In the second lesson of four on Ancient Greece, students refine their knowledge of physical features as they investigate pictures of Greece and determine how a particular physical feature influenced human action. Key question: How did the physical geography of the Aegean basin shape the economic, social and political development of Greek civilization?

In the first lesson of four on Ancient Greece, students use geographic terms such as hemispheres, continents, and direction to describe the relative location of Greece within the world, within Europe, and within the Aegean Basin. In addition, students extend and refine their ability to identify various types of physical features on maps at a variety of scales. Students examine maps to identify and describe the physical environment of Greece. Key questions: Where is ancient Greece located?; What are physical features of the Aegean Basin?; How did the location of Greece and its physical environment influence its interaction with the rest of the world?

In the third lesson of four on Ancient Greece, students simulate trade between Greek city states and their colonies. The overall goal is for the Greek traders and colonists to travel to new territories, trade resources, and as a result build an empire and spread Hellenistic culture. Through the examination of the goods exchanged, students gain a basic understanding of specialization in the various areas of the Mediterranean Basin. Key questions: Why did the Greeks acquire colonies?; How did Greek culture diffuse throughout the Mediterranean world?; What were the effects of the diffusion of Greek culture?

In the last lesson of four on Ancient Greece, students employ spatial thinking to understand the extent of the empire of Alexander the Great by examining and comparing visuals and maps. Key question: How does the geographic extent of an empire influence its ability to exist through time?

In the first of two lessons on ancient river valley civilization, students examine the physical environment of the early river valley civilizations. After identifying the locations of the ancient civilizations, students complete a feature analysis to assist them in comparing the physical environments and determining how it afforded protection to the civilizations. Key questions: Why was a river valley a good place for a settlement? What was the significance of these river valley civilizations?

In the second of two lessons on ancient river valley civilizations, students examine the physical environment of the early river valley civilizations. Moving water carries and sorts sediment, changes landforms, and creates strata. The sediment becomes the base for soil formation, and it is the material of which flood plains, deltas, and natural levees are built. Through a demonstration of the sedimentation process, students will come to understand the significance of the process and seasonal flooding to agricultural activity in the early river valley civilizations. Key questions: How does the process of sedimentation affect soil fertility? Why are some river valleys good sites for human settlement?

The first lesson of two on Ancient Rome, students examine physical maps of Rome to identify physical features that provided security for the site of Rome. In addition, students examine the relative location of Rome and its connections within the Mediterranean Basin and beyond. The second segment of the lesson examines the expansion of the Roman Empire through time and the role of physical features in facilitating or hindering that expansion. Key questions: What are the physical features of Rome?;
How did the physical geography of Rome influence its development?

The second lesson of two on Ancient Rome, students examine the geographic extent of the Roman Empire. The Orbis Web site, hosted by Stanford University, provides a map of the Roman Empire at its largest extent with the locations of key cities and transportation links. Key questions: How were places within the Roman Empire connected?; How did time and distance affect interactions within the Roman Empire?

The first lesson of two on Byzantine Empire, students evaluate various sites for a city that is in an ideal location to interact with the three continents bordering the Mediterranean basin. As students examine the local characteristics of the sites, they begin to consider the links between places. Even though the “ownership” of the site of Constantinople (Istanbul) has changed through time, its role as a crossroads has remained constant. Key questions: How does the location of Constantinople influence its ability to interact with the rest of the world? Why is Constantinople a strategic location?

This is the second lesson of two on the Byzantine Empire. Throughout the course of world history, borders have changed as various groups of people competed to control and rule territory and acquire resources. Throughout time, empires have expanded and collapsed. The Byzantine Empire once occupied the eastern portion of the Roman Empire with Constantinople as its capital, but yet disappeared from the map in 1453 when Constantinople became the capital of Ottoman Empire. Through an investigation of a series of map layers and examination of an interactive Web site, students discover how and why the borders of the Byzantine Empire changed through time. Key questions: What factors influence border changes? What are the effects of changing borders?

The third of three lessons on Eastern Hemisphere examine how the physical environment influences human activities. Through maps students examine the link between the physical environment and distribution of cultures within Africa. They will consider the sequence and locations of various African empires as they consider how the environment affected their growth and longevity. They will also examine a Story Map Tour of images associated with each of the empires and note key characteristics of the societies. Key Questions: How did physical geography influence the distribution of cultures within Africa?; How do artifacts and buildings convey information about past civilizations?

The second of three lessons on Eastern Hemisphere, students learn how physical environment influences human activities. Silk roads connected Europe with China and other areas of East Asia by overland routes. Deserts and mountains posed obstacles for travelers and merchants. Students examine physical maps of the area and determine which routes would best avoid obstacles. They compare the routes they have chosen with the overland and maritime routes of the time period. Key questions: How did physical geography influence the trade routes of the silk roads? Why Europeans traded with China? What are the costs and benefits of cultural interaction?

The first of three lessons on Eastern Hemisphere, students examine maps to discover the link between the physical environment and the distribution of cultures. Key questions: How did physical geography influence the distribution of cultures within the eastern hemisphere?; How does the physical environment link and divide regions?

The second of two lessons of Europe in Middle Ages, students examine primary and secondary sources of Viking invasions. Information is uncovered about areas invaded, conduct of invaders, and effects on populations invaded. Students then examine maps to determine the sequence of Viking invasions. Key questions: What do sources tell us about Viking invasions?; How did physical geography influence Viking invasions and patterns of settlement?; How did Viking invasions change over time?; How did invasions of the Magyars and Vikings differ?

The first of two lessons on territorial extent of empires in Europe in 814 at the end of Charlemagne’s rule and another after the death of Charlemagne. Students extend and refine their map interpretation skills by examining the use of color to denote territorial ownership. In addition, students make predictions about likely paths of invasion. Key questions: How do physical geography, cultural, economic, and political factors affect borders? To what extent does the physical environment define borders?

Third of three lessons on the changing European borders, students learn about diffusion of the Black Death. The spread of the Black Death illustrates interaction as people, goods, and ideas move through both time and space. The Black Death decimated the population of Europe in the 1300s. Key questions: Where did the Black Death originate? How did the Black Death arrive in Europe? How did the Black Death affect life in Europe?

First of three lessons examine changing European borders, students compare maps illustrating changes of Europe's division of territory from 1000 A.D. (C.E.) to 1450 A.D. (C.E.). Unification of smaller regions into a larger state may form the basis for political power and the ability to exert influence over other countries. Students uncover the relationship between territorial extent and political power. Key questions: How did the consolidation of territory affect the formation of nation states?; How could stable borders contribute to the political stability of a state?

Second of three lessons on changing European borders, students determine the general routes and time span of the Crusades through maps depicting their routes. Includes primary sources to support comparison of the accounts of the Crusader victory in capturing Jerusalem in 1099. Concludes with an evaluation of crusades' success. Key questions: What areas were involved in the Crusades? What areas did the Crusader states seek to control? What role did the Byzantine church play in the Crusades and how they affected the Byzantines? How did the establishment of Crusader states influence the fall of Constantinople?

The second of two lessons on Islamic Empires, students examine maps showing the territorial extent of each of the three major Islamic Caliphates. This examination, showing the same territory through different time periods, provides a springboard for analyzing historical factors underlying the territorial changes. Students also explore cultural, economic, and political factors that account for the changing borders as they match explanations associated with the changes in the maps. Key questions: How did the borders of the Islamic Empires change through time? What cultural, economic, and political factors could account for the changing borders?

The first of two lessons on Islamic Empires, students examine physical maps and assess the possibility of geographic obstacles to the diffusion of Islam. They also explore connections among locations that are incorporated into the succession of empires. Students tie events and locations together through the creation of an annotated map based on selected events. The lesson concludes with an examination of a concentric circle map that provides a rough estimate of distances among the various locations. Key questions: How has physical geography influenced the expansion of the Islamic Empire? Why and how did Islam diffuse so rapidly?