Enduring Understandings - important ideas that students should carry with them years beyond the instruction received this year.

• Geographic tools are used to locate and derive information about the past.
• Physical and human characteristics of places define regions.
• Migration and immigration affect the location and distribution of human activity.
• Knowledge of geography increases understanding of past and present.

Essential Questions - most important “big picture” questions students should be able to answer after completing learning activities.

• How do physical and human characteristics define and identify region and place?
• How did the physical characteristics of regions influence human characteristics?
• How do migration and trade routes affect location/distribution of human activity?

Standards and Benchmarks
Geography 2: Students know the physical and human characteristics of places, and use this knowledge to define and study regions and their patterns of change.
Benchmark 2 A: Students know the physical and human characteristics of places.
Benchmark B: Students know how and why people define regions.
Benchmark C: Students know how culture and experience influence people's perceptions of places and regions.
Geography 4: Students understand how economic, political, cultural and social processes interact to shape patterns of human populations, interdependence, cooperation and conflict.
Benchmark A: Students know the characteristics, location, distribution, and migration of human populations.
Geography  6: Students apply knowledge of people, places, and environments to understand the past and present, and to plan for the future.
Benchmark A: Students know how to apply geography to understand the past.

Middle School D-11 Social Studies Indicators 

Geography
1. Use and Construction of Geographic Tools: Interpret maps, globes, charts, and geographic databases.
2. Characteristics of Place and Region: Define and identify regions by describing physical and human characteristics of places.
3. Physical Processes Shape the Earth’s Surface: Describe physical processes that shape the earth’s surface.
4. Patterns of Human Population and Interaction: Explain how migration and immigration affect the location and distribution of human activity.
5. Human and Physical Systems:  Explain how humans modify the environment and how the environment influences human activity.
6. Apply Knowledge of Geography: Describe how characteristics of places and environments influence events in the past and present.  

Lessons 1-3:  What Makes a Good Map?
   
Duration: 2-3 days
Standards/Indicator:  Geography 1: Use tools (maps, globes, photographs, graphs, charts, and databases) to locate information about places.
Enduring Understanding: Geographic tools are used to locate and derive information about the past.
Essential Question: How can we use geographic and historical tools to interpret information about the past?
Resources: DOGSTAILS  The Ancient World
Assessment:  Respond orally or in writing: How can we use geographic and historical tools to interpret information about the past?
 
Activities    

1. Look at a variety of maps. Discuss why people use maps. What kinds of maps are there? List the parts of a map. Do all maps have all parts? 
2. Have students make a map from home school.  Put in landmarks to help show the way.  Be sure to include the parts of a map that are needed to understand the map.
3. Go through the DOGSTAILS list, checking off the parts that your map contains. Choose 10-12 maps from an Atlas and go through the checklist for each map.  (The following pages in The Ancient World can be used instead of the maps in an atlas:  pages 30, 36, 46, 48, 60, 96, 110, 190, 248, 252). 
4. Discuss: Do all maps have all parts?  Is it necessary that all maps have all parts?  Why or why not?

Differentiation
Support (RtI tiers 2 & 3): Draw a map showing how to get to a park, school, or a friend’s house.  The map should be a location close by, one that you can walk.  Use the map to get to the location.  Check for accuracy.  Look at 3-4 maps and use the checklist.  Do all maps have all parts?  Is is necessary for every map to have all parts?  Why or why not?
Extensions: Write an essay titled “A World Without Maps”. Choose a job and write about how that person’s life would be changed by the absence of maps.   
Supplemental Education Resources: Encarta Encyclopedia Maps
Read pages 1 and 2 of this article about the different types of maps and elements of maps.  Make a list of the types of maps and elements.  

Lesson 4: Maps and Atlases
 
Duration:  1 day
Standards/Indicator:  Geography 1: Use tools (maps, globes, photographs, graphs, charts, and databases) to locate information about places.
Enduring Understanding:  Geographic tools are used to locate and derive information about the past.
Essential Questions:  How can we use geographic and historical tools to interpret information about the past?  What is the difference between political and physical maps?  What are the uses for political and physical maps?
Resources:  Atlas and/or The Ancient World
Assessment:  Respond orally or in writing -- What are the similarities and differences between political and physical maps?  What are the uses for political and physical maps?

Activities

1. Look at a political map or an atlas or The Ancient World page 246-247.  Describe the map.  What makes it a political map? 

2. Look at a physical map in an atlas or The Ancient World pages 248-249.  Describe the map.  What makes it a physical map? 

3. Look through the atlas (The Ancient World pages 248-261) and find 4 political maps and 4 physical maps.   Write the names of the maps in your notebook.  How are all physical maps alike? How are all political maps alike?  What are the major differences among physical maps?  Among political maps?

Differentiation
Support:  Focus on one example of each map rather than multiple. Have students list the major features of political maps, e.g. countries, capital cities, borders. Point out the importance of size and font of letters for Continents, countries, capital cities. Note use of symbol for capital cities and borders. Next, select a physical map and note the major features--land forms, water forms, elevation, use of color in the key, etc.
Extensions: Have students compare physical maps in the text with those in an atlas, then do the same for political maps. Discuss why these maps sometimes place emphasis on different features.

Supplemental Education Resources:   http://encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761577953_4/Map.html#s17
Scroll down to “VI History of Maps”.  Read about the history of maps and make a flow on the development of maps.

Lessons 5-7:  The Ancient World
     
Duration:  2-3 days
Standards/Indicator:  History 1: Organize events and people in chronological order and use this data to determine cause/effect relationships.
Enduring Understanding: People and events are organized chronologically to increase understanding of historical relationships.
Essential Questions:  How did the major events affect the development of a civilization?   What is the difference between prehistory and history?
Resources: The Ancient World pages 8-13; video clips: The Subject of Cave Art - Animals, Living the Life of Otzi
Assessment:  Respond orally or in writing to the Essential Questions.

Activities

1. The Ancient World page 8-9.  Read about the cave art, then watch The Subject of Cave Art - Animals video. Take notes while watching--on the animals and the people who killed them.

2. Discuss where a the caves are located, their ages and what can be learned from the caves and about The Ice Age.

3. Read The Ancient World page 10 about the Iceman. 

4. Watch the Living the Life of Otzi (3:16) video. Compare what was learned from the text with what was learned from the video.

5. Read The Ancient World pages 11-13 to take notes about the purposes of Geography and History and how they are linked. Complete The Ancient World page 13 questions 3-5.

6. Answer the Essential Questions. How did the major events affect the development of a civilization?
   What is the difference between prehistory and history?

Differentiation
Support: Review vocabulary on page 10, with students providing their own explanations and examples.
Extensions:  http://www.teachtci.com/resources/ha/AWH/topic01.aspx Read the selection and complete the assignment.

Lesson 8: Using Timelines
   
Duration:  1 Day
Standards/Indicator: History 1:  Organize events and people in chronological order and use this data to determine cause/effect relationships.
Enduring Understanding:  People and events are organized chronologically to increase understanding of historical relationships.
Essential Question: How does the chronology lead to the understanding of historical relationships?
Resources:   The Ancient World pages 14-15
Assessment:  How do timelines and knowledge of chronology lead to the understanding of historical relationships?

Activities

• Place a series of events on pieces of tag board—from students lives or school, and distribute to students; have these students arrange themselves, and events, in order.
• Introduce chronology as the skill of arranging events in time order so that the relationships between and among them can be seen. Have students describe relationships among those held by students

• A time line can help you remember dates, the order of important events, and the relationship among events. Create a time line for the first twelve years of your life.  Draw a big dot on the left side of the page.  Under the dot write the year you were born. Measure 1/2 inch along the line to the right, and make another dot and the next year.  Continue until you reach the current year.  Start with the year you were born and write "Born in".  Write several important events in your life above the dates in the time line.  Give your time line a title.
• Read orally The Ancient World page14 and complete the activities on page 15.

Differentiation
Support (RtI tiers 2 & 3): Limit the number of events to be included in the personal time line. Pair students with English speakers to cooperative complete this time line.
Extensions:  Create a time line for the next twelve years of your life.  Write at least six events that you predict will happen.  Events can include driver’s license, getting your first job, graduation from high school, and/or college, or create a parallel time line, including national/world events, corresponding to your life. 

Supplemental Education Resources: http://www.fsmitha.com/h1/index.html   
Create a time line with notes on the video clip in the previous lesson, Living the Life of Otzi.

Lessons 9-10: The Stone Age
     
Duration:  2 days
Indicator: History 4 Identify and explain changes in technology and evaluate their impact on historical events.
Enduring Understanding: Technological developments have impacted individuals and societies throughout history.
Essential Questions: How did technological developments change lifestyles?  How was life different in the New Stone Age compared to the Old Stone Age?
Resources: The Ancient World pages 16-21; video clip
Assessment:  Orally or in writing, have students respond to the essential questions: How did technological developments change lifestyles?  How was life different in the New Stone Age compared to the Old Stone Age?     

Activities

1. Name the skills you would need to survive in the wilderness. How would you get food, clothing, and shelter to stay alive?
2. Read The Ancient World pages 16-21 and take notes on the beginning of farming.  How did farming change the way people lived?
3. Watch video clip Out of Africa and take notes. Compare information with that in the text.
4. “Writing to Learn” Activity page 21 in the Ancient World.  Your journal entry should be at last one page long.   Draw a picture to illustrate your journal entry.
5. Discuss the Essential Questions for this lesson as a class, then write your own summary paragraph answering each questions that your teacher chooses to use. Use the Four Point Rubric as a guide so you know how your response will be graded.

Differentiation
Support (RtI tiers 2 & 3):  The Ancient World pages 16-21. Draw three pictures depicting people in the Old Stone Age, Middle Stone Age, and New Stone Age.  Include what made each time period different. 
Extensions:  http://www.teachtci.com/resources/ha/AWH/topic04.aspx  Read the selection and complete the assignment.

Supplemental Education Resources:  Research prehistoric animals (Saber-Toothed Tiger   Wooly Mammoth   Mastodon).  Choose one or more and write an essay. Where did the animals live? Did they migrate to other areas?  How did they survive? 
Permission granted to use this material by Teacher Curriculum Institute, June 2008

Parent Resources