Jennifer Beichner-430-435-Thematic Unit Project

Cultural and Geographical Investigations

A Thematic Unit Focusing on Pre-Colonial Africa

Jennifer Beichner ECI 430/435 Simmons/Moran Fall 2013

Jennifer Beichner-430-435-Thematic Unit Project

Table of Contents: Part I: The Unit Title, Context and Theme Part II: The Daily Lesson Plans 1. Geographical Investigations: Journey Through Africa 2. Investigations of the Bantu People and Axum Kingdom 3. Investigations of Trade: Gold and Salt 4. Investigations of Ghana Through Primary Sources Part III: Evaluation Part IV: Internal References & Works Cited List and Reflective Addendum

Jennifer Beichner-430-435-Thematic Unit Project

Part I: The Unit Title, Context and Theme

A. Context for Learning: About the School Where You Are Teaching 1.In what type of school do you teach? Elementary school (K6): Middle school (68): K8: 79: Other (please describe): I teach in a Middle School (6-8). Urban: Suburban: Rural: I teach in an rural school. 2. List any special features of your school or classroom setting (e.g., charter, co- teaching, themed magnet, remedial course, honors course) that will affect your teaching in this learning segment. I am teaching at Rolesville Middle School. Rolesville is a year round school that has four different tracks. I am teaching on Track one. In planning for my unit I need to take into consideration the track out schedule to ensure the timing and planning of the unit match up with Track ones breaks. 3. Describe any district, school, or cooperating teacher requirements or expectations that might affect your planning or delivery of instruction, such as required curricula, pacing plan, use of specific instructional strategies, interdisciplinary teaming, or standardized tests. In order to adequately plan and instruct my unit I need to take into consideration any crosscurricular strategies that my Cooperating teacher uses. I am teaching on a team that includes a total of four core subject teachers: Science, Math, Language Arts and Social Studies. My team has team meetings on Tuesday afternoons to discuss and touch base on what each core subject will cover and make any necessary plans or accommodations to create connections with different curriculum disciplines. There are three other tracks at Rolesville, each track has their own team of teachers. In order to adequately instruction my unit I need to be in communication with the other three Social Studies teachers on the other tracks. At the end of each unit of instruction the Social Studies teachers from the different tracks meet to create the unit test that every sixth grade student will take. The Social Studies meetings are held on Thursday afternoons. In planning for instructing for my unit I need to make sure that the material I am preparing correlates to the planning of the other three sixth grade Social Studies teachers so that the end unit test will match with the curriculum taught.

About the Class Featured in This Assessment 1. What is the name of this course?

Jennifer Beichner-430-435-Thematic Unit Project The name of this course is World Geography, History & Culture: Patterns of Continuity and Change. 2. What is the length of the course? One semester: One year: Other (please describe): The length of this course is one year. 3. What is the class schedule (e.g., 50 minutes every day, 90 minutes every other day)? The class schedule is 57 minutes of class time everyday. 4. Is there any ability grouping or tracking in history/social studies? If so, please describe how it affects your class. The grouping and tracking that takes place in my classes comes from the grouping and tracking of Language Arts and Math. There is not a distinct ability grouping directed for Social Studies. However, the ability grouping from the Language Arts and Math classes carries over into the Social Studies classes. The students in my Social Studies classes correlate to the Math and Language Arts classes they have been placed in. My first two class periods are the higher ability grouping; while the last two core periods are placed in a lower ability grouping. 5. Identify any textbook or instructional program you primarily use for history/social studies instruction. If a textbook, please provide the title, publisher, and date of publication. I will use the Nystrom Atlas of World History, Herff Jones, 2012. 6. List other resources (e.g., electronic whiteboard, resource library in classroom, online resources) you use for history/social studies instruction in this class. I will use an electronic whiteboard, the school portable laptop lab, the school portable Ipad lab, the library media center books and resources, Googlemaps, online learning games (example: Brainpop.com) and online presentation tools (example: Prezi). About the Young Adolescents in the Class Featured in This Assessment 1. Grade level: 6th grade Age range of students: 11 to 12 years of age 2. Number of students in the class: There are 125 students on the team I am teaching on. 3. Complete the chart below to summarize required or needed supports, accommodations or modifications for your students that will affect your instruction in this learning segment. In the class I am teaching in there are 22 students with either IEP plans or 504 plans. Of those 22 students 12 needed extended time, 15 need read aloud assistance, 14 need separate settings for testing, four need multiple sessions to complete tests/homework, three students need to mark in the book during testing, 14 need preferential seating, 12 need modified assignments,

Jennifer Beichner-430-435-Thematic Unit Project 10 need graphic organizers and nine need study guides. There are also 39 students who are classified as academically gifted. 18 of these students are academically gifted in Language Arts and Math. Six are academically gifted in Language Arts and 15 are academically gifted in Math. B. Organizational Principle: Cultural and Geographical Investigations The theme of my unit is Cultural and Geographical Investigations. I chose to focus my unit on the idea of investigation because I want my students to be active investigators of history. I want my students to be able to explore and discovery new information by looking at different cultures and geographical settings. I want my students to feel like they are the one's discovering new information about Pre-Colonial Africa versus having me, the teacher, give them a series of facts. The more they are actively engaged in the creation of their learning, the deeper I believe the material will resonate with them. Investigations is the primary focus of my unit because I want my students to be involved in a deeper level of thinking. I want them to create their own questions and form their own inquiries based on research. I want my unit to include many primary sources that my students can explore and investigate. Such primary sources include documents, artifacts, pictures and sculptures. I want my students to use their own critical thinking skills to develop their own investigations and theories about life for people during this time period. Although this unit is designed for a Social Studies course there are many crosscurricular components that correlate strongly to English Language Arts. Such components include reading and analysis of primary source documents, a daily Travel Diary entry and narrative writing. C. Primary Subject Matter Focus: Pre- Colonial Africa The central focus of my unit is Pre-Colonial Africa. This unit focuses on Africa before Europeans began to colonize. The focus of this unit is crucial for sixth grade students to learn in order for them to understand the development of different cultures and early civilizations of Africa. My reasoning for my unit focus centers on the fact that history is forever in the process of creating and changing. It is important to look back into the history of Africa in order to understand how and why the culture has changed in relation to its geography throughout time. It is important for students to investigate and make their own inquiries about history. Students will learn about the early civilizations of Africa, the empires of West Africa, and about African states and trade. Pre-Colonial Africa should be taught in the classroom to broaden students understanding of culture and how cultures change through time. Learning about Pre-Colonial Africa allows students to make their own connections between past and present through comparing and contrasting civilizations and cultures. The content in this unit connects to the North Carolina Common Core Standards. Primary and secondary sources will be used to strengthen understanding and allow for students to create their own inferences. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.68.1 states that students must cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of primary and secondary sources. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.6-8.2 states that students must determine the central ideas or information of a primary or secondary source; provide an accurate summary of the

Jennifer Beichner-430-435-Thematic Unit Project source distinct from prior knowledge or opinions. CCSS 6.E.1 states that students must understand how the physical environment and human interaction affected the economic activities of various civilizations, societies and regions. This unit is a unit designed for a sixth grade Social Studies class. However, curriculum integration is included throughout the unit. English Language Arts plays a major role in many of the instruction and activities. The unit incorporates 21st-century skills of learning and innovation through the use of many Web 2.0 tools and resources. The idea surrounding the unit is that students will be active investigators of history. Students are actively able to investigate and connect their own inquiries through use of virtual maps and online artifacts and their presentation of their findings on Web 2.0 tools such as Glogster.com. D. Organizing Questions: 1. What physical features had a significant impact on the creation of various trade routes for different cultures within Africa? 2. How do various cultures of Africa develop with respect to the geographical features of Africa? 3. How does constructing maps, charts or graphs illustrate geographical phenomena? 4. How do the behaviors and practices of groups impact societies and their development in Africa? 5. How does physical geography impact the economy of a region? 6. How do migration patterns impact the spread of culture? E: Goals: 1. for students to understand how physical features can impact the emergence and expansion of various cultures within Africa. 2. for students to understand the significance of behaviors and practices of different cultures in Africa people. 3. for students to effectively reflect on the impact of political and economic events of historical significance. 4. for students to appreciate the correlating relationship between geography and culture. 5. for students to understand the effect that history has on the future. F. General Unit Objectives: Cognitive: 1. Understand different cultures 2. Develop critical thinking skills 3. Compare different regions 4. Interpret maps 5. Analyze sources Affective: 6. Collaborate effectively with peers 7. Respond positively to classroom discussion

Jennifer Beichner-430-435-Thematic Unit Project 8. Listen to new concepts 9. Value others opinions Performance: 10. Construct maps 11. Originate writing 12. Use technology 13. Demonstrate knowledge and understanding {6th Grade Common Core Standards} Social Studies: 6.E.1 Understand how the physical environment and human interaction affected the economic activities of various civilizations, societies and regions. 6.E.1.1 Explain how conflict, compromise and negotiation over the availability of resources (i.e. natural, human and capital) impacted the economic development of various civilizations, societies and regions (e.g., competition for scarce resources, unequal distribution of wealth and the emergence of powerful trading networks) 6.G.1.2 Explain the factors that influenced the movement of people, goods and ideas and the effects of that movement on societies and regions over time (e.g., scarcity of resources, conquests, desire for wealth, disease and trade). 6.G.2 Students will be able to apply the tools of a geographer to understand the emergence, expansion and decline of civilizations, societies and regions. 6.G.2.1 Students will be able to use maps, charts, graphs, geographic data and available technology tools to draw conclusions about the emergence, expansion and decline of civilizations, societies and regions. 6.H.1.2 Summarize the literal meaning of historical documents in order to establish context. 6.H.1.3 Use primary and secondary sources to interpret various historical perspectives. Language Arts: CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.6-8.1 Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of primary and secondary sources. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.6-8.2 Determine the central ideas or information of a primary or secondary source; provide an accurate summary of the source distinct from prior knowledge or opinion. CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.6-8.3 Identify key steps in a texts description of a process related to history/social studies (e.g., how a bill becomes law, how interest rates are raised or lowered).

Jennifer Beichner-430-435-Thematic Unit Project G. Possible Unit Materials and Supplementary Texts A. Technology Related 1. Songs from Youtube:* http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VqeYR_XZsKY http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VqeYR_XZsKY 2. Laptop* 3. Smartboard* 4. Prezi Presentations* 5. Glogster.com* 6. Virtural Tour of Bantu Migration Website* 7. King Ezanas Blog Website* 8. Video clips B. Documents: 1. Map of Africa* 2. Salt/Gold Trade Game Worksheet* 3. Primary Source Document Analysis Worksheet* 4. The Chronicle of the Seeker by Mahmud Kali* (Primary Source) 5. Al Bakris Description of Ghana* (Primary Source) C. Text: 1. The Nystrom Atlas of World History* (2012) D. Aesthetic Materials 1. Pen/pencil* 2. Paper* 3. Marker* 4. Colored pencils* 5. Highlighters* 6. Poster board 7. Graphic organizers 8. Ruler 9. Notebook for Travel Diary H: Possible Activities/ Instructional Strategies: 1. Connection to songs* 2. Class discussion* 3. Portable laptops* 4. Portable Ipads 5. Analysis of sources* 6. Comparing and Contrasting* 7. Virtual Tour of Bantu Migration Pattern* 8. Group Work* 9. Partner Work* 10. Think-pair-share 11. Guided Note Taking*

Jennifer Beichner-430-435-Thematic Unit Project 12. Prezi Presentations* 13. Daily Travel Diary Entries* 14. Narrative writing* 15. Motto Creation* I: Unit Map (2 Week Unit) Day 1 Geographical Investigations: Journey Through Africa (Lesson Plan Included) Bridge/Warm-up: play music from Ancient Egyptians/Ancient http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VqeYR_XZsKY (Egyptian) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VqeYR_XZsKY (Nubian). After listening to both styles of music students will write a freewrite exploring the similarities and differences between the two styles of music. Class discussion will follow Visit Google Earth: Show Continent of Africa and major land forms Map of Africa: blank map of Africa to be color coded by subregion (Northern Africa, Western Africa, Eastern Africa, ect.). Add to Map of Africa by including the geographical area of each of the ancient kingdoms (Early Civilizations: Bantu and Axum, Empires of West Africa: Ghana, Mali, Songhai, Empires of North Africa: Almoravid, Fatimid, Ayyubid) *Map is to be kept and referenced throughout Unit. Closure: Students will write in their Travel Diary about their discoveries and investigations on Africa. Diary entries do not need to be long (Approximately a paragraph in length). However, students need to complete a travel diary entry throughout the trip (the length of the ten day unit). HW: If students do not finish the map activity they should finish it for homework and bring it with them to the next class. Day 2 Investigations of African Geography (5 Minutes) Bridge: Upon arrival to class students will be asked to take out their maps of Africa to review the different subregions of Africa and the locations of the major African Empires to be studied. Students will be asked to pair up with a partner and to take out their Atlas. (20 Minutes): Using pages 56-63 of their Atlas they must locate the following geographic features: o Bodies of Water: Atlantic Ocean, Indian Ocean, Red Sea, Mediterranean Sea, Gulf of Aden, Victoria Nyanza (aka Lake Victoria), Lake Tanganyika,Lake Malawi (aka Lake Nyasa), Lake Chad, Bight of Biafra (aka Bight of Bonny), Bight of Benin, Gulf of Sidra (aka Gulf of Sirte) o Rivers: Nile, Niger, Benue, Congo, Senegal, Gambia, Limpopo, Zambesi, Orange (Gariep), Volta, o Landforms/Regions/Islands: Sahara Desert, Kalahari Desert, Namib Desert, Atlas Mountains, Ahaggar (Hoggar) Mountains, Tibetsi Mountains, Drakensberg Mountains, Mount Kilimanjaro, Mount Cameroon, Ethiopian Highlands, Zimbabwe Plateau, Cape of Good Hope, 9

Jennifer Beichner-430-435-Thematic Unit Project Niger Inland Delta, Niger Delta, Horn of Africa, Canary Islands, Comoros Islands, So Tom, Zanzibar, Gold Coast, Ivory Coast, Madagascar. o All bodies of water, landforms/regions/islands, and rivers should be highlighted in a different color. A map key must be included. Students will be able to test their knowledge of Africas geography by playing an interactive map game. Students must match the correct geography feature with its area on the map of Africa. After students place the geography feature in the correct area on the map the interactive game gives detailed information about the feature. For each correct answer students must right down two key points in their notes about the specific geography feature of Africa. Link to interactive map activity: http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/Africa-georegion-click.html Closure: After students finish the interactive map game they will write in their Travel Dairy about the discoveries they made. If students do not have enough time to begin their Travel Dairy entry they should complete the entry for homework. Homework: Complete Travel Diary Entry and review geography map of Africa.

Day 3 Investigations of Bantu and Axum (Lesson Plan Included) Bridge/Warm-up: Students are asked to take out their maps of Africa and to focus in on the Kingdoms of Axum and Bantu; outlined from the previous day. Brief Prezi-Presentation: highlighting cultural and economic features of the Bantu and Axum Civilizations. Mainpoints of Prezi: Virtual Traveling Tour of Bantu Migration Patterns: http://www.eduplace.com/kids/socsci/ca/books/bkf3/imaps/AC_06_206_bantu/A C_06_206_bantu.html Axums Rise to Power: using the information presented in the Prezi presentation students will be asked to write a motto for King Ezana (The first Christian King of Axum). After students write their motto for King Ezana they will be asked to draw a coin showing the motto written for King Ezana. Coin must include motto along with a visual image. Closure: Traveling Diary Entry: Students should focus their diary entry on the days investigations and any new discoveries they made. Day 4 Investigations of Trade: Gold and Salt (Lesson Plan Included) Bridge/Warm-up: for the warm-up activity students will be asked to remain in the groups they are in at their tables. Each group will not be allowed to speak out loud at all. Without talking each group must trade a pencil for a sheet of paper from another group. No talking is allowed throughout the entire activity. Discussion of warm-up activity in relation to Ghanas Salt/Gold Trade silent barter system will take place after.

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Jennifer Beichner-430-435-Thematic Unit Project Locate Ghana on map of Africa and discuss its significance in Western African trading system. Guided notes to accompany- Ghana Salt/Gold trade presentation: Notes will focus on: o How the trading was handled. o How the system of silent barter works. o Who was involved in the trading. o How the trading allowed for expansion of cultures and civilization. Students will participate in a Salt/Gold trade activity within their groups. Closure: Students will complete a Travel Diary Entry: Entry should focus on the days Salt/Gold Trade activity and their discoveries. Homework: If students do not have enough time to finish their diary entry they should finish it for homework.

Day 5 Investigations of Ghana (Lesson Plan Included) Bridge/Warm-up: Students will given a primary source to investigate. As a class, we will read Al-Bakris account of his 11th century visit to Ghana. After reading the primary source students will be given a document analysis worksheet to help formulate their own inquiry thoughts and questions about AlBakris visit to Ghana. Time will be given to discuss and go over students responses to the document analysis sheet. Next the students will work in pairs to read and analyze a primary source excerpt from Mahmud Kati. Students will follow the same document analysis pattern as they used for Al-Bakris account. Exit Slip: Students will analyze the similarities and differences between the two primary sources. The exit slip should include two similarities and two differences between the two primary sources analyzed during class. Day 6 Investigations of African Folklore Bridge/Warm-up: Students will be placed into five separate groups at the start of class. Each group will be asked to respond to the warm-up question: Why do you think African culture placed a strong emphasis on story telling? After everyone has responded to the question a whole class discussion will be held. The purpose of African Folklore will be highlighted in the discussion: (Folklore serves as handing down traditions and customs from one generation to the next. Before printed material people relied on oral storytelling. These stories taught lessons. Each of the five groups will be given a different folktale to explore. Each group will read their folktale together and explore questions related to the folktale: what type of folktale is it? What is revealed about the spirit of the characters? ect. After each group has read and discussed their folktale; they will write a summary of the folktale to be presented to the entire class. Each group will be able to share their summaries in front of the whole group. 11

Jennifer Beichner-430-435-Thematic Unit Project Closure: Travel Dairy entry focusing on the folklore activity and its significance. http://learningtogive.org/lessons/unit226/lesson11.html

Day 6 Investigations of Mali Bridge/Warm-up: Students will be introduced to the ancient kingdoms of Mali and Songhai through primary sources. Each table will be given copy of the written account of Mansa Musas visit written by Al-Umari, who visited several years later. Each group will read the written account of the description of the Kingdom of Mali. Link to Primary Source document(http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/Africa-georegion-click.html); copies will be made and passed out during class for students to read and annotate. During reading: students should highlight/circle any words or phrases they are unfamiliar with and research the meaning before moving on. After reading the account each group will be directed to answer questions on a handout that will help them to create their own inferences and thoughts about the kingdom of Mali. (Guiding questions would include: What can you tell about Mansa Musa from the account above? What can you tell about the depth of his wealth from the account?) After each group has completed the handout on the inferences from the primary source, they will create a visual representation based off of the information discovered in the account. The visual representation will be created using the Web 2.0 tool glogster (an online poster board) If the groups do not finish their glogsters, time at the beginning of the next class will be given for completion. Closure: Travel Diary entry if time allows. Http://www.bu.edu/africa/outreach/resources/k_o_mali/ Day 8 Investigations of Great Zimbabwe Bridge-Warm-up: Allow time for each group to finish their Glogster on Mali from the day before. Lead into introduction to the Great Zimbabwe: Present three or four visual images of Zimbabwe. Hold brief all class discussion about the visuals. Visuals include: o Granite boulder that resembles the Zimbabwe Bird. o The Valley Complex o Close-ups of the Great Zimbabwe ruins. Ask students to partner up to do further research on the visual images. Each partner will be given a handout with questions to guide and prompt the thinking about the secondary source visuals. http://www.archives.gov/education/lessons/worksheets/written_document_analysi s_worksheet.pdf (Link to handout to analyze the images) 12

Jennifer Beichner-430-435-Thematic Unit Project After completion of the handout each partner pair will conduct further research to find the actual answers behind the images. After each partner has found the answers to the guiding questions, they will present their findings from the viewpoint of an archeologist. The students must present their information as if they are the first ones to undercover the mystery of the Great Zimbabwe. Each partner must turn in a written narrative; at least one page in length. Closure: Students will be given until the end of the period to work on their Great Zimbabwe Investigational Narratives.

Day 9 Review Bridge: Class will begin by having students take out their Great Zimbabwe Investigational Narratives from the day before. Students will have the opportunity to finish their narratives and ask any other questions. Review for the test on Pre-Colonial Africa will begin. Today we will make sure to go over the Geography of Africa. Students will pair up with a partner to go over their notes on African Geography. Students will be able to make sure they are not missing anything in their notes by comparing their notes to their partners. Time will be allowed for questions. Closure: At the end of class students will be given a study guide with the main topics that were covered in the unit listed. For homework Students should begin looking over their notes for the test that will be the following week. Day 10 Bridge: Class will begin with any questions they had after reading over their notes on the unit. Class today will be focused on reviewing for the test. After answering any questions from the study guide an all class jeopardy game will begin. The jeopardy game will include the categories of African Kingdoms, African Cultures, African Regions, African Landforms and famous African rulers. The jeopardy game will continue for the remainder of the class period. *Over the weekend students need to study for their test on Pre-Colonial Africa that will take place the following week.

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Part II: The Daily Lesson Plans

1. Day One Lesson Plan Jennifer Beichner, 21 November 2013 Lesson Title: Geographical Investigations: Journey Through Africa Context: This is the first lesson plan of my Unit, Cultural and Geographical Investigations. Since this is the first lesson of the unit the primary focus will be on introducing the unit and setting the stage for what is to come. Geography will be the primary focus of this lesson. The overall geography of Africa will be explored so students will have an understanding of the area that their study will be centered on. The primary tool for instruction will be maps of Africa. Plan Number: 1 in a series of 10. *Primary Instructional Objective and Common Core State Standard: [COG] Students will be able to compare and contrast the varying physical features of Africa. [AFF] Students will be able to appreciate the differing cultures of Africa. [PERF] Students will be able to use maps to identify the different regions of Africa. [SS SCOS] 6.G.2 Students will be able to apply the tools of a geographer to understand the emergence, expansion and decline of civilizations, societies and regions. 6.G.2.1 Students will be able to use maps, charts, graphs, geographic data and available technology tools to draw conclusions about the emergence, expansion and decline of civilizations, societies and regions. *Materials/Technology Resources Required: 1. Smartboard 2. Copies of Map of Africa 3. Colored pencils/crayons 4. Markers/dark pens 5. Google Earth access 6. Atlas of World History second edition 7. Youtube links (songs)

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Jennifer Beichner-430-435-Thematic Unit Project 8. Travel Diaries (notebook) 9. Pen/pencil Time: 57 minutes. Instructional Procedures/Steps: (12 Minutes) Bridge: Class will begin with listening to two different songs on Youtube. The first song will be an ancient Egyptian song. The next song will be a Nubian style song. Students will be asked to listen carefully to each song and the write a short reflection comparing and contrasting the two songs. A brief discussion will be held after the students are done writing their analysis. The discussion will include the how Nubian culture parallels closely to Egyptian culture and how Egyptian culture influenced the development of Nubian culture in Africa. Youtube songs: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VqeYR_XZsKY (Egyptian) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VqeYR_XZsKY (Nubian). (15 Minutes) Next we will begin our journey to Africa by visiting Google Earth on the Smartboard as class. We will stop in at all of the subregions of Africa for visit (stops include: North Africa, West Africa, South Africa, Eastern Africa, Central Africa.) At each stop major landforms and and bodies of water will be highlighted. After the virtual tour of Africa students will be given blank maps of Africa. The maps will not have anything labeled or highlighted. The outlines of modern day countries will be included as a reference point for the students. Students will be asked to take out their Atlas of World History and directed to pages 56-63 (African Empires). Students will be allowed to work in partners for the upcoming activity. (5 Minutes) First students will be required to shade in the different subregions of Africa on their map using the pages in their Atlas as a guide. Each subregion should be a different color. o o o o o o Subregions include: North Africa South Africa West Africa Central Africa East Africa

(5 Minutes) Once students have color-coded the different subregions of Africa they will be asked to draw a Map Key on the side of their map. The Map Key should include the subregion with the color that was used to shade the region on the map.

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The next step will be to locate the African Empires that will be studied throughout the Unit on the same map. o o o o o o African Empires include: Ghana Songhai Mali Bantu Kingdom of Axum

(10 Minutes) Students must outline the areas of the different African Empires in marker or dark pen (to stand out against the color coded subregions of Africa). Time will be allowed for questions and the teacher will have time to walk around and assist the students working in pairs. Students must also include a separate map key for the African Empires outlined on the map. (10 Minutes) Closure: Throughout the unit students will keep a Travel Diary the dairy will be used through each day of the trip. Todays diary entry will include thoughts and investigations made while visiting the different regions of Africa.

Evaluation: Students will be evaluated on their completion of their map of Africa with the shaded in subregions of Africa and the outlined African Empire areas (with accompanying map key). Students will also be evaluated on their completion of their Travel Dairy entry for the first day of their trip. Evaluation will be based on completion. Accommodations: Those students who are specified to have extra time will be given the chance to complete their maps at another time. (During the Ramp-Up, time during the morning*, lunch period or at the beginning of class the following day). Appendix of Materials Needed: 1. Links to Youtube Songs* http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VqeYR_XZsKY (Egyptian) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VqeYR_XZsKY (Nubian). 2.Google Earth Link http://www.google.com/earth/ 3. Atlas of World History Second Edition Each student has own copy of Atlas*

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Name: Date: Class Period:

African Sub region and Empire Map

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http://pixabay.com/en/black-africa-outline-map-35742/ (Link to address image taken from*)

Day 3 Lesson Plan Jennifer Beichner, 21 November 2013 Lesson Title: Investigations of the Bantu People and Axum Kingdom Context: This is the third lesson plan in my unit, Cultural and Geographical Investigations. The focus of this lesson is centered on the kingdom of Axum and the Bantu people. The primary focus is on their rise to power (politically and economically). The lesson plans from day one and two focuses on geography and the different subregions of Africa. This lesson applies the geography of Africa in relation to specific groups of people. Plan Number: 3 in a series of 10. Primary Instructional Objective and Common Core State Standard: [COG] Students will be able to compare and contrast the Bantu people with the Kingdom of Axum. [AFF] Students will be able to appreciate the need for migration and trade. [PERF] Students will be able to create their own motto and visual representation. [SS SCOS] 6.E.1 Understand how the physical environment and human interaction affected the economic activities of various civilizations, societies and regions. 6.G.1.2 Explain the factors that influenced the movement of people, goods and ideas and the effects of that movement on societies and regions over time (e.g., scarcity of resources, conquests, desire for wealth, disease and trade). 6.G.2 Students will be able to apply the tools of a geographer to understand the emergence, expansion and decline of civilizations, societies and regions.

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Jennifer Beichner-430-435-Thematic Unit Project 6.G.2.1 Students will be able to use maps, charts, graphs, geographic data and available technology tools to draw conclusions about the emergence, expansion and decline of civilizations, societies and regions. *Materials/Technology Resources Required: 1. Smartboard 2. Copies of Map of Africa (previously created by students) 3. Colored pencils/crayons/markers 4. Construction paper 5. Laptop 6. Paper (for notes) 7. Access to Prezi Presentation Tool 8. Travel Diaries (notebook) 9. Pencil/pen Time: 57 minutes. Instructional Procedures/Steps: (12 Minutes) Bridge: Students are asked to take out their maps of Africa. They are asked to locate the Kingdom of Axum and the homeland of the Bantu people. After locating these two locations students will respond to a free-write in their Travel Dairies: o What are some reasons you think a group of people would choose to move to a new location? After students respond to the freewrite a class discussion will be held in which this question is explored further. Students will have the opportunity to share their freewrite responses. The teacher will guide the class discussion to the idea that the Bantu people moved to new locations because they sought more land to farm as their population grew. (15 Minutes) The next part of the investigation will be a look into the culture of the Bantu people and the Kingdom of Axum. This will be done through a PreziPresentation on the Smartboard. The presentation will be brief (highlighting main points about the Bantu peoples need for migration and the Kingdom of Axums rise to power). During the presentation students will be expected to take notes. After each portion of the Prezi is explained there will be time for students to ask questions and clarify any points of confusion. Prezi Link: http://prezi.com/jbikb5wxz14z/edit/#1_30863873 o Main points of Prezi: o The Bantu people of western Africa spread east and south beginning around 500 B.C. They spread ironworking, farming, and herding across central and southern Africa. o In the east, Axum became a strong empire. It defeated Kush and controlled trade on the Red Sea.

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Jennifer Beichner-430-435-Thematic Unit Project o Axum controlled the ivory and incense trade to India and the Bystantine Empire. Axum fought Persia for control of Yemen and Arabia just before Muhammad was born in Mecca. o Both the Axum and Bantu cultures are indigenous to Africa; meaning they were originally developed there. (5 Minutes) The next part of the trip will be a virtual traveling tour of the Bantu migration patterns. The traveling tour will be up on the Smartboard. Each step of the traveling tour of the Bantu migration pattern will be explained and examined. The traveling tour is interactive. Throughout each part of the tour information about the Bantu Migration pops up and is explained. http://www.eduplace.com/kids/socsci/ca/books/bkf3/imaps/AC_06_206_bantu/A C_06_206_bantu.html (Link to Bantu Migration Patterns*) (10 Minutes) King Ezana Motto Activity: Students will have the chance to create their own Motto for King Ezana (The first Christian King of Axum). The Motto should be relevant to the reign of King Ezana and relay his character traits. After students come up with their Motto they must create a visual representation of a coin that includes the Motto they created for King Ezana. Examples of Mottos (For students to reference when designing their Motto for King Ezana) o o o o o Honesty is the best policy Time is gold Learn today, lead tomorrow They are because they think they are able The King is the man who can

(12 Minutes) Closure: Students will take out their Travel Dairies and create a new entry. This entry should focus on the connection between Migration Patterns and Kingdoms rise to power. Students will reflect in their diaries on their experiences from the days investigations and what observations they created about the Bantu people and the Kingdom of Axum.

Evaluation: Students will be evaluated on their completion of their written motto for King Ezana of Axum and the coin visual representation that also includes the Motto. Students will also be evaluated on their completion of their Travel Diary Entry. Accommodations: Those students who are specified to have extra time will be given the chance to complete their Motto activity (During the Ramp-Up, time during the morning*, lunch period or at the beginning of class the following day). Those students who are specified to have graphic organizers or study guides will be given those to complete the notes from the Prezi-Presentation on the Bantu People and the Kingdom of Axum.

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Jennifer Beichner-430-435-Thematic Unit Project Appendix of Materials Needed: 1. virtual tour of Bantu migration patterns (link below*) http://www.eduplace.com/kids/socsci/ca/books/bkf3/imaps/AC_06_206_bantu/AC_06_2 06_bantu.html (Screenshots of virtual tour provided) 2. Prezi (Screenshots*) on following pages

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2. Screenshots from Prezi included below; Link to Prezi: http://prezi.com/jbikb5wxz14z/edit/#1_30863873

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Day 4 Lesson Plan Jennifer Beichner, 21 November 2013

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Jennifer Beichner-430-435-Thematic Unit Project Lesson Title: Day 4 Investigations of Trade: Gold and Salt Context: This is the fourth lesson plan in my Unit. Students have just finished learning about the Bantu people and their migrations throughout Africa along with the Kingdom of Axum. The impact and importance of trade was highlighted previously and todays lesson will highlight the importance of the African trading system further. Plan Number: 4 in a series of 10. *Primary Instructional Objective and Common Core State Standard: [COG] Students will be able to recall previous knowledge about trading systems. [AFF] Students will be able to connect ancient trading methods to modern ones. [PERF] Students will be able to participate in group activity. [SS SCOS] 6.E.1.1 Explain how conflict, compromise and negotiation over the availability of resources (i.e. natural, human and capital) impacted the economic development of various civilizations, societies and regions (e.g., competition for scarce resources, unequal distribution of wealth and the emergence of powerful trading networks) 6.E.1 Understand how the physical environment and human interaction affected the economic activities of various civilizations, societies and regions. 6.G.1.2 Explain the factors that influenced the movement of people, goods and ideas and the effects of that movement on societies and regions over time (e.g., scarcity of resources, conquests, desire for wealth, disease and trade).

*Materials/Technology Resources Required: 1. Smartboard 2. Copies of Map of Africa (previously created by students) 3. Copies of Silent Barter Game 4. Laptop 5. Paper (for notes) 6. Access to Prezi Presentation Tool 7. Travel Diaries (notebook) 8. Pencil/pen Time: 57 minutes.

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Jennifer Beichner-430-435-Thematic Unit Project Instructional Procedures/Steps: 1. (12 Minutes) Bridge: For todays warm-up there will be an activity for the class to participate in. Directions will be written out clearly on the board: 1) Upon arrival to class students must sit in their group tables without speaking to each other. No speaking is aloud during this activity or it will negate the activitys purpose*. After quietly sitting in their group without speaking each person must read the instructions on the board. 2) One person from each table must trade a pencil for a sheet of paper from another table in the class. 3) NO TALKING is allowed while the trading is going on. 4) After each group has completed their silent trading and is sitting quietly back in their seats a class discussion will begin. 5) The class discussion will follow questions such as 1) How hard was it to trade without using words? 2) How did you decide who would be the person to get out of their seat and do the trading without speaking? 3) What do you think the purpose of this activity is? Any further thoughts or invstigations? After the class discussion takes place. The connection between this activity and the salt and gold trade of Ghana will take place. The students will be introduced to the salt and gold trade silent bartering system though this activity. 2. (15 Minutes) Students will then be asked to take out their map of Africa and locate the Kingdom of Ghana. This is important so the students have an understanding of the location of lessons topic. The next part of the investigation will take a deeper look into the Salt and Gold Trade of Ghana. This will be done through a Prezi-Presentation. Key Points of Prezi: 1) Western African Kingdoms became wealthy through TRADE. 2) Ghana first controlled the crucial gold-producing areas and the southern end of the Saharan trade routes. 3) Western African cities developed along trade routes to the Mediterranean. 4) Ghana grows strong through trading salt and gold. The key points of the Prezi-Presentation will be made clear through further discussion and explanation. Students should be taking notes during the PreziPresentation. Time will be given between each portion of the Presentation to ask for student questions and to make sure connections are being made through further questioning. Prezi Link: http://prezi.com/uva-bk8xgi7f/edit/#60

3. (20 Minutes) Students will be working in their table groups to participate in their own Salt and Gold trading activity. Students will be broken up into groups (They can just remain in the groups at the tables they are currently sitting in). Each group will be assigned a Kingdom and each Kingdom will participate in silent barter. Instructions of the silent barter game will be passed out to each

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Jennifer Beichner-430-435-Thematic Unit Project Kingdom. The instructions include more background information on the origins of silent barter in Ghana. After reading the background information on silent barter, each Kingdom will begin to play the silent barter activity. Detailed instructions are included on the handout for the game. (See provided materials at the end of lesson plan*). Crucial Component of Activity- NO TALKING 4. (12 Minutes) Closure: Students will take out their Travel Dairies and create a new entry. This entry should include what went well with the silent barter activity. Students should focus their entry on observations they made while participating in silent barter. Lastly, students should reflect on what the believe silent bartering may have been like during the reign of Ghanas powerful Kingdom. Evaluation: Students will be evaluated on their completion of the silent barter activity in class. Points of evaluation: 1) Did student remain on task? 2) Did student actively participate? Students will also be evaluated on their daily Travel Diary entry. Entry should correlate to the specified prompt and topic of the day. Accommodations: Those students who are specified to have extra time will be given the chance to complete their Travel Diary entry (During the Ramp-Up, time during the morning*, lunch period or at the beginning of class the following day). Those students who are specified to study guides or graphic organizers will be given a guided form of notes during the Prezi-Presentation. Appendix of Materials Needed: 1. Silent Barter Handout/Game Instructions and Materials (Materials on following pages) (Link to cite game was obtained from): http://72socialstudies.wikispaces.com/file/view/GOLD+FOR+SALT+TRADE+activity.d ocx 2. Prezi Link: http://prezi.com/uva-bk8xgi7f/edit/#60

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GOLD FOR SALT TRADE There was no unified language in any of the West African kingdoms. People living in the empire were able to speak their own tribal language as long as they pledged loyalty to the mansa (king). If a land was conquered in West Africa, the conquered peoples were allowed to keep their king as a government official. But not having a unified language caused many problems in recording history, spreading news, writing books, and especially TRADE. Due to this difficulty the West African peoples developed a silent barter amongst themselves and other civilizations beyond the Sahara. Eventually Berber traders who brought iron from the north introduced Arabic to the West Africans. Salt, gold, silver, ivory, honey, jewelry, tools, metal, leather goods, rare birds, livestock, horses, cloth, and even slaves were all important goods in the trans-Saharan trade system. Salt was an import to the West African kingdoms and came from mines worked by slaves north of the Sahara. Salt was so important and valued that it was used as currency, traded for equal amounts of gold and taxed heavily.
Trade took place far from the gold mines at a place along the Niger River. It was there that traders bartered by silent trade. Arab and African traders brought salt from the north and upon arriving at the trading place they would spread out their goods and announce their presence by beating on a drum called a deba. They would retreat and traders bearing gold would arrive laying out amounts of gold dust next to the salt or other goods as payment and then depart. When the first group returned, if the amount of gold was sufficient they accepted it and left. If not, they would leave everything untouched and wait for more gold to be put out. This ensured that trade was done peacefully and the gold mines location was never revealed.

NEEDS VS WANTS In ancient Africa, early civilizations had to develop ways to meet their needs. Because of the geographical features and the vast differences in climates, the entire African commerce was based on supply and demand. The Sahara or desert region had once been an ocean bottom

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Jennifer Beichner-430-435-Thematic Unit Project millions of years ago and therefore had rich deposits of salt. Quantities were so great in places that entire dwellings were made of blocks of salt. However, there was a scarcity of gold needed for trading with the camel caravans coming from the Middle East and other European traders. In the forested regions of the west, salt was highly valued and prized for flavoring food and was critical for sustaining life in a hot, tropical environment. This area did, however, have rich deposits of gold. As trade flourished between all civilizations around the Sahara, Arabia, Europe, and Asia Minor the demand for gold INCREASED. Kingdoms in Africa needed to silent barter to achieve their societys NEEDS despite their WANT for gold. Directions FOR SILENT BARTER: 1. Read your kingdoms supply and demand products. Understand what products or goods you need to obtain through silent barter. 2. Place your product that is for sale at your table. Wait for the deba to signal it is time to trade. 3. Select 2 traders to travel the trans-Sahara trade route to another kingdom. They will place your product next to a good or product that your country needs or wants. Remember YOU CAN NOT SPEAK TO OTHER KINGDOMS. 4. The other merchants who stayed in your kingdom (table) may talk to one another to decide if they will accept the offer for trade. 5. The deba will signal again for traders to go back to see if their trade was accepted. Task #1: A. Define scarcity. Discuss how your kingdoms geographic location creates scarcity. B. Discuss WANTS vs NEEDS. Create a t-chart of 5 modern wants and 5 needs. C. Create another t-chart that explains your kingdoms wants vs needs. Task #2: Based upon the amount of products your kingdoms wants VS needs, fill in the economic resource guide to describe what products you will be trying to obtain. ECONOMIC RESOURCE GUIDE: 1. Kingdoms needs:_____________________________________________________________ 2. Kingdom I traded with to obtain needs:____________________________________________ 3. Kingdom I traded with to obtain wants:____________________________________________ 4. Biggest obstacle or struggle during silent barter activity: _________________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________ 32

Jennifer Beichner-430-435-Thematic Unit Project _________________________________________________________________________________________________ _____________________ 5. After the 3 rounds of silent barter discuss if your kingdom obtained its needs? And wants? Explain what you obtained through silent barter: _________________________________________________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________ 6. Salt made the difference between life and death to people of West Africa. What in your daily life has the same value to you? Name at least 3 items in order of importance giving reasons why you couldn't live without them. There are very few geographical barriers today. Can you think of something other than these that might pose a problem for countries meeting their needs today? Provide at least 3 examples.

The Kingdom of the Sahara NEEDS: gold, iron, honey, ABUDANCE: salt, horses WANT: slaves, ivory, cloth The Kingdom of Ghana NEEDS: salt, metal, tin, horses, cloth, ABUNDANCE: gold WANT: silk, ivory, slaves, leather goods The Kingdom of Zimbabwe NEEDS: salt because its so hot and your people need to retain body moisture ABUNDANCE: incense, dye, silk WANT: honey, horses, cloth, iron, gold The Kingdom of the Berbers NEEDS: cloth, honey, salt ABUNDANCE: horses, iron, tools, leather goods, ivory WANT: gold 33

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Interesting fact: The Latin word for salt is sal. Roman soldiers received salt as part of their pay, which was called a salarium-hence the word salary. A really good soldier was "worth his salt."

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Jennifer Beichner-430-435-Thematic Unit Project Day 5 Lesson Plan Jennifer Beichner, 21 November 2013 Lesson Title: Investigations of Ghana: Through Primary Sources Context: This is the fifth lesson plan in my unit plan. Students have just learned about trading systems in the Kingdom of Ghana with other parts of Africa. Now, the investigation will go a step further by looking into primary sources describing first hand observations of the Kingdom of Ghana. Plan Number: 5 in a series of 10. *Primary Instructional Objective and Common Core State Standard: [COG] Students will be able to compare and contrast primary sources. [AFF] Students will be able to effectively participate in partner work [PERF] Students will be able to use primary sources to create their own inferences. [SS SCOS] 6.H.1.2 Summarize the literal meaning of historical documents in order to establish context. 6.H.1.3 Use primary and secondary sources to interpret various historical perspectives *Materials/Technology Resources Required: 1. Smartboard 2. Copies of The Chronicle of the Seeker by Mahmud Kali 3. Copies of The Written Document Analysis Worksheet 4. Copies of Al Bakris Description of Ghana 5. Travel Diaries (notebook) 6. Pen/pencil 7. Laptop Time: 57 minutes. Instructional Procedures/Steps: (10 Minutes) Bridge: Students will be asked to take out their Travel Diaries upon arrival to class and quietly answer the freewrite question focusing on the trading system (silent barter) that they learned about during the previous days lesson. After students reflect on the previous days activity they will be asked to make inferences about the Kingdom of Ghana. What do they think it was like? What do

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Jennifer Beichner-430-435-Thematic Unit Project they think it looked like? After students complete their freewrite they will be given an opportunity to share their writing if they desire. After students share their freewrite a whole class discussion about life in the Kingdom of Ghana will take place. (15 Minutes) Next, as a whole class, we will read an excerpt from The Chronicle of the Seeker by Mahmud Kali. This is a primary source depicting the observations of life in the Kingdom of Ghana. After the primary source is read students will fill out The Written Document Analysis Worksheet. (The worksheet is included in the appendices of materials). The worksheet provides prompting to help students dissect and interpret the written primary source. The whole class will fill out the worksheet together. (This provides the opportunity to model for the students the type of thinking they should do when looking at a primary source).

(20 Minutes) Students will then be paired up with a partner (ideally the person sitting next to or near them). Each pairing will be given a copy of Al Bakris Description of Ghana. With their partner students will be asked to read the second primary source in entirety. After reading the primary source each pairing will complete the same Written Document Analysis Worksheet as was used during the whole class activity. Students should use the worksheet filled out with the whole class as guide to center their analysis. During partner work the teacher has time to walk around to all the tables and see if any additional help or instruction is needed. (5 Minutes) Next, students should remain with their partners and hold a discussion about the two primary source documents read and analyzed in class. The partner discussion should focus on the similarities and differences and how each document helps to enhance understanding of the Kingdom of Ghana. Each partner should write down three similarities and three differences between the two primary sources. (7 Minutes) Closure: Lastly, Students will be given the remaining time in class to complete their Travel Dairy Entry. The entry should focus on their experience exploring the primary sources and any new inferences they were able to draw from analyzing the primary source documents together.

Evaluation: Students will be evaluated on their completion of the Written Document Analysis Worksheets. Students will also be evaluated on their completion of their Travel Diary entry {Did they respond to the intended prompt?} Accommodations: Those students who are specified to have read aloud instruction will be placed with students who are stronger readers during the partner activity. Students who are specified to have extra time will be given the chance to finish their Travel Dairy entry

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Jennifer Beichner-430-435-Thematic Unit Project at another time (During Ramp-up {ime during the morning*}, Lunch, or at the beginning of class the next day). Appendix of Materials Needed: 1. The Chronicle of the Seeker-Mahmud Kali (Primary Source) 2. Al Bakris Description of Ghana (Primary Source) 3. The Written Document Analysis Worksheet (Documents included on following pages)

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http://www.international.ucla.edu/media/files/FullModuleJanette-za-clt.pdf

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http://www.archives.gov/education/lessons/worksheets/written_document_analysis_work sheet.pdf

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Jennifer Beichner-430-435-Thematic Unit Project *Part D. of Document Analysis Worksheet will be changed to Life in Ghana when copies are made for the whole class to use.

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Part III: Evaluation

Through creating my unit, Geographical and Cultural Investigations of Pre-Colonial Africa, my evaluation strategy developed through a combination of formative and summative evaluation. I will teach this unit in the spring of 2014 and I will be required to give a test at the end of the unit. I knew that I would be required to give my students a test at the end of the unit when I met with my cooperating teacher to discuss the unit I would be teaching. While I realize that there are times when formal summative assessments are necessary, I prefer a style of assessment that is more informal and more formative. For my unit I tried to focus graded assignments on the basis of effort and if they meet the specific guidelines and criteria for the assignment. I want my students to be actively engaged in their learning instead of focusing heavily on numbers and grades. A lot of the activities and assignments I developed for this unit involved student creativity. I do not think it is beneficial to grade someone on their creativity. I also want my students to remain encouraged and motivated. I want them to feel comfortable sharing their writing and their ideas. Throughout the unit I focused on smaller projects that foster genuine student thinking and inquiry. The evaluation strategies I used focus on group and partner work, projects, a combination of visual and verbal activities and contain a writing focus. I focused on group/partner work because I believe it is crucial for students to be allowed the opportunity to collaborate with each other. I believe the quality of learning is diminished when it is done completely alone. Part of learning is inquiring and inquiring takes thought and conversation. Many of the activities I created involve a variety of learning styles that cater to the different learning styles of students.

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Part IV: Works Cited and Reflective Addendum

Works Cited {Methods & Materials for Teaching MG ELA Objectives Packet from Carl Young}: Gronlund (1995) How to Write and Use Intructional Objectives, 5th Ed. Hunter (1976) Teacher Competence: Problem, Theory, and Practice. Theory into Practice Analyzing historical Documents idea from Crystal Simmons

Links in Full Lesson Plans: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vqeYR_XZsKY http://www.google.com/earth/ http://pixabay.com/en/black-africa-outline-map-35742/ Bantu Migration Patterns Activity: http://www.eduplace.com/kids/socsi/ca/books/bkf3/imaps/AC_06_206_bantu/AC_06_206_bantu .html Silent Barter Handout/Game Instructions and Materials http://72socialstudies.wikispaces.com/file/view/GOLD+FOR+SALT+TRADE+activity.docx Ghana Document: http://www.international.ucla.edu/media/files/FullModuleJanette-za-clt.pdf

Written Document Analysis Worksheet http://www.archives.gov/education/lessons/worksheets/written_document_analysis_worksheet.p df

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Reflective Addendum
Dear Reader, I came up the theme for my unit by researching the topic of Pre-Colonial Africa. After researching I concluded that the principle components of Pre-Colonial Africa involved the incorporation of geography and cultures. I realized that these two ideas would have a major impact on the layout of my unit. I wanted to find a way to present my theme in a way that was student centered. I concluded that the best way to do this was to view my students as investigators of history. I wanted my students to be involved in the thinking and creating of the unit actively. When I first started putting my unit together I did general research to see what events and cultures made up the time period of Pre-Colonial Africa. After doing general research I referenced CMAP to see what curriculum they suggested to be taught. The Social Studies CMAP is pretty general. However, it was helpful for me to make sure I was on the right track in planning my content. I think one of the major strengths of my unit is the overall flow and continuity of it. I feel that none of my lessons are out of place and that each lesson flows seamlessly into the next. I also think my unit has relevant content. There is only two weeks scheduled to cover Pre-Colonial Africa; which made it hard to decide what content was necessary to be taught. However, I feel like I did a good job choosing the content of the unit. If I had more time I would have liked to create in-depth lesson plans for each day of my unit. One thing I struggled with while creating

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Jennifer Beichner-430-435-Thematic Unit Project the unit was deciding on what to include and not include. I would come up with an idea and then I would discover something else that I wanted to use instead. I can honestly say I did not face any major limitations while creating my unit. My cooperating teacher is open and accommodating. She is flexible and she is prepared to give me a lot of freedom in the classroom. However, the amount of new information and the plethora of teaching resources can be overwhelming when it comes to creating a unit for the first time. Since my cooperating teacher is so flexible she basically gave me free reign in creation of the unit. She also provided me with the Atlas that she uses for the unit on Africa. I found the images in the Atlas to be really helpful when creating my unit. When I implement my unit in the field I will pay close attention to the timing of all of my lessons. My unit is only two weeks long and there is a lot of content to go over. I imagine that it will be hard to fit everything in. From my personal experience, I realize that lessons often take more time than you realize in a real middle school classroom environment. I would rate my project as three. I am really proud of my final project. I think it reflects the hard work and thought I put into it. However, I realize there is always room for improvement. This was my first time creating a unit of this size and detail and I am sure there are components of it that I would revise once I am actually in the field. I think my unit is a great starting point for me and I am excited that I have begun some of the planning that I will have to do while student teaching in the spring. I would describe this project to students in the future as a highly beneficial tool that they can leave college with. The idea of creating a whole unit plan seems really daunting. However, this was likely the most relevant school assignment that I have ever done. I feel personally invested to this unit plan because it is a project that was not done for the teacher to look at and appreciate but rather as a reference that will benefit my life and future career.

Process
The process I took while creating this unit involved personal revision, revision based on instructor feedback and revision based on peer feedback. During this process I found it most beneficial to talk and brainstorm with my peers who were planning their units on the same subject and grade level as myself. The time in class that we received to work on our unit plans really helped me in revising my unit and generating new ideas. I e-mailed Ms. Simmons my rough draft of my unit plan on the scheduled date for her look at and provide feedback on. After receiving her feedback I made the appropriate changes that she suggested I make. I have also posted parts of my unit plan to the Wiki. My theme and focus and original planning are placed on the Wiki as evidence. I placed these parts of my unit to the Wiki on the scheduled dates.

Evidences: (e-mail correspondence with Ms. Simmons)

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Revision Evidence:

After receiving feedback from Ms. Simmons I made the suggested revisions to my unit. Wiki Evidence:
Wiki Post with unit topic and plan Jennifer Beichner- 6th Grade Social Studies: My unit plan covers Pre-Colonial Africa. The theme of my unit is Cultural and Geographical Investigations. My reasoning in choosing this theme has to do with the kind of activity and thinking I want my students to be involved in during my unit. I want my students to be active investigators of history. I want my students to be able to explore and discovery new information through looking into the changing cultures and geographical settings. I want my students to feel like they are the one's discovering new information about Pre-colonial Africa versus having me, the teacher, give them a series of facts. The more they are actively engaged in the creation of their learning, the deeper I believe the material will resonate with them. I chose to theme my unit around the idea of investigations because I want the core of my unit to involve as many primary sources, (documents, artifacts, pictures, sculptures) as I can. My Unit is two weeks long (10 school days.) Wiki Post on my Action Portfolio

November 7th 1. My Thematic Unit Focus: Pre-Colonial Africa: Cultural and Geographical Investigations 2. My reasoning for my unit focus is because history is forever being made and changed. Taking a look back into the conditions and different types of people that occupied various areas of Africa connect the dots as to why the continent of Africa looks the way it does today. For my theme I chose to focus on the idea of "investigations". The reason is two-fold. For one, I want my students to feel like they are the one's discovering new information about pre-colonial Africa versus having me, the teacher, give them series of facts. The more they are actively engaged in the creation of their learning, the deeper I believe it will set in and stick with them. The second reason is that I want to use as many primary sources, (documents, artifacts, pictures, sculptures) as I can. I want my students to use their own critical thinking skills to develop their own investigations and theories about life for people during this time period. 3. Glogster, googlemaps, primary sources

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