Social Studies - 2019-20
WHI.3b - Ancient River Valley Civilizations Development of Social, Political, and Economic Patterns
The student will apply social science skills to understand the ancient river valley civilizations, including those of Mesopotamia, Egypt, the Indus River Valley, and China and the civilizations of the Hebrews and Phoenicians, by
b) describing the development of social, political, and economic patterns, including slavery;
BIG IDEAS
How did civilizations gain, consolidate, maintain, and lose their power?
Do the benefits of innovation outweigh the costs?
How does our environment affect us? How do we affect it?
UNDERSTANDING THE STANDARD
River valleys were the “cradles of civilization.” Early civilizations made major contributions to social, political, and economic development.
ESSENTIALS
Development of social patterns
Hereditary rulers: Dynasties of kings, pharaohs
Rigid class system where slavery was accepted
Development of political patterns
World’s first states (i.e., city-states, kingdoms, empires)
Centralized government, often based on religious authority
Written law codes (e.g., Ten Commandments, Code of Hammurabi)
Development of economic patterns
Use of metal (e.g., bronze, iron) tools and weapons
Increasing agricultural surplus: Better tools, plows, irrigation
Increasing trade along rivers and by the sea (Phoenicians)
Development of the world’s first cities
Development of the practice of slavery within most cultures in the ancient world, taking various forms
KEY VOCABULARY
Terms
Civilization (3a)
Division of labor (3a)
Cultural diffusion (3a)
Code of Hammurabi (3b)
Theocracy (3b)
City state (3b)
Dynasty (3b)
Empire (3b)
Divine (3b)
Barter (3b)
Slavery (3b)
Ziggurat (3c)
Polytheism (3c)
Monotheism (3c)
Judaism (3d)
Diaspora (3d)
Exile (3d)
Torah (3d)
Ten Commandments (3d)
Jerusalem (3d)
Christianity (3d)
Islam (3d)
Pictograms (3e)
Cuneiform (3e)
Hieroglyphics (3e)
Alphabet (3e)People
Hebrews (3a)
Phoenicians (3a)
Hammurabi (3b)
Jews (3d)
Abraham (3d)
Moses (3d)
Places
River Valley Civilizations (3a)
Mesopotamia (3a)
Fertile Crescent (3a)
Sumer (3a)
Egypt (3a)
India (3a)
Indus (3a)
China (3a)
Shang (3a)
Tigris & Euphrates Rivers (3a)
Nile River (3a)
Indus River (3a)
Huang He River (3a)
Jordan River
Nubia (3a)
Babylon (3a)