived on Mount Olympus, the highest mountain in Greece. Zeus was the king of all the gods. Each god and goddess ruled over some aspect of life and was represented by certain objects or animals. To honor their gods and goddesses, ancient Greeks practiced rituals to please them and to ensure their good fortune. They built altars, prayed, presented gifts, and dedicated festivals to them. The Olympics was a festival created to honor the god Zeus, held in the city of Olympia.

The ancient Greeks also believed in fate and prophecy (predictions about the future). They went to oracles to find out about the future and advice about what to do. The most famous oracle was at the Temple of Apollo in the city of Delphi. Priests and priestesses spoke to the gods. The priestess received the message and it was translated by the priest. Answers were often given in riddles, which was sometimes misleading to the leaders and kings that went seeking advice.
Ask Yourself 1. In what ways does Greek religion affect its society? The affect Greek religion had was that it controlled the dominance in the community. Women were not allowed to vote, were not considered citizens and were often married off without their consent. Religion gave women a purpose in society; they were mourners. Women over saw purification rituals that would preserve the soul in the next life. This only gave them a small amount of say and power in the house hold. Religion also defined daily living because of its teachings. When people got into conflicts they sought out advice from the gods to resolve the situation. Ancient Greeks believed gods and goddesses controlled nature and guided their lives. they built monuments, buildings, and statues to honor them. Stories of the gods and goddesses and their adventures were told in myths. The Greeks did not believe that the gods and goddesses were all-powerful. They did have special powers, but they were just as flawed as humans. The gods and goddesses married humans, and children, fought wars, and argued with each other. 2. How is Greek religion different today? Originally, these stories were passed down orally from one generation to another, and over a span of several centuries, many changes took place. Homer (the writer of the Iliad and the Odyssey which are two epics considered the earliest and greatest works of Greek literature) is believed to be the first poet to record these myths into written form, thereby preserving them for future generations. many generations after Homer, people have continued to look at these stories because they address issues common to humanity. These tales were told to explain the surrounding world, human behavior, and problems common to all societies. In addition to explaining natural and religious origins, myths also provided humans with a history of their people and their neighbors. For the Greeks, myths shed light on aspects of their lives and tell them how they became who they are today. 3. What were some Greek religious ceremonies or rituals? Among the Greeks festivals for Dionysus, four types may be distinguished: the Great Dionysian, introduced in Athens in the sixth century BC, the Anesthesia, concerned with wine-drinking, the Agrarian, which included mimicking a women's uprising, madness, and cannibalistic fantasies, and the rustic Dionysian with goat sacrifices and a phallus procession. Some common rituals were weddings, funerals, banquets, etc. Choruses in Greek plays were sung, and music was central to religious and state ceremonies to these rituals.

Why do you think the ancient Greeks believed in so many gods and goddesses?

Why did the ancient Greeks dedicate so many rituals, festivals, statues, and buildings to their gods?

In what ways are the religious beliefs of the ancient Greeks like some religious beliefs practiced today?

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Ancient Greeks believed gods and goddesses controlled nature and guided their lives. They built monuments, buildings, and statues to honor them. Stories of the gods and goddesses and their adventures were told in myths. The Greeks did not believe that gods and goddesses were all-powerful.

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The Middle Ages, or Medieval Times, in Europe was a long period of history from the year 476 (the fall of the Roman Empire) to 1500 approximately.

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The Middle Ages, or Medieval Times, in Europe was a long period of history from the year 476 (the fall of the Roman Empire) to 1500 approximately.

This was a time of castles and peasants, guilds and monasteries, cathedrals and crusades. Great leaders such as Juana de Arco and Carlomagno were part of the Middle Ages as well as events such as the Black Plague and the rise of Islam.

In the Middle Ages most people lived on a manor in the country. A manor was a village with a castle, a church and some land around it. The king gave land to his most important noblemen and bishops. In return, they promised to give the king soldiers for his armies.

The lowest people of society were the peasants. They didn't have their own land, but they got land from the lords . The lords also gave them protection.

Peasants worked on the land and produced the goods that the lord needed. But they did not have a very nice life. They had to pay a lot of taxes and give the lord much of their harvests.

Poor people didn't get very much to eat. They had to eat dark bread because white bread was only for the king and his family. Only rich people had meat to eat.

Peasants lived in rustic country huts; the family animals, such as a cow, may also live inside the home. The home was usually dark, smoky from the fire, and uncomfortable.

The knights were nobles who also fought in battles and tournaments. There were three types of soldiers during the Middle Ages: foot soldiers, archers, and
knights. The knights were armored soldiers who rode on horses. Only the wealthiest nobles could afford to be a knight. They needed very expensive armor, weapons, and a powerful war horse.

The Nobles
Lords, ladies and were called nobles. Knights were also nobles. They had a much higher status in medieval society than that of the peasants. The peasants served the nobles and were controlled by them.
A Lord had complete authority over his lands and the people who lived on his lands.

A Lady had very few rights. She was expected to marry whoever her father chose and could be married at an age as young as twelve years old. Her responsibilities were to care for the household, and raise children.

A Knight served his lord during times of battle, which was frequent. He enjoyed more freedoms and rights than peasants, but his life was always dangerous.

The castles were beautiful from the outside, but they were damp, smelly, and cold on the inside. They were built to protect the lords and ladies, not to be comfortable.

Catholic Church got so much power in the Middle Ages. The Pope had even more power than the very same Kings. Local bishops also got a lot of power, influence and, above all,
wealth. Because the leaders of the Church were almost always nobles, they received lands and wealth from the king, and also peasants who served them. Other nobles often paid them tributes in hopes of obtaining the grace of God...

As the Middles Ages went on, Priests, Bishops and Church in general obtained such a high power in society that they even decided on political decisions of their kingdoms.

Life in the Cities
City life was very different from country life, but it wasn't much easier. The cities were crowded and dirty. A lot of people worked as craftsmen and were members of a guild. Young boys would serve as apprentices for seven years learning a craft. Other jobs in the city included servants, merchants, bakers, doctors, and lawyers.

City homes were very crowded and usually everyone slept in the same room. They were usually dirty, unhealthy and provided a narrow (very small) space for their occupants.

Very few people attended school in the Middle Ages. Schools didn't exist as we know them today.
Most peasants' children learned their job and how to survive from their parents.
Some children learned a craft through their parents' lessons.
Only rich, princes or noble children often learned through personal teachers in individual or small-group classes. They would go to live in the castle of another lord where they would work for the lord, learning about how a large manor was run.
There were some schools run by the church. Here students would learn to read and write Latin. The first universities also began during the Middle Ages.
Watch The Middle Ages in 3 1/2 Minutes:
Between Ancient and Modern

In 476CE, warriors attacked the city of Rome and ended more than 800 years of glory for the "Eternal City." Historians mark the fall of Rome as the end of ancient history. The next one thousand years were called the Middle Ages. The Latin term for Middle Ages is "medieval."

The beginning of the Middle Ages is often called the "Dark Ages" because the great civilizations of Greece and Rome had fallen. Life in Western Europe during the Middle Ages was very hard. Very few people could read or write and nobody expected conditions to improve. The only hope for most people during the Middle Ages was their strong belief in Christianity, and the hope that life in heaven would be better than life on Earth.

The Dark Ages were anything but dark in other parts of the world. The Muslims in the Middle East and North Africa studied and improved on the works of the ancient Greeks while civilization flourished in sub-Saharan Africa, China, India, and the Americas.

Europe began to experience great change by about 1450. Within one hundred years, Columbus had sailed to America, literacy spread, scientists made great discoveries, and artists created work that still inspires us today. Historians call the next period of European history the "Renaissance," or the "rebirth." The Renaissance is the beginning of modern history.

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The Middle Ages, or Medieval Times, in Europe was a long period of history from the year 476 (the fall of the Roman Empire) to 1500 approximately. This was a time of castles and peasants, guilds and monasteries, cathedrals and crusades.

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The three most dominant and advanced civilizations that developed in the Americas prior to the arrival of the Europeans were the Aztecs, the Maya, and the Inca.

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The three most dominant and advanced civilizations that developed in the Americas prior to the arrival of the Europeans were the Aztecs, the Maya, and the Inca.

Aztecs

The Aztec Empire was located in central Mexico. It ruled much of the region from the 1400s until the Spanish arrived in 1519. Much of the Aztec society centered around their religion and gods. They built large pyramids as temples to their gods and went to war to capture people they could sacrifice to their gods.

The capital city of the Aztec Empire was Tenochtitlan. This city was founded in 1325 on an island in Lake Texcoco. At the height of its power, the city likely had a population of 200,000 people. At the center of the city was a large temple complex with pyramids and a palace for the king. The rest of the city was planned out in a grid-like fashion and divided up into districts. It had causeways built to get to the mainland and aqueducts to bring fresh water into the city.

The Aztec called their ruler the Tlatoani. The Empire reached its height under the rule of Tlatoani Montezuma I. Around 1517 the priests of the Aztecs began to see omens of doom. They felt that something bad was going to happen. They were right. In 1519 Spanish conquistador Hernan Cortes arrived in Mexico. By 1521 the Spanish had conquered the Aztecs. They tore down much of the city of Tenochtitlan and built their own city on the site called Mexico City.

Maya

The Maya civilization began as early as 2000 BC and continued to have a strong presence in Mesoamerica for over 3000 years until the Spanish arrived in 1519 AD. The Maya were organized into powerful city-states. Over the course of Maya history, different city-states came into power such as El Mirador, Tikal, Uxmal, Caracol, and Chichen Itza.

The Maya were located in Central America in a region that is today made up of southern Mexico, the Yucatan Peninsula, Guatemala, Belize, and northern El Salvador. They built hundreds of cities filled with large stone structures. The Maya are perhaps best known today for their many pyramids. They built pyramids to their gods that towered hundreds of feet tall above the jungle.

The Maya were the only American civilization to develop an advanced written language. They also excelled in mathematics, art, architecture, and astronomy. The golden age of the Maya civilization occurred during what is called the Classic Period from 250 AD to 900 AD.

Inca

The Inca Empire was centered in Peru and ruled over much of the west coast of South America from the 1400s to the time of the Spanish arrival in 1532. This wide ranging empire did not have the wheel, iron tools, or a writing system, but its complex government and system of roads created a society where everyone had a job, a home, and something to eat.

The emperor of the Inca was known as the Sapa Inca. The first Sapa Inca was Manco Capac. He founded the Kingdom of Cuzco around 1200 AD. The city of Cuzco would remain the capital of the empire as it expanded in the coming years. The Inca expanded into a great empire under the reign of Pachacuti. Pachacuti created the Inca Empire which the Inca called the Tawantinsuyu. At its height, the Inca Empire had an estimated population of over 10 million people.

The Inca were conquered by the Spanish and conquistador Francisco Pizarro in 1533. The empire was already severely weakened by civil war and diseases such as smallpox when Pizarro arrived.

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The three most dominant and advanced civilizations that developed in the Americas prior to the arrival of the Europeans were the Aztecs, the Maya, and the Inca. Aztecs The Aztec Empire was located in central Mexico. It ruled much of the region from the 1400s until the Spanish arrived in 1519.

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Ancient Mesopotamia is considered the cradle of civilization because the Mesopotamians developed many things that we take for granted in our modern lives, such as agriculture, language, cities, religion, and government.

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Virtual Tours (YouGoCulture | National and Kapodistrian University of Athens)

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Virtual Tours (YouGoCulture | National and Kapodistrian University of Athens)

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Each destination is developed on the basis of its important cultural heritage (Myth) [...] just click on your point of interest and start your journey!

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Each destination is developed on the basis of its important cultural heritage (Myth) and its contemporary life (Experience). Points of Interest (POI) are recorded, having as a reference point archaeological sites or places of cultural/ touristic significance. Just click on your point of interest and start your journey.

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"Believe it or not, but the Olympics have been around for nearly 3,000 years. In fact, the first Olympic games to be recorded in history took place in 776 B.C."

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Links to the major groups of Medieval Europe (and much more!)

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(LiveBinders site... beware of lousy links and "resource dumping)

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Links to various sites for Ms. Howard's "Monsters and Heroes of Greek Mythology" project

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The Renaissance: Was it a Thing? - Crash Course World History #22

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Would you like your classmates to solve one of the "open cases"of history? Take a look at this resource of American history examples... could this be constructed for World History?

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In partnership with the College of William & Mary School of Education, University of Kentucky School of Education, and the Library of Congress Teaching with Primary Sources Program

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Modeling and Teaching Good Digital Citizenship

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Modeling and Teaching Good Digital Citizenship

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Working with your students on the complexities of being a good digital citizen is an increasingly important component of guiding the next generation.

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Modeling and Teaching Good Digital Citizenship

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by: Darren Milligan, Senior Digital Strategist, Smithsonian Center for Learning and Digital Access

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Welcome to the British Museum's website on ancient India. Use the the 'Staff Room' pages to get the most out of the website for themselves and for your class.

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School sessions and resources for ages 7-11 (KS2).

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Resources, plugins, extensions, and ideas for teaching Social Studies in the middle grades.

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Library of Congress 6th Gr. NC SS Standards & Resources

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Library of Congress 6th Gr. NC SS Standards & Resources

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Page Not Found -- 404 -- Library of Congress

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The page you requested could not be found. If you’ve discovered a broken link please report it to us.

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Biography Reference CenterComprehensive collection of full-text biographies and thousands of unique narrative biographies. Provides coverage for heavily researched biographies and genres. Help Video

History Reference Center
Covering both U.S. and world history topics - full-text database featuring historical reference books, magazines, journals and thousands of primary source documents. Help Video

Points of View Reference Center
Presents multiple sides of an issue. Provides rich content helping students realize & develop persuasive arguments & essays, better understand controversial issues, develop analytical thinking skills. Help Video

Publications Finder Search for popular magazines, periodicals, journals, educator and student resources. Help Video

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Biography Reference Center Comprehensive collection of full-text biographies and thousands of unique narrative biographies. Provides coverage for heavily researched biographies and genres. Help Video History Reference Center Covering both U.S. and world history topics - full-text database featuring historical reference books, magazines, journals and thousands of primary source documents.

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You may have to sign-in. Use your Google/Gmail login.

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About Gale In Context: Middle School

Explore the most-studied topics including cultures, government, people, history, literature, and more.

Don't know how to login?

Depending on this location's preferences, the log-in process could include your library card number, a student or user ID, or another provided password. If you don't know how to log in, please contact your library or school directly.

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About Gale In Context: Middle School Explore the most-studied topics including cultures, government, people, history, literature, and more. Don't know how to login? Depending on this location's preferences, the log-in process could include your library card number, a student or user ID, or another provided password.

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You may have to sign-in. Use your Google/Gmail login.

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About Gale OneFile: World History

Access balanced coverage of events in world history and scholarly work being established in the field.

Don't know how to login?

Depending on this location's preferences, the log-in process could include your library card number, a student or user ID, or another provided password. If you don't know how to log in, please contact your library or school directly.

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About Gale OneFile: World History Access balanced coverage of events in world history and scholarly work being established in the field. Don't know how to login? Depending on this location's preferences, the log-in process could include your library card number, a student or user ID, or another provided password.

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The best reading passages and tools for the best price: FREE

Why? Because teachers shouldn't have to pay.

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For full functionality of this site it is necessary to enable JavaScript. Click here for instructions on how to enable JavaScript in your web browser.

World-class content

Access thousands of reading lessons and our comprehensive ELA curriculum, CommonLit 360.

Accessible for all learners

Tailor instruction to students' needs with text-to-speech, translation, and digital note-taking.

Actionable data

Track students' reading performance, set goals, and plan instructional next steps.

CommonLit
Digital Library

Discover thousands of free, supplemental lessons and quizzes in English and Spanish - all featuring great authors.

CommonLit
Assessment Series

Measure growth in reading comprehension with three benchmark assessments when you unlock our premium packages.

CommonLit 360 &
Professional Development

Support a successful rollout of our research-backed ELA curriculum with personalized webinars and on-demand trainings.

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CommonLit has made a tremendously positive impact on my teaching practice. I'm very proud to teach CommonLit!

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CommonLit definitely keeps me organized. It's easy for me to grade and it's easy for me to see students' reading growth increase throughout the year.

"

The CommonLit assessment questions are aligned to our ELA standards, which is extremely helpful when prepping for the state exam.

Teachers trust CommonLit to foster students' reading comprehension

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CommonLit | Free Online Reading Passages and Literacy Resources

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CommonLit is a comprehensive literacy program with thousands of reading lessons, full-year ELA curriculum, benchmark assessments, and standards-based data for teachers.

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Google Arts & Culture features content from over 2000 leading museums and archives who have partnered with the Google Cultural Institute to bring the world's treasures online.

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What does it mean? Why is it important to teaching history in the 21st century? What does teaching and learning historical thinking look like in the classroom?

Find: resources that introduce and frame this set of processes.

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Sun 9 2011

We here at Teachinghistory.org use the term a lot and you have probably heard it bandied about lately. But what does it mean? Why is it important to teaching history in the 21st century? And most importantly, what does teaching and learning historical thinking look like in the classroom?

In this first of a series of blogs about historical thinking, we identify resources that introduce and frame this complex set of processes. We also identify features here at Teachinghistory.org that you can explore to see what historical thinking looks like in real classroom lessons and materials.

We recommend starting with our seven-minute "What is Historical Thinking?" video available on our home page. In it we define historical thinking as the reading, analysis, and writing that is necessary to develop our understanding of the past.

The past is difficult to retrieve and [historical thinking] helps us write accurate stories about what happened and what those events meant.

The past is difficult to retrieve and these ways of reading and analysis help us write accurate stories about what happened and what those events meant. In the video we use the question, "How do we know what we know?" to frame historical thinking.

Five core components of historical thinking help us answer that question. These are:

1. Multiple Accounts & Perspectives

2. Analysis of Primary Documents

3. Sourcing

4. Understanding Historical Context

5. Claim-Evidence Connection

Frameworks like this one can help you and your students make sense of complex thinking processes. Use it to plan instruction and consider the kinds of tasks that students tackle in your classroom. Introduce it to your students and refer back to it as you teach lessons that incorporate these components.

Browse digital resources that offer related frameworks that can be used in the same way. This movie at Historical Thinking Matters introduces the nature of historical reading and includes a rationale for the civic importance of building your students' historical reading skills. Based on empirical research done by Stanford Professor Sam Wineburg, the video introduces and models four historical reading and thinking strategies: sourcing, contextualization, corroboration, and close reading. Continue exploring Historical Thinking Matters and the Stanford History Education Group website to find instructional resources for using this framework in middle and high school classrooms.

Investigate any of these frameworks to learn more about the nature of "historical thinking."

Check out this entry about the Historical Inquiry: Scaffolding Wise Practices in the History Classroom project produced by scholars at Virginia Tech. Explore video tutorials and text that demonstrate historical reading and thinking using their SCIM-C (summarizing, contextualizing, inferring, monitoring, corroborating) framework. While you're there, browse their list of links to find related teaching materials.

Visit the Benchmarks of Historical Thinking produced by the Canadian Centre for Historical Consciousness for another helpful framework. Focused on six core concepts including historical significance and the ethical dimensions of history, this site includes lesson plans that show each concept in action.

Don't forget the Historical Thinking Standards produced by UCLA's National Center for History in the Schools. Chunked into five sets of skills, including chronological thinking and historical research capabilities, these standards identify composite skills that can help you conceptualize historical thinking in concrete and practical ways.

Investigate any of these frameworks to learn more about the nature of "historical thinking." Consider using one of them to help you make choices about how you will scaffold and segment instruction and to help your students name and understand the thinking skills they will learn in your class.

What Does Teaching Historical Thinking Look Like in the Classroom?

Visit features here at Teachinghistory.org to see real-world examples of teaching for historical thinking. Browse Teaching in Action to see teachers and students engaged in classroom lessons that integrate historical thinking. Watch fourth-grade students closely analyze John Smith's 1612 map or secondary students use evidence from primary sources to discuss the Black Codes in the post Civil War South.

It is our mission to bring you quality resources for integrating this vital, engaging, and necessary aspect of understanding history into your classroom.

Explore Examples of Historical Thinking to see short videos of historians and students actively analyzing historical sources. Browse these to strengthen your understanding of these thinking processes and use them to model the same for your students.

Explore Lesson Plan Reviews to find K-12 lesson plans that have earned our gold seal of approval-each includes an aspect of teaching for historical thinking. Check out the rubric we use to evaluate these plans and notice the lesson descriptors that directly relate to historical thinking:

Requires students to read and write

Requires close reading and attention to source information

Requires students to analyze or construct interpretations using evidence

Teaching Guides detail specific instructional approaches for building your students' historical thinking capabilities. Try this one about closely analyzing images with elementary students, this one about creating service projects with local history museums, or this one about coaching secondary students in writing thesis statements.

Don't miss our Teaching with Textbooks feature to find methods for challenging the textbook's privileged place as the final word in the classroom and helping students see it as one account among many.

There are many more resources at Teachinghistory.org for exploring the nature of historical thinking and how to teach for it. Because, yes, it is our mission to bring you quality resources for integrating this vital, engaging, and necessary aspect of understanding history into your classroom. So explore!

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Sun 9 2011 We here at Teachinghistory.org use the term a lot and you have probably heard it bandied about lately. But what does it mean? Why is it important to teaching history in the 21st century? And most importantly, what does teaching and learning historical thinking look like in the classroom?

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Reading Like A Historian from the Stanford History Education Group (you may see the acronym SHEG a lot... now you know what it stands for!).

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History Lessons | Stanford History Education Group

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This curriculum teaches students how to investigate historical questions by employing reading strategies such as sourcing, contextualizing, corroborating, and close reading. Instead of memorizing historical facts, students evaluate the trustworthiness of multiple perspectives on historical issues and learn to make historical claims backed by documentary evidence.

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An ugly resource, sure. But, it's a fine starting place. A project of George Mason University (last updated: 2009).

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World History Matters » A Portal to World History Sites from the Center for History and New Media

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World History Matters is a portal to world history websites developed by the Center for History and New Media

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EDSITEment is a partnership between the National Endowment for the Humanities and the National Trust for the Humanities.

EDSITEment offers a treasure trove for teachers, students, and parents searching for high-quality material on the Internet in the subject areas of literature and language arts, foreign languages, art and culture, and history and social studies.

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Histography is an interactive timeline that spans across 14 billion years of history, from the Big Bang to 2015

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BBC Ancient History -- though it's an archived page, it should still serve as a useful resource.

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Ancient History section of the BBC History website

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Exploring Lives in Ancient History through Primary Sources

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Exploring Lives in Ancient History through Primary Sources

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One of the best ways to understand any historical age is to examine its primary sources: its tools, food, art, songs, and writings.

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We are excited to announce that we've taken the same great professional development and instructional support resources you've come to rely on from History Hub, and created even more impactful communities
aligned to each of your needs.

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HISTORY HUB ANNOUNCEMENT History Hub Has a New Home! We are excited to announce that we've taken the same great professional development and instructional support resources you've come to rely on from History Hub, and created even more impactful communities aligned to each of your needs.

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Egyptian Art and Artifacts: Unearthing the Past

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Egyptian Art and Artifacts: Unearthing the Past

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We are excited to announce that we've taken the same great professional development and instructional support resources you've come to rely on from History Hub, and created even more impactful communities
aligned to each of your needs.

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HISTORY HUB ANNOUNCEMENT History Hub Has a New Home! We are excited to announce that we've taken the same great professional development and instructional support resources you've come to rely on from History Hub, and created even more impactful communities aligned to each of your needs.

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Islamic Empires - Ancient History of Islam - Ottoman Empire - Flocabulary

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Learn about Muhammad and the Islamic Empires with Flocabulary’s educational rap song and lesson plan.

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Middle Ages: Asia (Flocabulary) [Feudal Japan]

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Middle Ages: Asia (Flocabulary) [Feudal Japan]

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Middle Ages: Asia - Middle Ages - Feudal Japan - Flocabulary

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Learn all about the Middle Ages in Asia, Feudal Japan and Genghis Khan with Flocabulary’s educational rap song and lesson plan.

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Ancient Egypt for Kids - King Tut - Flocabulary

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Learn key facts about Ancient Egypt with Flocabulary’s educational rap song and lesson plan.

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Middle Ages: Europe - Middle Ages - Medieval Europe - Flocabulary

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Learn all about the Middle Ages in Europe, the Crusades and the Magna Carta with Flocabulary's educational rap song and lesson plan.

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Ancient Rome for Kids - Spartacus - Flocabulary

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Learn all about Ancient Rome and Spartacus's slave revolt with Flocabulary's educational rap song and lesson plan.

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This unit guide has been designed to help you navigate the NC standards, historical content, and vocabulary from this era that students need.  Suggested Lesson Essential Questions are designed to be individual lessons- one question per day.

Download a copy of the guide here.

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A full DBQ (document based question) PDF around the spread of Islamic civilization.

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Social Studies Skills: "How To..." Guides

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Social Studies Skills: "How To..." Guides

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Dozens of skill-builder references. From "Drawing Conclusions" and "Making Decisions" to "Sequencing" and "Reading Maps"

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Social Studies Skills: “How To...” Guides

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For the coming week (April 4-8, 2022) and moving forward, all students (PreK through post grads) and staff at all WW-P schools will be mask optional. Masks will still be required by all passengers on buses, regardless of vaccination status.

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From Cleveland Schools, this is a one-stop shop for social studies resources. Not where I would go first... but an option.