Using the Indian Ocean in World History Website Throughout the Year: A Planning & Project Guide

Author: Susan L. Douglass
This lesson describes several methods and extension activities for integrating the free online resource www.indianoceanhistory.org in the world history, world cultures, or world geography classroom over the course of the entire year. Students investigate primary source entries in image and text that provide evidence of trade and other interactions in the Indian Ocean region. Aids to analyzing them employ scaffolding questions about each type of primary source that are accessed from the Indian Ocean map pages in any era, by clicking on the icons on the map key. Students work together and/or contribute to whole-class discussion in order to relate the conclusions of their analysis to other primary source evidence on the site from the same era, or to evidence from other eras. They learn to draw conclusions about the nature of trade, migration, technological advancement, and other interactions during each period by identifying elements of continuity and change. As they repeat this procedure for subsequent eras, they will be able to compare and contrast activity in the Indian Ocean region over time, and develop an elaborate picture of the significance of this region in world history, employing a wide range of historical evidence to make their argument. Extension activities at several levels of difficulty, using traditional materials or electronic media are provided at the end of the lesson.

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K-12
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AP