" From this I conclude that the best education for the situations of actual life consists of the experience we acquire from the study of serious history. 

For it is history alone which without causing us harm enables us to judge what is the best course in any situation or circumstance." 

 - Polybius, The Rise of the Roman Empire

Ancient Western Civilizations is a course that is designed to provide students with an understanding of the Western world from the foundations of the Egyptian Culture around 3000 BCE to the end of the major Viking threat around 1066 CE.  It’s a large expanse of time but the goal of the class is to spark interest in these civilizations and encourage the students to independently explore the period they find the most compelling.  This course will encourage students to think like historians and archaeologists – to evaluate the decisions that lead to historical outcomes, to place themselves in the shoes of the people that embody the events they are studying, and to explore the way human decisions affect the world and the future.  

As mentioned above, this is a wide expanse of time and so we will be covering the major aspects of each culture but that does not mean there is not more to discover.  Through individual (and, of course, group) projects the students will be able to explore the situation and people they find interesting, which will help to create an investment in the history they are studying.

In addition to teaching the historical aspects of these civilizations, a major emphasis will be on the development of both critical thinking and cooperative skills that the students will be able to use throughout high school and the world beyond.

This is one of my favorite classes to teach and I hope you enjoy it!  

Just a few odds and ends:

• 1st period: oryp3ok