In various parts of the world, different civilizations arose. Many of these major civilizations were located in fertile areas near large rivers. Most of these civilizations were organised under a central and organised leadership. These civilizations often believed and accepted cruel dictators as messengers from their Gods and followed their orders without question. Evidence of these civilizations may be found in Africa, Asia and the Americas.
The curriculum requires that you look at the key characteristics of these societies e.g. religion or the types of buildings or art they made. It also requires that you know why these civilizations occurred where and when they did. We will examine each civilization individually and try to answer these questions.
We have split this topic into two sections, the early civilizations in Africa and the early civilizations that existed around the rest of the world.
The civilizations that we will be learning about are:
- Ancient Egypt (Africa)
- Nubia (Africa)
- Swahili (Africa)
- Mesopotamia (Middle East)
- China (Asia)
- Indus River Valley (Asia)
- The Mesoamerican empires (South and Central America)
Note: Some grade 5 sections are under construction and still link to old content. Also note, there may be minor changes to the curriculum from year to year, teachers always check with your Curriculum Advisor and students, check with your teacher.