University of Ontario Institute of Technology
Faculty of Education
Corisa Chamberlain
Fiona Daly
Christine McGoveran
Integrated Unit Plan
Grade 5 – Journey Back in Time
Early Civilizations
Due: Sunday, March 9, 2008
Submitted to: Janette Hughes
Submitted on: Thursday, March 6, 2008
Journey Back in Time Summary
Early Civilizations will be explored in May, which falls towards the end of the 2007/2008 school year. Students have already been through most of the curriculum and have opportunities to read a number of different texts (fiction, non-fiction, poetry, historical fiction, fantasy, news reports etc). Students have also participated in literature circles throughout the year and will continue their literature circles through this unit, now focusing on historical texts.
Several ancient worlds will be explored (Egypt, Greek, Rome, China…), and students will research and present their findings through role play, visual arts, musical expression, and first-person narrative stories. Structures of the ancient world will be explored through Art (recreation of structures) and math (geometry). Students will also take a field trip to the ROM to see artefacts from the civilizations they have been studying.
Some of the lessons included in our unit plan will have students participate in an archaeological dig. As students uncover various artefacts they will need to decide what ancient civilization they come from, and what they were used for. Drama and Media will be explored through the preparation and presentation of skits as well as the creation of Greek Masks. The Roles and Responsibilities of individuals from ancient civilizations will be explored through reading, writing in perspective, as well as role play.
As seen in our lesson plans, students will play an active role in their own learning. Students are out of their desks and completing hands on activities to bring ancient civilizations to life. Lessons and activities also draw on a variety of learning differences. The unit will allow students to learn individually and with groups; through movement, reading, and writing; on field trips and in class; by creating new objects and uncovering “ancient artefacts”.
We fell that our unit will engage all learners, and will lead to lasting memories for our students. The incorporation of many hands on activities allows students to direct their own learning, which will lead to deeper, more personal knowledge.
Learning Expectations
LANGUAGE ARTS
WRITING
Overall Expectations
· generate, gather, and organize ideas and information to write for an intended purpose and audience;
· draft and revise their writing, using a variety of informational, literary, and graphic forms and stylistic elements appropriate for the purpose and audience;
Specific Expectations
· identify the topic, purpose, and audience for a variety of writing forms
· identify and order main ideas and supporting units that could be used to develop several linked paragraphs, using a variety of strategies
· determine whether the ideas and information they have gathered are relevant, appropriate, and adequate for the purpose, and do more research if necessary
· establish an appropriate voice in their writing, with a focus on modifying language and tone to suit different circumstances or audiences
ORAL COMMUNICATION
Overall Expectations
· use speaking skills and strategies appropriately to communicate with different audiences for a variety of purposes;
Specific Expectations
· demonstrate an understanding of appropriate speaking behaviour in a variety of situations, including paired sharing, dialogue, and small- and large-group discussions
· communicate orally in a clear, coherent manner, presenting ideas, opinions, and information in a readily understandable form
MEDIA LITERACY
Overall Expectations
· create a variety of media texts for different purposes and audiences, using appropriate forms, conventions, and techniques;
Specific Expectations
· identify the purpose and audience for a variety of media texts
· describe in detail the topic, purpose, and audience for media texts they plan to create
SOCIAL STUDIES
Overall 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;
Specific Expectations
· outline how social needs were met in two or more early civilizations
· identify important values and beliefs in two or more early civilizations and describe how they affected daily life
· use media works, oral presentations, written notes and descriptions, drawings, tables, charts, maps, and graphs to communicate information about early communities;
· identify major early civilizations (e.g., Mediterranean, African, Asian, North/Central/South American)
THE ARTS
VISUAL ARTS
Overall Expectations
· produce two- and three-dimensional works of art that communicate a range of ideas (thoughts, feelings, experiences) for specific purposes and to specific audiences
· describe their interpretation of a variety of art works, basing their interpretation on evidence from the works (especially on ways in which an artist has used the elements of design to clarify meaning) and on their own knowledge and experience;
Specific Expectations
· select the most appropriate tools, materials, and techniques for a particular purpose, and use them correctly
· compare works on a similar theme (e.g., seasons) from various periods and cultures, and describe the impact of time and location on style
· produce two- and three-dimensional works of art (i.e., works involving media and techniques used in drawing, painting, sculpting, printmaking) that communicate a range of thoughts, feelings, and ideas for specific purposes and to specific audiences (e.g., using electronic media, design an eye-catching title page for their science notebook that clearly communicates the topic for a specific unit of study);
DRAMA
Overall Expectations
· interpret and communicate the meaning of stories, films, plays, songs, and other material drawn from different sources and cultures, using a range of drama and dance techniques (e.g., using a “corridor of voices”);
Specific Expectations
· rehearse and perform small-group drama and dance presentations drawn from novels, poems, stories, plays, and other source materials;
· provide support for their interpretations of personal experiences and aspects of history, which they have presented through drama and dance (e.g., arrival in a new country, life in a medieval village), using various research resources to gather information;
Culminating Activity/Assignment
Throughout the unit students will read and write about people from ancient civilizations. They will also student the various elements of ancient cultures. For their culminating task, students will select a historical figure of their choice (from one of the ancient civilizations studied), and will write a journal entry from the perspective of their historical figure including: lifestyle, daily activities, and ‘social commentary’ on their own culture. Students will hand in their journal to the teacher.
Students from the same civilization will also be asked to work as a group to put together a dramatic presentation (a short skit ~ 5 minutes) to explain culture incorporating norms and lifestyle (upper class, royalty, servants etc.) They will be encouraged to dress as their historical figure, and bring in/make some artefacts that would have been used at the time. These artefacts could be artwork they work on through the unit.
After students present all of their historical figures, the class will have a ‘Journey Back in Time’ celebration. Students will have the opportunity to play games that were popular in that time period. Students will interaction with other ‘historical figures’ and celebrate their new knowledge.
Accommodations/Modifications
Some students may not feel comfortable presenting their culminating task in front of the class. Students will be given the option to complete a video presentation: their presentation can be filmed beforehand and shown to the class.
Students can make use of the Resource Room or Library as alternative work areas. They may also have scribes to help them write down their ideas. A number of visuals and hands-on activities will be made use of in the classroom to accommodate learners with special needs.
Individual lesson plans outline more specifically what accommodations/modifications will be put in place: please see lesson plans.
Assessment and Evaluation Guidelines
For their Culminating Task group work, students will complete a peer assessment as well as an individual assessment. Key ideas will be effort put forth, cooperation, brainstorming/ideas, and overall contribution to the group assignment.
At the end of the unit, students will complete a unit test on Ancient Civilizations – this will be content based.
Other assessment and evaluation strategies are outlined in our lesson plans: please see plans for more detail.
List of Key Resources
Support Books List:
Cotterell, A., The Penguin Encyclopedia of Ancient Civilizations. Toronto:
Penguin Publishing, 1980.
Scholastic Canada. Curriculum Resources :Social Studies Library: Grade 5:
Heritage and Citizenship: Early Civilizations. Scholastic Canada, 2008. http://www.scholastic.ca/education/curriculum/social_lib.html. Retrieved February, 2008.
CD Rom:
Microsoft. Encarta. Microsoft Encarta, 2008. Retrieved on February, 2008. Website: http://www.microsoft.com/products/encarta/default.mspx
Online Internet Connections:
Educational Resources in Social Studies. Ancient Civilizations Theme Page. CLN. Retrieved on February, 2008. Website: http://www.cln.org/themes/ancient.html
Ancient Greece. Ancient Greece. University Press, 2008. Retrieved on February, 2008.Website: http://www.ancientgreece.com/s/Main_Page/
Virtual Museum of Canada. Land of the Spirits: Dig Down – Dig Back. Friends of Bonnechere Parks, 2006. Retrieves on February 2008. Website: http://www.virtualmuseum.ca/Exhibitions/Spirits/English/index.html
Activity Centre Ideas:
Ancient Civilizations Artifacts table:
Students will be able to explore and identify various artifacts from different early civilizations. Info will be provided on each of the artifacts, where they are from and their purpose.
Ancient Civilizations Reading Centre:
Students will be able to pick different books that relate to the theme that are non- fiction and fiction and read about ancient civilizations.
Ancient Civilizations Arts Centre:
Students will be able to further explore ancient art forms that interest them by creating what they have done previously in prior lessons.
Ancient Civilizations Exploratory Centre:
Students will be able to look at pictures, diagrams, maps, etc and information on different categories like food, clothing, religion, lifestyle etc. relating to specific ancient civilizations.
Annotated Bibliography
Focus Books:
Gregory, Kristiana. Cleopatra VII: Daughter of the Nile. New York: Scholastic,
1999.
While her father is hiding after attempts on his life, twelve-year-old Cleopatra records in her diary how she fears for her own safety and hopes to survive to become Queen of Egypt some day.
Jacq, Christian. Ramses Volume 1 The Son of Light. Toronto; Grand Central Publishing, 1997.
More than 3,000 years ago, Ramses was born to power and privilege in the Royal household of ancient Egypt. The Son of Light is the first volume is an historical fiction about a fourteen-year-old boy who is being prepared to take the the throne during the time of the ancient Egyptians.
Osborne, Mary Pope. Mummies in the Morning. New York: Random House,
1993.
Jack and his younger sister take a trip in their tree house back to ancient Egypt, where they help a queen's mummy continue her voyage to the Next Life.
Sutcliff, Rosemary. The Eagle of the Ninth. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1993.
A young centurion ventures among the hostile tribes beyond the Roman Wall to recover the eagle standard of the Ninth, a legion which mysteriously disappeared under his father's command.
Corollary Books:
Baker III, C. F., & Rosalie, F., Ancient Egyptians: People of the Pyramids. New
York: Oxford University Press, 2001.
This book offers an introduction to many of the important people of ancient Egypt. Some of these include Imhotep, Khufu, Nefertiti, Hatshepsut, Tutankhamun, and Rameses the Great, the last king of ancient Egypt. This book covers the period up until the time of 322 BCE. This book would be used in teaching students about the leaders and government of ancient Egypt.
Bordessa, K., Tools of the Ancient Greeks: A Kid’s Guide to the History &
Science of Life in Ancient Greece. Chicago, IL: Nomad Press, 2006.
The focus of this book is to provide readers with information on the sciences and inventions of the ancient Greeks. This book also helps students discover the differences and similarities between life in ancient Greece, and that of our modern times. This book would be very useful for covering the Social Studies expectations regarding comparisons between ancient and modern times.
Carlson, M. A., Theories of the Theatre: A Historical And Critical Survey
From The Greeks to the Present. New York: Cornell University Press,
1993.
This adult-level book provides readers with an in-depth discussion of Greek theatre. It also traces the history of theatre from the Greeks to modern times. This book would be used by teachers to learn about Greek theatre, rather than be read by students, due to the adult-level vocabulary and high density of text. It would be a very good source of background information.
Chandler, F., Taplin, S., & Bingham, J., The Usborne Internet-Linked
Encyclopedia of the Roman World. London: Usborne Publishing Ltd.,
2001.
This kid-friendly source is full of brief descriptions of important topics, people, places, and many other aspects of ancient Rome. The colour images in this book are of very good quality, and are very comprehensive in nature. This book should be displayed in the classroom for students to consult during activities, or to read during free reading time throughout the day. This book also links directly to a website, full of additional resources for students and teachers.
Corbishley, M., Illustrated Encyclopedia of Ancient Rome. London: British
Museum Press, 2003.
This book is an encyclopedia covering many aspects of history, culture, and daily life in ancient Rome. Students should use this book as a reference when doing research, or to free during free reading time in class.
Dickinson, R., Tools of the Ancient Romans: A Kid’s Guide to the History and
Science of Life in Ancient Rome. White River Junction, VT: Nomad Books,
2006.
The focus of this book is to provide readers with information on the sciences and inventions of the ancient Romans. This book also helps students discover the differences and similarities between life in ancient Rome, and that of our modern times. This book would be very useful for covering the Social Studies expectations regarding comparisons between ancient and modern times.
Fry, Erin. 25 Mini-Plays: World History: Great 10-Minute Plays to Kick-Off or
Wrap Up the Ancient Civilization Lessons you Teach and Engage.