Chapter 1 History Civilisations Yr7 MYP1.pptx

The “Chapter 1: History – Civilizations” MYP 1 PowerPoint introduces students to the foundational topic of early human civilizations—how and why they developed, what characterized them, and their lasting impact on human societies. The presentation begins with a title slide that displays the topic “Chapter 1: History – Civilizations,” along with the unit title (such as “The Rise of Civilizations”), the teacher’s name, subject (Individuals and Societies), and an essential question like “What makes a civilization?” This opening slide sets the stage for curiosity and inquiry, encouraging students to think critically about how early humans transitioned from simple communities to complex societies.

The introductory slide provides a short overview of the chapter’s focus. It explains that students will explore how early civilizations emerged after the Neolithic Revolution, when humans began to farm, settle, and build permanent communities. A timeline slide visually presents key chronological milestones—starting with the development of agriculture, the rise of river valley civilizations, and the emergence of early writing systems—helping students place these developments in a global historical context.

Next, the PowerPoint includes a definition slide explaining what a civilization is, accompanied by a list of its key characteristics: organized government, religion, social structure, writing, art and architecture, cities, and specialized labor. Each characteristic is briefly described with a relevant image—for example, cuneiform tablets to represent writing, or ziggurats and pyramids for architecture. This section helps students grasp the core elements that distinguish civilizations from earlier human societies.

1. Chapter 1 What can we learn from different civilisations? MYP 1

2. In this chapter we will……. Find out about different civilisations that emerged at different times in history Explore the factors that led to the development and innovations of different civilisations Take action by find out ways that historical sites and artefacts can be protected for the future

3. Statement of Inquiry Civilisations have developed at different times and locations bringing about change and innovation that often influence how we view them today Key Words Civilisation Governance Hieroglyphics Philosophy Public Health Democracy Key Concepts Time, place & space; R.C, Innovation & Revolution; Scientific & Technical innovation

4. Activity: Historical Treasures In pairs look through this list of famous historical sites in the world Pyramids at Giza, Egypt • Machu Picchu, Peru • Great Wall of China • Coliseum, Italy • Petra, Jordan • Angkor Wat, Cambodia • Stonehenge, UK • Parthenon, Greece • Taj Mahal, India • Tikal, Guatemala Discuss How many have you heard of? Why do you think they are famous? What do these sites suggest about different societies in the past (what do you think about different societies when you look at these sites)? Why could it be useful to learn about past societies and civilisations? Workbook questions

5. How can we find out about the past? The study of history involves the interpretation of the evidence that remains of the past This evidence can come in many different forms The ruins of an Ancient Roman city could provide a range of clues about the way of life for people living at that time architectural styles, systems of government, art, religion and more Taking a more modern example, a newspaper from the time of the First World War would provide a range of information we could use it to gain a better understanding of the war and how it was reported.

6. How can we find out about the past? Historical sources are often divided into the categories of primary and secondary sources Primary sources are typically produced at the time of an event or are artefacts from the time Secondary sources are usually produced later than the event, and usually involve some form of account or interpretation of something that happened in the past People who study history for a living are called historians They are concerned with the different ways in which we can understand past societies from gathering evidence and making interpretations.

7. How can we find out about the past? Workbook questions

8. Workbook questions

9. Workbook questions

10. Workbook questions

11. Source C Add the answers to your workbook Consider the following primary sources and their descriptions and then copy and complete the table Workbook questions

12. How can we find out about the past? The study of history is also affected by interpretation People can interpret the same events in different ways, leading to differences of opinion These differences of opinion are sometimes called perspectives. It is a very useful skill to be able to recognize some of these differences in order to understand the perspective of the writer or historian. For example, when a war breaks out there are often different interpretations of who is to blame or why it happened These different interpretations can be influenced by a range of factors, including the evidence that the historian has access to or perhaps his or her own personal political opinion When studying ancient history, there is a further challenge to finding out The Lewis Chessmen

13. How can we find out about the past? When studying ancient history, there is a further challenge to finding out about the past – the availability of sources Many of these civilizations all but disappeared many years ago and the preservation of the evidence from this time is not easy to maintain. Much of the remaining artefacts from ancient civilizations are looked after in museums around the world or have stayed in the same place in a specific location that is looked after by an organization. Some of the evidence of these past societies has been destroyed through the effects of natural disasters, conquest and wars, adding further challenges to the unlocking of their secrets.

14. River valley civilisations Civilization is a term used to refer to an advanced society at a particular time period in history Civilizations developed from earlier hunter-gatherer societies to be more centrally controlled and organized and, therefore, more complex The main reason why this change happened was because of advances in farming techniques that allowed greater levels of production This meant that people could focus on a wider range of other jobs Work diversified to include builders, craft workers and religious and governmental positions

15. River valley civilisations This led to the development of power structures and the development of city states, often with impressive buildings and specific cultural and belief systems One problem with using the term civilization is that there are many different ways we could interpret ‘advanced’ society, which may be down to our individual perspective Consequently, that can lead us to view other societies at the time as uncivilized or primitive The term barbarian has often been used to describe non-civilized people but this can be misleading

16. What is a civilisation? Many of the earliest examples of civilizations had one thing in common: they developed close to rivers This was because being close to a river brought natural advantages As well as a source of water, land close to rivers tended to be more fertile for farming. River floods would further increase the fertility of land close by Rivers were also useful for transportation.

17. Time for you to investigate You will be allocated two ancient civilisations to research You will create a Sway student report that includes all of the information in your list (see next few slides) PLUS more interesting facts At the end we will read each other’s sways and write an essay that includes examples from all of the different civilisations

18. Sumerian Civilisation When? Where did they come from? Why did they choose to settle near rivers? City states - why were they walled, each had a different god, what were ziggurats, who ruled the city states and what were they responsible for? Innovations - writing, farming, the wheel, numbers, building, bronze The epic of gilgamesh Who else lived in mesopotamia? Any other information you would like to include from your research Anything else interesting that you find From all of your research, how has this civilisation affected the way you live your life today? From all of your research, how has this civilisation affected the way you live your life today? What are the top 3 innovations that came from this research and why?

19. Egyptian Civilisation Where? When? Why were they close to the River Nile (advantages) What crops did they grow and what did they use them for? What cities did the Egyptians develop? What was a pharoah? How were pharoahs buried? What was the Great Sphinx What were pyramids Hieroglyphics Rosetta stone Medicine - how did mummification help them learn about the human body Anything else interesting that you find From all of your research, how has this civilisation affected the way you live your life today? What are the top 3 innovations that came from this research and why?

20. Greek Civilisation Where? When? Democracy - how did it work? Philosophy - what is it, Socrates, Plato, Aristotle Sparta Herodotus Pythagoras Archimedes Homa Hippocrates Alexander the Great Euclid Anything else interesting that you find From all of your research, how has this civilisation affected the way you live your life today? What are the top 3 innovations that came from this research and why?

21. Roman Civilisation Rome - how it started Romulus and Remus Change from monarchy to republic How did a republic work? Roman empire What did a roman soldier look like Roman numerals Julian Calendar Language Public health Law and politics Religion Anything else interesting that you find From all of your research, how has this civilisation affected the way you live your life today? What are the top 3 innovations that came from this research and why?

22. Maya & Inca Civilisations The Maya Where When What was their area like? What did their cities look like? Maya writing Maya maths Maya calendar Human sacrifice How did they end The Incas Where When Machu Picchu Cuzco Inca empire Inca terraces Quipus Ayllus Sapa Inca Inca tax system The end of the Incas PLUS anything interesting you may find From all of your research, how has this civilisation affected the way you live your life today? What are the top 3 innovations that came from this research and why?