Medieval Japan - Heian Period - Foundation

Life in Ancient Japan by Hazel Richardson
Japan by Barbara A. Somervill
Read-aloud: Mysterious Tales of Japan by Rafe Martin

Discussion:
Moving the capital from Nara to Heian (Kyoto)
Decline of Chinese influence; increasing imperial isolationist policies
Structure of governance - the capital vs. decentralized rule in the provinces

Activity:
History journal
Map study

Medieval Japan - Geography and History Review

Japan by Barbara A. Somervill
Life in Ancient Japan by Hazel Richardson
Read-aloud: Mysterious Tales of Japan by Rafe Martin

Discussion:
Geography of Japan - major islands, mountains, bodies of water, early sites of civilization
The Yayoi (300 BCE - 300 CE)
The Yamatai

Activity:
History journal
Map study

Imperial China - Geography

The Han Dynasty by Sheila Wyborny

Discussion:
Basic geography review - major rivers, cities, mountains, deserts, regions, bodies of water

Activity:
Map activity - correctly place elements on map with labels

Medieval India - The Gupta Empire

The Gupta Empire
Read-aloud: Tales from India by Jamila Gavin and Amanda Hall

Discussion:
Further stratification of the Hindu caste system
Advances in science and art, literature - exporting Gupta culture to Southeast Asia
The Hun Invasion, weakening of the government and its collapse

Activity:
History journal
Map study - extent of the Gupta Empire
Picture study: India by Michael Wood

Medieval India - Geography

India: Enchantment of the World by Don Nardo

Discussion:
Major rivers, mountain ranges, bordering oceans and seas
Regions
Ancient city centers

Activity:
Map study - blank map of India

The Mongols - Geography and Overview

Genghis Khan and the Mongol Empire  by Miriam Greenblatt
Barbarians!  by Steven Kroll and Robert Byrd

Discussion:
Mongol way of life
Social structure and religion
Invasion of Central Asia

Activity:
History journal
Map study

Medieval Russia and Central Asia - Early Settlements

Russia: Enchantment of the World by Stillman D. Rogers
Read-aloud: Koshka's Tales: Stories from Russia by James Mayhew

Discussion:
The Rus and the Varangians
Rurik
Kiev and minor princedoms

Activity:
History journal
Map study - Kiev, Novgorod

Medieval Russia and Central Asia - Geography

Russia: Enchantment of the World by Stillman D. Rogers
Read-aloud: Koshka's Tales: Stories from Russia by James Mayhew

Discussion:
Major rivers, mountains, regions
Climate and habitats (tundra, taiga, forest, steppes)

Activity:
Map coloring and labeling - Blank map of Asia and Europe (print it large)
Picture study - Russia and Central Asian landscape

Medieval Europe - Geography

A Brief Political and Geographic History of Europe by Frances E. Davey

Discussion:
Traditional borders of Europe
Major rivers and mountain chains
General geographic areas (Britain, Scotland, Iceland, Scandinavia, German-speaking regions, Italian-speaking regions, Hispaniola, Slovak-speaking regions)

Activity:
Map study - blank map of Europe with rivers

Medieval Europe - Vikings - Geography

The Real Vikings by Melvin and Gilda Berger
The Vikings by Virginia Schomp
D'Aulaire's Book of Norse Myths [read-aloud]

Discussion:
Base locations of Vikings
Use of waterways

Activity:
History journal
Map Study - major waterways of Europe, Viking territories and routes using this blank European map

Ancient Celts - Geography

The Ancient Celts by Patricia Calvert
Arthur of Albion: Marvelous Tales of the Round Table by John Matthews and Parvel Tatarnikov
Read-aloud: The Romance of Arthur: An Anthology of Medieval Texts in Translation by James J. Wilhelm, ed.

Discussion:
Tribes of the Celts
Distribution across Europe
Major settlements

Activity:
Regions of Europe with their Roman names; ability to map out where various tribes lived; note major rivers and mountain ranges - blank map of Europe

Earth Science - Water - Oceans - Geography

The Illustrated Atlas of the Sea by Stephen Hutchinson et al.

Discussion:
Geography of ocean regions (major seas, and rivers that feed oceans)
Sea floor (review) - major points of interest (Mariana Trench, Mid-Atlantic Ridge), continental shelf locations

Activity:
World map for ocean geography study

Medieval Middle East and Medieval Africa - Review I - Geography

Bodies of Water:

• Atlantic Ocean
• Mediterranean Sea
• Black Sea
• Caspian Sea
• Persian Gulf
• Red Sea
• Lake Victoria
• Nile River
• Niger River
• Tigris River
• Euphrates River
• Jordan River
• Niger River
• Zambezi River
• Limpopo River
• Congo River

Regions and Empires:

• Byzantine Empire
• Sasanid Empire
• Ummayyad Empire
• Abbasid Empire
• Ghana, Mali, Songhay Empires
• Great Zimbabwe
• Kongo
• Arabian Peninsula
• Sinai Peninsula

Cities:

• Byzantium (Constantinople)
• Rome
• Mecca 
• Medina
• Damascus
• Baghdad
• Cairo
• Jerusalem
• Gao
• Timbuktu
• Great Zimbabwe

Medieval Africa - Western Kingdoms - Benin

African Beginnings by James Haskins and Kathleen Benson, and Floyd Cooper

Benin: Lords of the River by Philip Koslow

Discussion: 

Geography and climate of Kingdom of Benin

Natural resources (bronze, spices, ivory, slaves)

Colonialism and the beginning of the slave trade (decline of Benin)

Activity: 

History journal

Map study

Picture study (Benin...) 

Medieval Africa - Western Kingdoms - Mali

African Beginnings by James Haskins and Kathleen Benson, and Floyd Cooper

The Royal Kingdoms of Ghana, Mali, and Songhay: Life in Medieval Africa by Patricia and Fredrick McKissack

Discussion: 

Extent of Kingdom of Mali, inheritance from Ghana

Timbuktu, Social structures and rituals, art

Decline

Activity: 

History journal

Map study

Picture study (The Royal Kingdoms...) 

Medieval Africa - Western Kingdoms - Geography and Review

African Beginnings by James Haskins and Kathleen Benson, and Floyd Cooper

Discussion:
Climate, geography, natural resources (gold, salt)
Early West African kingdoms - Jenne-jeno
Ghanaian foundation mythology - review of Dinga Cisse

Activity:
History journal
Map study - Niger River, Jenne-jeno, Kingdom of Ghana

Medieval Middle East, Medieval Africa - Fatimids - Cairo and Governance of Africa

Cairo by Rob Bowden and Roy Maconachie
Islamic Art and Culture: A Visual History by Nasser Khalili

Discussion:
Location and geography of Cairo, Fatimid Empire
Extent of Fatimid rule
Waning of Fatimid empire

Activity:
History journal
Map study - northern Africa and the Fatimid empire

Medieval Middle East - Sassanid Empire - Geography and History

Ancient Iran by Massoume Price
Ancient Persia by Don Nardo
A Brief Political and Geographic History of the Middle East by John Davenport

Discussion:
Persia - Location of Sassanids - proximity to Byzantine Empire
General overview of history from wars with Rome (Parthians) to tetrarchy
Government structure - bureaucracy and kingship

Activity:
History journal
Map study - location of the Sassanid Empire
Picture study - Sassanid artifacts

Medieval Europe - Eastern Roman (Byzantine) Empire - Geography and History Review

The Byzantine Empire: A Society That Shaped the World by Kelly Rodgers

Discussion:
Diocletian and the tetrarchy
Extent of the Eastern and Western Roman Empires
Constantine moves the capital to Byzantium (Constantinople)

Activity:
History journal
Mapping the Eastern Roman Empire (ie, the Byzantine Empire) - blank map

Animals and Plants - Ecosystems - Mountains

"Mountains" segment from Planet Earth, BBC, David Attenborough
Mountains by Seymour Simon

Discussion:
Animal and plant adaptations in mountains

Activity:
Add "mountains" to the ecosystems comparison chart.
Color in mountainland areas on blank map.