Lesson Plan –Todd Smith
Learning Intention: For students to explore the social phenomenon of the emergence of civilization.
Students will be encouraged to critically explore the concept of civilization in relation to modern society.
The students will be able to differentiate between civilization (Mesopotamia) and simple settlement.
Content:
The students have been learning about sedentism, with a focus on farming and domestication of animals
as the prelude to specialization. The students will begin to delve into a complex task explaining the rise of
civilization. This lesson will ask students to define the difference between settlement and civilization,
Mesopotamia will be introduced as one of the first civilizations.
Hook: At the beginning of the lesson I will summarize what the students have learned from the past
connecting to the development of civilization. I will lead them to fill in the blanks and explain key
concepts or, sedentism, domestication and specialization. I will than draw and arrow to ‘Civilization’ and
lead a brainstorm, “what is the difference, between human settlement and the emergence of civilization,
what does a civilization need?” We will brainstorm until the students answer with laws and rules. This
introduction will take ten minutes.
Activity: After the student will make eight groups of four they will be assigned different sections of the
Code of Hammurabi provided on a wiki. The students will use their laptops to consult the instruction and
the code on the wiki. The wiki will also be projected at the front of the class. Their task will to to pick two
laws, which demonstrates an importance to Mesopotamian society or that they felt was important for
another reason. Students will be asked to play rock, paper scissors with another group member, the loser
will look at the laws through the perception of a slave. These students will be asked to question the
difference between slave and citizens rights in Mesopotamian society. Students will have fifteen minutes
to select their two laws and an explanation of why they are important. They will then share their choices
with their group. Their group will have ten minutes to select a law with an explanation.
In closing, the students will be asked to remember that laws are integral to the development of a
civilization, and to consider the difference between ancient laws and laws today. I will ask them if there
are any Canadian laws which are similar to their choice. Students will raise their hands if they felt that the
laws they selected were socially just or socially reasonable. Their votes will be tallied on the board.
During the ten minute closure the map of Mesopotamia will be project in order for students to visualize
the geography. The students will be asked to write on a comment card asking: “What makes Mesopotamia
a civilization?”
Learning Evaluation: During collaboration I will rotate through the groups monitoring engagement. The
comment cards and group sharing will provide assessment of learning. The voting will provide evaluation
for learning in regards to students’ ability to relate the past and present
This lesson will target developing the cross curricular competencies.
Competency 3: To exercise critical judgment
Competency 8: To cooperate with others
Competency 9: To communicate appropriately
This lesson approaches the broad area of learning of Citizenship and Community Life as students will be
asked to consider laws as integral to civilization. Students will link the Code of Hammurabi with modern
laws.
Reflections:
The class quieted quickly, they asked me if I would be teaching today? I laughed and told them if I am
teaching is up to them, but that I would like for them to learn with me.
I began to review the past material, by writing the first letter of key terms. The class quickly filled in the
blanks; I drew an arrow from the key terms, such as domestication, specialization and chiefs. Asking what
did chiefs do?
I than drew an arrow from the answers they had called out to the word I wrote ‘Civilization’. I than asked
“what makes a civilization”, one student answered with taxes. I than asked what does a civilization do if
you don’t pay your taxes. Another student answered, charge interest. I asked where is it defined how
much interest they will be charged? Someone called out ‘rules’, I asked for another word ‘laws’. Today
we’re going to talk about the first laws written down in one of the first civilizations, Mesopotamia.
I got the students to pull out their laptops and showed them a projection of a map of Mesopotamia. I told
the students that they will be working in eight groups of four. I told them they could make their own
groups. The student looked around confused and alarmed; I asked them if they would like me to make
groups. I kept them seated in their table groups asking the students whose names I remembered to move
tables.