Year 7 Unit: Ancient Civilisations

Year Level: 7 Overview

In this unit students will explore a variety of Ancient Civilisations. They will investigate the lifestyle and organisation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities in Ancient times, and recognise them as the oldest continuous living culture in the world. They will then explore other Ancient Civilisations such as; gypt, !reece, Sumer, China and "ome. They will compare some of the Ancient Civilisations and identify aspects of their lifestyle and organisation that have influenced today#s society.

VELS Level: 5

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Pers ectives

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture is the oldest continuous living culture in the world. $rom Ancient times through to %&'' there were estimated to be ()) different Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander groups spea*ing over +() different languages or dialects. The lifestyles and cultural traditions of the groups differed from one region to another. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander lifestyles in ancient times included complex social systems and highly developed traditions reflecting a deep connection with the land.

Understandings
Some communities in ancient times developed advanced levels of development and organisation. A diversity of communities and cultures existed in ancient times. Changes to ancient civilisations were often brought about by interconnections and conflict. Significant people, places and events of the past have influenced aspects of society today.

!ic" #$estion
,ow have ancient civilisations helped shape societies today-

Contrib$ting #$estions
.hy do we study history,ow can we find out about the past,ow did people in ancient times live.hat patterns are evident in the lifestyles of ancient people,ow is society today similar or different to ancient civilisations.hy have Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultures endured when many other ancient cultures didn#t-

%ac&gro$nd 'otes
From the Yarra Healing website: essential learnings. ("en develo ing $nits o) wor& on t"is artic$lar to ic* t"e )ollowing learnings need to be considered: 1

Land Organisation Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples cared for specific areas of land. /nowledge regarding the extent of and responsibilities for this land was passed on by the elders through generations. Territories were based on language group and clan associations, which in turn gave a people their strongest sense of identity. ach territory was further sub0divided among the clans of that territory. The boundaries of clan land were well *nown by all. .ith some exceptions, sovereignty was respected. Clan groups lived in broader regional alliances based on language and on economic and social co0operation. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people continue today to identify strongly with the places from which their ancestors came. !elations"i s Clans invited neighbouring clans into their territory for social and economic reasons. The interaction was usually mutually beneficial. These occasions were governed by custom and ritual. Conflict sometimes occurred between ad1acent clans in the form of warfare, raids and abductions. Environ+ent As with all societies, the resources, climate and topography within a territory strongly influenced the way of life of the Indigenous people who lived there. The distribution of plants, animals and other resources was uni2ue in each territory and affected the precise way the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples developed a relationship with that specific environment. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples saw themselves as a part of the environment and formed sustainable relationships with it. On Sacred ,ro$nd: Learning Abo$t t"e -rea+ing and Indigeno$s %elie)s $or many thousands of years, Indigenous people used songs and stories to express their beliefs about the origins and meaning of life and land forms, the cycles of nature, and the harmony and conflict among human life and the animal world. The 3reaming refers to how Indigenous peoples explain the beginning and the continuity of life. The 3reaming is not fixed in the ancient era of creation. It continues in the spiritual lives of Indigenous peoples today, and its influence is embedded in many aspects of everyday living. 3ifferent Indigenous groups in Australia have their own 3reaming beliefs, 3reaming stories and Spirit Ancestors.

!eso$rces
(ritten te.ts 4Australian 3reaming5 6),))) 7ears of Aboriginal ,istory8, 9ew ,olland :ublishers, Sydney +))( $rench, ;, Fair Dinkum Histories: Shipwrecks, Sailors and 60,000 Years. by ;ac*ie $rench, Scholastic, +))< :resland, !, =A ori!inal "el ourne,# >c:hee !ribble, "ingwood, ?ictoria, %@@6.

"ead, T, =!un1itmara Country# ,aw*er Arownlow ducation, +))&. (ebsites http5BBwww.aboriginalculture.com.auBindex.shtml Contains information about traditional life. http5BBwww.cultureandrecreation.gov.auBarticlesBindigenousB An Australian !overnment website which provides information about traditional life and lin*s to many other useful sites. http5BBwww.show.me.u*BtopicpageBteachersBtAncient0Civilisations.html gives lin*s to a range of interactive websites enabling students to explore aspects of Ancient Civilisations in fun ways. http5BBwww.history.comB Contains documentaries on Ancient Civilisations. http5BBvideos.howstuffwor*s.comB Contains videos on Ancient Civilisations A$dio Vis$al =Imperium5 $all of !reat mpires# 3?3 an SAS series, "oadshow ,ome ntertainment, +))( =Ten Canoes# 3?3, >adman, +))<. =/anyini# 3?3, "oadshow, +))&. Co++$nit/ /oorie ,eritage Trust Aotanical !ardens0 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander "esources Trail Aboriginal cultural performers Ceg. /oorie ,eritage Trust or Cultural InfusionD

VELS Standards
P"/sical* Personal and Social Learning Strand
I'TE!PE!SO'AL -EVELOP0E'T (or&ing in tea+s At Eevel (, students accept responsibility as a team member and support other members to share information, explore the ideas of others, and wor* cooperatively to achieve a shared purpose within a realistic timeframe. They reflect on individual and team outcomes and act to improve their own and the team#s performance. PE!SO'AL LEA!'I', 0anaging ersonal learning They complete competing short, extended and group tas*s within set timeframes, prioritising their available time, utilising appropriate resources and demonstrating motivation. They initiate and underta*e some tas*s independently, within negotiated timeframes. They review the effectiveness of the management of tas*s, identifying successes and suggesting strategies that would improve outcomes. They develop and use criteria to evaluate their wor*, and use these criteria to ma*e appropriate refinements.

-isci line %ased Learning Strand

1ISTO!Y 1istorical &nowledge and $nderstanding At Eevel (, students analyse and describe *ey events in ancient societies. They use a variety of sources to describe *ey aspects of these societies. They describe aspects of daily life in these societies such as wor*, the division of labour, family, clothing, housing and education. They explain *ey features of community life including myths and legends, religious beliefs and practices and cultural expressions such as art and drama. They analyse the ways that ancient societies were governed, identify political features and explain the nature of the political system, the dominant groups and how they established and maintained power. They describe the roles of *ey individuals and evaluate their contributions and legacies. Students analyse change and continuity over time and compare *ey aspects of past and present societies; for example, aspects of daily life, social and political ideas and structures, and cultural values and beliefs. They demonstrate understanding of *ey concepts such as democracy, governance, the rule of law, 1ustice, religion, liberty, authority, leadership, culture and feudalism. They explain the influences of ancient societies on contemporary societies. 1istorical reasoning and inter retation At Eevel (, students frame *ey research 2uestions, plan their investigations, and report on their findings. They use a range of primary and secondary sources including visual sources that record features of the societies in their investigations. They identify the content, origin, purpose and context of historical sources. They evaluate historical sources for meaning, point of view, values and attitudes, and identify some of the strengths and limitations of historical documents. They use relevant historical evidence, concepts and historical conventions such as bibliographies to present a point of view. Students use a variety of forms to present their understanding.

Interdisci linar/ Strand

CO00U'ICATIO' Presenting At Eevel (, students use the communication conventions, forms and language appropriate to the sub1ect to convey a clear message across a range of presentation forms to meet the needs of the context, purpose and audience. They provide and use constructive feedbac* and reflection to develop effective communication s*ills. T1I'2I', P!OCESSES !easoning* rocessing and in3$ir/ At Eevel (, students use a range of 2uestion types, and locate and select relevant information from varied sources when underta*ing investigations. .hen identifying and synthesising relevant information, they use a range of appropriate strategies of reasoning and analysis to evaluate evidence and consider their own and others# points of view. They use a range of discipline0based methodologies. !e)lection* eval$ation and +etacognition At Eevel (, students explain the purpose of a range of thin*ing tools and use them in appropriate contexts. They use specific language to describe their thin*ing and reflect on their thin*ing processes during their investigations. They modify and evaluate their thin*ing strategies. They describe and explain changes that may occur in their ideas and beliefs over time.

("en
:re assessment. At the start of the Auilding stage.

("at
Triple entry 1ournal

Assess+ent Strategies ("/

To trac* the development of students# understandings about ancient Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander civilisations. 1istor/* T"in&ing Processes

1ow

nd of Auilding stage

:ersonal :resentation in a mode of choice

$or students to demonstrate their understanding about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander life, culture and land in Ancient times. 1istor/* Co++$nication* Personal Learning

3uring the Investigating stage

Scaled Timeline

To assess students# understanding of time se2uence and span. 1istor/* Personal Learning

3uring the Investigating stage

!roup research tas* into an Ancient civilisation Comparing Ancient Civilisations Tas*

To assess students# ability to conduct historical research, and to contribute to a group tas*. 1istor/* Co++$nication* Inter ersonal -evelo +ent To ma*e comparisons and generalisations about the similarities and differences between Ancient Civilisations. 1istor/* T"in&ing Processes* Personal Learning

Students reflect on their current understandings or perceptions of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander society by responding to 2uestions in the first column of the triple entry 1ournal. They revisit the 1ournal at the end of the Auilding stage as well as in the :ersonalising stage of the unit. They compare their entries to determine how their ideas have changed. Students draw upon the information collated on the charts and then choose a way to demonstrate their understandings of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander life, culture and land in Ancient times. They can choose from one of the methods suggested, or design a presentation of their own. A rubric will help students to clearly understand expectations. Students construct individual timelines. The timeline will need to be constructed to scale spanning <),))) years. Fn the timeline students include their *nowledge of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander history. They add *nowledge of other Ancient Civilisations during the course of the Investigating stage. They may add detail to their timelines in words and illustrations to further demonstrate their understanding. In small groups students research one Ancient Civilisation and record their findings on a data chart. They present their findings to the whole class. Individual assessment tas* in + parts; comparing + or G Ancient Civilisations; and identifying how Ancient Civilisations have influenced today#s society. Students draw upon all they have learned throughout the unit to complete the tas*.

:ersonalising stage

%UIL-I',
Activities planned during this stage of the unit are designed to build the foundational *nowledge and s*ills the students will need to investigate this topic. P$r ose Activit/ Teac"er notes To determine Prior &nowledge4 t$ning in activit/ Student students prior 1ot Potato activity. 3ivide students into ( groups. ach responses to *nowledge group has one poster with one of the following 2uestion these about some of prompts on it. Students brainstorm on posters what they 2uestions will the issues in already *now or thin* they *now about this. After %) allow teachers the unit, and to minutes rotate the posters. !roups must read what the to adapt the engage them previous group has written and then add additional ideas. unit based on in the topic. They can add to existing ideas but not repeat something the needs of that has already been written. their students. Teachers may ,ow did Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples need to clarify live before uropean Settlementwhat an .hat do you *now about the origins of Aboriginal and ancient Torres Strait Islander civilisations- C.here did they civilisation is come from, when- tcD with students .hat 2uestions do you have about ancient Aboriginal before and Torres Strait Islander civilisationscommencing .hat do you *now about the 3reamtimethe unit. .hat contributions have Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples made to our modern day societyTo trac* the development of students# understandings about ancient Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander civilisations. Tri le Entr/ 5o$rnal Students reflect on their current understandings or perceptions of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander society by responding to these G 2uestions in the first column of the triple entry 1ournal. Students chose a 2uestion of their own to add to the triple entry 1ournal; ,ow did Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people live in ancient times ,ow have Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities changed .hat elements have remained the same, or =endured# over timeThey will revisit this twice during the course of the unit to record further reflections on the 2uestions enabling them to trac* the development of their *nowledge about Ancient Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander civilisations. To provide authentic experiences to allow students to find out what life was li*e for Aboriginal and Torres Strait E.c$rsion to t"e 2oorie 1eritage Tr$st and %otanical ,ardens4 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander !eso$rces Trail Individually have students record information they gathered from the excursion about the lifestyle and organisation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander society in pre0contact times. They record each separate nsure students date their entries. They could record in their 1ournals more fre2uently than suggested to record development of their thin*ing. Fther 2uestions may be added to the 1ournal as the unit progresses. "egional cultural centres also provide educational experiences for students. 6

Islander peoples in the past.

piece of information on post it notes. In groups of 6 have students share their findings. ,ave each group create an affinity diagram using their post it notes. CIn an affinity diagram students group the post0it notes that are about the same concept, eg. food, beliefs, etc. They then name the categories.D As a whole class share the affinity diagrams and create a class list of the categories students created on their affinity diagrams. "eform groups so there is the same number of groups as categories. !ive each group one category. 3isperse the affinity diagrams so groups have information from the whole class that it is pertinent to their category. ach group is then responsible for writing up the information under their category on a chart. Share the information as a whole class and revisit the original hot potato brainstorm sheets. 3iscuss what was correct or incorrect. Identify areas where more information may be needed and generate 2uestions to guide this investigation.

Areas identified in ? ES include5 wor*, the division of labour, family, clothing, housing, education, governance and political features, myths and legends, religious beliefs and practices and cultural expressions such as art and drama, roles of *ey individuals. This activity could be done as a 1igsaw activity with one student from each group forming expert groups to read or view one of the resources, then ta*ing their information bac* to their home groups to share and collate.

To assist students to visualise Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander life, culture and land in Ancient times.

!esearc"ing Ancient Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander societ/ 3iscuss with students how they might find out about the 2uestions they still have. 3iscuss how Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people recorded or passed down their history, and places we might find this information. ,ave students use identified resources to find further information. ?iew /anyini 3?3 Cfirst sectionD $irst Australians 3?3 first section of pisode % Selected sections of Ten Canoes. "ead =$air 3in*um ,istories5 Shipwrec*s, Sailors and <),))) 7ears# by ;ac*ie $rench pG)0G% =!un1itmara Country# by Theo "ead =Aboriginal >elbourne# by !ary :resland xamine the Aboriginal map of Australia. Identify groups who lived in local areas. Compare to the current map of Australia !uest spea*er0 contact your local EA C!. Contact information can be found on the ?A AI website

Students add further information to the charts and share 7

with the whole class. $or students to demonstrate their understanding about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander life, culture and land in Ancient times. Li)e in A$stralia in Ancient Ti+es Students choose a way to demonstrate their understandings of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander life, culture and land in Ancient times. They choose one of the following methods, or design a presentation of their own. Information brochure 3ocumentary style video clip :icture Story Aoo* 3ramatic performance 3iary style recount .eb page Tri le Entr/ 5o$rnal ,ave students reflect again in their Triple entry 1ournal. Add two further 2uestions5 .hat was life li*e in other Ancient Civilisations.hat similarities are there between different Ancient CivilisationsA teacher and student negotiate rubric will help students to clearly understand expectations.

To continue to trac* the development of students# understandings about ancient Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander civilisations.

I'VESTI,ATI',
Activities at this stage of the unit are designed to ta*e the investigation deeper. Students are re2uired to wor* more independently and apply the s*ills and the *nowledge they have developed. P$r ose Activit/ 'otes To gather prior Prior 2nowledge tas& *nowledge Students use a lotus diagram to record what they *now, or about other thin* they *now, about all Ancient Civilisations. CSee civilisations. wor*sheet %.D They record the names of Ancient To trac* the Civilisations they *now, or thin* they *now in the inner grid. development of Then in the outer grids they record what they *now or thin* student they *now about each of these Civilisations. understandings about Ancient This activity will be completed again at the end of the unit Civilisations. to enable students to compare and discuss what they have learned during the unit. To support students# understanding of time se2uence and span. To assess students# Ti+eline Commence a timeline to be added to during the Investigating stage of the unit. Fn the timeline include Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander history the students now *now. The timeline will need to be constructed to scale spanning <),))) years. Earge sections with little to no information can be folded to ma*e the timeline more manageable. As the unit A whole class timeline will enable teachers to support students in ma*ing sense of the time se2uence and 8

understanding of time se2uence and span. To immerse and engage students in many different Ancient Civilisations.

progresses the students will add *nowledge of other Ancient Civilisations to the timeline. Students can add detail to their individual timelines in words and illustrations to demonstrate their personal understandings about time and chronology. Ancient Civilisations I++ersion Immerse students in a range of Ancient Civilisations using interactive rotational activities. Introduce students to the following societies5 Sumer, gypt, "ome, China, and !reece. 3evelop activities using a range of multi0media as well as hands on tas*s such as; visual arts, sculpture, role0play, face0painting, coo*ing, martial arts. A cultural performance Csuch as Cultural InfusionD could also be included in the day. S$ggested ossible activities: Clay tablet cuniform writing CSumerD or hieroglyphics C gyptD. Creating gyptian artwor* using =birds0eye view perspective. $ace painting in Ancient gyptian style. "ole0playing a senate meeting in Ancient "ome. Creating sculptures of ancient "oman or !ree* !ods. xploring the ancient Chinese Hodiac and creating own Iodiac charts. Coo*ing foods from ancient times. A google search of ancient recipes will lead to a variey of websites containing recipes and an explanation of their origin. ?iewing films set in ancient times and discussing authenticity. Interactive websites Csee resources sectionD !e)lecting on t"e I++ersion activities: 3iscuss the immersion day using the following prompts. ,ave students record informally on a graffiti board. See0 what did you see during the day T"in&0 what did you thin* about different Ancient Civilisations (onder0 what did it ma*e you wonder about these places and times Connections0 what connections can you ma*e to your learning in the unit so far C"ange0 how has this changed any ideas you had-

span. :ersonal timelines will provide assessment evidence. If possible devote a whole day to exploring engaging and interactive activities with the students before proceeding to deeper investigation.

To deepen students *nowledge

Ancient Civilisations -ata C"arts 3ivide students into ( groups to each explore one of the ( Ancient Civilisations5

3ifferent Civilisations could be 9

about a variety of Ancient Civilisations.

Sumer "ome gypt !reece China

exchanged for the ones listed, or added.

Jse the same categories as the students came up with for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander charts. ach group is responsible for investigating their given Civilisation under the headings chosen. Tas*s may be divided between group members. Jse a variety of multi media sources to enable students to locate information. Eocal library Internet5 AAC website, 9ational !eographic School library Text boo*s 3ocumentaries from the ,istory Channel or ,ow Stuff .or*s websites SAS 3ocumentary series5 =Imperium5 $all of !reat mpires#

ach groups record their findings on data charts and present their findings to the rest of the class.

PE!SO'ALISI',
Activities at this stage of the unit are designed to help students reflect on and put into practise what has been learned in real life contexts. P$r ose Activit/ 'otes To support 0a&e lin&s to toda/6s societ/7 students in 3iscuss with students5 ma*ing .hat are the big ideas that we can see now that had their connections origins in ancient times- Ceg. democracy, writing, number between system, FlympicsD Ancient ,ow have these big ideas improved our lives and our Civilisations societies todayand today#s society. Jse pictures of today and ancient times that are connected, eg the wheel and the carBbi*e, contemporary politicians and ;ulius Caesar. Students match pictures and verbalise connections. Students to find more pictures at home that they can connect. To ma*e comparisons and generalisations about the similarities and differences Co+ aring Ancient Civilisations Assess+ent Tas&: Part 8 >a*e comparisons between the various civilisations including Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders and one or two of the other Ancient Civilisations explored. Show your comparisons using a graphic organiser such as a ?enn 10

between Ancient Civilisations.

3iagram or a Comparison Alley, then write statements CgeneralisationsD about *ey similarities or differences. Part 9 >a*e comparisons between Ancient Civilisations and society today. .hat similarities can you see- ,ow do you thin* Ancient civilisations have influenced today#s society-

$or students to participate in reflective thin*ing and identify changes in their ideas over time.

!e)lection ,ave students complete the lotus diagram again. Jsing a different colour pen add to or adapt the original lotus. Compare the +. Complete a final entry in the triple entry 1ournal. 3iscuss5 .hat do you *now now that you didn#t *now before ,ow have your ideas changed .hat caused you to change your ideas .hat features of ancient civilisations can you recognise in your own life .hat aspects of Ancient civilisations could improve our society if we adopted those practices today-

11