Portland Waldorf High School 10th Grade Main Lesson

Christopher Zinn Sept. 3 Oct. 3, 2014

christopher.zinn@portlandwaldorf.org

Ancient History

In this four 1/2 week main lesson we will study the origins of modern humans, the different ways of life created by
ancient peoples, the development of ancient cities and societies, and their relevance to our world today. We will
learn how archaeologists collect and interpret the remains of ancient peoples, and how historians understand the
past. We will look for answers to a number of questions: When did humans rst appear, and how did they evolve
and spread across the continents? What are the earliest forms of human societies? How did agriculture begin?
How and where did complex state societies rst develop? What were the beliefs and ideas of ancient peoples?
How did writing and the arts begin? Were their lives like or different from our own? What, nally, makes a human
being human?

Schedule of Topics

Sept. 35 The ancient past; evolution and archaeology.

Sept. 812 The emergence of human beings; peopling the continents; hunter gatherers.

Sept. 1519 The Neolithic revolution, rise of agriculture, the Indo-Europeans, the rise of cities; writing.

Sept. 2226 Group research and presentations on ancient societies; early Greece.

Sept. 29Oct. 3 Ancient thought; the rise and fall of civilizations


Requirements

Class Participation (15%) You are expected to participate fully and readily in class discussions and activities. You
should be prepared for class each morning, with reading and writing assignments completed and classroom
materials (books, paper, pen, pencils, readings) ready. You are also expected to conduct yourself in a way that
contributes to a positive learning environment in which each student can contribute and thrive.

Main lesson book (50%) Your main lesson book is very important. It represents, in both words and images,
what you learn and think about each day over the course of the block. You are expected to prepare your main
lesson book with the greatest care, working on it each day, so that it is well organized, written and illustrated
(you should include drawings, illustrations, maps, and design elements throughout your main lesson book).
You are expected to keep up to date in your main lesson work, to carefully follow the directions given in class,
and to complete each days main lesson book work on time. Your progress will be reviewed and evaluated at
the end of each week, and you will be graded on your weekly progress. Your complete main lesson book will
be due in class on Friday, October 3, at the beginning of class.

Quizzes (20%) On each Monday throughout the block, you will be given a test on select vocabulary, terms,
information, and ideas presented in class.

Group assignment (15%) Working in a small group, you will research, compose, and present an introduction to an
ancient civilization. See handout for further details.

Deadlines and requirements: You are expected to complete all the requirements for this block and to meet due
dates for all assignments including the timely completion of your main lesson book work for each week and the
timely submission of your complete book on Friday, October 3. You are also expected to be prepared to take each
quiz on the specied day and date. It is very important that all assignments be completed on time. Failure to meet
these requirements will result in a signicantly lowered grade. The only exceptions to these requirements are those
outlined in the policy on academic assignments and deadlines, which is quoted below.
Please complete your work on time!

Assignments, Deadlines, Completion of Work
The PWHS faculty expects all enrolled students to be capable of meeting the expectations of the high school curriculum. Each
course in the high school will have an up-to-date published syllabus that includes the following information:

Teachers preferred contact information.

Course description explaining the general content of the course and its goals in the curriculum.

Requirements, major assignments and due dates.

Grading criteria broken down by percent (i.e. 20% class participation, 25% main lesson book, 15% quizzes, etc.)

Late homework policy.

Homework, daily assignments, projects, major assignments, and main lesson books are among the ways in which students
explore subjects and develop their knowledge and skills. Student work is evaluated and graded in order to provide students,
parents, and teachers with an accurate picture of students progress, accomplishments, and challenges. Each student at PWHS
is therefore expected to complete assignments and hand in work on time. Deadlines and other requirements for assignments
and homework are not discretionary or suggested, but requirements that the student is expected to fulll without exception,
whether it is a daily homework, a major project, or a main lesson book deadline. Information about the assignments and
requirements and deadlines for each class will be described in the syllabus for that class. Failure to meet these deadlines and to
fulll these requirements will result in lowered or failing grades for the assignment.

The faculty also recognize that there are instances where external circumstances (family emergency, medical problems) cause a
student to be absent and/or prevent a student from completing an assignment on time. In such cases, there are clear procedures
to follow. If a student is absent and unable to turn in a minor assignment (daily homework), he or she should consult the
course syllabus for directions about handing in assignments and homework late. Be sure to communicate directly and promptly
with the teacher, following the directions on the syllabus. However, late work for major assignments (including but not limited
to longer papers, projects, presentations, main lesson books) will not be accepted without prior permission from the teacher.
Permission must be requested in writing at least 48 hours in advance of the deadline. This permission can not be granted
except for signicant reasons including (but not limited to) student illness (with parental notication) or family emergency
(with parental notication). Failure to meet these requirements will result in a lowered or failing grade for the class. If there is
any uncertainty about the policy, it is the students responsibility to ask the teacher for clarity and direction prior to the
deadline.

All formal requests for extensions will be reported to and reviewed by the students academic advisor and the student assistance
coordinator. If there is a pattern of late and incomplete work, further action to support the student may be called for.


Ancient History
Syllabus of Topics and Main Lesson Book Assignments
Date Topic Assignment "
Wed. 9.3 Introduction: Review syllabus and recitation. Make a well designed title page.
Thur. 9.4 Evidence and
inference
Dene archaeology and its essential principles. Complete in class project on
archaeological evidence and inference.
Fri. 9.5 Prehistory, earth
time, and evolution
MLB Check #1
Describe and present an overview of major developments in prehistory. Make an
artful timeline of the history of life on earth. Describe evolutionary time, and
examine the role of climate change and continental drift in human evolution. Dene
the theory of evolution developed by Charles Darwin.
Mon. 9.8 Evolution and the
human story
Quiz #1
Describe the major developments in human evolution, including Australopithecus
(Lucy) and Homo habilis. What do body fossils tell us about the evolution of
hominids? How are these early hominids similar to and different from us?
Tues. 9.9 Out of Africa Describe the evolution of Homo erectus and their migration out of Africa. What
denes the homo species? What does tool use tell us about human evolution?
Wed. 9.10 Hominid success
stories, including
re. What makes us
human?
Describe the spread of the hominids Homo heidelbergensis and Neanderthalis in the
Old World. What do their life ways tell us about human evolution? Describe the
emergence of Homo sapiens. What are the distinguishing traits of this species? What
makes them human? How is the development of language linked to human
evolution?
Thurs.
9.11
Early modern
humans
Describe the hunter gatherer societies of the Upper Paleolithic (or Cro-Magnon),
including their basic toolkit and life ways, and their interaction with Neanderthalis.
Memorize and write Earthy Anecdote into your book. What does the lm Cave
of Forgotten Dreams tell us about the origins and purpose of prehistoric art?
Fri. 9.12 Field Trip
MLB Check #2
Columbia Gorge Discovery Center to study the evolution of human communities in
our region and the role of archaeology in developing knowledge of the past.
Mon. 9.15

The Neolithic
revolution
Quiz #2
Describe the origins of the sedentary agricultural village community and its
importance in human prehistory. Compare the benets of sedentary and hunter-
gatherer societies.
Tues. 9.16 Peopling the
continents
Describe the the development and spread of the Neo-lithic toolkit and of Indo-
European language and culture.
Wed. 9.17 The rst
civilizations
What denes a civilization? Describe the development of the rst civilizations in
Mesopotamia.
Thurs.
9.18
Art, craft, culture in
the ancient city
Describe the principal crafts, industries, and social structure of the ancient city of
Uruk. Describe the development of writing and its importance.
Fri. 9.19 Cosmopolitan
civilizations
MLB Check #3
Describe the rise of cosmopolitan civilizations in the Middle East, including
Egyptian society and Persian kings. Include Psalm 23 in your book.
Mon. 9.22 Project Research
Quiz # 3
In class research for project presentations.
Tues. 9.23 Project Research In class research for project presentations.
Wed. 9.24 Project
Presentations
Small group presentations of ancient civilization projects.
Thurs.
9.25
Project
Presentations
Small group presentations of ancient civilization projects.
Fri. 9.26 Ancient Greece
MLB Check #4
Who were the Greeks? Describe the Mycenaean Civilization of Homeric Greece and
Heinrich Schliemanns contributions to Greek archaeology.
Mon. 9.29 Gods and heroes
Quiz #4
What did ancient people believe? What did they know?
Tues. 9.30 Gods and heroes
cont.
What did ancient people believe? What did they know?
Wed. 10.1 Collapse or
continuity?
What is the life cycle of a civilization? Do civilizations rise and fall, do they collapse,
or do they simply change? Write Ozymandias in your book.
Thur. 10.2 Ancient or modern How is ancient history relevant to modern life?
Fri. 10.3 Quiz #5 Turn in complete main lesson book
Date Topic Assignment "