During the pandemic, online learning soared to new heights. More students than ever before were engaging with teachers online through video conferencing, interactive educational software, and online learning materials.
The number and quality of new apps, software, and learning materials that came out of the pandemic were incredible. Also, older companies that were already offering online materials since as early as the 90s, saw themselves in the unique position of being industry leaders in an online education boom using the systems they had already had in place.
Teachers who were used to relying more heavily on textbooks with little supplemental material coming from online sources were now flocking to these sites to develop lesson plans that were interactive, exciting, and most importantly, kept their young learners engaged.
When it comes to learning about and exploring the ancient world and the many great civilizations that thrived in it, many teachers have found using interactive educational apps and software is the best way to broach the subject with their younger learners.
Let’s look at some of the most exciting ancient civilizations to teach about and some of the digital supplemental materials available to help educators keep their learners engaged.
Ancient Egypt
Ancient Egypt evokes a lot of mystery and astonishment when we look at the way people lived in ancient times and the megastructures they were able to build, many of which are still standing to this day.
When covering Ancient Egypt, there is so much material to draw from including the topics of death, mummification, and the afterlife to religion, politics, and daily life. Also, the construction and purpose of the pyramids, the lives of pharaohs, and the importance of the Nile and its influence and contribution to the development of Ancient Egypt through the river’s support of agriculture, navigation, exploration, and expansion.
The online materials needed to teach all of these topics and more can include interactive apps for download, software, PDF textbooks, 3D model reconstructions, virtual reality environments, and video tours of some of the famous museums around the world that are home to many artifacts from Ancient Egypt that are still intact to this day. Keep in mind you can always merge PDF files together for convenience for your students as well so they can view all the information they need in one file.
Ancient Greece
Ancient Greece is another favorite subject for students when introducing ancient civilizations. Not only is there a wealth of materials online covering the history of Ancient Greece and its many famous wars, battles, and political leaders, but students also have access to an abundance of Greek dramas, epics, poems, literature, philosophy, and mythology that makes learning about Ancient Greece so fun and captivating of the imagination.
From learning about the Greek Gods and Heros to reading epics like the Odyssey and studying the philosophies of Socrates and Plato, Ancient Greece is a wonderful subject to teach to young and eager minds. There are so many resources available online to introduce students to Greek Mythology, the origins of democracy, ancient architecture, and the Olympics, that teaching about Ancient Greece can be uncomplicated and incredibly enjoyable for all.
Ancient Rome
When it comes to written historical accounts of war, battles, and conquest, there is no more well-documented civilization than Ancient Rome. The wealth of materials available online is overwhelming as Ancient Rome and its influence on modern society is one of the most studied subjects across all grade levels. Much of how the world looks today was influenced by the existence of the Roman Empire.
From its beginnings as a small town on the Tiber River in the 9th and 10th Century B.C. to the forming of the Republic until its final collapse in 476 AD, the subject of Ancient Rome is another favorite subject of both teachers and students everywhere. In addition to the many primary and secondary sources available online that teach about Ancient Rome, its leaders, laws, and customs, there are Shakespearean plays set in Rome that can be introduced as well to give a second-hand account of Roman life.
The Inca Empire
From virtual tours of Machu Picchu to online interactive apps for the iPad, students will love learning about the Inca Empire and its sprawling civilization that sprawled out across the Andes Mountains and from the Pacific Ocean to deep into the Amazon Rainforest. The Incas were a magical people rich in spirituality connected with nature and the environment around them.
The Incas were also able to construct incredible structures made from perfectly shaped large stones aligned with star systems and astronomical events. The Mathematics and knowledge needed to construct these precise formations high up on the top of mountains, and the power and engineering needed to shape and move these large stones to remote locations still baffle scholars to this day.
Teaching about the Inca Empire is a great way to introduce some mystery and intrigue when learning about ancient civilizations because it shows students that we don’t always know everything and that there are still mysteries to be unraveled through the clues left behind in archeological sites like Machu Picchu and Vilcabamba.
Mesopotamia
Mesopotamia, often credited with being the cradle of civilization, written language, and currency, is another important ancient civilization to cover for students. Again, there are plenty of online resources available to teachers on everything from maps of Mesopotamia to support materials for reading the Epic of Gilgamesh.
The Epic of Gilgamesh is a wildly popular resource for teaching about Mesopotamia as it is thought to be the world’s earliest great work of literature. The epic is considered to be composed of five Sumerian Poems about Gilgamesh, or Bilgamesh in the original Sumerian, the king of Uruk, dating back to around 2100 BC. The story was discovered intact in a carving of cuneiform stone tablets found during the excavation of the library of King Ashurbanipal at Nineveh in 1839 by Austen Layard.
Another great topic to introduce to students when discussing Mesopotamia is daily life in Mesopotamia, art, craftsmanship, daily life, religion, and the construction and significance of the Ziggurats. People in Sumer, Babylonia, and Assyria built huge temples in the center of their city as a shrine to the greatest god or in locations ideal for astronomical observations. Many of the Ziggurats are now destroyed, however, the Great Ziggurat of Ur still stands to this day in the Dhi Qar Province in Iraq.
Ancient China
Any class about ancient civilizations would be incomplete without mentioning the 1800 years of Ancient and Imperial China. From the various Chinese Dynasties, wars with the Mongols, and the construction of the Great Wall to how society was structured and what life was like in Ancient China, it is important to understand how China has evolved over time.
In addition to the great number of digital resources, apps, games, videos, and puzzles available online, there are so many artifacts and works of art from Ancient China still intact and sitting in museums all over the world. Take a virtual tour of the National Museum of China, or if you are in one of the many cities with an Ancient China exhibit at your local museum, organize a field trip to allow students to see firsthand the art and craftsmanship of Ancient and Imperial China.
AP Courses and College Prep
If you are a teacher or homeschooling older students who may be preparing for college, there are a great number of resources online to check out on everything from AP classes and SAT/ACT test preparation to learning about paying for college and applying for scholarships, grants, and student aid. It is never too early to prepare for higher education.
Conclusion
If you are an online educator or if you are homeschooling your own children, it can be a challenge to find resources and teaching materials that are not only educational but that are also fun and exciting. Younger learners have short attention spans. That is why it is important to find materials that are fun and exciting, and at the same time, engaging, interactive, and educational.
