Spark: Inquiry Activity

Take a moment to reflect on your own experience as a student. As you think about your social science education, remember what you learned about civilizations, empires and colonialism. Answer the following questions:

How much do you remember learning about Western civilizations?
What do you remember learning about civilizations and empires in Africa and Asia?

Step 1: Read

Traditionally, K–12 social science education has prioritized United States history and Western perspectives over world history and global perspectives, resulting in a predominantly Eurocentric narrative that limits students' exposure to a broader range of global cultures and viewpoints. The 2024 Social Science Standards encourage exploration of civilizations and empires on almost every continent. For grades 6–12, you can find a list of examples for exploration of civilizations and empires after 600 CE in the document below.

Review the listed civilizations and empires and their key dates, and identify one or two that you’d like to know more about. Feel free to research some of these historic civilizations and empires and look for their location on a map.

PDF - Civilizations and Empires: Key Dates

Step 2: Reflect

The 2024 Social Science Standards embrace a more comprehensive approach to history, geography, economics and civics with the inclusion of traditionally underrepresented experiences and perspectives. Each context involves unique and complex dynamics and perspectives. Take a moment to reflect on the question below and capture your thoughts in your Journal Space.

How do you plan to implement some of the identified civilizations and empires into a classroom lesson?