Free Ancient World History Curriculum

Part 1:  Ancient Civilizations And The Old Testament

Hi !  I’m so glad you’re here !

START HERE!  
For an introduction to this curriculum and how you can adapt it to your needs, start by clicking on the link below for the first post in this series-
 “Free Chronological World History Plan“ .

Since this is the FIRST part of the Free Ancient World History Curriculum series, there are just a few notes to get started.  If you just want to see the curriculum, SCROLL DOWN to the red text below and you can easily find it there!

WHAT WILL YOU NEED FOR THIS HISTORY STUDY?

Internet access.
And maybe little creativity!  Seriously.  That’s all you need.
You can complete all of these units with very limited materials.  However, I have LOTS of suggestions for Hands-On Projects, movies, books, games, and more to ADD to the learning FUN!  Give this history curriculum a chance.  I think you and your family could actually be pretty EXCITED to do these lessons!

IN THE DAILY LESSON PLANS you will find that I reference the following books-
– “The Story of the World”
-“A Child’s History of the World”
-“Genesis:  Finding Our Roots”
-“Great Civilizations”
-“The Victor Journey Through The Bible”

Choose ONE, two, or any number of them… or NONE at all!
Please do not feel like you must use ALL of these resources.
I included these so that you could pick and choose which ones suited your family’s needs BEST!
This goes for the daily suggested “Reading”, “Watch”, and “Explore More!” sections!   Simply choose the selections you want to share with your students.  Do not feel obligated to do every single thing I’ve listed!

–>How I Used This Curriculum   (I made a full length video showing how!)

Below I have some of the other resources I’ve made especially for this series.  Some are free (other posts I’ve written as companions to this unit), and others are materials that I’ve created, keeping the cost as low as I can.

 

My kids and I enjoyed some GREAT historical fiction books for “Language Arts” during this study…they were harder to find for this particular section, and there are more for the following ancient history sections, but here’s a list of  some of our favorites!
Ancient Civilizations/OT Booklist

 

 

 

 

 

If you’d like to have this unit in a printable PDF version, just grab the
Ancient Civilizations/Old Testament Curriculum Printable PDF Version
->No ads, no distractions!
Just download it onto your own computer and you’re good to go!
I’ve also added some extra printables in there for you as well.

 

 

 

 

** NEW!!!**

160 printable pages of learning FUN!
Mapping Activities,Timelines, What Was? Who Was? Printables, Word Searches, Hands-On Projects, Math & Vocabulary Puzzles, and LOTS more!
Every page was created to go specifically with the daily lessons below!

 

 

Do you know what Abraham’s favorite board game was?
Or which person from the Bible might have had air conditioning in their house?
How about the Ancient Mesopotamians absolute favorite food?
Quick and fun facts that will make your children want to know more!
I wrote it specifically to go with this study and it is written on topic for each week 🙂
Great to start your lessons with each day!  If your family loves trivia and likes to stun friends and family with some strange facts and finds, you’re going to love this series of posts!!
21 Fascinating Facts About Ancient Civilizations/OT

 

 

 

Print out these fun Ancient Civilizations/OT History Cards.
They’re FREE!
Great for review, games, creating a timeline, and more!
You’ll find a reference to them in the directions below with lots of ideas on how my family used them.

 

 

 

 

**EVERYTHING IN ONE PLACE!**

*Section 1:  Ancient Civilizations & the Old Testament
+FREE History of Ancient Civilizations/Old Testament Curriculum Lesson Plans
+FREE Ancient Civilizations / Old Testament Printable History Cards
+Ancient Civilizations & Old Testament Printable POWER Pack **NEW!**
+Ancient Civilizations/OT Printable PDF Version
+FREE 21 Fascinating Facts About Ancient Civilizations
+21 Fascinating Facts About Ancient Civilizations Printable PDF 
+Ancient Civilizations/OT Great Books Reading List
+Ancient Civilizations/OT History BUNDLE

 

 

WHAT IS A HISTORY TIMELINE BINDER?

–>How To Make A History Binder   (I made a video if you’d rather watch than read 🙂  )

You will see mentions in this series to add pages to your “history binder”.  So what do I mean?
Here is how we made ours…
As we studied through each section of history, we each kept our own 3-ring binder-  an ‘all in one place’  type of timeline.  We filled the binders with fun facts, history related coloring pages, drawings, print outs, etc… each page with a date on the bottom (or at least stuck in the appropriate “period” of history).  We even added brochures from the art museum and other field trips that tied into our ancient studies!  In planning out our year, I also included biographies of important people, great artists, musicians, authors, scientists, etc. as applicable, and added them into the binder as well.  The suggestions you will find under “People”, “Places”, “Events”, and “Vocabulary” all would make great page headings to include in these binders.  As you flip through your binders to add pages, it is an automatic visual review of how these things fit together in a chronological history of our world.
If you don’t have “crafty” kids who enjoy drawing and coloring, I’ve made a set of pre-made History Timeline Binder Pages–

The Printable History Cards also make a great addition!
Scroll down to WEEK 7  in this section to read some more ideas of what to add to your binders!
.
Do you have to use a history binder?
No!  You could make a huge timeline on the wall, or you could simply keep a notebook with tabs for vocabulary, important people and places, etc…  If you need some ideas for all different size and types of timelines, I wrote about my Top 10 Favorite History Timelines to make!

—>REMEMBER….This curriculum is meant to simply give you an outline to work from.
Add or take away whatever you want to make this a perfect fit for YOUR family!

 

WHAT ARE THE PRINTABLE HISTORY CARDS?

These are a set of printable history cards made specifically to go along with Part 1 in this series.   These cards make a super fun way to discover all of the exciting People, Places, and Events of Ancient Civilizations and the Old Testament!  There are lots of ideas included to use them for learning games, review, and conversation! There are black and white cards for your students who enjoy coloring, and a set of colored cards that are all done.  Just PRINT AND GO!
Definitely download this set and give them a try… this set is FREE!

 

HOW DO I USE THIS CURRICULUM?

First, you can read a longer explanation in the Introduction to FREE Ancient World History Curriculum post!
The shortest way to explain here I think is to paint a picture of what a family history lesson might look like.  And yes I do realize I will describe a very “fields of daisies” type day, leaving out the 57 snack requests, dwaddlers, tired toddler tantrums, etc…
So just humor me and enjoy the lovely, happy homeschool example… days like this really DO happen too 😀

Imagine…

During breakfast you are listening to the Race To The Ark audiobook.  It’s makes for a calm start to school work, and wakes everyone’s brains up!  After breakfast, you pull out the Ancient Civilizations History Cards and have a race to see how long it takes to put them all in the right order to get their bodies awake too!
Later in the afternoon, you gather everyone together on the couch, at the kitchen table, or even outside under a big shade tree!
You chat about where you left off last, including what they’re learning in their independent reading…and then you talk a little bit about today’s topic.
Next, you pull out whatever spine books you’ve chosen for your read alouds, and read the assigned pages.
As you are reading, your Littles (and even older kids too!) are coloring the suggested pages for this day’s lesson as they listen.
When you finish reading there is lots of discussion and maybe even a few questions jotted down to find the answers to.
Older kids can complete the online part of the lesson on their own now, or you can watch a few of the related videos together.
You may be working on some of the hands-on projects ( like a diorama), or they might be working on pages for their History Timeline Binders.
They are getting excited because at the end of the week, you are hosting some of their friends and family for an authentic Middle Eastern feast and History Museum where they will display and tell about some of the projects they’ve made showing what they’ve learned about Ancient Civilizations and The Old Testament.

A Note On Teaching All Ages At Once- Tips and Tricks !

+Choose a book(s) for your core reading that is aimed for somewhere between your youngest & oldest student. This book can be your read aloud for each “class time”. Read aloud time is one of the best times of the whole day. It helps us all to come together, get cozy, and enjoy another world ! My “little” often colored pages to put in her own timeline binder while I read aloud! I was amazed at how much she absorbed just by listening !! Coloring pages are great to add to the timeline binders for the big kids as well!

+Combine history with some other subject areas!
How we did it… We chose to read/analyze some of the classic historical fiction books suggested for this section for “Language Arts” during these studies as I mentioned above. You might be surprised also how many important discoveries of Science and Mathematics you’ll discover from early civilizations as well! Take advantage of this natural connection and combine another subject area ! I have included some fun books for these topics in the Ancient Civilizations and OT History Book List.

+Keep whatever you are studying as a part of your every day life. 

-SHARE it! 
If you read something interesting in a book, or see an archeological discovery on the news related to the period, or have a thought how this period affects our culture today, SHARE IT! The more interested you become, and the further in you study, the more correlations you will start seeing! History is cool like that! 🙂

-TALK a lot!
At the breakfast table, in the car, on walks, etc…every part of the day is learning!
The 21 Fascinating Facts About Ancient Civilizations/OT  post is a super fun way to get discussions started!

-KEEP it accessible!
Taking a cue from Charlotte Mason, one of the best tricks for this is keeping a basket full of related books of various reading levels in a tray on the coffee table or a basket nearby. Swap out the books to keep their interest piqued. Be sure to choose books that have lots of nice pictures! I was always kind of pleasantly surprised to see my children leafing through them without any prodding from me! An added bonus is that books that the Littles may not normally look at are explored…and the Bigs will often zoom through the “easy” books intended for younger/pre-readers , which all equals effortless learning ! I still read in that same pattern myself, when studying …. a few books that are for adults, a few books for young readers, and maybe one on an academic level lol !
You can also do this by displaying related objects (think replicas of oil lamps, woven reeds, or even a second set of the history cards, etc…), and any crafts or related projects you do where they can be noticed and enjoyed each day.

+Choose some hands-on activities!
There are an endless amount of ideas to suit just about anyone!  Here are a couple of Activity Books that go with this unit that I recommend, and there are more in the Book List for this unit-
*Ancient Israelites and Their Neighbors
*Old Testament Days- Kid’s Activity Guide
*History Pockets- Ancient Mesopotamia

–>After parental review, the  lessons I have written are meant to be self-directed for middle school ages and up .  But, if you are using this for multiple ages like I did, I simply read the Story of the World out loud, our Bible study, and some of the other historical fiction.  I have included a few “extra” books at the bottom of this page for younger readers and they can always be included in the hands on activities.  The Old Testament Days Activity Book is my favorite for ideas that can be leveled up or made a bit more simple, but enjoyed by all!!   My “little” often colored pages to put in her own timeline binder while I read!  I was often amazed at how much she absorbed just by listening !!
You can find lots  of  FREE  printable coloring and activity pages from Calvary Curriculum that go along perfectly with the daily plans below.  They have lessons, printable coloring and activity pages, etc for preschool through about 6th grade !  Who doesn’t like to color while listening to a great book after all ?!?  They are great to add in to the timeline binders for the big kids as well 🙂

 

If you have any other QUESTIONS  at all, I’d love to hear from you !
You can either comment at the bottom of this post or you can email me at
ch*****@*************es.com
Enjoy !

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–>  This post contains affiliate links.  There will NOT be any additional charge to you if you click to Amazon through these links, but I will make a small commission if you do!  So thanks ahead for supporting my work !  🙂

**–> CURRICULUM STARTS HERE <–**

*Ancient Civilizations / Old Testament Curriculum Outline

*Week 1:  The Beginning of Civilization
+Day 1- What is a Civilization
+Day 2- In the Beginning- The First Civilization
+Day 3- The End of the First Civilization

*Week 2:  Assyrians, Sumerians, and Babylonians
+Day 1- The People Become Places
+Day 2- The Babylonian Empire
+Day 3- The Assyrian Empire

*Week 3:  The Chaldeans and Abraham of Ur
+Day 1- The Chaldeans
+Day 2- Abraham of Ur
+Day 3- The Indus Valley Civilization

 

*Week 4: Canaan and Ancient Israel
+Day 1- The Canaanites and Isaac
+Day 2- The Israelites, Jacob and Esau
+Day 3- Joseph

 

*Week 5: Read More!   (see explanation)

*Week 6: Explore It More!   (see explanation)

*Week 7:  History Museum/Show What You Know!   (see explanation)

 

**NOTE:
These lesson plans  are meant to give you an outline of reading/activities for a 7 weeks and a 3 day a week schedule.
HOWEVER , this is just a suggestion.
There are LOTS of optional online reading and research suggestions… and projects… and really good literature that your family might enjoy.  If your family loves history and you’re excited about learning more, you could easily change this to a 5 day a week schedule by completing more of the suggested optional reading, or projects, etc…   You could also turn each day’s lesson to an entire week this way and go to a 2 day a week schedule, making this into a 12-15 Week Unit.
OR if your kiddos are ready to get to Ancient Egypt, add a few things from Weeks 5 and 6 in the mix and make this into a 4 Week Unit but only selecting the highlights you want to cover!
This is one of the benefits of homeschooling!  Do what works for YOUR family!
Have fun!
AND BE THE BOSS OF THE CURRICULUM!  🙂

 

*Quick View- People, Places, and Events:

*People & Places:
+Adam                             +Seth                +Babel
+Mesopotamia               +Nod                +Chaldeans
+Nod                                +Nimrod          +Esau
+Ararat                            +Jacob             +Methuselah
+Armenia                        +Bethel            +Noah
+Shem                              +Uruk              +Gilgamesh
+Babylonia                      +Sumeria         +Abraham
+Issac

 

*Events:

**NOTE!!
I’ve created this quick chart below to help us to SEE all of our people, places, and events of this era in one place!
You may like to rearrange these a bit after going through these lessons yourself.  The Ancient Civilization/Old Testament dates are much more difficult to pinpoint, so please do use your own judgement.
Here is my own ordering of the History Cards (by Event, Place, & People):

*COOL Notes as we study the People of the First Ancient Civilizations!!

+Noah had 3 sons, Shem (Semites), Ham (Hamites), and Japheth.

+Ham (the Hamites) was the father of the following peoples that we discuss:
   -Canaan (Canaanites)
   -Egypt  (Egyptians), from whom descended the Philistines
   -Cush (Cushites), whose son was Nimrod

+Nimrod became the first king of Mesopotamia!
He built and ruled over MANY of the major cities/civilizations that we discuss in this unit,    including:
   -Babylon
   -Uruk
   -Akkad
   -Assyria
   -Nineveh
   -Rehoboth
   -Ir
   -Calah (Iraq)

+Shem (the Semites) was the father of the following peoples that we discuss:
   -Asshur (who became the Assyrians)
   -Arphaxad  (who became the Chaldeans/Babylonians)…Abraham is a descendant him!)
   -Aram (who became the Arameans)

+Japheth (the Japhethites)
We do not discuss Japheth’s descendants very often in this section as his people settled northward into what is now Europe, Asia, and Greece.

 

*Objectives For This Study:

+ Be able to tell 3 facts you can remember from each index card (or each Week’s topic of study).
+ Be able to explain what BC and AD and/or  [BCE/CE]are and the reasoning behind them.
+ Be able to identify the part of the world in which each event took place.
+ Locate these regions on a map.
+ Be able to describe what the government was like and name some of the well known leaders of this period
+Be able to describe what a day in the life of a child living at this time would be like
+ Add at least one page per event to your history binder  (see explanation below)

*Vocabulary  (taken from suggested reading/adjust as needed):

+genesis           +civilization          +reluctant            +condemn          +abomination
+fugitive           +fortified               +patriarch            +diety                 +sojourn
+birthright       +rivalry                  +disperse             +nomad              +fraud
+atone              +behemoth            +peril                    +leviathan          +remnant
+rite                   +lotus                    +tributary            +forfeit

+Where do I find the Vocabulary words?
You can start with the list below taken from the core reading.  Add your own words, easier or more difficult related words that suits your students needs best.  I had my older kiddos keep a running list when they came across words they didn’t recognize, and I added some of my own as part of the learning objectives for the unit

 

 

So…HERE WE GO !

 

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The Beginning of Civilization

 

*Optional Complimentary Reading Week 1-
-“Genesis:  Finding Our Roots”
-“Great Civilizations”
-“The Victor Journey Through The Bible”
-“The Secret of the Hidden Scrolls- The Beginning”
You will find LOTS of other book suggestions in the Book List for this unit a well!

*What Is A Civilization?

*NOTE to my fellow Christian families :
Please be sure to always preview the reading materials… while all of these resourcse are “Christian friendly”, they aren’t necessarily written to include everything I might like them to…and they include some things I wish they didn’t.  After this week’s readings, the text is clearer.  You may just like to skip the SOTW and CHOW reading today and use the Bible.

+Core Reading-
–“History Detectives:  Great Civilizations”  p. 6-7
–“The Story of the World-Vol 1”–  Introduction
– “A Child’s History of the World”– Chapter 1  (p. 3-10)- “How Things Started”

+Optional Reading-  None today!

+Online Reading-
–What Makes a Civilization?
–What Is a Civilization?
–Suddenly There Was A Culture!
–Civilizations- The Place Where A Culture Starts
(Not my favorite explanation for children-  you may like to skip this!  It has been shockingly difficult to find any good resources online that aren’t full of error!)
–What is “Pre”historic?

+Watch This! 
-What is a Civilization ?  (about 4 mins)
–The Story of the First People
(Good graphic novel type video- about 25 mins)

+Explore More!
–Archeology: Clues From the Past !  (interactive)
–Tools of the Trade-  Interactive Archeology Game
–Early Civilizations Jeopardy Game
–Would You Survive the Stone Age?   (silly game 🙂
–Artifact Adventure   (interactive game)
–Dirt Detective   (great for Littles !)
–My Culture Quest  (interactive game)

*Note:  Remember, if you’d like to scatter the hands-on learning activities throughout EACH WEEK, scroll down to week 6, and you’ll find LOTS of fun hands-on activities you can add in!  Otherwise, you can use week 6 to create a history museum of sorts to present all you’ve learned in this unit!

+History Binder-
–>You may also use the pre-made History Binder Printables and just add to those pages!
+Make a Cover Page for this unit-  “Ancient Civilizations and The Old Testament”
+Make a Week 1- Vocabulary Sheet 
+Add today’s vocabulary words to history binder or notebook
+Make a Places section for your history binder.
+Add “Mesopotamia” to the Places section.

+ Coloring/Timeline Pages-
–The First Civilizations Map Activity/Coloring Page 

 

 

*In The Beginning…The First Civilization

+Core Reading-
–“The Story of the World-Vol 1” -Chapter 1  (p. 19-39) – “The Earliest People”
–> If you are not using “Genesis: Finding Our Roots”, you might like to split the SOTW reading between Day 2 and Day 3 this week… otherwise, you can do this entire SOTW reading (above) on Day 3.

+Optional Reading-

–“Genesis- Finding Our Roots”–  Unit 1
*Note- Depending on the ages of your children, you may like to read from this book yourself and share the material with them…you could use it as a read aloud, or your child could read this book, and discuss the material with you.

–Genesis 1-3; 4:1-2;  5:1-8
–“Victor Journey Through The Bible”–  p. 10-11

+Online Reading-

–What Is Archaeology?
-Listen to The Creation 
–Creation Overview   (from ‘Answers In Genesis’)
–Explore The Science Of The Days Of Creation   (These include printables and videos!)
–WHERE Was the Garden of Eden?   (short version)
–Where Did Adam and Eve Live?    (more detailed)
–The Story of Creation
–Listen to Genesis 1-5
(Your family might enjoy listening to the account of Creation and the First Family!  Try the Dramatized Version!!  Just click on the audio icon at the top of the page!)
–What Were The First People Like?
–What About The Cavemen?

+Watch This!

–The Fertile Crescent & the Rise of Civilization     (about 3 mins)
–“Archeology Adventure in the Holy Land” (about 14 mins)
–Ancient Mesopotamia 101   (from National Geo- about 4 minutes)

 

+Explore More!

–Met Kids- Explore History ! (8,000-2,000BC)
-Play one of these Archeology Games online !
–Clues From the Past    (3 Archeology Games to play)
–Iron Age Interactive Game
–Mysterious Artifacts 
–Jo Wilder and the Capitol Case

+History Binder-
+Create an “Events” page for your History Timeline Binder
+Add the following to the “Events” section:
-Creation    -Adam and Eve Sin  (4100 BC)     -The First Family    -Cain & Abel’s Offerings  (4000 BC)
+Create a “People” section page for your History Timeline Binder
+Add the following to the “People” section in your History Timeline Binders
-Adam    -Eve    -Cain    -Abel    -Seth
+Create a “Places” section page for your History Timeline Binder
+Add the following Places:
-Nod   – The Garden of Eden

OR
+Add the above people, places, and events to your Week 1 Timeline page (like the one below).
Make a copy of the Timeline for each week.

 

+ Coloring-
–All About Archeology Coloring Book
–Creation Coloring and Activity Pages  (scroll down to see all of the pages)
–Genesis 1:1 Coloring Page
–Adam & Eve and Their Creator Coloring Page
–Creation of Adam & Eve 

 

 

*The End Of The First Civilization

+Core Reading-
–“The Story of the World-Vol 1” -Chapter 1  (p. 19-39) – “The Earliest People”

+Optional Reading-

–“Genesis- Finding Our Roots”–  Unit 3
–“Victor Journey Through The Bible”–  p. 12-15
–Genesis 6-8

+Online Reading-

–What Was the Fertile Crescent?
–The Fertile Crescent   (good for older students)
–Where Was Mesopotamia?
–Ancient Mesopotamia for Kids
–Creation, Corruption, and CATASTROPHE!
–God’s Family and The First People
(This article is best for parents or older students, but it really helps us see the BIG picture of the FIRST PEOPLE and why it is so important to know the TRUTH about who they were, where they came from, and what their life was like!)

–>More great resources if your children have questions!
–What On Earth Happened ?!?
–The Fall
–The Catastrophe!    (The Ice Age?)
–Noah and The Ark
–The Flood  (Good for younger readers)
–How Could All Those Animals Fit On ONE Boat?
–Who Was On The Ark?

+Watch This!
–Creation- The First People  (animated-about 4 minutes)
–Mesopotamia Rap
–The Fertile Crescent Rap from Flowcabulary
–Archeology Adventure in the Holy Land” (about 14 mins)
–Ancient Mesopotamia 101   (from National Geo- about 4 minutes)
–Was There Really A Flood That Covered The Whole Earth?     (about 4 minutes)
–The Great Flood Geology    (about 4 minutes)

 

+Explore More!
-Play the Ancient Mesopotamia Rags to Riches Game
-Explore and play The Days of Creation Game
-Learn about Flood Legends from around the world!
–Explore Noah & The Great Flood

+History Binder-
+Add to the “People” section of your History binder the following:
-Methuselah    -Noah    -Ham    -Shem    -Japheth   
+Add to the “Places” section of your binder the following:
-The Tigris River    -Euphrates River    -Armenia    -Ararat
+Add to the “Events” section of your binder the following:
-Wickedness Everywhere  (2400 BC)    -The Flood  (2350 BC)

+Coloring-
–Ancient Mesopotamia Maps (and other printables- FREE TpT)
–Noah Builds An Ark
–God Sends A Great Flood
–God’s Covenant With Noah

 

 

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*The Assyrians, Sumerians, and Babylonians

 

*Suggested Complimentary Reading Week 2-
–“Great Civilizations”
–“The Secret of the Hidden Scrolls- The Lion’s Roar”

+Helpful Quick Notes:

*Sumer-
-Today is southern Iraq  (also sometimes called Shinar);  includes cities of Uruk and Ur (Abraham’s city)
-The Sumerians likely(?) were descendants of Shem.  Abraham, a descendant of Shem (Semites), lived in Ur (Genesis 11:10–26)
-Hammurabi, the last and most famous ruler of Sumer before the Babylonians took over
-Invented the first way of writing called cuneiform
-Epic of Gilgamesh was written in cuneiform here and tells the story of the King of Sumer and includes an account of Noah’s Flood!
-Ziggurat of Ur

*Assyria-
-Territory included Iraq, Syria, Jordan, and Lebanon;  includes cities of Ashur, Nineveh (the capital city), and Nimrod.
-The Assyrians are likely descendants of Nimrod.  (Remember that Nimrod was the great grandson of Noah, and the first king of Mesopotamia!)
-King Sennacherib was a famous king of Assyria (Isaiah 36-37), and Ashurbanipal, another “last king”, built the great library of Nineveh
-Known as a fierce warring people who rarely showed mercy, we can understand Jonah’s hesitancy to go here!  (Jonah 1)
–Mentions of Assyria in the Scriptures

*Babylonia-
-First Babylonia was a city-state of Mesopotamia built by Nimrod, and later became it’s own empire.
-Like the Assyrians, the Babylonians are mostly descended from Noah’s son Cush… and his son Nimrod.
-Famous kings of Babylon include Hammurabi (who wrote the code 😀 ), and King Nebuchadnezzar (who built the Hanging Gardens).
-Sometimes you may hear of the Chaldeans… they were the people of the Babylonian Empire who lived in southern Iraq.  We will learn more about them next week!
-The Babylonians were kind of the Bible bad guys… think Jewish people carried off into exile, Daniel thrown into the lion’s den, and Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego being tossed in the fiery furnace!
–Some mentions of Babylonia in Scripture

 

 

*The Peoples Become Places

*Note:  The Babylonian Empire is covered in greater detail on Day 2, and the Assyrian Empire on Day 3!

+Core Reading-
–“Great Civilizations”   p. 8-11
– “A Child’s History of the World”-  Chapter 8   (p. 48-55)-  A Rich Land Where There Was No Money
*I will skip around quite a bit in the first weeks… you may like to include Chapter 2.
I didn’t include it, as it was covered by other resources already listed.
–“The Story of the World- Vol. 1”-  Chapter 5  (p. 39-52)-  “The First Sumerian Dictator”

–>Remember you do NOT need to read from ALL of the resources listed !

 

+Optional Reading-
–Genesis 10

 

+Online Reading-

–Great Cities of Mesopotamia
–Amazing Inventions of the Mesopotamians
–Sumer & Mesopotamia
–Ancient Sumeria
–The Sumer
–Who Were the Sumerians ?
–What Is Cuneiform?
–What Is the Epic of Gilgamesh ?
-The Stories & Myths of Ancient Sumer & Ancient Babylonia

 

+Watch This!
–What Was Mesopotamia Like?   (about 4 minutes- good quick review!)
–4 Empires of Mesopotamia (about 4 minutes)
–Mesopotamia- From Nomads to Farmers…Nisaba’s Journal
–Ancient Sumer in 4 Minutes
–The Ancient Sumerians    (about 7 minutes)
–The Epic of Gilgamesh 
(animated- about 5 minutes… great for younger students)

+Explore More!
–Explore Mesopotamia Interactive Museum
–Write Like a Sumerian!
–Read or Listen to The Epic of Gilgamesh   (adapted for children)
–Take A Virtual Field Trip!  Tour of Palace of Nineveh!    (Amazing!)
–The Bronze Age- DK Find Out!
–DK Find Out!  The Iron Age
–Mesopotamia!   (Interactive exploration)
–DK Explore Mesopotamia

+History Binder-
+Add the following to your “Places” page or this week’s Timeline Page (see week 1- Day 2):
-Canaan    -Uruk    -Assyrian Empire     -Ir    -Akkad    -Sumerian Empire   -Nineveh
+Add the following to your “People” page:
-Canaanites    -Semites    -Hamites    -Nimrod    -Sargon    -Sumerians    -Akkadians   -Assyrians

+Coloring-
–Ancient Assyrian Army Coloring Page
–Seal of Queen Puabi coloring page
–Ancient Iraqi Painting coloring page
–Mesopotamia Geography Map coloring page

 

 

*The Babylonian Empire

+Notes:
#1-  I’ve included King Hammurabi (1792-1750 BC) and also King Nebuchadnezzar  (605-562 BC) in this section, but they are further along in the timeline.  You may like to briefly mention them, then add them in when we get to those dates chronologically.
#2- Remember that the Babylonians are descendants of Arphaxad, who is the son of Shem, who is Noah’s son!

+Core Reading-
–“The Story of the World- Vol. 1”-  Chapter 7   (p. 39-52)-   “Hammurabi and the Babylonians”

+Optional Reading-
–“Victor Journey Through The Bible”–  p. 16-17
–“Genesis- Finding Our Roots”–  Unit 4
–Genesis 11:1-9

+Online Reading-
–The Babylonian Empire
–Babylon
–Babylon in Bible History
-Read this e-book on The Tower Of Babel
(Super informative in a Q & A format!  Click to the next “chapter” at the bottom right of each page)
-Listen to the story of The Tower Of Babel
–The Babbling Problem!
-Read more about Ancient Babylonia
–Ever Wonder Who Invented the Wheel?
–What Was The Ancient Ziggurat of Ur?
–Ancient Ziggurats of Mesopotamia
–Who Was Hammurabi and What Was His Code ?
–What are the Hanging Gardens of Babylon?

 

+Watch This!
–The Babylonian Empire      (about 7 minutes)
–Babylon: A History of the City    (about 14 minutes)
–The History of Babylon & It’s Empire  (about 11 minutes)
–Tower of Babel    (about 3 minutes… also reading)
–The Tower of Babel   (Smithsonian Channel- about 4 minutes)
–Hammurabi and the Tower of Babel    (about 10 minutes)
–Take a Tour of Modern Day “Babylon”    (about 8 minutes)

 

+Explore More!
–The Ziggurats of Ur   (Interactive)
–Write Like a Babylonian
–DK FindOut!  Who Invented the Wheel ?
–Explore Bruegel’s  ‘Tower of Babel’… How accurate do you think it is?
–Babylonia Math Mystery
–Hammurabi’s Code!
–The Hanging Gardens

 

+Book Work-
+Make a simple/bullet outline (you choose the style) of today’s reading

+History Binder-
+Add the following to your “Places” pages or this week’s Timeline Page (see week 1- Day 2):
-Babylonian Empire    -Ur    -Nod    -Ancient Ziggurat of Ur    -The Hanging Gardens
+Add the following to your “People” pages:
-Babylonians    -King Hammurabi
+Add the following to your “Events” pages:
-The Tower Of Babel

+Coloring-
–Hanging Gardens of Babylon coloring page
–Ziggurat of Ur coloring page
–Draw Your Own Ziggurat  (step by step)
–Ancient Mesopotamia Flap Map   (with coloring activity)
–Tower of Babel Coloring Page and Activities

 

 

*The Assyrian Empire

+Note:
Remember that the Assyrians are descendants of Asshur, the son of Shem, who is Noah’s son!

+Core Reading-
–“The Story of the World- Vol. 1”–  p. 53-67  (top)  Chapter 8- “The Assyrians”

+Optional Reading-
–“Genesis:  Finding Our Roots”–  Unit 5
–“Great Civilizations” –  p. 12-13

+Online Reading-
–The Land of Assyria    (click the audio button and listen to this!  Well done!)
–Ancient Assyria
–The Assyrian Empire
–Who Were the Ancient Assyrians?
–What Was The Library At Nineveh?
–Introducing the Assyrians
(From ‘The British Museum’-  longer read, but be sure to at least scroll though the images of the Ancient Assyrian artifacts!  Fascinating!)
–Bible History of Assyria    (Be sure to scroll to see reading for younger/older students)
–Where is Assyria mentioned in the Bible?
(No wonder Jonah didn’t want to go to Nineveh!)
–What Is the Epic of Gilgamesh ?   (in case you didn’t cover this earlier!)

 

+Watch This!
–Akkadia and Assyria:  Ancients!    (about 7 minutes)
–Echos from Ugarit- The Oldest Melody in History  (SO cool !)
–The Discovery of the Library at Nineveh   (about 5 minutes)

+Explore More!
–Virtual Tour of Art of Ancient Middle East
(Be sure to scroll down to listen to the actual audio tour as you click through the pieces!)
–Babylon- DK Find Out!
–Quiz Yourself!  Assyrian Empire

 

+History Binder-
+Add the following to your “People” pages in your History Binder:
-Assyrians
+Add the following to you”Places” page in your History Binder:
-Assyrian Empire   (~2300 BC to 612 BC)
-Nineveh
-Hanging Gardens of Babylon  (you might just like to add this to your Babylon page)
-Ishtar Gate   (you might just like to add this to your Babylon page)

 

+Coloring-
–Assyrian Soldiers Coloring Page   (click on image to enlarge and print)
Ancient Assyrian King & Queen Coloring Page
–Ancient Assyria Printable

 

---

*The Chaldeans and Abraham of Ur

 

 

*Suggested Complimentary Reading Week 3-
-“Usborne:  World History”
-“Genesis:  Finding Our Roots”
-“The Laughing Princess in the Desert“

*The Chaldeans

–>Note:
Remember the family line we’ve been following from Noah?
This week we add in Abraham… a descendant of Noah’s son, Shem (the Semites), who was the father of Arphaxad, whose people became the Chaldeans!

+Core Reading-
–“The Story of the World- Vol. 1”-  Chapter 6- “The Jewish People”
– “A Child’s History of the World”–  (p.56-63)  Chapter 9- “The Jews Search For a Home”

+Optional Reading-
-“Usborne:  World History” – (p. 12-13 and p. 30-31)

+Online Reading-
–Who Were the Chaldeans ?
–>Biblical references to the Chaldeans
–Ur of the Chaldeans
–The Ancient City of Ur   (nice map!)
–The First Dynasty of Ur   (scroll to the bottom for some nice images of artifacts!)
–Queen Puabi’s Treasure
–The Royal Standard of Ur
–The Royal Tombs of Ur

+Watch This!
–The Rise and Fall of the Assyrian Empire  (about 5 minutes)
–The Ancient City of Ur   (About 15 minutes)
–Treasures of The Ancient Tombs of Ur    (about 12 minutes)
–The Great Ziggurat of Ur    (Good intro- about 3 minutes)

 

+Explore More!
–Explore the Ancient City of Ur
–Play the Royal Game of Ur Online
–Explore the Royal Tombs of Ur

+History Binder-
–>Note:
It might be a good time to point out once again how often the names of people frequently become the names of places!  This week we see that with “Haran” and “Canaan”.

+Add the following to the “People” section of your history binder:
-The Chaldeans
+Add the following to the “Places” section of your history binder:
-Bethel     -Iraq     -Ur  (If you haven’t already added it, or want to add more info)

 

+Coloring-

–Lands of the OT Printable Map
–Printable Map 

 

*Abraham of Ur

–>Note:
#1-  Remember the family line we’ve been following from Noah?
This week we add in Abraham… a descendant of Noah’s son, Shem (the Semites), who was the father of Arphaxad, whose people became the Chaldeans!
*Shem (the Semites) was the father of the following peoples that we discuss:
-Asshur (who became the Assyrians)
-Aram (who became the Arameans)
-Arphaxad (who became the Chaldeans/Babylonians)…Abraham is a descendant him!)
+Noah’s son was Shem… Nahor was from the line of Shem… Nahor was the father of Terah, who was the father of Abram, Nahor (after Terah’s father), and Haran (who was the father of Lot, but died while still young).

#2- Parents and older students may like to read this article on God’s Covenant With Abraham.

+Core Reading-  none today

+Optional Reading-
–“Genesis- Finding Our Roots”–  Unit 6
–“Victor Journey Through The Bible”–  p. 18-31
–Genesis 12-17

+Online Reading-
–What/Where is the Levant?
–Who Was Abram?    (With short map activity!)
–All About Abraham   (This is an entire lesson, with some helpful maps too!)
–Who was Abraham?
–Abraham and Ur of the Chaldees
–Sarai, Abraham’s Wife
–All About Sarah:  Quick Facts!
–All About Lot:  Quick Facts!
-Listen to the story of God’s Promise To Abraham
–The Story of Abraham’s Journey   (click the speaker icon to listen to the story)
–Maps Of Abraham’s Journeys   (Scroll down a bit for place by place explanations)
–Abraham’s Journeys    (If you’d like to see which cities he journeyed through)
–Where Is Haran?
–Where Is Shechem?
–Abraham Has 3 Visitors

+Watch This!
–Quick Intro To Abraham  (about 2 minutes)
–God Calls Abram   (about 6 minutes)
–God Makes A Covenant With Abraham   (about 3 minutes)
–God’s Promise Continues Through Isaac   (about 6 minutes)
–The Chaldeans of Abraham   (about 10 minutes)
–God Calls Abram   (about 5 minutes… animated)
–Abraham’s City of Ur (about 13 minutes)
–Ur of the Chaldeans- Home of Abraham (about 2 minutes)
–The Story of Abraham, Isaac, and God’s People  (about 6 minutes)

 

+Explore More!
-Play an online Matching Game all about Abraham
–Abram’s Travel Journey Interactive 
–Abram’s Journey (Maps & more!)
–Break The Code:  Abraham and Isaac

+Book Work-
+Make a simple outline (you choose the style) of today’s reading

+History Binder-
+Add the following to the “People” section of your history binder:
–Abram (Abraham)    -Sarai  (Sarah)      -Haran (Abram’s brother and Lot’s father)     -Lot
-Isaac    -Hagar   -Ishmael
+Add the following to the “Places” section of your history binder:
-Haran     -Shechem     -Mount Moriah

+Coloring-
–God Calls Abraham Coloring and Activity Pages
–A Great Nation Coloring Page
–Abram Leaves Ur coloring and activity pages
–Abraham’s Call Coloring Page
–Abram & Sarai Visit Egypt
–God’s Covenant With Abraham Coloring & Activity Pages
–Abraham & Sarah Coloring Page
–Abraham’s Journey Coloring Page
–Isaac Is Born Coloring & Activity Pages

 

 

* The Indus Valley Civilization

–>Note:
The Indus Valley Civilization is a bit of a mystery!  There is much about who started it and what happened to it that we just don’t know.  We do know that this Civilization was at the pinnacle of it’s empire during the life of Abraham.
Another mystery…so far we have had a clear idea on each culture’s family line.  Today it is tricky.  Scholars disagree from whom the Indus Valley peoples descended.   Some say it is from the family line Japheth whose family inhabited Europe and Asia, others believe that the Indus Valley peoples descended from the family of Ham, and yet others think that they are descendants of Shem and came from Samaria.  As you read and study today, keep the debate in mind.
What do YOU think?

+Core Reading –  None Today

+Optional Reading-
–“Great Civilizations”   p. 20-21

+Online Reading-
–Who Were the Indus People ?
–The Indus Valley Civilization
–What Was It Like To Live In The Indus Valley?
–Children in the Indus Valley
–How Do We Know About The Indus Civilization?
–What Kind of Work Did People Do In The Indus Valley?
–Trade in the Indus Valley Civilization
–What Happened to the Indus Valley Civilization  (A mystery of history!!)
–The End of the Early Indus Valley Civilization

+Watch This!
–Ancient Indus Valley Civilization   (about 10 minutes- narrated by kids)
Bedtime History-  “The Indus River Valley”
–Take a Tour of Mahenjo-daro!   (about 3 minutes)
–The Ancient Harappans Had Toilets??   (about 10 minutes)
–The Indus Valley Civilization  (PBS- about 3 minutes)
–Harappan Civilization   (about 9 minutes- best for older students… PLEASE preview)

 

+Explore More!

-Play an online Matching Game all about Abraham
–The Indus Valley – Interactive    (Scroll down for interactives- there are many)
-Explore Artifacts from archaeological digs in the Indus Valley- Harappa
–Virtual Field Trip To Mohenjo-daro!
–How Much Do You Know?   (fun quiz)
–Explore the Ancient Indus Civilization

+History Binder-
+Add the following to your “Places” section in your history binder:
-Harappa     -Mohenjo-daro     -Indus River     -India     -Pakistan

+Coloring-
–Harappa Coloring Page
–Indus Valley Civilization Printable Map & Activity

 

 

---

*WEEK 4:  Canaan & Ancient Israel

 

*Suggested Complimentary Reading Week 4-
-“Princess Jewel At The Well”

*The Canaanites and Isaac

–>Note:
Remember that Canaan (who became the Canaanites) was the son of Ham, the son of Noah.  Abraham was living in Canaan now.  It was time to find a wife for his son Isaac, but Abraham didn’t want Isaac to marry a Canaanite woman, so he sent his servant to the city of Nahor (town of Abraham’s brother named Nahor) to search for a bride for Isaac.

+Core Reading-   none today

+Optional Reading-   
–“Victor Journey Through The Bible”–  p. 30-33
–Genesis 22-27

+Online Reading-
–Who Were the Canaanites ?
–Quick Facts- Who Were the Canaanites?
(Scroll down for Biblical references)
–Where Was Canaan?   (a large screen map)
–What Was Life Like In Canaan?
–Who Were the Hebrews?
–The Hebrew People    (pdf chapter from a textbook)
–Abraham’s Journey to Canaan
–Canaan and Ancient Israel    (please preview this resource!)
–A Wife For Isaac!
–Who Is Rebekah?
–Joshua and Canaan
(will cover this much more in depth in the Ancient Egypt part of this series)

+Watch This!
–Abraham’s Journey to Canaan    (about 6 minutes)
–Who Were the Canaanites?    (about 11 minutes)
–Isaac & Rebekah’s Love Story   (about 8 minutes-  a little cheesy but the story is told)
–The Story of Isaac & Rebekah, Jacob and Esau 
(about 25 minutes)
–Isaac, Jacob, and  Esau   (about 10 minutes)

+Explore More!
–Abraham in the Land of Canaan   (Interactive Map of his journeys)
-Interactive Map of Abraham’s Journey to Canaan
–Online Canaan and Ancient Israel Museum Collection

+History Binder-
+Add the following to your “Places” section in your history binder:
-Canaan    -Nahor
+Add the following to your “People” section in your history binder:
-Isaac (if you didn’t before)   -Rebekah    -Jacob    -Esau    -Canaanites
-Beersheeba (if you didn’t add it earlier)

+Coloring –
–Map of Ancient Israel   (including Canaan)
–Abram’s Journey to Canaan coloring page
–Isaac Is Born Coloring Page
–Rebekah Coloring Page
–A Bride For Isaac Coloring & Activity Pages

 

 

 

*The Ancient Israelites, Jacob & Esau

 

–>Notes:
#1-  We will learn today that beginning with Abraham –>to Isaac –> to Jacob, the descendants of Jacob, whom God renames “Israel“,  became the 12 Tribes of Israel.   Esau‘s descendants became known as the Edomites.

#2- Again PEOPLE BECOME PLACES and that can get kind of confusing.  So…sometimes we use the words “Israelites”, “Hebrews”, and “Jews” interchangeably.   Sometimes this can be accurate, but sometimes not!  😀
You can watch a short video (less than 2 minutes)-  What’s The Difference Between Israelites, Hebrews, and Jews?
Here’s where those words come from:
-Israelites (descendants of Jacob who was renamed Israel)
-Hebrews  (comes from “Eber” one of Abraham’s descendants)
-Jews   (comes from “Judah” who was one of Jacob’s 12 sons, the southern tribe of the land of Israel)

 

+Core Reading-   none today

+Optional Reading-  
–“Victor Journey Through The Bible”–  p. 34-39
–Genesis 28:10-22
–Genesis 36   (If you want to read the family line of Esau)

+Online Reading-
–Who Was Jacob?
–Jacob Wrestles With God
–Jacob & Esau
–Who Were Jacob & Esau?  
–Jacob Goes To Haran
–Jacob Becomes “Israel”
–The Origins of the Hebrews
–The 12 “Tribes” Of Israel
–All About Israel

 

+Watch This!
–Jacob, the First Israelite  (about 2 minutes)
–Jacob and Esau    (about 6 minutes)
–God’s Story- Jacob & Esau  (about 4 minutes- great for younger kids too!)
–Superbook!  Jacob & Esau   (about 25 minutes)
–Jacob Wrestles- God’s Story  (about 4 minutes)
–Jacob To Israel    (about 8 minutes)
–Who Were The Ancient Israelites?   (about 10 minutes)
–Jacob’s Sons Song
–The Sons of Jacob (about 25 minutes)
–Who Were The Edomites   (about 5 minutes)

 

+Explore More!
–Map Jacob’s Journey
–Jacob Jigsaw
–Jacob & Esau Quiz
–Jacob Wrestles With God Fun Object Lesson     (Peniel)
–Jacob and Esau Quiz
–Jacob and Esau Activities
–Anagram (Jacob & Esau)
–Jacob’s Stew
–12 Tribes Tree
–Short Timeline of Ancient Israel

 

+History Binder-
+Add the following to your “People” section in your history binder:
-The 12 Tribes of Israel  (you may want to make one page for each of the 12 sons of Jacob to add to later!)
+Reuben    +Simeon    +Levi         +Judah        +Zebulun    +Issachar
+Dan           +Gad          +Asher      +Naphtali   +Joseph       +Benjamin

 

+Coloring-
–Esau Coloring Page
–Jacob and Esau coloring pages and activities
–Isaac Blesses Jacob coloring page
–Jacob’s Sons coloring page and activities
–Israel coloring page and activities
–12 Tribes of Israel Map Coloring Page
–Your Name Is Israel Coloring and Activity Pages

 

 

* Joseph’s Story

–>Notes-
#1-This is just a brief introduction to Joseph.  Joseph was Jacob (Israel’s) favorite son.  We will be reading about him again during the Ancient Egypt Section!

#2- Remember that Egypt was FIRST the name of one of Ham‘s sons, also the brother of Canaan!
   -Egypt –> The Egyptians    (Another example of a person becoming a place!)

+Core Reading-  none today

+Optional Reading-
–“Victor Journey Through The Bible”–  p. 40-43
–Genesis 37

+Online Reading–
–Joseph   (a simple story of Joseph from Canaan)
–Who Was Joseph ?
–Joseph Sold By His Brothers
–Timeline and Family Tree of Joseph
–Egypt in the Bible
–Does Archeology Confirm Joseph in Egypt?
(Best suited for older students, or a read aloud for younger students… really interesting!!)

+Watch This!
–The Story of Joseph    (about 5 minutes)
–Joseph’s Story  (about 10 minutes)
–Joseph and His Brothers   (about 28 minutes)

+Explore More!
–The Story of Joseph
(Information and TONS of ideas from  Future Flying Saucers–  if you haven’t scoured this site, I HIGHLY recommend it!)
–Timeline of Joseph’s Life
–Interactive Egypt Map

+History Binder-
+Add the following to your “Places” section in your history binder:
-Egypt

+Coloring-
–Jacob and Joseph coloring page
–Jacob Gives Joseph A Coat coloring page
–Joseph Sold Into Slavery coloring page
–Joseph Sold By His Brothers coloring & activity pages
–Joseph Goes To Egypt coloring page
–Joseph Interprets a Dream coloring page
–Map of Egypt 

 

 

 

---

*Week 5:  READ IT!  Week 

*Here are a few ideas-

     

           

 

 

I hope that you will enjoy READ IT! WEEK as much as your children do!

What is Read It! Week?
I was on a mission at one point in our homeschooling journey to reignite the JOY of reading in my kids.  Sometimes when we aren’t allowed time to just read and ENJOY a good book without any strings attached, reading loses it’s pleasure!  It took a bit of reminding WHY I was homeschooling my children in the first place to convince myself to spend a whole week reading without guilt!  This ended up working so well, that I wrote it in as part of my curriculum here!
You may not be surprised… but my kids REALLY learned a ton without anything other than reading!
I had to be a bit more intentional about asking questions to get the conversations going, but it did the trick, and they looked forward to reading week every time I did it!

What should you read?
If you need some suggestions for reading this week, you can find them both on the post or on the Ancient Civilizations/Old Testament Books & Resources List .  It’s extra fun if YOU read a book too and share what you’re learning!  You may like to require more than one book, or more written work this week.  

Follow-up Ideas-

+Book Club Lunch-
You could let your children choose their own books for this week and then plan a special lunch at the end of the week to talk about them. Kind of like a mini-book club meeting.

+Movie and Popcorn-
Check the books/resource list for a movie that would wrap the week up nicely.

+Play Some Games!
Play some of the games recommended in the Books & Resources List, or check out this post for tons of ideas for history games you can buy or make yourself  –>Top 10 History Games For Kids  (There’s actually TONS of game ideas in this list!)

+Check out some Top 10’s-
This is a great week to listen to some related podcasts, read alouds online, or play some history related board games, etc.

+Top 10 History PODCASTS
+Top 10 History SONGS
+Top 10 History TIMELINES
+Top 10 History AUDIOBOOKS
+Top 10 History MOVIES
+Top 10 History BOOKS         (This is the ULTIMATE History Book List!)
+Top 10 History GAMES
+Top 10 AMAZING Homeschooling Resources At The Library
+Top 10 History HANDS-ON

*Coming Soon!*
+Top 10 History PRINTABLES
+Top 10 History FIELD TRIPS
And a bonus…
+Top 10 History for the HOLIDAYS

+10 NOT Book Report Ideas-

Create a Comic Strip:
Have students make a comic strip or graphic novel page summarizing the key events or themes from the book.

Character Interviews:
Students can pretend to be one of the book’s characters and conduct an “interview” where they answer questions about their experiences, motivations, and feelings.

Book Review Video:
Kids can create a short video where they review the book, sharing what they liked or disliked, and giving it a rating.

Make a Poster:
Design a poster that represents the themes, setting, or characters of the book. This could include key quotes or images from the story.

Write a Sequel:
Encourage students to write the first chapter of a sequel or an alternate ending to the story, imagining what could happen next.

Draw a Story Timeline:
Kids can create a timeline that shows the major events or plot points in the story, helping to visualize the sequence and connections between events.

Create a “Book in a Box”:

Students can fill a box with objects that represent important elements of the book, such as symbols, characters, or key events. They can then explain each item and its significance to the story.

Make a Newspaper Article:

Students can write a newspaper article that covers a major event in the book as if it were real news, including a headline, a lead paragraph, quotes from characters, and other relevant details.

Design a Book Cover:
Students can design a new book cover that they think best represents the story. They can include symbols, images, and quotes that capture the essence of the book.

Create a Character Scrapbook:
Kids can create a scrapbook for one of the main characters, including pictures, quotes, and important details about the character’s journey, traits, and growth throughout the book.

 

The goal this week is to ENJOY the freedom of learning 🙂

 

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*Week 6:  Explore It More!  Hands-On History !

*Hands-On Learning !  Try It !  (All free online ideas)

       

What’s This Week All About?!?  Hands-On Learning !
For all your tactile learners, craft loving kiddos, inventors and engineers in training…. this is THEIR week!  Working with our hands has a way of cementing in our minds all the details that may not have come together concretely yet.  Pick one, two, or 10 of the ideas on the following pages and have a fun filled week getting messy!  
This is a fun video of some 6th graders and their Ancient Mesopotamia Projects

*More Ideas For This Week-

+Ancient Civilizations FEAST!
My kids loved anything food related.  We often invited friends or family over for a themed feast when finishing a study on a certain period in history.  We learned so much by tasting our way through history.
If you’re doing a separate Bible study with your family, this cookbook, Food At The Time Of The Bible:  From Adam’s Apple To The Last Supper,  and Journey Through the Bible , would be perfect to use this week!
In addition to the suggestions below, you may like to check out my Ancient Civilizations/OT Pinterest Board, for some super fun (and free) hands-on activities for this history section !

+Visit a Local Museum and Have an Ancients Picnic

Most art museums feature at least a small exhibit of Ancient art and artifacts.  A quick search in your area would make for a fun Hands-On day of learning!  This would be a great way to kick off the week and maybe get some inspiration for art works of your own! 
Be sure to pack some ancient snacks to enjoy after your visit!

+Write Like a Sumerian!
   Cuneiform Activity  (and LOTS of other hands on activities)

+Play Like a Sumerian!
    Make & Play the Royal Game of Ur

+Craft Like a Babylonian!
    Try one of the activities Ancient Babylonian Art Lesson for Kids

+Garden Like a King!
    Make a Hanging Garden from Babylon fun idea from Joyfully Weary

+Invent Like an Ancient!
    -Try creating your own version of a working wheel… Here’s one Wheel Idea !
    -Make this Ancient Mesopotamia Irrigation Engineering Marvel!

+Ancient Architecture!
   –Create a Diorama of a city in Ancient Mesopotamia.
   –Build a ziggurat   (You could use sugar cubes, Legos, or this Pyramid Kit from Amazon)

+One Big Family Tree!
    Make a Family Tree from Noah to Joseph!

+Play with CLAY! 
   –Make a Salt Dough Map of Ancient Mesopotamia
   -Make your own creation, or try these clay pinch pots!
 
+Epic Drama!
   -Choose a person or an event from our study. 
     Write an epic poem or a short play complete with characters, simple costumes, and props.  
     (Templates in Printable POWER Pack)

+Cooking-
 
  -Write your favorite recipe from Ancient Mesopotamia! 
    Printable Recipe Card in Printable POWER Pack to copy your favorite recipes to try!

 *Lots of Recipe Ideas- 
  – Ancient Mesopotamian Recipes
 – Bible Foods Picnic

 
  *Breads-  

  – Ashishim- Levant Red Lentil Pancakes
 – Mesopotamian Bread
  – Try making some Assyrian Hummus to go with the bread!
     For a quick version you can put together in no time, I make hummus with canned chickpeas
     and have even used peanut butter in place of tahini (gasp!) and it’s pretty delicious actually!
  – Barley Cakes
  – Akkadian King’s Bread

 *Salads-
   – Promised Land Salad

 *Soups & Stews & Main Grain Dishes-
  –Jacob’s Stew Historic Recipe from Tori Avey
  –Mudammas Recipe
  – Mujaderra Recipe
   –Mesopotamian Barley and Leek Soup

  *Sweets-
  – Mersu   (Yum!)
  – Promised Land Salad
  – Sumerian Palace of Ur Cakes
  – Akkadian Barley Porridge

-More Ideas
You can also find many free hands-on projects & related resources on my Ancient Civilizations Pinterest Boards.

 

 

---

*WEEK 7:  Ancient History Museum  OR  Notebook it !  Week

+What Is History Museum Week?

There is a brief explanation on pg. 5, and below you will find some details.
This is the week to tidy up your History Timeline Binders or Notebooks, finish working on any projects you have started, brainstorm for ideas, make a plan, invite some friends, and get ready to
 SHOW WHAT YOU KNOW!!

Hosting a History Museum Night is a great activity that can include the entire school, perspective families, family, friends, and church, so send out the invitations and you may be surprised at how many people come out!
Think of it as an old fashioned Science Fair, except History themed! Students will be able to show everyone what they’ve been learning about the very first civilizations. The display of your child(ren)’s crafts and History Timeline Binders alone could act as the museum highlighting what they’ve been learning. It would be great to have the Binders on display so that guests will be able to see inside!
A large table or tables can be set up with other completed projects as well. If you want, it is a fun addition to serve refreshments also reflecting this time period. There are some recipes included in
Week 6, pg. 143.

+Ideas for week BEFORE the event:
 
 -INTRODUCE the idea (if you haven’t already) to your students.
Explain that this will be an exciting way to show their family, friends, and neighbors all that they have been learning about the life of Ancient Mesopotamians and the very first humans.

-BRAINSTORM and write down ideas for crafts, recipes, demonstrations, recitations,  you think that you’d like to share.  If your children wrote the play in Week 6, this would be fun to present as well! 

-PLAN together what they will need for the Museum Night.

-INVITE your friends and family!

 

+What Is Notebook It Week?

If you haven’t been working on creating a History Timeline Binder or Notebook, this week, we’re hitting pause on new lessons to focus on creating your own History Timeline Binder!

Think of it as your personal scrapbook of the Ancient World. You’ll add your main timeline, plus the people, places, and events that have stood out during our study. Fill it with coloring pages, photos from field trips, snapshots of your hands-on projects, your own sketches, and even connections you’ve made to other parts of history.

By the end of the week, you’ll have a one-of-a-kind record of everything you’ve learned—a keepsake you can keep adding to for years to come!
***SEE #2 in the Questions and Answers Section at the top of this page for more details and a video of how we made ours!

*Day 1-
+Make a history page for each of the 10 sections if you haven’t already.

Check to be sure you have these in order and that the dates on the timeline at the bottom are correct.  This can be print outs, coloring sheets, or hand written pages.  BE CREATIVE!

(Again, be sure to add the timeline date line at the bottom of each page)

1- CREATION

2- ADAM & EVE SIN  (4100 BC)

+Place- Mesopotamia

3- THE FIRST FAMILY

    CAIN & ABEL’S OFFERINGS   (4000 BC)

+Place-  Nod  (Genesis 4:16-17)

+People-  Seth

4-  WICKEDNESS EVERYWHERE   (2400  BC)

+People-  Methuselah  (Noah’s Grandfather-  Genesis 5:21-27)

+People-  Noah

+People-  Shem

5-  THE FLOOD   (2350 BC)

+Place-  Armenia

+Place-  Ararat  (area in Armenia- Genesis 8:4)

+Place-  Babylon   (2235 BC)

+Person-Hammurabi
        (You can include him here since he goes with Ancient Babylon or chronologically in 1810 BC)

+Place-  Nod

+Place-  Babel/Babylon   (Tower of Babel- 2242 BC-  Genesis 10-11)

+Person-  Nimrod

 

6-  TIME OF ABRAHAM  & THE CHALDEANS   (2170 BC)

+People-  The Chaldeans

+Place-  Sumeria

+Place- Uruk  (most ancient city in Sumeria)

+People-  Gilgamesh

+Place-  Ur  (also located in Sumeria; referred to as “Ur of the Chaldeans”)

+Place-  Bethel  (Genesis 12:8)

       +Place-  Haran
          (Abraham settled here, but also Haran was the name of Lot’s father… Genesis 11;31)

        +Place-  Canaan  (Genesis 12:4-7)

7- TIME OF ISAAC AND THE CANAANITES   (2026 BC)

8- TIME OF JACOB & THE ISRAELITES (2000 BC)

+Place-  Bethel   (Genesis 28:10-22)

9-  JACOB RETURNS  (1920  BC)

10- TIME OF JOSEPH  (1915  BC)

 

 

 

* Day 2-

+Add information for each of the 10 pages you made on Day 1.
You may write things you can remember…quotes…draw pictures, etc.
Add in any of the activities you tried on the proper page :
Cuneiform (pictures), Recipes, photos, etc.
You also could use/expand on your outlines from the reading
(cut & paste pictures, bubble notes, or bullet points…)

 

*Day 3-
+ Review the 10 index cards.  Candy Quiz on these today !

+Write a short paper from your reading outlines.
This will be the final assignment for this study.
Include it behind the cover page in your binder.

 

*Be sure to check out the Book List ,  FREE Printable History Cards,
and 21 Fascinating Facts- History Starters for this study !

          

 

You can find even more History FUN for the Ancient Civilizations Curriculum, and all the others in this series, in the post-

**TOP 10 Teaching History Helps Series**

+Top 10 History PODCASTS
+Top 10 History SONGS
+Top 10 History TIMELINES
+Top 10 History AUDIOBOOKS
+Top 10 History MOVIES
+Top 10 History BOOKS
+Top 10 History GAMES
+Top 10 History HANDS-ON
+Top 10 History PRINTABLES
+Top 10 History FIELD TRIPS

And a bonus…
+Top 10 History for the HOLIDAYS

 

 

*COMING UP NEXT:
Free World History Curriculum Part 2: Ancient Egypt*

    

Just to make finding everything easy from any of these pages, I am including below, each section in this series that I’ve posted (always adding more!), and the supplemental book lists for the previous & subsequent sections as well.  These books are NOT required for the studies… they’re just my favorite resources (most I’ve personally used).  You will find the few required books for the curriculum included on each unit’s curriculum page.

*Section 2: Ancient Egypt  (includes Ancient China)
+FREE History of Ancient Egypt/China Curriculum Lesson Plans
+Ancient Egypt/China Printable POWER Pack     **NEW**
+Ancient Egypt/China Curriculum Printable PDF Version
+Ancient Egypt Printable History Cards
+FREE 21 Fascinating Facts About Ancient Egypt
+21 Fascinating Facts About Ancient Egypt Printable PDF Version
+Ancient Egypt/China Great Books List !
+Ancient Egypt History Bundle

*Section 3:  Ancient Greece
+FREE History of Ancient Greece Curriculum Lesson Plans
+ Ancient Greece History Curriculum- Printable PDF
*Ancient Greece Printable POWER Pack Companion       **NEW**
+ Printable Ancient Greece History Cards
+ Ancient Greece Books and Resources List
+FREE 21 Fascinating Facts About Ancient Greece- History Starters
+21 Fascinating Facts About Ancient Greece-  PDF Version
*Ancient Greece History BUNDLE

*Section 4:  Ancient Rome
+FREE History of Ancient Rome Curriculum Lesson Plans
+ Ancient Rome History Curriculum- Printable PDF
+ Ancient Rome Books and Resources List
+Printable Ancient Rome History Cards
+FREE 21 Fascinating Facts About Ancient Rome-  History Starters
+21 Fascinating Facts About Ancient Rome-  PDF Version
*Ancient Rome History BUNDLE

*Section 5: Middle Ages & the Renaissance
+ FREE History of the Middle Ages Lessons Plans
+ Middle Ages History Curriculum-  Printable PDF
+ Books and Resources List
+ Printable Middle Ages History Cards
+ FREE 21 30 Fascinating Facts About the Middle Ages
+ 21 30 Fascinating Facts About the Middle Ages- Printable PDF Version
+Middle Ages History BUNDLE

 

    

 

For even MORE history ideas, be sure to follow my  Ancient History Pinterest Boards!
* Ancient Civilizations Board
* Ancient Egypt Board
* Ancient Greece Board
* Ancient Rome Board
*Middle Ages & the Renaissance Board

 

*If you are continuing on to American History after the Ancients, I’ve got that covered too!
Free Early American History Curriculum &  Free Modern American History

*NEW!
American History Bundle!

–>  Below are affiliate links.  There will NOT be any additional charge to you if you click to Amazon through these links, but I will make a small commission if you do !  So thanks ahead for supporting my work !  🙂

*BOOKS/RESOURCES  LIST
FOR ANCIENT CIVILIZATIONS / OT HISTORY UNIT-

*4 Core Books-

*Other Recommended Ancient World History Resources (Just for Fun!)

**REMEMBER:
Be sure to follow my Ancient History Pinterest Boards too !  
I will be adding to them frequently.
* Ancient Civilizations Board
* Ancient Egypt Board
* Ancient Greece Board
* Ancient Rome Board
* Middle Ages Board
Lots of free ideas and activities to add to these units.