Over the last seven thousand years or so, humans built cities, states, and empires, long-distance trade routes, and widespread religions. But was this progress?

People built bigger, more complex communities and networks during this era. But with new developments came new challenges. Then new solutions. Then new problems.

Era 3 saw massive changes in the ways we organized ourselves into communities, with the development of villages, cities, states, empires, and portable religions.

Orient yourself in time and space as you begin Era 3, by using maps to make predictions about the communities and trade routes you will study in this era.

A full-color political map of the world in 300 BCE, highlighting the major states, communities, and cities you’ll learn about in WHP.

A black and white version of the world in 300 BCE, that can be cropped to specific regions and easily printed.

A full-color thematic map of the Ancient Empires and Agriculture in 300 BCE, meant to help you support, extend, and challenge the frame narratives.

Here’s the new Era Problem! Respond to this based on what you currently know… don’t worry if it’s not much—you’re going to learn a lot more!

An individualized tracker for new words encountered in Era 3. Add to it as the era progresses.

In Era 3, continue the routine of building a class word wall, an important visual cue and literacy support.

This vocab guide provides a summary of the key vocabulary for the unit.

Vocab cards for each of the key words in this era.

In this activity, students examine some common graph shapes and learn how these shapes can help them make predictions about the future.

Most humans live in cities today. Yet for most of our history, this was not the case. The shift to cities is a long story, but it’s one that accelerated quite recently.

Remember drawing the frames in Era 1? Time to do it again! How has your understanding of the frames changed?

Is all evidence the same? Are some types of evidence better than others? This activity will help students evaluate and learn how to use this claim tester.

John Green questions what “civilization” means and if it’s a good thing.

For most of human history, we lived in small villages and towns—not large states. Before long-distance trade, these villages and towns formed networks with each other.

Farming was a major development, but not all humans began farming at the same time. In this article, we look at the lives of the pastoralists, nomads, and foragers.

In this activity, students will map the regional exchange networks of Afro-Eurasia and Mesoamerica in order to create a visual representation of how they connected regions.

For thousands of years, complex societies interacted in at least two regional trade networks. Then 500 years ago, they connected as one global network that still exists today.

The Silk Road—which was not really one road—connected towns, cities, states, and empires across Eurasia through vibrant trade networks, moving goods, ideas, and diseases.

We talk a lot about testing claims in this course. Thing is, you need to be able to make claims too!

The Phoenicians were master seafarers and traders who created a robust network across—and beyond—the Mediterranean Sea, spreading technologies and ideas as they traveled.

Between 1500 BCE and 500 BCE, a new technology swept through Afro-Eurasia. It would reshape warfare, trade, the environment, and human social relationships.

The Hittite Empire of Anatolia was pretty high tech for 1600-1180 BCE. Advanced technologies helped it create a formidable economy and military.

What's the gist? What info is here and why does it matter? Use Three Close Reads to dive into the article!

Were communities, networks, or production and distribution most impacted by the Phoenicians, Hittites, and the introduction of iron? Time to vote!

The shift to farming led to the development of cities and states in some regions. These societies developed similar structures and strategies, but there were variations.

Cities forever changed the way humans lived. They connected the people living in them to one another, to surrounding farmland, and to people in other cities.

Examine the possible causes and consequences of population growth from 10,000 BCE to 500 CE, as humans transitioned to agriculture and began forming agrarian societies.

What are states, and why did they emerge at different points in human history? Two historians help us answer these questions for two different regions of the world.

How and why did humans switch from foraging to farming? This activity analyzes the factors that allowed the rise of agrarian societies.

The Shang Dynasty is the first dynasty for which we have archaeological records. Its characteristics make it unique and the basis for Chinese society for thousands of years.

The Nile River Valley is home to one of the most ancient societies, as well as the earliest large, multi-city state in the world!

Two ancient communities in the Americas left enough clues behind to piece together the story of the earliest agrarian societies in this region.

The Horn of Africa is a region of varied environments at the center of Afro-Eurasia. The state of Aksum developed to take advantage of trade, agriculture, and pastoralism.

Nok society existed in West Africa as long as 2,000 years ago. The Nok used terracotta, and later iron, to help build a large population, but not a centralized state.

Ancient artifacts and remains from the Indus River Valley tell a story of big cities and a sophisticated society.

How has your understanding changed since the beginning of the era? Time to revisit the EP Notebook!

During the Classic Period of Mesoamerica, huge cities arose in the Yucatan and the Mexican Highlands. These cities challenge assumptions about ancient urbanization.

What's the gist? What info is here and why does it matter? Use Three Close Reads to dive into the article!

What are states? Why did they emerge at different points in human history? Two historians help us answer these questions for two different regions of the world.

What is a state? Why did people create them? Historians continue to debate these questions today.

Jenne-Jeno is an interesting case study that challenges the narrative learned in this lesson about state formation.

The objects buried alongside a wealthy man in Rao, West Africa, more than seven hundred years ago, can help us understand some of the effects hierarchies had on communities.

The Ancestral Pueblo built large, complex agricultural societies across the Colorado Plateau. Their farming communities relied on repeated migrations.

Belief and religion are certainly related, but they’re not the same thing. In this activity, you’ll map out their connections and differences.

Humanity’s ways of understanding the world have changed over time, but our diverse belief systems share many characteristics.

Silent conversation? Huh? It’s amazing how much can be said without spoken words!

The Confucian ethic promoted a sense of balance and hierarchy. Its ideas were useful to individuals. But the Chinese state also adapted them for use in laws and practices.

Daoism is a Chinese belief system that emphasizes harmony with the natural order as a way of living and understanding the world.

Buddhism emerged in northern India as a challenge to Vedic beliefs, and it became very popular in China around the seventh century CE.

Legalism was a philosophy that sought to establish order by imposing strict laws and strict punishments. It co-existed with Confucianism, Daoism, and Buddhism in China.

Buddhism came to China from India. When it arrived, it changed Chinese society. But China also changed Buddhism.

Christianity has a history of its own, and in its early period it evolved from a small sect to an empire-spanning system of belief!

Islam transformed a fragmented society into a community of believers capable of spreading across the Mediterranean and Central Asia, and then beyond.

Belief systems can tell us a lot about how people thought and how they lived. In this activity, you’ll explore the history and teachings of four different belief systems.

Judaism was the first monotheistic faith. Its ideas influenced many later belief systems. Though never a large community, Judaism spread over a large geographic area.

Christianity emerged among a Jewish population living under Roman rule. Its universalist message appealed to many communities. Today there are 2 billion Christians worldwide.

Hinduism developed through the intellectual work of Brahmins and the practices of practitioners. About a billion people follow this faith today, mostly in South Asia.

Muhammad founded Islam in the seventh century. The Islamic community expanded rapidly, adapting to local culture as it spread. Today there are 1.8 billion Muslims globally.

Belief systems change over time. They also change when people come into contact with each other and share ideas. This process is called syncretism.

Learn how to use the Quick-Sourcing Tool to source documents and help you prepare to respond successfully to document-based questions (DBQs).

How did belief systems impact communities and networks in the ancient world? These primary sources help you answer this question.

Revisit the Question Parsing Tool and improve your ability to figure out what you are being asked in writing prompts.

How has your understanding changed since the beginning of the era? Time to revisit the EP Notebook!

There are many definitions of empire, but some familiar elements are shared by most of them. There’s a reason for that: It starts with working on our “control issues”.

Gods, family, and taxes: An emperor’s guide to controlling subjects and legitimizing authority.

Race to match the vocabulary word with the definition in this fun relay game.

This vocab guide provides a summary of the key vocabulary for the unit.

Vocab cards for each of the key words in this era.

The Akkadian and Assyrian empires were two of the world’s first empires. Their conquests reshaped Mesopotamia. Later empires had much in common with these originals.

John Green explores the two competing worlds of the ancient Persians and Greeks. A lot of what we think about these two empires is probably wrong—maybe even backwards.

Why did some empires last centuries and others crumble quickly? In this activity, you’ll create a Frankenstein-style empire to test the strengths and weaknesses of empires.

What's the gist? What info is here and why does it matter? Use Three Close Reads to dive into the article!

The Persian Empire covered over 2 million square miles and held nearly half the world’s population. Despite what Alexander tells you, this was the world’s first great empire.

Alexander the Great built a vast empire that broke apart after his death. His conquests shaped culture, trade, and politics across Asia and the Mediterranean for centuries.

A general of Alexander the Great’s built an empire in which diverse cultures were carefully managed under Greek rule. That empire dominated the Mediterranean for 200 years.

The Mauryan and Gupta empires of India united large areas of the subcontinent. Ashoka’s reign spread Buddhism, and under the Guptas, India’s arts and sciences flourished.

The Zhou ruled a fragmented patchwork of kingdoms, but they set the stage for the unifying power of the Qin emperors.

How did rulers maintain control of their states and interact with other societies? Use the Quick-Sourcing Tool to analyze the documents in this collection to find out.

Rulers of ancient states and empires used various tactics to maintain control over their territories. These primary sources help you understand and compare these tactics.

What continuities and changes can you find as people made the transition from living in smaller agrarian societies to larger empires?

We’ve covered a LOT in Era 3. How has it shaped your understanding of the frames?

Rome transformed from a city-state into one of history’s most dominant empires. John Green explains how the Roman Republic became—or already was—an empire.

By the time it got an emperor, Rome was already an empire. Its conquests connected new parts of the world, but those conquests also changed Rome.

How can you trust an author who is celebrating their own accomplishments? Explore this question as you’re introduced to the Sourcing Tool or HAPPY Template.

For hundreds of years, the Han Dynasty was the eastern pillar of the great silk route across Eurasia. This dynasty’s achievements provided a lasting legacy for China both as a society and a state.

A 12-minute introduction to 2,000 years of Chinese history! John Green explores the connections linking Chinese dynasties, Confucianism, and the Mandate of Heaven.

During the early Song Dynasty, women had property, inheritance, and other legal rights, but the rise of Neo-Confucianism brought them to an end.