2016-09-14
This time period covers Periods one and two, but will be taught and assessed as a single unit. It is very important for later units that you learn the material in this first time period well. You will learn about the discovery of agriculture, the development of metal technology, and the rise of civilizations. After learning about the first major civilizations that emerged in river valleys, you will study the classical civilizations of India, China, and the Mediterranean region (Greece and Rome). You will learn many major belief systems and religions in this unit, and understand how they support and influence political, social and gender structures. After comparing the ways in which these classical civilizations fell, you will see that at the end of this time period civilization is defined more by religious zones (Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, etc) than by political empires. 

As you read the Key Concepts, don't just memorize individual facts (although you do need to know them.) It is important that you know how facts serve as examples of the larger concepts under which they are indexed.