The Rise and Fall of Civilizations

Common Core State Standards

• Objective RH.9-10.1: Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of primary and secondary sources, attending to such features as the date and origin of the information.
• Objective RH.9-10.2: Determine the central ideas or information of a primary or secondary source; provide an accurate summary of how key events or ideas develop over the course of the text.
• Objective RH.9-10.10: By the end of grade 10, read and comprehend history/social studies texts in the grades 9-10 text complexity band independently and proficiently.

North Carolina Essential Standards

• Objective 2.4: Analyze the rise and spread of various empires in terms of influence, achievements and lasting impact (e.g., Mongol, Mughal, Ottoman, Ming, Mesoamerica, Inca, Imperial states in Africa, etc.).
• Objective 2.6: Analyze the interaction between the Islamic world and Europe and Asia in terms of increased trade, enhanced technology innovation, and an impact on scientific thought and the arts.
• Objective 2.9: Evaluate the achievements of ancient civilizations in terms of their enduring cultural impact.

Purpose:

The activity is designed to teach the student about the rise and fall of great civilizations in Middle America and Western Africa. Through the use of primary and secondary sources, the student will be able to identify characteristics of civilizations, reasons for their success, and causes for their demise. The student will then determine if there is a pattern to the rise and fall or if each happened in independent ways.

Essential Questions:

What makes a civilization great?
Must great civilizations fall?

Directions:

Using the worksheets provided, complete each part by reading the documents required and responding to the prompts. Be sure to read each carefully as they contain important information about each civilization.

This activity will count as a test grade!

The Documents:

The following links are to the documents found on the handout. The document names correspond to those that appear in the handout.

• The Aztec Empire
• Fall of Aztec Empire
• History: Chichen Itza
• Newsflash: Ghana, Mali and Songhai Empires
• Ghana, Mali, and Songhai
• Sundiata: An Epic of Old Mali
• Understanding Collapse

The Handouts:

Print the pages below. They contain the prompts and organizers necessary to complete the activity.

• The Rise & Fall of Civilizations