Teaching the Local

Center for Working-Class Studies

Youngstown State University

Summer 2003

Nile River

River Civilizations

Mary Lou Thacker

Canfield Village Middle School

Abstract

In this unit students will learn that groups of people create civilizations in various regions based on geographic and climate factors, the availability of resources, and the ability to cooperate. They will compare and contrast the reasons ancient peoples settled by rivers to the reasons people first settled in the Mahoning Valley.

Setting:

This unit was designed for a sixth grade social studies class in Canfield, Ohio, a suburb of Youngstown, Ohio. The students are heterogeneously grouped and most of them know very little about local history. At this grade level students study ancient civilizations, many of which are river civilizations. Class periods are about forty minutes long, and this unit will take about two weeks to complete.

Indus River

Key Learning Activities:

• Students will complete a world map with four ancient river civilizations (Nile, Tigris & Euphrates, Indus & Yellow Rivers) labeling bodies of water, mountains, valleys, cities, etc. and use the map to explain what caused people to settle in these regions.
• Students will role play a tribe of people in one of these regions discussing the advantages and disadvantages of settling there.
• Students will label geographic and resource factors on a map of the Mahoning Valley and its surrounding areas and discuss why people would have settled here.
• Students will write a journal entry of an early resident of the Mahoning Valley, explaining his or her reasons for settling here, complete with a date, descriptions or pictures of geographic elements, resources, etc.
• In an essay students will compare and contrast the reasons early residents of the Mahoning Valley settled here with reasons for ancient peoples settling near rivers.

Process:

1. Introduce four ancient river civilizations (Nile, Tigris & Euphrates, Indus, and Yellow Rivers) and key vocabulary.
2. Jigsaw (groups of four)--Using the text and other sources, students will read about one of the early settlements and how people worked together to create a civilization. Using what they learned and maps of the region, they will then teach the rest of their group members about the civilization they researched.
3. Assign each group of four students one of the civilizations discussed to role play, discussing reasons for settling in their areas. Students plan and perform in class.
4. Students individually complete world maps labeling geographic factors and resources that caused people to settle in each of these areas. Students must also write a paragraph discussing these factors and reasons for settlement.
5. Introduce students to map of Mahoning Valley and discuss what students notice about geographic factors and what students already know about early settlement here.
6. Students work in groups to read three Youngstown Vindicator articles that were printed in a 1924 series called "Knowing Youngstown"--"Why Youngstown Is Here", "The Underground Wealth of Youngstown", and "Youngstown's Population Growth". After discussing these articles, groups compose a list of reasons why people settled here and label geographic and resource factors on a map of the Mahoning Valley.
7. Students listen to audio tape entitled "John Young's Town" and write down any clues to why people settled here.
8. Students will write a journal entry of an early resident of the Mahoning Valley, explaining his or her reasons for settling here, complete with date and descriptions or pictures of geographic elements, resources, etc.
9. Students will write an essay comparing and contrasting the reasons for settlement of the Mahoning Valley with reasons ancient civilizations settled near rivers.

Resources:

Text - Our World's Story (Harcourt Brace)

World Map

Map of Mahoning Valley

"Knowing Youngstown" Vindicator articles - 1924

(Arms Museum Archives)

Mahoning Memories by Frederick J. Blue &
William D. Jenkins

Audio tape - "John Young's Town"

(Steel Museum Archives)

Web Sites:

Nile River

Tigris and Euphrates Rivers

Indus River

Yellow River