How was physical isolation an incredible opportunity for the ancient Egyptians, the Mayans of Mesoamerica, and the Medieval Japanese? Show your class three distinct civilizations that, while isolated from other nations, experienced great cultural success and achievement. Before presenting the video, try asking your young historians what they think the benefits of isolationism would be, and what physical circumstances could allow a society to remain isolated. 

Concepts

ancient egypt, ancient civilizations

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Additional Tags

ancient egypt, ancient maya, medieval japanese, social studies

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Pros

• Offers great connections between three distinct civilizations, and highlights their major cultural achievements and world contributions
• Opportunity to flip the video: create your own multiple choice and/or open answer questions to check for understanding, add additional resources, or create a discussion question for an online open forum (requires free online registration)

Cons

• None