FCE SharkSources

This timeline begins with the creation of the earth about 4.6 billion years ago and ends with the arrival of modern humans. Twenty-six points are highlighted, and each event is explained in clear and useful detail. Of particular interest are the story of the dinosaurs, the rise of mammals to replace them, and the moment when hominids descended from trees to become homo sapiens.

Beginning with an account of speciation, that is, the origin of species, this site uses Ernst Mayr's Population, Species and Evolution as a point of departure. Next, the origin of the earliest bipedal primates, the australopithecines, is the subject of a hypothetical reconstruction. Finally, more solid evidence enables a series of sections on the development of bipeds up to the origin of agriculture.

“What does it mean to be human?” and “What’s hot in human origins?” Various field work is discussed along with provocative topics such as religious perspectives of evolution. Excellent multimedia resources are also available.

Theories on the evolution of humankind have been controversial. Information about our ancient ancestors begins with the earliest hominids. This web site presents useful information on the morphology, taxonomy, and evolution of one particular group of hominids, the australopithecines

The BBC’s reputation for quality does not disappoint here. Insights and introductions to the work of history's forensic experts, archaeologists, lead students to an understanding not only of the invaluable content that archaeologists have contributed but also of the critical role they have played in the quest for knowledge of prehistory and ancient history.

Science Daily touts itself as “your best source for the latest research news” and offers information on a wide variety of topics. Of special interest to the SST 0627 student in Week 1 is the section on Fossils and Ruins. A wide range of information is presented from affirmation that Native American canine species have survived and are flourishing to the possible discovery of a palace of King David in 10th century Judah.

Through a series of lessons and illustrations, this site presents information about the prehistoric archaeology of the Aegean. It traces the cultural evolution of humanity in the Aegean basin from the era of hunting and gathering (Palaeolithic-Mesolithic) through the early village farming stage (Neolithic), Finally, the formative period of Aegean civilization into the age of the great palatial cultures of Minoan Crete and Mycenaean Greece is examined.

While the home page of this journal, nature.com, provides abundant information on all aspects of research into natural phenomena, the News and Comment link will take SST 0627 students to discussions such as that of the “milk revolution,” how humankind as early as 7000 years ago might have made cheese. Of greater interest perhaps is the link provided above regarding the earliest known cave paintings of Neanderthals and arguments about whether they were the mental equals of modern humans.

While AncientScripts.com provides a compendium of worldwide writing systems from the ancient world to the modern, the URL of interest here focuses on cuneiform. For five millennia before the development of a formal writing system in Mesopotamia, the Sumerians created clay tokens as records of agricultural and manufactured goods. As early as 3300 BCE, that practice evolved into a more elaborate system of pictographs and other symbols that both named and enumerated. This linguistic system existed in various forms until the first century CE.

The Epic of Gilgamesh is one of the oldest pieces of literature in the world. This web site comprises three components. First, an excellent video of some 26 minutes explains the story and significance of Gilgamesh. Second, a link connects the reader to the text of the epic as well as to experts’ view of an excerpt regarding the death of Enkidu, Gilgamesh’s beloved friend, and to assessment of four major translations of the epic. The third link offers a timeline, map, slide show, connections to modern works, and commentary on character, plot, and theme.

The Avalon Project, through the auspices of the Lillian Goldman Law Library and the Yale Law School, provides digital documents relevant to law, history, economics, politics, diplomacy, and government at this site. The collection is divided into nine time periods from Ancient: 4000 BCD-399 to the 21st Century: 2000-present. The site of interest to the SST 0627 student during Week 2 is the link to the Code of Hammurabi. An introduction is followed by more detailed commentary and finally an extensive but not exhaustive text of the code, including the 282 “contracts,” or offenses and their prescribed penalties.

All the major aspects of Egyptology are treated at the Ancient Egypt web site from the British Museum. Ten specific topics are presented: Egyptian Life, Geography, Gods and Goddesses, Mummification, Pharaoh, Pyramids, Temples, Time, Trades, and Writing. Each topic is linked to vivid images, detailed explanations, and three additional links: Story, Explore, and Challenge. The challenge involves some type of activity, game, or task. For example, with sufficient explanation beforehand, the challenge in the topic Writing asks the reader to check a hieroglyphic passage for errors.

This is another excellent web site provided by the British Museum. Topics here include the Buddha, Geography, Early Hinduism, Indus Valley, Time, and Writing. Within each topic, links to additional material offer more information and definitions of key terms. As with the British Museum site on ancient Egypt, the Story, Explore, and Challenge links are present.

The British Museum offers information about ancient China also. This material is divided into five topics: Crafts and Artisans, Geography, Time, Tombs and Ancestors, and Writing. As with the other British Museum sites, interesting images and text are here, along with the Story, Explore, and Challenge links. A link is also provided to “Staff Room” pages, which have been developed to help teachers utilize the web site efficiently.

The Carlos Museum Ancient Americas collection at Emory University provides an online odyssey for teacher and student that traverses the cultures of ancient Central and South Americans as reflected in the art and artifacts they created. Viewers will find useful information and keen insights about sacred practices, communication, and technology. One focus is on the daily life of these ancients.

The exceptional quality of the National Geographic Magazine is reflected in this web site on ancient Americans. Graphic photographs of mummies, among others on the main page, flash before the viewer. Links to relevant sites access additional images and substantive articles on such topics as the “Genius of the Inca,” “Unburying the Aztec,” “Maya Rise and Fall,” and others. One link connects to the “Mystery Mummy,” offering a sensational photograph of an ornately tattooed 1600-year-old mummy unearthed in Peru and suspected to be a warrior queen of the Moche people, infamous for their violent behavior.

This BBC World Service site offers extensive information on the major West African kingdoms: Ancient Ghana, Kanem, Mali, Songhay, Hausa States, Asante, and Ife and Benin. Origins and geography are discussed, and maps are provided. Audio files discuss such topics as the elaborate dress of kings and even the gold and silver collars of the royal dogs. Quotations from oral histories of the griots and instructions for the lost wax process for creating metal sculptures are here. A timeline, bibliography, and other useful links are provided.

This site provides a summary of Sargon of Akkad, often purported to be the first ruler in history to establish a multiethnic, centrally controlled empire. He was a model that future Babylonian and Assyrian kings revered for his many successes.

This site from Britannica provides a succinct summary of the dominance after the death of Hammurabi of the new Babylon from the 12th century B.C.E until its conquest by the Persians in the 6th century B.C.E.

A brief history of the Persian Empire and its ruling families is provided at this site from James Madison University. The content focuses mainly on successive warring dynasties which seized power from their predecessors.

This history.com site provides a biography of Alexander dense with informative detail as well as links to related topics. Recommended articles for additional study are also mentioned.

Participants in SST 0627 who would like a site on Alexander the Great that their students might find accessible may check out this About.com source. Related links are abundant, and quizzes are available.

Excellent site on ancient Greece, typical of the quality of the British Museum. Ten primary links cover major topics: the Acropolis, Athens, Daily Life, Festivals and Games, Geography, Gods and Goddesses, Knowledge and Learning, Sparta, Time, and War.

The Public Broadcasting Service has created a commendable site that aligns with its television production The Greeks: Crucible of Civilization. The site also provides a timeline on which each date links to information and sometimes images.

This site is mainly a compendium of primary sources. Links to full texts here include Polybius, Julius Caesar, Livy, Plutarch, Tacitus, and Suetonius. Topics address all three periods of Roman history: the Kingdom, the Republic and the Empire.

The history of the Roman Empire and the history of Christianity are closely intertwined, and this site offers a useful summary of the connection between the two. Beginnings and reasons for persecution, toleration, and eventual triumph are discussed.

From Asia for Educators at Columbia University, this web site features a basic timeline of Chinese history from 2100 B.C.E. to the present. Dynasties and capital cities are indicated along with other important information.

From Stanford University comes this detailed summary of the history of the Shang dynasty (1600-1050 B.C.E). This period is significant because oracle bone inscriptions and bronze inscriptions mark the beginning of written Chinese history.

After many years of alternating friendship and hostility, the Zhou (1046-256 B.C.E.) eventually conquered the Shang and established hegemony over all of China. This site from Britannica tells their story.

Under the auspices of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York, the Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History provides historical information about the Qin dynasty (221-206 B.C.E.). Informative text and colorful images characterize this web site.

This British Museum site offers facts and insights in six chapters on Ancient India: geography, Indus River Valley, writing, time, the Buddha, and Hinduism. The Staff Room link helps teachers benefit from the website for themselves and for their class.

Readings from ancient India and their significance are discussed in this site from Exploring Ancient World Cultures. Primary emphasis is on the Bhagavad Gita, which is perhaps the most famous and the most widely read ethical text of ancient India.

The text and photos at this site are provided by Michael D. Gunter, a specialist in travel photography and the study of ancient art and architecture. The content ranges from the ancient period to the present. Photos are exceptional.

The BBC provides at this site a particularly comprehensive treatment of this world religion that has almost one billion followers. The site includes links to concepts, deities, ethics, history, holy days, rites and rituals, texts, and worship.

Similar to the BBC site, Encyclopaedia Britannica provides both breadth and depth at its site on Hinduism. A bonus on the main page of this site is over 30 images and 11 videos. Check out the link to Practical Hinduism.

This site provides a readily accessible timeline that begins with the life of Siddhartha Gautama, the Buddha, in the sixth century and continues to 1989. Particularly useful is the alignment of events in Buddhism with major world events.

Dr. C. George Boeree of Shippensburg University offers a detailed history of Buddhism from the death of the Buddha to the present. Discussed are the spread of his lessons, or sutras, and the evolution of philosophical aspects of the religion.

Fordham University presents a compendium of sources on Hebrew history and Judaism that is exceptionally complete. Numerous links to documents, images, maps, and other web sources are available.

The Hebrew History Federation is a non-profit organization dedicated to research and education about the technological and artistic contributions Jews have made to civilization. Its research is devoted to aspects of the Judaic heritage common to all Jews.

The Public Broadcasting System presents several papers on Early Christianity authored by distinguished religious academicians. The content emphasizes that in its infancy Christianity’s tenets varied widely among diverse groups.

During the Middle Ages, Christianity the religion was synonymous with the Christian Church as an institution. The British Library presents at this web site a useful description of the most important aspects.

With 10 useful links to various aspects of Islam, this site from the BBC provides a thorough treatment of this world religion. Clicking on each of the links brings up several choices for further exploration.

This Public Broadcasting System site presents an excellent video series on Islam. Resources are available to help educators use the series and companion web site in secondary social studies, religion, and language arts classes.

Fordham University presents an exhaustive collection of sources on the subject of Islam. Information is presented topically but within a general chronological framework from the Pre-Islamic world to the present.

The two dominant groups of Muslims are the Sunnis and Shi'a. The division between them is the largest and oldest in the history of Islam. This BBC article compares the similarities and differences between the two.

Excellent point of departure for world history sources available through George Mason University. It contains reviews that describe online primary-source archives, evaluates resources, and provides classroom suggestions. Within the site, scholars discuss strategies for analyzing primary sources. Students may learn how historians use sources, what questions they pose, and where else go for information.

This web site is the online source for the Internet History Sourcebooks Project, a collection of public domain and copy-permitted historical texts presented without advertising or excessive layout for educational use. It is a rich compendium of material from ancient to modern history.

This is the web site for the National Council for the Social Studies, the professional organization for teachers of social studies. Numerous resources useful in social studies instruction are available.

Professional development and classroom materials to support the study of world history. This site is organized into 26 thematic units along a chronological thread. Materials include videos, an audio glossary and a thematically-organized interactive. Students may explore and download each unit's content overview, selected readings, bibliography, activities, and more.

At this web site are available resources for teaching AP World History, including engaging instructional materials, sample exam questions, and current course information.

This site brings together daily life, history, art, music, literature, philosophy, religion, mythology, science, technology, world changing discoveries, important battles, great people, and key events across centuries, countries, and continents. The site is complete from prehistory into the early 1600s. Links to later years are under construction.

At this site, one may visit any civilization, nation, or empire and see the context, chronology, connections, and big pictures of history. This atlas makes history easy to visualize and navigate through both time and place.

Offering numerous complete units, lesson plans, and resources, this site provides a model curriculum for teaching world history in middle and secondary schools. Drawing on current historical research, it helps young learners by connecting specific content to historical trends and patterns.

Contained within this site are standards-based, technologically integrated classroom-ready units. Each unit includes primary-source photographs, audio, short movie clips (selected units only), graphs, charts, maps, quotations, speeches, political cartoons, and art. There is a link to free downloads of abundant PowerPoint presentations, lessons, videos, maps, and other materials.

Numerous printable lessons, graphic organizers, outlines, document-based questions, puzzles, and other useful materials are available at this site. The material is organized into two major sections: Prehistory through the 1700s and the Scientific Revolution through Today. Material is also organized by topic and level through Grade 8.

Recommended by Dr. Safransky