Ancient Egypt: The Nile River Valley

 Unit Focus Question  How did the Ancient Egyptians create a brilliant and long-lasting civilization in a desert land?

 Today's Focus Question  How did the Nile River affect where people settled in Ancient Egypt?

Video: "The Nile Gives Life"  To begin, we will watch a short video about the geography, of Ancient Egypt, with a special focus on the importance of the Nile River. 

The Nile River: Vocabulary Study  Next, we will study the key vocabulary related to the geography of Ancient Egypt, using the document The Nile River Valley - Cognitive Content Dictionary, which can be found in your Social Studies folders. We will be using an excerpt from our Social Studies textbook, which has been placed in your Social Studies folders (and which you can also find here), to help us understand the lesson's key words and concepts.

Map of Ancient Egypt

Egypt's Black Land and Red Land

Map of Lower Egypt and the Nile Delta

Nile River Cataract

Satellite Image of Egypt 

Homework  Complete The Nile River Valley - Cognitive Content Dictionary. Due: Next Thursday (the last day of the quarter), October 16. 

Ancient Egypt Webquest

Ancient Egypt Webquest  Today we will be continue working on our Ancient Egypt Webquest, which can be found here. Remember, you are acting as an online Egyptologist, as you are sent all over the Internet to gather information about this important and supremely interesting civilization. You will continue to record your findings using the document Ancient Egypt Webquest, which can still be found your Social Studies folders. Good luck and have fun! This assignment should be completed by Friday, October 10. 

Homework Complete the Ancient Egypt Webquest. Due: Friday, October 10. 

Welcome to Ancient Egypt

Ancient Egypt Padlet Activity  Of all the civilizations we study, Ancient Egypt is usually the one that kids come to class already knowing the most about? What do you know about Ancient Egypt? What prior knowledge do you enter this unit having? Share your prior knowledge on your class's Padlet wall (Period 4 and Period 6).  

Now think about what you want to know? What about Ancient Egypt were you always curious about but were afraid to ask? What do hope to learn about Ancient Egypt during this unit? Share your questions on your class's Padlet Wall (Period 4 and Period 6).

Ancient Egypt Webquest  In order to get oriented with Ancient Egypt, today we will be working on an Ancient Egypt Webquest, which can be found here. You will be acting as an online Egyptologist, as you are sent all over the Internet to gather information about this important and supremely interesting civilization. You will record your findings using the document Ancient Egypt Webquest, which has been placed in your Social Studies folders. Good luck and have fun! This assignment should be completed by Friday, October 10. 

Homework Complete the Ancient Egypt Webquest. Due: Friday, October 10. 

From Mesopotamia to Egypt

Mesopotamia Timeline Project  Today will be your last class period to work on your timeline about the history of Mesopotamia. Remember to select at least five significant events from Mesopotamia's history, arrange them in chronological order with dates, and include an image and description of its importance with each event. Additional directions on how to make your timeline can be found with the assignment History of Mesopotamia Timeline, which is in your Social Studies folders. Remember that this assignment is due on Friday, October 10. 

Ancient Egypt Webquest  Tomorrow will be our official launch of Ancient Egypt. However, if you have completed your Mesopotamia Timeline and would like to get a head start on Ancient Egypt, you may. We will be working on an Ancient Egypt Webquest, which can be found here. You will be acting as an online Egyptologist, being sent all over the Internet, to gather information about this important and supremely interesting civilization. You will record your findings using the document Ancient Egypt Webquest, which has been placed in your Social Studies folders. Good luck and have fun! We will continue working on this assignment tomorrow. 

Homework Complete the History of Mesopotamia Timeline. Due: Friday, October 10.  

Mesopotamia Timeline Project

Mesopotamia Timeline Project  Today you will continue working on your timeline about the history of Mesopotamia. Remember to select at least five significant events from Mesopotamia's history, arrange them in chronological order with dates, and include an image and description of its importance with each event. Additional directions on how to make your timeline can be found with the assignment History of Mesopotamia Timeline, which is in your Social Studies folders. 

You may want to use your Social Studies textbooks, Mesopotamia assignments, and trusted websites as resources to help you find the events and dates for your timeline. 

The following websites may be helpful in identifying important events from Mesopotamian history: 

• Ancient Mesopotamia for Kids (Ducksters)
• The British Museum - Mesopotamia
• The History and Religion of Ancient Mesopotamia
• Fordham University: Ancient History Sourcebook - Mesopotamia

Class time to work on this assignment may be limited, and you may need to commit to finishing it outside of class. Remember, this assignment will count towards your assessment grade and be due next Friday, October 10.    

Homework  Due to Back to School Night, the assignments originally due today are now due Monday, October 6. Please make sure the following assignments are completed and ready to be graded on Monday: the Ancient Achievements Timeline Assessment, the Empire - Concept Map, You Be the Judge - Hammurabi's Code, and The Development of Writing - Study Guide (from last Friday).  

Assessing Mesopotamia

 Today's Objective  To demonstrate what you have learned about the civilization of Mesopotamia

Mesopotamia Quiz  Our time dedicated to learning about Mesopotamia, the world's first civilization, is coming to a end. Now it's time to demonstrate what you have learned. We will begin by taking a quiz, which can be found here. I will read each question and answer set aloud and then provide you time to complete the quiz before you submit your answers.  

Mesopotamia Timeline Project  Now let's combine our understanding of timelines with our knowledge about Mesopotamia. Today you will construct your own timeline about the history of Mesopotamia. You will select at least five significant events from Mesopotamia's history, arrange them in chronological order with dates, and include an image and description to accompany each event. Additional directions can be found with the assignment History of Mesopotamia Timeline. You may want to use your Social Studies textbooks, Mesopotamia assignments, and trusted websites as resources to help find the events and dates for your timeline. I will also model how to get started on your timeline, so please pay close attention. This assignment will count towards your assessment grade and be due next Friday, October 10.  

Homework  Coming to Back to School Night with your families should be your main priority tonight. Assignments that would have been due tomorrow, Friday, will now be due on Monday, October 6.     

Analysis Skills: Understand Timelines

 Today's Focus Questions  What are the components of a timeline and how do we interpret the information timelines provide?

Learning Analysis Skills: Understand Timelines  Timelines can give historical information a beginning a middle, and an end, organizing it into a story that can improve your comprehension. Today's lesson will teach you how to use the components (or parts) of a timeline and help you interpret (make sense of) that information.  

We will first practice working with a timeline together by following the steps and answering the questions outlined below. 

Apply Analysis Skills: Understand Timelines  Now that you understand the components of a timeline and how they work, you are going to apply your acquired knowledge and demonstrate what you've learned by completing a timeline assessment. Your task is to study the timeline below and then answer the accompanying series of questions about the information included.  

The document Ancient Achievements Timeline Assessment can be found in your Social Studies folders. If it is not completed in class today, it must be completed for homework and is due Friday, October 3. Reminder: This assignment counts towards the assessment portion of your grade. 

Homework  (1.) Complete the Ancient Achievements Timeline Assessment. (2.) Study and review your documents, reading selections, and blog entries related to Mesopotamia. We will be having a Mesopotamia Quiz tomorrow.