Theme Based Social Studies Unit PlanPrepared For: UC.EDU.3040Instructor: Sheri ObermanDate: March 1, 2011Submitted By: Krystle Robinson, #9793424

World History: Societies of the PastEarly Societies of Mesopotamia, Egypt or the Indus Valley

Grade 8 , Cluster 2

SOCIAL STUDIES UNIT OUTLINE

Grade 8, Cluster 2: World History: Scoieties of the PastEarly Societies of Mesopotamia, Egypt or the Indus Valley

Unit Introduction

Theme

This unit of study will look at early civilizations and their significance. Students will learn about the natural environment of these societies and what it would have been like to live in an early society. Students will also explore communication and are of early societies to help them gain understanding of contemporary life. As suggested in the Recommended Learning Resources guide, the class will explore life in one early society selected from a choice of Mesopotamia, Egypt, or the Indus Valley. For the purposes of this unit, the focus will be on Mesopotamia. (As stated directly from the Manitoba Education and Training (2003) Curriculum guidelines)

Personal Connections

I had the opportunity to teach a mini-unit in this cluster during my second teaching placement. This cluster offers many opportunities for students to learn through art, writing and self-exploration.

Unit Goals

The goals of this unit in relation to social studies curriculum documents include: Develop an understanding of early civilizations and their contributions to the modern day Gain appreciation for the significance of early societies and their ideas and technologies Become familiar with the people, landforms, art and culture of an early society

Unit Overview

This Unit will be delivered over a three-four week period with 5 comprehensive lessons that cover the main cluster content, Early Societies of Mesopotamia, Egypt or the Indus Valley Cluster 2, required for the Manitoba Education and Training Grade 8 Social Studies curriculum.

Lesson Specific Outcomes

Lesson 1 Overview of Early CivilizationsDuration: 3-40 minutes classes

-Identify defining characteristics of societies in Mesopotamia, Egypt, the Indus Valley or China from 3500 to 500 BCE-Appreciate the historical significance of early societies

Lesson 2 Interaction with the Natural Environment

Duration: 3- 40 minute classes

-Locate major landforms, bodies of water and population clusters on a map-Give examples of the influence of the natural environment on the ways of life in an early society -Describe technologies and tools in an early society of Mesopotamia-appreciate the ideas and technologies of early societies

Lesson 3 Living in an Early SocietyDuration: 3 – 40 minute classes

-Describe life for various groups in an early society of Mesopotamia-Identify people, events and ideas of people in Mesopotamia-Describe governance in an early society of Mesopotamia

Lesson 4 Communication and Art in Early SocietyDuration: 3 – 40 minute classes

-Describe the art, architecture, and science of an early society of Mesopotamia-Describethe impace and significance of the development of writing in an early society of Mesopotamia-Value the study of early societies as a way of understanding contemporary life.

Lesson 5 Culminating Unit ActivityDuration: 4-5 – 40 minute classes

-Students will create a Classroom Mesopotamia Newspaper. You may wish to integrate this activity into Language Arts and Art class to give students ample time to complete it.

Each lesson will cover specific outcomes (outlined on the previous page) as identified in the Manitoba Education and Training (2003) Kindergarten to Grade 8 Social Studies: Manitoba Curriculum of Framework Outcomes.

The philosophical approach used in developing this unit supports inquiry-based delivery. Students will have the opportunity to investigate, explore, discuss, and interact through class discussions, small and large groups, and hands-on learning activities. Students will develop and construct an understanding of early societies through active participation in lesson activities and hands-on learning opportunities.

Engaging Students in the Cluster

Suggested Classroom Activities

(As prescribed in the Grade 8, Cluster 2 World History: Societies of the Past, A Foundation for Implementation Guide, available at: http://www.edu.gov.mb.ca/k12/cur/socstud/foundation_gr8/cluster2.pdf )

Create a writing centre, displaying a variety of ancient writing styles and materials for students to practice various styles

Display picture books illustrating architecture and artifacts from Mesopotamia

View videos related to the societies to be studied

Create a Seven Wonders of the World centre, with images of the ancient wonders:

o Great Pyramid of Gizao Hanging Gardensof Babylono Statue of Zeus at Olympiao Temple of Artemis at Ephesuso Mausoleum at Halicarnassuso Colossus of Rhodeso Lighthouse of Alexandria

For more activities, visit the link above for a complete listing.

Additional Unit Resources:

World History Resources- http://chnm.gmu.edu/worldhistorysources/r/355/whm.htmlIncludes links to online lesson plans and interactive classroom activities including video clips and archives.

Videos on The Epic of Gilgamesh-Part 1 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BHInCYIGq3EPart 2- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PxauXl43eG4&feature=related

Dig Into History, Mesopotamia Game- http://mesopotamia.lib.uchicago.edu/interactives/index.html

Video- Mesopotamia- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w8v2vRlLL58&feature=related

LESSON PLAN #1GLO # 8.2.1 Overview of Early Civilizations

Title of lesson: Overview of Early Civilizations Audience: Grade 8

Purpose: Introduce students to the early civilization of Mesopotamia.

Learning outcome(s) :KG-038 Identify defining characteristics of societies of MesopotamiaVH-009 Appreciate the historical significance of early societiesKL-023 Locate on a map the major landforms, bodies of water and

population clustersKH-029 Identify people, events and ideas of the early society of

Mesopotamia

Materials

Classroom Map or Individual Atlas’ Internet Access BLM 8.2.1 f – Event Cards (1 set only) Index cards

Bridge-in (Activate)

1st Class- Introduce the unit by guiding students to locate the ancient societies of Mesopotamia, Egypt and Indus Valley on either a classroom map or with individual student atlas’. Explain to students that these societies existed from 3500 BCE to 500 BCE. Discuss with students the location of the Middle East explaining the present day culture which currently exists.

Next, go through the unit outline with students, discussing what they will learn about in each lesson and the culminating activity they will complete at the end of the unit. Also introduce students to the various classroom displays (see suggested activities above) that have been setup for students to explore, to further develop their understanding of ancient civilizations.

Show video to introduce Mesopotamia: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w8v2vRlLL58&feature=related (approx. 9 minutes)

Input from you

Next, show students the powerpoint on Introduction to Mesopotamia. Some questions to discuss while going through the powerpoint: 1) Compare our current government to the one back then- how are they different; How are our diets different? How has their technology and writing system influenced how we live today? (10-15 minutes approx)

Guided practice (application of knowledge:)

Acquire

Timelines- Using the BLM 8.2.1 f: Developments in Early Civilizations- Event Cards ( 2 pages), have students create timelines of the historical period from 3500 BCE to 500 BCE. Do this activity as a class rather than independently to create one large timeline to go up in the classroom. (10 minutes approx)

Read: The first half of the textbook chapter on Mesopotamia. As a class, have students take turns reading aloud.

2nd- class

Introduce the idea of ancient stories. Ask students if they have ever read an a myth or legend. Talk about the Epic of Gilgamesh—it is regarded as the oldest written story on Earth. Written in cuneiform script on 12 clay tablets in ancient Sumeria, it describes the adventures of the King Uruk circa 2750 to 2500 BCE.

Show Video- Part 1 and 2 of the Epic of Gilgamesh (approx 20 mins).

Brainstorm & Class discussion- on the board, brainstorm as a class. Who was Gilgamesh? Why is this legend important? What was his contribution to the ancient civilization?

3rd-class

Read the last part of the chapter on Mesopotamia.

Closure

Apply

Jeopardy activity-Have students each write 5 questions on the Mesopotamia chapter. They can come up with different questions that they will later answer in the jeopardy game. Questions should cover all the sub areas in the chapter. Ensure that students are not writing the same questions (rotate through class to check). There needs to be approximately 30-45 questions related to each area. Once students have completed this activity, the questions can betaped on the board in categories and the class can play jeopardy together. This activity will help reinforce what they have learnt.

Check for understanding

Does everyone understand the assignment?

Assessment

The Jeopardy game will be used for students to self-assess their learning.

Adaptations

Read through sections of the chapter at different times, rather than reading through the whole chapter at once.

Lesson 1 Resources

LESSON PLAN #2GLO # 8.2.2 Interaction with the Natural Environment

Title of lesson: Interaction with the Natural Environment Audience: Grade 8

Purpose: Have students become familiar with the Natural environments of Mesopotamia and understand how the environments influenced ways of life. Have students describe and develop an appreciation for the tools and technologies in the early society of Mesopotamia.

Learning outcome(s) :KL-024 Give examples of the influence of the natural environment on

ways of life in an early society of MEsopotamiaVE-017 Appreciate the ideas and technologies of early societiesKL-023 Locate on a map the major landforms, bodies of water and

population clustersKE-054 Describe the technologies and tools in an early society of

Mesopotamia

Materials

Class Jeopardy game Internet Access BLM 8.2.2 a– What is Technology sheet (one for each student) BLM 8.2.2 c- Note-Taking Frame (one for each student) Photographs of artifacts

Bridge-in (Activate)

1st Class- Jeopardy Activity- as a class, play the jeopardy game students created. Use the game to reintroduce what was learnt in the previous lesson and activate prior learning. (20 minutes)

Group Activity- Using the information acquired in Lesson one, have students get into groups. Have each group generate a lsit of what they know about significant technological achievements of this historical period. Based on the list, have them generate questions about their selected society. (Example: What types of irrigation systems did the Mesopotamians use?) (20 minutes)

Input from you

As a class share the questions generated in each group. Review any necessary key concepts from previous section and introduce this lesson. Discuss the idea of how we interact with our environment.

Guided practice (application of knowledge:)

Acquire

2nd- class

Group Activity- break students into different groups than previous. Using BLM 8.2.2a, have each group develop a definition of technology. Groups will share their definitions and, as a class, discuss the role of technology in early societies and the enduring impact of these technologies on later societies.(

Dig Into History Quest-

As a class, play the dig into history quest, using the link below. The goal of the game is to try and locate artifacts of ancient Mesopotamia. The game highlights the many technologies and tools used and created by the Mesopotamia citizens. You are challenged by the fact that the game has a time component. This game is very interactive and once you discover an artifact you are quizzed about the year, location, type and other stuff. (approx 30 minutes)

http://mesopotamia.lib.uchicago.edu/interactives/index.html

3rd- class

Apply

Individual activity- Using a photography of an artifact (supplied by teacher), students create a reproduction of that artifact. Students design an accompanying museum information board showcasing and explaining their artifacts. For time sensitivity, you may choose to have students simply draw the artifact or use the picture provided and only create an information write up on the artifact. You may also choose to have student replicate artifact with paper mache in art class, or using clay or other modeling materials.

You may wish to use the Mesopotamia Museum link as it already has pre-selected artifact photos and sample descriptions. You may choose to use these and just have students recreate a larger version for the bulletin board. http://mesopotamia.lib.uchicago.edu/interactives/curate.php

Closure

Individual Activity- have students complete BLM 8.2.2c – Note-Taking Frame Technologies of an Ancient Society. Have students complete worksheet to review the environment and technologies of this ancient society.

Assessment

BLM 8.2.2c will be used as partial assessment. Students participation and level of knowledge will also be observed during the review of the Jeopardy game.

Lesson 2 Resources

LESSON PLAN #3GLO # 8.2.3 Living in an Early Society

Title of lesson: Living in an Early Society Audience: Grade 8

Purpose: Have students examine the daily life of various groups in Mesopotamia and be able to describe the social structure, government and religion in this society.

Learning outcome(s) :Kl-013 Describe life for various groups in an early society of

MesopotamiaKH-029 Identify people, events and ideas in an early society of

MesopotamiaKP-045 Describe governance in an early society of Mesopotamia

Materials

Internet access **Book Kitchen Cooking room for 1 class

Ingredients needed: flour, water and salt Bread recipe (copy for each student) Mesopotamia powerpoint Pre-class- Teacher creates a word splash on the wall, using the BLM 8.2.3b sheet as a guideline.

Bridge-in (Activate)

1st Class- As a class, discuss why they think slavery arose as a social practice in almost all ancient civilizations. Refer back to the chart on social structure in the Mesopotamia powerpoint. Following the discussion, have students write a short reflection and have them hand it in when completed. (appox. 15 mins)

Input from you

Group Activity- As a class, using the BLM 8.2.3b Word Splash that has been created on a wall of the classroom, have students use the wordsplash to prompt their thinking. Have students independently generate questions about life in Mesopotamia. Discuss the questions as a class. (Approx 20 mins)

Guided practice (application of knowledge:)

Acquire

2nd- class

Whole Class Activity- Cooking

Refer back to the powerpoint on Mesopotamia to discuss the kinds of food back in ancient civilizations. Next, read through this website: http://www.enotes.com/food-encyclopedia/mesopotamia-ancientIt discusses and lists different foods they ate and how they made them.

Next, take students to a cooking kitchen in the school- Handout a recipe of Ancient-style of bread to each student. Have students get into groups of four. Guiding the entire class, have each group make the bread recipe and bake it for the required time. Interesting fact: salaries of the workers were often paid in bread.

Apply

3rd-class

Individual Activity- have students develop a narrative that creatively depicts life in their selected early society of Mesopotamia. Students may share their stories in an oral storytelling session.

Closure

Whole Class- Compare and contract living in early society to today. Compare governance, technology, food, etc. Write students answers on the board for all to see. Have students record in their notebook.

Assessment

Have students hand-in their reflection, the questions they created from the word splash activity and their narrative.

Lesson 3 Resources

LESSON PLAN #4GLO # 8.2.4 Communication and Art in an Early Society

Title of lesson: Communication and Art in an Early Society Audience: Grade 8

Purpose: Have students view images, art and architecture, understand the significance of the development of writing and value the importance of ancient socieities in understanding present day life. Students will become familiar with specific forms of writing used in newspapers, learn how to read newspapers and become familiar with information contained in different sections of newspapers.

Learning outcome(s) :Kl-014 Describe the art, architecture, and science of MesopotamiaKH-030 Describe the impact and significance of the development of

writing in an early society of MesopotamiaVH-010 Value the study of early societies as a way of understanding

contemporary life.ELA GLO #4 Enhance clarity and artistry of communication

Materials

Internet access to websites below Blank paper ( 8 ½” x 11”) Colored construction paper Markers, crayons, pencil crayons Newspapers (local, free press) Lesson 1 – Newspaper self-check (for everyone) Mesopotamia Questionnaire – (1 for each student)

Bridge-in (Activate)

1st Class-

Visit the website below to show students images showing samples of writing in early societies. http://www.historian.net/hxwrite.htmhttp://www.ancientscripts.com/sumerian.htmlhttp://www.isle.k12.mn.us/highschool/ernest/AncCiv/Barley/examples.htm (Cuneiform writing samples**)

Have students discuss similarities and differences as a class.

Guided practice (application of knowledge:)

Acquire

2nd- class

Cuneiform Writing Activity

- Using the internet, have each student take a turn typing their name and initials into the the “Write Like a Bablyonian” website: http://www.penn.museum/cgi/cuneiform.cgi

Have students print their monogram.

Using the mongram, have each student recreate it on a blank sheet of paper ( 8 ½ ” x 11). They should take time to make this a neat piece of work with careful detail. Once complete, they may choose to color it. Once complete they can mount it on a piece of colored contruction paper and then hand it in to be displayed on the bulletin board.

Apply

3rd-class

Introduction to Culminating Activity- Students will be arranged into groups. They will create a historical newspaper set in an early society. The newspaper will include sections such as news, religion, art, science and technology. Before beginning this activity, students need to learn about newspapers with the following activities:

1) Whole-class brainstorm- activate students knowledge by checking to see what they already know about newspapers; draw a mind map illustrating students knowledge.

2) Handout newspapers to the class- have them spend 10 minutes looking through the paper to see how it is organized.

3) Have students complete the Lesson 1 –self-check on newspaper, the wordsearch and crossword.

Closure

Review as a class, the structure of a newspaper. Have students start thinking about the section they would like to work on. Students will be grouped the next lesson according to the section they wish to create.

Review: Have students complete the Mesopotamia Questionnaire (their review). Alot atleast 20 minutes.

Assessment

Have students hand-in their Lesson 1 Newspaper self-check and Mesopotamia Questionnaire.

Lesson 4 Resources

LESSON PLAN #5Culminating Activity

Title of lesson: Mesopotamia Newspapers Audience: Grade 8

Purpose: Have students become familiar with newspapers and apply all of their learning throughout the unit to create a Classroom newspaper set in ancient Mesopotamia civilization. Students will work cooperatively with peers and become familiar with the process of peer editing and review.

Learning outcome(s)

GLO #4 Communication and Art in an early societyVH-010 Value the study of early societies as a way of understanding

contemporary life.ELA GLO #4 Enhance clarity and artistry of communication

Materials

News story planner handout News paper Section marking criteria Grade 8 Revision Checklist Large blank white paper. Lesson 6 self-check (for class) Group checklist (1 copy for teacher)

Bridge-in (Activate)

1st Class-

5W’s- Talk to the class about the who, what, where, when and why of a news story. Ask for students to give examples of each and jot ideas on board.

Handout the News story planner worksheet for them to reference to. Go through the sheet, explaining to students that when they plan their news stories, they will complete this sheet.

Assignment instructions:

Explain to students that they will complete a Mesopotamia Newspaper as a class. The class will be divided into groups of approximately 5. There should be atleast 2 people in each group. Each group will pick or be assigned a section of the newspaper to complete (technology, news, art, science, fashion, classified, etc). These sections should reflect how things were in Mesopotamia. (Ex. Technology might feature the development of the tire).

For each section, each student in that group will contribute by writing 1 article and draw atleast 1 illustration to accompany the article. Students should put as much effort into their work as possible as this assignment is meant to demonstrate their learning from their unit of study on Mesopotamia.

Once each group has fully completed their section, they will be combined and put together to form the classroom newspaper.

Remind students that they will be marked on individual and group effort.

Handout- Handout the Newspaper Section marking criteria to students. Go through each criteria to ensure students have a clear understanding of the assignment expectations. Have students keep this sheet with them as they work on their articles and sections, to self-assess the work they are doing.

Groups- have students get into groups and begin to develop their section. Students should spend the remaining class time to start planning their section as a group and begin a draft copy of their newstory.

Guided practice (application of knowledge:)

Acquire

2nd- class

Bridge-In: check for clarification and understanding of what student’s are to be doing. Review the assignment guidelines and marking criteria.

Have students get into their groups and continue to work on their sections. Students should be working on their draft article and illustration. Handout the Grade 8 Revision Checklist as a guideline for students writing.

As students complete pieces of their writing, have them peer review anothers work to check for clarity, punctuation, grammar, spelling and provide any other feedback.

Apply

3rd—4th class (extend to 5 classes if necessary)

Have students regroup.

Once students draft articles have been peer reviewed, have students work on their good copy. Once the good copy is complete, have students continue to work on the graphics, ads, comics, etc for their section.

Once each member of the group has completed their article and illustrations, the group will compile them into a section for the final newspaper. Once each section is complete, they will all be compiled to form the newspaper.

***Class presentation: upon final completion of the class newspaper, each group will briefly present their section to the class. Presentations should be not more than 5 minutes each.

Closure

Have students complete the Lesson 6 self-check. Explain to them that this is their final feedback on what they have learnt in this unit of study.

Assessment

Students will be assessed both individually and by group on their newspaper section. They will also be evaluated on their participation during class time. Students should hand in the Lesson 6 self-check for final consideration.

Lesson 5 Resources

Synthesis of Unit

How did your understanding of the readings shape this unit plan?

The readings covered in the social studies methods course have shaped this unit in the sense that the learning activities have been designed to build a sense of community in the classroom and are inclusive to all students regardless of difference in ability, race or gender. The readings also shed light on the idea of “whose knowledge is of most worth”- in designing the unit, I take this idea into consideration and included learning activities that come from a constructivist approach. The idea behind this, is that I am helping students make connections to curriculum through there own prior knowledge and experiences. I am really taking what they know and building on it so that it is “their knowledge that is of most worth.”

How did your understanding of your learners shape this unit plan?

I based this unit on a previous teaching placement experience where the learners had less advanced skill levels for their grade level. Further, these learners were very hands-on and learn by seeing and doing. This unit allows for self-discovery and gives students the opportunity to construct their own understanding of the material presented. Further, this unit is very interactive and provides hands-on learning opportunities. This unit allows students to become more engaged because the activities build on students’ prior knowledge and make connections with to other areas of learning. Some of the learning resources that support these learners include videos, cooking and interactive games.

How did your identity shape this unit?

When developing this unit, I reflected on my own preferences as a learner. The unit includes several hands-on activities and other activities that allow students to be creative. As I am a very visual learner, the unit suggests setting up the classroom with many visual aids such as posters, work samples, and possibly artifacts to get students engaged.

This unit is also designed to meet the various learning styles of students. This gives each student the opportunity to learning through listening, seeing and doing. Further, the unit is inclusive of activities that will hopefully meet the individual learning strengths of students- such as writing, drawing, and other activities.

As a learner, I enjoy variety when I am learning, so I have designed the unit to include small and large group activities as well as independent activities. As a learner, I also enjoy sharing ideas and having discussions to hear others opinions. This allows me to further develop my analytical and critical thinking skills. I have included opportunities for

discussion in this unit, giving students a voice and the experience to think critically about social issues.