Curated OER
Ancient River Valley Civilizations
Ziggurats, cuneiform writing, the Tower of Babel, hieroglyphics, pyramids, the Great Wall. Launch a unit on ancient cultures, with a presentation that introduces viewers to ancient Mesopotamia, Babylonia, Sumer, Egypt, Indus, and China....
Curated OER
Ancient Trade Routes
Learners research details about ancient trade routes such as the silk, amber, tin, and incense routes. They make a map showing the trade routes and add details to maps, such as keys and samples of products traded. They compare ancient...
California Academy of Science
Guess That Spice
From medical treatments to cooking, people have been using herbs and spices for thousands of years. Perform a blind smell test of household herbs and spices to engage students in learning about ancient spice trading. Research the history...
Curated OER
The Silk Road, An Ancient Internet
Pupils examine how goods and ideas moved along an ancient trade route between China and Europe. They make charts of items, ideas, etc. that were transported along the Silk Route.
American Museum of Natural History
The Ancient City of Petra
Anyone who has seen Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade will recognize the entrance to the Nabataean city of Petra. Young archaeologists don't need horses or camels to travel through the Sig and tour this fascinating city, however. With...
Curated OER
Silk Road Assessment
In this ancient trade routes worksheet, students respond to 10 multiple choice questions and 1 essay question about the Silk Road and its significance.
TED-Ed
The Silk Road: Connecting the Ancient World Through Trade
Introduce learners to The Silk Road, the first world-wide web. The narrator of this short, animated video traces the pioneers of globalization and the impact they had on culture and economy. The Scythians, Darius the First, and Alexander...
American Museum of Natural History
A Walk Through the Ruins of Petra
Walking through the ancient Nabataean city of Petra can be a challenge. A tour begins with a 20-minute walk down a rocky slope through the narrow Siq to get to the famous Treasury known to Indiana Jones fans. But that is just the...
Curated OER
Trekking to Timbuktu: Trade in Ancient West Africa
Middle schoolers research how trade in Timbuktu was affected by geography. Students conduct online research to determine the major trade routes, main products of trade, plus how and why trade spread across Africa.
Curated OER
Natural Resources and Ancient Cities
Students explain how the availability of natural resources has affected human settlement patterns. They recognize the interactions of human populations on environments and compare the growth of two ancient cities in relation to natural...
Curated OER
Archaic Greece
What could be so interesting about archaic Greece? What isn't! Kids will get a chance to see some of the amazing artifacts unearthed by explorers of old. As the slides progress, so does the ancient timeline. From the Early Bronze Age and...
University of California
Influences from South to Southeast Asia
In ancient times, people along trade routes exchanged ideas in addition to goods. Scholars view eight primary sources, such as artwork, to understand how India influenced southern Asia. Academics participate in a short group discussion...
University of California
Maurya Connections
While many can name important European explorers, the Maurya empire and its role in building global trade is often neglected in world history curricula. Expand teaching on ancient India topic. Resource set includes ancient texts, such as...
Curated OER
The Glory That Was Greece
Today we are going Greek! Provide the class with a clear and well-organized overview of all things pertaining to ancient Greece. From early Greeks and Homer, to the Persian Wars and great philosophers, this slide show has it all. Review...
Museum of Tolerance
Citizenship Then and Now: Comparing Ancient Rome and Contemporary American Society
Class members research citizenship in Ancient Rome and in the United States and use the provided graphic organizers to compare the rights and responsibilities of citizens in these two democracies.
Curated OER
The Interconnectedness of Ancient Peoples Map Study
Seventh graders begin this lesson by viewing various maps of the Ancient World. As a class, they take notes on the changes of different areas in Europe and Asia as their teacher lectures to them. They answer questions about the...
Curated OER
Ancient Mediterranean Lands: Rome
Seventh graders research ancient Roman civilizations, trade routes, aqueducts, and agriculture. In this Ancient Rome lesson, 7th graders view a picture of the Roman Aqueduct Pont du Gard and discuss its use in ancient Rome. Students read...
Curated OER
Exchange of Goods and Ideas in the Ancient Mediterranean
Ninth graders begin the lesson by discussing and locating the trade routes in the Mediterranean. Using pieces of pottery and coins, they discuss how it shows the culture of an area and create a chart showing the value of the coins. ...
Curated OER
Primary Sources and Archaeology in the Study of Ancient Mediterranean Trade
Tenth graders begin the lesson by plotting trade routes, major empires and items traded. Using primary sources, they examine their own values regarding trading items for royality. They participate in a role-play exercise in which they...
University of California
Silk Roads
We take for granted globalization today, but its roots run deep within China centuries ago. Using texts from ancient Chinese historians and photographs of items showing growing Eurasian trade, scholars look at the traces of...
Curated OER
Trekking to Timbuktu: Trade in West Africa (Lesson 2)
Middle schoolers examine the importance of trade in West Africa. Using a virtual time capsule, they travel back to ancient times and travel along with a caravan. They answer specific questions related to the journey and items they are...
Curated OER
Trade in the Silk Road Cities
Students use Google Earth to map cities along the Silk Road trade route. In this Silk Road trading lesson, students complete a worksheet examining production, transportation, and value of goods and research trade items. Students create a...
Curated OER
In Celebration of the Silk Road
Sixth graders explore the ancient trade routes of the Silk Road with a focus on a province in China to identify artifacts and research how these items arrived in the city of Turpan.
Council for Economic Education
The Silk Road
The Silk Road connected the European, Middle Eastern, and Asian worlds. It also helped create the modern trade world. An analysis activity makes the importance of this Chinese innovation clear by asking participants to evaluate trades...