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8 Ancient India Reading Stations with Activity Options & Common Core Questions Student Centered Literacy & Writing!

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Page 1: 8 Ancient India Reading Stations with Activity Options ...ilovehistoryclass.weebly.com/uploads/8/7/1/2/...A rcheologists are still uncovering the mysteries of the Indus Valley ivilization,

8 Ancient India

Reading Stations with

Activity Options & Common

Core Questions

Student

Centered

Literacy

& Writing!

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Student

Centered

& Common

Core

Includes: 8 Reading Stations,

Printable Common Core

Questions, Station Signs &

Teacher Instructions

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This activity is designed for students to investigate different aspects of the Indus Valley

Civilization by reading and extracting important information. Students answer questions on

the bottom of each station reading on their own paper. Consider instructing the students to

write the name of the station at the top of each question set for quick reference.

Some ideas for setting up stations:

1. Stations Option - Arrange desks so there are eight stations. Place resources on each

station (you may want to make enough copies, so each student has a page). Students

read and answer questions in groups at the rate of about six minutes per station.

Students switch stations after six minutes. It helps to pre-determine the order of station

progression, so there is an even amount of students at each station, and so there is less

confusion when students are told to switch stations. Consider if skipping ahead is

acceptable (I often do not allow it, so it is less competitive to finish).

2. Task Card Option - Copy several copies of each station and place the resources at a

central spot in your room. Students use resources one at a time as needed until all

stations have been completed.

3. Jigsaw Groups of Four Option - Assign each group member a reading. Students read his/

her assigned reading and share with his/her group. Students answer questions together.

Indus valley Stations Teacher Notes

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Harappan Culture 2500 BCE-1900 BCE, Indo-Aryans 2000 BCE-300 BCE ,

The Mauryan Empire 321 BCE– 184 BCE, Gupta Empire 310 CE-600 CE

Geography - Physical environment and how it may influence an economy and culture.

T he Indus Valley Civilization, referred to as Harappan Culture, is named for the Indus River. This river

starts in the snow-covered Himalayan Mountains of North India and winds its way to the Arabian Sea. On

its way, it flows through parts of modern day Pakistan, northwest India, and Afghanistan. The Indus River is

one of the longer in the world covering some 2,000 miles. Its rich soil is ideal for farmers who, at this time,

used irrigation to grow their crops. This area also receives rain during the monsoon season. While many

people associate this season as a time of intense rain it is actually a time when the winds change. During

India’s monsoon season, hot air flows across the Indian Ocean and forms clouds full of water. As these

clouds move across the cooler land it drops its rain, often resulting in floods.

Since its discovery in 1922, not much is know about the Indus Valley Civilization, but researchers

believe that it flourished from about 2600 to 1900 BCE before it mysteriously vanished. From that point, the

Ancient Indian civilizations grew bigger and smaller, much like an accordion. The Indo-Aryan people migrated

through a pass in the northern Hindu Kush mountains in approximately 2000 BCE, settling in the Indus River

Valley and expanding to the Ganges Plain. Later, under Mauryan rule in 324 BCE the empire united,

expanding into much of modern India, only to shrink in size under the Gupta Empire (about 400 BCE) to a

region surrounding the Ganges River, south of the Himalayas.

1. Adaptation: Where did the Indus River Civilization begin?

2. Support with Evidence from the Text - Support the

following sentence with evidence in the form of a

direct quote from the text: The Indus River is expansive,

crossing many lands. Make sure to place the sentence

chosen in quotation marks when you write it down.

3. Draw a quick sketch of the Indus Valley Civilization and

label four physical features.

Geography Of Ancient India

Copyright © 2015, 2017 Instructomania

India

Arabian Sea

Hindu Kush

Indus Valley

Indus River

Questions to Consider!

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Part 1 Indus River Valley Civilization 2500 BCE-1900 BCE

Copyright © 2015, 2017 Instructomania

At this station, you will learn about:

Achievements - The lasting contributions of a civilization.

A rcheologists are still uncovering the mysteries of the Indus Valley Civilization, but they have discovered that these people had a written language. Well over 4,000 Indus

symbols have been found on seals or ceramic pots and over a dozen other materials, including a sign that hung over the gate of the inner citadel of the Indus city of Dholavira. Still, archeologists have not been unable to decipher the language coding. The people of the Indus River Valley had very well-planned cities. These cities were laid out in a grid-like pattern that followed the cardinal directions. Houses were often built of oven-baked, clay bricks and were similar in size. Each home was usually one to

two stories high and had a center courtyard, a bath with a toilet, running water, and drains. Waste water was sent to sewer systems. The twin capital cities, Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro had a citadel (fortress) that stood upon a hill-top at the edge of the town overlooking the citizens below and safe from monsoon floods. The cities had large granaries that held surplus grain. They also had a large pool in the center of the cites. While it is unknown what the purpose of these pools many believe that they could have been for public bathing, religious rituals, or even, perhaps, for swimming. The artisans of the Indus Valley created high quality tools that they used to produce fine pottery, cotton clothing, and jewelry.

1. Support with Evidence from the Text - Support the following sentence with evidence in the form of a direct quote from the text: The Indus Valley people had well-organized cities. Make sure to place the sentence chosen in quotation marks when you write it down.

2. Which do you believe is the most impressive achievement of the Harappan Culture?

Explain your answer.

Questions to Consider!

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Part 2 Indus River Valley Civilization 2500 BCE-1900 BCE

Copyright © 2015, 2017 Instructomania

At this station, you will learn about:

Economy-How a civilization makes money through the buying and selling of goods and services.

T he economy of the Indus Valley Civilization was based upon agricultural goods and the natural resources of the area. It is believed that the Indus Valley people were one of the

first to use wheeled transportation and developed water crafts to sail to distant markets. These crafts were sailboats with one single mast and sail. The people of this area traded within their vast area, as well as with western China, Mesopotamia and other foreign markets. Wheat, barley, rice, cotton, peas, dates and melons were a few of their domestic crops grown by farmers. Farmers used irrigation from water collected during the monsoonal season to water their varying crops. Archeologists recently uncovered giant reservoirs where it is speculated that rain water was kept to use during the dry season. They also used domestic animals such as the water buffalo to use in the fields. Other domestic animals included sheep,

goats, pigs, and cattle. Artisans of this civilization created a high quality pottery that was often adorned with elegant designs. This region also offered useful natural resources such as fresh water, fish, timber, gold, silver, and semiprecious stones. Blue lapis lazuli, a bright blue metamorphic rock, is found in the nearby mountains and was used in jewelry making. We also know that the Harappan Culture used a standard set of weights and measures. This was used to insure accuracy in trading.

1. Why is it important to have wheeled transportation?

2. Thinks about it: How did the natural resources of the Indus Valley Civilization aid the

strong economy of the Harappan people?

Questions to Consider!

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Part 3 Indus River Valley Civilization 2500 BCE-1900 BCE

Copyright © 2015, 2017 Instructomania

At this station, you will learn about:

Leadership/ Government - How a civilization creates an organized way of leadership.

Religion - A belief system that influences the development of a civilization.

A rcheologists are uncertain if the Harappan civilization was led by priests, kings, or elected officials.

However, we do know that the leader of their government had a large land

area to govern with tens of thousands of citizens. It is believed, because of their

size, that the cities of Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro were twin capitals therefore,

there may have been co-rulers. The job of the ruler or rulers was to ensure that

the people of the Indus River Valley had sufficient food, grain, and protection.

While no one knows for sure how the Harappan culture worshiped, some speculations have been

made. Many believe, based on sculptures that have been found, that like some other early civilizations

these people were polytheistic, that they believed in more than one god or deity. One such deity may have

been a mother goddess, who was responsible for all creation. Due to the

similarities in deities and fertility statues, Hinduism, the oldest religion in the

world, is often regarded as having roots in the life and practices of this

civilization. Being an agrarian society, one based on agriculture or farming,

this is quite possible. Other objects and sculptures made of clay, bronze and

silver, seem to show that these people also may have worshiped animals, in

particular bulls. This may indicate that the Indus Valley culture may have influenced the later neighboring

Indian society which today places a reverence on cattle.

While there are signs of some swords and other weapons, there is not enough evidence to support

the idea that the Indus people had a standing army or were engaged in harsh battles with neighbors. Still,

some speculate that an attack by the Indo-Aryans may be one of the reasons that the people of the Indus

Valley disappeared about 1900 BCE.

1. According to the text, what is known about Harrapan government?

2. Why do you think the Indus people would have worshipped bulls?

3. Provide evidence from the text that supports the idea that Hinduism began in India.

4. Why is there a lack of evidence to support that the Indo-Aryans attacked?

Questions to Consider!

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At this station, you will learn about:

Government - How a civilization creates an organized way of leadership.

Economy-How a civilization makes money through the buying and selling of goods and services.

Social Class - How a civilization is divided into classes that have different roles, responsibilities and privileges.

S ome archeologists speculate that an attack by the Indo-Aryans may be one of the reasons that the

people of the Indus Valley disappeared about 1900 BCE. The Indo-Aryan people often referred to as

Aryans, migrated through a pass in the northern Hindu Kush mountains in approximately 2000 BCE,

ultimately settling in the Indus River Valley. When the nomadic Aryans dominated this region there were

individual tribes throughout the valley. Each tribe was led by a raja or chief. Aryan hymns, songs, and poems

depict the people as delighted in waging war and raiding each other’s herds of cattle.

As a nomadic herding civilization the Aryans traded cattle as both food and a type of currency. After

all, cattle proved to be a valuable food source providing milk, meat and butter. Wealth was measured in

cattle, which explains why raiding was common. In fact, the Aryans considered the animal so sacred that

eventually a ban was placed on eating meat.

The Aryans brought with them the caste system. This social system determines one’s place in society

by one’s birth. The caste or jati is the group of people that comprise a singular social class. While it is unfair,

once a person is born into one of the four groups (referred to as varnas) they have little to no change of

moving up the social ladder. The people were prohibited to marry outside of their caste. They lived in

communities with each other and did not mingle with others outside their group. While the social system

evolved over time, the top of the social hierarchy were the Brahmans, or priests. Next, on the hierarchy were

army warriors and rulers called Kshatriyas. Commoners including merchants, artisans and farmers were

called Vaisyas. The Vaisyas tended to herds, made and sold products and farmed. Lastly, the Shudras or

Kshadras were unskilled laborers and servants. However, outside of the

four main varnas were a group called Pariahs (slaves, also referred to as

Dalit). The Pariahs, sometimes called “untouchables” were considered

unclean and were rejected, forced to live outside of the villages.

1. What evidence supports that the Aryans were probable attackers of

the Harappan Culture?

2. Why were cattle so important in the Aryan culture?

3. Use the following terms to describe the caste system the Indo-Aryans brought to India: Brahmans, Kshatriayas, Vaisyas, Shudras, Pariahs

Part 1 The Indo-Aryans 2000 BCE-300 BCE

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Questions to Consider!

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At this station, you will learn about:

Religion-A belief system that influences the development of a civilization.

P riests collected hymns, epics (long poems), religious rituals and legends orally passed down for hundreds

of years. They created a holy book called

Vedas written in Sanskrit, the language of the

Aryans. Priests used four Vedas, referred to as

“books of knowledge,” that formed the basis of

religious practice. While the Aryans left no

artifacts, the Vedas have offered great

information about the daily lives, values and,

rituals of the Aryan people. The Vedas are the

earliest written source for the religion that

would form the foundation of Hinduism. Later,

Hindus believed in many deities. However, the

most important deities are Brahma (the Creator), Vishnu (the Preserver), and Shiva (the Destroyer). These

three gods are all part of the same universal spirit. Fundamental to Hinduism is the belief that both animals

and people have souls that can be reborn into other beings after death. The concept of being reborn is called

reincarnation. Another basic concept of Hinduism is the belief that there is dharma or religious duty, and

karma, or actions. The two concepts together determine a person’s social class or caste. Those who do not

perform religious duty or have bad karma will be reincarnated into another, lower caste. People that have

reached spiritual purity can escape reincarnation on to earth.

In 553 BCE a young prince named Siddhartha Gautama (Buddha) founded a new religion based on a

similar concept of reincarnation called Buddhism. Buddhism is not a religion with deities, but more a way of

life and the goal of life is enlightenment (a complete understanding of truth). Buddha

developed his philosophy based on the idea that people suffer from desire, which he

outlined in the four noble truths. Furthermore, desire causes a person to be

reincarnated to more earthly suffering. His basic prescription for ending suffering was

to teach people to lead compassionate lives which he outlined in the eightfold path.

Ultimately, a person that leads a life without desire, will reach a state of freedom

called nirvana and he/she will not be reincarnated to earthy suffering.

1. Why are the Vedas an important religious text for historians?

2. Explain how reincarnation, karma and castes are related to each other.

3. Compare and Contrast: Describe one similarity and one difference of Buddhism and Hinduism.

Part 2 The Indo-Aryans 2000 BCE-300 BCE

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Questions to Consider!

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At this station, you will learn about:

Government - How a civilization creates an organized way of leadership.

A fter over 200 years of battles between Greeks and Persians, in

320 BCE Chandragupta Maurya defeated invaders and united

India under his rule. Through war and conquest, which he paid for

through harsh taxation, King Chandragupta Maurya expanded the

empire through much of modern India. He also improved roads and

cleared land for agriculture. While he may have led a well-organized

empire, he was known for being a ruthless leader, who used brutality

to oppress the people into order. Considering he was so despised by

his people, King Chandragupta lived in constant fear for his life. He

had servants taste his food for poison and even slept in different bedrooms every night so his possible

attackers would not know where he was.

In 269 BCE King Ashoka the Great (the grandson of Chandragupta) ruled much of the subcontinent of

India, and even expanded into Modern day Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh. Unlike his grandfather

and father, he was known for being a fair, compassionate ruler. Religion was also

very important during the reign of Ashoka the Great. After a particularly bloody

battle, he renounced war and became a Buddhist. He spread Buddhism throughout

India by sending missionaries to teach about Buddhism throughout India. In fact,

honesty and truth became so important to the people that stealing was almost

eliminated. Ashoka the Great recorded laws in local language on tall stone pillars

called rock edicts. Rock edicts could be found all over the vast Mauryan Empire.

Ashoka even sent government officials to cities to explain what the edicts to the citizens of the vast Mauryan

Empire. He also provided free hospitals, veterinary clinics and built roads.

The Mauryan Empire 321 BCE - 184 BCE

Copyright © 2015, 2017 Instructomania

1. According to the text, Mauryan King Changragupta was a harsh leader, “who used brutality to oppress

the people into order.” What does the word oppress most likely mean in that sentence?

2. Explain two ways King Ashoka created an organized way of leadership.

Questions to Consider!

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At this station, you will learn about:

Achievements-The lasting contributions of a civilization.

Economy-How a civilization makes money through the buying and selling of goods and services.

Religion-A belief system that influences the development of a civilization.

A fter King Ashoka died, the empire fell into a series of separate kingdoms once again. However, in about

320 CE the New Gupta Empire unified north-central India. From 320 CE to 600 CE the Gupta Empire is

known as the “Golden Age of Ancient India” because people experienced great peace and prosperity. During

this time there was religious freedom, government sponsored health care, and artisans were encouraged to

produce their crafts. Learning flourished during the Gupta Empire because the court welcomed poets,

playwrights, philosophers, and scientists. The famous folktale, “Sinbad the Sailor” was written in this era.

Gupta mathematicians invented the concept of zero and developed many principles of Algebra. In fact, the

symbols for numbers 1-9 referred to as Arabic numerals were devised by the Gupta and were used by

traders all over the Middle East. Furthermore, Gupta scientists knew the earth was round and philosophized

about gravity. They also had doctors that set bones, performed surgery and invented hundreds of medical

instruments. Gupta doctors also gave citizens inoculations. Inoculations give a person a mild form of a

disease in order for the body to build resistance against a more severe form of the disease. Today, doctors

all over the world give inoculations for small pox, rubella and even the flu virus.

Along with spices, cotton cloth, carpets and jewelry, achievements of the Gupta Empire were traded

all over the world. Sea and land trade routes connected India with Central Asia, Arabia and Europe. Indian

merchants traded for Arabian horses, Chinese silk and even Roman gold!

Later, the Gupta rulers promoted Hinduism by education based on the religious writings of the

Upanishads. The Upanishads further confirm the Hindu idea that all living things have a universal soul and

promote physical and mental self-discipline through the practice of yoga. The

Gupta built elaborate temples depicting tales in the epics and made Hinduism

the official religion of the empire.

1. Describe three achievements of the Gupta Empire.

2. Use evidence from the text in the form of a direct excerpt (portion of text) that

supports the idea that the Gupta had long-lasting achievements.

3. Connect to today: Explain why even today many Hindus are vegetarian.

The Gupta Empire 320 Ce-600 CE

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Questions to Consider!

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Geography of Ancient India

1. Adaptation: Where did the Indus River Civilization begin? _______________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

2. Support with Evidence from the Text- Support the following sentence with evidence in the

form of a direct quote from the text: The Indus River is expansive, crossing many lands. Make

sure to place the sentence chosen in quotes quotation marks when you write it down.

________________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________

3. Draw a quick sketch of the Indus Valley Civilization and label four physical features.

Part 1 : Achievements in Indus River Valley

1. Support with Evidence from the Text-Support the following sentence with evidence in the form of a

direct quote from the text: The Indus Valley people had well organized cities. Make sure to place the

sentence chosen in quotes when you write it down.

______________________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________________

2. Which is the most impressive achievement of the Harappan Culture? Explain your answer._____________

_______________________________________________________________________________________

Part 2: Economy in Indus River Valley

1. Why is it important to have wheeled transportation? __________________________________________

Copyright © 2015, 2017 Instructomania

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Part 1: Government, Economy and Social Classes of Indo-Aryan Civilization

1. What evidence supports that the Aryans were probable attackers of the Harappan civilization?

_________________________________________________________________________________________

2. Why were cattle so important in the Aryan culture?_____________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________

3. Use the following terms to describe the caste system the Indo-Aryans brought to India: Brahmans,

Kshatriyas, Vaisyas, Shudras, Pariahs.

_________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________

2. Thinks about it: How did the natural resources of the Indus Valley Civilization aid the strong economy of the Harappan people? _______________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

Part 3 : Leadership and Religion of Indus River Valley

1. According to the text, what is known about Harrapan government?

__________________________________________________________________________________________

2. Why do you think the Indus people would have worshipped bulls?

__________________________________________________________________________________________

3. Provide evidence from the text in the form of an excerpt (portion of text) that supports the idea that Hin-duism began in India.

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

4. Why is there a lack of evidence to support that the Indo-Aryans attacked?

__________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________

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Copyright © 2015, 2017 Instructomania

Part 2: Religion of Indo-Aryan Civilization

1. Why are the Vedas an important religious text for historians?_______________________

________________________________________________________________________________________________

2. Explain how reincarnation, karma and castes are related to each other._______________

________________________________________________________________________________________________

3. Compare and Contrast: Describe one similarity and one difference of Buddhism and

Hinduism.____________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________

Government of Mauryan Empire

1. According to the text Mauryan King Changragupta was a harsh leader, “who used brutality

to oppress the people into order.” What does the word oppress most likely mean in that

sentence?________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________________

2. Explain two ways King Ashoka created an organized way of leadership.

_________________________________________________________________________________________

_________________________________________________________________________________________

Achievements of the Gupta Empire

1. Describe three achievements of the Ancient Gupta Empire. _________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

2. Use evidence from the text in the form of a direct excerpt (portion of text) that supports

the idea that the Gupta had long-lasting achievements._____________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

3. Connect to today: Explain why even today many Hindus are vegetarian.______________

____________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________

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Geography of Ancient India

1. Adaptation: Where did the Indus River Civilization begin? In the Indus River Valley, along the

Indus River in northwestern region of modern India.

2. Support with Evidence from the Text- Support the following sentence with evidence in the

form of a direct quote from the text: The Indus River is expansive, crossing many lands. Make

sure to place the sentence chosen in quotes quotation marks when you write it down. “On its way

it flows through parts of modern day Pakistan, northwest India, and Afghanistan.”

3. Draw a quick sketch of the Indus Valley Civilization and label four physical features.

Part 1 : Achievements in Indus River Valley

1. Support with Evidence from the Text-Support the following sentence with evidence in the form of a

direct quote from the text: The Indus Valley people had well organized cities. Make sure to place the

sentence chosen in quotes when you write it down. “These cities were laid out in a grid-like pattern that

followed the cardinal directions.”

2. Which is the most impressive achievement of the Harappan Culture? Explain your answer. Answers will

vary, but should focus on one of the following: Written language, sewer systems in cities, large pools in cities,

or well-made tools.

Part 2: Economy in Indus River Valley

1. Why is it important to have wheeled transportation? The Harappan Culture needed wheeled

transportation in order to travel to distant lands and trade their goods.

Copyright © 2015, 2017 Instructomania

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Part 1: Government, Economy and Social Classes of Indo-Aryan Civilization

1. What evidence supports that the Aryans were probable attackers of the Harappan civilization?

The Harappan civilization disappeared around the same time that the Indo-Aryans migrated through the

northern Hindu Kush mountains. The Indo-Aryans also had hymns they sung about attacking villages and

stealing cattle.

2. Why were cattle so important in the Aryan culture? Cattle was both a trading item and currency to the

Aryan culture. Wealth was measured in the size of ones cattle herd.

3. Use the following terms to describe the caste system the Indo-Aryans brought to India: Brahmans,

Kshatriyas, Vaisyas, Shudras, Pariahs. The caste system of the Indo-Aryans was a social ladder in which sects

2. Thinks about it: How did the natural resources of the Indus Valley Civilization aid the strong economy of the Harappan people? The natural resources of the Indus Valley Civilization such as fresh water, fish, timber, gold, silver, and semiprecious stones, Civilization aided the economy of the Harappan by providing food and shelter for their people, and wealth by offering valuable trading items.

Part 3 : Leadership and Religion of Indus River Valley

1. According to the text, what is known about Harrapan government?

According to the text, very little is known about the Harrapan government. Archeologists believe that there was a ruler or co-ruler of the two sister-cities Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro.

2. Why do you think the Indus people would have worshipped bulls?

Answers may vary, and should mention clay or bronze statues of bulls found in Indus Civilizations and/or that the Indus Civilization domesticated oxen to harvest crops and build their wealth from them.

3. Provide evidence from the text in the form of an excerpt (portion of text) that supports the idea that Hin-duism began in India.

“Due to the similarities in deities and fertility statues, Hinduism, the oldest religion in the world, is often re-garded as having roots in the life and practices of this civilization. Being an agrarian society, one based on agri-culture or farming, this is quite possible.”

4. Why is there a lack of evidence to support that the Indo-Aryans attacked?

The lack of swords and other weapons do not support the idea that the Indus people had an army or battled

other people around them.

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Copyright © 2015, 2017 Instructomania

of society married and interacted only with their caste. Brahmans were the top of society, priests with

spiritual influence. Kshatriyas were next in power, warrior lords with great wealth. Vaisyas were the middle

class, usually merchants, farmers, and artisans who lived comfortably. Sudras were laborers and servants of

the upper classes. Pariahs were outcasts of society, often referred to as “untouchables.”

Part 2: Religion of Indo-Aryan Civilization

1. Why are the Vedas an important religious text for historians? The Vedas was important to

historians because it gave information about the daily lives, values, and rituals of the Aryans.

2. Explain how reincarnation, karma and castes are related to each other. Under Hinduism,

karma, or things a person did, had an effect on which caste a person’s soul would reincarnate to. If you were

a good person in this life, your karma would allow your soul to reincarnate into a better caste then your

current one. If you had bad karma, your soul could be reincarnated into a worst caste or the body of an

animal.

3. Compare and Contrast: Describe one similarity and one difference of Buddhism and

Hinduism. Both Buddhism and Hinduism used a form of reincarnation based on the way you lived your life,

and thought that eventually you could reach a high point and not reincarnate again. However, Buddhism was

more focused on the way you lived life, while Hinduism was a religion with rituals and deities.

Government of Mauryan Empire

1. According to the text Mauryan King Changragupta was a harsh leader, “who used brutality

to oppress the people into order.” What does the word oppress most likely mean in that

sentence? In that sentence, the word oppress most likely means force or put pressure on.

2. Explain two ways King Ashoka created an organized way of leadership. King Ashoka created

organized way of leadership by having the kingdom’s laws written on pillars in different languages of his

people throughout the kingdom, and he also sent government representatives to explain the laws.

Achievements of the Gupta Empire (con’t on next page)

1. Describe three achievements of the Gupta Empire. The Gupta Empire had many achievements,

specifically advances in mathematics, discovering physic laws like gravity, and advances in medicine and

surgery.

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Copyright © 2015, 2017 Instructomania

2. Use evidence from the text in the form of a direct excerpt (portion of text) that supports

the idea that the Gupta had long-lasting achievements. Today, doctors all over the world give

inoculations for small pox, rubella and even the flu virus.

3. Connect to today: Explain why even today many Hindus are vegetarian. Many Hindus today

are vegetarian because they believed that all living things had souls and that an animal could contain an

incarnate soul of a human.

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Ancient India

Geography

Station

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Part 1 Indus River Valley

Civilization

2500 BCE-1900 BCE

Station

Key concepts at this station:

Achievements - The lasting contributions of a civilization.

Economy - How a civilization makes money through the buying and selling of goods and services.

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Part 2 Indus River Valley

Civilization

2500 BCE-1900 BCE

Station

Key concepts at this station:

Leadership/ Government - How a civilization creates an organized way of leadership.

Religion - A belief system that influences the development of a civilization.

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Part 3 Indus River Valley

Civilization

2500 BCE-1900 BCE

Station

Key concepts at this station:

Leadership/ Government - How a civilization creates an organized way of leadership.

Religion - A belief system that influences the development of a civilization.

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Part 1 The Indo-Aryans

2000 BCE-300 BCE

Key concepts at this station:

Government - How a civilization creates an organized way of leadership.

Economy - How a civilization makes money through the buying and selling of goods and

services.

Social Class - How a civilization is divided into classes that have different roles, responsibilities

and privileges.

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Part 2 The Indo-Aryans

2000 BCE-300 BCE

Key concepts at this station:

Government - How a civilization creates an organized way of leadership.

Economy - How a civilization makes money through the buying and selling of goods and

services.

Social Class - How a civilization is divided into classes that have different roles, responsibilities

and privileges.

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The Mauryan Empire

321 BCE - 184 BCE

Key concept at this station:

Government - How a civilization creates an

organized way of leadership.

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The Gupta Empire

320 Ce-600 CE

Key concepts at this station:

Achievements - The lasting contributions of a civilization.

Economy - How a civilization makes money through the buying and selling of goods and services.

Religion-A belief system that influences the

development of a civilization.

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Blank for instructor to write in if a station is added.

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