Enhanced Scope and Sequence - Virginia Department of Education ...

Grade 3
Session 6: Resources of Long Ago____________________________________________________
Materials
Teacher-selected books that review ancient Greece, Rome, and the West African empire of Mali
World map and globe
Resource-chart (Attachment A)
Internet Scavenger Hunt (Attachment B)
Instructional Activities
1. Introduce the concept of specialization. Specialization occurs when people focus on the production of selected
goods and services.
2. Explain to the students that specialization is not a new concept. People in the ancient civilizations of Greece,
Rome, and the West African empire of Mali specialized as rulers, soldiers, builders, and farmers. They relied
on each other for certain goods and services. They traded the surplus of their resources for products and
services in short supply in their regions. The trading extended beyond their community, and different
resources were needed to produce the goods and services traded.
3. Point out to students, while using a map to show locations, that the West African empire of Mali traded with
Egypt and Europe. They traded gold for salt.
4. Read teacher-selected books that review ancient Greece and Rome, and the West African empire of Mali.
5. Share information from one of the books that explains how ancient Greece and Rome focused on building
ships, farming, and making pottery (their specializations).
6. Share information from one of the books that tells how Greeks and Romans traded their goods with Egypt and
other nearby communities.
7. Share information from one of the books that tells how some people in the empire of Mali specialized in
protecting the empire, while others specialized in growing food (their specializations).
8. Share information from one of the books that describes how the people of Mali traded salt for gold with
others.
9. Have students make a chart (see attachment A) of the different types of resources found in ancient Greece,
Rome, and the West African empire of Mali or complete the Internet Scavenger Hunt (attachment B).
2010 History and Social Science Standards of Learning Enhanced Scope and Sequence
Virginia Department of Education 94