Process

Stage 1: Research

Each two person team creates a Mindmeister mind map using the title “7hums-yournames-Mesopotamia or Egypt or Religion”. Remember to record the bibliographical information for each Web site and book you use. Share the mind map with your your teacher and each other. Then divide the questions between the two partners to research and to record the answers in your shared mind map.

Questions to be answered by the Mesopotamia and Egypt research people>

1. Describe the culture of your society.

2. Break the culture into parts (components/categories) fully describing them giving examples.

3. What is culture?

4. What were early examples of each component with your society? How did they get their start?

5. (Big question. You will really need to research and think “cause & effect”.)

6. What is a society?

7. What are its parts (components)?

8. What did each of these parts of society provide the society?

9. What is the difference between society and culture?

10. How did people record information? Who had the ability to write?

11. What are different ways people in your society made a living?

12. Was money used in your society? How did it get its start? What was the need for money?

13. Were all people equal? If not, what were the different groups?

14. What were the rights of individuals in each of these groups?

15. What are social classes? How did these groups fit into classes?

16. What were the different forms of power some people had in your society?

17. How did people gain these different forms of power?

18. What were the main classes in your society?

19. How important was trade? Give examples.

20. What were the classes based upon?

21. Why were there classes?

22. Who ruled? What form of government did your society have?

23. What was the government in charge of? What was its purpose?

24. Why was Hammurabi so important? What did he give the people of Mesopotamia that is so important to our lives today? (Mesopotamia only)

25. What is technology? What did it look like in ancient times?What were different ways technology was used in your society?

26. How did inventions in transportation, communication, agriculture, industry, education, and medicine improve the quality of life?

27. Describe the overall geography and weather patterns for your society.

28. Where did most of the people live? Why?

29. How did geography affect all aspects of ESPRAT?

    1. What questions did you come up with during your research? Add them to your notes and work to answer them!

Questions for Religion research person>

1. What are the main beliefs of each religion?

2. What are the main rituals/practices of each religion?

3. What patterns or common “parts” do you see these religions having?

4. What do the parts do for (benefit) the people, the worshipers?

5. What beliefs, rituals, etc. do these three religions share?

6. What beliefs, rituals are different for these three religions?

7. What, if any, effect did technology have on these religions?

8. What, if any, effect did geography have on these religions?

   1. What questions did you come up with during your research? Add them to your notes and work to answer them!

Research Check In>

Now that everyone has completed their research, you will work with a team partners to prepare to teach a lesson of your answers to some of the research questions. You will draw from a hat a set of question numbers (e.g., 1-5, 6-10, etc.) that you and your partners will design your lesson around.

Your classmates will be taking notes to improve their answers for the questions each team presents.

Essential Questions Podcast>

Your team is to create one mind map entitled “7hums-EQs-team name”. Share it with each other and your teacher. As you go through your research, you are to add your ideas and possible answers to the essential questions listed below.

Once you complete your research, the next step is to sit down together and discuss what you have on your mind map. Work together to fully answer each question. You are to then record a discussion where you talk with each other about your answers. Each team member’s ideas and voice should come through for each question.

You are to include the following in your podcast:

• Intro music

• Clear introduction of your team name and members

• Clear statement of each essential question before you start answering it

• Full discussion and answer for each question

• Each team member is to lead out on at least one question

• Closing music

Essential Questions:

• • How does culture form?

  • What makes a society? What are “its” parts?

  • Why is where important?

  • Why do societies have religions?

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Stage 2: Research Product Preparation

*Your teacher will share a lesson on how to peer edit.

The Egypt and Mesopotamia groups are to prepare a research report using the Research Report Template. Your report is to describe your assigned civilization through the ESPRAT+G categories. You are to download the Research Report Template (attached at bottom of page), copy it into a Google Document that you name “7hums-yourname-report” and share it with your teacher and your partner. You are to use the Six Traits to help guide your writing as well as the Research Rubric for this report. The rubric is attached at the bottom of the page.

Use an online self-editing 6 Traits checklist to guide your writing efforts. Partners will help by peer editing each other’s report using the Peer Editing Guidelines which you are to download from below. After you download the guideline document, copy and paste it at the end of your partner’s Google Doc Research Report. Follow your teacher’s directions from the lesson on how to peer edit using the provided guidelines.

The Religions research group is to share their findings with Ms. Rowling in the form of either a video project, Venn diagram, a podcast (includes a script) or written report to be presented orally where you answer the questions listed above. Your group must first write up a Proposal Request (see link below in Resources) to describe what your video, diagram, etc. project will look like. Once the form is completed, turn it in to your teacher who will give you feedback to start working on your presentation. You will then start a Google Doc entitled “7hums-yournames-religionproject” and share it with your partner and your teacher. You will use this document to develop the ideas, responsibilities/roles and steps needed to create your project.

One Religions team member will create the rubric using the Web sites in the rubric section of the Resources page. Check out the following two examples of rubrics found at the bottom of the page: Multimedia Rubric Writing Rubric Use them to help guide your efforts to create your own rubric.

As your team works together to develop the presentation remember to include the bibliography of the resources used in your research. You will also need to provide enough copies of your rubric for the other teams to assess your project when you present it to the class.

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Stage 3: Application of Research

Your entire team will work together to create a fictional ancient society for Ms. Rowling to use as a basis for her new books. You will need to focus on the technology, religion and economic aspects of the culture you create. The team leader is to create a Mindmeister mind map and name it “7hums-name of your society-team name”. Share it with your teammates and your teacher. This is where you will record your work as you create your fictional ancient society. You will use your mind map to storyboard your project.

*Your teacher will share a lesson on how to use a mind map to brainstorm ideas for your team project. You will then turn the mind map into a storyboard where you also assign tasks for your teammates to complete.

*Another lesson will be on how to manage a team project like the creation of a fictional ancient society.

You can put forth your own idea for how to create and share your ancient society or choose from one of the following that depicts life in your society. You will need to complete the proposal form (see attached at bottom of page) for whichever project you choose. Your team will also design the rubric to measure how successful you are in depicting the culture of your society with a focus on technology, religion andeconomics. You are also to provide information about how geography affected your society as well. A member of your Religions team should be in charge of creating the rubric. Remember to provide enough copies of your rubric for the other teams to assess your team’s presentation.

• A short story

• An extensive comic strip (possibly use Pixton online or Comic Life if you have it.)

• An in depth board game

• A series of art work

• A series of newspaper articles

• Design a simulation computer game (written report of the design)

Now go to Resources