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ITV Videos Catalog Home

Curriculum Areas

Ancient Civilizations
World history

Grade Levels:: 6-12
Length:: 30 minutes
Taping Rights:: School year
MARC Record:: Downloadable
Teaching Materials:: See Below

This six-part series studies the ancient civilizations of China, India, Mesopotamia, Egypt, Greece, Rome, and Meso-America from the invention of writing 5,000 years ago to the fall of Rome in 450 A.D.

The programs are skills-based, stimulating comparison, analysis, synthesis, and conclusion, and are organized thematically. By examining the basic human search for food, security, and creativity, the series traces the development of ancient economies, governments, and cultures. The daily life of the inhabitants of the various civilizations is explored using models, reconstructions, and actual artifacts. Particular attention is paid to the role of women in each society. Maps and animations are used to present lateral time comparisons.

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2007/08 Block Feeds on KET ED

Block Feed: Programs 101-106 Program Details: 3 hours; Thursday, August 16 at 10:00 am on KETED; Wednesday, September 26 at 5:00 pm on KETED; Thursday, November 1 at 6:00 am on KETED; Thursday, April 3 at 6:00 am on KETED

Episodes Included in These Block Feeds

101. The Beginning Is in the End: Examines how civilizations began in China, India, Egypt, and Central America, but concentrates on Sumer.
102. Balancing the Budget: The invention of agriculture and the subsequent domestication of animals gradually led to economies based on trade. This evolution is studied in detail in Egypt. The program also looks at the Minoans and Phoenicians.
103. Safekeeping: This study of ancient systems of security reveals how these systems evolved into sophisticated governments and codes of law. Athens and Sparta are contrasted, and the Etruscans and republican Rome are examined.
104. On the Town: The cultural high points of ancient civilizations in art, architecture, literature, engineering, and technology are examined, with a focus on the Golden Age of Greece.
105. Legacies: The debt we owe to past civilizations—in particular, Rome—is explored. Our architecture, law, government, language, drama, medicine, sport, mathematics, and writing all came from the ancient world.
106. The End Is in the Beginning: The reasons for the decline and fall of the civilizations explored in this series are examined. Elements of the fallen civilization often form the beginning of another civilization.