Unit 1: Redefining World Society and Culture
Lesson D: Life and Times in the Pre-Modern World
Opening: PERSIA
Many things shape who we are and how we live. Our government, our jobs, our religion, our social status, our inventions, and our arts say a lot about who we are as a people. It also helps us understand how we live our daily lives and what we value. As we look at our own lives and as we look at past civilizations, we can use the acronym PERSIA to help us organize information about civilizations.
Directions: In order to understand how to examine a civilization using the acronym PERSIA, look at the chart below and think about the questions for each letter in this chart. How did the way that people in the past lived their daily lives lay the foundation for our world today?
| Political |
What type of government system did a civilization have? Who could participate in government decisions? What individual rights did people have? |
|---|---|
| Economic |
How did people make their daily living? What types of industries and trade did civilizations participate in? |
| Religion |
What were the basic beliefs and practices of people in past civilizations? How did religion impact people's daily lives? What role did religion play in the government? |
| Social |
How were different social groups treated in a civilization (women, slaves, etc.)? How difficult was it for people to move from one social group to another? How did people interact with each other? What types of social activities were common? |
| Intellectual |
What types of inventions and intellectual discoveries did civilizations invent or use? What type of medical care did civilizations have? |
| Artistic |
What types of art and architecture did civilizations develop? What types of literature and music did civilizations have? |
Classroom Activity - The United States as a Civilization
Directions: In order to practice organizing information from a civilization, work with a partner to complete the Student Resource: Civilization Organization Chart. Use the United States as the civilization for this session. Be prepared to share your completed chart with your class.
Download the Student Resource: Civilization Organization Chart (doc).
