6th Grade Information Skills Lesson Plan

Teachers: Teacher Librarian / 6^th Grade Social Studies Teacher

Subject Area: Library and Information Skills

Grade Level: 6^th

Unit Title: Egypt

Lesson Title: Egypt Research Skills

Overview: Students will use print source materials related to Ancient Egypt to learn source evaluation.

Connection to the Curriculum: In sixth grade, students study world history and geography, specifically ancient civilizations. Sixth graders also learn information skills applicable to research.

Connection to Standards:

History Social-Science Content Standards for California:

Grade Six, Standard 6.2: Students analyze the geographic, political, economic, religious, and social structures of the early civilizations of Mesopotamia, Egypt, and Kush, 7. Understand the significance of Queen Hatshepsut and Ramses the Great.

California Model Library Standards:

Standard 2: Students evaluate information

Time: Approximately 1 hour. Students will spend a 1-hour period in the library media center.

Materials/Equipment Required: Students will use print sources available in the school library.

Objectives: Students will gain experience evaluating print sources of information.

Suggested Procedure: Students will spend the first half of the 1-hour lesson in the library media center listening to a presentation and asking questions about source evaluation. The second half of the lesson will be spent trying out new evaluation skills introduced by the library media teacher.

Opening: Teacher librarian will introduce the lesson by sharing the book Hatshepsut, His Majesty, Herself (book review available at http://picturebooksforbigkids.blogspot.com/2011/07/hatshepsut-his-majesty-herself.html) by Catherine M. Andronik. Teacher librarian will share the steps for evaluating this book to determine whether or not it is a good source for a project that the students will soon be working on in their social science class.

Development: Students will be divided into groups and given several books on a single topic related to Ancient Egypt. The groups will use their newly learned process for evaluating print sources to determine the quality and appropriateness of the materials.

Closing: Each group will elect a spokesperson to present to the class the best print source as determined by their group for the upcoming Egypt project. The spokesperson will explain the results of examining their recommended source (i.e., the publication date, text content and age appropriateness, appendix content, index quality, ease of use, etc.) as outlined in the presentation on source evaluation.

Student Assessment: Students will listen to feedback from the teacher librarian after their group presentation. Other students may also comment and ask questions.

Extending the Lesson: Students might apply print source evaluation criteria with additional criteria to evaluate digital sources. Students could learn to create a citation for book evaluated. Students might learn note-taking skills as part of learning to gather information from a source.

6th Grade Ancient Greece Lesson Plan

Teachers: Teacher Librarian / 6^th Grade Social Studies Teacher

Subject Area: Social Studies, Ancient Greece

Grade Level: 6^th

Unit Title: Greece

Lesson Title: The Gods of Olympia

Overview: Students will research one God from the Greek Olympians. Students will utilize source location, source evaluation and note taking skills. Students will work in group to synthesize information about the modern legacy of the Olympian God of their choice.

Connection to the Curriculum: In sixth grade, students study world history and geography, specifically ancient civilizations.

Connection to Standards: History Social-Science Content Standards for California, Grade Six, Standard 6.4.4: Explain the significance of Greek mythology to the everyday life of people in the region and how Greek literature continues to permeate our literature and language today, drawing from Greek mythology and epics, such as Homer's Iliad and Odyssey, and from Aesop's Fables.

California Model Library Standards:

Standard 1: Students access information

Standard 2: Students evaluate information

Standard 3: Students use information

Time: Approximately 3 hours.

Materials/Equipment Required: Students will need access to iWork Pages or Microsoft Word for word processing (both programs are available at school). Students will also need at least 2 sources of print or digital information about Greek mythology. Print sources are available in the school library and the teacher and librarian will suggest web sources.

Objectives: Students will learn how the ancient Greeks used mythology to explain the world around them. Students will also gain experience locating, accessing, evaluating and using multiple sources of information. Students will learn to correctly cite source information.

Suggested Procedure: Students should spend about 1 hour gathering information, citing information and taking notes. Students will then meet in groups to compare and share information about their Olympian God. Each group will write a blog entry about their group’s specific God. Students will wrap up the lesson by reading each other’s blog entries.

Opening: Teacher will introduce the assignment by sharing the book Zeus: King of the Gods (book review available at http://picturebooksforbigkids.blogspot.com/2011/07/zeus-king-of-gods.html) by George O’Connor. Teacher will use a document camera to project the graphic illustrations on a large screen for the students to see. Teacher will share the portion of the story where Zeus receives his birthright from his grandmother, Gaea (p.46). Teacher will explain how the King of the Gods “hurling a thunderbolt,” (p. 68) is how the Greeks explained the reason for lightning storms.

Development: Teacher librarian will teach students how to cite sources, as well as introduce print and digital source recommendations. Students will select the Olympian God of their choice and conduct research to find out that God’s Greek and Roman names, the meaning of the name, any special attributes and details about how that particular God or Goddess helped the ancient Greeks understand their world.

Closing: Students form groups based on Gods and Goddesses (the Zeus group, the Poseidon group, the Hera group, etc.). Students share their research notes and together, write a blog entry about their Olympian in which they include examples of any modern day legacies from their Olympian. Teacher will share examples at the time groups form. Example: today, we have the Olympic Games every four years, which began in ancient Greece and were held every four years to honor Zeus.

Student Assessment: Group blogs will be read by all students and the teacher will use the blogs to assess student learning, specifically looking at research findings and students’ ability to synthesize information and apply concept of historical legacy, as well as understanding of origins of Greek mythology.

Extending the Lesson: Students might hold a Greek banquet or their own Olympics.

Additional Resources:

Aliki. (2008). The Gods and Goddesses of Olympus. Paw Prints.

D'Aulaire, I., & D'Aulaire, E. P. (2003). Ingri and Edgar Parin D'Aulaire's book of Greek myths. New York: Delacorte.

Smith, C. R., & Russell, P. C. (2009). The mighty 12: Superheroes of Greek myth. New York: Little, Brown.

Vinge, J. D., & Sherman, O. (1999). The Random House book of Greek myths. New York: Random House.

6th Grade Ancient Egypt Lesson Plan

Teachers: Teacher Librarian / 6^th Grade Social Studies Teacher

Subject Area: Social Studies, Ancient Egypt

Grade Level: 6^th

Unit Title: Egypt

Lesson Title: Egyptian Newsletter

Overview: Students will research specific topics related to Ancient Egypt and create an “Egyptian Newsletter.” Students will utilize source location, source evaluation and note taking skills. Students will learn and write about Egypt, as well as learn how to create a bibliography.

Connection to the Curriculum: In sixth grade, students study world history and geography, specifically ancient civilizations.

Connection to Standards:

History-Social Studies Content Standards for California:

6.2 Students analyze the geographic, political, economic, religious, and social structures of the early civilizations of Mesopotamia, Egypt, and Kush.

1. Locate and describe the major river systems and discuss the physical settings that supported permanent settlement and early civilizations.

2. Trace the development of agricultural techniques that permitted the production of economic surplus and the emergence of cities as centers of culture and power.

3. Understand the relationship between religion and the social and political order in Mesopotamia and Egypt.

4. Know the significance of Hammurabi’s Code.

5. Discuss the main features of Egyptian art and architecture.

6. Describe the role of Egyptian trade in the eastern Mediterranean and Nile valley.

7. Understand the significance of Queen Hatshepsut and Ramses the Great.

8. Identify the location of the Kush civilization and describe its political, commercial, and cultural relations with Egypt.

9. Trace the evolution of language and its written forms.

California Model Library Standards:

Standard 1: Students access information

Standard 2: Students evaluate information

Standard 3: Students use information

Time: Approximately 8 hours. Students will spend 1.5 hours per week in the classroom and school library working on the project and 30 minutes per week at home for 4 weeks, for a total of 8 hours.

Materials/Equipment Required: Students will need access to iWork Pages or Microsoft Word for word processing (both programs are available at school). Students will also need at least 3 sources of print or digital information in addition to the textbook. Print sources are available in the school library and the teacher and librarian will suggest web sources.

Objectives: Students will gain knowledge about the geographic, political, economic, religious, and social structures of the early civilizations of Mesopotamia, Egypt, and Kush. Students will also gain experience locating, accessing, evaluating and using multiple sources of information. Students will learn to correctly cite source information.

Suggested Procedure: Students should spend the first two weeks of this project gathering information, citing information and taking notes. Students should then write paragraphs about each of the six required topics and four additional topics of their choice. Students may then create their newsletter, adding a title and pictures to illustrate each “story.”

Opening: Teacher will introduce the assignment by sharing the book History News: The Egyptian News (book review available at http://picturebooksforbigkids.blogspot.com/2011/07/egyptian-news-greatest-newspaper-in.html) by Scott Steedman. Teacher will also assign background readings from the social studies textbook and break students into groups to answer chapter discussion questions about Egypt. Teacher will introduce each of the six required topics:

Nile: major features and related rivers/lakes/seas

Egypt: physical settings/geography that supported permanent settlement

Agricultural techniques that permitted the production of economic surplus and trade

Main elements/features of Egyptian art and architecture

Social Structure in Egypt.

Old, Middle and New Kingdoms including their rulers

Teacher will then provide a list of choices for four additional topics to include in newsletter (Main cities as centers of culture and power, Egyptian Number System, Queen Hatshepsut, Ramses the Great, Hieroglyphics, Mummification, Pyramids, The Sphinx, King Tut, God and/or Goddess of student’s choice, The Afterlife, Cleopatra,

Egyptian Entertainment, Rights/Roles of Women, Ship building, Rosetta Stone, Papyrus, The Ankh, Egyptian trade in the eastern Mediterranean and Nile valley.

Development: Teacher librarian will teach students how to cite sources, as well as introduce print and digital source recommendations.

Closing: Student and classroom teacher will visit the library during research phase. Teacher and teacher librarian will check in individually with students to ensure that students are progressing with their research and note taking. Later, students will submit complete draft of their newsletters to teacher. Teacher will read and provide feedback on the newsletter and teacher librarian will review and provide bibliography feedback. Students will have the opportunity to edit their projects.

Student Assessment: Students will post their newsletters on the class website. Students will then read at least a dozen articles from their classmates’ newsletters and post constructive feedback, modeling teacher examples. Students will read their own feedback, revise their newsletters and resubmit for a final grade.

Extending the Lesson: Students might select a favorite topic and then meet in groups with fellow students who have selected the same topic. Students will prepare a group presentation for the class in the form of a short play, a food sample, a map, etc. as appropriately related to the topic.

Additional Resources:

http://egypt.mrdonn.org/index.html

http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ancient/egyptians/

http://www.ancient-egypt.org/