Big Era Four: Landscape Unit 4.6


		Complete Teaching Unit in PDF format

Empires and City-States of the Americas
800 BCE - 500 CE

Why This Unit?

Although current historical evidence shows that complex societies in the Americas developed independently of those in Afroeurasia, empires and city-states in the Western Hemisphere (800 BCE to 500 CE) shared many common elements with other complex societies of the same period. Comparing developments in the Western and Eastern Hemispheres helps us understand the fundamental characteristics of complex societies in both regions.

Unit Objectives

Upon completing this unit, students will be able to:

1. Describe the characteristics of the empires and city-states of the Americas, 800 BCE to 500 CE.

2. Make analytical comparisons between complex societies in the Americas and Afroeurasia.

3. Make analytical comparisons between mathematical notation and calendar systems in the world.

Time and Materials

Time: This unit requires about a week to do all the lessons. Teachers with limited time might do the first lesson to give students the landscape view of the empires and city-states of the Americas, 800 BCE to 500 CE.

Materials:

Complete Teaching Unit in PDF format

Table of Contents

Why This Unit?	2
Unit Objectives	2
Time and Materials	2
Authors	2
The Historical Context	2
This Unit in the Big Era Timeline	3
Lessons
Lesson 1: Characteristics of Empires and City-States in the Americas	4
Lesson 2: Compare Characteristics of Empires and City-States of the Americas (800 BCE to 500 CE) with Empires and City-States in Afroeurasia	8
Lesson 3: Compare Calendars	9
This Unit and the Three Essential Questions	11
This Unit and the Seven Key Themes	11
This Unit and the Standards in Historical Thinking	11
Resources	12
Correlations to National and State Standards and to Textbooks	13
Conceptual Link to Other Teaching Units	14
Complete Teaching Unit in PDF Format

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