Standard(s) of Learning

WHI.3		The student will demonstrate knowledge of ancient river valley civilizations, including Mesopotamia, Egypt, the Indus River Valley, and China and the civilizations of the Hebrews, Phoenicians, and Nubians, by
		a)	locating these civilizations in time and place;
		b)	describing the development of social, political, and economic patterns, including slavery;
		c)	explaining the development of religious traditions;
		d)	describing the origins, beliefs, traditions, customs, and spread of Judaism;
		e)	explaining the development of language and writing.

NOTE: The Virginia Board of Education adopted the revised 2008 History and Social Science Standards of Learning at the January 10, 2008, meeting. Full implementation of these documents is scheduled for the 2010-2011 school year, as outlined in Superintendent’s Memorandum Informational Number 49. 

Content

Explain that during the New Stone Age, permanent settlements appeared in river valleys and around the Fertile Crescent.

Explain that river valleys provided rich soil for crops, as well as protection from invasion.        

Identify the location of the earliest river civilizations (about 3500 to 500 B.C.), using the following information as a guide:
•    Egyptian civilization—Nile River Valley and Delta (Africa)
•    Mesopotamian civilization—Tigris and Euphrates River Valleys (Southwest Asia)            
•    Indian civilization—Indus River Valley (South Asia)
•    Chinese civilization—Huang He Valley (East Asia)

Explain that these river valleys offered rich soils for agriculture and tended to be in locations easily protected from invasion by nomadic peoples.             

Identify early civilizations (2000 to 500 B.C.), using the following information as a guide:
•    Hebrews settled between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River Valley (part of Fertile Crescent in Southwest Asia).
•    Phoenicians settled along the Mediterranean coast (part of Fertile Crescent in Southwest Asia).
•    Kush was located on the upper (southern) Nile River (Africa).

Explain that river valleys were the “Cradles of Civilization.”  Early civilizations made major contributions to social, political, and economic progress.                                                        

Describe the development of social patterns of ancient river valley civilizations, using the following information as a guide:
•    Hereditary rulers (dynasties of kings, pharaohs)                                                              
•    Rigid class system, where slavery was accepted                                                            

Describe the development of political patterns of ancient river valley civilizations, using the following information as a guide:
•    World’s first states (city-states, kingdoms, empires)                                                        
•    Centralized government (often based on religious authority)                                             
•    Written law codes (Ten Commandments, Code of Hammurabi)                                       

Describe the development of economic patterns of ancient river valley civilizations, using the following information as a guide:
•    Metal tools and weapons (bronze, iron)                                                                          
•    Increasing agricultural surplus (better tools, plows, irrigation)                                           
•    Increasing trade along rivers and by sea (Phoenicians)                                                    
•    Development of the world’s first cities                                                                           
•    Specialization of labor                                                                                                   

Explain that religion was a major part of life in all early civilizations.                                       

Describe the religious traditions that developed in ancient civilizations, using the following information:
•    Polytheism was practiced by most early civilizations.                                                      
•    Monotheism was practiced by the Hebrews.                                                                  

Explain that the monotheism of Abraham became the foundation of Judaism, Christianity, and Islam—religions that changed the world. The Hebrews were the first to become monotheists.            

Identify the origins of Judaism, using the following information as a guide:
•    Abraham                                                                                                                     
•    Moses                                                                                                                         
•    Jerusalem                                                                                                                    

Describe the essential beliefs, traditions, and customs of Judaism, using the following information as a guide:
•    Belief in one God (monotheism)                                                                                     
•    Torah, which contains written records and beliefs of Hebrews                                        
•    Ten Commandments, which state moral and religious conduct                                         

Describe the influence Judaism had on Western civilization, using the following information as a guide:
•    Exile                                                                                                                            
•    Diaspora                                                                                                                      

Explain that language and writing were important cultural innovations.                                   

Identify the forms of language and writing that existed in early civilizations, using the following information as a guide:
•    Pictograms (earliest written symbols)                                                                             
•    Hieroglyphics (Egypt)                                                                                                   
•    Cuneiform (Sumer)                                                                                                       
•    Alphabet (Phoenicians)           

Sample Resources

Below is an annotated list of Internet resources for this organizing topic. Copyright restrictions may exist for the material on some Web sites. Please note and abide by any such restrictions.

Ancient Mesopotamia. Penn State, College of Education.
<http://www.ed.psu.edu/k-12/edpgs/su96/meso/mesopotamia.html.> This site contains a lesson plan for teaching Ancient Mesopotamia.

“Egyptian Art.” MetropolitanMuseum
 <http://www.metmuseum.org/Works_of_Art/department.asp?dep=10>. This site provides samples of Egyptian art.

 “The Four River Valley Civilizations.” Washington State University. <http://www.wsu.edu/~dee/MESINRES.HTM>. This site contains an electronic presentation on ancient river valley civilizations.

“Indus Valley Civilization.” MANAS: India and Its Neighbors. Social Sciences at UCLA. http://www.sscnet.ucla.edu/southasia/History/Ancient/Indus2.html. This site provides information on the Indus Valley Civilization.

Mesopotamia, The Sumerians. http://www.wsu.edu:8080/~dee/MESO/SUMER.HTM. This site provides a brief history of the Sumerians.

“Old Kingdom Egypt.” History for Kids. <http://www.historyforkids.org/learn/egypt/history/oldkingdom.htm>. This site provides information on the Old Kingdom.

“Old Kingdom Egypt.” The Old Kingdon. Washington State University <http://www.wsu.edu/~dee/EGYPT/OLD.HTM>. This site provides historical information on the Old Kingdom.

“River Valley Empires: 3200 b.c. – 400 a.d.” WebChron. <http://www.thenagain.info/Webchron/World/RiverValley.html >. This site provides information on the ancient river valley empire.

“Shang Dynasty.” Emuseum: China. Minnesota State University. http://www.mnsu.edu/emuseum/prehistory/china/ancient_china/shang.html. This site provides information on the Shang Dynasty and a link to information on the Shou Dynasty.

Virginia Standards of Learning Assessments for the 2001 History and Social Science Standards of Learning: History and Social Science Released Items for WorldHistoryI.Virginia Department of Education 2003/04. <http://www.pen.k12.va.us/VDOE/Assessment/Release2003/History/VA-RIBs_g11wh1-1.pdf>.