Grade 6 World History, Quarter 2, Unit 1 of 3
Early River Valley Civilizations
Overview
Overall days: 11
(1 day = 55 minutes)
Purpose
Between about 4500 and 2000 BCE, complex agricultural societies emerged in three river valleys in the
arid lands of western and central Afroeurasia. In this unit, students explore early complex societies in the
Tigris–Euphrates valley (Mesopotamia), the Nile valley (Egypt), and the Indus valley (Pakistan–India).
Students will approach this topic from a comparative perspective, considering the question of why dense
societies with teeming cities arose in those places, when the human species had flourished without
civilizations for hundreds of thousands of years. Students will probe the question of why communities
could produce large food surpluses in regions where rainfall was scant. They will also investigate
fundamental characteristics that these complex societies shared—notably, cities, social class divisions,
specialized occupations, trade networks, monumental building, writing systems, complex belief systems,
and centralized governments.
Content to be learned
Processes to be used

Understand how agrarian societies developed
technologies such as the plow, bronze
metallurgy, and writing, and new forms of
social organization that led to the emergence of
early river valley civilizations.

Analyze cause-and-effect relationships
between key inventions such as bronze, the
plow, writing, and the wheel on one hand and
the development of early river valley
civilizations on the other.

Explain the rise of new agrarian centers in
Mesopotamia, Egypt, and the Indus valley in
the context of the physical environments of
these regions, and the means by which these
environments were modified and shaped by
human activity.

Draw upon data in historical maps to analyze
why complex agrarian societies arose in
regions of extreme aridity.

Formulate historical questions to hypothesize
how and why early cities arose.

Examine historical data to identify the chief
characteristics of complex societies, as
compared with those of hunter–gatherer or
early farming societies.

Understand how Mesopotamia, Egypt, and the
Indus valley became centers of urbanization.

Understand the principal characteristics of
these early complex societies (civilizations).
Essential questions students should be able to answer by end of unit

Why did the Nile, Tigris–Euphrates, and Indus
river valleys become important centers of
dense agrarian populations?
Providence Public Schools, in collaboration with the
Charles A. Dana Center at the University of Texas at Austin

How was social and economic life in early
cities different from life in farming villages or
hunter–gatherer communities?
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Grade 6 World History, Quarter 2, Unit 1
Version 2
Early River Valley Civilizations (11 days)
Written Curriculum
Grade-Span Expectations
HP 1: History is an account of human activities that is interpretive in nature.
HP 1 (5-6) –1 Students act as historians, using a variety of tools (e.g., artifacts and primary and secondary
sources) by…
b. using sources to support the stories of history (How do we know what we know?)
c. asking and answering historical questions, organizing information, and evaluating information in terms of
relevance
HP 2: History is a chronicle of human activities, diverse people, and the societies they form.
HP 2 (5-6) – 2 Students chronicle events and conditions by…
a. placing key events and people of a particular historical era in chronological sequence
National Standards for History (World History, Grades 5–12)
Era 2 Early Civilizations and the Emergence of Pastoral Peoples, 4000-1000 BCE
Standard 1: The major characteristics of civilization and how civilizations emerged in Mesopotamia, Egypt and the
Indus valley.
1A The student understands how Mesopotamia, Egypt, and the Indus valley became centers of dense
population, urbanization, and cultural innovation in the fourth and third millennia BCE. Therefore,
the student is able to

Analyze how the natural environments of the Tigris-Euphrates, Nile, and Indus valleys shaped the early
development of civilization. [Compare and contrast differing sets of ideas]

Compare the character of urban development in Mesopotamia, Egypt, and the Indus valley, including the
emergence of social hierarchies and occupational specializations, as well as differences in the tasks that
urban women and men performed. [Compare and contrast differing values and institutions]

Compare the forms of writing that developed in the three civilizations and how written records shaped
political, legal, religious, and cultural life. [Compare and contrast differing sets of ideas, values, and
institutions]

Compare the development of religious and ethical belief systems in the three civilizations and how they
legitimized the political and social order. [Compare and contrast differing sets of ideas]

Describe architectural, artistic, literary, technological, and scientific achievements of these civilizations and
relate these achievements to economic and social life. [Analyze cause-and-effect relationships]
Common Core State Standards for Literacy in History/Social Studies
Text Types and Purposes
WHST.6-8.1
Write arguments focused on discipline-specific content.
a.
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Introduce claim(s) about a topic or issue, acknowledge and distinguish the
claim(s) from alternate or opposing claims, and organize the reasons and evidence
logically.
Providence Public Schools, in collaboration with the
Charles A. Dana Center at the University of Texas at Austin
Early River Valley Civilizations (11 days)
Grade 6 World History, Quarter 2, Unit 1
Version 2
b.
Support claim(s) with logical reasoning and relevant, accurate data and evidence
that demonstrate an understanding of the topic or text, using credible sources.
c.
Use words, phrases, and clauses to create cohesion and clarify the relationships
among claim(s), counterclaims, reasons, and evidence.
d.
Establish and maintain a formal style.
e.
Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from and supports the
argument presented.
Range of Writing
WHST.6-8.10
Write routinely over extended time frames (time for reflection and revision) and shorter
time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of discipline-specific tasks,
purposes, and audiences.
Notes, Clarifications, and Prerequisites
New to the grade span is the placement of events and key people in a chronological sequence. Instruction
should include emphasis on eras following each other in a time continuum.
Also new to the grade span is telling the story of history through the use of sources. Instruction should
include directing students’ attention to the sources that reveal stories of the river valley civilizations.
Students also encounter for the first time the skill of formulating questions in order to probe the stories of
history. This entails their evaluation of information for relevance to the people of the era being studied or
to the modern era.
These units include Common Core Literacy standards in reading and literacy and Historical Thinking
Standards. The impact on instruction of these new and additional standards is noted in the Planning and
Instructional Delivery Considerations and Assessment sections.
Providence Public Schools, in collaboration with the
Charles A. Dana Center at the University of Texas at Austin
D-25
Grade 6 World History, Quarter 2, Unit 1
Version 2
Early River Valley Civilizations (11 days)
Taught Curriculum
Learning Objectives
Resources
Students will be able to:
History of Our World, Pearson, Teacher’s Edition,
2010 (pp. 20-24, 43-47, 80-85, 114-123, 144-148)

Analyze human–environmental interactions in
the Nile, Tigris–Euphrates, and Indus valley
regions that were associated with the
emergence of complex societies (dense
agrarian civilizations) and cities. (4 days)
All-in-One Teaching Resources
World History for Us All,
http://worldhistoryforusall.sdsu.edu

Identify key elements of technology used in
early civilizations. (1 day)

Summarize how living in cities affected social
and economic relations among individuals and
groups. (2 days)

Compare and contrast the basic characteristics
of complex society in Mesopotamia, Egypt,
and the Indus valley, including social class
divisions, specialized occupations, monumental
building, writing systems, complex belief
systems, and centralized governments. (4 days)

Big Era 3, Panorama Teaching Unit: Farming
and Complex Societies

Big Era 3, Landscape Teaching Unit 3.3: River
Valleys and the Development of Complex
Societies in Afroeurasia, Lessons 1 and 2
Facing History and Ourselves

Fishbowl, http://www.facinghistory.org/
resources/strategies/fishbowl

Identity Charts, http://www.facinghistory.org/
resources/strategies/identity-charts
Step Up to Writing, Sopris West, 2008

Planning with an Informal Outline (p. 150)
Tool 4-5c

Expository Essays and Reports Scoring Guide
(p. 442)
Tools 10-16a to 10-16c
Materials
Construction paper, scissors, colored pencils,
dictionaries
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Providence Public Schools, in collaboration with the
Charles A. Dana Center at the University of Texas at Austin
Early River Valley Civilizations (11 days)
Grade 6 World History, Quarter 2, Unit 1
Version 2
Instructional Considerations
Key Vocabulary
agrarian
plow
culture
religion
delta
river valley
interaction
sedentary
irrigation
society
metallurgy
technology
Planning and Instructional Delivery Considerations
In this unit, students explore early complex societies in the Tigris–Euphrates valley (Mesopotamia), the
Nile valley (Egypt), and the Indus valley (Pakistan–India). Students will approach this topic from a
comparative perspective, considering the question of why dense societies with teeming cities arose in
those places, when the human species had flourished without civilizations for hundreds of thousands of
years. Students will probe the question of why communities could produce large food surpluses in regions
where rainfall was scant. They will also investigate fundamental characteristics that these complex
societies shared—notably, cities, social class divisions, specialized occupations, trade networks,
monumental building, writing systems, complex belief systems, and centralized governments.
In these activities, students will also investigate fundamental characteristics that these complex societies
shared. Students will analyze and discern cause from effect and recognize the significance of human
interactions with the environment in history.
The strategies listed below represent a menu of choices and possibilities to support each learning
objective. The following teaching strategies are aligned to the order of the learning objectives. Select
from the activities and readings in the Pearson text to provide students with background information and
critical thinking opportunities that align to the learning objectives.

To ensure that students will be able to analyze human–environmental interactions in the Nile,
Tigris–Euphrates, and Indus valley regions that were associated with the emergence of complex
societies (dense agrarian civilizations) and cities (4 days):
Teach Lesson 3 (Who is Civilized?) in World History for Us All, Big Era 3, Panorama Teaching Unit
(Farming and Complex Societies).
Show the PowerPoint Overview Presentation (Farming and Complex Societies) in World History for
Us All, Big Era 3. Lead a discussion in class around this question: What ideas can you infer from the
PowerPoint about how, when, and why complex urban societies emerged in certain places in the
world, considering that humans had managed to thrive previously without them?
Teach Lesson 1 (What Does It Take to Be a Civilization?) in World History for Us All, Big Era 3,
Landscape Teaching Unit 3.3 (River Valleys and the Development of Complex Societies in Afroeurasia).
Have students locate the Tigris–Euphrates, Indus, and Nile river valleys on a map. Compare the
geographical features of these valleys in the context of Afroeurasia as a whole. Use maps, photos, and
other appropriate pictorial sources. Have students identify common features that may have shaped
agricultural production. Discuss why you think civilizations first developed along river valleys in
extremely arid regions.
Providence Public Schools, in collaboration with the
Charles A. Dana Center at the University of Texas at Austin
D-27
Grade 6 World History, Quarter 2, Unit 1
Version 2
Early River Valley Civilizations (11 days)
Students will create a Venn diagram, T-chart, or flow chart that identifies and compares the
geographic and environmental contexts of each area of civilization and how these regions developed
into sedentary agrarian societies and productive cities.

To ensure that students will be able to identify key elements of technology used in early
civilizations (1 day):
Research the technology for flood control and irrigation in the Nile and Tigris–Euphrates valleys. In
groups of 3 or 4, students will discuss why these societies needed irrigation and how it ensured a
reliable food supply. Why did large-scale irrigation projects require more complex political and
administrative organization? How did irrigation systems in Mesopotamia and Egypt differ?
From a list of technologies of our own time, have students in groups research and identify those that
had already been invented in some form by 2000 BCE. Have students debate the advantages and
disadvantages of technological developments that have been made since 2000 BCE.
Have students map places of origin of silver, copper, and tin used in Mesopotamia in the 3rd
millennium BCE. With reference to these maps, lead a class discussion of what exports Mesopotamia
had available to pay for the metals they imported.
Students will recognize and identify the tools used in early civilization development through
strategies such as the formation of diagrams and charts.

To ensure that students will be able to summarize how living in cities affected social and
economic relations among individuals and groups (2 days):
Implement an Identity Chart classroom activity. Have students discuss commonalties, differences,
and implications of urban living. (See the Facing History and Ourselves website’s page on Identity
Charts for more information.) The students can create charts and diagrams and form analogies about
the impact of living in urban areas.
Research and examine the way the Indus people laid out and constructed their cities. Set up a
“fishbowl” and ask students selected for it to discuss what this evidence might suggest about Indus
River valley government, economic organization, and levels of skill and technology. (See the Facing
History and Ourselves website’s page on the Fishbowl strategy for more information.)

To ensure that students will be able to compare and contrast the basic characteristics of
complex society in Mesopotamia, Egypt, and the Indus valley, including social class divisions,
specialized occupations, monumental building, writing systems, complex belief systems, and
centralized governments (4 days):
Teach Lesson 2 (What Can We Tell from What They Said Themselves?) in World History for Us All,
Big Era 3, Landscape Teaching Unit 3.3 (River Valleys and the Development of Complex Societies in
Afroeurasia).
On a map, students in groups plot the places where Indus valley cities of the 3rd and 2nd millennia
BCE have been discovered. Using other maps and images from the archeological sites of the Indus
River valley, have students compare the size and characteristics of the Indus valley complex society
with that of the Sumerian and Egyptian civilizations.
Based on information in the textbook, students will fill in a graphic organizer comparing and
contrasting the religions of Mesopotamia, Egypt, and the Indus valley. The students will develop a
graphic organizer that leads to various writing samples (4-Step Summary, Narratives, Outlines).
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Providence Public Schools, in collaboration with the
Charles A. Dana Center at the University of Texas at Austin
Early River Valley Civilizations (11 days)
Grade 6 World History, Quarter 2, Unit 1
Version 2
Additional Teaching Strategies
Have students read in the textbook and respond to the following questions:

Section 3 Assessment, Comprehension and Critical Thinking, questions 1–2 (Pearson, p. 24)

Section 3 Assessment, Comprehension and Critical Thinking (Pearson, p. 47)

Section 3 Assessment, Comprehension and Critical Thinking (Pearson, p. 85)

Sections 2 and 3 Assessments, Comprehension and Critical Thinking (Pearson, pp. 118 and 123)

Section 2 Assessment, Comprehension and Critical Thinking (Pearson, p. 148)
Have students complete the Writing Activity in the section Assessments (Pearson, pp. 24, 47, 85, 118,
123, and 148). The scoring rubric for each writing activity is in the All-in-One Teaching Resources.
Assessed Curriculum
Formative Assessments
Provide feedback to students through daily monitoring of student understanding using a variety of
methods. For example, use exit cards. Have students answer questions on paper before they leave the
class. Keep the activity prompt specific and brief to check for understanding of the day’s concepts. For
instance, to check students’ comprehension of the importance of river floods, ask students to respond to
the following question: “When was the flooding of the Tigris and Euphrates beneficial?”
To assess the progress of understanding:

how to analyze human–environmental interactions in the Nile, Tigris–Euphrates, and Indus
valley regions that were associated with the emergence of complex societies (dense agrarian
civilizations) and cities, on a blank map, have students in groups locate and identify the main
geographic features of the three river valleys. Have each student write a short journal entry or other
writing assignment to identify common features that may have shaped agricultural production. Have
students answer why they think civilizations first developed along river valleys in extremely arid
regions.

how to identify key elements of technology used in early civilizations, have students create an
advertisement for a specific new technology invented by the Egyptians, Mesopotamians, or people in
the Indus River valley. The advertisement should state what functions and advantages are to be had
from this new technology.

how to summarize how living in cities affected social and economic relations among individuals
and groups, have students write a letter from a new urban dweller to his or her family in a rural
village that explains how life is different in an urban environment.

how to compare and contrast the basic characteristics of complex society in Mesopotamia,
Egypt, and the Indus valley, including social class divisions, specialized occupations,
monumental building, writing systems, complex belief systems, and centralized governments, in
a journal entry or short writing assignment, have students respond to the following question: Why do
you think we know less about government, society, and religion in the Indus civilization than about
those things in Mesopotamia or Egypt?
Providence Public Schools, in collaboration with the
Charles A. Dana Center at the University of Texas at Austin
D-29
Grade 6 World History, Quarter 2, Unit 1
Version 2
Early River Valley Civilizations (11 days)
These formative assessments provide an opportunity to write for a range of topics, purposes, and
audiences (WHST.6-8.10).
Summative Assessment
Have students write an essay that compares the origins and characteristics of the civilizations of Egypt,
Mesopotamia, and the Indus valley. Students should draw upon evidence from the textbook and artifacts
from classroom activities to substantiate their claims.
Provide the Step Up to Writing “Planning With an Informal Outline” Tool 4-5c to help students plan their
essays. Use the “Expository Essay and Report Scoring Guide” Tools 10-16a to 10-16c to assess.
This summative assessment continues the practice of extended writing (WHST.6-8.10) and learning to
write arguments (WHST.6-8.1).
Notes
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Providence Public Schools, in collaboration with the
Charles A. Dana Center at the University of Texas at Austin