One important process in human history was the transition from “hunter-gatherer” societies to settled “complex” civilizations. For this Milestone, you will identify the features of complex societies, analyze real historical examples, and discover how culture can shape civilizations.

Select ONE region to research from the list below:

East Asian Civilizations

Early American Civilizations

Islamic Civilizations

    • introduce the reader to the region you chose and explain what features your body paragraphs will cover.
      • Identify at least one of the major religions in the area. Introduce the origins of the religion and how it expanded throughout the region.
      • Investigate and describe the religion’s key teachings/beliefs, and any other interesting facts you discovered in your reading.
      • Identify one feature of complex civilizations (other than religion) that is evident in the region you chose – explain what the feature is, provide an example of the feature in the region, and evaluate why it is important to the region.
      • Select another feature of complex civilizations (other than religion) from the list you covered in class. Explain what the feature is, where it is evident in the region, and why it is important to the region.
    • Conclusion Paragraph – summarize the main strengths and weaknesses of the societies in the region you read about. Were these societies advanced enough to overpower others?
    • Identify and insert at least three images showing “culture” in the region you chose. You may locate images anywhere online, but you must include a citation and typed caption for each picture. The caption should explain what the image is and what it tells us about your region’s culture.
      Show culture from the historical era you read about (for example, if you read about the Americas, you would look at Incan/Mayan/Aztec or other native cultures, not American culture in the present day.