DURHAM PUBLIC SCHOOLS 2012-2013
UNIT 1 PLAN FOR 7TH GRADE CONTENT AREA
Unit Overview:
Instructional Time: 3 weeks.15 days
Quarter X One
Three
Two
Four
Course/Grade Level: 7th Grade Social Studies
Unit Theme:
Revised Bloom’s Taxonomy: Level 1-6
Pre-1500s and Historical Thinking
Unit Summary:
This unit will provide an overview of the 6th grade curriculum. The unit should focus on the development of civilization through various case
studies (ie Mesopotamia and Egypt) and the development of religion and government. Students will also be introduced to the use of historical
tools and the five themes of geography (location, place, human-environmental interaction, movement, regions).
North Carolina Informational Technology Essential Standards:
7.SI.1 Evaluate information resources based on specified criteria.
7.SI.1.1 Evaluate resources for reliability. (Reliability can be determined by currency, credibility, authority, etc. depending on the
curriculum topic).
7.SI.1.2 Evaluate content for relevance to the assigned task.
7.SI.1.3 Evaluate resources for point of view, bias, values, or intent of information.
7.TT.1 Use technology and other resources for assigned tasks.
7.TT.1.1 Use appropriate technology tools and other resources to access information.
7.TT.1.2 Use appropriate technology tools and other resources to organize information (e.g. graphic organizers, databases, spreadsheets,
and desktop publishing).
NC Essential Standards
7.H.1 Use historical thinking to analyze various modern societies.
H.1.1 Construct charts, graphs, and historical narratives to explain particular events or issues over time.
H 1.2 Summarize the literal meaning of historical documents in order to establish context.
H.1.3 Use primary and secondary sources to interpret various historical perspectives.
7.G.2 Apply the tools of a geographer to understand modern societies and regions.
G.2.1 Construct maps, charts, and graphs to explain data about geographic phenomena (e.g. migration patterns and population and resource
distribution patterns).
G.2.2 Use maps, charts, graphs, geographic data and available technology tools (i.e. GPS and GIS software) to interpret and draw
conclusions about social, economic, and environmental issues in modern societies and regions.
Essential Question(s):
How do advanced civilizations develop?
How did widespread polytheism give way to monotheist religions?
How has political thought changed history?
How do the five themes of geography help us understand the world around us?
Enduring Understanding(s): resource - NCDPI UNPACKING DOCUMENT
Studying the rise civilization helps us to understand the development of society today.
Learning how to use the tools of a historian and geography can help us understand the world around us.
I Can Statement(s):
I can describe the tools historians use.
I can analyze a primary source.
I can differentiate between a primary and secondary source.
I can read and analyze a map.
I can explain and give examples of the five themes of geography
I can compare ancient civilizations.
I can establish criteria for the development of civilization.
I can outline the development of political and religious thought.
I can trace the history of _____ from ancient times to the late Middle Ages.
Vocabulary:
Civilization
Mesopotamia
Egypt
Indus River
Huang He
Government
Democracy
monarchy
Renaissance
social structure
religion
Polytheism
Monotheism
Geography
Five themes of Geography
Location
Place
Human-environmental interactions
Movement
regions
Maps
Charts
Primary vs secondary sources
Reading and Writing for Literacy and Interdisciplinary Connections
Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including vocabulary specific to domains related to history/social studies
Evidence of Learning (Formative Assessments):
Warm up journal (daily or weekly)
Teacher observation during classroom activities
Exit Slips
Homework
Daily checks for understanding
Skits
Editorials
Journaling
Debates
Summative Assessment(s):
Teacher made test
Projects
Essays
Glogster
Prezi
Propaganda Posters
Newspapers
Blog
Brochures
Unit Implementation:
RESOURCES for this unit:
United Streaming
Free Maps from d-maps: http://d-maps.com/
Free Games (Geography) sheppardsoftware.com
BBC History for kids: http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/forkids/
Prezi (use to make presentations): www.prezi.com
Glogster (need an account): www.glogster.com
Overview of each country: Ciaworldfactbook.gov
Current events
cnnstudentnews.com (CNN newscast for students)
http://flocabulary.com/the-week-in-rap/ (Week in Rap)
http://www.bbc.co.uk/cbbc/ (bbc for kids)
Historical events in the news http://hmcurrentevents.com/world-history/
Holt Eastern World Chapters Chapter 5, 11, 19
Holt Western World Chapters 14 section 1
*Prentice Hall Ancient World Chapters
*History on the Net - www.historyonthenet.com
*Big Era 5 - http://worldhistoryforusall.sdsu.edu/eras/era5.php
Avalon: Primary Sources http://avalon.law.yale.edu/
Ancient Documents: http://avalon.law.yale.edu/subject_menus/ancient.asp
Social Studies for Kids: http://www.socialstudiesforkids.com/
Fordham University Sourcebooks: http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/
Ancient: http://www.fordham.edu/Halsall/ancient/asbook.asp
StudentsFriend.com
Review of 6th grade: http://studentsfriend.com/aids/curraids/curraids.html#anchor1118800
5 themes of Geography:
http://www.una.edu/geography/statedepted/themes.html
Week One:
Objectives to cover
 I can describe the tools historians use.
 I can analyze a primary source.
 I can differentiate between a primary and secondary source.
 I can read and analyze a map.
 I can explain and give examples of the five themes of geography
Concepts/Topics to cover:
 Geography
 Five themes of Geography (Location, Place, Human-environmental interactions, Movement, regions)
 Maps, Charts, graphs
 Primary vs secondary sources
Resources and Activities
 Practice reading maps, define parts of a map and describe why they are important (create a foldable for each part of the map)
 Students can make maps (create their own land, or their neighborhood, the school)
 World Regions Activity: This simulation employs physical space, objects, information, questions, charts, and graphs to help students better
understand the physical and human characteristics of contemporary world
regions.http://studentsfriend.com/aids/curraids/activities/simulations/RegionsSimulation/regions.html
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How to read a primary source: http://www.bowdoin.edu/writing-guides/primaries.htm
Ancient Primary Documents to analyze:
o http://avalon.law.yale.edu/subject_menus/ancient.asp
o http://www.fordham.edu/Halsall/ancient/asbook.asp
Read Why use primary sources? and have students write a persuasive paragraph/essay about why students should use primary sources:
http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/source/robinson-sources.asp
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Fives Themes of Geography stations (website provides a variety of activities to review the meaning and purpose of each theme of geography):
http://www.itemnie.com/5themes.pdf
Unit plan and textbook reading on the Five Themes of Geographyhttp://www.pearsoned.ca/school/ontariopearson7and8/histgeo/media/Geo7_Unit1.pdf
Week Two:
Objectives to cover
 I can read and analyze a map.
 I can explain and give examples of the five themes of geography
 I can compare ancient civilizations.
Concepts/Topics to cover:
 Civilization
 Mesopotamia
 Egypt
 Indus River
 Huang He
 Government
 social structure
 religion
 Polytheism
 Monotheism
Resources and Activities
 See Supportive Unit Resources below
 Pick an area and study primary sources from their as a review to ancient civilizations: http://www.fordham.edu/Halsall/ancient/asbook03.asp
 Jigsaw: Divide class into groups- each group will study a different ancient civilization: Mesopotamia, Huang He, Egypt, Indus River. Have students
analyze the key parts of those civilizations (geography, government, social structure, religion). Students will then get in groups with students from
different civilizations and see what similarities they find)
Week Three
Objectives to cover
 I can outline the development of political and religious thought.
 I can trace the history of _____ from ancient times to the late Middle Ages.
Concepts/Topics to cover
 Democracy
 monarchy
 Renaissance
 social structure
 religion
 Polytheism
 Monotheism
Resources and Activities
 Compare the 3 major religions (activity on Depot)
 Define different government types and have students find examples of each in ancient and modern history
 Change and Comparison- charting change in a region between ancient history and the late Middle Ages. This chart helps students analyze civilizations; it
correlate with the time periods covered in Part 1. Students maintain one chart for each major civilization. During the course, students track the development of eight
major aspects of civilization: geography, economy, technology, political, artistic, religion/philosophy, interaction, and society. Charts can provide the basis for
answering essay questions about change over time or comparison across cultures. http://studentsfriend.com/aids/curraids/analysis/cc-chart.pdf
Supportive Unit Resources: (Please note that these are resources that can be used to supplement instruction before or during a lesson.)
Links for activity
Intervention: http://studentsfriend.com/aids/curraids/timeline/Ill%20TL%20WHG1.pdf
Maintenance: http://studentsfriend.com/aids/curraids/timeline/overtl.pdf
Extension: http://studentsfriend.com/aids/curraids/timeline/tripletl.pdf
Teacher cheat sheet: http://studentsfriend.com/aids/curraids/timeline/tldates.pdf
Instructional
Activities:
Scaffolding Option 1:
Intervention
Scaffolding Option 2:
Maintenance
Scaffolding Option 3:
Extension
A project designed to cement knowledge
of the chronological sequence of the
civilizations studied during 6th grade; also,
to generate lasting mental associations as
students create illustrations representing
each civilization. Includes instructions &
grading rubric. Can be assigned as an
individual project or group project.
Teacher may choose to limit Illustrations
to original drawings or not.
Focusing on ancient cultures, this is a
useful activity for showing that cultures do
not exist in isolation in time or space -that different cultures exist concurrently
and influence their neighbors. Includes
instructions and questions to be answered
based on the findings of the timeline and
on prior learning.
Clarifies associations between the three
chronological schemes used to organize
history in Part 1: a) six time periods
associated with the six units of the
Student's Friend, b) the tool cultures of
stone, bronze and iron, and c) four eras of
history: prehistoric times, ancient times,
middle ages and modern times.
Technology Integration: (Please note that these are resources that can be used to supplement instruction before or during a lesson.)
Multimedia
Activities:
G.2.1 H.1.1
Explore SAS’s interactive map. Students
can plot locations, zoom in, view locations
of capitals and rivers. This tool allows
students to write on the map, so teachers
can choose a task (ie label the areas that
might be good for civilization) and students
can complete and email or print out.
http://www.sascurriculumpathways.com/portal/
Review of Ancient Civilizations
http://www.sascurriculumpathways.com/portal/
Ancient China: QL #1340
Ancient Greece: QL #177
Ancient Middle East: QL #174
Ancient Middle East: QL #1104
Ancient Egypt: The Social Pyramid QL #1239
Aztec and Inca Civilization QL #1219
http://www.sascurriculumpathways.com/portal/
Ancient Middle East: QL #1104
Students will complete computer based
research to fill in a comparison chart
comparing Sumerian, Akkadian, Babylonian,
Hittite, Assyrian, Chaldean, Phoenician,
Hebrew civilizations
QL #2000
Ancient Greece: The Melian Debate QL
#1240
(Many more on website)