Green Legacies: Ecology in Ancient Civilizations

COURSE DESCRIPTION:
Students will learn about the relationship ancient civilizations like Egypt, China,
Mesopotamia, India, Greece, Rome, the Celts, and the PreColombian
Americans had with their environment. Students will explore how
these cultures interacted with nature and its resources, as land, forests, water
and minerals. In addition, they will be able to identify the main characteristics that
allow civilizations to create a sustainable relationship with their surroundings and
habitat, if this is the case. This historic overview will allow students to liken and
contrast our present day societies with the Ancient World.

This is a theoretical-practical course and explores/responds to the following inquiry according to the professional/disciplinary profile:
How to apply sustainable solutionsto improve human relationship with the environment, based on the studies of ancient civilizations and their resource management skills?
To respond the query, we will study the following generative topics:
o Ancient History studies.
o Research about the use of land, water, and forest.
o Climate, geography, and demographic development.
o Agriculture.
o Urbanism.
o Ancient Technology.
o Culture and society of the Ancient World.
Along the course, the following skills will be fostered:
o The ability to learn how the ancient cultures relate with land, water, and their
natural surroundings.
o The ability to identify the main characteristics that allow them to create a
sustainable relationship with their environment.
o The ability to recognize the trends that affected the equilibrium this civilization had
with Earth.
o The ability to compare our present-day societies with the Ancient World.
The following values and attitudes will be promoted among students
o Teamwork and leadership.
o Systemic thinking.
o Logical and communicative intelligence.
o Problem solving.
o Learning how to learn.
o Empathic and reliable negotiation.

COURSE CONTENTS
Unit I. Introduction and general topics
o Sustainability
o Resource Management
o Environment
o Natural Resources
o Land Use
o Social Metabolism
o The Ancient World
Unit 2. Prehistory
o Stone Age
o Hunters and Gatherers
o The beginning of agriculture and civilization
Unit 3. First Civilizations
Mesopotamia
o Geography and Climate
o Land between rivers (The Tigris and Euphrates)
o Agriculture and writing: the beginning of History
o Irrigation and the Firs Cities
o Religion and Nature
Egypt
o Geography
o Land (Black and Red)
o The Nile River
o The Desert
o Religion and Sustainability
Unit 4. Ancient Asia
China
o Geography
o Climate
o The Silk Road: trade and communication
o Innovations and Technology
o Rice
o The degradation and relocation of Centers
India
o Geography
o The Indus Valley
o Religion and Nature
o Hinduism and Buddhism
Unit 5. The Mediterranean
The Mediterranean Ecosystem
o Geography
o Climate
o Civilizations and Ecological Impact
o Phoenicians and Mycenaeans (Sea and Trade)
The Greeks
o Geography
o The City States
o Religion, thought and nature
o Ecological Impact
Rome
o The Empire
o Geography
o Climate
o Natural Defenses
o Infrastructure and buildings.
o Land Use and Ecological Impact
o Ecology and the Fall of Rome
Unit 6. The Celts
o Geography
o Climate
o Culture
o Religion and Nature: The sacred tree
Unit 7. Pre-Columbian America
o Geography and Climate
o Agriculture and land use
o Mining and precious stones
o Aztecs, Mayas, Olmec, Incas, Guaranies, Boricuas, Native North Americans
Unit 8. The Ancient Roots of Ecological Crisis
o Cause and Effects

METHODOLOGY
The methodology utilized in this course is conceived as an analysis and synthesis process
that will use each activity to obtain an understanding of the historic importance of ancient
civilizations and their administration and management of the natural resources.
The argumentative essay, the reading comprehension of articles, and research project will
serve to corroborate learning. Sharing with other students and providing bases for the
importance of history in the evolutionary process of natural resource management will
serve to develop the competency-based education skills of learning to learning,
investigation, comparison, communication, and teamwork.
Teamwork is promoted through class discussion, presenting techniques, and the resolution
of a problem, where learning is developed via teacher guidance. Individual work like essays
allow to practice skills of analysis, reflection and synthesis. The role of the teacher will be
as a moderator and facilitator of the learning and teaching process, allowing the build-up
and autoregulation of the learning from the students.

LEARNING ASSESSMENT :  ASSIGMENTS PERCENTAGE VALUE

Research Project: (15% written report, 5% oral presentation)

o Pre-Columbian Civilizations: Sustainability and Ecological Impact (Mayas, Olmec, Guaranies, Boricuas, Native North Americans) 20%

Argumentative essays: 20% (10 % each)

o From Hunter Gatherers to the First Cities: The Environmental Impact in Mesopotamia

o The Importance of Religion and Thought with Sustainable Practices in the Ancient World

Oral Reading Comprehension Report (2 per student) 20%

Field Trip Report 10%

Problem Resolution Group Project: Ancient sustainable Practices and Technology applied in the modern world 30%

Total 100%