Expanding the Ancient World Workshop:

This workshop will take place online; a Zoom link will be provided via email to registered participants.

Registration is required at THIS LINK.

Expanding the Ancient World is a series of professional development workshops and online resources for teachers. Keyed to the NYC Department of Education Social Studies Scope and Sequence, this program is designed to offer K-12 educators opportunities to develop their knowledge of the ancient world and to provide classroom-ready strategies for teaching the past with reliable sources. Featuring inquiry-based workshops, flexible lesson plans, and up-to-date research, Expanding the Ancient World aims to equip teachers with information and skills that they can share with their students. CTLE credits will be offered to New York State teachers.

Writing is such an integral part of our everyday lives that it is difficult to imagine how we could live without it. But just like so many of the other technologies that have become essential to us, writing had to be invented. Scholars studying the ancient past have discovered that writing was invented independently in four different places: in Mesopotamia (in modern-day Iraq) around 3300-3200 BCE; in ancient Egypt around 3200 BCE; in ancient China around 1200 BCE; and in ancient Mesoamerica (in modern-day Mexico) around 1000 BCE. In this workshop, we will focus on the invention of writing in Mesopotamia. First, we will trace the development of writing in Mesopotamia, starting from the earliest examples of clay tokens and pictographic signs, moving through the development of the cuneiform script, and ending with the blossoming of Mesopotamian literature. Next, we will explore how ancient Mesopotamian scribes wrote, stored, and organized information on clay tablets through interactive activities. Finally, we will reflect on and discuss the impact of writing on ancient Mesopotamian society, art, and culture.

Workshop led by Abigail Hoskins (Visiting Research Scholar, ISAW).

Participants will receive 1.5 CTLE hours.

If you have any questions regarding the Expanding the Ancient World program please email ETAW@nyu.edu.

Please check isaw.nyu.edu for event updates.

ISAW is committed to providing a positive and educational experience for all guests and participants who attend our public programming. We ask that all attendees follow the guidelines listed in our community standards policy.