SOCIAL SCIENCE

6th Grade Interdisciplinary African and African American Studies Quarter 1 Launch Lesson

%E/E: +ulture 3ignity and (dentity CONCE& : $verything 7ut of Africa The impact and legacies of Early African peoples, cultures, and kingdoms CON EN O&IC: (nvestigating and researching the ancient "ingdoms of Africa their intellectual influences and relationshi!s to the develo!ment of a glo#al culture through fiction and nonfiction texts "NI I LE: $verything 7ut of Africa
Launch Lesson: Which was the Greatest African Kingdom? ime !rame: 5-7 days "nit #escription: Students will read a variety of informational texts including !rimary secondary and
tertiary sources that !ertain to the themes of cultural identity and how Africa was the home of several advanced "ingdoms which existed #efore and during the rise of $uro!ean and Asian "ingdoms% &eachers will !oint out that $gy!t was 'ust one of these great "ingdoms% (n this !ro#lem-#ased lesson students will #ecome familiar with the cultures of ancient Africa including Ghana )ali A"sum Kush *u#ia Kongo $thio!ia )orocco +arthage $gy!t and Songhai% &hey will create an argument that will address the ,uestion: Was $gy!t the greatest African "ingdom? -% %istory: $vents and actions of the !ast affect the !resent and the future% Endurin$ "nderstandin$ .% Identity: +ulture is a way of life for a grou! of !eo!le who share similar #eliefs values and customs% s /% Geo$raphy: )ovement and migration of !eo!le and ideas affects the !ast !resent and future% Guidin$ Essential Questions: Essential (0 1ow do culture and identity influence who we are? Questions ((0 1ow do time culture and history influence wor"s of art and2or the advancement of science and technology? (((0 What can ( do to !ositively im!act my community?

Common Core Standards &rimary

'eadin$ '%(6)*(1( +ite s!ecific textual evidence to su!!ort analysis of !rimary and secondary sources% '%(6)*(+( 3etermine the central ideas or information of a !rimary or secondary source4 !rovide an accurate summary of the source distinct from !rior "nowledge or o!inions% ,ritin$ ,%S (6)*(-( +onduct short research !ro'ects to answer a ,uestion 5including a self-generated ,uestion0 drawing on several sources and generating additional related focused ,uestions that allow for multi!le avenues of ex!loration% ,%S (6)*(*( Gather relevant information from multi!le !rint and digital sources using search terms effectively4 assess the credi#ility and accuracy of each source4 and ,uote or !ara!hrase the data and conclusions of others while avoiding !lagiarism and following a standard format for citation% ,%S (6)*(.( 3raw evidence from informational texts to su!!ort analysis reflection and research%

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6th Grade Interdisciplinary African and African American Studies Quarter 1 Launch Lesson
Spea0in$ and Listenin$ SL(6(1( $ngage effectively in a range of colla#orative discussions 5one-on-one in grou!s and teacher-led0 with diverse !artners on grade 8 to!ics texts and issues #uilding on others9 ideas and ex!ressing their own clearly% SL(6(+( (nter!ret information !resented in diverse media and formats 5e%g% visually ,uantitatively orally0 and ex!lain how it contri#utes to a to!ic text or issue under study% SL(6(1( :resent claims and findings se,uencing ideas logically and using !ertinent descri!tions facts and details to accentuate main ideas or themes4 use a!!ro!riate eye contact ade,uate volume and clear !ronunciation% SL(6(2( (nclude multimedia com!onents 5e%g% gra!hics images music sound0 and visual dis!lays in !resentations to clarify claims to clarify information%

Co$niti3e S0ills

E4ecuti3e functions :lan ;lexi#ility: change direction if not wor"ing4 ado!t multi!le a!!roaches Strategy use: a#ility to reflect on strategy and select a!!ro!riate strategy hin0in$ s0ills <easoning a#out concrete items versus a#stract ideas Analy=ing2evaluating arguments 3evelo!ing a logical argument (nductive reasoning: using s!ecific exam!les2o#servations and forming a more general !rinci!le 3eductive reasoning: use stated general !remise to reason a#out s!ecific exam!les A!!reciation: recognition of the value of something

Content

5uildin$ 6no7led$e hrou$h e4ts $lements of culture include language religion clothing race and socio2economic customs (nternal and external forces sha!e identity &he greatness of a culture can #e measured in various ways Africa had an immense im!act on the world9s many cultures #oth directly and indirectly

Assessments Summati3e
$ach team will !resent a ->-minute oral and visual argument% (t can ta"e the form of a #rief oral re!ort :ower:oint video :re=i or any other form of !resentation that has #een a!!roved #y the teacher% $ach team will turn in an essay with a minimum of 5 !aragra!hs which address the ,uestion ?Was $gy!t the greatest African Kingdom?@ and will ex!lore issues of !olitics economics art social structure and religion !er the attached ru#ric% African Aoices &his Smithsonian site is gra!hically rich and has a huge well-organi=ed com!ilation of resources on the history of Africa from ancient times to

e4t8 'esources

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SOCIAL SCIENCE

6th Grade Interdisciplinary African and African American Studies Quarter 1 Launch Lesson
now% htt!:22www%mnh%si%edu2africanvoices2 The Heilbrunn Timeline of Africa Art History (s *7& 'ust a#out art #ut has a lot of information a#out many of the "ingdoms we will #e investigating% htt!:22www%metmuseum%org2toah2hi2teBindex%as!?iCAfrica &he )ultimedia Archive African Studies +enter Dniversity of :ennsylvania &his section includes some of the multimedia collections that can #e used in the classroom% (n order to view these images you need a #rowser that is ca!a#le of handling gra!hics 5e%g% $x!lorer *etsca!e etc%0% htt!:22www%africa%u!enn%edu2K-.2menuB$du)$3(%html &he Ghana "ingdom lay in what is now southeastern )auritania and western )ali% &he Ghana "ingdom was an im!ortant #lac" trading state in West Africa from a#out the A%3% />>Es to the mid-->>>Es% htt!:22www%metmuseum%org2toah2hd2ghan2hdBghan%htm FF+ <e!ort on Ghana htt!:22www%##c%co%u"2worldservice2africa2features2storyofafrica2Gcha!ter-%shtml 1istory of Ghana from Ghana we#% htt!:22www%ghanawe#%com2Ghana1ome:age2history2 Glim!ses of Ghana in ->87 htt!:22www%historywi=%com2!rimarysources2glim!seofghana%htm &he 3ogon :eo!le of )ali: htt!:22www%!#s%org2wonders2frBe5%htm &he Fritish )useum Kingdom of )ali: htt!:22www%#ritishmuseum%org2!df2"ingdomofmaliBstudentswor"sheets%!df 1ow "ingdoms colla!se: htt!:22www%learner%org2interactives2colla!se2

&he Kingdom of )ali: htt!:22we#users%xula%edu2'rotondo2Kingdoms2)ali2)ali1ist*arr%htm African History is World History Fy Asar (mhote! $xcer!ts from a Cultural History of the Atlantic World #y Hohn &hornton An excer!t from Africa and Africans in the Making of the Atlantic World #y Hohn &hornton Meet Mansa Musa the Richest Human Being in all History htt!:22www%inde!endent%co%u"2news2world2world-history2meet-mansa-musai-of-mali--the-richest-human-#eing-in-all-history-I.-/G5/%html

Learnin$ Acti3ities

6earning activity -: Students will !artici!ate in a !ro#lem-#ased learning situation in which he2she is a historian who has to

Differentiated Strategies for Varied Learning Profiles

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SOCIAL SCIENCE

6th Grade Interdisciplinary African and African American Studies Quarter 1 Launch Lesson
ma"e an argument defending his2her selection of the greatest African "ingdom% Students will wor" in grou!s of four of the teacher9s choosing to create #oth a written document and a !resentation using either :ower:oint video digital story or :re=i% &he !resentation that through com!aring and contrasting would answer the ,uestion ?Was $gy!t the greatest African "ingdom?@ 1ave students #egin #y using a KW16 chart to record what they "now a#out each of the West African "ingdoms% &hey should ma"e one chart for each "ingdom% 1el! students ma"e a #rainstorm we# showing ideas for information such as: ma'or cities !olitical leaders religion education the economy or climate% 3ivide students into research teams% (f !ossi#le allow the team mem#ers to divide u! the tas"s de!ending on how many !eo!le are on each team% ;or exam!le one !erson might #e the historian who records information a#out the other two "ingdoms% Another !erson might #e in charge of collecting gra!hics !ictures and other visual material for use in the !ro'ect% An alternate way is to have the teams divided into Jex!ertsJ on the various as!ects of the culture such as religion economy and government% (nformational texts will #e availa#le in a variety of formats including audio visual and tactilely% &as"s will have com!onents that allow for students to use visual oral and tactile as well as "inesthetic s"ills to ex!ress "nowledge gained% Students will #e a#le to ta"e ownershi! of tas"s through the use of ?+hoice Foards@ and ?6earning +enters

#ay 1)9

<eading recording and colla#oratively discussing the texts organi=ing and !re!aring their !a!ers and !resentations: (*&<73D+&(7* &o students: Welcome !ou are a historian "ho has taken a position that #$AME %& !%'R ()$*+%M, WATHE *REATE-T %& THE A&R)CA$ ()$*+%MHo"e.er, other historians are challenging you Kour )ission !our mission is to de.elop a "inning presentation and academic paper defending your argument against all other claims !ou "ill use the resources listed on the materials page as "ell as resources found independently to disco.er all you can about these other kingdoms as "ell as your o"n !ou "ill need to learn about all of the kingdoms because you "ill be /udging the materials created by the other groups, not only for appearance, but also for accuracy and completeness of their presentations

Su!!ly the material with the varied amount of !rint varied text structures and extensive gra!hic su!!ort #ased on students9 instructional levels Dse videos to enhance com!rehension through auditory and visual modes Allow #rief coo!erative #rainstorming to activate !rior "nowledge and ma"e !redictions Ad'ust the com!lexity a#stractness ty!e of

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SOCIAL SCIENCE

6th Grade Interdisciplinary African and African American Studies Quarter 1 Launch Lesson
res!onse necessary and connections re,uired #etween to!ics #ased on readiness and learning !rofile $sta#lish clear criteria for success Dse wait time #efore ta"ing student answers (f a!!ro!riate give students a chance to tal" to !artners or write down their answers #efore res!onding :rovide clear guidelines for grou! functioning that are taught in advance of grou! wor" and consistently reinforced

Getting Started Begin by using a (WH0 chart to record "hat you kno" about each of these West African kingdoms !ou need to make one chart for each kingdom !ou may also "ant to make a brainstorm "eb sho"ing your ideas for information that a tra.el promotion might contain &or instance, you may "ant to highlight ma/or cities, political leaders, religion, education, the economy, or climate %nce you ha.e decided "hat information you need, you may "ish to di.ide up your tasks depending on ho" many people are on your team &or e1ample, one person might be the historian "ho records information about the other t"o kingdoms Another person might be in charge of collecting graphics, pictures, and other .isual material for use in the pro/ect !ou may e.en choose to di.ide your team into 2e1perts2 on the .arious aspects of the culture, such as religion, economy, and go.ernment 7ne suggested division of la#or would #e to have each team mem#er select one or two to!ics to cover from the first section #elow 5travelerEs guide0 and three to five to!ics from section two 5ex!eriences offered0 de!ending on the si=e of your team%

Examples of possible pacing/mini-lesson topics for cooperative learning Students will reflect and create a list of what creates a good discussion% Students will develo! and !ractice s"ills of listening well 5active listening0% Students will increase !artici!ation through discussions

#ay 1)2 #ay 6)-

;inal !re!arations consultations with the teacher !eer feed#ac" on draft !a!ers :resentations

E4amples of 'esources
&he following resources could #e reviewed with students to exem!lify the ty!e of information they should include% $xam!le of the ty!e of information you should find for research% htt!:22africa%mrdonn%org2"ush%html Kingdom of Kush overview good starting !oint% Kou should always loo" for relevant information that is current and newsworthy% &hese "ingdoms though they are often called ?lost@ were and are im!ortant to world history and the identity of millions of !eo!le of African ancestry and heritage% htt!:22www%nytimes%com2.>>72>82-L2science2-L"ush%html?

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SOCIAL SCIENCE

6th Grade Interdisciplinary African and African American Studies Quarter 1 Launch Lesson

!agewantedCallMBrC> htt!:22www%culture"ios,ue%com2art2exhi#iti2rhesouda%htm Kou can include short videos: *u#ia the Flac" "ingdom of Kush htt!:22www%youtu#e%com2watch?vC*u(HsG"A.hG Ancient *u#ia: &he Art 1istory of Kush - :art -: (ntroduction htt!:22www%youtu#e%com2watch?vC#F'-Bau"SFN

&he 6ost Kingdom of Kush: htt!s:22www%google%com2search? ,ClostO"ingdomOofOtheO"ushMsafeCactiveMclientCchromemo#ileMes!vC-MsourceClnmsMt#mCvidMs#oxchi!CAideosMsaCPMeiCQ6v8DefK777FyN1AyoGK+wMved C>+AoNBADoANM#iwC/8>M#ihC587 &he following images include a sam!le of a ma! architecture daily life art !olitics government and religion that you may want to use with the lessons%

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SOCIAL SCIENCE

6th Grade Interdisciplinary African and African American Studies Quarter 1 Launch Lesson

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SOCIAL SCIENCE

6th Grade Interdisciplinary African and African American Studies Quarter 1 Launch Lesson

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SOCIAL SCIENCE

6th Grade Interdisciplinary African and African American Studies Quarter 1 Launch Lesson

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SOCIAL SCIENCE

6th Grade Interdisciplinary African and African American Studies Quarter 1 Launch Lesson

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SOCIAL SCIENCE

6th Grade Interdisciplinary African and African American Studies Quarter 1 Launch Lesson

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