Grade level: 6th Grade
Overall grade level content focus: The Eastern Hemisphere
Common Core Standards:
History of the Eastern Hemisphere nations

River civilization of the Eastern Hemisphere (Mesopotamia, Egypt, China, and the Indus
Valley) turned to agriculture, world populations grew.

Civilizations and cultures of the Eastern Hemisphere are explored through the arts and
sciences, key documents, and other important artifacts.

Religions and other belief systems (animism, ancestor worship, Confucianism, Hinduism,
Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity, Islam) have both united and divided the peoples of the
Eastern Hemisphere.

The civilizations and cultures of the Eastern Hemisphere have contributed important
ideas, beliefs, and traditions to the history of humankind.
Geography of Eastern Hemisphere nations

Special purpose maps can be used to show various geographic aspects of Earth’s surface
as seen in the Eastern Hemisphere

The nations and regions of the Eastern Hemisphere can be studied using maps, globes,
aerial and other photographs, satellite-produced images, and models.

Geographic features and climatic conditions in the Eastern Hemisphere were most
favorable.

The nations and regions of the Eastern Hemisphere can be analyzed in terms of spatial
organizations, places, and regions, physical settings (including natural resources), human
systems, and environment and society.
Governments of Eastern Hemisphere nations
1

Family, clan, and tribal groups act to maintain law and order

Present systems of government have their origins in the past

Across time and place, the people of the Eastern Hemisphere have held differing
assumptions regarding power, authority, governance, and law.
English Language Arts:
Reading
Writing
6. RL. 1
6. W. 2
Speaking &
Listening
6. SL. 1
6. RL. 2
6. W. 3
6. SL. 2
6. RL. 9
6. W. 4
6. SL. 5
6. RIT. 1
6. W. 6
6. RIT. 2
6. W. 9
6. RIT. 3
6. RIT. 7
For the purpose of this assignment, the unit and lesson choices have been made on the
assumption that students have already studied what a civilization is. Therefore bringing a
knowledge base to this unit which includes:
A. Characteristics that a civilization has: government, religion, language and culture
Content focus for the unit: Ancient Egypt
Content focus for the lesson: Ancient Egyptian gods and goddesses
Demographics of student population: The student population in this school in this class is a
12:2:1 urban class setting in a public day treatment center, where students are classified as
having an emotional disturbance. Every student has an IEP and receives free breakfast and lunch.
Unit Title: Ancient Egypt
Overarching Themes based on Common Core and New York State standards:
A. Culture: the study of culture and cultural diversity
B. Time, Continuity, and Change: the study of past and its legacy
C. People, Places, and Environments: the study of people, places, and environments
2
Goals:
Based on an observation of a 6th grade class at Astor Byron P.S.723x Day Treatment Center in
March 2013 and a conversation with Ms. Jennings, the teacher, I chose the following goals
because they are central features of the teacher’s Student Learning Outcomes and address the
following challenges which were identified by the teacher:
A. Students will understand the culture of Ancient Egypt.
B. Students will know the difference between gods and goddesses, as well as the different
pharaohs from Ancient Egyptian times.
C. Students will understand how Ancient Egyptian society functioned in comparison to the
society that they live in.
D. Students will develop empathy for Ancient Egyptian art and their written language of
hieroglyphics.
Learning goals:
A. Intellectual skills in regards to thinking skills in social students of history, geography,
government, culture and religion.
B. Multidisciplinary approaches that help students understand the connection of ideas,
information, issues and perspectives.
C. Multiculturalism and multiple perspectives, which enable students to grasp the nature,
complexity, and development of the United States, as well as societies in other nations
around the world.
D. Patterns to organize data that help students identify patterns of organizing data.
E. Multiple learning environments and resources to increase access to different learning sites
and expand their learning environment.
F. Student-centered teaching, learning and assessment to more effectively provide opportunities
of intellectual skills, multidisciplinary approaches, multiculturalism and multiple
perspectives, along with patterns to organize data.
Personal goal: At the end of the year, I want my students to have developed an appreciation for
the ancient Egyptian of cultures and civilizations from the past up to, and in comparison with,
present day.
Essential questions:
3
1. What is the relationship between Ancient Egyptian civilization and the society we live in
today?
Sub questions:
a. What are the symbolic qualities a civilization must have in order to be considered
a civilization?
b. What role does government and religion play in a society?
c. How is everyday life in ancient Egypt similar and different to how you live your
life today?
Learning Objectives:
A. Students will use multiple resources, write and orally present on several aspects of
Ancient Egyptian life.
B. Students will acquire the skills necessary to work independently and in small groups to
discover information about the past and compare their newly learned information to the
present day.

Those skills include: analyzing, organizing and presenting information both
written and orally.
C. Students will construct research and present information in an organized fashion as a
prime objective for this unit.
Learning Activities/Performance:

Labeling Egypt: Students will be learning about the geography of Ancient Egypt. A blank
map of Egypt will be up on the Smart board and the students will have to come up and put
the correct labels in the correct places, while labeling their own handout of Egypt at their
desk. This activity will take place on the fist day of the new unit; it will be the first lesson so
the students are aware of the geography of Egypt throughout the unit. The purpose of this
activity is to teach the students about the major cities in Egypt and bodies of water, as well as
the surrounding countries of Egypt. The materials are: smart board and handout of the map of
Egypt.

Nile Then and Now: In this activity students will be comparing the Nile River with how it is
used today to the way it was used in the past. The students will be researching the different
uses for the Nile from then and now. The purpose of this activity is to figure out if the
importance has changed for the Nile River. The materials are a notebook and computer.
4

Make Your Own God or Goddess: As a class, we will talk about the importance of Ancient
Egyptians gods and goddesses. We will look at this website
http://www.ancientegypt.co.uk/gods/explore/main.html as a class. Once the students have a
brief understanding of the different roles of the gods and goddesses, the student will then
start gaining information for their rough draft paper. The topic of the paper is about each
student becoming a god or goddess. They will choose an animal head based off their
personality, their godly name, and the role they will play in Ancient Egyptian society. The
students will also research and pick one of their favorite god or goddess to compare and
contrast with the god or goddess they have created themselves. The purpose of this activity is
to have the students have a basic understanding of gods and goddesses and understand their
importance. The materials are a computer and smart board.

Trip to Metropolitan Museum of Art: Students will be taking a field trip to the
Metropolitan Museum of Art. While on the field trip, the students will be writing down notes
based on their observations and will be answering a few questions. The purpose of this trip is
to bridge the gap between the culture of the Ancient Egyptians and our cultures today. Some
of the questions the students will have to answer are: What is a Mummy? Why did Ancient
Egyptians use mummification? What materials are needed for mummification? What factors
effect mummification? What modern processes are similar to mummification? The materials
are sheets of questions.

Make a Tomb: In this activity, I will be going through this online website
(http://www.brooklynmuseum.org/kiosk/egyptian/ancient-egypt/k2/K02_website.php) with
the students to talk about the details of the afterlife and tombs in Ancient Egyptian times. I
would also explain the meanings of the writings on the tombs. I will be using different online
resources to aide in this activity. I will then give the students a group project, which will be
done in class. The project is to create a tomb for a famous leader in Egypt. The students will
need to design the tomb with colors, style, and the religious customs of Ancient Egypt. Each
group will have to give an oral presentation explaining each of the key elements they
included on their tomb. The materials are construction paper, colored pencils, markers, glue,
scissors, computer and smart board.

Pyramid Building Challenge: Students will participate in an interactive pyramid building
activity on the computer
5
(http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/interactive/games/pyramid_challenge/index_embed.shtml).
This game integrates social studies with math. It reinforces the material about Ancient Egypt
that they have been learning about with the math lessons they have been learning about
angles. They will have to make decisions similar to ones made by actual pyramid builders
such as the location of their pyramid and what material to make it out of. The students will
work with a partner at a computer when participating in this activity. After they are finished,
the students will write a reflection on their experience as a pyramid builder. The materials are
a computer.

Create your own Pharaoh Headdress: After the students learn about the pharaohs, they can
get creative and create a headdress of their own! They can color and cut out the headdresses
and make them original to what they like. They will need to follow directions and include
hieroglyphics to reinforce their previous lessons from the unit. The purpose of this lesson is
to reinforce the importance of culture and hieroglyphics to the Egyptians. The materials:
construction paper, colored pencils, markers, glue, scissors, computer and smart board. A
resource to be used is http://www.firstpalette.com/tool_box/printables/pharaohheaddress.pdf

Imagine: You’re There! Journal Entry: The students will pretend that they live in Ancient
Egypt, and they need to make a journal entry explaining how they would feel about living in
climate like the one in Ancient Egyptian times. They should consider how it would affect
their daily life as well as the lives of their families: i.e. food, playing, doing work, etc. Each
student will complete their journal entry and proof read it, then get into Think, Pair, Share
groups and share their entries with their classmates to get other opinions. The purpose of this
activity is to have the students understand the climate in Egypt and be able to relate to it.

Your Name in Hieroglyphics:
In this activity the students will paint a glass jar brown with paint. After the paint has dried,
they will use black markers to write their name on the jar. They will use the hieroglyph
alphabet to match the letters in their name to the corresponding hieroglyph. The purpose of
this activity is so the students can gain more appreciation for the difficultly of hieroglyphics
and create their own work of Egyptian art. The materials: jar, brown paint, black markers,
and hieroglyphic alphabet.

Make Your Own Canopic Jar: Using paper mache, students will cover a jar to make the
canopic shape. Once they have paper mached their jar, they will cover their top in modeling
6
clay. They will mold the clay into a shape corresponding with what jar they are making, i.e.
cathead, dog head, etc. Once dry, the students will paint their jars with black or white or
brown paint. The purpose of this activity is so the students understand the effort and work
required to make a canopic jar. Students will also see a real life example they can design on
their own. The materials: paper mache, jars, clay, black which and brown paint.

Vinnie in Egypt: The book, Vinnie in Egypt by, Elizabeth Bott, will be read to the class. The
book is about Vinnie traveling to Egypt and visiting the great Pyramid, the Great Cat, the
Sphinx and more. The purpose of this book is to have the students understand all the
important sights to see in Egypt and all the important things that have come from Egypt.
Assessment:
At the end of the unit the students will make a portfolio of the work they have completed
throughout the unit. There will be reinforcement quizzes at the end of each week to make sure
the students comprehended the material before moving on. These quizzes will determine how
much review will be done starting the next week and if the class is prepared to move forward in
learning new topics.
6th Grade Ancient Egyptian Civilization UbD Lesson Plan
Stage 1
Established Goals:
Students will understand that: gods and goddesses played an essential part of the
Ancient Egyptian daily life.
Students will know: different types of gods and goddesses, along with their roles in
Ancient Egyptian daily life.
Students will be able to: compare different gods and goddesses based upon their roles in
Ancient Egyptian daily life.
Essential Questions:
•
To what extent does religion influence the Ancient Egyptian civilization?
7
Stage 2
Performance Tasks:
•
KWL chart will be used as a part of a pre- assessment
Other Evidence:
•
Student ability to properly research and identify the qualities an Ancient Egyptian
god/goddesses must have will provide evidence that the student understands what an
Ancient Egyptian god/goddess was.
•
Student ability to correctly create their own god/goddess and use his/her oral skills to
present their information to the class will demonstrate their ability to apply newly learned
information to an abstract assignment, as well as embody their oral presentation ability.
Self –Assessments:

Students will evaluate themselves as a god and/or goddess in comparison to their own
qualities as an individual. Based upon student ability to cohesively create their own god
and/or goddess based off their own personality will determine the student’s level of
understanding and reflection of self.

Students will utilize the KWL chart to assess what they know, or think they know, what
they would like to know, and ultimately what knowledge they have gained. They will use
this chart to correct any of their misconceptions, as well as identify newly learned
material.
Other Evidence, Summarized

After students have completed all tasks in coherence with the lesson and learning
activities, students will then go back to the KWL chart and complete the “What I learned”
column.
8
Stage 3
Learning Activities
1)
1. Students will visit the website http://www.ancientegypt.co.uk/gods/explore/main.html,
which provides information on the gods and goddesses of Ancient Egypt.
2. Through the use of the website, and a guided worksheet, students will research god and
goddesses. They will fill out a chart that categorizes the qualities each god and goddess
in Ancient Egyptian culture held.
3. Students are then to appoint themselves as a god/goddesses. They will create their god
and/or goddess based upon their own personality traits. They will use the chart of “godly
qualities” to help them to encompass all aspects of a god/goddess in the god they are
creating. They will be assigned to create their signature animal head dress, their godly
name written in hieroglyphics, and write the important role they would play in their
Ancient Egyptian society.
4. Each student will present themselves as a god/goddess to the class.
9