<p>Ben Postance April 5, 2011</p><p>CHW3M: World History to the Sixteenth Century (Grade 11)</p><p>Unit 3: Mesopotamia and the Arab World</p><p>Topic: Significance geographic features to early Mesopotamian society</p><p>Unit Context and Lesson Concept: This lesson is designed as the first in the third unit of study in the course, CHW3M: World History to the Sixteenth Century. In this part of the unit, students learn about the important geographic features of the Mesopotamian region and how these features affected daily life. By focusing on the significance of geographic features, this lesson helps to prepare student learning on future topics related to the larger social, political, and cultural aspects of the civilization. Students also continue to develop their learning on why civilizations arose in particular locations and not in others, as well as how geographic features caused differentiation between societies, and how geographic features contribute to change and continuity of societies. This lesson will aid student preparation in completing the summative task for this unit, particularly by introducing an assortment of visual materials (including maps and photographic images), a key component for the visual-based product task.</p><p>Key Learning: Differences in geographic factors contribute to differentiation of civilizations.</p><p>Curriculum Expectations:</p><p>Communities: Characteristics, Development, and Interaction Overall Expectations  Analyze how selected societies have evolved and responded to challenges  Analyze the interactions between various societies from the time of the first communities to the sixteenth century Specific Expectations Characteristics of Societies  Analyze the factors that contributed to the differentiation of societies Development of Societies  Analyze factors that allowed certain societies to thrive Relations between Societies  Analyze the factors that influenced the nature of relationships between societies</p><p>Change and Continuity Overall Expectations  Analyze the factors that contributed to the process of change from earliest times to the sixteenth century  Analyze the factors that contributed to the maintenance of stability and continuity in a variety of societies from earliest times to the sixteenth century  Demonstrate an understanding of the importance of using the concepts of chronology and cause and effect in studying world history before the sixteenth century Specific Expectations Change in History  Analyze forces that tended to promote and facilitate change in the world before the sixteenth century Continuity in History  Identify forces that tended to reinforce stability and continuity in the world before the sixteenth century Methods of Historical Inquiry and Communication Overall Expectations  Use methods of historical inquiry to locate, gather, evaluate, and organize research materials from a variety of sources Specific Expectations Research  Organize and record information gathered through research, using a variety of methods</p><p>Critical Thinking Tools:</p><p>Habits of Mind  Open-minded and willing to consider other viewpoints. Throughout the lesson, students are required to participate in small group and large group discussions and debates, including, for example, on the ranking of geographic significance. </p><p>Thinking Strategies  Entrance/Exit Tickets  Think/Pair/Share  During-reading Graphic organizer  In-class discussions and group discussions</p><p>Background Knowledge  Students require some background knowledge of the historical structures studied over the course of the unit.  Students can further that knowledge through their own research and through the comparison exercises done in class.</p><p>Critical Thinking Vocabulary:  Criteria  Evidence  Judgment  Opinion</p><p>Teaching Strategies:</p><p>Critical Challenge:  Rank order geographic features with respect to how differences in geographic factors contribute to differentiation of civilizations. The critical challenge is a judge the better or the best.  Prepare a short story explaining how geographic features affected Mesopotamian civilization and peoples’ everyday lives. The critical challenge is a perform to specs.</p><p>Criteria for Judgement:  Determined through class discussion, after completing a reading activity.</p><p>Prior Knowledge: The class will have a familiarity with the basics of mapmaking and the key elements of maps (ie. a title, border, north arrow or compass, scale, and legend) from the Unit 2 summative task. From the units on The Americas and The Mediterranean World, students will have already developed some understanding of why civilizations arose in particular locations and not in others, as well as how geographic features caused differentiation between societies, and how geographic features contribute to change and continuity of societies.</p><p>Resources:  Photocopies of entrance and exit tickets  Classroom-sized World Map  Chart paper  Markers  Photocopies of black-line master map of Mesopotamia  Photocopies of instruction/worksheet</p><p>Objectives/Purpose:</p><p>1. To introduce the new subject of study (Mesopotamia and the Arab World) 2. To conduct diagnostic assessment of prior knowledge of subject 3. To survey students’ interests in the subject in order to inform and refine lesson plans Ex. 1: Introduction/Welcome [5 min.] 1. T-CHART ENTRANCE TICKET – Teacher distributes strips of paper with T- Chart as students arrive to class. Give each student 2 minutes to complete. What are a few things you know about Iraq’s geographic features? What are a few things you would like to know about ancient Iraqi (Mesopotamian) civilization? 2. Discuss as a group for 3 minutes. Record things that students would like to learn about in a ‘Question Bank’ on board to be incorporated into the upcoming lesson plans. Ex. 2: Warm-up/Mental Set (Critical Challenge – Design to Specs) [3 min.] 3. THINK/PAIR/SHARE –Give each student 1 minute to think independently about major cities of the contemporary world. Can you name 10 major/world cities? Where are the cities located? Discuss as class. 4. Have the class pair up with the person sitting to their left. Teacher ensures each [5 min.] student pair has a blank sheet of chart paper and marker. Give each pair of students 5 minutes to sketch a map of the world from memory to the best of their ability and record to the best of their ability the locations of the cities on their hand-drawn maps. [5 min.] 5. Give student pairs 5 minutes to think of the geographic features of the locations surrounding those cities. What are the geographic features of those cities? Are they important features? Why? Do those geographic features affect those [5 min.] cities? How? Discuss as a group. How would student responses differ, if at all, if we talked about cities of the ancient world? 6. Either extrapolate out of the discussion or directly state the key learning of the lesson. How do differences in geographic factors contribute to differentiation of cities? Of civilizations? Ex. 3: Map Making (Critical Challenge- Design to Specs) 1. Today’s class is an opportunity to practice the necessary skills for the summative [1 min.] project – a multiple intelligence journal – by preparing a draft outline of a journal entry (the exit ticket task). Today we will be practicing a critical thinking strategy called judging the better or the best – just like when we looked at geographic features of world cities. This critical thinking strategy will be important for you as you work toward creating an effective summative project for this unit. Today, we are going to be doing some map work focused on the region called Mesopotamia – our next study subject - that includes the states we know today as Iraq, Syria, and Turkey. I am going to be giving you a blank map and a worksheet with a list of instructions for completing the map. Your first task will be to create a map with key geographical information about the Mesopotamian region. When you have finished your map, you are to make a judgment about what are the most important geographic factors of the region. In order to make your judgment, you need to gather information. Without information, it is not a judgment – rather it is an opinion. The specific information you will need to complete this task is available in your textbook. The page numbers are recorded on your worksheet. You will need to identify evidence that supports your [10 min.] judgments. 2. Hand out photocopy of blank maps of Mesopotamia and instruction/worksheet. Give students time to complete mapping task. Conduct formative assessment by [10 min.] moving around room and speaking to individual students. Geographic Significance (Critical Challenge- Judge the Better or the Best) 1. Give students time to read article in textbook independently so that they can gather information and formulate their judgment about the order of importance of the geographic features in affecting the differentiation of Mesopotamian society. [6 min.] Students list judgments in graphic organizer and provide evidence in the form of bulleted notes to justify their decisions. 2. Divide the class into groups of 4-5 by numbering. Hand out set of photographic images representing the key geographic features of the Mesopotamian region. Give students 4 minutes to discuss their judgments they made based on their reading with their group members and make a decision as to the order of importance of the geographic features. 3. Discuss the results as a class. What were your criteria for your judgments? What kinds of things were important? What were some of the differences and similarities from group to group? 4. As the students are offering their criteria, make a list on the chalkboard. Ask the class if they are satisfied with the criteria listed on the board. Do they want to add anything? Do they want to remove anything? Explain that this list that they have generated is going to be the criteria used for their project. Have every student jot down the list of criteria (teacher will write down the criteria for herself, in case students misplace their own notes). Perspective Taking (Critical Challenge – Perform to Specs) [5 min.] 1. Still in groups, give students 5 minutes to prepare a short story explaining their [10 min.] judgments about geographic features from the perspective of the everyday life of a person living in the Mesopotamian region in ancient times. How did the geographic features affect Mesopotamian civilization? Peoples’ everyday lives? Students share their stories with class - formative assessment for and as learning. Ex. 4: Formative Assessment Task - Exit Ticket 1. EXIT TICKET – Teacher distributes strips of paper. Give each student 5 minutes [5 min.] to record ideas about how differences in geographic factors contribute to differentiation of civilizations. Collect reflections from students before they leave class for formative feedback. 2. Over the upcoming days, we will be moving our discussion from the role and importance of geographical features in Mesopotamian society to a consideration of the extent to which change is a result of individual contributions versus greater social forces – Stay Tuned! ENTRANCE TICKET: Introduction to Mesopotamia and the Arab World</p><p>INSTRUCTIONS: Add at least three ideas to each section below</p><p>Things I Know About Things I Want to Know About</p><p>Iraq’s Geographical Features Ancient Iraq (Mesopotamia)</p><p>EXIT TICKET: Geographic Significance, Mesopotamia and the Arab World</p><p>1. How do different geographic factors contribute to the variation between different civilizations?</p><p>2. How would Mesopotamian civilization have developed differently if it were not for the presence of the Euphrates and the Tigris? Or surrounded by deserts? Or by mountains? Geographic Factors INSTRUCTIONS: Refer to textbook p 60-61 and complete graphic organizer below.</p><p>RANK: #1 (Most Important Geographic Feature) </p><p>PHYSICAL FEATURE:</p><p>EVIDENCE OF IMPORTANCE:</p><p>Did this feature cause change or stability? Give an example.</p><p>RANK: 2</p><p>PHYSICAL FEATURE:</p><p>EVIDENCE OF IMPORTANCE:</p><p>Did this feature cause change or stability? Give an example.</p><p>RANK: 3 (Least Important Geographic Feature) </p><p>PHYSICAL FEATURE:</p><p>EVIDENCE OF IMPORTANCE:</p><p>Did this feature cause change or stability? Give an example. Name: Date:</p><p>Map Making – Mesopotamia Consult Chapter 3 in your textbook. Create a map of ancient Mesopotamia. Use the standard conventions of mapmaking (ie. Include a Title, a Compass or North Arrow, a Scale) </p><p>A. Label the following elements on the map:</p><p>1. Syria 2. Phoenicia 3. Palestine 4. Persia 5. Egypt 6. Arabia 7. Mesopotamia 8. The Fertile Crescent 9. Deserts a. Syrian b. Arabian 10. Mountains a. Taurus b. Zagros 11. Cities a. Nineveh b. Ashur c. Akkad d. Kish e. Babylon f. Lagash g. Erech h. Ur 12. Bodies of Water a. The Mediterranean Sea b. The Black Sea c. The Caspian Sea d. The Persian Gulf e. The Red Sea f. The Tigris River g. The Euphrates River h. The Nile River (remember: the name of a river is written along the path of the river) The Tigris River (Source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/mazhude/2175210210/sizes/z/in/photostream/)</p><p>The Euphrates River (Source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/golden_road/5411026430/sizes/z/in/photostream/) The Zagros Mountains (Source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/adella/163362308/sizes/z/in/photostream/)</p><p>The Taurus Mountains (Source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/zeesstof/5466834953/sizes/z/in/photostream/) The Syrian Desert (Source: http://www.flickr.com/photos/trilli_bagus/4239576291/sizes/z/in/photostream/)</p><p>The Arabian Desert (Source: http://www.britannica.com.sg/geography-of-the-middle-east/arabian-desert-355649.html)</p>