Sixth Grade Social Studies: Hille Middle School
Mesopotamia
ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS
DESCRIPTORS
Adaptation
Culture, People, Places &
Environments
Production, Distribution &
Consumption
How does culture emerge and evolve
over time?
How do we evaluate the usefulness
and degree of reliability of artifacts?
How do human actions change the
environment?
How does the environment influence
the lives of people?
What can be learned from the past
about how new technologies result
in both planned and unanticipated
changes?
Adaptation
Culture, People, Places & Environments
Production, Distribution &
Consumption
Governance
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Analyze how cultures emerge and
evolve over time.
Evaluate the usefulness and
reliability of artifacts from
Mesopotamia.
Analyze how human actions change
the environment.
Investigate how a society adapts to
their environment.
Assess the impact of technology on
society
Governance
SUMMATIVE & FORMATIVE
ASSESSMENTS
Summative Assessment: Adaptation
The Summative Assessment is a written
argument.
Claim Statement: Support with evidence
how humans adapt to and change their
environment.
Formative Checkpoints
 Identify adaptations
 Find evidence of change
 T Chart: Adaptation/Evidence of
Change
 Distinguish between primary and
secondary resources
 Identify artifacts as a primary
source
 Draw inferences from artifacts
 State a claim
 Support claim with evidence
Summative: Governance
Create a Storyboard or Digital Story that
explains how Hammurabi’s Code resolved
How can we use Hammurabi’s code
to construct an understanding of life
in Mesopotamia?
Why and how do rules and laws
emerge?
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the conflict experienced by the citizens of
Use key events, documents and
dates to construct an understanding Mesopotamia.
Formative Checkpoints:
of life in Mesopotamia.
 Interpret Hammurabi’s Code
Analyze how rules and laws emerge.
 Identify pre-existing conditions
 Identify catalyst
 Identify Action-Reaction
 Identify Resolution
 Describe resulting change and how
it impacted life.
 Complete a Change Cycle
 Synthesize and create Storyboard
Sixth Grade Social Studies: Hille Middle School
Egypt
ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS
DESCRIPTORS
Power, Governance & Authority
What are the purposes and
functions of government?
How do we use key events,
documents, artifacts, dates and
people from the past in constructing
history?
How do time and place influence
individual development and
identity?
Power, Governance & Authority
 Compare and contrast the purposes
and functions of government in
Mesopotamia & Egypt
 Analyze the historical significance
of the Rosetta Stone
 Explain the relationship between
profession and social status
.
SUMMATIVE & FORMATIVE
ASSESSMENTS
Summative Assessment:
The Summative Assessment is a letter.
Write a letter from the point of view of a
member of a social class. Tell how you
contribute to society and explain how your
life has been influenced by social status
and government.
Formative Checkpoints
 Venn Diagram/Comparing functions
of government

Science, Technology & Society
What can be learned from the past
about how new technologies result
in both planned and unanticipated
changes?
Science, Technology & Society
 Assess how new technologies have
resulted in both planned and
unanticipated changes
Simulate actions related to two
governments
 Complete an Egyptian Social
Pyramid
 Predict what would happen if a
member of the social pyramid were
missing
Summative Assessment: Students write a
cost/benefit analysis of an Egyptian
technological advance.
Formative Checkpoints:
 Define and model a cost benefit
analysis
 Identify technological advances
 Compare and contrast technological
advances
 Support with evidence
Greece
ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS
DESCRIPTORS
Civic Ideals & Practices
How are civic responsibilities alike
and different?
Civic Ideals & Practices
 Compare and contrast civic
responsibilities.
 Analyze the rights and
responsibilities of citizens in an
oligarchy, tyranny, and democracy
What is the balance between rights
and responsibilities?
SUMMATIVE & FORMATIVE
ASSESSMENTS
Summative Assessment
Create an argument taking a position on a
form of government established by the
Ancient Greeks (oligarchy, tyranny, and
democracy).
Formative:
 Define oligarchy, tyranny, and
democracy
 Compare and contrast civic
responsibilities in each
 Support with evidence a position on
a form of government.
Culture
In what ways can cultures be
compared, and what can we learn
from the comparison?
Culture
 Analyze Greek mythology and
explain the significance of the story
to the Ancient Greeks..
 Compare the myth to current
How does culture emerge and evolve
scientific thinking
over time?
 Explain the key characteristics of
the gods and goddesses
Summative – Culture
Create a series of trading cards that explain
the key characteristics of the gods and
goddesses.
Formative:
 Identify Greek gods and goddesses.
 Identify characteristics of gods and
goddesses.
 Rank gods and goddesses in order
of importance.
 Support ranking with evidence
Summative
Analyze a myth and compare it to scientific
evidence.
Formative:
 Analyze myths
 Explain the significance of the story
 Compare story to scientific evidence
Power, Governance & Authority
Power, Governance & Authority
Summative
Predict the outcome of a battle and support
Time, Continuity & Change
Individual Identity
How do we use key events,
documents, artifacts, dates and
people from the past in constructing
history?
How do time and place influence
individual development and
identity?
Time, Continuity & Change
Individual Identity
 Analyze the military strategies used
during the Persian Wars
 Compare and contrast how
individual development and
identity were influenced by society
 Analyze the use and abuse of power
during the Peloponnesian War
your prediction with strategic evidence.
Formative
 Identify battles and locations
 Identify military strategies
 Compare and contrast strategies
 Evaluate effectiveness of strategies
 Support prediction with evidence
Summative
Create a propaganda poster, power point,
editorial or political cartoon for Athens or
Sparta’s war position.
Formative
 Identify positions of Athens &
Sparta
 Define propaganda
 T Chart pros and cons of
Peloponnesian War
 Analyze political cartoons
Rome
ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS
DESCRIPTORS
Power, Governance & Authority
Time, Continuity & Change
What are the purpose and
functions of government?
What questions are important to
Power, Governance & Authority
Time, Continuity & Change
 Analyze the system of checks and
balances used in Roman
Government
SUMMATIVE & FORMATIVE
ASSESSMENTS
Summative Assessment
Expository: How a system of checks and
balances works, citing evidence from
Ancient Roman Society and current US
government
ask about power, authority, and
governance?
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Compare Roman government to
current US government
Formative
 Define Checks & Balances
 Identify functions of each branch
 Match functions to a branch
Current Society
Culminating Summative Assessment: Analyze a current society of choice and explain how it was influenced by Ancient
Civilizations. Support explanation with evidence.
Mesopotamia
Government/Politics
 Type of Leaders
 Type of Government
Economics
 Currency
 Trade
 Jobs
Religion
 Symbols
 Documents
 Practices
 Places of Worship
Communication
 Writing Systems
 Language
Egypt
Greece
Rome
Current
Society
Geography
 Landforms
 Bodies of Water
 Location
Social Structure
 Roles of Individuals
 Boys
 Girls
 Women
 Men
 Citizenship
 Rights &
Responsibilities
Culture
 Inventions
 Ideas/Philosophy
 Art
 Architecture
 Literature
 Music
Most Significant
Contributions/Support
With evidence
NOTE: Maintain an on-going timeline throughout the year
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