Grade 4 Social Studies: Early Civilisations of the World
Free Grade 4 Social Studies unit on Early Civilisations of the World: 10 lessons in order. Includes practice questions and answer keys.
10 lessons in this unit
What is a civilisation?
Explain what historians mean by the word civilisation (a large, organised society with cities, government, writing, specialised jobs and trade), identify these features, recognise that the word is a label historians use and that all peoples have rich cultures and knowledge, and name early civilisations on several continents.
Lesson 2Ancient Egypt
Describe ancient Egypt as a civilisation in north-east Africa along the Nile, explain how the yearly flood supported farming, describe pharaohs, pyramids, hieroglyphs and papyrus, give hedged dates, and describe everyday life and beliefs respectfully as a historical subject.
Lesson 3Mesopotamia
Describe Mesopotamia as the land between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers in present-day Iraq, name Sumerian cities such as Ur and Uruk, describe cuneiform writing on clay tablets, ziggurats, irrigation and early law codes, and give hedged dates.
Lesson 4Ancient China
Describe ancient China as an early civilisation along the Yellow River and Yangtze River, explain how farming of millet and rice and the flood-prone rivers shaped life, describe dynasties, oracle-bone writing, silk, bronze and the unification under the Qin, and give hedged dates.
Lesson 5Indus Valley societies
Describe the Indus Valley civilisation in present-day Pakistan and north-west India, name Harappa and Mohenjo-daro, describe planned streets, brick houses, drains and standard weights, explain what seals and the undeciphered script tell us, and discuss why historians debate its decline.
Lesson 6Early African societies
Describe early African societies beyond Egypt, including Kush along the Nile in present-day Sudan, the Nok culture in Nigeria, the kingdom of Aksum in Ethiopia and Eritrea, and Great Zimbabwe in southern Africa, explain what each is known for, and give hedged dates.
Lesson 7Early American civilisations
Describe early American civilisations, including Caral in Peru, the Olmec, the Maya, the Aztec and the Inca, explain what each is known for (monumental buildings, calendars, mathematics, roads, record keeping), give hedged dates, and recognise that their descendants live and keep traditions today.
Lesson 8Writing and recordkeeping
Describe how early civilisations recorded information (cuneiform, hieroglyphs, oracle-bone script, Maya glyphs, khipu, alphabets), explain why records were needed (taxes, grain, laws, stories, calendars), identify materials (clay, papyrus, bone, bark paper, stone, cords), and note that oral traditions also kept knowledge.
Lesson 9Trade and technology
Explain how trade connected early civilisations (Egypt with Kush and the Red Sea region, Mesopotamia with the Indus Valley, the Maya with neighbours), describe imports and exports, describe key technologies such as irrigation, bronze, iron-working, ships, roads and calendars, and note that the Inca used pack animals rather than wheeled carts.
Lesson 10Comparing early societies
Compare early societies (Egypt, Mesopotamia, the Indus Valley, China, Kush and the Maya) using categories such as location, rivers, farming, writing, government and buildings, identify similarities and differences, explain their legacies (writing, law, planning, calendars, paper), and avoid ranking one society above another.