Teacher’s Guide
The Ancient Indus Valley Civilization
A Guide to Accompany Indus River: Journey of a Lifetime
A Unit of National Standards for World History
Grades 5 - 12
Designed and Developed
By
Abha Sinha
Educational Technology Coordinator
WGTE Public Broadcasting
1270 S Detroit Avenue
Toledo OH 43614
Tel: 1-888-477-4ERC or 419-380-4600
e-mail: erc@wgte.org
http://www.wgte.org
Topical Outline
Section 1
•
Introduction to National Standards for History
Section 2
•
INDUS RIVER - Journey of a Lifetime
Section 3
•
Ancient Civilizations – An Overview
Section 4
•
Lesson Plan
Section 5
•
Appendices
The Ancient Indus Valley Civilization
Introduction
This teacher guide is developed for students to understand the impact of the Indus River
on civilization. Study of the Indus River Civilization is a unit of national academic
content standards for world history.
The development of the History Standards was administered by the National Center for
History in the Schools at the University of California, Los Angeles under the guidance of
the National Council for History Standards. It consists of two broad sections:
National Standards for History (Grades K-4) and
National Standards in United States and World History (Grades 5-12)
The Indus River Valley civilization flourished around 2,500 B.C. in the western part of
South Asia, in what today is Pakistan and western India. It is often referred to as
Harappan Civilization after its first discovered city, Harappa.
National Standards in United States and World History (Grades 5-12)
Without history, a society shares no common memory of where it has been, what its core
values are, or what decisions of the past account for present circumstances. Also without
history, we cannot undertake any sensible inquiry into the political, social, or moral
issues in society.
Historical knowledge and inquiry help us to become effective participants in the
democratic processes of governance and to attain the fulfillment, for all our citizens, of
the nation’s democratic ideals.
This Guide addresses the following Standards:
Standard 1
The major characteristics of civilization and how civilizations emerged in Mesopotamia,
Egypt, and the Indus valley
•
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 BC.
•
The student understands how commercial and cultural interactions contributed to
change in the Tigris-Euphrates, Indus, and Nile regions
Standard 2
How agrarian societies spread and new states emerged in the third and second millennia
BC.
•
The student understands how civilization emerged in northern China in the second
millennium BC.
•
The student understands how new centers of agrarian society arose in the third
and second millennia BC.
Standard 3
The political, social, and cultural consequences of population movements and
militarization in Eurasia in the second millennium BC.
•
The student understands how population movements from Western and Central
Asia affected peoples of India, Southwest Asia, and the Mediterranean region.
•
The student understands the social and cultural effects that militarization and the
emergence of new kingdoms had on peoples of Southwest Asia and Egypt in the
second millennium BC.
•
The student understands how urban society expanded in the Aegean region in the
era of Mycenaean dominance.
•
The student understands the development of new cultural patterns in northern
India in the second millennium BC.
Standard 4
Major trends in Eurasia and Africa from 4000 BC to 1000 BC
•
The student understands major trends in Eurasia and Africa from 4000 to 1000
BC
Detailed Outcomes for each Standard can be found at
http://www.sscnet.ucla.edu/nchs/standards/world-standards5-12.html
Teaching Resources
Video Cassette
WGTE Public Broadcasting of Northwest Ohio has produced a one-hour
educational video, Indus River: Journey of a Lifetime. It is available as a VHS cassette
from WGTE. It may be ordered by using the contact information, below.
Please call 1-888-477-4ERC (419-380-4600)
or e-mail: ERC@WGTE.ORG to place an order.
INDUS RIVER - Journey of a Lifetime
This is a story of a man’s fulfillment of a boyhood dream. Growing up in Pakistan, Dr. S.
Amjad Hussain always hoped to explore the Indus River. Between 1987 and 1996, years
after becoming a respected surgeon in Toledo Ohio, Dr. Hussain undertook a series of
journeys to the Indus, culminating with an expedition to locate its source high in the
Himalayas. Experience the incredible mountain vistas and scenic beauty of the Indus,
from the mountains to the Arabian Sea in this video cassette.
Books
Ancient Civilizations – An Overview
Societies exhibiting the major characteristics of civilization experienced extensive growth
during the era from 4000 and 1000 BC.
Four great floodplain civilizations appeared; the first in Mesopotamia, then, shortly
thereafter, in the Nile Valley, and around 2500 BC, in the Indus Valley. These three
civilizations mutually influenced one another and came to constitute a single region of
intercommunication and trade.
Finally, a fourth great civilization arose in the Yellow River valley of northwestern China
in the second millennium BC.
During this era, much of the world’s population lived in small farming communities,
while others hunted or foraged.
Facts about this era:
•
This is the period when civilizations appeared, shaping subsequent eras of history.
Students must consider the nature of civilization as both a particular way of
organizing society and a historical phenomenon subject to transformation and
collapse.
•
Many of the world’s most fundamental inventions, discoveries, institutions, and
techniques appeared. Subsequent civilizations would build upon these
achievements.
•
Early civilizations were not self-contained but developed their distinctive
characteristics partly as a result of interactions with other peoples.
•
This era introduces students to one of the most enduring themes of history; the
dynamic interplay, for good or ill, between the agrarian civilizations and pastoral
peoples of the great grasslands.
Indus Valley Civilization - Background
Settlement
Indus Valley remnants (refer to appendices for detailed maps) have been discovered as
far south as Bombay, in Maharashtra, India, to the Himalayas and northern Afghanistan
in the north. The westernmost sites are on the Arabian Sea coast in Baluchistan, Pakistan
adjacent to the Iranian border. A thousand miles to the east in India, Harappan
settlements have been found beyond Delhi in Uttar Pradesh State. Discoveries in the
southern Gujarat State suggest a coastal network spanning hundreds of miles.
Indus Valley culture seems to have moved from west to east, with sites towards central
and southern India flourishing after the original settlements in Harappa and MohenjoDaro had declined.
Important Sites
Harappa was an Indus Valley urban center. It lies in Punjab Province, Pakistan, on an old
bed of the River Ravi. It provides the first clues to the ancient Indus Valley, and is often
called the Harappan civilization.
Mohenjo-Daro is probably the best known Indus Valley site. It is in Sindh, Pakistan, next
to the Indus. Here the Great Bath, uniform buildings and weights, hidden drains and other
hallmarks of the civilization were discovered in the 1920’s.
Dholavira has some of the best preserved architecture, located on Khadir Beit, an island
in the Great Rann of Kutch in Gujarat, India. A tantalizing signboard with Indus script
has also been discovered, here.
Lothal is north of the Gulf of Cambay in Gujarat, India, near the Sabarmati River and the
Arabian Sea. A bead factory and Mesopotamian seal, or imprint, have been found here,
evidence of interaction between the two, great ancient civilizations.
Rakhigarhi is a recently discovered, still unexcavated city in Haryana, India. It is as large
as Harappa, Mohenjodaro and Ganweriwala.
Ganweriwala is in Punjab, Pakistan near the Indian border. It was discovered in the
1970’s, and at 80 hectares is as large as Mohenjodaro. Ganweriwala may have been the
urban center of a third Indus Valley region covering copper-rich Rajasthan.
Chanudarho, 80 miles south of Mohenjo-Daro in Sindh was a manufacturing center.
Various tool, shell, bone and seal-making facilities which involved writing were found.
Sutkagen Dor in Baluchistan, next to Iran, is the westernmost known Harappan site. It is
thought to have once been on a navigable inlet of the Arabian Sea. Sutkagen Dor would
have been on the trade route from Lothal in Gujarat to Mesopotamia.
All these sites flourished between 3000 and 2000 B.C., if not earlier. There are probably
many more important Indus Valley sites. Some may have been lost or destroyed by
shifting river paths. Others may be buried under modern towns.
What does seem clear is that the important sites were commercial centers. They are on
rivers or near the coast. Various specialized manufacturing facilities suggest that they
were heavily involved in trade with each other and with locales far outside the region.
Urban Development
The emergence of the Indus Valley civilization is as remarkable as was its relatively
stabile existence for nearly one thousand years. The cities were well planned and were
built with baked bricks all of equal size. The streets were laid at right angles to one
another, with an elaborate system of covered drains. There was a fairly clear division in
localities as houses were earmarked for the upper and lower strata of society. There were
public buildings, the most famous being the Great Bath at Mohenjodaro and the vast
granaries. Production of several metals such as copper, bronze, lead and tin was
undertaken as evidenced by the remnants of furnaces. The discovery of kilns to make
bricks support the fact that burnt bricks were used extensively in domestic and public
buildings.
Occupations
Evidence points to the use of domesticated animals, including camels, goats, water
buffalo and various fowl. The Harappans cultivated wheat, barley, peas and sesames, and
were probably the first to grow, and make clothes from, cotton.
Trade appears to have been a major activity at the Indus Valley and the sheer quantity of
seals discovered suggest that each merchant or mercantile family owned its own seal.
These personal seals are in various quadrangular shapes and sizes, each with a human, or
an animal, figure carved on it.
Discoveries suggest that the Harappan civilization had extensive trade relations with
neighboring regions in India and with distant lands in the Persian Gulf and in Sumer
(Iraq).
Society and Religion
The Harappan society was divided according to occupations, suggesting the existence of
an organized government. The figures of deities on seals indicate that the Harappans
worshipped gods and goddesses in male and female forms with evolved rituals and
ceremonies. No monumental sculpture survives, but a large number of human figurines
have been discovered, including a steatite bust of a man thought to be a priest, and a
striking bronze dancing girl. Countless terra-cotta statues of a “Mother Goddess” have
been discovered, suggesting that she was worshipped in nearly every home.
Decline of the Indus Valley Civilization
Research currently being conducted in India and Pakistan hopes to answer questions
concerning invaders and the drying up of river beds. The first promising written script
interpretations have been made. Radiocarbon chronologies are proving very useful.
Satellite imaging is exposing old trade routes.
The decline of the civilization has been attributed to several factors. Among these, are:
•
Changes in the climate leading to an increase of arid land and lower agricultural
output, thereby forcing the evacuation of inhabitants to more productive regions.
•
Increase in population, excessive deforestation, and a decline in agriculture, may
have created economic problems leading to the gradual decay of the culture.
•
Frequent floods may have led to the devastation of the city.
•
The invasion of the Aryan people, and their customs, slowly eliminated the
traditions and culture of the Indus Valley civilization.
There are also the well-known accounts in the Rig Veda of northern or Aryan people
driving an indigenous Dravidian people into south India. The existence of the Brahui
tribe in Baluchistan, to the west of the Indus, who speak a Dravidian language like South
Indian Tamil, suggests that a migration of people or culture did occur. Yet it is unclear
whether the ancient Harappans would have been Aryans or Dravidians.
Lesson Plan:
1 - Objectives
Students will be able to:
•
Describe the historical perspective of Indus valley Civilization
•
Identify the period of its emergence and existence.
•
Identify the Social structure.
•
Describe the occupation, trade and economy of the ancient Indus Valley.
•
Analyze the factors having an impact on occupations, trade, and economy.
•
Identify the pattern and planning of urban development utilized by the society.
•
Analyze the positive and negative effects of the river on the civilization.
•
Read and critically analyze maps and geographical features.
•
Locate and identify the major sites of the Indus Valley Civilization on a map
2 - Instruction
Students should conduct research using the Web sites listed on the Web Resource pages,
in addition to using text and reference books from the library.
As a part of the lesson plan, a Test, Test Key, Student Evaluation sheet, Student Activity
Sheets, and Question Bank are attached.
If you choose, you can administer the included test, twice, as a pretest and a final test to
determine the level of achievement of your students’ independent research about the
Indus Valley Civilizations.
To help your students become genuinely excited about ancient history you could gather
books from the library or even artifacts (reproductions) from various sources to bring the
real world into your classroom.
A map of India and Pakistan would be helpful. The Web sites will show the students
many photographs of the Indus Valley Cities, artifacts, etc. There are numerous images
and maps and stories on these Web pages. It is most beneficial to review the sites,
yourself, before hand.
Give students the activity sheets and schedule computer time. They can work alone or in
groups. Each student should complete his/her own sheet and draw their own maps. The
activity sheets are very specific with Web sites listed along with the questions. Students
will go to the sites to find the answers to the questions posed by the activity sheets.
Step 3 – Review
Once students complete their tasks, gather as a class and review the history of the Indus
River Civilization during the time of the Harappans.
Step 4 - Assessment
If you choose, this is the time to give the post/final test. Additionally, students can do
short oral reports on their findings. They can also create artful maps of the Indus Valley.
Test paper, Test Key, Activity sheet and the Student’s evaluation form will assist the
teacher in conducting this assessment.
Test Sheet
Name______________________________ Date____________Test___
1. Name the river that supported the ancient Indus Valley.
2. Using a separate sheet of paper draw a map of ancient India and indicate the Indus
River on this map.
3. Add the cities of Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro to your map.
4. Describe at least one destructive or negative effect the Indus River had on the
civilizations that lived on its banks.
5. Describe at least two positive benefits the Indus Valley Civilizations gained by living
next to the Indus River.
6. Give at least three relevant reasons why the Indus Valley Civilizations vanished.
7. Describe what life was like for a citizen of Harappa.
Test Key
1. Indus River
2. Two and three, refer the map which has river and the cities of Harappa and MohenjoDaro.
4. Students are to describe one negative effect the Indus River had on the ancient
civilizations that thrived along its banks. The Indus River flooded the cities repeatedly.
The Indus Valley is a flood plain and the cities would be devastated. The inhabitants
rebuilt their cities many times.
5. Positive benefits the Indus Valley Civilizations gained by living next to the Indus
River.
• It provided water for survival.
• It gave them tremendous agricultural facilities.
• They could catch and eat animals and fish that lived in or near the river.
6. Give at least 3 reasons why the Indus Valley Civilization vanished. No one
really knows so logical assumptions are fair answers
•
•
•
•
•
They moved away because of flooding.
The Aryans vanquished them.
The river dried up and the people migrated to new lands.
A plague killed them.
The people moved away for unknown reasons.
7. The answer needs to address the advanced civilization of a city with indoor running
water and bathrooms, underground plumbing, and an economy based on the sharing of
crops in a common storage area accessible to all citizens.
Student Evaluation Sheet
1. Did you learn the location of the Indus River Valley?
2. Did the Web sites give you the information you needed?
3. Did drawing maps by hand give you a better grasp of geography?
4. Did you learn more about flood plains?
5. Do you have any suggestions that would make the topic better?
6. Did you find other Web sites that are great?
Your response will be valuable for other students in the class.
Student Activity Sheet
Group Activity - Create a map of India, and identify the location of the Indus Valley
civilization.
•
Divide the class into groups of 4-5 students.
•
Help them to select a group leader.
•
Assign a task to each group members
•
Introduce the activity to the class and hand out instructions, research questions
and answer any questions the students may have.
•
Hand out the required materials to each group.
•
Each group will produce a map of India, showing the major geographical features
of the Indus Valley, and the main cities of its ancient civilization.
Materials:
•
Blank sheets of paper or chart paper
•
Coloring pens or markers
•
Overhead projector
•
Transparencies and markers
•
World History book which includes a section or chapter on the Indus Valley
civilization.
•
Outline Maps of India and Pakistan (no identifications0
•
•
Physical map of India and Pakistan
Video cassette – Indus Valley: Journey of A Lifetime
Research Questions
•
What was life like in Harappa?
•
What was the climate like? Was that wet or very dry?
•
What type of bricks was used for building houses? Why?
•
Was the river swampy and wide and abundant or was it dry and weak?
•
What kind of animals lived near the Indus?
•
Was agriculture important? How do we know?
•
Was the Indus Valley a good place for agriculture to thrive? Why?
•
Did the Harappan people have sophisticated city planning? Describe.
•
Did they use fired bricks?
•
Did they have sewers and drains?
•
Did they have big living quarters?
•
Did they rebuild their cities exactly the same way after each flood?
•
What was the religious belief of the Harappan people?
•
Did they have any form of reading and writing?
•
When did the Harappan Indus River Valley Civilization vanish?
•
List at least three reasons why the Harappan Indus River Valley Civilization
vanished?
•
What is the name of the next tribal civilization that inhabited the Indus River
Valley?
Research Activities
1. To prepare for the presentations, the groups must research the subject.
2. They can refer to a World History Book, visit Web sites (addresses are listed in
Appendix B), and watch the video cassette.
3. Use a map of India both current and ancient and also and/or a map of Asia.
4. To ensure participation by all group members, each one must perform a specific
task. With the help of the teacher the group can decide what each member will do.
5. The tasks to be assigned are:
i.
Finding research material about the geography of India from the maps in
books and on a bulletin board
ii.
Finding research material about the sites of the Indus Valley Civilization
in the textbook
iii.
Identifying physical features and sites on the map
iv.
Drawing the map for a presentation
v.
Preparing notes for the group’s presentations.
vi.
Watching the Journey of a Lifetime video cassette.
6. Each member of the group will produce a map, of their own, using the
information gathered by all the members.
7. The group will then produce a single map on a transparency sheet to use for their
presentation (Draw your map on a sheet of paper before you put it on the
transparency).
8. All work should be collected and graded.
Procedure
Group presentations
Each group will be assigned appropriate class time to present their map and the findings
of their research.
1. They will present their map on a transparency to the rest of the class.
2. Each group will produce a map of India, showing the major geographical features
and the most important sites of the Indus Valley Civilization.
3. Each group will have 5 minutes to present their finished maps to the rest of the
class.
4. It is the responsibility of the other groups to pay close attention to the presentation
and to grade the presentation based on the following guidelines:
i.
Does the map show the major geographical features of the Indus Valley?
ii.
Does the map show the major sites of the Indus Valley Civilization?
iii.
Is the map attractive and easy to read?
iv.
Was the presentation well organized?
v.
Did it answer the questions listed in research question section?
5. Take notes on these questions on a separate sheet of paper as the different groups
present their maps.
Rubric:
1. With the other members of the group, come up with a grade for each group in the
class, with the exception of your own group.
2. Explain the grade you have assigned each group. Example: If a group’s
presentation has only touched on 3 of the specified guidelines they should receive
a score of 3, along with an explanation of why they were assigned that score.
3. The teacher will set the grading scale.
Discussion and Assessments:
1. Ask how geographic location affected the rise of civilization in the Indus Valley.
2. Ask which geographic features affected the rise of Egyptian and Sumerian
civilizations.
3. Ask students to describe 2 ways in which geography affected the life of people in
the Indus Valley. List these responses on the blackboard.
4. Groups will evaluate one other’s presentations based on the rubric provided by the
teacher.
5. Ask students to write down 3 things they have learned about the Indus Valley, and
one question they have on the back of their individual maps.
6. Collect maps and transparencies as well as group assessment forms.
APPENDIX - A
Question Bank
1. Where was the Indus Valley civilization located?
2. How long did the Indus Valley civilization flourished?
3. What have we found out about life in the Indus Valley civilization?
4. How was the Indus Valley civilization discovered?
5. What do the streets and buildings tell us about life in Mohenjo-Daro?
6. What sort of written evidence is there of the Indus Valley civilization?
7. Name the river that supported the ancient Indus Valley.
8. Draw a map of ancient India and draw the Indus River on this map.
9. Add the cities of Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro to your map.
10. Describe at least one destructive or negative effect the Indus River had on the
civilizations that lived on its banks.
11. Describe at least two positive benefits the Indus Valley Civilizations gained by
living next to the Indus River.
12. Give at least three logical reasons why the Indus Valley Civilizations vanished.
13. Describe what life was like for a citizen of Harappa.
APPENDIX - B
Useful Websites
www.harappa.com
http://www.ancientindia.co.uk/indus
http://www.sscnet.ucla.edu/southasia/History/Ancient/Indus.html
http://www.indianest.com/architecture/00002.htm
http://www.csuchico.edu
http://www.indianest.com/architecture/00002.htm
http://members.tripod.com/sympweb/IndusValleyhistory.htm
http://www.teachersnetwork.org/NTNY/lessonplans/lopez1.htm
http://go.grolier.com
http://www.wsu.edu:8080/~dee/ANCINDIA/HARAPPA.HTM
APPENDIX - C
APPENDIX - D
Indus Valley civilization sites in regards to
current India and Pakistan map
APPENDIX - E
Indus Valley site with
regard to World map
United
States