Unit I – Ancient Civilizations, Government, and Religion
In this unit, you will be looking at the ancient civilizations that developed separately around the world.
Each of these civilizations is unique in its own way and yet they all share commonalities. As you research each
civilization, you will be looking at their governments, religion, writing and language, how vast their empires
spread, as well as several primary sources to give a glimpse into everyday life.
We will spend one day (class period – 90 minutes) on each civilization. Anything that is not completed
in class MUST be done at home on student’s time. We will be using textbooks as well as Chromebooks for this
unit to aid in our research.
At the end of the unit, students will be able to:

Compare the major civilizations and explain what made each unique.

Recognize the common features that every civilization shares.

List the accomplishments made by each civilization in the arts, religion, literature, and philosophy.

Understand why each civilization rose and eventually collapsed.
Unit I – Ancient Civilizations, Government, and Religion
Unit I – Ancient Civilizations, Government, and Religion
The Neolithic Revolution
Read the information in the handout and complete the graphic organizer below.
Population Size
Before the Neolithic Revolution
After the Neolithic Revolution
Groups of 20-30 people
Thousands
How did people get food? Hunting & gathering
Domesticated plants & animals to
human use.
They FARMED!
Where did people live?
Nomadic
Permanent settlements such as
villages
How were decisions
made in this society?
By the community as a whole
Council of elders made major
decisions
What were tools made of? Simple tools such as spears & axes
made of bone, wood, & stone
Simple metal tools and even metal
weapons
River Valley Civilizations
Why did the world’s first civilizations develop along rivers? Give three reasons and explain.
Rivers provided many necessities for early civilizations such as drinking water, transportation, trade,
irrigation, hunting, fishing, bathing, & even recreation.
Unit I – Ancient Civilizations, Government, and Religion
Unit I – Ancient Civilizations, Government, and Religion
Sumer/Mesopotamia
Terms to include in your answers: Fertile Crescent, cuneiform, Mesopotamia, ziggurat, Hammurabi Code, civil
& criminal law (chapter 2)
1. Government
a. What form of government was used? (If more than one, explain)
i. Monarchy w/ warriors & priests generally becoming rulers
b. Who was at the top of society and government? (i.e. rulers)
i. Ruling family, leading officials, and high priests
c. Was this an effective form of government?
i. Yes, it managed to establish the world’s first empire
d. Explain the Hammurabi Code. What two types of laws did people answer to under the
Hammurabi Code?
i. The Hammurabi Code is the world’s first codified laws, meaning it’s the first time
laws have been written down. There were 282 laws in total. The two types of laws
were civil law [private rights and matters] and criminal law [offenses against
others].
2. Religion
a. What form of religion was practiced?
i. Sumerian
b. Was it monotheistic or polytheistic?
i. Polytheistic
c. Who started the religion?
i. Sumerians
d. Major gods/goddesses?
i. Inanna – life-giving goddess of love
e. What were the basic laws/beliefs of the religion(s)?
i. Gods thought to control every aspect of life, especially nature. Gods behave like
humans.
f. What type of an afterlife?
i. A grim underworld with no escape
3. Language/Writing
a. What writing system was developed?
i. Cuneiform
b. What language did they speak?
i. N/A
4. Major Accomplishments
a. What is this empire MOST famous for? (architecture, writing, philosophy, warfare, etc.) Feel
free to list and explain more than one accomplishment. Be specific
i. World’s first writing (cuneiform), first set of written laws [Hammurabi Code] which
unified the people, Ziggurat – large stepped platform topped by a temple
Unit I – Ancient Civilizations, Government, and Religion
1. Locate and label the following items on your map. Tigris and Euphrates Rivers, Sumer, Mesopotamia,
and the Fertile Crescent as well as major bodies of water shown on map.
2. Why settle in this particular region? Give 2-3 reasons.
3. How did people adapt to their environment to survive in this region?
Unit I – Ancient Civilizations, Government, and Religion
Egypt (Nile River Valley)
Terms to include in your answers: Nile River, hieroglyphics, dynastic rule, bureaucracy, Old/Middle/New
Kingdoms, pyramids, irrigation, Judaism, Torah, Israelites, Ten Commandments, etc. (chapter 2)
1. Government
a. What three kingdoms ruled in Egypt? (give years for each)
i. Old [2575-2130 B.C.], Middle [1938-1630 B.C.], and New [1539-1075 B.C.]
b. What form of government was used? (If more than one, explain)
i. Monarchy/Theocracy  pharaohs were kinds who used religion to support their
power
c. Who was at the top of society and government? (i.e. rulers)
i. Pharaohs [Egyptian kings]; viziers [chief ministers that helped supervise]
d. Was this an effective form of government?
i. Yes, Egypt used dynastic rule (which is a ruling family) to maintain order and ruled
by a bureaucracy (government with different jobs & levels of authority)
2. Religion
a. Two forms of religion: Egyptian Mythology & Judaism
b. Was it monotheistic or polytheistic?
a. EM  polytheistic; J  monotheistic
c. What was the sacred text of the religion, if any?
a. Egyptian Mythology: Book of the Dead
b. Judaism: Torah
d. Who started the religion OR who was as the head of the religion?
a. Egyptian Mythology: developed over time with Pharaohs at the head
b. Judaism: God; Abraham [father of Israelite people who God made a covenant with]
e. Major gods/goddesses?
a. Egyptian Mythology: Amon-Re [god of the gods, gave Pharaohs right to rule; Osiris
[god of the Nile & the underworld]
b. Judaism: God (also called Jehovah, Yahweh, etc.)
f. What were the basic laws/beliefs of the religion(s)?
a. Egyptian Mythology: gods controlled natural forces and supported pharaoh; do good
and have a good afterlife
b. Judaism: Ten Commandments
g. What type of an afterlife?
a. Egyptian Mythology  soul either fed to the crocodile shaped Eater of the Dead or
it went to the Happy Field of Food for eternity
b. Judaism  Heaven or Hell
3. Language/Writing
a. What writing system was developed?
a. Hieroglyphics  symbols or glyphs represented objects & sounds
b. What language did they speak?
a. Egyptian Arabic
Unit I – Ancient Civilizations, Government, and Religion
4. Major Accomplishments
a. What is this empire MOST famous for? (architecture, writing, philosophy, warfare, etc.) Feel
free to list and explain more than one accomplishment. Be specific.
i. Pyramids, mummification, hieroglyphics, etc.
1. Label the Nile River and color it blue. Locate and label Lower Egypt and Upper Egypt. Shade in three
different colors the extent of three kingdoms of Egypt (Old, Middle, and New).
2. How did the Nile River help the Egyptians thrive? Give two reasons and explain.
Unit I – Ancient Civilizations, Government, and Religion
India (Indus River Valley)
Terms to include in your answers: Hinduism, Brahman, Vishnu, moksha, Vedas, Buddhism, Siddhartha
Gautama (Buddha), caste system, Four Noble Truths, Eightfold Path, nirvana, subcontinent, monsoons, IndoEuropeans, & Golden Age. (chapter 3)
1. Indus River Valley Civilization
a. When, where, and how long did it last?
i. Around 2600 B.C., Indus civilizations formed in modern-day Pakistan. They
flourished for roughly 700 years
b. What was most impressive about the Indus cities?
i. How they were laid out  very organized with a sewer system
c. How do we know these Indus cities had a well-organized government?
i. By looking at how organized the cities were
d. What jobs were had by those in this civilization?
i. Mainly farmers with some merchants and traders
2. Religion
a. Two forms of religion practiced  Hinduism & Buddhism
b. Were they monotheistic or polytheistic?
a. Hinduism  polytheistic; Buddhism  no major gods
c. What was their sacred text for each religion?
a. Hinduism  Vedas; Buddhism  Tripitaka
d. Who started each religion?
a. Hinduism: No single founder; developed over thousands of years
b. Buddhism: Siddhartha Gautama AKA Buddha
e. Major gods/goddesses?
a. Hinduism: Brahma the creator, Vishnu the preserver, and Shiva the destroyer
b. Buddhism: no major gods or goddesses
f. What were the basic laws/beliefs of the religion(s)? Explain.
a. Hinduism: Dharma, karma, reincarnation, ahimsa
b. Buddhism: Four Noble Truths [1. Life is full of pain and suffering, 2. The cause of
suffering is non-virtue, 3. To end pain and suffering, overcome your non-virtue, 4.
Do this by following the Eightfold Path
g. What type of an afterlife?
a. Hinduism: Moksha  union with Brahma
b. Buddhism: Nirvana  A place where your soul would be free from suffering forever
3. Language/Writing
a. What writing system was developed?
a. Indus Script
b. What language did they speak?
a. Harappan language
4. Major Accomplishments
a. What is this empire MOST famous for? (architecture, writing, philosophy, warfare, etc.). Feel
free to list and explain more than one accomplishment.
i. Decimal system, number system based on zero, layout of cities
Unit I – Ancient Civilizations, Government, and Religion
1. Locate and label the Indus River (trace blue), Ganges River (trace blue), Indian Ocean (shade blue) and
map out the Indus civilization.
2. How did geography influence the settlement of ancient India? Why settle in this particular region?
3. How did people adapt to their environment to survive in this region?
Unit I – Ancient Civilizations, Government, and Religion
China (Yellow River Valley)
Terms to include in your answers: clans, dynastic cycle, feudalism, Huang-He (Yellow River), Silk Roads, Laotzu, Confucianism, Daoism, Shintoism; Han, Qin, Shang, & Zhou Dynasties (time frame and document on
map). (chapter 3)
1. Government
a. What form of government was used? (If more than one, explain)
i. Clans  groups of families with a common ancestor; dynastic cycle  rise and fall
of dynasties; feudalism  loosely organized gov’t where land is given in return for
military service
b. Who was at the top of society and government and how did they govern? (i.e. famous rulers)
i. Emperors like Shi Huangdi who was the “first emperor” of the Qin Dynasty.
c. Was this an effective form of government?
i. Yes, China thrived for thousands of years without the influence of other
civilizations.
2. Religion
a. Two belief systems: Daoism & Confucianism
b. Who started the religion?
i. Daoism: Lao-Tzu
ii. Confucianism: Confucius
c. What were the basic laws/beliefs of the religion(s)?
i. Daoism: live in harmony with nature
ii. Confucianism: social order and good government; Five Key Relationships [1. Ruler
to subject, 2. Parent to child, 3. Husband to wife, 4. Elder brother to younger
brother, 5. Friend to friend]
d. What type of an afterlife?
i. N/A
3. Language/Writing
a. What writing system was developed?
a. Characters  written symbols [thousands today]; calligraphy  the art of beautiful
handwriting
b. What language did they speak?
a. Chinese
4. Major Accomplishments
a. What is this empire MOST famous for? (architecture, writing, philosophy, warfare, etc.) Feel
free to list and explain more than one accomplishment. Be specific
i. The Great Wall of China  built by Shi Huangdi to keep invaders out of from the
north; Silk Roads [they discovered the art of silk making]; acupuncture; etc.
Unit I – Ancient Civilizations, Government, and Religion
1. Locate and label the Huang-He River (Yellow River). Shade in the political barriers of the four Chinese
dynasties and label each with a legend.
2. Why was the Yellow River given the name the river of sorrows?
Unit I – Ancient Civilizations, Government, and Religion
Greece
Terms to include in your answers: monarchy, aristocracy, oligarchy, democracy, direct democracy (Pericles),
Aristotle, Plato, Socrates (and what each philosopher did), Sparta, Athens, Homer, phalanx, polis, Alexander the
Great, mythology. (chapter 4)
1. Government
a. FIVE forms of government in Greece. Explain each:
i. Monarchy: government in which a king or queen exercises central power
ii. Aristocracy: government headed by landholding upper class
iii. Oligarchy: government in which power is in the hands of the wealthy elite
iv. Democracy: government in which the people hold the ruling power
v. Direct Democracy: government in which citizens participate in day to day affairs
b. Who was at the top of society and government? (i.e. rulers)
i. Generally citizens which were male landowners
c. Which of these forms of government were effective? Which were not?
i. Democracy in my opinion because it gave the people a say
d. Define city-state (polis). Why have city-states over an empire?
i. a city surrounded by lands and villages; city-states were necessary due to the
geography of Greece.
e. Compare Sparta & Athens (include type of gov’t, officials in charge of gov’t, & the role of
women)
i. Sparta  monarchy with two kings and a council of elders; officials in charge were
kings; women were educated and expected to stay physically fit
ii. Athens  a democracy with landowning males (citizens) at the top of society being
the ones elected into power; women had little rights and were expected to stay in the
home
2. Religion
a. What form of religion was practiced?
a. Greek mythology
b. Was it monotheistic or polytheistic?
a. polytheistic
c. Who started the religion?
a. Greeks
d. Major gods/goddesses?
a. Zeus, Poseidon, Hades, Aphrodite, Athena, etc.
e. What were the basic laws/beliefs of the religion(s)?
a. Gods lived on Mount Olympus and were involved in the day to day affairs of man
f. What type of an afterlife?
a. The underworld
3. Language/Writing
a. What writing system was developed?
a. Greek alphabet
b. What language did they speak?
a. Greek
Unit I – Ancient Civilizations, Government, and Religion
4. Major Accomplishments
a. What is this empire MOST famous for? (architecture, writing, philosophy, warfare, etc.) Feel
free to list and explain more than one accomplishment. Be specific
i. Socrates [Socratic Method – ask questions and question answers]; Plato [wrote The
Republic in which his ideal ruler was a philosopher king]; Aristotle [student of Plato
who wrote on government and education]
ii. Phalanx  massive tactical formation of heavily armed foot soldiers (i.e. 300)
iii. Tragedy [Greek play about human suffering often ending in disaster]; Comedy
[Greek play that mocked people or social customs]
iv. Parthenon  temple dedicated to Greek goddess Athena that reflected harmony
and order in the universe.
1. Locate and label the bodies of water on the map. Label the city-states of Sparta and Athens as well as
Macedonia.
2. How did geography affect the development of Greek city-states? (Hint – other than Alexander the Great,
Greece was never a major empire)
Unit I – Ancient Civilizations, Government, and Religion
Rome
Terms to include in your answers: republic, senate, tribune, consul, plebeian, patrician, Pax Romana, Julius
Caesar, Augustus Caesar, decline of Rome, Christianity, Jesus Christ, martyrs, Paul of Tarsus, disciples, Bible,
etc. (chapter 5)
1. Government
a. Refer to chart on Roman Government.
2. Religion
a. Two forms of religion: Roman Mythology & Christianity
b. Were they monotheistic or polytheistic?
a. RM  polytheistic; C  monotheistic
c. What was the sacred text of Christianity?
a. The Bible
d. Who started/what influenced the religion?
a. Roman Mythology: Greeks
b. Christianity: Jesus Christ
e. Major gods/goddesses?
a. Roman Mythology: Juno, Jupiter, Neptune, Mars
b. Christianity: God
f. What were the basic laws/beliefs of the religion(s)?
a. Roman Mythology: There were always feasts and celebrations honoring the gods;
gods ruled over natural things
b. Christianity: Ten Commandments; forgiveness; Jesus is the son of God
g. What type of an afterlife?
a. Roman Mythology: Underworld
b. Christianity: Heaven or Hell
3. Language/Writing
a. What writing system was developed?
a. Latin; Roman numerals
b. What language did they speak?
a. Latin
4. Major Accomplishments
a. What is this empire MOST famous for? (architecture, writing, philosophy, warfare, etc.) Feel
free to list and explain more than one accomplishment. Be specific
i. Coliseum; aqueducts; Latin language [foundation for many languages today];
Republic [U.S. gov’t today]
Unit I – Ancient Civilizations, Government, and Religion
1. Locate and label the major bodies of water on the map. Label the capital of the Roman Empire. Shade in
the extent of Rome’s empire at its height.
2. How might the size of Rome’s empire eventually lead to its downfall?
Unit I – Ancient Civilizations, Government, and Religion
Islam (Muslim Civilization)
Terms to include in your answers: Muhammad, Quran, Allah, jihad, Five Pillars of Islam, Bedouins, caliph,
caliphate, Shi’ites, Sufites, Sunnis, etc. (chapter 10)
1. Government
a. What form of government was used?
i. Theocracy/Caliphate  gov’t run by religion
b. What two groups disagreed over the successor of Muhammad? Explain each.
i. Sunnis  leader can be any good Muslim; Shiites  leader MUST be successor of
Muhammad
c. Was this an effective form of government?
i. Yes, Muslim civilization has thrived for over 1,000 years
5. Religion
a. Is Islam monotheistic or polytheistic?
a. monotheistic
b. What was their sacred text?
a. The Quran
c. Who started the religion?
a. Muhammad  the messenger who received revelations from the angel Gabriel
d. Major gods/goddesses?
a. Allah [Arabic word for God]
e. What were the basic laws/beliefs of the religion?
a. Five Pillars of Islam
Sharia Law
f. What type of an afterlife?
a. Heaven or Hell
6. Language/Writing
a. What writing system was developed?
a. Arabic Numerals
b. What language did they speak?
a. Arabic
7. Major Accomplishments
a. What is this empire MOST famous for? (architecture, writing, philosophy, warfare, etc.) Feel
free to list and explain more than one accomplishment. Be specific.
i. Extensive trade networks; Arabic Numeral system [we use it today]: preserved
Greek writings
Unit I – Ancient Civilizations, Government, and Religion
1. Locate and label the bodies of water on the map. Shade in the extent of the Muslim Empire by 750 AD.
2. How did the Muslims guarantee allegiance from its subjects as the empire spread?