For wha
t it’s worth, here is my log of what I actually did for Period 1 last year, complete with links to many of the items. (By the way, my school has a modified block schedule, so that’s why some days are combined. Also, we start in early August so I can give a few more days to Period 1.) Ever since my district dropped Geography as a required 9th grade course, I realized I can’t make any assumptions about their background knowledge of the world. I give them a list of items to study and they take a Geography assessment the first week. Whether or not you choose to teach the same geographic items I do (I have them memorize every city, river, mountain range, etc, that comes up in the course of the year), it is imperative that students know the regions as defined by the College Board in the Course Description (scroll down to pages 21-22.)
| Day # | Topics/Key Concepts |
| 1 | Intro, syllabus, website, Internet Scavenger hunt, students get welcome letter to parents signed and bring in Internet SH form. Opening PPT. Homework for tomorrow: pages 1-22 of This Fleeting World. (We begin on a Friday, so they have a weekend for this). |
| 2 | Where the Hell is Matt 2008 video. Key Concept 1.1, Big Geography, “out of Africa,” Paleolithic characteristics, tools, short History Channel video on fire. PPT for Key Concept 1.1. Quiz on This Fleeting World reading. |
| 3 | Guns Germs and Steel Youtube video, (start at 9:55 go to 22:28). Key Concept 1.2 Board terms: Pastoralism, Neolithic Revolution. Characteristics of Neolithic societies. Homework for tomorrow: pages 23-31 of This Fleeting World. |
| 4 | Board terms: bronze, surplus, hierarchies, stratification, patriarchy. Environmental impact of farming and pastoralism. Youtube video (Mankind: discovery of farming from Worldipedia). Handout: Paleolithic/Neolithic Historical Themes. Quiz on This Fleeting World reading. |
| 5-6 (Block) | Rise of Civilizations: River Valleys, Mesopotamia. Birth of writing: laws and literary traditions. Epic of Gilgamesh.(Key Concept 1.3) Graphic Organizer: analyzing evidence: Harappan Civilization. Finish for Homework. |
| 7 | Geography Exam |
| 8 | (sub) Read Bulliet chap 1, pp. 15-29. Complete graphic organizer “AP Themes: Mesopotamia and Egypt.” |
| 9 | Empires, Vedic Age, Hebrew Monotheism, Zoroastrianism, Key Concept 1.3 (cont.) Sample M/C questions for practice . |
| 10-11 (Block) | Period I Test. (Grade Geo Test) |
This is so helpful for me as a new teacher for APWH. I spent about ten days on the ancient civs as well, but am about to spend a few more days on Mesoamerica, like the Olmecs, but now am questioning whether I should at all. Do you have any itineraries for the other periods?