Enduring Cultures

 

 

Ancient Cultures Comparison:

Mesopotamia, Egypt, Greece and Rome

 

 

PRINT RESOURCES: NON-FICTION

          General Books on Ancient World

World Atlas of the Past, John Haywood

http://tinyurl.com/y8mj22b

A beautiful world atlas for grades 5 and up. 13 four-page chapters are broken into 3 types of maps: world, regional and supplementary. There are 4 volumes in this set, one on the Ancient World. Strong reviews from Horn Book among others.

 

Usborne Book of the Ancient World, Jane Chisholm 

http://tinyurl.com/ydsmsyx

An overview book with wonderful illustrations.  It begins with Ancient Civilizations and continues with Egypt, Greece, Rome and China.   

 

          Mesopotamia 

Ancient Mesopotamia (Cultural Atlas for Young People series), Erica Hunter

http://www.amazon.com/Ancient-Mesopotamia-Cultural-Atlas-People/dp/0816068240/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1264600222&sr=1-1

Part of a series, these have strong reviews.  This newer edition of Ancient Mesopotamia is noted for it's thoughtful insights.  See others in this series including Ancient Greece and Rome, listed below. 

 

Ancient Mesopotamia: The Sumerians, Babylonians, And Assyrians, Virginia Schomp

http://tinyurl.com/y98ncko

This is on the high end of your kids reading level, but I thought it looked interesting enough to bring it to your attention.  People of the Ancient World series and has vocabulary in bold letters, beautiful layout, graphics and pictures. Additional titles include Ancient Egypt, Greece and Rome.

 

Mesopotamia (DK Eyewitness Book), Philip Steele

http://www.amazon.com/Mesopotamia-Eyewitness-Books-Philip-Steele/dp/0756629721/ref=pd_sim_b_27 

The familiar and effective DK Eyewitness format on all things Mesopotamia.  

 

Mesopotamia, Jane Shuter

http://tinyurl.com/ybazj42

A basic overview book with the expected sub-topics of science, religion and culture.  Horn Book reviewer notes that this book stands out because its "...thoughtful design successfully presents a bounty of information on science, religion, and culture without overwhelming..."

 

Mesopotamia: Creating and Solving Word Problems, Bonnie Coulter Leech

http://tinyurl.com/yj9ca59

This book approaches the teaching of Ancient Mesopotamia through realistic math problems.   The idea to integrate math and social studies is so rare that I thought this book would be a good one for you to use as a springboard.   Mathematical problems include multiplication, division, percentages, and determining area and volume. Sumerian and Babylonian number systems, including cuneiforms and the base 10 number systems, are compared.  School Library Review voted it as a "Best Books For Middle And Junior High Readers: Grades 6-9" for 2009.  High praise.

 

You Wouldn't Want to Be a Sumerian Slave!: A Life of Hard Labor You'd Rather Avoid, Jacqueline Morley

http://www.amazon.com/You-Wouldnt-Want-Sumerian-Slave/dp/053118921X/ref=pd_sim_b_16

This is such a fun series for teaching World History. Great illustrations provide a sometimes humorous, though informative, and unquestionably kid-friendly format.  Highly recommened with sturdy reviews. Gr 4-6.

 

 

          Ancient Egypt  

Ancient Egypt, George Hart

http://tinyurl.com/yfzb956

A DK Eyewitness book that is hard to beat.  Everything Ancient Egypt from architecture to religion in two-page spreads. 

 

Ancient Egypt, Andrew Langley

http://tinyurl.com/ykkn8wp

"They introduce not a history of art, but rather a history through art" is how School Library Journal Review explains this unique book.  Well organized, primary source information will help your students become historians themselves as they delve into the art of the era and make their own theories and conclusions. Gr 5-8

 

History News: The Egyptian News, Scott Steedman

http://www.amazon.com/History-News-Egyptian-Scott-Steedman/dp/0763641987/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1264773996&sr=8-5

See series review below under History Review: The Roman News.

 

Pharaoh's Boat, David Weitzman 

http://tinyurl.com/yl3nqrs

Thanks goodness for a book that writes about Egypt without focusing on mummies and pyramids!  This book wins high praise from reviewers who note "in precise yet at times almost poetic language, Weitzman explains the whys of building a vessel for the pharaoh.."  (Horn Book) 

 

You Wouldn't Want to Be a Pyramid Builder: A Hazardous Job You'd Rather Not Have, Jacqueline Morley

http://www.amazon.com/You-Wouldnt-Want-Pyramid-Builder/dp/0531163962/ref=pd_sim_b_11

You Wouldn't Want to Be an Egyptian Mummy!, David Stewart

http://www.amazon.com/You-Wouldnt-Want-Egyptian-Mummy/dp/0531162060/ref=pd_sim_b_8

 

Your Travel Guide to Ancient Egypt, Nancy Day

http://www.amazon.com/Travel-Guide-Ancient-Passport-History/dp/0822530759/ref=pd_sim_b_6

Borrowing the format of a travel guide, the author takes kids on a "tour" of ancient cities.  Readers delve into the world in a sort of 'chose your own adventure' while learning about the Ancient World.  While not a book you would use for a full-scope, it does have lots of fun tidbits, maps, illustrations, boxed information and a whimsical style that is sure to appeal.  Strong reviews.  More in this "Passport to the World" series on your topic.

 

 

          Ancient Greece 

Ancient Greece, Anne Pearson

http://tinyurl.com/ye6xb6r

These DK books are hard to beat.  They have beautiful illustrations, lots of information without being too "word-heavy" for students.  Covers lots of ground without sacrificing students' attention. Grades 4-8

 

Ancient Greece, Andrew Langley

http://tinyurl.com/yb5syor

See review for this series in Ancient Egypt above. 

 

Ancient Greece, Anton Powell 

http://tinyurl.com/yh4jnlc 

The series this book comes from is called "Cultural Atlas for Young People".  However, the book holds much more than atlases of Ancient Greece.  Powell, a historian from Wales, incorporates information on the people, culture, and geography of Ancient Greece.  It may be a tad high reading level for some of your students, however, a book worth checking into further. There is another title in this series for Ancient Rome.

 

History News: The Greek News, Anton Powell 

http://www.amazon.com/History-News-Greek-Anton-Powell/dp/0763641979/ref=pd_sim_b_31

See series summary below under History News: The Roman News.

 

Trade & Warfare, Robert Hull

http://tinyurl.com/yjduja5

Focuses on the economics aspect of trade in Ancient Greece.  There are more titles in this series available through WCLS.  It is nice that the topics are broken down into sub topics such as "Everyday Life", "Religion and the Gods", however, some lackluster reviews of these topics which can be better served by books such as Anne Pearson's Ancient Greece.  However, this title on Trade and Warfare so specifically encompasses what you are studying, it might be worth a closer look.

 

You Are In Ancient Greece, Ivan Minnis 

http://tinyurl.com/yca79fb

Social history written in a second-person, present-tense voice brings Ancient Greece to life.  Learn about the busy streets, how people dressed, what they ate and what life was like for children. There is a whole series of these books that fit your topic (one on Egypt and Rome) and could be really great for getting kids excited and connected to this period of history, especially lower-end readers as this is written for grades 3-6. 

 

You Wouldn't Want to Be a Slave in Ancient Greece!, Fiona MacDonald

http://www.amazon.com/Wouldnt-Want-Slave-Ancient-Greece/dp/0531162036/ref=pd_sim_b_6 

You Wouldn't Want to Be a Greek Athlete: Races You'd Rather Not Run, Michael Ford

http://www.amazon.com/You-Wouldnt-Want-Greek-Athlete/dp/0531163946/ref=pd_sim_b_5

 

Your Travel Guide to Ancient Greece, Nancy Day

http://www.amazon.com/Travel-Ancient-Greece-Passport-History/dp/0822530767/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1265137399&sr=1-5

See review above in Your Travel Guide to Ancient Egypt.   

 

 

       Ancient Rome 

Ancient Rome (Cultural Atlas for Young People),

http://www.amazon.com/Ancient-Cultural-Atlas-Young-People/dp/0816068224/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1264600502&sr=1-4

See review above Ancient Greece.

 

The Ancient Romans, Allison Lassieur

http://tinyurl.com/ykrhjjq

High praise for this series from School Library Journal Review who state that "even libraries that have plenty of material on the topic may want to consider this volume..."  Lots of solid and interesting information that goes beyond the standard, looking into topics such as laws that prevented women from owning land and wealth.  For grades 6-8. 

 

Eyewitness Ancient Rome, Simon James

http://tinyurl.com/yg2hgmn

The Eyewitness book have lots of illustrations and pictures that can provide some of the primary source artifacts you requested. 

 

History News: The Roman News, Andrew Langley

http://www.amazon.com/History-News-Roman-Andrew-Langley/dp/0763641995/ref=pd_sim_b_1

A newspaper-style, chatty, condensed history are package in sub-topics such as "Girl Talk" and "eyewitness accounts".  Funny ads (Scribes Needed!) and it's whimsical format invite browsing and a good model for making your own hstorical "newspaper."

 

Staying Alive in Ancient Rome: Life in Ancient Rome, Brian Williams

http://www.amazon.com/Staying-Alive-Ancient-Rome-Raintree/dp/141092890X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1264602765&sr=1-1

How can you pass up this title without looking further?  Reviewers from Horn Book note that the book "tends to oversimplify the complexities of ancient life, the plentiful illustrations and graphics and the range of topics make these books useful."  Grades 4-6.

 

The Romans: Life in Ancient Rome (Life in Ancient Civilizations), Liz Sonneborn

http://www.amazon.com/Romans-Life-Ancient-Rome-Civilizations/dp/0822586797/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1264600799&sr=1-1#noop

Comic book style illustrations, artifact photos and "conversational" writing style make this book notable among the many on this topic.  Covers topics such as ideas and inventions, which I think might mesh well with your study, as well as the basics around daily life and government. Check out others in this series as well.  For grades 4-6. 

 

You Wouldn't Want to Be a Roman Gladiator!, John Malam

http://www.amazon.com/You-Wouldnt-Want-Roman-Gladiator/dp/0531162044/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1264483641&sr=1-3

You Wouldn't Want to Be a Roman Soldier!: Barbarians You'd Rather Not Meet, David Stewart

See review above for You Wouldn't Want to be series.

 

Your Travel Guide to Ancient Rome, Rita J. Markel

http://tinyurl.com/ygftc6z

See review above in Your Travel Guide to Ancient Egypt.    

 

 

     Ancient China

Ancient China, Jane Shuter

http://tinyurl.com/yf635bo

From the "Time Travelers" series, find out "what to eat" and "where to stay" in this adventure-packed study of Ancient China.  These texts can tend to oversimplify the topic, according to SLJ reviewer, but are very engaging.

 

Ancient China,  Arthur Cotterell

http://tinyurl.com/yhynd9y

Another DK Eyewitness book, always a popular book to browse with lots of pictures and informative text.

 

Exploring the Life, Myth, and Art of Ancient China (Civilizations of the World), Edward Shaughnessy

http://www.amazon.com/Exploring-Ancient-China-Civilizations-World/dp/1435856171/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1264601106&sr=1-1 

These books are written by experts in their field, which give them a lively intensity and go much deeper than others in its class.  Photos, illustrations accompany text.  I like that they start with the culture's mythology to give readers a sense of how the cultures thinks of themselves.  Though written for 7 and up audience, it might be just fine for some of your more motivated students. 

 

National Geographic Investigates: Ancient China,  Jacqueline Ball and Richard Levey

http://www.amazon.com/National-Geographic-Investigates-Ancient-Archaeology/dp/079227783X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1264602407&sr=1-1

Fantastic photographs accompany all the books in this series.  Check out the others for Ancient Egypt, Rome and Greece.  Focuses on archeology of the region and what finds have taught us about the society.  Might not mesh well with your topic, but high reviews make it worth a look.

 

 

PRINT RESOURCES: FICTION

Adventures in Ancient China, Linda Bailey

http://tinyurl.com/ylo6wuv

Adventures of three siblings whose curiosity magically transports them into Ancient China.  One of the siblings is taken to the Emperor's palace and the others go to rescue her.  The book incorporates many topics about Ancient China including farming, the Great Wall and paper.  For grades 3-5, this might be a good, independent read for some students.  Other titles in this series includes: Adventures in Ancient Greece , Adventures in Ancient Egypt, all by Linda Bailey. 

 

His Majesty, Queen Hatshepsut, Dorothy Sharp Carter  

http://tinyurl.com/ylkgrtf   

The teen queen who declared herself king is brought to life through this fictionalize work.  For ages 10 and up.  From reviews, novel starts off strong, but lacks momentum for kids as she is an adult for much of the book. Still, might be worth checking out.

 

The Long-Lost Map, Pierdomenico Baccalario

http://tinyurl.com/ykp568x

From a series called Ulysses Moore, this action-packed mystery adventure is the second in the series, though from reviews, kids should be able to follow along without having read the first book.  The summary states: "eleven-year-old twins Jason and Julia, along with their friend Rick, find themselves in ancient Egypt in search of an important map after going through a magical door in their old English mansion."  Strong reviews.  Grades 5-8.

 

 

DVD/CD-ROM RESOURCES

Ancient Civilizations for Children DVD Series

http://tinyurl.com/qb74mz

Strong reviews for these productions for their fast-pace yet informative look at the Ancient World.  Booklist lauds the videos as "...solid, polished productions."  The series excells in making connections between ancient cultures and our world today.  There are 10 videos in the series and you can purchase Greece, Egypt, Mesopotamia, Rome and China individually.

 

Roman City, PBS

http://www.amazon.com/Roman-City-David-MacAulay/dp/B000EOTEK4/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=dvd&qid=1265141271&sr=8-2

This video combines a very easily understandable explanation of how a Roman city was built and then intersperces a parallel animated story-line.  Kids really like it and stay engaged throughout.  Produced by PBS, there are three others in this series, including one called Pyramid. 

 

Timelines of Ancient Civilizations Series 

http://www.libraryvideo.com/product.asp?sku=F0605&mscssid=DFQ0NXTTXD918KJAGKF72XDM41839F0B

Another series similar to the Ancient Civilizations for Kids, but no professional reviews.  I included it just to give you a sense of what else is out there.  I think the Ancient Civ. for Kids is a much better choice as it gets strong thumbs up from all reviews.   

 

 

ONLINE RESOURCES

     Premium Digital Resources (must have WCLS card to access) 

elibrary

http://elibrary.bigchalk.com.ezproxy.wcls.org:2048/elibweb/elib/do/search

Be sure to check out this fantastic resource available to you through the WCLS website for free.  Just type in your library card number and then start searching for full text magazine articles, photos, videos and much more on any given topic.  I didn't have time to research this in depth, however , just by plugging in "Ancient Rome" in the search box, I got this result:

     Ancient Rome: http://elibrary.bigchalk.com.ezproxy.wcls.org:2048/elibweb/elib/do/results?set=search&source=&maxresultsperpage=0&start=1&secondaryNav=

 

 

     Other Digitial Resources (do not need WCLS card to access)  

Best of History Web Sites, EdTech Teacher

http://www.besthistorysites.net/AncientBiblical_Egypt.shtml

Portal for lots of quality, reviewed websites on teaching history.  Links you to primary source materials, lesson plans, and much more.  A wealth of information on teaching world history.

 

Mr. Donn's

http://www.mrdonn.org/

Who is this magical Mr. Donn?  I'm not sure, but clearly a Mrs. Donn is also part of the teaching duo. An amazing website from the Corkran (Maryland) Middle School teacher.  Check at the bottom of the home page -even has free powerpoint presentations. 

 

Life in Mesopotamia,  Oriental Institute at the University of Chicago

http://mesopotamia.lib.uchicago.edu/

An extensive website filled with lesson plans for K-12 all on Mesopotamia.  One lesson plan has kids break a vase and recreate what archeologists do by trying to glue it back together.  The "Learning Connections" section allow you to zoom in on a primary source and have a closer look.  The "Interactive" link allows students to come up with theories about various artifacts such as in this ancient pull-toy interactive:    

     Pull Toy Interactive: http://mesopotamia.lib.uchicago.edu/interactives/pulltoy.html 

 

Teaching the Five Themes of Geography through Picture Books, Chris Fraiser

http://129.252.3.27/lesson_plans/PDF/Make%20Way.pdf

I came across this lesson plan and maybe it is just not "cool" enough or too simple, but I thought it was a really great idea for teaching 5 themes without taking too much class time to go over.  Uses the picture book, Make Way for Ducklings, to explain the five themes and includes "slides" you can project that zoom in on the five themes in the book. 

 

World History Lesson Plans, EDSITEment

 http://edsitement.neh.gov/tab_lesson.asp?subjectArea=3&subcategory=32

Take a seat and start clicking - this website has some great stuff.  Lots of high quality lesson plans organized by grade level, subject and on so many topics it is a bit overwhelming.  All have links to primary source material incorportated into the lessons. 

          Life in Old Babylonia: The Importance of Trade

         http://edsitement.neh.gov/view_lesson_plan.asp?id=644 

 

 

Curriculum Resources

Ancient History Simulations,

http://www.socialstudies.com/c/product.html?nocache@21+s@KSZJRNTeogkgE+record@TF21806

These 45 minute simulations are similar to the Interact model, but don't take nearly as much time.  The simulations get kids to problem-solve together and investigate specifics of a historical era. For example, Akbar's Dilemma, which you can click on and review, has students engage in an activity around Mesopotamian religion that included aspects of fortune-telling.

 

World History: Mr. Donn and Maxie's Always Something You Can Use Series

http://www.socialstudies.com/c/product.html?record@TF35700+af@donn

The amazing teacher whose website we have all been thankful for has recently published a book about teaching World History.  Reproducibles, lessons galore that integrate writing and other disciplines; should be a worthy purchase.  You can purchase individual units based on your topic.  For grades 6-8.

 

National Geographic Lesson Plans, National Geographic

I like these lesson plans as they provide primary and secondary sources, are activity-based and always give a "younger student" version if you need to simplify it for your students  Here are a few samples on your topic:

 

      Ancient Greece

      http://www.nationalgeographic.com/xpeditions/activities/17/greece.html

     Greek and Roman Land Use: What was the difference?

      http://www.nationalgeographic.com/xpeditions/lessons/17/g68/landuse.html

     They wrote you a lesson plan!  How about that? 

     Rivers: Lifelines of the Land

     http://www.nationalgeographic.com/xpeditions/lessons/14/g68/tgrivers.html

     An extension of what you are studying, but might be a nice bridge that connects your study of geography, rivers, and human interaction in the past with today. 

     Unwrapping Mummies

     http://www.nationalgeographic.com/xpeditions/activities/17/mummies.html

     Xpeditions Atlas: Maps made for printing and copying

     http://www.nationalgeographic.com/resources/ngo/education/xpeditions/atlas/index.html?Parent=world&Rootmap=&Mode=d&SubMode=w

     A source for outline maps or country/continent maps.

     Five Themes of Geography

     http://www.nationalgeographic.com/resources/ngo/education/themes.html