Lesson Structure/Activities
Lesson One: Opening Activity
Objectives:

Students will compare previous knowledge of civilizations with the Indus valley civilization
 Students will be able to summarize the span of Indus valley’s history

Students will state the two starting points for villages and cities in the Indus valley
Materials:

PowerPoint

Chart handouts

Final unit question handout

YouTube video- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n7ndRwqJYDM
Procedure:

Start class with asking the entire class what they know about previous civilizations

Have students break into small groups of two-three individuals

Groups prepare a list of three aspects they believe the past civilizations they studied have in common

Bring groups back into the full class in order to discuss the conclusions

Write aspects in common on board

Watch YouTube video

Handout Big Chart information for the unit

Students break back into their former groups

Groups discuss items on big chart that are similar to past civilizations they have learned about

Open discussion to the entire class

Recap on main points

Introduce final unit question
Informal Assessments:
1.) Teacher Observations
2.) Watching for student participate during group and class discussions
3.) Student engagement when teacher purposes questions to students
Lesson Two: Origins
Objectives:

Students will be able to describe where our information of the Indus valley originates from

Students will develop note taking skills

Students will critically discuss readings from class


Students will be able to construct a timeline representing the time span of the Indus valley civilization
Materials:

PowerPoint

Student Textbooks, p.195-197

Timeline materials

Virtual timeline- http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/primaryhistory/timeline/timeline.shtml

YouTube video (start at 4:10)- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ALfUOfxfSos
Procedure:

Introduce to students how teams of scholars build knowledge on ancient civilizations

Show note taking skills – throughout the day teacher will help highlight good note taking practices

Show BBC video

Discuss key points from video

As a class, read pages 195-197

Teacher reads introduction to help set scene, but students do the majority of the reading

Teacher pauses students from time to time to purpose questions or initiate class discussions

Class analyzes virtual timeline

The entire class takes part in constructing a timeline of the Indus valley civilization around the classroom

Brief Recap
Informal Assessments:

Teacher Observations

Student engagement in class discussion and timeline construction

How well the student follows along during class reading
Formal Assessment:

Teacher will collect notes to make sure students are taking quality notes. Grade is based on the quality of notes taken.
Lesson Three: Location
Objectives:

Students will be able to place the Indus valley within the correct spatial location
 Students will be able to describe where the Indus valley exists within today’s geopolitics of India and Pakistan.

Students will be able to critically analyze how natural features benefited the people in the Indus valley

Materials:

Google Earth

Online Map- http://www.mapsofindia.com/history/indus-valley-civilization.html

PowerPoint

YouTube video- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c-koO_ujOAA

Map handout
Procedure:

Class is introduced to the location of the Indus Valley through Google Earth

Via Google Earth main geographical features are highlighted

Using the online map of India and the map handout students will label key features on map

Teacher presents to the students a PowerPoint discussing the geography of the region

As a class, students discuss how certain features influenced the Indus valley

Teacher shows the students the YouTube video of the Indus valley from space

In partners, students decide what they believe is the best location to live within the
Indus River valley based off of geographical reasoning

Recap
Informal Assessments:

Teacher Observations

Student participation during discussions

Engagement during PowerPoint presentation
Formal Assessment:

Map handout
Lesson Four: Impact of Geography Project
Objectives:

Students will be able to design a civilization placed in their own geographical location

Students will be able to reason their geographical features

Students will be able to explain how geography influences outcomes
Materials:

Blank sheets of paper

Direction handout
Procedure:

Recap on how geography can help a civilization succeed or fail

Explain directions to project


Allow students to break into groups or own their own make a civilization based in their ideal geographical location

Students have to write a short explanation as to why those physical features are the ones they picked

Students must draw their civilization surrounded by it’s environment

Each group or individual will share their final product

Discussion of similar trends
Informal Assessments:

Teacher observations

Student willingness to work with others or by themselves

Explanation of map

Engagement in discussion
Formal Assessment:

Civilization map
Lesson Five: Landscape & Climate
Objectives:

Students will be able to explain the side affects of living within valley regions

Students will be able to describe how climate influences human history

Students will be able to tell how the monsoon season occurs in the Indus valley
Materials:

PowerPoint

YouTube videos- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M0lTfJDiZsw http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bN39-4IWqBc https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TC_bFRzyaXY http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OqVyRa1iuMc

Vimeo video- https://vimeo.com/71207499
Procedure:
 Introduce information on the big chart that pertains to the day’s lesson

Teacher presents PowerPoint lecture over valleys and Indus valley landscape

Students watch YouTube video showing how monsoons occur in India

Teacher directed discussion over the video answering questions

Students watch Vimeo video showing what the Indus valley looks like during and after monsoon rains

Discussion over monsoons and where they occur around the globe

Students watch YouTube video of the damages monsoon cause in current day India

Discussion over video


Short PowerPoint presentation over climate in the Indus valley

Students watch YouTube video showing how climate played a role in the Indus valley civilization’s demise

Discussion exploring if weather could end our current societies and connect it to current climate issues with last YouTube video
Informal Assessments:

Teacher observations

Student engagement throughout lectures and discussions
Lesson Six: Resources
Objectives:
 Students will be able to draw connections between Indus valley citizen’s diet and their lifestyles
 Students will be able to dissect the cause and affect nature of the Indus valley’s weather to their economy

Students will be able to compare the modern day central banking system to grain systems in the Indus valley
Materials:

Fresh fruits: grapes, dates, and melons

PowerPoint
Procedure:

The teacher will point out the big chart information for the day

Teacher will present a PowerPoint lecture discussing the cause and effect nature between the weather patterns and the resources in the Indus valley

Students will discuss how floods were vital to producing key resources

A short lecture by the teacher will show the comparisons between the current day central banking concepts and the Indus valley central grain system

Students will try some of the fruits that were common to Indus valley citizens to help develop a sense of their lifestyles

The rest of the day is set-aside for a question and answer session between the teacher and students. This time is allotted to discuss anything the students have questions about pertaining the unit
Informal Assessments:

Teacher observations

Student engagement
Lesson Seven: Accomplishments and Social
Objectives:

Students will be able to explain the social structure in the Indus valley


Students will be able to compare gender roles in the Indus valley with current
American ones

Students will be able to explain how Hinduism grew out of the Indus valley culture

Students will be able to describe how some of the accomplishments achieved by the
Indus valley peoples are still around today
Materials:

PowerPoint

Social status role cards

Accomplishments worksheet
Procedure:

Cover big chart information for the day

Randomly draw five students

Then randomly draw social status for each of them

While drawing the statuses, information will be presented in a lecture format

Students perform skit while students follow along with handout

Short lecture over gender roles and comparing them to present American roles

Discussion over how Hinduism branched from the Indus valley civilization

Explore the school looking for accomplishments and technologies from the Indus valley civilization that are relevant in our current society
- Plumbing, water wells, drainage systems, complex cities

Debriefing discussion
Informal Assessments:

Teacher observations

Students engagement
Formal Assessments:

Accomplishments worksheet
Lesson Eight: Conclude
Objectives:

Students will be able to explain the significance of certain Indus valley civilization aspects

Students will be able to make overarching connections between Indus valley materials

Students will be able to develop theories for why the Indus valley disappeared
Materials:

PowerPoint

Final project handout
Procedure:

Introduce big chart information


Lecture over important themes from the unit and show theories for why the Indus valley civilization ended

Rest of the class is used for discussing questions and starting final project

Introduce final project
Informal Assessments

Teacher observations

Student engagement
Lesson Nine: In-Class Work
Objectives:

Students will be able to take the knowledge gained from the unit and display it in their final project

Students will be able to display their answers in the manner that bet represents their learning style

Students will be able to use class time in a productive manner
Materials:

Materials used to write, draw, or construct their final project

Final project handout
Procedure:

Students will use the entire time period to make their final project

Teacher will help them in the process
Informal Assessments:

Teacher observations

How well the student uses their time in class
Lesson Ten: Final Project Presentations
Objectives:

Students will be able to communicate their viewpoints of the Indus valley civilization

Students will be able to make a final project showing their ideas

Students will be able to analyze other students’ works
Materials:

Grading sheet for final project
Procedure:

Students will present their projects throughout the class period

Teacher will grade during presentation

Short discussions over each project

Formal Assessment:

Final Project