Ancient Empires: The Kingdoms of Africa and the Byzantines
In this 4-week course students will study the African kingdoms of Mali, Ghana, Songhai, Zimbabwe and the Byzantine Empire! #academic
Jacob K
Average rating:
5.0
Number of reviews:(232)
What's included
4 live meetings
3 hrs 20 mins in-class hoursHomework
1 hour per week. Homework is always optional. I believe learners would benefit from implementing the information they learn in class, however, I also understand that each learner is unique. Learners will analyze primary source documents and answer comprehension questions based on a primary source. These activities should not take more than one hour to complete.Assessment
Learners will be assessed informally in each class through verbal comprehension checks and class discussion. Each class will begin with a quick review of the activities from the previous week's class to ensure students understood the material. At the end of each unit, students will complete a Kahoot, which will act as an informal summative assessment of each civilization.Grading
Letter grades by requestClass Experience
US Grade 5 - 8
Beginner Level
Join me as we examine the legacy of the kingdoms of North Africa and the Byzantine Empire, and learn about the their great achievements and their contributions to the modern world. This class will cover the geography of northern Africa, the African kingdoms of Djenne-Djeno, Aksum, Mali, Ghana, Songhai, and Great Zimbabwe. The course will also cover the Byzantine Empire in Europe. This course will be taught using visual aids via PowerPoint in a lecture-based format. Students will be expected to ask questions and discuss as a group the material that we are covering. During the 50 minute class periods, students should expect to answer questions to check their understanding and participate in class discussions. The last week of the course will be the unit test which will be in the form of an interactive game of Kahoot. This is an introductory class, so it is a brief overview of the legacy and culture of each civilization. Students do not need to have any background knowledge coming into class! Week 1: Geography of north Africa, Djenne-Djeno, Aksum, Ghana Week 2: Mali, Mansa Musa, Songhai, Great Zimbabwe Week 3: Byzantine Empire, Constantinople, Justinian and Theodora, Justinian Code, Hagia Sophia, Great Schism, legacy of the Byzantines Week 4: Kahoot Assessment
Learning Goals
African Kingdoms
- In their study of the ancient West African empires, students will locate the Sahara Desert and the Niger River, the ancient West African empires of Ghana, Mali, and Songhai, and capital cities and strategic trading centers.
- Students will identify two great rulers who shaped the ancient Mali Empire.
- Analyze the importance of agriculture, gold production, and the trans-Saharan caravan trade in the growth of the Mali and Songhai empires.
- Explain how Islam expanded in West Africa and assess its importance in the political and cultural life of Mali and Songhai.
- Identify the resources from Ghana, Mali, and Songhai that were exchanged for goods carried by camel caravans of North African Arab traders. Describe how ideas were spread and how Islam influenced the culture of the West African Kingdoms.
- Identify reasons for the decline of each of the empires.
Byzantine Empire
- Describe the culture and history of the Byzantine Empire
- Analyze how the Byzantines combined Roman administration with Christian religious views
- Explain how Constantinople was able to withstand numerous sieges and attacks, and its eventual capture
- Describe how Byzantium was able to outlast Rome by over 1,000 years
Other Details
External Resources
In addition to the Outschool classroom, this class uses:
Sources
Hart-Davis, A. (2015). History: From the Dawn of Civilization to the Present Day. Dorling Kindersley Limited, a Penguin Random House Company.
Overy, R. J. (2015). The Times Complete History of the World. Times Books.
Spielvogel, J. J. (2014). Discovering our past: a history of the world. In Discovering Our Past: A History of the World (4th ed., pp. 108–345), McGraw-Hill Education.
Teacher expertise and credentials
Ohio Teaching Certificate in Social Studies/History
Bachelor's Degree in Education from The University of Akron
I am a licensed middle school and high Social Studies teacher in the state of Ohio. I have been teaching Social Studies to middle school students for the last four years. I have used this same lesson with students in the classroom and it has always been highly engaging. I also have a Bachelor's degree in both Education and History.
Both my teaching license in Integrated Social Studies and my Bachelor's degree in History qualify me to teach this introductory course on the different African kingdoms, and the Byzantine Empire. Reviews
Live Group Course
$22
weekly or $85 for 4 classes1x per week, 4 weeks
50 min
Completed by 26 learners
Live video meetings
Ages: 10-15
1-4 learners per class
