BRAIN-TARGETED TEACHING
LEARNING UNIT
6th Grade Ancient History
Gobackto:http://www.pepinconnect.com/
Teacher:
Ms. Wells
Dates: Oct. 27 – Dec. 12
Grade Level: 6
Unit Topic/Title: UNIT 3: From Nomads to Farmers & the First Civilizations (Mesopotamia)
Content Standard(s):
SS.6.G.4.3
Locate sites in Africa and Asia where archaeologists have found evidence of early
human societies, and trace their migration patterns to other parts of the world.
SS.6.G.5.3
Use geographic tools and terms to analyze how famine, drought, and natural disasters
plagued many ancient civilizations.
SS.6.G.6.2
Compare maps of the world in ancient times with current political maps.
SS.6.W.2.1 Compare the lifestyles of the hunter-gatherers of those of settlers of early agricultural
communities.
SS.6.W.2.2 Describe how the developments of agriculture and metallurgy related to settlement,
population growth, and the emergence of civilization.
SS.6.W.2.3 Identify the characteristics of civilization.
SS.6.W.2.4 Compare the economic, political, social, and religious institutions of ancient river
civilizations.
SS.6.W.2.7 Summarize the important achievements of Mesopotamian civilization.
SS.6.W.2.8 Determine the impact of key figures from ancient Mesopotamian civilization.
Brain Target #1: Emotional Climate
Emotional Connection:
1. Ask students how many of them have seen any of the Ice Age movies. Explain that 12,000 years
ago (show students a timeline and count back from today), in 10,000 B.C.E, the last Ice Age ended
and people did not live the way we do now because this was before the invention of farming. At
that time people were nomads. Does anyone know what that means? Does anyone have parents
who are in the military? Military families often have to move from place to place. Nomads were
people who also moved from place to place frequently, but they did so to follow the migrating
animals they hunted.
2. Show students a map of the world. Ask if anyone knows where the first evidence of humans has
been found. Wait until someone guesses Africa. That’s right. Even during the Ice Age Africa was
the warmest continent on Earth because the Equator runs through it. Review Unit 1 knowledge
regarding climate. Explain that as the Earth warmed following the Ice Age Africa became very hot
and many areas became deserts. Could animals survive in a desert? Students will say that some
could, but others could not. Why not? (No water) What do animals need water for? (to drink) Any
other reason? (Water helps plants grow. Some animals eat plants.) So, having no water and limited
food, animals began to migrate. Still looking at the map, ask students where the animals might have
gone. With the animals migrating north, what will the people likely do? (follow the animals north)
The Brain-Targeted Teaching Model © Mariale M. Hardiman
3. Explain that these early people eventually settled in the Middle East between two rivers – the
Tigris and the Euphrates. Over time they discovered how to farm and domesticate animals. The
discovery of agriculture leads to the first cities in the world, the first civilizations, and the world’s
first empires. At this time in history humans had no knowledge of metal and used only stone tools.
As a result this era is called the Stone Age. Explain that this week we will be examining the
differences between the Old Stone Age (before the invention of farming) and the New Stone Age.
Brain Target #2: Physical Environment
1. Concept map and learning goal displayed on class wall.
2. Furniture moved to accommodate Stone Age Simulation activity.
3. Timeline drawn on class wall chalk paper.
4. World map with locations and names of ancient civilization identified.
Brain Target #3: Learning Design
Concept Map / Advanced Organizer:
Learning Goals:
The Brain-Targeted Teaching Model © Mariale M. Hardiman
By the end of this unit, students should be able to:
1. Understand the major differences between the Old and New Stone Ages through comparing and
contrasting the lifestyles of hunter-gatherers to those of farmers in the following areas: food, jobs,
community, trade, and shelter.
2. Identify the characteristics of civilization.
3. Summarize the important achievements of Mesopotamian civilization, including the impact of key
figures of Mesopotamia, such as Hammurabi.
Introductory “Big Picture” Activity/Assessment of Prior Knowledge
- See BT #1 for a detailed explanation.
Brain Target #4: Teaching for Mastery
Activities for Teaching Declarative/Procedural Knowledge
We will engage in the following activities to master knowledge for long term retention of subject material.
Objective 1: Understand the major differences between the Old and New Stone Ages through
comparing and contrasting the lifestyles of hunter-gatherers to those of farmers in the following
areas: food, jobs, community, trade, and shelter.
Activity: Students will participate in a 2-day Stone Age survival simulation. They must get enough
food and water to survive each day and must build a shelter.
On day 1 – Old Stone Age/Pre-farming –students must work on their own and they must hunt for
their food by looking for animal pictures hidden around the room. They must travel back and forth to get
water at the nearby river – a bucket of water – and bring it back to their temporary home (using a spoon).
They must also build a temporary shelter. Most students will not survive.
On day 2, students work in village teams and are allowed to divide up the jobs if they like (division
of labor comes after the advent of agriculture). They may choose to hunt or to farm. If they farm, by
searching for answers in our text, they automatically feed their whole village. After farming they should also
have enough time to invent the pottery wheel at a center and then use a cup to get water more efficiently.
Most will survive, unless they choose to continue relying on hunting rather than switch to farming to feed
their whole village. We discuss our experience and the reasons for our survival or deaths each day through
guided questioning.
On the third day students will complete a critical thinking assessment and on the following day they
will work together to create illustrated Old vs. New Stone Age comparison charts with picture captions.
Objective 2: Identify the characteristics of civilization.
Activity: Students will complete a graphic organizer with picture examples of each characteristic.
Objective 3: Summarize the important achievements of Mesopotamian civilization, including the
impact of key figures of Mesopotamia, such as Hammurabi.
The Brain-Targeted Teaching Model © Mariale M. Hardiman
Activity: Students will watch a film about the transition from nomadic life to settled, agriculturally
based cities. This film, From Nomads to Farmers, also covers the important achievements of the
Mesopotamians.
Students will also participate in the following Mesopotamian Achievement experiential labs:
- The Invention of Writing: Students watch a short film clip about cuneiform. They will then write a
cuneiform message (probably their name) on moist clay using a wooden stylus made out of a popsicle stick.
- Hammurabi’s Laws: Students will work in groups to brainstorm possible punishments for various
offenses. They will then learn what the actual consequence would have been in ancient Mesopotamia –
where laws were written down for the first time. Students will share their opinions on the true punishments
and will discuss why it is important to have laws written down.
- Irrigation: Students will use soil and a cup of water to model how flooding was a problem for
ancient people and will work with peers to find ways to solve the problem of flooding, as well as, what to do
during a drought. Goal solutions: build levees along the river to prevent flooding, dig canals to send water to
crops, and create reservoirs to store water for the dry season.
- Sargon of Akkad: Students will participate in an interactive oral storytelling led by the teacher.
- Mesopotamian Empire Skits: Students will work in groups to put together short skits that
summarize the major achievements and key figures of each of the Mesopotamian empires, including the
Babylonians, Assyrians, Phoenicians, Neo-Babylonians, and Israelites.
Brain Target #5: Teaching for Application
Activities for Extension and Application of Knowledge
In order to promote the application of new knowledge to the real world and to encourage problem
solving, students will engage in the following activities:
1. Track the phases of the moon each night during the unit and discuss how the
Mesopotamians created the first calendar based on the phases of the moon. They used this calendar
to predict floods and divide a year into 12 months and each month into 30 days.
2. Create visual vocabulary cards as part of a homework project to demonstrate
understanding of unit vocabulary. Samples of students’ best work will be posted on a class word
wall.
3. Elaborating on ideas and discussing in small groups and as a class.
4. Promoting creative thinking in their Mesopotamian skit groups with repeated rehearsals
and active participation.
Brain Target #6: Evaluating Learning
Students will be evaluated based as follows:
1. Participation in simulation, group storytelling, and skit planning and rehearsal.
(Participation rubric and Group Participation Rubric)
2. Visual Vocabulary HW assignment
3. Moon Tracking HW assignment
4. Mesopotamian Skit group performance grade
5. Characteristics of Civilization graphic organizer
6. The First Civilizations post-Stone Age Simulation critical thinking quiz
7. End of unit, multiple-choice quiz on Beyond Question (clickers)
The Brain-Targeted Teaching Model © Mariale M. Hardiman
Materials/Resources:
Art supplies, soil, cups, popsicle sticks, water, bucket, towels, paper towels, spoons, worksheets, props for skits,
chart paper, clay.
ESE Service Provider:
o Speech/Language
o OT
o PT
o Therapist
The Brain-Targeted Teaching Model © Mariale M. Hardiman