Provide a metaview, lifting students into a wider view of the concept. Use another medium (not reading or writing) to connect students' personal knowing to the concept (i.e. visual arts, music, movement, metaphor, etc.) Involve learners in reflective production that blends the emotional and the cognitive.

Move from personal histories to a bigger idea about perspective, worldview.

Objective:For students to see that civilizations, just like individuals, have a perspective (worldview) which shapes their institutions and societal development.

Activity: There are 2 activities recommended here to help move you from the personal histories to a bigger idea about perspective/worldview.
1. Examine a series of paintings found in your textbook. This can be done with any history text or art text. You need to find paintings from the early medieval, Renaissance and 20th Century which offer totally different perspectives on what is important in art and society. For examply, the early medieval will not be concerned with perspective or realistic portrayals of humans. In the Renaissance, perspective and proportion will be important. If you select a 20th century work like Picasso’s Guernica, you will find distortion.
The textbook I use, World History: Connections to the Today, (Prentice-Hall) has good pictures on p. 232, 350 and 790. Ask the students to determine what the artist was trying to say in the painting. What seems to be important to the artist? What evidence would you use? The goal in this exercise is that students will see how art reflects different worldvies, much like the personal histories did.
2. For homework, have students fill out a “Logos” sheet: America, 1999. On this sheet they must list (with support) what they believe to be the song, TV show, movie and sport which are most representative of America today. They should also ask their parents to fill this out. The next day in groups, they should share their lists and then the group should create a composite visual: America, 1999. This will cause considerable discussion in the groups and get the students to begin to see how a worldview could be analyzed at a national level. (A variation of this would be for the students to bring in materials for the creation of a time capsule. In groups, the students would discuss what items would best represent American society to a future generation of Americans).

Assessment: Ask each student for a written explanation of what he/she took away from these activities. In that way you will be able to evaluate how well the concept of perspective/worldview is being internalized before you get into the study of the civilizations