|
Key Words |
Hand Motions |
| 1.
Ready, begin |
1. Make
fists, palms facing each other, then place one on top
of the other. Stand at right back of the room, facing
the front of the classroom and say # 1. |
| 2.
Tigris- Euphrates |
2. Wave
open hands, first the right, then the left, like a river,
saying #2. |
| 3.
Scatter |
3. Open
a fisted hand (palm down), extending fingers forward,
say #3. |
| 4.
1,2,3,4 |
4. As you count,
take large steps to move to front left of room. |
| 5.
Ice Age |
5. At left front,
wrap arms around self as if shaking with cold, say #5. |
| 6.
Paleolithic |
6. Still in front
of the classroom, face away from the class. Hold your
hands up over your head, a little to the left, palms
facing each other inward as you say "Paleolithic." This
indicates a timeline, so students see that Paleolithic
comes first on the timeline. |
| 7.
Germany |
7. Face the class
at the front area. Point to a spot in front of you to
indicate Germany (left front on map of classroom) as
you say #7. |
| 8.
Neanderthal |
8. Pretend to hit
a chisel with a hammer; say #8. (Simple tools age) |
| 9.
Mesolithic |
9. With your back
to the class, hands over head in the middle, palms facing
each other, say #9, the next era on the timeline. |
| 10.
France |
10. Point to area
on your "map", representing France and say #10. |
| 11.
Cro-Magnon |
11. Pretend to hold
a tool to draw (Cro-Magnons, characterized as artists). |
| 12.
Neolithic |
12. With your back
to the class, hold hands over head, palms facing inward,
a little to the right, to indicate a timeline change
for next items. |
| 13.
1st Cities |
13. Walk to your
left as you face the class, and hold up one finger,
say #13. |
| 14.
Mesopotamia, China |
14. Point to Mesopotamia
between two rows at the back of the classroom and then
point to far wall as face class (your left as you face
the class) to indicate China. |
| 15. Bronze Age |
15. With your back
to the class, raise hands above your head, palms facing,
placed to far right, indicating the next age. |
| 16. 1st Empires, AAB |
16. Face class and hold up
one finger; say #16. |
| 17.A, A, B: Ak'kad, Assyria,
Babylonia |
17. Fold arms, as if you are
a great emperor; say #17 as you nod your head, saying
each empire's name.(Tell students that "AAB" indicates
the first letters of the 1st three empires). |
| 18. Other Civilizations |
18. Point to your two eyes
with your hands, then point to your mouth. Explain that
the next 3 words start with I, I and E; India, Israel
and Egypt. Pointing to the eyes is for the first two
I's and pointing to your mouth indicates "eat", representing
the "E" for Egypt. |
| 19. India |
19. Point to one eye and then
point to the left, indicating India. |
| 20. Israel |
20. Point to your other eye,
then point to the middle of the room, indicating the
location of Israel on your "map". |
| 21. Egypt |
21. Point to your mouth and
then to the middle back area for Egypt. |
| 22. Iron Age |
22. With your back to the
class, raise hands above your head, palms facing, placed
to far right, indicating the Iron Age. |
| 23. HB AH KE
AK BAP Hittites conquer Babylon; Assyrians conquer Hittites;
Kush conquers Egypt; Assyrians conquer Kush
|
23. Pronounced
as "Hib Ah Key Ahk". Draw a picture on the board to
explain this key phrase. Draw a stick picture of a guy
holding an iron bar, hitting a picture of a key. The
key says "AK!" The bat makes the sound "BAP".
Instruct students to visualize this image when they
say the key phrase, "Hb Ah Ke Ak BAP". Explain that
the letters will remind them of the first letters for
each of the conquering empires. Write the phrase on
the board to help them understand the concept, HB AH
KE AK. Hit one fist on top of the other as you say each
pair of letters. BAP means Babylonia and Persia conquer
all. |
| 24. Persian
Empire |
24. Move your hand, palm down,
from the Mesopotamian area to Greece on your "map",
indicating the lands the Persians conquered. |
| 25. Confucianism,
Buddhism, Hinduism |
25. Place fingertips
and thumbs together to form a diamond shape, as if meditating. |
| 26. Greece |
26. Run your hand through
your hair as if "greasing" it.
|
| 27. Minoans |
27. Put your index fingers
up on head to look like horns of a bull. |
| 28. Mycenaeans |
28. Get down on the floor
on all fours, representing the Trojan horse. (Humbling,
but it works!) |
| 29. Dark Age
of Greece |
29. Cover your eyes with your
hands to indicate the Dark Age of Greece. |
| 30. Golden Age
of Greece |
30. Form a "sun" with your
hands above your head for the Golden Age. |
| 31. Alexander
the Great |
31. Wave hand, palm down,
from Greece to Egypt, to Mesopotamia, then hit fists
together, indicating areas he conquered. |
| 32. Rome |
32. Put hands behind back,
stroll ("roam") from Greece to Italy on map. (Historians
think Greeks were first Romans). |
| 33. Etruscans |
33. Form an arch with your
hands, representing their invention. |
| 34. Republic
of Rome |
34. Make halo over head, then
throw hands down to show Rome getting rid of kings.
Then raise a finger in the air to indicate liberty. |
| 35. Three Punic
Wars |
35. Hold up three fingers
as you say #35. |
| 36. More wars |
36. Rub forefinger on thumb,
indicating the wealth that came from wars. |
| 37. Caesar |
37. Hold palm up in front
of your body in a "hail Caesar" motion. |
| 38. Republic
falls |
38. Have right arm up and
point index finger, then bring arm down. |
| |
The next step will be for
7th grade social studies - It revisits ancient Rome, beginning
with Ceasar. |