The following standards from the National Standards for the Social Studies (2/98) are addressed in Odyssey Online:


Grades 5-6


Standard 3: Understands the major characteristics of civilization and the development of civilizations in Mesopotamia, Egypt and the Indus Valley
  • Understands influences on the development of various civilizations in the 4th and 3rd millennia BCE
  • Understands the characteristics of writing forms in Mesopotamia, Egypt and the Indus Valley and how written records shaped political, legal, religious and cultural life
  • Understands how economic, political and environmental factors influenced the civilizations of Mesopotamia, Egypt and the Indus Valley

Standard 5: Understands the political, social, and cultural consequences of population movements and militarization in Eurasia in the second millennium BCE
  • Understands characteristics of the Mycenaean Greek society and culture

Standard 6: Understands major trends in Eurasia and Africa from 4000 to 1000 BCE
  • Knows areas of Eurasia and Africa where cities and dense farming populations appeared and understands the connection between the spread of agriculture and the acceleration of world population growth
  • Understands how new ideas, products, techniques and institutions spread from one region to another and the conditions under which people assimilated or rejected new ideas or adapted them to cultural traditions

Standard 7: Understands technological and cultural innovation and change from 1000 to 600 BCE
  • Understands the development of Greek city-states
  • Understands geographic and architectural features of Egypt and Kush

Standard 8: Understands how Aegean civilization emerged and how interrelations developed among peoples of the Eastern Mediterranean and Southwest Asia from 600 to 200 BCE
  • Understands the social and political characteristics of Greek city-states
  • Understands the major cultural elements of Greek society
  • Understands significant military developments of the Persian Empire
  • Understands Alexander's achievements as a military and political leader
Standard 9: Understands how major religious and large-scale empires arose in the Mediterranean Basin,
  • China and India from 500 BCE to 300 CE
  • Understands the origin and social framework of Roman society
  • Understands shifts in the political and social framework of Roman society
  • Understands events in the rise of Christianity
Standard 11: Understands major global trends from 1000 BCE to 300 CE
  • Knows the different forms of slavery or coerced labor in various empires
  • Understands how new religious or ethical systems contributed to cultural integration of large regions of Afro-Eurasia


Grades 7-8


Standard 3: Understands the major characteristics of civilization and the development of civilizations in Mesopotamia, Egypt and the Indus Valley
  • Understands environmental and cultural factors that shaped the development of Mesopotamia, Egypt and the Indus Valley
  • Understands the role of economics in shaping the development of Mesopotamia, Egypt and the Indus Valley
Standard 5: Understands the political, social, and cultural consequences of population movements and militarization in Eurasia in the second millennium BCE
  • Understands the development of the Indo-European language
  • Understands significant individuals and events in Egyptian civilization
  • Understands significant events in the development of Mycenaean culture
Standard 6: Understands major trends in Eurasia and Africa from 4000 to 1000 BCE
  • Understands the emergence of civilization in Southwest Asia, the Nile valley, India, China and the Eastern Mediterranean and how they represented a decisive transformation in human history
  • Knows the fundamental inventions, discoveries, techniques and institutions that appeared from 4000 to 1000 BCE and understands the significance of bronze technology for economic, cultural and political life
  • Understands the concept of a patriarchal society and the ways in which the legal and customary positions of aristocratic, urban or peasant women may have changed in early civilizations
  • Understands the concept of "civilization"
Standard 7: Understands technological and cultural innovation and change from 1000 to 600 BCE
  • Understands the role of technology in societies of Southwest Asia and the Mediterranean region
  • Understands characteristics of the Assyrian and Babylonian Empires
  • Knows the location of significant Greek city-states and colonies and reasons for their establishment
Standard 8: Understands how Aegean civilization emerged and how interrelations developed among peoples of the Eastern Mediterranean and Southwest Asia from 600 to 200 BCE
  • Understands the political framework of Athenian society
  • Understands the role of art, literature and mythology in Greek society
  • Understands the characteristics of Persian founding, expansion and political organization
  • Understands elements of Alexander of Macedon's legacy
  • Understands the impact and achievements of the Hellenistic period
  • Understands the evolution, inherent advantages and disadvantages of major governmental systems in Greek city-states in the 6th and 5th centuries BCE
  • Understands comparisons of the creation myths of Sumer, Babylon, Egypt, Greece
Standard 9: Understands how major religious and large-scale empires arose in the Mediterranean Basin, China and India from 500 BCE to 300 CE
  • Understands the significant individuals and achievements of Roman society
  • Understands influences on the economic and political framework of Roman society
  • Understands the status and role of women in Roman society
  • Understands the influence of Christian beliefs on political, social and cultural aspects of society
Standard 11: Understands major global trends from 1000 BCE to 300 CE
  • Understands the concept and importance of "classical civilization"
  • Understands the development of large regional empires


Grades 9-12


Standard 3: Understands the major characteristics of civilization and the development of civilizations in Mesopotamia, Egypt and the Indus Valley
  • Understands influences on the social and economic framework of Mesopotamia, Egypt and the Indus Valley
  • Understands how written codes and stories reflect social conditions in Mesopotamia, Egypt and the Indus Valley
  • Understands features of the trading networks in Mesopotamia, Egypt and the Indus Valley
Standard 5: Understands the political, social, and cultural consequences of population movements and militarization in Eurasia in the second millennium BCE
  • Understands the beliefs and accomplishments of Mesopotamia and Egyptian rulers
  • Understands the characteristics of Mycenaean society
  • Understands the emergence and militarization of new kingdoms
Standard 6: Understands major trends in Eurasia and Africa from 4000 to 1000 BCE
  • Understands connections between cultural achievements and the development of political and economic institutions
Standard 7: Understands technological and cultural innovation and change from 1000 to 600 BCE
  • Understands how the implementation of laws and the spread of languages influenced societies of the Mediterranean Basin and Southwest Asia
Standard 8: Understands how Aegean civilization emerged and how interrelations developed among peoples of the Eastern Mediterranean and Southwest Asia from 600 to 200 BCE
  • Understands the legacy of Greek thought and government
  • Knows significant Greek writings, literature and mythology
  • Understands the major events and the significance of the Persian Wars
  • Understands the Persian religious beliefs
  • Understands the characteristics of religion, gender and philosophy in the Hellenistic era
  • Understands how Sumerian, Egyptian and Greek societies saw themselves in relation to their gods and how attitudes toward women are indicated in representations of their goddesses
Standard 9: Understands how major religious and large-scale empires arose in the Mediterranean Basin, China and India from 500 BCE to 300 CE
  • Understands shifts in the political framework of Roman society
  • Understands the spread of Christianity and how it related to other belief systems
  • Understands the political, commercial and cultural uses of Latin and Greek as universal languages of the roman Empire
  • Understands the political legacy of Roman society.
Standard 11: Understands major global trends from 1000 BCE to 300 CE
  • Knows the fundamentals of iron metallurgy and understands the economic, cultural, and political significance of iron technology in Eurasia and Africa
  • Understands patterns of social and cultural continuity in various societies

© Michael C. Carlos Museum of Emory University,
Memorial Art Gallery of the University of Rochester and Dallas Museum of Art
For more information please contact odyssey@emory.edu.
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