A Year of Middle School Ancient History: Quarter 1 (Lesson & Project Based)
This is the first session of a Full Year Project Based Middle School Ancient History course. In this session, students will discover the Stone Age, Mesopotamia, and Ancient Egypt through visual lectures and hands on project based learning.
Amal J.
Average rating:
5.0
Number of reviews:(75)
What's included
7 pre-recorded lessons
average 21 mins per video7 weeks
of teacher support2 hrs 24 mins
total video learning hours1 year access
to the contentHomework
The project is the homework. If students are working for a grade, they can send me a picture of the project with a paragraph written about the subject. An optional pdf will be provided each week with comprehension questions and a critical thinking question related to the lesson. Learners are welcome to complete this. Both of these options also provide materials to submit to Charter Schools for requirements for Social Studies.Assessment
includedGrading
If students are working for a grade, they can send me a picture of the project with a paragraph written about the subject. These examples can also be submitted to charter schools as evidence of subject based learning.Class Experience
US Grade 6 - 8
Beginner - Intermediate Level
This is the first session of a year long Project Based Middle School Ancient History course. In this session, students will discover the Stone Age, Ancient Mesopotamia, and Ancient Egypt through visual lectures & hands on project based learning. I combine both comprehensive lessons using slides, images, lecture, and attached videos, as well as hands on projects to deepen learning and bring the topic of focus to life. With each lesson, a hands on project will be provided along with a mini lesson. Both the visual lecture and the project will be included in one video lesson. (This equals two live classes) In addition, my weekly lessons usually involve 4 posts: 1. A visual recorded lecture that includes both the lecture and the project 2. A selection of short educational videos to deepen learning 3. An optional homework assignment that checks comprehension and solidifies learning and can be turned in for a grade or can be used to turn in to charter schools along with the project. 4. A Nearpod Activity (No subscription needed) Projects: There are many projects that will ask learners to create a model of a historic structure. I will allow students to choose their medium, and options can include wood or plastic blocks, cardboard, craft board, or recycled materials, as well as Minecraft (if parents allow). If learners would like to use plastic building blocks but don't have a large collection, they can download online building software, which is free and allows students to build with endless pieces. I will send a link to that upon enrollment. Projects are mostly carried out in Maker style, meaning I give the students the freedom to decide how they want to create their project rather than offering step by step instructions. I find students feel more confident and less stressed this way and don't feel defeated when their projects don't turn out exactly how they are "supposed" to. Plus, I enjoy offering students time to use their inventiveness and problem solving skills. Only a few projects will be more similar to art projects, meaning I will offer step by step instructions, but even then, students will have the freedom to use the instructions or figure out their own style. The intention is always immersion in the learning, rather than a perfect result.
Learning Goals
Students will:
* Develop their appreciation for history
* Be able to begin seeing patterns in history
* Due to the visual quality of the lecture and the review in the form of comprehension sheet, projects, and Nearpod activities, retain what they learned
* Through lectures, worksheets, and projects, develop enough of an understanding and familiarity with the subjects covered that they can converse with family and friends about them.
Syllabus
7 Lessons
over 7 WeeksLesson 1:
The Stone Age: The Paleolithic Age - Hunters & Gatherers & Project
We will learn about the Paleolithic Age through a visual lecture.
The project will include taking a close look at representations of animals of The Stone Age both in cave art and sculpture and creating a work of Stone Age Cave Art. Lesson 2:
The Stone Age: The Neolithic Age & The Agricultural Revolution
We will learn about the Neolithic Age and The Agricultural Revolution. The project will involve taking a close look at what is thought to be the original complete construction of Stonehenge and building a model of Stonehenge. 30 mins of video lessons
Lesson 3:
Mesopotamia Overview & The Sumerians
We will learn about Mesopotamia and the Sumerians through a visual lecture. The project will involve taking a close look at the architecture and structure of Ziggurats and building a model ziggurat as accurately as possible using materials of choice such as air dry clay, legos, or cardboard boxes of varying sizes and glue. 21 mins of video lessons
Lesson 4:
Mesopotamia: The Akkadians, Assyrians & Babylonians
We will learn about Mesopotamia and the Akkadians, Assyrians, and Babalonians through a visual lecture. The project will involve creating a Code of Law modeled on Hammurabi's Code and taking a close look at cuneiform characters, and writing your name in cuneiform on a clay tablet. 21 mins of video lessons
Other Details
Learning Needs
This course uses visuals at all time that will benefit all learners, and specifically learners with attention issues of all types.
Supply List
1. Large piece of brown paper- possibly a cut grocery bag, and either paint, chalk pastels, or oil pastels 2. Air Dry Gray Clay, A piece of cardboard, green paint, glue 3. Materials of choice- options include Air Dry Terra Cotta Clay, plastic building blocks, cardboard and glue, online building block software (I will share a link), or Minecraft 4. air dry clay and a clay tool stick for writing 5. - material of choice- options include air dry clay, Minecraft, plastic blocks, cardboard. 6. oil lamp- air dry terra cotta clay 7. Map- dough in blue, green, and yellow, toothpicks, paper, and glue for labels.
External Resources
Learners will not need to use any apps or websites beyond the standard Outschool tools.
Sources
The content for this course has come from a combination resources. I primarily used a few California Middle school Textbooks, however, due to the single viewpoint that can be problematic, I include youtube videos with academics, historians, and archeologists from the region focused on. An example: In a future session on Ancient African cultures, I incorporate archeologists and historians who explore the inherent racism historically in the field of history and how this mistakenly led to many achievements from Ancient Kush being attributed to Egyptians. I have found Youtube videos to an excellent way to incorporate current Own Voices Historians and Archeologists into lessons.
Textbooks used:
McGraw Hill A History of the World
Holt World History Ancient Civilizations
Nearpod- Many activities related to the Paleolithic & Neolithic Ages and Ancient Mesopotamia
A series of youtube videos incorporating historians and archeologists often from the region being focused on. Those videos can be accessed in the classroom posts.
Teacher expertise and credentials
I have been teaching both World History and American History to Middle Schoolers and Elementary aged kids for about 6 years now. History is my passion and I have traveled the world, visiting many ancient and neolithic sites, studying and working with local historians, and writing. I have worked with archivists and read hundreds of first hand accounts of war, famine, and every day experiences of the old ways of life from baking bread to making soap. It has also been my ongoing education to voraciously read history books, both of ancient history, and most importantly, newly written historical commentaries that look at and analyze our previously written histories with an intention to decolonize the way we view history. I have lived off and on oversees for the past 25 years in a country that is still currently under occupation, therefore I have a unique insight into the importance of telling history from different angles and an understanding of the importance of more than one story being expressed.Reviews
Self-Paced Course
$22
weekly7 pre-recorded lessons
7 weeks of teacher support
Choose your start date
1 year of access to the content
Completed by 3 learners
Choose your start date
Ages: 11-14
