Understanding Historical Themes Within a Time Period: The Classical Period
Historians divide history into time periods in order to focus on characteristics that help define a certain era in the historical record. They further divide time periods into smaller chunks of time to help distinguish subsets of characteristics. For example, in European history there are three distinct time periods: Medieval History, Early Modern History and Modern History. Medieval History encompasses events that occurred between 476 CE and 1500 CE while Early Modern History focuses on occurrences between 1500 CE and 1800 CE and Modern History does the same between 1800 CE and the present. Each time period has its own set of characteristics and own sets of events that lay the foundation for future events and future time periods. Medieval History can be divided even further into the Early Middle Ages (476 CE to 1000 CE), the High Middle Ages (1000 CE to 1250 CE) and the Late Middle Ages (1250 CE to 1500 CE). Again each of these eras of Medieval History have their own unique characteristics but at the same time there are unifying characteristics that can be found throughout the entire time period. Defining time periods is a whole competency by itself but for this competency it is important to note that time periods help organize events into their proper chronological order. If you need to you can review the idea of splitting history into time periods from the first chapter of the McLean textbook.
This learning outcomes helps you identify and describe time periods by examining the classical period of World History. The information below discusses how the classical period is defined in World History.
“The period after the decline of river valley civilizations (about 1000 BCE-600 CE) is often called the classical age. During this era world history was shaped by the rise of several large civilizations that grew from areas where the earlier civilizations thrived. The classical civilizations differ from any previous ones in these ways:
They kept better and more recent records, so historical information about them is much more abundant. We know more about not just their wars and their leaders, but also about how ordinary people lived.
The classical societies provide many direct links to today’s world, so that we may refer to them as root civilizations, or ones that modern societies have grown from.
Classical civilizations were expansionist, deliberately conquering lands around them to create large empires. As a result, they were much larger in land space and population than the river civilizations were.
Three areas where civilizations proved to be very durable were:
Mesopotamia – Two great classical civilizations grew up around this area: Greece and Rome.
China – The classical era began with the Zhou Empire and continued through the Han Dynasty.
India – Although political unity was difficult for India, the Mauryan and Gupta Empires emerged during the classical era.
COMMON FEATURES OF CLASSICAL CIVILIZATIONS
The three areas of classical civilizations developed their own beliefs, lifestyles, political institutions, and social structures. However, there were important similarities among them:
Patriarchal family structures – Like the river valley civilizations that preceded them, the classical civilization valued male authority within families, as well as in most other areas of life.
Agricultural-based economies – Despite more sophisticated and complex job specialization, the most common occupation in all areas was farming.
Complex governments – Because they were so large, these three civilizations had to invent new ways to keep their lands together politically. Their governments were large and complex, although they each had unique ways of governing.
Expanding trade base — Their economic systems were complex. Although they
generally operated independently, trade routes connected them by both land and sea.”
This information is taken from:
https://rocketss.weebly.com/uploads/1/3/0/8/13081786/unit_2_review_packet_mrfarshtey.pdf
Reading Assignments
Be sure to look at the milestone activity to help you know the topics on which to focus.
Be sure to look at the milestone activity to help you know the topics on which to focus.
Click here to go to the textbook: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Cl-j_uZXukqonk6rE5-Mqc8-2G_sLPc9/view?usp=sharing
Chapter 5: Early Chinese Dynasties — read all sections but note that the classical period starts with the Zhou Dynasty
Chapter 6: Early Civilizations in the Indian Subcontinent — read all sections but note that the classical period starts with the Indo-Aryan Migration
Videos That Reinforce the Reading Assignments
The Pursians and Greeks- https://youtu.be/Q-mkVSasZIM
Buddha and Ashoka-https://youtu.be/8Nn5uqE3C9w
China-https://youtu.be/ylWORyToTo4
The Silk Road-https://youtu.be/vfe-eNq-Qyg
Rome-https://youtu.be/oPf27gAup9U
Christianity-https://youtu.be/TG55ErfdaeY
The Fall of Rome-https://youtu.be/3PszVWZNWVA
Pick one of the following civilizations: Greece, Rome, India or China.
Create an annotated timeline that explains at least 6 major events, ideas or people that help to define the classical period of that civilization.
You may not have specific dates for these events but be sure that you put the events, ideas or people in chronological order in your annotated timeline. For example, if you talk about Alexander the Great, Socrates, Aristotle and Plato be sure that you have them in the order from oldest to youngest in order to show how each scholar impacted the next.
In your annotated timeline explain how these events, ideas or people allow the civilization to reach its pinnacle of power and achieve its greatest accomplishments. In your explanation in the annotated timeline explain what the accomplishments were and why they were so important. Also explain how one event, person or idea led to the next. Include transition sentences from one entry to the next.
If you need more information to do your milestone, then use the Early World Civilizations textbook linked here https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Cl-j_uZXukqonk6rE5-Mqc8-2G_sLPc9/view?usp=sharing
Assignment submission should include:
Create 1 annotated timeline that reflects the development of one of the following civilizations: Greece, Rome, India or China
You must use the sources provided. Do not use outside sources or ChatGPT or an AI program.
Start the milestone with an introduction about the importance of the classical period for the civilization you choose.
Create an annotated timeline. Be sure each entry in your annotated timeline includes a date/time period, an event and then an explanation of the event. The explanation should explain the who, what, where, why and how of the event, person or idea. Why is it important?
You should end each entry in the annotated timeline with a transition sentence that ties it to the next event and in the beginning of the next event you should have a sentence that continues explaining how the events connect and link to the larger event. These are called transition sentences. Click here to learn more about transition sentences.
You will need a conclusion that ties all of the events together and discusses how one event leads to the next. It should also talk about the legacy of the classical period for the civilization.
You should write in complete sentences and use proper grammar and spelling.
Your annotated timelines together should have at least 400 words.
You need to cite the sources from the learning activities. Include the page numbers from the textbook or the title of the videos and the time stamp or the title of any other articles used in the competency. Do not use outside sources.
Citations should look like Mclean, pg. # and/or video title and timestamp.
DO NOT USE OUTSIDE RESOURCES.
Write everything in your own words. Do not use quotes as a substitute for your own words. Be sure to include the source in parentheses at the end of the paragraph.
How do I want you to do it?
You need to make an annotated timeline. You can do it the simple way or the table way. If you have questions, email your competency facilitator. Remember the timeline is an annotated one so you need to include an explanation for every date and it’s corresponding event.
Simple Way
Use Microsoft Word or Google Docs and type the following:
Date/Time Period — Event
Explanation of the Event goes under the date/time period and event
Table Way
In Microsoft Word or Google Docs, click the insert tab and put in a table. You’ll only need two columns: one for the date and one for the event and explanation. Click here to learn how to insert a table. Click here to learn how to add columns and rows to your table.
