Using a G.R.A.P.E.S. Chart to organize information about ancient Civilizations is a useful tool to enhance students' analysis of the characteristics and contributions of a society. Going further and including visuals helps students to better retain the details of each category.
When learning about ancient Civilizations, students may need teachers to provide a variety of resources. The use of diverse resources such as primary sources, videos, songs, readings from textbooks, encyclopedias and literature can be helpful for students to gain an accurate and complete picture of the time period. Students can use graphic organizers to write notes about the different categories as they learn.
Teachers may wish for students to work together on this lesson which is possible with Storyboard That's Real Time Collaboration feature! With Real Time Collaboration, students can work on the same storyboard at the same time which is perfect for this lesson! As teachers know, collaborating on assignments allows students to think on a deeper level while increasing their communication and problem-solving skills. Collaboration can also help cut down on the time it takes to complete a storyboard. While there is no set limit to the number of users who can work on a storyboard at once, we recommend five users or fewer for optimal performance. All of our assignments default to individual. To make this lesson collaborative, teachers must enable collaboration for the assignment within the "Edit Assignment" tab.
In this activity students will break down what they have learned about Ancient India in a G.R.A.P.E.S. Chart. There are many different acronyms that can be helpful when analyzing ancient civilizations and this one is widely used. However, teachers may use whatever they prefer and can simply change the titles in the template.
What were some key inventions or contributions of ancient India in the areas of:
Please note: Further activities utilize spider maps to expand on each category. By focusing on just one category, students are encouraged to include more information. Students can come together after they’ve created their storyboards to share what they’ve learned. The full G.R.A.P.E.S. Chart can be used as a pre or post assessment as well.
(These instructions are completely customizable. After clicking "Copy Activity", update the instructions on the Edit Tab of the assignment.)
Due Date:
Objective: Create a chart that describes the different aspects of ancient India: Geography, Religion, Achievements, Politics, Economy, and Social Structure.
Student Instructions:
Requirements: Minimum of 4-6 cells showcasing different aspects of ancient India. Appropriate scenes to illustrate each category. 1-3 sentence description for each cell demonstrating your understanding.
Begin by explaining the concept of social structure to students. Teachers can give some textbook definitions and ask the students what they think a social structure is, what is the social structure of their country or society, and if they have any examples in mind. Further, explain the concept to students based on their responses and examples.
Discuss with students the fundamental aspects which make up a social structure. For instance, for the ancient Indian civilization, a major factor that contributed to this social structure was the caste system. Ask the students what other similar aspects they think are significant.
Help the students analyze the impacts of the social structure of a society on its individuals. For instance, in ancient India, based on the castes some people were marginalized, and others were treated as royal. Discuss how this unfair treatment could impact society, give rise to conflicts, and challenge the social structure.
Teachers can ask the students to contrast the social structure of ancient India with that of other civilizations from the past or with contemporary societies. This may offer a more comprehensive viewpoint on social structure. This comparison can be performed with the help of Venn diagrams or other graphic organizers.
Encourage debates and activities that promote critical thinking about ancient Indian society. Encourage your students to challenge presumptions and pose questions about different aspects of social structure. Teachers can also introduce some other connecting events and concepts that can help the students develop an enhanced understanding.
Ask the students to conduct research on the ancient Indian political system using authoritative web sources, scholarly papers, and historical texts. Encourage them to look for details regarding the governing structures, dynasties, and political milestones. For the Economy section, students can describe the economic structure, significant industries, trading routes, currency, and any other significant economic activities that were common in ancient India.
To start, students should learn as much as they can about the geography, religion, accomplishments, politics, economy, and social structure of ancient India. Encourage the students to utilize trustworthy resources such as historical texts, publications, and credible websites. Teachers can also show some videos of ancient Indian civilization sites in the modern world such as Moenjodaro or Harrapa to give them an idea about the society.