A.+Unit+Overview


 * Unit Overview **


 * __Main Theme of Unit: //Early Human Societies//__ **

Students will learn about the earliest human societies. Students will expand their understanding of history by studying the people and events that ushered in the dawn of the major Western and non-Western ancient civilizations. Students will understand the geography effects of the specific societies and the significance in the development of the human story. Students will come to understand the everyday lives, cultural norms, problems, and accomplishments of people. They will understand the role of the people in the socio-economic environment. Students will use critical thinking skill to understand why civilizations developed where and when they did, why they became dominant, and why they declined.
 * __Overall Unit objectives__ **


 * __Social Studies Standards__ **

6.1 Students describe what is known through archaeological studies of the early physical and cultural development of humankind from the Paleolithic era to the agricultural revolution.

 * 1) Describe the hunter-gatherer societies, including the development of tools and the use of fire.
 * 2) Identify the locations of human communities that populated the major regions of the world and describe how humans adapted to a variety of environments.
 * 3) Discuss the climatic changes and human modifications of the physical environment that gave rise to the domestication of plants and animals and new sources of clothing and shelter.

__**Daily Objectives**__

These lessons are part of the whole unit of study of ancient civilization and will be using chapters 1-6. .

Days 1-2 · We will begin this unit introducing archaeology. There is a Language Arts story incorporated into the lesson. It is the Lascaux Cave story about the discovery of cave paintings. The students will be able to write a response to the story. There is also a video on the discovery of “Lucy”, the oldest human found. The unit vocabulary will be introduced. Several bulletin board activities will be completed.

Days 3-4 · In the next part of the unit the students will learn about the early type of tools that were invented and the first time fire was made. Specifically, the students will be able to explain the role tools played in the earliest society. The students will complete a timeline of early man. There is a science element to tie into the geography of the area that is about earthquakes.

Day 5

This day will focus on vocabulary review and activities. This will be the day of the big archaeological dig. This is a hands on learning environment where the students will perform a simulated archaeological dig and present their findings. The students will be able to use their communication skills to present the findings from their inquiries during the dig. There will also be a quiz to assess their understanding of the vocabulary and content covered thus far.

Days 6-7 · In this section the students will be learning about the attributes and elements of the hunter and gatherer society. There will be vocabulary review exercises. The students will also be introduced to the society of the Alps, known as hunters. The students will be completing another portion of the timeline activity

Days 8-9 · This section of the unit introduces the Nomadic societies. The students will be able to complete the Nomad migration map activity. The students will also learn about eh tools and culture of the nomadic society. There will be vocabulary review activities as well. The students will be able to identify the tools used by several different societies. The students will also be able to define the vocabulary.

Day 10 · The students will be able to complete the content writing lesson activity. The students will complete the weekly quiz to assess their understanding.

Day 11. · The students will be introduced to the concept of farming, domestic animals, and first civilization. The students will be able to make a Venn Diagram: Differences between Hunters/Gatherers and Civilization Societies. There will be vocabulary review activities with the bulletin board

Days 12 & 13 · There will be vocabulary review lessons. Chapter 4 of this unit entails the students learning about civilizations. The students will understand what elements make up a community. The students will complete a migration map activity. This chapter also entails the students learning about specialization of civilizations. The students will be able to complete the Language Arts Newspaper writing lesson.

Day 14 · The lesson this day will be focused on the farming of the civilizations. The students will be able to describe the different types of farming that is special to each society. There is a Science component to the lesson. The students will be able to complet the science lab activity.

Day 15 · This final day of the unit will culminate with a formal final test. The students will be able to freely work on any activities, i.e. bulletin board, file folders.


 * Incorporation of other curricular areas:**

**__Science:__** In this additional lesson, students will be introduced to the idea that environmental factors greatly influence the outcome of plant growth. Students will be grouped into three main groups divided by one variable each. The first group will be testing various conditions of soil and how that affects their seeds. The second group will be testing the variable of water on their seeds. The third group will be testing various conditions of light on their seeds. Finally, once they have completed their experiment and have findings students will be presenting their findings to the class as to how these variables affected their seeds. CA- California K-12 Academic Content Standards • Subject : History & Social Science • Grade : Grade Six • **Area : World History and Geography: Ancient Civilizations** Students in grade six expand their understanding of history by studying the people and events that ushered in the dawn of the major Western and non-Western ancient civilizations. Geography is of special significance in the development of the human story. Continued emphasis is placed on the everyday lives, problems, and accomplishments of people, their role in developing social, economic, and political structures, as well as in establishing and spreading ideas that helped transform the world forever. Students develop higher levels of critical thinking by considering why civilizations developed where and when they did, why they became dominant, and why they declined. Students analyze the interactions among the various cultures, emphasizing their enduring contributions and the link, despite time, between the contemporary and ancient worlds. • Sub-Strand 6.1: Students describe what is known through archaeological studies of the early physical and cultural development of humankind from the Paleolithic era to the agricultural revolution.
 * __Standards for the Science Lesson:__**

Standard 3: Discuss the climatic changes and human modifications of the physical environment that gave rise to the domestication of plants and animals and new sources of clothing and shelter.

• Subject : Science • Grade : Grade Six • **Area : Focus on Earth Science**

• Sub-Strand : Ecology (Life Science) • Concept 5: Organisms in ecosystems exchange energy and nutrients among themselves and with the environment. As a basis for understanding this concept:


 * Standard e: Students know the number and types of organisms an ecosystem can support depends on the resources available and on abiotic factors, such as quantities of light and water, a range of temperatures, and soil composition.

**__Language Arts:__** This lesson is based on the unit, Early Human Societies. It falls at the end of the unit, where the students have been introduced to the core content knowledge. The students will meet language arts standards, social studies standards, and demonstrate content knowledge by writing a news article for the class newspaper " // News Before our Times // ".


 * __Standards for writing lessons:__**

CA- California K-12 Academic Content Standards • Subject : English Language Arts • Grade : Grade Six • Area : Writing • Sub-Strand 2.0: Writing Applications (Genres and Their Characteristics) Students write narrative, expository, persuasive, and descriptive texts of at least 500 to 700 words in each genre. Student writing demonstrates a command of standard Ameri-can English and the research, organizational, and drafting strategies outlined in Writing Standard 1.0. • Concept : Using the writing strategies of grade six outlined in Writing Standard 1.0, students:

Standard 2.1: Write narratives: a. Establish and develop a plot and setting and present a point of view that is appropri-ate to the stories. b. Include sensory details and concrete language to develop plot and character. c. Use a range of narrative devices (e.g., dialogue, suspense).

Standard 2.2: Write expository compositions (e.g., description, explanation, comparison and contrast, problem and solution): a. State the thesis or purpose. b. Explain the situation. c. Follow an organizational pattern appropriate to the type of composition. d. Offer persuasive evidence to validate arguments and conclusions as needed.

Standard 2.3: Write research reports: a. Pose relevant questions with a scope narrow enough to be thoroughly covered. b. Support the main idea or ideas with facts, details, examples, and explanations from multiple authoritative sources (e.g., speakers, periodicals, online information searches). c. Include a bibliography.

** Future Units: **
 * Previous Unit **
 * This is the first Social Studies unit for the sixth grade. The student will come with prior knowledge about history, cultures, and contemporary American history. However, this unit of study is the introductory lesson of ancient history for most California students.
 * The next unit of study in Social Studies that will follow this unit is the study of ancient societies. These societies include Ancient Mesopotamia, Early Empires, Ancient Africa, Ancient Asia, and American Civilizations.