Egypt and Mesoamerica project
DUE: Heading:
6TH GRADE SOCIAL STUDIES-
ANCIENT CULTURES PROJECT
Name:
DUE DATE:
6 th Grade Social Studies-Ancient Cultures Project
Objective: Students will design and construct a project and narrative that demonstrates their knowledge and understanding of the ancient cultures of
Egypt/Nubia or Mesoamerica.
1-Page narrative:
Students will write a 1 page narrative describing a specific aspect of ancient life related to their visual project.
Exhibit Options:
1.
Geography of Egypt and Nubia (Example: Create a map that illustrates the Nile River; share its impact on Egypt and Nubia)
2.
Hieroglyphs and the Rosetta Stone (Example: Represent Egyptian
Hieroglyphs, and Recreate the Rosetta Stone)
3.
Mummification (Example: Share the process of mummification and why it was practiced in ancient Egypt)
4.
Pyramids (Example: Recreate a pyramid; show the interior of a pyramid; explain how they were built and why)
5.
Egyptian Mythology (Example: Present Egyptian Religious Beliefs; describe the roles of major ancient Egyptian gods and goddesses)
6.
The Pharaohs (Example: Share the major pharaohs along with their accomplishments; explain the role of the Pharaoh in ancient Egypt)
7.
Egyptian Social Classes (Example: Describe the social classes of Egypt; represent the role of each of the classes)
8.
Astronomy and Medicine (Example: Share major achievements within astronomy and medicine)
9.
Nubian Kingdoms (Example: Present the achievements of Kerma, Napata, and Meroe)
10. A topic of your choice (approved by teacher)
Possible Materials:
Poster board, cardboard, paper-maché, shoe box, Legos, clay, Styrofoam, paint, glue, markers, magazines/newspaper, etc.
Guidelines for all projects:
1. Must include accurate, detailed information about one of the following aspects of the civilization’s culture:
Art
Science
Religion Government Traditions Geography
Education Social Class Writing Trade/Travel
2. Must have a complimentary 1-page narrative explaining the visual project and informs the audience about your knowledge on the topic.
3. Students will work on their projects at home, and then work on the writing and research in class. Any work not completed during class time needs to be finished on their own time.
4. Students may work in groups of 2 on the visual project, however, each student is responsible for writing their own 1-page narrative.
5. Must be neat, organized, and creative.
Content
&
Writing Scoring Rubric:
Category 1-2
Organization
Conventions
(Progressing)
Main idea not very clear; paper may be much too short, lacking details, off the topic; may not be understandable
Some run-ons, comma splices, fragments; misspells some common words; may capitalize and punctuate incorrectly; includes basic errors; may not be long enough, or too simple
3 (Approaching
Proficient)
Main idea clear, easy to understand; details may be too general or off topic, or a list of events/points with no explanation)
Some run-ons, comma splices, fragments; misspells some common words; may capitalize and punctuate incorrectly; includes basic errors; may not be long enough, or too simple
4 (Proficient)
Visual Project Scoring Rubric:
Category 1-2 (Progressing) 3 (Approaching
Proficient)
Content Missing or inaccurate pieces in content and some major misunderstandings
Content is mostly accurate and present, some parts may be missing or inaccurate
Main idea clear, focused, easy to understand: details are sufficient, most are specific, most are focused; accurate ideas
Few run-ons, comma splices, fragments; spells words, capitalizes, and punctuates correctly; may have minor errors but important rules mostly followed; variety of conventions; long and complex enough
4 (Proficient)
5 (Mastery)
Main ideas interesting, stand out, clear and focused; supporting details are strong and rich (sensory details); writing holds the reader’s attention
No run-ons, comma splices, fragments; spells difficult words, capitalizes, and punctuates correctly; errors few and minor; variety of conventions
(colons, semi-colons, parentheses, different comma uses, dialogue)
All content is present in a very basic, yet accurate form
5 (Mastery)
All content is thorough, accurate, and related material is addressed and presented well
Organization Little to no structure or organization.
Ideas are not connected or related
Some structure and organization or ideas, but some inconsistencies or confusion
Organized and neat presentation with purposeful structure and/or system
Very organized and creative system of organization.
Purposeful system of structure
Choosing your Project
Step 1: Choose the topic you wish to complete your project on (circle one)
Art
Science
Religion
Education
Government
Social Class
Traditions
Writing
Geography
Trade/Travel
Step 2: What region would you like to focus on? learn.
Egypt/Nubia
or
Mesoamerica
?
Step 3: Tell me what you know already about this topic and what you still need to
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Step 4: What research will you need to complete to find the information you need?
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Step 5: What is your topic sentence for your 1-page narrative (use IVF format)?
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Step 6: What visual will you create to represent your knowledge about this ancient civilization
Project Outline (check the boxes as you complete these steps)
Day 1- Choose your topic and determine what project you are going to create
Day 2- Begin outlining your narrative and gather research for your writing
Day 3- Write rough draft and edit
Day 4- Finish writing and check with me to begin your visual project (begin project over the weekend at home and bring back to school on Monday)
Day 5- Work on visual project at home
Day 6- Continue working on visual project at home
Day 7- Finish working on visual project & presentation rehearsal at home
Day 8- Presentations with our class & taking notes
Goal setting for the visual project
1. If I’m working by myself, how will I get the project done by the due date?
2. If I’m working in a group, how will I get together with these people and have the project completed by the due date?
3. What do I need to have done by _________ in order to get the project done by the due date?
Research notes:
1. What is the topic (explain in detail)?
2. Who are the important people or events associated with the topic?
3. When are the important dates associated with the topic, and why?
4. Where are the important sites, cities, towns, structures, etc. found?
5. Why is the topic important?
Note-Taking on our projects
As you explore each exhibit and learn about other student’s projects, write down the information you gather from their narrative and their visual project.
1. Group member(s):________________________________________________
Project description:
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What did you learn from this exhibit?
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2. Group member(s):_________________________________________________
Project description:
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What did you learn from this exhibit?
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3. Group member(s):_________________________________________________
Project description:
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What did you learn from this exhibit?
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4. Group member(s):_________________________________________________
Project description:
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What did you learn from this exhibit?
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5. Group member(s):_________________________________________________
Project description:
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What did you learn from this exhibit?
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6. Group member(s):_________________________________________________
Project description:
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What did you learn from this exhibit?
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Compare and Contrast Egypt/Nubia and Mesoamerica
Take notes in the chart as you learn about the 2 civilizations from exploring the exhibits
Egypt and Nubia Mesoamerica
