Social Studies Curriculum Unit One

SOCIAL STUDIES CURRICULUM UNIT TWO

Name: Fairfield Township School District Date: Lesson Title: Mesopotamia Subject: SOCIAL STUDIES Grade Level/Course: Sixth Grade Overview of Unit: The early civilizations of the fertile crescent established the foundations for future to grow and prosper.

Interdisciplinary Connections: X Language Arts X Social Studies X Science PE X Art X Technology Music _X Math Other ______Learning Targets

BIG IDEA(S): Civilizations are groups of people who have a complex and organized society within a culture. Each has its own customs, food supply, social divisions, government, religion, and technology.

ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS (Overview)  Civilizations first developed in southwestern Asia in the fertile crescent. Standards: 6.1.8.a.1-11; 6.2.8.A.1-6;6.2.8.E.1-13;6.3.8.A.1-3; 6.3.8.B.1-11; 6.3.8.C.1- 7:6.3.8.D.1-3; 6.5.8.C.1-7; 6.6.8.A.1-11 (Lesson 1)  How did climate in the Fertile Crescent make it a good area for civilizations to rise?  When did the first civilizations begin to develop?  What problems did people have to solve before farming could be established in southern Mesopotamia?  How did farmers use the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers to solve the problems of low rainfall?  Why do you think settlers from other parts of the Fertile Crescent came to southern Mesopotamia? (Lesson 2)  Why were most city states surrounded by walls?  What ideas and inventions shaped Mesopotamian civilization?  What is polytheism?  What is an empire?  What contributions did the Sumerians make to advance their civilization?  How were Sumerian religion and government connected?  How did the Sumerian writing system develop and change?  After Sumer rose again, does it seem that the Mesopotamians continued to make important advances? (Lesson 3)  Why did Hammurabi need tax money, and how did he collect it?  What was the purpose of the Code of Hammurabi?  When did the Assyrians expand their empire?  What was Babylon like during Nebuchadnezzar’s reign?  How did the Assyrian culture differ from the Babylonian culture?  What contributions did the Babylonians make to civilization? (Lesson 4)  According to the Hebrew Bible, did Abraham form a covenant with God before or after Moses received the Ten Commandments?  Why did Deborah have a more powerful role in society than other Hebrew women?  Why do you think the Hebrews consider the Torah to be a sacred text?  What advantage do you think the Phoenicians’ form of writing had over cuneiform?  What was one of the first monotheistic religions?  What was the purpose of Soloman’s temple?  What did the Lydians invent that we use today?  How did the Phoenicians help spread new ideas from one part of the ancient world to another?

ENDURING UNDERSTANDINGS (Overview)  Civilizations first developed in southwestern Asia in the fertile crescent. (Lesson 1)  How d id the climate of the Fertile Crescent make it a good area for civilizations to survive?  When did one of the first civilizations begin to develop?  How did Mesopotamian farmers use the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers to solve the problem of low rainfall?  What problems did people have to solve before they could start farming on southern Mesopotamia?  What was one of the major steps toward the rise of civilization in southern Mesopotamia? (Lesson 2)  What is a society?  How were Sumerian religion and government connected?  How did the Sumerian writing system develop and change?  What are examples of ideas or inventions that shaped Mesopotamian civilization and influenced other civilizations?  What is an empire? (Lesson 3)  Who was Hammurabi?  What was the code of Hammurabi?  How did Assyrian culture differ from Babylonian culture?  What contributions did the Babylonians make to civilization? (Lesson 4)  According to the Hebrew Bible, did Abraham form a covenant with God before or after Moses received the Ten Commandments?  Why did Deborah have a more powerful role in society than other Hebrew women?  Why do you think the Hebrews consider the Torah to be a sacred text?  What advantage do you think the Phoenicians’ form of writing had over cuneiform?  What was one of the first monotheistic religions?  What was the purpose of Soloman’s temple?  What did the Lydians invent that we use today?  How did the Phoenicians help spread new ideas from one part of the ancient world to another? UNIT LEARNING TARGETS: Students will be able to… (Overview)  Civilizations first developed in southwestern Asia in the fertile crescent. (Lesson 1)  How did the climate of the Fertile Crescent make it a good area for civilizations to survive?  When did one of the first civilizations begin to develop?  How did Mesopotamian farmers use the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers to solve the problem of low rainfall?  What problems did people have to solve before they could start farming on southern Mesopotamia?  What was one of the major steps toward the rise of civilization in southern Mesopotamia? (Lesson 2)  What is a society?  How were Sumerian religion and government connected?  How did the Sumerian writing system develop and change?  What are examples of ideas or inventions that shaped Mesopotamian civilization and influenced other civilizations?  What is an empire? (Lesson 3)  Who was Hammurabi?  What was the code of Hammurabi?  How did Assyrian culture differ from Babylonian culture?  What contributions did the Babylonians make to civilization?

. (Lesson 4)  According to the Hebrew Bible, did Abraham form a covenant with God before or after Moses received the Ten Commandments?  Why did Deborah have a more powerful role in society than other Hebrew women?  Why do you think the Hebrews consider the Torah to be a sacred text?  What advantage do you think the Phoenicians’ form of writing had over cuneiform?  What was one of the first monotheistic religions?  What was the purpose of Soloman’s temple?  What did the Lydians invent that we use today?  How did the Phoenicians help spread new ideas from one part of the ancient world to another?

ASSESSMENT PERFORMANCE TASKS:

 Written assessment  Project / Presentation  Teacher created Web Quests  Power Point presentation  Slideshow presentation  Concept Maps OTHER EVIDENCE:

 Small group of discussion  Whole group discussion  Student observation  Journal entries  Timelines  Graphs and Tables  Cooperative Groups

LEARNING PLAN Activities Resources (Lesson 1)  Textbooks  Write a news article about the  Smart board Activities flooding of the Nile River.  Internet Research  Use map scales to compare maps of  Study Guides different areas.  Journals (Lesson 2)  Maps  Design a system of picture writing  Web quests like that of the Sumerians. Write a  Project Based Learning sentence using your new system and challenge a classmate to decode  Digital Graphic Organizers it.  Educational Videos (Lesson 3)  Video Clips / Virtual Tours  Choose one of the rulers that  Netbooks interests you most. Go to the library or on the internet to research more about the ruler. (Lesson 4)  Suppose you are a ruler of an ancient empire. You’ve just seen a new Lydian coin and decide it would be great to have your own coins. What will they be made of? What shape will they be? How will people know their value and to which empire they belong? (Cumulative)  Write a menu for a meal a Mesopotamian might have eaten .  Write a dialogue in which two Mesopotamians complain about the weather.  Write a riddle about on of the rulers