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A Home for Historical Thinking
My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings;
Look on my Works, ye Mighty, and despair!"
Nothing beside remains. Round the decay
Of that colossal Wreck, boundless and bare
The lone and level sands stretch far away.
- Percy Byssche Shelley, "Ozymandias"
Comparative Civilizations 12
How did ancient societies rise, thrive, and fall?
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Comparative Civilizations 12 examines different ancient societies through a cultural, political, and historical lens. This course gives you the opportunity to learn about a wide variety of cultures, and the ways that they interacted. Think like an historian, use your empathy and imagination skills to understand human life thousands of years ago.
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Republics, Empires, Tyrants
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How did states govern people and resources? What contributions did government make to a civilization's successes and failures? What preconditions existed that led to the formation of government. Why was this governance system effective or ineffective?
Course Themes
Gods of Many Faces
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How did religious belief systems form? How does religion shift and change over time? What rituals or ceremonies were most valued in society? Did men and women hold equal status under their religion?
Plebeians and Citizens
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What was life like for ordinary people? What social divisions existed within society? How did people make a living? How do the actions of the lower classes allow for societies to thrive and fall? What role did men, women, and children play in society?
Art, Architecture, Artefacts
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What remnants do societies leave behind after they fade? How were artefacts created? What do these remnants tell us about past societies? What can we learn about their creation? What inventions shaped society?
Art, Architecture, Artefacts
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What remnants do societies leave behind after they fade? How were artefacts created? What do these remnants tell us about past societies? What can we learn about their creation? What inventions shaped society?
Crossroads
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How did societies interact with one another? What did people trade? Did people have transportation methods for goods, people, and ideas? How widespread was a culture's influence? What role does geography play on cross-cultural interaction?
Methods
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How do we examine the past? What techniques can we use to determine importance? How do historians and archaeologists look to the past to gain understanding. How do different disciplines affect the study of the past?
Syllbus
Calendar
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