Teachers: Teacher Librarian / 6th Grade Social Studies Teacher
Subject Area: Social Studies, Ancient Egypt
Grade Level: 6th
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/
