6th Grade Humanities

You will need to know these words to describe rivers.

source

tributary

confluence

cateracts

banks

flood plain

sediment

delta

mouth

Links to help

River vocabulary

Extra information on the Nile River

Chapter 5

culture

civilization

Social structure

technology

status

chariots

scribes

ziggurat

arch

cuneiform

Pictographs

Chapter 6

empire

capital

tributes

siege

aqueducts

bas-reliefs

astronomy

Some Sumerian things to do:

See a National Geographic video (there is a short commercial shown first)

Check out  writing and scribes at  the British Museum

Learn about the geography of Mesopotamia

A very inclusive guide for students including vocabulary, geography and a ziggurat game

A website for Middle School students on Mesopotamia

Cruise the  Near Eastern Art collection at the Met

What makes a civilization?  How is a city different from a civilization?

We continue to study Sumer and its development.  We look at the beginnings of government and written language.

In writing, we are applying voice in a  RAFTS writing assignment and looking at voice in a variety of literature.

It’s concert week-so very limited homework! Remember Friday is a half-day, 11:30 dismiss.

Monday

classwork - edit  RAFTS draft

homework- have parents sign test; permission slips

Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursday

classwork -What Makes a Civilization?

classwork -Revise Rafts -final

Friday

wear advisory color for activities - my advisory, please wear green!

Have a fun-filled, restful vacation!

Our advisory decided on a limit of 50 rmb-that’s the total amount to be spent.  You may give several small gifts or one big one.  Your little gifts can simply be a thoughtful note and a piece of candy -it’s meant to brighten someone’s day. Be creative but please adhere to the 50 rmb total. We begin on Monday. Dec. 13th  and will have a Guess the Santa on the last advisory before Christmas- Wednesday, Dec 15th.

A big part of Secret Santa is the mystery, so don’t give it away!  Sign your gift tags as Secret Santa but clearly write the name of the intended receiver.   Give clues with your gifts but think carefully about them.  Too much information will spoil the surprise and too little information will just frustrate your recipient. If you have trouble arranging a secret drop, I’ll have a ‘tree’ in my room and you can place them there. If someone asks you to act as a messenger, be sure to keep the secret.

Santa’s workshop is open if you wish to purchase something there.

The slides from class Blogs Grading and Revising

We are focusing on the Voice trait of writing and will revise previous work for voice.  We are doing a daily review for the test on Friday, Dec 12th.   We begin the study of Mesopotamia and the first civilization, Sumeria

Homework

Monday

Review hominids for test (study guide)

Blog post revise for Voice.  Turn in an old copy and a revised copy

Pre read Chapter 4

Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursday

Crossword review

Ch4 vocab

• Irrigation systems
• Levees
• Sumer
• Mesopotamia
• City-states
• Sumerians

Ch 4 reading Notes

Finish RAFT writing

Friday

Reading Log and Blog due Monday

We begin our study of the beginning of agriculture and its effect on human development. We will have a unit test on Dec. 12th. There will be a vocab section, a map section, a short answer section, and a choice of paragraph answer questions.

Homework

Monday

• Finish Reading Notes Ch3.
• finish comic

Tuesday/Wednesday/Thursday

• work on comic book project.
  • due Friday, Dec 5
  • Must have a colorful cover with a title and author.
  • It must have at least 3 story pages each illustrating an important change from Paleolithic to Neolithic life. (food supply, shelter, community, jobs, trade)
  • Each page must include a narrative sentence that explains what life was like in the Paleolithic Age. Each page must have a funny, four part comic that shows the ways life changed from Paleolithic to the Neolithic Age and explains why these changes are important.
  • Each page should use a combination of art, narration and speech or thought bubbles to communicate ideas.
  • You may draw entirely freehand or use some of the line drawings provided to help you. Be sure to include backgrounds, animals and other objects as needed.
  • Pencil plan but use ink outlines and lettering for final stages.

Friday

• Reading log and blog due Monday a.m.  Bring a printed copy to class.

We conclude our work with Dar and the Spear-thrower by writing our own dramatic scenes for the book. We examine ritual in human society and get to ready to move to the Neolithic period.  We continue to examine change in human society.

Homework- READ Daily!

Monday

• preread ch3
• unit vocab-from domesticate to Neolithic
• talking pts-What effect might the spear thrower have on Dar’s clan?
• Final copy of Hominid writing

Tuesday/Wednesday

• Finish Ch. 1 questions
• talking pts- What evidence do we have of early language?  How might  we make conclusions about early language?
• Scene ideas for your group

Wed/Thurs

• Themes from Dar- hand shape organizer.  Remember themes are ideas that apply to all humans.
• Bring Dar book for collection on Friday

Friday

Reading log and blog due Monday a.m.

Have a Great Thanksgiving!

The directions for reading blogs are below.

Go to these samples and make observations about why they are good posts.

blog1

blog2

Added Nov. 27th

blog3

blog4

From classroom discussions:

• include evidence from the book
• clearly state the title and author or the book
• choose interesting details
• have a clear main idea

From Mrs CL:

• make it easy to read. Check spelling and punctuation
• follow the directions given in the blog. Copy and paste the question.