Name: Date:

Grade 5 Social Studies

Canadian Civilization
Lesson 33
How have the civilizations of the ancient world contributed to our society? Canada is a
civilization that includes many cultures. Its history, government, social structure, religious
beliefs, and achievements have their origins in civilizations that existed thousands of years
ago. Some of these civilizations you have studied before. There are many others, including
the civilizations of Aboriginal peoples that you have learned about in other studies. As
Canada continues to grow as a civilization, our appreciation of the contributions of early
civilizations to our way of life will continue to be an important part of that growth.

CANADA AND ANCIENT CIVILIZATIONS

Like the government of ancient Greece, the government of Canada is a democracy that recognizes
the rights and personal freedoms of every person. Our federal government is centralized in Ottawa.
So is our civil service. The idea of centralized government and a trained civil service came from
ancient China, where the government was concentrated in the city of Changan during the Qin
dynasty.
Many resources and technologies first used by the peoples of early civilizations are used by
Canadians today in their homes, businesses, and cities. The Maya grew and produced cotton, cocoa
chewing gum, and rubber, which are all used in Canada today. The wheel was invented in
Mesopotamia and is now found in thousands of everyday objects in Canada and around the world.
Many surgical instruments and techniques, including plastic surgery, which doctors practice all
around the world today, were first developed in ancient India.
The ancient Romans designed and constructed roads to transport people and trade goods, as
well as aqueducts to transport water. We use their techniques to build roads and transport water
today. The earliest form of paper was developed in ancient Egypt. It was called papyrus, from which
we got the word paper. Today paper is a necessity in our lives, and the paper industry is an
important part of the Canadian economy.
 Lesson 33 Questions

1. On the outline map of the world, draw and label the civilizations you studied; Mesopotamia,
Egypt, Nubia, India, China, Greece, Rome and The Maya. Use a different colour for each
civilization, and write the names of the 4 oceans, the equator, the Tropic of Cancer, and the
Tropic of Capricorn.

2. In your opinion, what are the three most important contributions of early civilizations to the
world? Explain your answer.

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________