#TheCompleteSeries7lessons
With lesson plans, informative slides, differentiated worksheets, pictures, information sheets and many other resources, this 'Early Civilisations' scheme of work provides a coherent overview of how ancient civilisations developed throughout early history.
#Lesson1AnOverview
The first lesson in this series introduces your class to the term 'civilisation' and uses timelines to help your class identify when the first civilisations developed, starting with ancient Sumer and moving through history to the Indus Valley, Ancient Egypt, the Shang Dynasty and beyond. They will also find out what the terms 'BC' and 'AD' mean and how to order civilisations chronologically, as well as locating where in the world these early civilisations appeared.
This downloadable History lesson includes a lesson plan, slideshow presentation and printable teaching resources.
What's included:
- Lesson plan
- Slides
- Activity ideas
- Differentiated worksheets
- Early civilisations map
- Early civilisations cards
- Timeline cards
#Lesson2WritingSystems
This fascinating lesson takes a look at how and why the ancient Sumerians developed the world's first writing system which developed into cuneiform writing. It then looks at some of the other writing systems of early civilisations, including ancient Egyptian hieroglyphics and the Shang Dynasty oracle script, as well as investigating the world's first alphabet used by the Phoenicians. Your class can even have a go at translating some ancient scripts for themselves!
This downloadable History lesson includes a lesson plan, slideshow presentation and printable teaching resources.
What's included:
- Lesson plan
- Slides
- Activity ideas
- Differentiated worksheets
- Word cards
- Phoenician alphabet sheet
#Lesson3Trade
How did people buy and sell their goods before money was invented? This lesson introduces your class to the idea of trade and helps them to understand why trade was important in the development of early civilisations. They will also find out when money was invented and how people kept a record of what they had traded, such as the stamps of the Indus Valley civilisation. There is even the opportunity for your children to do a little bartering of their own!
This downloadable History lesson includes a lesson plan, slideshow presentation and printable teaching resources.
What's included:
- Lesson plan
- Slides
- Activity ideas
- Differentiated worksheets
- Commodity cards
#Lesson4MathsandNumbers
This lesson will get your children thinking about how and why number systems were developed by early civilisations and gives them the opportunity to investigate and compare the number systems of the ancient Sumerians, ancient Egyptians and the Shang Dynasty. They will also find out about some of the other mathematical achievements of early civilisations, such as the use of weights and measures in the Indus Valley. They can learn how to count to 60 Sumerian-style using just their hands, translate early number systems and even attempt to make an accurate ruler without using a ruler!
This downloadable History lesson includes a lesson plan, slideshow presentation and printable teaching resources.
What's included:
- Lesson plan
- Slides
- Activity ideas
- Differentiated worksheets
- Number system sheets
- Challenge cards
- ‘Counting to 60’ video
#Lesson5TechnologyandInventions
This lesson gives your class an insight into just how much the earliest civilisations achieved. Starting by looking at the wheel and going on to explore the other inventions, achievements and developments across societies, your class will make predictions about which inventions were discovered before, during or after the earliest civilisations and use their research skills to find out if their predictions were correct.
This downloadable History lesson includes a lesson plan, slideshow presentation and printable teaching resources.
What's included:
- Lesson plan
- Slides
- Activity ideas
- Differentiated inventions cards
- Worksheet
- Fact cards
- Question cards
#Lesson6BuildingsandStructures
The achievements of the early civilisations can be best summed up by the incredible structures that were built thousands of years ago. The mind-bogglingly huge pyramids and ziggurats of the Egyptians and Sumerians are still a source of awe and wonder to us today. This lesson allows your class to explore these, and other, structures and challenges them to think about how such monuments were built. It also gives them the chance to compare archaeological evidence with myths as they find out about the palace at Knossos and read the story of the man who supposedly designed it.
This downloadable History lesson includes a lesson plan, slideshow presentation and printable teaching resources.
What's included:
- Lesson plan
- Slides
- Activity ideas
- Differentiated worksheets
- Picture cards
- Information sheet
- Story sheet
- Sentence cards
#Lesson7AConclusion
The final lesson in this series gives your class the chance to consolidate what they have learnt about the earliest civilisations and their achievements. They will discuss which achievements they think were most important and recap the facts they have found out.
This downloadable History lesson includes a lesson plan, slideshow presentation and printable teaching resources.
What's included:
- Lesson plan
- Slides
- Activity ideas
- Differentiated worksheets
- Information book template
- Quiz template
- End of unit quiz
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Curriculum Objectives covered
- KS2 - the achievements of the earliest civilizations – an overview of where and when the first civilizations appeared and a depth study of one of the following: Ancient Sumer; The Indus Valley; Ancient Egypt; The Shang Dynasty of Ancient China