Ancient Civilization Children’s Book
Ultimate Goal: To analyze and explain important aspects of an ancient civilization.
Product: Your job is to create a children’s story about an ancient civilization of your choice. Your children’s
book should be written for children in 2nd-4th grade (Ages 8-10). Your book will reflect multiple aspects of an
ancient civilization, but it can also focus on a specific event or element within that civilization. Your book
needs to be 8-10 pages, each with typed written content and a hand-drawn illustration.
The following aspects must be addressed in the book:
1. Location (geography)
6. Culture
2. Government
(Food/Clothing/Entertainment
3. Religion
/Social Class)
4. Technology
7. Writing
5. At least one major historical event
8. Economy (trade/money)
Details:
 Each page must include a picture and a narration. All narrations must be typed and pictures must be
colored. (4-5 sentences per page)
 Everyone is responsible for drawing his or her own pictures. (Yes, stick figures are okay!)
 No computer-generated pictures will be accepted.
 You may not cut out pictures from books or magazines.
 You must include a front and a back cover for your book. The front cover must include the title of your
book, your name and a colored picture. The back cover must include a 3-4 sentence summary of the
book that would make someone want to read it.
 You must have numbers on each page.
Civilization Choices:
 Sumer
 Assyria
 Egypt
 Phoenicia
 Mohenjo Daro




Babylon
Persia
Greece
Rome
Honors students:
Honors students must include a separate paper entitled “How do we know?” This paper will be approximately
1-2 pages in length and will explain how archeologists and historians have used primary sources to reach
conclusions about the ancient civilization you have chosen. Discuss at least 3 specific primary sources that
serve as evidence of the civilization in your paper. Examples may include ancient ruins, documents written by
members of the civilizations, or artifacts left behind. Your paper will help us understand how we know so
much about events that took place thousands of years ago.
Due Date:
A Day October 15, B Day October 16
Any project not turned in during class on the due date will be accepted for only 65% of its value by the next
class period. You may turn in your project one week early for 10 bonus points.
Use the rubric on the back to help you prepare your project.
Rubric for World History Quarter 1 Project:
Ancient Civilization Children’s Book Option
Criteria
Cover of
Book
Visual
Content
that must be
covered in
the book
Written
content that
must be
covered in
the book
Honors:
“How do we
know?” Page
Accomplished
The book has all of the
following completed at a
high level: creative title,
listed author (YOU!),
illustration (hand
drawn) that represents
the ancient civilization
5
Developing
The book has one of
the following completed
at a high level: creative
title, listed author
(YOU!), illustration
(hand drawn) that
represents the ancient
civilization
2,1
The book has some of
the following completed
at a high level: each
page contains a handdrawn picture that
accurately depicts its
written content,
professional-looking,
colorful, and
grammatically correct.
10-6
Needs Improving
The book has zero of the
following completed at a
high level: creative title,
listed author (YOU!),
illustration (hand
drawn) that represents
the ancient civilization
0 __________
20-16
Proficient
The book has two of the
following completed at
a high level: creative
title, listed author
(YOU!), illustration
(hand drawn) that
represents the ancient
civilization
4,3
The book has most of
the following completed
at a high level: each
page contains a handdrawn picture that
accurately depicts its
written content,
professional-looking,
colorful, and
grammatically correct.
15-11
The book has all of the
following completed at a
high level: Information
that is fit for a child’s
reading level;
Information that
reflects the Geography,
Government, Religion,
Technology, Historical
Event, Culture, Writing,
and Economy of your
chosen ancient
civilization.
25-21
The book has most of
the following completed
at a high level:
Information that is fit
for a child’s reading
level; Information that
reflects the Geography,
Government, Religion,
Technology, Historical
Event, Culture,
Writing, and Economy
of your chosen ancient
civilization.
20-16
The book has some of
the following completed
at a high level:
Information that is fit
for a child’s reading
level; Information that
reflects the Geography,
Government, Religion,
Technology, Historical
Event, Culture,
Writing, and Economy
of your chosen ancient
civilization.
15-11
The book has few or
none of the following
completed at a high
level: Information that is
fit for a child’s reading
level; Information that
reflects the Geography,
Government, Religion,
Technology, Historical
Event, Culture, Writing,
and Economy of your
chosen ancient
civilization.
10 or ___________
This paper has all of the
following completed at a
high level:
Detailed explanation of
at least 3 primary
sources used by
historians/archeologists,
organization, and is free
from grammatical errors.
This paper has all of the
following completed at
a most level:
Detailed explanation of
at least 3 primary
sources used by
historians/archeologists,
organization, and is free
from grammatical
errors.
This paper has all of the
following completed at
a some level:
Detailed explanation of
at least 3 primary
sources used by
historians/archeologists,
organization, and is free
from grammatical
errors.
This paper has all of the
following completed at a
few or none:
Detailed explanation of
at least 3 primary
sources used by
historians/archeologists,
organization, and is free
from grammatical errors.
20-16
15-11
The book has all of the
following completed at a
high level: each page
contains a hand-drawn
picture that accurately
depicts its written
content, professionallooking, colorful, and
grammatically correct.
25-21
The book has few or
none of the following
completed at a high
level: each page contains
a hand-drawn picture
that accurately depicts its
written content,
professional-looking,
colorful, and
grammatically correct.
5 or ____________
Points
Out of
5
Out of
20
Out of
25
Out of
25
10 or____________
TOTAL
POINTS
Out of
100