THE WORLD COURSE
FOURTH GRADE: THE RISE (AND FALL) OF
ANCIENT AND MODERN CIVILIZATIONs

Theme
I I ow civilizations evolve over time, and how understanding the past is
helpful to make sense of current events.

Description

In this year, students learn how and why civilizations are formed and exam—
ine how humans interact with the environment, studying two civilizations
with enduring influences on modern times: Egypt and China. Concepts
that are central to this year include how ancient humans conceived of na—
ture, as evidenced by mythology; how human settlements and ancient civili—
zations were built around the essential natural resources of water and arable
land; how social hierarchy was established and power was distributed; and
how varying systems of governance arose and with that, how various groups
conceived citizenship and the relationship of varying classes of people to
the state. Each area will be studied both as an ancient civilization and as a
modern civilization. The learning in this unit will be activity based through—
out and will focus on understanding, not simply recalling, facts. Through
this study, students will link the modern with the historical and gain an
appreciation of the science of archaeology as well as of the study of modern
cultures unlike their own. Furthermore, in the study of both the ancient and
the modern, they will gain critical and analytic skills.

108