See also my related world literature courses and DBQ writing.  

This 8 week semester course will cover the basics of Ancient Civilizations.  What does "civilization" mean?  How is it achieved? What factors influence the development of a civilization?  We will discuss what are the requirements to be considered a "civilization," how did the first civilizations develop, what features did they share and what were their differences.  We will explore a variety of civilizations from around the world as we discuss the themes and ideas of "civilization."  In class we will discuss, look at images, and read primary documents and short pieces of literature to help the students understand the values and elements of each of these societies we are exploring.  Students will explore the idea of "doing history" by thinking about the information available and the concepts of history means in a fun and exciting way.  This class serves as a foundation to the beginnings of World History.  Follow up this course with my courses on the Classical World, Middle Ages, Early Modern World, and Modern World to create a complete World History credit.  This class is ESL friendly.

Week 1-We will discuss the idea of "civilization"-what is it, characteristics, and the Neolithic Revolution
Week 2-Mesopotamia
Week 3-Egypt
Week 4-China
Week 5-Indus Valley
Week 6-Persia
Week 7-Greece
Week 8-Maya