Eco-Friendly Two Weeks Social Studies Lesson Plan Teacher: th 8 Grade Social Studies Teacher Grade: 8th Grade Lesson Title: Early River Valley Civilizations STRANDS Culture Economics Geography Governance and Civics History Individuals, Groups, and Interactions LESSON OVERVIEW Summary of the task, challenge, investigation, career-related scenario, problem, or community link. This unit will be split into two different projects. For the first project students will be studying the health of the local watershed. In science students will be looking at the importance of biodiversity and reviewing how to use a dichotomous key to identify an unknown organism. Specifically, students will be looking at invertebrates. For this first half students in language arts will be reviewing how to communicate through technical writing, in math they will be looking at the Pythagorean theorem and how scientists use triangulation and in social studies students will be looking at geography and the importance of location. The culmination of this first half of the unit will be a field project where students will rotate through different stations looking at water quality, invertebrates in the water, GPS and location, soil layers, water flow, biodiversity in the soil, and invertebrates in the leaf litter. The second half of the unit students will be looking ahead to high school standards. In science students will be looking at physics standards relating to heat transfer. Students will design an experiment to test the most energy efficient roofing materials, home orientation, and home location. In science students will investigate the transfer of heat using systems of equations. In language arts students will be writing about the results of the experiment. In Social Studies students will be explaining how cultures around the world build homes that fit the environment they live in. Students will also be learning more about energy and energy transfer in iWellness and they will be working to finalize and communicate their results in Media. Hook for the week unit or supplemental resources used throughout the week. (PBL scenarios, video clips, websites, literature) MOTIVATOR Who was King Tut? This is a brief video clip showing an attempt to extract DNA from the actual remain of King Tut in Egypt. Historians there are attempting to find out who King Tut really was and possibly how the 19-year-old pharaoh was killed so early in his life. DAY Objectives (I can….) 1 I can explain how geography led to the development of the Fertile Crescent. I can summarize some of the difficulties faced by the Sumerians. Materials & Resources I-Pads, Apple TV, MacBook Airs, Mesopotamian house diagram (Appendix A). Instructional Procedures Differentiated Instruction Essential Question: Remediation: Based upon their location, what were some of the advantages for the Sumerians? Heterogeneous Grouping. Set: Ask students to use their i-Pads and research the where the following cultures are located on a map: Sumerians, Egyptians, and the Babylonians. Next, ask students what each of these civilizations has in common with one another and initiate class discussion. Students may complete an “informative brochure” about the Sumerian civilization in place of a storyboard. Teaching Strategy(s): 1. Students will be divided into groups of two. Students will create virtual storyboards on the following topics using their i-Pads to conduct research: The Fertile Crescent, Sumerians, Sumerian Government, Sumerian Religion, Sumerian Science and Technology. Students will present their findings to the class. 2. Next, students will research what a Sumerian house might have looked like. Students should research the materials that were used to construct their houses. 3. Students will examine a picture of a typical Mesopotamian house (Appendix A). Students should answer the following question: How is the house like the homes Enrichment: Students will research the meaning of cultural diffusion. Students will identify present examples of cultural Assessment Formative Assessment: Students will answer both of today’s I can statements on an index card before exiting the classroom. of today, how is it different? Summarizing Strategy: Students will write a paragraph using the following prompt: Do you think that living near a river or other body of water helps or hurts the development of a civilization? Students should provide examples of specific civilizations in their response. 2 I can summarize the events leading up to the establishment of the Babylonian Empire. I can explain the importance of Hammurabi’s Code. I-Pad, Apple TV. diffusion in fashion, music, sports, entertainment, politics, etc. Essential Question: Remediation: How did the Code of Hammurabi influence later civilizations? Heterogeneous Grouping. Set: Hammurabi's Code Video Clip This video clip introduces students to the need for laws in society. It asks students to imagine a society without laws and what that society might be like. The clip goes on to explain the legacy of King Hammurabi of the Babylonian Empire and how his code of laws helped lay the foundation of government’s role in every day society. Teaching Strategy(s): 1. Students will be placed in groups of two. Students will use their i-Pads create their own system of laws (at least 10) or rules for the class. 2. Students will then be asked to join another group and examine each other’s original laws/rules. 3. Next, each group will create their final version of their ten laws/rules. Students will airplay their results and the class will discuss and vote on which groups laws/rules to go by for the remainder of the semester. Summarizing Strategy: Students will write a letter to the editor of their local newspaper on the issue of Hammurabi’s Code and if its idea of “eye for an eye” Students may come up with five laws/rules instead of ten. Enrichment: Students will research five laws created by Hammurabi and rewrite them in modern terminology. Formative Assessment: Students will be asked if they could answer today’s I can statements by showing thumbs up or thumbs down. justice is a good or poor basis for making laws. 3 I can explain the importance of the Nile River to the Egyptian people. I can describe some of the main achievements of the Ancient Egyptian people. I-pads, Apple TV, MacBook Airs. Essential Question: Remediation: How did the Egyptians use their environment to sustain their civilization? Heterogeneous Grouping. Set: Ancient Egypt Clip Students will view a brief video explaining the construction of the Great Obelisks at Luxor. Students will get a glimpse of the amount of planning, manpower, and determination that the Egyptians had to please their ruler-Ramses. Teaching Strategy(s): 1. Students will be divided into groups of two and assigned one of the following topics: Ancient Egypt and the Nile River, Ramses, the Egyptian pyramids, Osiris, Ra, Isis, King Tutankhamen, Cleopatra. 2. Students will create a PowerPoint or Prezi presentation about their assigned topic. Students will be required to have pictures on every slide and a video clip if possible about their topic. 3. Students will present the following day to their classmates. As groups present, have the audience write ten facts from each presentation. After all presentations are complete, each student is to write two sentences about what they learned from each of the presentations today. Summarizing Strategy: Students will write an obituary for both King Tutankhamen and Cleopatra. Students are to describe how each obtained power in Egypt and describe the accomplishments or failures of each of the pharaoh’s. Students are to be as historically accurate as possible. In place of a presentation the student may write a two to three page report on their topic. Enrichment: Students will research the practice of embalming today and compare/contrast it with the embalming practices of the Egyptians. Formative Assessment: Students will answer both of today’s I can statements on an index card before exiting the classroom. 4 Project Day – See Unit Plan Experimenting for a Sustainable Future: Watershed Health – Field Day 5 Project Day – See Unit Plan Experimenting for a Sustainable Future: Watershed Health – Field Day 6 I can explain the purpose of the Egyptian pyramids. I can summarize the importance of religion to the I-Pads, dry erase board, Apple TV, Mummy Case picture (Appendix C), About the Art information (Appendix D), Essential Question: Remediation: Formative: How did the Egyptian civilization view death? Students will use their i-pads and research the tomb of King Tut. The student will then create a one-slide presentation about Students will answer both of today’s I can statements on an index card before exiting the classroom. Set: Making a Mummy Clip Students will view a short clip explaining the process of making a mummy in ancient Egypt. Students learn what organs are taken out of the body and what organs actually stay with the body. The video also explains why the Egyptians went Egyptian people. Venn Diagram (Appendix E). to great strides to preserve the dead and place them in extravagant tombs. Teaching Strategy(s): what was found in King Tut’s tomb. 1. Airplay the picture of the Mummy Case (Appendix C). Enrichment: 2. Allow students to closely examine the picture and write down as many interesting things about the picture as possible. 3. Next, allow students to use their I-pads and research as much information as they can about Egyptian coffins (sarcophagus), Egyptian symbols, and Egyptian art. Students should write at least six to seven facts they learn from each of the topics. Students may use “About the Art” (Appendix D) 4. Bring the entire class together and once again airplay the picture of the Mummy Case. Ask the class if they notice anything on the case that they didn’t see or recognize before? 5. Lastly, students will now use poster board and design their own mummy case. Students are to design their own glossary of symbols and keep record of what their symbols represent to them personally. Allow students to research modern day funeral rituals of Jews or Muslims. Have students use a Venn diagram (Appendix E) to compare with modern day Christian funeral rituals. Summarizing Strategy: Students will design their own tombstone and write their own epitaph. Students should be certain to include what impact they have made in this life as human beings as well as what they believe people will most remember about them once they are gone from this world. 7 I can summarize why Indus Valley cities were uniform in their structure and I-pads, Apple TV, MacBook Airs. Essential Question: Remediation: What does the attention the Indus people gave to plumbing and sewer systems say about its culture? Heterogeneous Grouping Set: Students will use their I-pad to research and answer the following prompt: How is wastewater disposed of from your home and explain the purpose and Students may create a Lotus Formative Assessment: Students will answer today’s I can statement on functionality. functionality of a wastewater treatment plant. Once students have shared their research be certain to explain that the Indus Valley people stressed cleanliness and sanitation in their culture. Teaching Strategy: diagram on their ipads and fill in the information about the Cities, Geography, Culture, Trade, and Decline. 1. Divide students into five groups. 2. Assign each group one of the following five topics for the people of the Indus Valley region: Cities, Geography, Culture, Trade, and Decline. 3. Allow students to use their I-pads and research each topic. Use your dry-erase board to create a chart with all of the headings from above. Call on students to write their findings in the appropriate column. 4. Once the column is completely filled out on the board, call on students to explain their portion of the chart to the rest of the class. 5. Next, have students create a “Bragging Wall” for the achievements of the Indus Valley culture. Once students have put together a list have them categorize the achievements. Assign groups to each category and have the group come up with one paragraph on how their achievement helped advance the Indus Valley civilization. Summarizing Strategy: Students will design their own residential neighborhood. Students will create a layout/diagram of what their neighborhood is going to look like and propose it to the local county commission. Students will need to make certain to include the layout of the sanitation system, and what the roads will look like in the neighborhood. Enrichment: Assign students to research the history/planning of Kingsport, Tennessee. Students should make a PowerPoint presentation and include such things as industry, parks, schools, and local entertainment venues that people took interest in. an index card before leaving class. 8 Project Day – See Unit Plan Experimenting for a Sustainable Future: Top Roof – Research and Hypothesis 9 Project Day – See Unit Plan Experimenting for a Sustainable Future: Top Roof – Build and Test 10 Project Day – See Unit Plan Experimenting for a Sustainable Future: Top Roof – Conclusions STANDARDS Identify what you want to teach. Reference State, Common Core, ACT College Readiness Standards and/or State Competencies. GLE 1. 1. Understand the multi-cultural components to world culture. GLE 1.3. Understand the ways in which individuals and groups contributed to changes in social conditions. GLE 2.5. Understand the contribution of individuals to the economy systems of the world. GLE 3.1. Understand the importance of physical geographic features on world historic events. GLE 4.1. Understand the development of major systems of world governance. GLE 5.1. Understand the chronological flow of historical eras and events in World History. GLE 5.2. Understand the processes that gave rise to the earliest human civilizations. GLE 5.3. Understand the maturation of Africa, Asia, Europe, Australia, the Middle East, Oceanic, and the Americas and their continuing impact on the modern world. GLE 6.1. Understand the impact of one’s culture on identity, lifestyle, and socioeconomic status. GLE 6.2. Recognize the role of individuals in various cultures such as Western, Asian, African, Middle Eastern, and indigenous cultures. GLE 6.3. Understand the extent to which individuals, groups and institutions interact to produce continuity and change throughout world history.