Building an Empire
A Broad Look at The Rise and Fall of Civilizations
7th/8th Grade Students
Taught by Rebecca Vonesh and Robert Ryan
TA: Sarah Dowd
What caused some civilizations to be marked down in history books and others to be ignored? Why did
Rome fall and why has the United States been so successful? While reading the science fiction
masterpiece, The Foundation, by Isaac Asimov, this class will investigate the patterns that create the big
picture we call human civilization. Through playing the game Civilization, students will not only
investigate probing questions like whether war, trade or education more thoroughly spreads a culture, but
they will also apply their own answers to those questions as they build and defend historical empires.
Through the culminating project, students will demonstrate an understanding of the patterns, which
connect all civilizations together by answering the age-old question; can we predict the future by
understanding the past? WCATY will be providing Civilization III for use in the course.
Benchmarks (Learning Goals)
#2 This student tracked mechanisms that acted as agents of change and/or agents of sustainability
#8 Through understanding procedural steps, this student mapped the cycle of the process studied.
#4 By understanding the principles and rules of a system, this student identified the interconnections,
patterns, and relationships that exist between individual parts of the whole.
#11 By studying parts of the system, this student read and/or produced plans, models, simulations, budgets, reports,
and/or theories that represented the whole system.
#72 Almost all of the responses were thoughtful, reflective, and/or insightful and clearly communicated
with the intended audience. This student made it a point to respond to others.
#74 Students' responses and assignments followed directions and met set deadlines.
#76 Student carefully analyzed stories read in class and/ or information collected from the Internet and
drew appropriate and inventive conclusions.
Book: The Foundation by Isaac Asimov
F2F Meetings
F2fF One: The focus will be on understanding time and context as well as understanding the historical
method we will be using throughout the course.
F2F Two: The focus will be the failure/ success of man-made systems as well as how to design their final
project.
F2F Three: Students will share their findings.
Final Project
Students will design an experiment to uncover the historical assumptions used to create the simulation
game Civilization III. After students have uncovered and tested an assumption, they will prove or
disprove that assumption by looking at how that assumption has or has not been replicated throughout
cultures from various time periods. As they do this research they will be asked to keep key ideas in mind
like context, validity, and representation (www.socialresearchmethods.net ).
Above and Beyond: Interested students could watch the following movies in order to add to their
perspective of where civilization may be going.
Logan's Run
Silent Running
Walle
Soylent Green
WEEK ONE: To be Civilized or not be to be civilized?
FORUM (Benchmark 72): Throughout our forum discussions you will be asked to investigate articles
and complete one of the “branching” or extension exercises linked below before crafting your response.
Since this is the first week, use real-life situations you have seen where you live and ideas from the
articles, “Government by Consent” by John Locke and “The Role of Law in a Civilization” by John
Stuart Mills to answer these questions as a way of introducing yourself. Give examples from your life as
well as quotations from the articles to support your position.
1. What does being civilized mean? (In order to define what being civilized is, you may want to define
what being uncivilized is too.)
2. What does a “society” do for you? Could you live without those things, in other words live outside of
society?
3. What do you think the goal of a society is/should be? Could that goal be reached without a
government? Why or why not?
Branching Activities (Benchmark 8): Remember, students are only required to do one activity.
Systems: Create a rubric for an excellent society. This rubric should follow the format of the
WCATY rubric attached as it should both state 5 qualities that it is measuring and describe what it
“looks like” when a society is basic, proficient, advanced, and superior in each quality. Then use
the rubric to evaluate 3 civilizations. What did you find? Do you think your rubric captured the
essence of what a good civilization is all about?
Identity: Read the article, The Nature of Humanity. Then discuss whether you think in the “State
of Nature” humans are naturally good or bad. From whatever stance you take, then define what
duty each individual has to his/her government and why?
Investigation: Which government role out of the list given is the most important? Explain why.
Human Experience: Choose 3 time periods from the ones listed and read through the websites
linked under that heading. How did each time period define being “uncivilized” differently? Why
do you think they had that view?
Invention: Imagine you were stuck on a desert island with 50 other people. What 3 laws do you
think would be most important to establish? What government structures would need to be
established in order for those laws to work?
READING (Benchmark 76): Read chapters 1-7 (46 pages) of the Foundation. While reading fill out the
quotations chart provided online by selecting quotes that show the positive and negative elements of
civilizations and then discussing why the quote clearly shows the strengths or weaknesses of human
civilizations.
Show What You Know (Benchmark 11): Go to the Civilizations III site and read through the
information given for all of the Civilizations. At the first f2f, your team will select a Civilization, so read carefully
and take notes (as is shown online). Then read through the Question and Answer section on the website to make sure you have
a clear understand. At the first f2f you will receive your copy of the game and the directions to how to play.
WEEK TWO: Stages of the Rise and Fall
FORUM (Benchmark 72): It’s role-playing time! Select one ancient civilization from our list and then
find one famous person from that civilization to impersonate. Writing through your historical person’s
perspective, explain how his/her civilization did or did not develop in the way defined at the website
http://www.draftymanor.com/bart/h_quigl4.htm. Use real examples from the history of the civilization to
support your character’s case.
Finally choose to support or negate the position of your historical person by answering in your own voice
the following question: Looking at civilizations throughout history what caused them to be successful and
what factors ended up destroying them? (In other words, does the historical pattern of the civilization that
you chose reflect a typical cycle of growth and decline).
Before answering these questions complete one of the assignment "branches" below. When posting
remember to use personal experiences and quotes to support your position. You should also comment on
at least 3 other students. Each of your responses to other students should begin with a question, point out
strengths in his/her post, and point out a way to think more deeply about the topic he/she has chosen. For
extra interesting responses, maintain your role-playing and respond as your historical figure would.
Branching Activities (Benchmark 2): Remember, students are only required to do one activity.
Systems: Look at the maps given. What can you tell about this civilization’s growth and decline
from these maps?
Identity: Read the short story “The Annals-Looking at the Burning of Rome” (Adventures in
World Literature). How do people act differently when a civilization is rising versus when it is in
its decline? As declines are often slow moving, do everyday citizens usually realize that it is
happening?
Investigation: Look at the “dead civilizations” list below. What “killed” them? Did the citizens
know their society was dying? If so, what actions did they take? Why did those actions fail? For
example, you might look at the problems of natural disasters, disease and/or famine. The society
may have used technology like crop rotation, genetic engineering of crops, or ideas from Freeman
Dyson to attempt to solve the problem. But these solutions may have still “fail” due to timing
issues or lack of support.
Human Experience: Looking at the list below, find the civilization that rose the quickest and the
civilization that remained powerful for the longest time? What happened to the quick-start
society? Did citizens become apathetic in the long-stay society? What traits were similar and
different from the two civilizations you selected.
Invention: Find two civilizations that developed in a similar format to the stages of growth defined
at http://www.draftymanor.com/bart/h_quigl4.htm. Map out the growth of each civilization. How
would you tweak the process of growth defined by that website to make it more universal?
READING (Benchmark 76): Read chapters 1-4 (2nd Part) (33 pages) of the Foundation. While reading
fill out the quotations chart provided online by selecting quotes that show the positive and negative
elements of civilizations and then discussing why the quote clearly shows the strengths or weaknesses of
human civilizations.
Show What You Know (Benchmark 11): Begin to play Civilization III by playing the Dawn of
Civilization game saved at http://civworld.gameslearningsociety.org/ . While playing, take notes. What
causes your civilization to grow? What causes it to decline? Does your gaming civilization reflect the
pattern of growth/decline defined in the forums and at http://www.draftymanor.com/bart/h_quigl4.htm .
Looking over the notes about designing historical experiment methods, how would you design an
experiment that proved or disproved your belief that the game does or does not follow the stated pattern
(see example for guidance).
WEEK THREE: History vs. Innovation
FORUM (Benchmark 72): Is it more important to document the past or plan the future?
What role has the lack of either of these had in the fall of a
civilization? Answer these questions in a detailed paragraph and give historical situations to support your
position. Then choose a character for the Foundation. Role-playing as this character, answer the following
question: Can you predict the future from the studying the past? Making sure to support your characters
position through historical examples and/or examples from the book.
Before answering these questions complete one of the assignment "branches" below. When posting
remember to use personal experiences and quotes to support your position. You should also comment on
at least 3 other students. Each of your responses to other students should begin with a question, point out
strengths in his/her post, and point out a way to think more deeply about the topic he/she has chosen. For
extra interesting responses, maintain your role-playing and respond as your historical figure would.
Branching Activities (Benchmark 4): Remember, students are only required to do one activity.
Systems: Read the articles attached. How can a society systematically support inventors, when
invention naturally happens in “out of the box” settings?
Identity: Which do you prefer, change or stability? Why?
Investigation: Look at the strategies given. What is the most effective strategy to grow a
civilization?
Human Experience: Read the short story “The Nature of War,”(World Traditions in Humanity).
Do the History Books tell the truth? Why or why not?
Invention: What happens when inventions make us question history? Read “Science and
Religion”(World Traditions in Humanity), before answering the question.
READING (Benchmark 76): Read chapters (5 & 6) (17p) of the Foundation. While reading fill out the
quotations chart provided online by selecting quotes that show the positive and negative elements of
civilizations and then discussing why the quote clearly shows the strengths or weaknesses of human
civilizations.
Show What You Know (Benchmark 11): Continue to play Civilization III. Play two rounds: one where
you choose to spend more resources on inventions and one where you spend more resources on your
scholars/religious figures. What happens? Do you think this simulated world represents what happens in
real life? How could you replicate your findings in other situations?
WEEK FOUR: Isolationism vs. Expansion
FORUM (Benchmark 72): It’s role-playing time! Select one ancient civilization from our list and then
find one famous person from that civilization to impersonate. Writing through your historical person’s
perspective, explain his/her position on the following question: Is it more important to build your
infrastructure or spread your civilization? Why?
Use real examples from the history of the civilization to support your character’s case. Then explain why
you agree with or disagree with your historical character.
Before answering these questions complete one of the assignment "branches" below. When posting
remember to use personal experiences and quotes to support your position. You should also comment on
at least 3 other students. Each of your responses to other students should begin with a question, point out
strengths in his/her post, and point out a way to think more deeply about the topic he/she has chosen. For
extra interesting responses, maintain your role-playing and respond as your historical figure would.
Branching Activities (Benchmark 2): Remember, students are only required to do one activity.
Systems: Look at the maps of these 5 civilizations. What natural barriers exist? How might that
impact the evolution of that society?
Identity: If a person has an important idea, is it immoral for that person to keep it to himself or
herself? What about on a societal level? Are society’s obligated to share ideas?
Investigation: Find one culture that remained isolated and one that expanded. Which provided a
better life for its citizens? Why? Do you think your line of logic would hold true if more cultures
were reviewed?
Human Experience: Read the story “How Much Land Does a Man need?” by Tolstoy (Elements
of Literature). Then skim through the articles given about colonization. What moral statement
does the story make about colonization. Is it true? Why did countries feel compelled to colonize
anyway?
Invention: Looking throughout time inventions like metal smiting, space travel, and pottery seem
to have been “discovered” by many cultures in roughly the same time frame though the societies
discovering the ideas may have been very far apart. Read the articles below and explain why you
think that these trends exist.
READING (Benchmark 76): Read chapters 1-4 (Part 3)(42p) of the Foundation. While reading fill out
the quotations chart provided online by selecting quotes that show the positive and negative elements of
civilizations and then discussing why the quote clearly shows the strengths or weaknesses of human
civilizations.
Show What You Know (Benchmark 11): Continue to play Civilization III. How does the location of
your civilization impact your success and strategy? Do you think the same strategy of expansion or
isolation would work for all of the civilizations in the game? Why or why not? After you have found your
answer, play a different game choosing a different civilization in a different time period. Does your
hypothesis hold true in a different context?
WEEK FIVE: Spreading the Word
FORUM (Benchmark 72): Select one ancient civilization from our list and then find one famous person
from that civilization to impersonate. Writing through your historical person’s perspective, explain his/her
position on the following question: What is the most effective way for a civilization to spread its ideasthrough its religion, through war or through trade? Why? Use real examples from the history of the
civilization to support your character’s case. Then explain why you agree with or disagree with your
historical character.
Before answering these questions complete one of the assignment "branches" below. When posting
remember to use personal experiences and quotes to support your position. You should also comment on
at least 3 other students. Each of your responses to other students should begin with a question, point out
strengths in his/her post, and point out a way to think more deeply about the topic he/she has chosen. For
extra interesting responses, maintain your role-playing and respond as your historical figure would.
Branching Activities (Benchmark 4): Remember, students are only required to do one activity.
Systems: Read Thomas Malthus’s essay, “Economic Theories” (World Traditions in the
Humanities). Which social class in a society tends to “spread” ideas the most? Why?
Identity: Can people learn/ evolve from something that they hate? Why or why not? Give real life
examples.
Human Experience: What has been the most powerful way for Americans to spread their ideas?
Why?
Invention: Choose one American cultural ideal that you think should be spread throughout the
world. Then choose 3 “target” cultures that you want to adapt this ideal. What marketing tools or
actions would you take to achieve this goal?
READING (Benchmark 76): Read chapters 5-9 (Part 3) (30 p) of the Foundation. While reading fill out
the quotations chart provided online by selecting quotes that show the positive and negative elements of
civilizations and then discussing why the quote clearly shows the strengths or weaknesses of human
civilizations.
Show What You Know (Benchmark 11): Continue to play Civilization III. Make a pact with another
country. What kinds of things were you able to offer in trade? What seemed to be most valued? Why?
Continue to develop your thesis question discussed at the second f2f meeting. Finish designing your
experiment by filling out the form given and beginning to implement it. Take a moment to look over the
outline of your final paper, to make sure you are crafting an experiment that will lead to a viable thesis.
WEEK SIX: The Role of the Heavy Hand
FORUM (Benchmark 72): Can civilizations grow without slavery or without violence? Answer these
questions in a detailed paragraph and give historical situations to support your position.
Before answering these questions complete one of the assignment "branches" below. When posting
remember to use personal experiences and quotes to support your position. You should also comment on
at least 3 other students. Each of your responses to other students should begin with a question, point out
strengths in his/her post, and point out a way to think more deeply about the topic he/she has chosen.
Branching Activities (Benchmark 8): Remember, students are only required to do one activity.
Systems: Read the articles provided. Then create a map of the process a product goes through in
its life. Where is it made? What does it take to make it? Who makes it? How is it traded? Where
does it go before it ends up on the shelf? Who makes the most profit in this process? What
happens to the product when the user is done with it? (See example for guidance). Thinking of our
lifestyle as based on a “goods” delivery system (an economy), can the American lifestyle be
maintained without undervaluing the “creator” of a product?
Identity: Is an individual morally responsible for ignoring murder and not taking action? What
about a government? Use examples to justify your case.
Investigation: How can you control internal violence without using violence as a government?
Find 3 examples of ways that conflicts have been “won” without violence. Which seems to be the
most effective and why?
Human Experience: Read Wole Soyinka’s poem, “Civilian and Soldier” (Adventures in
Literature). Then answer the question: In what ways do war and “soldier making” impact the
culture of a civilization?
READING (Benchmark 76): Read all of Part 4 (34p) of the Foundation. While reading fill out the
quotations chart provided online by selecting quotes that show the positive and negative elements of
civilizations and then discussing why the quote clearly shows the strengths or weaknesses of human
civilizations.
Show What You Know (Benchmark 11): Continue to play Civilization III. Try not to attack anyone this
week. (You may defend if you are attacked, however.) Does it work? What other strategies can you use to
spread your culture and protect your citizens? Do you think the game mirrors real life in this regard?
Also finish your experiment. Clarify and turn in the historical assumption you believe the code of the
game to be based on. Then begin to research that assumption by using the civilization link list provided.
Read about 5 other cultures. Does the assumption you have chosen seem to fit each culture? Are you able
to find any historical examples that support that assumption? As you research keep notes about the
civilizations you investigate. What time period were they the strongest? What caused their rise and
decline? How does each culture support or reject the assumption you are working with.
WEEK SEVEN: Individualism vs. Utilitarianism
FORUM (Benchmark 72): Which should be valued more, the needs of the society or the needs of the
individual? Answer this question in a detailed paragraph and give historical situations to support your
position.
Before answering these questions complete one of the assignment "branches" below. When posting
remember to use personal experiences and quotes to support your position. You should also comment on
at least 3 other students. Each of your responses to other students should begin with a question, point out
strengths in his/her post, and point out a way to think more deeply about the topic he/she has chosen.
Branching Activities (Benchmark 4): Remember, students are only required to do one activity.
Systems: Read the articles provided. Create a mind map that shows how goods are distributed in a
communist system and a capitalist system. At what level of distribution do problems occur for
both systems? What are the benefits of both systems?
Identity: Read the article “Looking at Survival of the Fittest” by Darwin (World Traditions in
Humanity). Do you agree with it? What is society’s role in strengthening an individual? How
could that concept be taken too far?
Invention: Read the article given about Freeman Dyson. What are the positive and negative goals
of unification?
Human Experience: Read the articles provided. What are the pros and cons of both Communism
and Capitalism?
READING (Benchmark 76): Read chapters 1-10 (Part 5)(50p) of the Foundation. While reading fill out
the quotations chart provided online by selecting quotes that show the positive and negative elements of
civilizations and then discussing why the quote clearly shows the strengths or weaknesses of human
civilizations.
Show What You Know: Continue to play Civilization III.
Also, continue to research by reading about 5 other cultures. Does the assumption you have chosen seem
to fit each culture? Are you able to find any historical examples that support that assumption? As you
research keep notes about the civilizations you investigate. What time period were they the strongest?
What caused their rise and decline? How does each culture reflect or reject the assumption you are
working with. When you are done, analyze your findings. Are there any similarities? Is there a certain
context when the assumption is true and others when it is not?
WEEK EIGHT: The Impact of Success
FORUM (Benchmark 72): Which civilization has impacted the history of humanity the most?
(Ripple Effects)
When posting remember to use personal experiences and quotes to support your position. You should also
comment on at least 3 other students. Each of your responses to other students should begin with a
question, point out strengths in his/her post, and point out a way to think more deeply about the topic
he/she has chosen.
READING (Benchmark 76): Finish Book (40p) of the Foundation. While reading fill out the quotations
chart provided online by selecting quotes that show the positive and negative elements of civilizations and
then discussing why the quote clearly shows the strengths or weaknesses of human civilizations.
Show What You Know (Benchmark 11): Write your final paper.
WEEK NINE: Predicting the Future
FORUM (Benchmark 72): Through analyzing past civilizations can you predict the future
of our civilization?
Show What You Know: Prepare your final paper and demonstration.