Grade 7 Ancient World History

Required Materials: 

• Paper
• Pencil
• Colored pencils
• Ruler
• Printer

Syllabus:

Unit 1 - Introduction

Objectives:

• Describe the aspects of studying history and geography.
• Explain how dates are written.
• Interpret maps, including explanation of lines of latitude and longitude.
• Explain the use of different types of maps.
• Locate items on a map using longitude and latitude.
• Explain prehistory and understand the Three-Age system.
• Locate items within Mesopotamia and the southwest Asia region.
• Describe the rise of civilization in Mesopotamia.
• Describe the development of writing, math, and technology in the Sumerian civilization.
• Explain the rise of empires and conquests by Mesopotamian city-states.
• Discuss Hammurabi’s Code and the Epic of Gilgamesh.

Lesson:

• Introduction to World History
• Tools of Geography
• Prehistory
• The Cradle of Civilization: Mesopotamia
• Mesopotamian Empires

Unit 2 - Geographical Crossroads

Objectives:

• Recognize the geography of the Middle East and Egypt.
• Describe ancient Egyptian cultures, including their religion, society, and culture.
• Define the periods and kingdoms of Egyptian history.
• Describe the best known rulers of the early Egyptian kingdoms.
• Explain the formation of the Hebrew nation and Jewish religion.
• Describe the geography and early cultures of sub-Saharan Africa.
• Describe the geography and early cultures of North, Central, and South America.

Lessons:

• Geography of the Middle East and Ancient Egypt
• History of Ancient Egypt
• The Hebrews
• Sub-Saharan Africa
• Early History of the Americas

Unit 3 - Asian Influence

Objectives:

• Describe the geography and three basic divisions of Asia.
• Recognize the early cultures of India.
• Describe the cultures and civilization of the early Indian peoples.
• Describe the history and cultures of the early Chinese dynasties.
• Explain the rise of the early Asian religions.

Lessons:

• Geography of Asia
• Early Cultures of India
• Ancient China
• Zhou, Qin, and Han Dynasties
• Rise of Asian Religions

Unit 4 - Greek Influence

Objectives:

• Describe the geography of the region of Greece, including its location on the shores of the Mediterranean, Aegean, and Ionian Seas.
• Describe the early civilizations of Greece and its Dark Age.
• Describe the rise of city-states, including Sparta and Athens.
• Explain the rise of various forms of government in the Greek city-states.
• Describe the Greek culture, including information on the economy and colonization.
• Recount events of the Persian and Peloponnesian wars.
• Describe the Macedon Empire of Alexander Great, and its aftermath.

Lessons:

• Ancient Greece
• Greek City-States
• Athens and Greek Culture
• Wars Abroad and at Home
• Alexander the Great and the Macedon Empire

Unit 5 - The Roman Empire

Objectives:

• Describe the geography of the Italian Peninsula.
• Explain the rise of the Roman Republic and define the people who created it.
• Recount events and people of the Punic Wars.
• Describe the events that led to the end of the Republic and the movement from Confederation to Empire.
• Describe Roman culture, including religion, society, economy, education.
• Describe Roman art, literature, and architecture.
• Recount events of the division, decline, and fall of the Roman Empire.

Lessons:

• The Roman Republic and the Punic Wars
• Geographical Crossroads
• Roman Culture and Society
• Roman Culture and Society (continued)
• Fall of the Roman Empire

Unit 6 - The Middle Ages

Objectives:

• Identify events marking the beginning and the end of the Middle Ages.
• Survey the history of the Byzantine Empire.
• Describe events that led to the Roman Catholic Church’s influence and control of European life.
• Describe the rise of Islam and growth of the Islamic Empire.
• Explain the impact that Islam had on the people of the Arabian Peninsula and in conquered territories.
• Recall the essential tenets of the Islamic faith.
• Identify the contributions made by Islamic scholars.
• Create a timeline of the Middle Ages.
• Identify contributing factors to the decline of feudalism including the Crusades and the Black Death

Lessons:

• Byzantium
• Early Middle Ages
• Birth and Expansion of Islam
• Islamic Beliefs
• Islam Scholarship

Unit 7 - Feuds and Crusades

Objectives:

• Describe the social structure of feudalism and its impact on politics and daily life in Europe.
• Explain the formation of the Holy Roman Empire and its importance.
• Describe the events of the Norman conquest and its lasting impact on the history of England.
• Examine the arts, family structure, religion, and government of Europe during the High Middle Ages.
• Distinguish the events and results of the first four crusades and the Children’s Crusade.
• Explain the impact of the crusades on feudalism, the fate of Constantinople, and relations between Christians and Muslims.

Lessons:

• Feudalism
• Holy Roman Empire
• The Norman Conquest and the Magna Carta
• The High Middle Ages
• The Crusades and the Fall of Constantinople

Unit 8 - Cultural Empires and Government

Objective:

• Identify elements of the arts, family structure, religion, and government of cultures in Africa, China, India, and Japan.
• Survey the development of African empires and civilizations including the Ghana, Mali, Songhai, Bantu, and Great Zimbabwe.
• Describe ways trade routes to North Africa and the Middle East affected the culture of West Africa.
• Outline the succession of Chinese dynasties during the Middle Ages including the Tang, Song, Yuan, and Ming.
• Describe the rise of the Mongol Empire and its influence on cultures and religion in Asia and Europe.
• Survey the development of Japanese civilization including the Heian period, feudalism, and the Tokugawa isolation.
• Survey the development of Indian empires and civilizations including the Gupta, Delhi Sultanate, Tamerlane Empire, and Mughal Empire.

Lessons:

• African Empires
• China in the Middle Ages
• The Mongole Empire
• Feudal Japan
• Empires of India

Unit 9 - Renaissance and the Age of Exploration

Objectives:

• Explain the social, religious, and economic factors that sparked the Renaissance.
• Analyze the impact of important events during the Renaissance including the Hundred Years’ War.
• Identify reasons that the Renaissance spread through Europe.
• Describe contributions made by Renaissance writers, architects, and artists.
• Explain developments that led to the Age of Exploration.
• Identify key explorers and their achievements.
• Describe the impact of contact between Europeans and New World indigenous peoples.
• Outline the events of the conquistador conquest of the Aztecs and Inca.
• Analyze the impact of the Columbian Exchange on cultures and peoples in the New World, Europe, Asia, and Africa.

Lessons:

• The Renaissance
• Renaissance Arts and Sciences
• Age of Exploration
• Conquest of Mesoamerica
• The Columbian Exchange

Unit 10 - Reformation and Enlightenment

Objectives:

• Explain the social, religious, and economic factors that sparked the Protestant Reformation.
• Analyze how the Reformation changed European perceptions of the Church and the authority of the Bible.
• Identify ways that classical thinking influenced the development of the scientific method.
• Survey evolving philosophical views during the Age of Reason.
• Identify key thinkers of the Scientific Revolution, Age of Reason, and the Enlightenment and describe their contributions.
• Explain the connection between Enlightenment thinking and the founding documents of the United States.

Lessons:

• The Reformation
• Consequences of the Reformation
• The Scientific Revolution
• The age of Reason
• Enlightenment and the United States