Analyze the Indus Valley Civilization (c. 3300-1300 BCE) — the world's largest Bronze-Age civilization by geographic extent (modern Pakistan + northwest India + Afghanistan), urban planning at Harappa and Mohenjo-daro (grid streets, drainage systems, the Great Bath), pottery, the undeciphered Indus script, and the still-debated reasons for its decline c. 1900 BCE
Exercise Difficulty 3 ~5 min hist.g6.f.ex_16

Short Response

MG-7 Interactive Physical / non-image

Ancient-World 6-Question Source Card — 8.5x11 laminated tool with 6 questions: (1) WHO made this source and WHEN? (sourcing); (2) WHAT was happening in this civilization at the time? (contextualization); (3) DOES this source agree or disagree with other sources from the same civilization or other civilizations? (corroboration); (4) WHAT does this source actually SAY (close reading); (5) WHO are the LIVING DESCENDANTS of this civilization today, and what do they say about this source? (NMAI-inspired 5th move); (6) WHO TRANSLATED this source from its ancient language? WHOSE INTERPRETATION are we reading? WHAT IS LIKELY MISSING from the source-record entirely (silences)? (World History Association-inspired 6th move). Scaffolded short-form for Lessons 3-7; full form for Lessons 11-21. Style: educator-tool, durable laminated card.

Prompt

Apply MG-7 6th-move SILENCES to the Indus Valley source-record: name 3 things that are MISSING from the historical record because the Indus script is undeciphered. Write 3 sentences.

How it's presented
mode text
Answer criteria
type rubric scored writing
rubric
3 stars: names 3 specific silences (e.g., the language spoken; names of cities and people; political organization; religious beliefs; literature; the people's own self-understanding). 2 stars: 2 silences. 1 star: 1. 0: 0.
Hints
  1. What do we know from Mesopotamia because we can read cuneiform? What is the equivalent NOT-known for Indus?
  2. What does it mean for a civilization's voices to be silent in the source-record?
Misconceptions to watch
  • Assuming the Indus script will eventually be deciphered like cuneiform
  • Treating undeciphered = unimportant
Used in lessons