World History Journal Topics and Class Outline
First Civilizations Journal Topics and Class Outline
Day One
Journal
What is civilization?
What is its connection to humanity and culture?
Are all civilizations comparatively equal in importance and value?
Discussion:
Ethnocentrism
Being civilized and humane
The role of the arts and sciences
Class Outline
What is history?
Text definition:
Webster (1828) summarized by me: An account of facts respecting
nations or states; a narration of events in order in which they
happened, with causes and effects, and admits observations
and analysis from the writer.
History involves time and place. It has been said that it is
geography with examples.
Historiography
Pre historic
Pre Columbian
Lost History
Recovered History
Invented History
Occidental World
Oriental World
Ancient History: 3000BC- 450AD
Medieval History: 450AD- 1450AD
Modern Era: 1450 to Present
Early Modern Era: c.1400 - 1600
Renaissance/ Reformation: c. 1450 - 1600
Age of Absolutism: c. 1500 - 1789
Age of Reason: c. 1660-1750
Day Two
Journal Topic
Great Nations write their autobiographies in three manuscripts, the book
of their deeds, the book of their words, and the book of their art.
- John Ruskin
Which of these is the most reliable book and why?
Class Outline
Birth of Civilization and the Beginning of recorded history circa 3000 BC
Developments of early civilization
Domestication of animals
Agriculture
Irrigation, Dams, Canals
Private property
Technology (Wheel and Sail b/w 4K & 3K BC)
Metal working
Division of labor
Class structure
Written language
Religion / Creed
Government
The historian Arnold Toynbee wrote, “…Civilizations come to birth in
environments that are usually difficult and not unusually easy, and this
has led us to inquire whether or not this is an instance of some social
law which may be expressed in the formula: ‘the greater the challenge,
the greater the stimulus.’”
Prompt: Why do you think so many civilizations arose in River Valleys?
River Valleys
Tigris and Euphrates (Mesopotamia later Sumer)
Semitic people
Patriarchal society
12 autonomous City States
Behistun Rock enabled scholars to decipher cuneiform.
(Recovered History)
Hammurabi Code
Epic of Gbbbilgamesh
Nile (Egypt)
“The source of life”
Three periods: Old, Middle, New Kingdoms lasted 3000
years
Pharaoh: “great house”; divine
Technological Achievements
Engineering through trial and error
Astronomy and Medicine
Rosetta Stone enabled scholars to decipher hieroglyphics
Book of the Dead
Prompt: Did the pyramid structure of Egyptian society contribute to the stability of the Old, Middle and New Kingdoms?
Indus (India)
2500 BC Trade begins, a sophisticated civilization
While in decline, Aryans arrive and impose a new
social order.
Caste System
Vedas
Dharma
Hinduism
Polytheistic: Brahma, Shiva, and Vishnu
Reincarnation
Karma
Buddhism
4 Noble Truths
“Enlightenment”
Monasteries
Prompt: All societies have had a social hierarchy. The Indian caste system is one of the most rigid. Why do human beings have this need to structure society in terms of higher and lower classes?
Yellow (Hwang) (China)
Xia (Legendary Dynasty) 2000 BC
Prince Yu “tamed the waters”
Shang Dynasty 1600 BC -1100 BC
Bronze Age
Writing
Zhou Dynasty 1100 BC – 256 BC
Mandate from Heaven
Feudalism
Middle Kingdom
Confucius (551 - 479 BC)
Moral Questions
5 Social relationships
Taoism (in response to Confucianism)
Harmony w/ Nature
Legalism (300s-200s BC)
Qin Dynasty (c.221 – 202 BC)
Shihuangdi, “The First Emperor”
Chinese Cycle of History: the rise and fall off dynasties
Prompt: What concepts in Western society support Confucius’s teachings and what concepts conflict with his vision of the world?
Day Three
Journal Topic
“Absolute power corrupts absolutely. Most great men are evil men.”
-Lord Acton
What are the implications of this statement?
Class Outline
The Hebrews, later called the Jews
First Monotheistic Faith:
Worshipping a perfect, omniscient, omnipotent God.
Man is in the image of God, has divine purpose, and all
are equal.
God wants his people to be obedient, live moral lives and
to stand up against injustice.
Abraham the “Father of the Jews”
Moses is the Law-giver (Ten Commandments +) and
“writer of the Torah.”
Prophets
Israel and Judah (Jews)
Kings
Lost 10 Tribes
Prompt: Most of the history of the Israelites is based on the Bible. How is the Bible similar and different from other historical sources?
Empires
Hittites
Indo-Europeans related to the Aryans who invaded
the Indus Valley
Introduced Iron c.1200 BC
2000 BC
Phoenicians
“The carriers of civilization”
Sailed the known world, i.e.: Hanno
Alphabet (Greeks added vowels c.800 BC)
Established colonies, most famous Carthage.
Lydians
Created coinage for trade
Assyrians
Modern day Turkey
Conquered Israel took captive the 10 of the 12 Hebrew
tribes.
Babylonians
Modern day Iraq
Conquered the Assyrians
King Nebachadnezzar
Persians
Modern day Iran
Conquered the Babylonians
Held the empire with help of the first postal system
Review for Quiz
1. What was the first advanced civilization?
2. Define polytheism.
3. What is the Behistun Rock?
4. What is the significance of the Hammurabi Code?
5. What is the Rosetta Stone?
6. What does the word pharaoh mean?
7. Who were the Aryans?
8. What are the Vedas?
9. What is the difference between karma and dharma?
10. Who was Siddhartha Gautama?
11. According to legend who was the founder of China’s first dynasty?
12. What did the writings of Confucius mainly concern?
13. What is the Mandate of Heaven?
14. What ideas did the Hebrews introduce?
15. What is the Torah?
16. Why were Phoenicians called the “carriers of civilization”?
17. How did Lydians make trading easier?
18. What empire created the first efficient postal system?
19. What is Lost History?
20. What is Invented History?