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One unit, two resources
This Premium Unit provides a panoramic overview of the history of Ancient India. It contains two resources:
- a slide show, and
- a sequence of map pages.
These enable two different approaches to using the unit with your students – as a whole-class presentation or for student project work.
1. Slide Show
The slide show is designed to engage students with attractive, high resolution maps for projection onto a large screen. This makes it ideal for use as a whole-class presentation.
It covers the whole period of Ancient India, from 1500 BCE to 500 CE. It is accompanied by an informative teacher’s commentary, to aid in covering the different points of interest on each map.
The slide show can also be used in student project work, and a student commentary is included.
2. Map Pages
The map pages contain a sequence of map for use in students’ enquiry work. They cover a more restricted period than the slide show, from 500 BCE to 500 CE. For the earlier history of India, go the the unit Early Civilizations.
No commentary is required as each map is accompanied by information covering the period with which it deals.
Teachers notes are provided. As with the map pages, these focus on the period from 500 BCE to 500 CE. They include suggested classroom strategies and student activities, for teachers to use or adapt as they see fit.
Flexible use
Both these resources – the slide show and the sequence of map pages – can be slotted in wherever the teacher wishes. For example, they can be used as an introduction to this era of world history, or in a “wrap up” session; or on their own as the primary resource for studying this topic.
Learning outcomes
On completing this unit, students should have a broad understanding of the history of Ancient India, including:
- The Aryan religion was an ancestral form of Hinduism, and included a belief in reincarnation and a social system based on castes.
- In the sixth and fifth centuries BCE, two new religions, Buddhism and Jainism, arose in India.
- In the fourth and early third centuries BCE the Maurya Empire grew to cover much of the Indian Subcontinent.
- The Maurya emperor Asoka was one of the outstanding rulers of world history.
- The Maurya empire was succeeded by many smaller states, and peoples from central Asia conquered large empires in the Subcontinent.
- Under the influence of Buddhism, Jainism and local cults, the old Vedic religion gradually evolved into modern Hinduism.
- Eventually the Gupta empire arose, in the third and fourth centuries CE. This was not as large as the Maurya empire, but it saw ancient Indian civilization reach its peak.
- The many great achievements of Ancient Indian civilization included developments in mathematics, astronomy, medicine, literature, art and of course religion.
A guarantee to teachers
If, after using this unit with your students, you don’t feel that this unit is a valid way of giving your students a broad understanding of this topic, please let us know by emailing us at the following address:
We will – no quibble – refund your fee and cancel your subscription.
Links summary
Teachers slide show commentary
Students slide show commentary