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Empires

Driving Question: Why did some agrarian societies become empires?

The rise of empires introduced a new level of complexity into human societies. Some empires were small and short-lived, but others spanned thousands of miles and lasted hundreds of years.

Learning Objectives:

  1. Describe the expansion of early agrarian societies.
  2. Compare early states and empires.

Vocab Terms:

  • belief system
  • empire
  • hierarchy
  • military
  • society
  • tax
  • trade
STEP 1

Opener: Empires

Teaching Tools

To teach this lesson step, refer to page X of the Lesson 5.4 Teaching Guide Locked .

Join our online teacher community here External link to engage with other educators about Big History Project.

Some empires covered thousands of miles, which meant they were expensive to maintain. What happens when a ruler needs to raise money for their empire? Decide how you would finance your empire if you were in charge.

STEP 2

Formation of Empires

Teaching Tools

To teach this lesson step, refer to page X of the Lesson 5.4 Teaching Guide Locked .

Check out our Video Guide for suggestions on incorporating videos in the classroom.

You’ve learned a little about how states form, but what happens when a state gets strong enough to take over the other states around it? Now we’re talking empire.

Why Did Civilization Expand? External link

Expansion meant the addition of new territories, resources, and people, but at what cost?

Key Ideas

As this video progresses, key ideas will be introduced to invoke discussion.
STEP 3

Empires Rise and Fall

Teaching Tools

To teach this lesson step, refer to page X of the Lesson 5.4 Teaching Guide Locked .

Big fun in Big History External link —check out this discussion on our online teacher community where teachers share their take on the Autopsy of an Empire activity.

Ready to snap on some latex gloves and dig around in the remains of the great empires of the past? The next set of materials looks at how some of the most powerful political forces on Earth collapsed.

Persians and Greeks External link

Coming Soon!
The Persian Empire and Greek Peninsula were on a collision course. What role did geography play in these clashes?
STEP 4

Closer: Empires

Teaching Tools

To teach this lesson step, refer to page X of the Lesson 5.4 Teaching Guide Locked .

Our Openers and Closers Guide External link will provide more information about these short, but important, activities at the beginning and end of each lesson.

Some empires existed at the exact same time but never encountered one another—it’s a big world! And yet, some of these societies had a lot in common. Let’s think about why that might be.

Extension Materials
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Want to learn more about how ancient societies maintained power as they expanded into empires? Check out the following articles.
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A Big History of Horses

Teaching Tools

To teach this lesson step, refer to page X of the Lesson 5.4 Teaching Guide Locked .

Explore the connections between the evolution of humans, horses, complex societies, and trade.

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Maintaining an Empire

Read about the tactics rulers used to maintain control of the people as their states expanded.