Sixth graders explore the civilizations that shaped the ancient world, from Mesopotamia and Egypt to Greece, Rome, China, and the Indus Valley, and see what each gave the world.
Students will be able to…
The first great societies rose beside rivers thousands of years ago. What were the ancient civilizations, and what did each give the world?
Project this and open each card to explore an ancient civilization, where it grew, and what it gave the world.
Tap any phase to open the teacher moves and student actions.
Nearly every early civilization grew up beside a great river. Why would people settle there, and what did they build?
Students explore the ancient civilizations.
Students locate civilizations on a map.
Students profile one civilization.
Students reflect on ancient contributions.
Aligned to the C3 Framework for Social Studies and Common Core literacy in social studies.
Analyze connections among events and developments in broader historical contexts.
Classify series of historical events as examples of change and/or continuity.
Use maps to explain relationships between the locations of places and regions.
Determine the central ideas of a primary or secondary source.
Preview the three formative checks. Tap “Sample answer” to see what mastery looks like — hide them before you print for students.
Have students pick one civilization, name its location and time, and list three contributions, so the ancient world becomes concrete. A printable ancient-civilizations worksheet is in the Social Studies library.
Tap a card to flip it, then rate whether you knew it. Built from this lesson’s vocabulary.
A quick self-check with instant feedback, drawn from this lesson’s key terms.
A print-and-go review sheet with a built-in answer key. Tap “Show answer key” to reveal answers, or print the clean version for students.