Evaluating Sources and Cultural Expressions

Explain how the transition from foraging to agriculture enabled the development of complex societies with specialized labor, government, and social hierarchy.

Analyze physical maps to determine how landforms, climate, and water systems influenced where ancient civilizations arose.

Examine the geographic, political, technological, and cultural developments of Sumer, Akkad, Babylonia, and Assyria.

Explore the Nile river basin's geography, theocratic monarchy, monumental tombs, and cultural interactions between Egypt and Kush.

Analyze the urban planning of Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro, the Vedic period, and the classical Maurya and Gupta Empires.

Examine the geographic foundations, dynastic cycle, technological breakthroughs, and philosophical traditions of ancient China.

Examine the geographic adaptations, mathematical and writing achievements, agricultural engineering, and state systems of Mesoamerica's major societies.

Explore how the Inca developed complex infrastructure, vertical agriculture, and administrative systems to unify an empire across the Andes Mountains.

Examine the maritime commerce of Phoenicia and Carthage, the imperial administration of Persia, and their regional conflicts.

Analyze Greek geography, forms of government in Athens and Sparta, philosophical traditions, and cultural expressions.

Analyze the rise of the Roman Republic, transition to imperial autocracy, engineering achievements, and legal foundations.

Identify the historical origins, core doctrines, sacred texts, and cultural practices of eight major world belief systems.

Evaluate how religion influenced state power, colonization, imperial expansion, and movements for independence.

Identify and categorize how ancient economic systems, farming technologies, currencies, and trade networks met human needs and wants.

Use primary and secondary historical sources to analyze and compare architecture, literature, philosophy, and art across world civilizations.

Compare the purposes, structures, and functions of early governmental forms to modern democratic institutions.