Ancient Civilizations
Research Project and Presentation
Over the next weeks you will be working in teams of four to six students to research and
present information on one of the first civilizations in World History. During this project
you will need to show evidence of your ability to:
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Locate information in print and electronic form.
Cite sources in the correct form.
Collaborate with other students to complete project
Identify and describe basic facts (location, time period, causes of rise and fall,
contributions to world) and the 6 elements (religion, writing system, cities, art, class
divisions, government) for your civilization.
 Present a cohesive summary of your civilization to an audience.
Day One:
Step 1: Assemble with your team. Circle your desks
Step 2: Choose a civilization below-Have an alternative ready, in
case another team beats you to that civilization!
Ancient Civilizations to Explore
The Americas
Western Asia/Africa
Eastern Asia
Aztecs
Assyrians
Indus River
Incas
Babylonians
Shang Dynasty
Mayans
Bantu
Hittites
Kush
Persians
Phoenicians
Let Mr. Dalton know the civilization you wish to research
and present. Each civilization will have only one
presentation per class, so make your decisions as soon as
possible!
Step 3: Start researching
Begin with Mr. Dalton’s websites! Many of these civilizations have a chapter in our
textbook, and are available in Mr. Dalton’s World History Files.
In addition, many websites are linked in Early Civilizations Project you will find a great
deal of information as well as names of important people or places to research.
Remember, Mr. Dalton will still be teaching every day, so you still have to complete
assigned classwork as well as your project!
Next, continue with a Safari/Google search using key words you have found in your
textbook research. And remember, even though Wikipedia is not a great primary source, it
has great sources listed at the end of an article, and it can be used as a confirming source of
information.
As you go to a website and find information or download a photo, remember to keep a log
of the websites you found information for your project! You will need to cite these sources
at the end of your presentation! Nearer the end of the project, the class will receive
instruction in the proper procedure to cite sources in your final presentation.
As you research make sure to take notes for these areas and don’t forget to cite your
sources!
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Location: Where were they located? What is the place called today? Are there any
special geographic features (rivers, ocean, mountains, etc.) Can you find a map?
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Time period: When did they emerge as a civilization? When were they at their
peak? How long were they around? When did they fall?
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What caused rise and fall: What caused this civilization to rise and fall? Did they
conquer another civilization? Were they conquered?
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Religion: What kind of religion or worship did they practice? Did they worship
many gods (polytheistic) or one god (monotheistic)? What were some of the stories
about their god(s)? Was their religion and government combined? Did they believe
in life after death?
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Writing system: What form of communication did they use? What type of writing
did they have? Was it pictographic? Can we read it today? Why did it develop? Was
it used by other civilizations as well?
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Cities: What were some of the major cities of the civilization? How many people
lived there? What did it look like?
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Art: What role did the arts have in this civilization? What were their main forms of
art? What was their architecture (buildings) like? What are some examples of their
art?
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Class division: What type of social classes did they have? How was slavery a part of
this civilization? How was their economy (ways they made money) affected by a
division of classes?
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Government: What type of rulers did they have? How were they organized? What
type of laws did they have? What were their courts like? Who were some of their
famous leaders?
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Contributions to world: What were the major contributions of this civilization to
the world at their time? Are their any lasting contributions still seen today? What
did they leave our world?
Step 4: Create your presentation
Choose a presentation method (iMovie, Keynote, etc.).
Your presentation will need to include the following:
 All 10 of the areas listed in the research section must be covered. There should be at
least one map and at least 10 other visuals elements.
 Everyone in the group must speak about at least one of the areas.
 You will need a Works Cited at the end with all of your citation information.
 Do NOT read directly from your presentation. Either record your group or practice
for a live delivery.
Step 5: Deliver your team’s presentation, listen to other
presentations, take notes.