In the Ancient Civilisations project, Year 4 will learn about three of the earliest civilisations in the world: ancient Sumer, ancient Egypt and the Indus Valley civilisation. We will study the ancient Sumerian and ancient Egyptian civilisation in detail, to discover how crucial factors like water sources and farming helped them to develop and thrive. Year 4 will find out about important inventions and the growth of cities. We will also study the lives of different people in society, including the roles of kings and pharaohs. The children will reflect on their learning by identifying the similarities and differences between the two civilisations, before studying the Indus Valley civilisation independently. Year 4 will explore sources of evidence about the location of the Indus Valley, cities and trade, and note the reasons why historians know less about the Indus Valley than other ancient civilisations. The children will then compare all three civilisations, before learning about the causes and consequences of each civilisation’s decline. We will also consider whether or not these civilisations left a lasting legacy.