Classical Civilizations: Ancient India
10 th
grade
World History
Andréa Vegter

The Broad Overall Goals of the Unit
The overall goals of this unit are for students to understand the development of civilization in ancient India. This unit will focus on key aspects of civilization and how they affect society. This includes studying maps to understand the geography of the country, both climate and physical features, and they influenced population distribution and life in India. Students will also learn how personal beliefs shaped life in India, how these beliefs developed into the religions of
Hinduism and Buddhism. They will analyze how this dictated Indian life, especially the caste system and roles in society. Students will examine concepts like equality and fairness, noting the differences between institutions and structures of India and the United States. Students will analyze how structures, such as class, still affect societies today. This unit will show students how certain institutions, like religion, influenced the lives of individuals and leaders and how this in turn, influenced the country of India as a whole. Within this unit, students will also discover the differences in cultural values, by analyzing India’s architecture and its influences. Students will learn about India’s scientific and artistic contributions to the world.
History and Purpose of the National Council for Social Studies Standards
The National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS), founded in 1921, is a national council devoted solely to social studies education. NCSS membership spans the entire nation as well as
69 foreign countries, including K-12 classroom teachers, college and university faculty, curriculum designers, and leaders in the fields that make up the social studies. In response to the
No Child Left Behind Act, NCSS standards provide an overarching purpose that aligns the curriculum across the nation, and internationally. The NCSS provides professional planning and discussion along with current research for continual improvement of the teaching of social studies education. It focuses around ten thematic strands that promote civil competency within students. The lessons of this unit are applicable to each of the strands, which are found below:
Ten Thematic Strands of NCSS
1.
Culture: An anthropological examination of the environment, beliefs, institutions, and behaviors of a group of people. With an understanding of their own experiences, students can better engage in a modern global society.
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Lesson One, Geography of India, satisfies the criteria of this strand by having students analyze maps of physical features, climate, and environmental factors to examine the early behavior of the people who settled in different regions in India.
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Lesson Four, Society of India: The Caste System & the Beginnings of Hinduism introduces students to different social systems, asking students to analyze their own social system to draw conclusions about potential benefits and setbacks with any type of structure, thereby satisfying the criteria of this strand.
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Lesson Six, Buddhism: A Religion and a Way of Life, gives students a basic understanding of the Buddha’s teachings, illustrating how religion can be a social code people live by, making it inherent to their way of life. This allows students to analyze successful institutions and provides them with an understanding of how such institutions are influenced by modern society.

2.
Time, Continuity, and Change: Emphasizes the academic discipline of history.
Students will recognize how the past influences and explains the present. It also allows students to contextualize the “roots” of social, political, and economic systems.
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This unit is focused on the history of the civilization of ancient India, so each lesson within this unit will address this strand.
3.
People, Places, and the Environment: is the geographic study of the earth’s physical features, human activity, and their correlation. Students will utilize geographic tools to develop an understanding of spatial perspective.
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Lesson One, Geography of India, satisfies the criteria of this strand by having students analyze maps of physical features, climate, and environmental factors in order to examine the factors that led people to settle in specific regions of India.
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Lesson Two, The Indus Valley Civilization, satisfies this strand with students using different geographical information, such as climate and rivers, to understand the reasons early cities developed in certain regions. Students will think critically about this information as they create and justify the development of their own civilizations.
4.
Individual Development and Identity: Emphasizes the psychology of individual development. Students will recognize the influences in personal identities and question individual decisions, perceptions, and numerous variables.
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Lesson Six, Buddhism, A Religion and a Way of Life, satisfies this strand because it introduces students to the life of the Buddha and his teachings, exposing them to the ideas of tolerance and peace and how it helped shape individuals who adopted them.
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Lesson Seven, The Mauryan Empire, satisfies this strand by having students examine the social and political interactions that influenced the development of Asoka’s identity as the greatest Mauryan emperor.
5.
Individuals Groups and Institutions: is the sociological study of group behavior and organizations. Students will recognize the formation of social institutions and opportunities they provide for social change.
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Lesson Four, Society of India: The Caste System & the Beginnings of Hinduism, satisfies the criteria of this strand by investigating the development of the caste system and its restrictions, so students can draw effective comparisons among other types of class structures and hierarchies.
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Lesson Eight, Virtual Tour of the Ajanta and Ellora Caves, provides students with information on the purpose of the caves for the different religions, Hinduism,
Buddhism, and Jainism. Students will explore how and why these religions were able

to peacefully coexist, so they can look at modern society to identify whether or not those opportunities for change exist today.
6.
Power, Authority and Governance: focuses on political science. Students will examine systems of governance including the purpose and tenants of the United States’ constitutional democracy. Students will consider the art of diplomacy and its influence on conflict resolution.
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Lesson Five, Society of India: Patriarchy and Women, satisfies the criteria of this strand by having students examine ancient India’s system of governance and draw comparisons between this system and the United States’ democratic system of government. Students do this by examining the conflict of women’s rights in the society of ancient India and comparing it to women’s rights in the United States’ society today.
 Lesson Ten, Ancient India’s Contributions to the World, satisfies the criteria of this strand by having students examine the factors that contributed to the Gupta’s fair rule over India. Students will develop an understanding that the Gupta rulers supported the idea of a major religion to establish security and reduce the chance of conflicts within their empire.
7.
Production, Institution, and Consumption:
Enlightens and develops individuals’ understanding of economics. Students will apply principles concerning production, organization, distribution of goods and services, while critically thinking about the scarcity of goods.
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Lesson Two, The Indus Valley Civilization, satisfies this strand since the students will examine what happened to cities in the Indus Valley and the contributions that led to their success and their decline, and the consequences of their decline.
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Lesson Nine, Trade among the Empires, satisfies this strand by having students analyze how trade between the Roman Empire and India improved the distribution of needed resources as well as how it contributed to a prosperous and stable economy for the regions that engaged in trade.
8.
Science Technology and Society: emphasizes how inventions and discoveries impacted history. Students will recognize technological influences in societies and international interactions.
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Lesson Three, The Vedic and Epic Ages, satisfies this strand by having students analyze how the implementation of iron tools impacted life during the Vedic and Epic periods.
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Lesson Eight, Virtual Tour of the Ajanta and Ellora Caves, satisfies this strand by letting students explore two religious sites to see how different techniques used at

these sites made them a prime example that influenced not only Indian art and architecture, but the aesthetics of other regions.
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Lesson Nine, Trade among the Empires, satisfies this strand by having students examine the impact monsoons had on travel and trade between ancient India and other regions.
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Lesson Ten, Ancient India’s Contributions to the World, satisfies this strand by letting students research and analyze how the Gupta achievements influenced societies with their achievements in mathematics, science, and more. Students evaluate the impact these inventions and discoveries have on modern society as well.
9.
Global Connections: The interpretation of patterns, relationships and implications of global economic interdependence due to technological advances. Students will critique personal, national, and global decision making while evaluating critical issues and their consequences.
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Lesson Three, The Vedic and Epic Ages, satisfies this strand by exposing students to the gradual political and religious changes the Vedic people faced as the forming government curtailed their rights. Students will address and evaluate this issue and its influence on the balance of peace and conflict during this period.
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Lesson Seven, The Mauryan Empire, satisfies this strand by encouraging students to analyze the policies and actions of the Mauryan emperor Asoka, and his subsequent influence in the spread of Buddhism in Southeast Asia.
10.
Civic Ideals and Practices: Contributes understanding of democratic values, laws and rights of the individual, and participation in society. These ideas and practices highlight the foundations of antiquated and present citizenship in civilizations.
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Lesson Five, Society of India: Patriarchy and Women, satisfies the criteria of this strand by having students debate the public issue of women’s rights and equality, allowing them to question different actions taken so far, and whether these actions support women and the common good of society in general.
Discipline Specific or State Standards
Founded in 1988, the National Center for History in the Schools (NCHS) establishes a guideline for thinking about history education as it pertains to the United States and World History Eras.
The NCHS has developed a range of publications and professional development programs for teachers, scholars, and schools in an effort to enliven the teaching of history. The NCHS is part of an active network of programs that work with K-12 history and social studies teachers. The
NCHS is aimed to make both United States and World History accessible to everyone, making them understandable for teachers and their students. The NCHS provides standards that are specific to eras in either World History or United States’ History. The lessons of this unit are applicable to several eras in World History, which are found below:

NCHS Eras Addressed:
Era 2: Early Civilizations and the Emergence of Pastoral Peoples, 4000-1000 BCE
Standard 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.
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During Lesson One, Geography of India, students learn how the natural environment of the Indus Valley shaped the early development of the Indus Valley civilization, thereby satisfying criteria of this strand.
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During Lesson Two, The Indus Valley Civilization, students learn about urban development of the Indus Valley civilization and emerging social hierarchies, thereby satisfying criteria of this strand.
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During Lesson Three, The Vedic and Epic Ages, students learn about technological achievements of the Vedic people and how it influenced economic, political, religious, and social life during the time, thereby satisfying criteria of this strand.
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During Lesson Five, Society of India: Patriarchy and Women, students learn about written records that shaped the political, legal, religious, and cultural life of women in
India, thereby satisfying criteria of this strand.
Era 3: Classical Traditions, Major Religions, and Giant Empires, 1000 BCE-300 CE
Standard 3D : The student understands religious and cultural developments in India in the era of the Gangetic states and the Mauryan Empire.
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During Lesson Four, Society of India: The Caste System & the Beginnings of Hinduism, students learn about the beliefs of Brahmanism and how they evolved into the early beliefs of Hinduism, thereby satisfying criteria of this standard.
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During Lesson Six, Buddhism: A Religion and a Way of Life, students learn about the life and teachings of the Buddha, thereby satisfying criteria of this standard.
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During Lesson Seven, The Mauryan Empire, students learn how the Mauryan Empire grew out of a period of rivalry amidst the Indian states. Students also evaluate the achievements of the emperor Asoka and assess his contribution to the expansion of
Buddhism in India, which helps them analyze how Buddhism spread in India, thereby satisfying criteria of this standard.
Era 4: Expanding Zones of Exchange and Encounter, 300-1000 CE
Standard 1C: The student understands the synthesis of Hindu civilization in India in the era of the Gupta Empire.
 During Lesson Ten, Ancient India’s Contributions to the World, students examine and explain the rise of the Gupta Empire and analyze factors that contributed to the empire’s stability and prosperous economy. Students also evaluate Gupta achievements in art,

literature, science, and mathematics and how these discoveries have helped advance world civilization, thereby satisfying criteria of this standard.
Standard 1D: The student understands the expansion of Hindu and Buddhist traditions in Southeast Asia in the first millennium CE.
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During Lesson Eight, A Virtual Tour of the Ajanta and Ellora Caves, students analyze the religious sites of the Ajanta and Ellora Caves and the coexistence of Hindu and Buddhist traditions and beliefs, this illustrating how the different religions spread throughout India, thereby satisfying criteria of this standard.
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During Lesson Nine, students assess the relationship between trade routes and the spread of Hindu and Buddhist traditions throughout Asia, thereby satisfying criteria of this standard.
Previous and Follow-Up Units
The unit covered previous to this unit was the study of the classical civilization of ancient Egypt.
The units following this unit on ancient India will introduce students to the civilizations of ancient Rome and Greece. Students will begin making more comparisons among the different civilizations.
Teaching Activities
The teaching activities used within this unit involve visual learning, body-kinesthetic learning, and auditory learning. Learning activities will include lecture, PowerPoint, spiral image questioning. There is also learning through gestures, act-it-outs, analyzing images, think-pairshares, discussion, group work, partner work, individual work, role play, music, adaptation of games, journal entries, worksheets, map work, class debates, response groups, research, writing activities, and informal presentations.
Planning Outline
Day One: Geography of India: Students will analyze maps to distinguish between physical features and the climate of India and their effect on the population in India.
Day Two: The Indus Valley Civilization: Students will use geographical information to examine the development of cities in the Indus Valley and identify similarities among the cities to effectively create their own early civilizations.
Day Three: The Vedic and Epic Ages: Students will complete writing activities, in which they will examine the Vedic and Epic Ages, and identify the changes which appeared in the economic, social, religious and political structures and institutions of the Vedic people.
Day Four: Society of India: The Caste System and the Beginnings of Hinduism: Students will undergo a role play of the caste system of India and learn about the Hindu religion, and be able to develop comparisons between cultural values and class structure systems.

Day Five: Society of India: Patriarchy and Women: Students will analyze primary sources in response groups to debate women’s rights in ancient India, while comparing them to women’s rights today in the United States.
Day Six: Buddhism: A Religion and a Way of Life: Students will view images and learn the
Buddha’s teachings about the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path. Students will retain this information by learning with gestures and an adaptation of “Simon Says.”
Day Seven: The Mauryan Empire: Students will analyze excerpts of Asoka’s rock edicts, and with class discussion and a writing activity, they will examine Asoka’s policies and make comparisons to issues faced in the United States today.
Day Eight: Virtual Tour of the Ajanta and Ellora Caves: Students will visit websites to view images and videos to analyze the effect religion has on India’s art and architecture.
Day Nine: Trade among the Empires: Students will analyze the importance of trade throughout the classical era by posing as a trader in a writing activity.
Day Ten: Ancient India’s Contributions to the World: Students will receive a “gift” that represents a contribution India made to world civilization. Students will research their “gift” and give an informal presentation on the contribution, then they will analyze the lasting impact these contributions have on modern society.