International trade from 600 AD to 1450 AD resulted in the flourishing of post-classical civilizations, the expansion of Islam across many regions, and the transmission of rare materials and innovative ideas — not to mention the spread...

The fifth in a series of six lessons focusing on Afghan history and art Here's the amazing story of the Tahilwidar, or Key Holder Tradition in Afghanistan. Class groups are assigned roles and then act out the process, developed to keep...

BCE and CE? Class members create a timeline of key events in the history of Afghanistan before and after the Christian Era using the provided list. They then add their own birth dates and events in American history as well.

Imagine traveling the Silk Road. Would you go by land or by sea? After adding mountain ranges, deserts, and cities to a topographic map of the area between Antioch, Turkey and Xi'an, China, class members brainstorm the pros and cons of...

What can be learned from ancient art and artifacts? In the second of a series of lessons devoted to the history of Afghanistan, class members assume the role of archaeologists and investigate art found along the Silk Road. They observe,...

Paper, paper everywhere. Paper is so prolific that few think about where the idea for it originated and how it is made. Introduce young readers to the paper-making process with an activity that lets them create their own.

Young explorers may not be able to travel the Silk Road but they can listen to music that was played on instruments of the time and create their own songs with the help of an interesting interactive resource. 

Walking through the ancient Nabataean city of Petra can be a challenge. A tour begins with a 20-minute walk down a rocky slope through the narrow Siq to get to the famous Treasury known to Indiana Jones fans. But that is just the...

Anyone who has seen Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade will recognize the entrance to the Nabataean city of Petra. Young archaeologists don't need horses or camels to travel through the Sig and tour this fascinating city, however. With...

Talk about rabbit holes! With just this one resource, learners can travel the Silk Road listening to fables, meet a scientist who studies poisons (and whose favorite book is Alice in Wonderland), and listen to a video interview of an...

Temujin, aka Chinggis Khan, united the many Mongol tribes to create the largest contiguous empire in history. A short video details Temujin's many accomplishments and the impact his traders had on the rest of Europe and Asia.

The Silk Road connected the European, Middle Eastern, and Asian worlds. It also helped create the modern trade world. An analysis activity makes the importance of this Chinese innovation clear by asking participants to evaluate trades...

Learn more about the history and five pillars of Islam with an extensive resource that focuses on the religion's connection to art. Focusing on calligraphy, textiles, and architecture, the packet illustrates the beauty of the artistic...

Here's a great resource for your curriculum library. The 240-page packet, organized into units by topics, includes sample lesson plans, links to primary and secondary source documents, worksheets, activities, and sample assessments.

What would you save? To launch an examination of how the people of Afghanistan protected precious works of art from Soviet and Taliban invaders, participants consider what they would save if invasion was threatened. They then view a...

Invite your learners to take a closer look at the art and mathematical function of dome buildings as designed by the ancient Romans. In the next segment of this attractive worksheet set, your young historians will then learn about...

What was the the Silk Road and how did it radically expand the scope of trade? What was the value of silk, and how did connections between merchants reshape lives in Africa and Eurasia? Find out by watching this historic episode!

Help your class members to visualize the extent and complexity of classical trade routes as they use this blank map to identify the Silk Road, Indian Ocean Trade Network, Mediterranean Sea Lanes, and Trans-Saharan Trade Routes.

Students investigate the concepts that are related to the Silk Road trading route. They conduct guided research using a variety of resources. The information is used in order to use a shoebox and draw a map of the Silk Road upon it.

How do you bring water to your troops when a mountain is in the way? You blow up the mountain. Part one of this five-part series explores early feats of engineering that permitted Li Bin, of the Qin Dynasty, to begin unifying ChinaÕs...

Learners examine cultural diffusion. In this Silk Road lesson, young scholars research primary sources to compare and contrast the religious beliefs encountered and shared by those who traded along the Silk Road route.

Students review information on the Silk Road from previous lessons. Using maps, they create an illustrated altas of the Silk Road and the goods traded on it. They write an essay on the Silk Road's importance and how both good and culture...