Lesson Thirteen - Getting Organized
Description
Students prepare for the culminating task (The Museum of Ancient Civilizations) by working together to develop criteria for successful research and presentations.
Expectations
- identify and compare the ways in which people in various early civilizations met their physical and social needs, including how they interacted with and used the natural environment;
- use a variety of resources and tools to investigate characteristics of a number of early civilizations, including their significant innovations and technological advances;
- show how innovations made by various early civilizations have influenced the modern world.
– identify major early civilizations (e.g., Mediterranean,African, Asian, North/Central/South American) and locate them on a world map;
– identify some scientific and technological advances made by two or more early civilizations (e.g., written language, calendar, time-keeping methods, invention of the wheel, medicine, sculpture, irrigation, building methods, architecture, embalming, aqueducts, metalwork);
– formulate questions to develop a research focus (e.g.,What farming methods were used by the Aztecs? How did trade between early African civilizations contribute to mutual prosperity? How did social organization differ among various North American First Nation peoples?);
– compare maps of early civilizations with modern maps of the same area;
– use appropriate vocabulary (e.g., culture, myth, legend, civilization, technology, democracy ) to describe their inquiries and observations.
– make connections between some elements of modern life and similar elements from early civilizations (e.g., the Olympic ideal, democracy, money as a medium of exchange, citizenship, philosophy,
mythology, trade, social structures, legal systems, theatre, architecture); 5z20 – compare and respond to myths and legends from two or more early civilizations;
Teaching / Learning
DAY ONE - Introduction to Museum Exhibit Assignment:
1. Hand every student a copy of "Museum Exhibit Assignment" (BLM 13.4).
2. Read through the assignment page to clarify the expectations for each portion of the culminating task, taking the time to suggest timelines for each section. This will help students to set reasonable goals for completion of each piece of the project and increase the likelihood of their success.
Advance Organizer:
3. Hand out "Ancient Civilizations Chart."
4. Ask students to give examples of the types of information they might want to include under each heading in the chart. Note ideas on the board or a chart for students to refer to later if they need help deciding where to record certain facts they identify. Blanks in the chart allow students to record information on other topics.
5. Remind students that they have already completed much of the research that they need to fill in this chart.
6. Note which areas still need to be addressed through research. Students should do the same in their charts.
Learning Contract:
7. Brainstorm and web criteria for a successful research group.
8. As a class, create a rating scale chart to describe group work expectations. This is left posted while students work on the culminating task to remind them of required group work skills.
9. Tell students that this rating scale may remind them of the "Group Work Agreement Sheet" that they sign.
10. Hand out a copy of the "Group Work Agreement Sheet" (BLM 13.2) with each student's name included. Have each student sign the contract next to their name.
DAY TWO - Discussion/Creation of a Project Evaluation Rubric:
11. Explain that mutually established criteria forms the basis for the assessment of student group work, and that work is assessed through self and teacher evaluation of the culminating task's final project.
12. Establish criteria for a Level 3 oral presentation as a class.
13. Help students to use appropriate language to describe the expectations that they will be required to meet.
14. Chart the Level 3 rubric as students write it and leave it posted for students to see.
15. Discuss how the rubric's wording would change for Level two and then how it would change for Level three.
16. Tell students that an important part of completing any project is keeping organized in order to meet deadlines. This is an important life skill that they need for their future success. Hand out "Group Organization Chart"for use in determining and recording the responsibilities of each group member.
17. Establish due-dates for rough work, a pre-presentation conference, and presentation, having students record this information in their Ancient Civilization Portfolios, where they keep all of their research rough work and loose papers as they work to complete their projects.
Adaptations
Refer to the suggestions for adaptations made throughout this unit.
Assessment
Throughout the student work periods for this project, use the Group Work Observations Checklist at regular intervals to assess student group work behaviours, and anecdotal notes to assess how well students are handling the research and inquiry process and connecting big ideas.
Assessment Strategies
- Observation
Assessment Recording Devices
- Checklist
- Anecdotal Record
Resources
Group Work Agreement SheetAncient Civilizations Chart Group Organization ChartMuseum Exhibit Assignmentchart papermarkers ancient civilizations portfolios
Notes to Teacher
Although an outline of parameters and components of the final project have been provided, it has been left up to individual teachers to determine the scope and style of the final products based on time constraints, needs and abilities of students.
When introducing this lesson, teachers could dress in role as the curator of the Ancient Civilization Museum once again (see Lesson 2).
