In this unit students focus on the ancient past by discussing the question "What is history?". They explore how we learn about history and where our sources come from.
History, Archaeology, Primary Source, Secondary Source, Conservation, Ancient, Lake Mungo Man, Epic of Gilgamesh
As a result of completing this learning module, students will be able to:
EXPERIENTIAL OBJECTIVES
Investigating the Ancient Past
ACDSEH001 - How historians and archaeologists investigate history, including excavation and archival research,
ACDSEH031 - The nature of the sources for ancient Australia and what they reveal about Australia's past in the ancient Period, such as the use of resources
ACDSEH148 - The importance of conserving the remains of the ancient past, including the heritage of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples.
CONCEPTUAL OBJECTIVES
Investigating the Ancient Past
ACDSEH001: How historians and archaeologists investigate history including excavation and archival research.
ACDSEH029: The range of sources that can be used in an historical investigation including archaeological and written sources.
ACDSEH030: The methods and sources used to investigate at least one historical controversy or mystery that has challenged historians or archaeologists, such as in the analysis of unidentified human remains.
Overview
Key Features of Ancient Societies: Identifying their key beliefs
In table groups, discuss the question "What is history?".
Write your ideas down on your placemat.
Work together to come up with a definition of history to write in your central circle.
Placemat: What Is History?
Students complete a placemat in table groups discussing the question "What Is History?".
After writing their ideas in their segments of the placemat, students work together to come up with a definition of history in the circular section.
Use the Reading Guide worksheet to help you read "What Is History?"
Students use the Reading Guide worksheet to read the chapter "What is History?" from Kingfisher History Encyclopaedia, p. 2
'Reading Guide Worksheet'
Using your discussion and the ideas on your placemat, write a PEC in your book answering the question:
"What is history?"
Students write a PEC answering the question "What is history?"
How do you find out about history?
As a class, brainstorm how we find out about what happened in the past.
As a class, do a mind map on the question "How do you find out about history?"
Look at the diagram of an archaeological dig. Discuss with your table group what this diagram shows you.
Students examine and discuss the 'diagram of an archaeological dig'.
Prompt questions may include:
Why are there multiple layers?
Which is the oldest layer? How can you tell?
What do the artefacts in layers C, E and F tell you?
Copy the definitions of primary and secondary sources into your books.
Students copy the definitions of primary and secondary sources into their books.
Primary:
Secondary:
With your partner, mindmap examples of primary and secondary sources in your book. Do a separate mindmap for each type of source.
Students mindmap examples of primary and secondary sources in their books.
Prompt: primary sources can include artefacts such as eating utensils, bones and other remains, pottery, weapons etc, as well as written sources such as diaries and political/judicial records.
Secondary sources can include textbooks, internet sites, articles, encyclopaedias, documentaries etc.
Watch the episode of "Time Team" and complete the retrieval chart.
Students watch an episode of "Time Team" and complete retrieval chart.
Read the definitions of scientific techniques and write them in your own words in your book.
Students read definitions of scientific techniques from 'p. 75-78 of Oxford History' and write in their own words in their books.
Read "Sources of early Indigenous History" and complete the Anticipation Guide worksheet.
Students read "Sources of early Indigenous history" from p. 82 of Oxford History, completing an 'Anticipation Guide'.
Before reading, make a list of questions you would like the text to answer about Lake Mungo.
Some ideas for questions might include:
Where is Lake Mungo?
Why is Lake Mungo famous?
Who discovered Mungo Man?
Lake Mungo
Students read "Pearson History Unit 7: Legacies and Connections to...", completing a KWL chart on Lake Mungo.
Some ideas for questions might include:
Where is Lake Mungo?
Why is Lake Mungo famous?
Who discovered Mungo Man?
Visit "Share Mungo Culture".
Explore the website to learn about the archaeological finds at Lake Mungo. Complete your retrieval sheet as you go.
Students explore the site, completing the retrieval sheet "Mungo Man and Mungo Lady".
Direct students to the "Share Mungo Culture" webpage on the site.
Use the arguments you listed in the T-chart from the previous activity to write a persuasive PEC paragraph arguing for one side of the debate:
"Mungo Man's remains should be returned to the tribal groups of the Willandra Lakes region."
Students use the arguments listed in the T-chart from the previous activity to write a persuasive PEC paragraph arguing for one side of the debate:
"Mungo Man's remains should be returned to the tribal groups of the Willandra Lakes region."
Discuss in pairs around the donut - "Public access to all significant Indigenous sites should be forbidden in order to aid in their conservation."
List the arguments for and against in two columns in your book.
Donut thinking - "Public access to all significant Indigenous sites should be forbidden in order to aid in their conservation."
Students list arguments for and against in their books.
Write a 3-4 PEC paragraph persuasive text arguing for and against the statement:
Public access to all significant Indigenous sites should be forbidden in order to aid in their conservation.
Assessment Item
Student write a 3-4 persuasive text based on PEC, arguing for and against the statement:
"Public access to all significant Indigenous sites should be forbidden in order to aid in their conservation".
Project Rubric
You will be assigned a role representing either the interests of archaeologists or Indigenous people.
Archaeologists would like to remove artefacts such as human remains from their original locations in order to preserve and study them. However, indigenous peoples believe that the remains of their ancestors should not be disturbed from their final resting place; and that if they have already been removed, that they should be returned to their Country.
With your group, create a list of arguments for your side of this debate. Write these arguments in the Pros side of a T-chart.
As a class, each group will share their list of arguments and write the opposing group's arguments in the Cons side of your T-chart.
Divide students into two groups (if class is large these two groups and be further split into another two groups). One group is assigned to the archaeologist's side of the debate and the other group represents the interests of Indigenous peoples.
Each group discuss their position on the removal of Aboriginal remains for research purposes, building a list of arguments for their side of the debate.
Students can use a T-chart to list the Pros and Cons of their side of the debate - listing their arguments in the Pros column and the opposing group's arguments in the Cons column.
In small groups, study one aspect of Ancient Sumerian civilisation:
"Snapshot" introduction
"Cities, Wealth and Kings"
"Daily Life and Religion"
"Daily Life"
You will be re-grouped so that each new group has a representative from each of the above expert groups. Take turns to teach your new group about your area of specialisation.
Students form into small groups to study one aspect of Ancient Sumerian civilisation:
"Snapshot" introduction
"Cities, Wealth and Kings"
"Daily Life and Religion"
"Daily Life"
Students are re-grouped so that each new group has a representative from each of the above expert groups and teach their new group about their area of specialisation.
Read the excerpts from the Epic of Gilgamesh and Genesis. Complete a Venn diagram on the similarities and differences between the two sources.
What are the differences between the two stories?
What are some reasons for the differences?
Do you think they are the same flood? What evidence supports your conclusion?
Read the excerpts from the Epic of Gilgamesh and Genesis. Complete a Venn diagram on the similarities and differences between the two sources.
What are the differences between the two stories?
What are some reasons for the differences?
Do you think they are the same flood? What evidence supports your conclusion?
Write a PEC paragraph answering the question:
"Discuss the similarities and differences between the stories of Gilgamesh and Noah."
Students write a PEC paragraph answering the question:
"Discuss the similarities and differences between the stories of Gilgamesh and Noah."
Create a travel brochure for Ancient Sumer.
Your brochure is a persuasive text encouraging tourists to visit Sumer. Make sure you include information on:
- the features of the Sumerian civilisation
- some key archaeological sites or points of interest
- why these sites, and the Sumerian civilisation, were/are important
You need to include at least one map and at least two other images, appropriately captioned.
Students design and create a travel brochure advertising Ancient Sumer as a travel destination.
Brainstorm: on your placemat, brainstorm as many historical movies as you can think of.
Students brainstorm on a placemat - name some historical movies.
Copy the definitions of anachronism and anachronistic into your book.
Anachronism:
(noun) a thing belonging to a period other than that in which it exists.
An act of attributing a custom, event or object to a period to which it does not belong.
Anachronistic:
(adjective) misplaced in time
Anachronism
Students copy the definitions of anachronism and anachronistic into their books.
Anachronism:
(noun) a thing belonging to a period other than that in which it exists.
An act of attributing a custom, event or object to a period to which it does not belong.
Anachronistic:
(adjective) misplaced in time
Show students the Powerpoint presentation "Anachronisms and Inaccuracies in Movies" as a prompt.
Ask students to brainstorm any other inaccuracies they know of from other movies.
Show students the Powerpoint presentation "Anachronisms and Inaccuracies in Movies" as a prompt.
Ask students to brainstorm any other inaccuracies they know of from other movies.
Complete a PMI chart on learning about history from movies.
Students complete a PMI chart on learning about history from movies.
Watch "Spartacus" and complete retrieval chart on point of view.
Watch "Spartacus" and complete 'retrieval chart' on point of view.
Return to the PMI you constructed on learning about history from movies and add to your chart based on the notes you made on points of view in Spartacus.
Students return to the PMI they constructed on learning about history from movies and add to their chart.
Class discussion:
Which group of society has the most prestige and power in the film?
What does that tell us about the society that produced this source?
What does it tell us about the society that the source is about?
Extension:
What does the narrator's opening line tell us about the values and politics of 1950s American society?
"In the last century before the birth of the new faith called Christianity, which was destined to overthrow the pagan tyranny of Rome and bring about a new society, the Roman Republic stood at the very center of the civilized world. . . . Yet, even at the zenith of her pride and power, the Republic lay fatally stricken with a disease called human slavery. The age of the dictator was at hand, waiting in the shadows for the event to bring it forth. In that same century, in the conquered Greek province of Thrace, an illiterate slave woman added to her master's wealth by giving birth to a son whom she named Spartacus. A proud, rebellious son who was sold to living death in the mines of Libya before his thirteenth birthday. There, under whip and chain and sun, he lived out his youth and his young manhood dreaming the death of slavery two thousand years before it finally would die."
Class discussion:
Which group of society has the most prestige and power in the film?
What does that tell us about the society that produced this source?
What does it tell us about the society that the source is about?
(Hint: if Spartacus represents white males, Varinia represents white females and the black gladiator represents Africans in American society, how do they each represent those groups?)
Write a PEC answering the question:
"Are movies reliable sources of historical knowledge?"
Students write a PEC answering the question:
"Are movies reliable sources of historical knowledge?"