Ancient Quest was written to provide my students the opportunity to read about the ancient world with something other than the textbook. Typically, a textbook doesn't generate too much enthusiasm with students. In fact, I have never heard one student ever say, "Yes! We get to read the textbook today!" It's just one of those things that falls short with student engagement. So, I thought about how to fix this and came up with Ancient Quest. The ancient world is full of unique, amazing things, perfect things to use in an adventure novel. My goal with Ancient Quest was to have something for my kids to read that they both enjoyed and could learn from. This book aligns with 6th grade social studies curriculum and I will outline that below. Though Ancient Quest does not teach every 6th grade social studies standard, I did design it in a way that each chapter does cover many of the most important topics and themes of that particular civilization.
Though I never hear students beg to read the textbook, I do routinely hear, "Mr. Klumper, when do we get to read the next chapter?" That shows me they are thinking about it and they like it. I only point this out to show that students do indeed enjoy reading this book, which I think is important.
Content Standards/What your students will learn about:
Stone Age/Early Humans: neanderthal appearance, hunting method, theory on discovery of fire, stone age animal Irish Elk.
Mesopotamia: This chapter focuses on how the people of mesopotamia used irrigation to farm in the Fertile Crescent. Included are: Fertile crescent, Tigris/Euphrates, Ziggurat, irrigation, farming.
Ancient Egypt: This chapter focuses on two major topics of ancient Egypt: pyramids and mummification. Detailed process/steps of mummification and things involved such as canopic jars, amulets, Anubis, why Egyptians mummified, pyramids, how a pyramid was built, size and type of materials for pyramids, Pharah Khufu, Nile river.
Ancient China: This chapter focuses on the Silk Road which includes: various routes of the silk road, physical features the silk road passes through such as Taklamakan Desert, Gobi Desert, Qinling Mountains, Gansu corridor, Han dynasty, description of bactrian camel which was used for travel, starting point in Xi'an, length of 4,000 miles, dangerous snakes: Banded krait, what travelers would trade for and trade with, what it was like traveling the silk road, great wall of china for protection, Dun Fong which was the midway point and used to regroup and rest.
Ancient India: This chapter focuses on the ancient city of Mohenjo-Daro and how the city was set up. Problems this city faced, the changes that the city went under to make it better such as drains, seperate rooms for bathing, cooking, sleeping, garbage collection, using roof to dry crops, taking out windows in outer walls to make it cooler indoors, doors opened to alleys, not busy streets.
Ancient Greece: This chapter focuses on greek mythology and gives the reader a good overview of many greek mythology characters are like. Included are: Mr. Olympus, Zeus, Medusa, Kracken, Cerberus, Hermes, Aphrodite, Athena, Siren, Minotaur, Cyclops, Haephestus, Centaur, Chimaera.
Ancient Rome: This chapter focuses on the Colosseum and gladiators. Included: description of Colosseum such as how many people it can hold, what types of battles took place, who ordered the construction of it, layout of it such as trap doors, cages, lifts, and pulleys, what type of people sat in each levels, how big it was, the Awnings for shad, the valerium, 80 entrances/exits, material built out of, free admission, hypergeum, Vespasian, Titus and the Inaugural 100 days of games. Gladiators such as the various types like Andobatae: sight restricted gladiator. Gallus: heavily armored. Murmillones: Gladius and Shield with fish on helmet.
Medieval Times: This chapter focus on the Bubonic plague that ravaged Europe in the middle ages. Included: causes of the bubonic plague, symptoms, how its transferred from fleas, to rats, to humans. What towns looked like that had been decimated by the plague, what people tried to do to cure the plague, how people reacted in towns with the plague, what priests did, burning clothes, collecting dead bodies with carts, bloodletting, red cross on door, people doubting church, the conditions that were perfect for plague, the plague beginning in Itlay and spreading north into Europe.
If you have any questions or need further explanation, do not hesitate to email me. Thank you.
