Wonders of the Ancient World

This course is designed to provide students with a holistic view of ancient history, using the seven sites as a foundation to learn about not only specific civilizations, but also larger-scale cultural, historical and political processes. Most of the 1.5hr lessons will be anchored with a specific ancient wonder, with lessons at the beginning and end of the course designed to teach students how to study and analyze history. Lesson time will be spent on a variety of activities, including actively listening to lectures, reading non-fiction works, analyzing primary documents, engaging in socratic discussion and completing academic writing.
Each class will follow roughly the same structure each day. Lessons will begin with a short ten minute review of the previous day’s material. Students will then complete a very brief (five minute) quiz to ensure the retention of wonder-specific knowledge and vocabulary. This will be followed by a roughly thirty minute lecture providing background on the day’s new topic. Next, the class will spend approximately thirty minutes reading a nonfiction article aloud or working with a primary document. While reading, the teacher will lead the class in the defining of vocabulary, discussion of concepts and analysis of historical implications. The final fifteen minutes of class will be devoted to writing, with students being presented with a homework prompt, discussing a possible outline and learning academic writing skills.
With homework assigned after every class, students will receive extensive written feedback on their writing and have the chance to complete a culminating essay. Students will then be able to collate their work, providing evidence of intellectual growth.