The Pyramids of Egypt: Should they have been built?

Eternity. Built to last forever, the Egyptian Pyramids have left a permanent mark on the surface of earth. Large, elaborate, remarkable - no doubt some of the most intriguing man-made structures, the Pyramids leave people jaw-dropped everyday they are seen or studied.

No matter how splendid, the Pyramids also cause debate. Was the price of construction worth the destruction they caused? Is the eternal quality of the Pyramids worth the shortened lives of those who built them?

As you embark on your independent study of the Pyramids, our focus question is this: should the pyramids have been built?

Grab your independent study guide here. You have multiple days to research and study this topic. There is no rush, no deadline - you may use the articles/videos provided as well as find your own.

Add yourself to this document and share your beliefs about the Pyramids.

Solo Mission #1: Ancient Egypt

Because you rocked the Mission

Solo Mission #1: Ancient Egypt. 

Today you only have each other to rely on. Your teacher is not on the mission. Success or failure depends solely on your ability to problem solve, work together and be a team. 

Categories: cooperation, efficiency, volume, participation and time. Each category is worth 10 points (Time is different, explained in class). A perfect Mission would receive 44 points. 

Today's Solo Mission is a History League event - can you outdo the other classes? Can you come together as a class to master the topics of ancient Egypt within the Mission? 10, 9, 8, 7 ... time is ticking. Hope you're ready. 

Access Mission notes here.

Comparing Social Classes in Egypt

The Nobleman and the Farmer

All civilizations have different social classes - some have wider gaps between rich and poor than others, but all have classes. Ancient Mesopotamia is the first time and place we see society broken into classes of people (most often based on wealth). Egypt is no different.

Your task today is to cooperatively (working together) compare and contrast the social classes of FARMER and NOBLEMAN in ancient Egypt. Here's the catch - you and your partner may not verbally communicate. You may not even sit near each other. All communication must be done on your chromebooks. Click each of the classes above to get the info doc.

Access your comparison chart here - one of you must make a copy and share with your partner. This needs to be put in your SS folder. 

Good luck.

Egypt location assignment

Egypt Location Assignment

Your assignment today is to demonstrate mastery of the location and geography of ancient Egypt. To do this, you must access several different resources. Linked below, this assignment will provide you with direction, but also allow you to explore and discover information freely and on your own. 

Get your assignment here - make copy and save in SS folder.

Common Quiz and Location Challenge

"One stone makes us both Angry"

Today's post will, if I may use the eloquent phrase "to kill two birds with one stone," be used for two important tasks.

1 - Take and complete a quiz common to all sixth-grade social studies classes. This could be our way of proving mastery of unit 1. Click here for Common Quiz. Make copy, put in Unit 1 Folder.

2 - Attempt to accurately provide a description of Egypt's location by correctly filling in blanks with important adjectives. Click here for Fill-In challenge. Make copy, put in SS folder.

Unit 1 Test

Access your unit 1 test here. Good luck. 

Win the Test

It's never easy, but its' worth it

Study guide questions (blank) - click here. 
Study guide questions (with answers) - click here. 

Like the picture to the left says, success doesn't just stumble up to your door, knock and come into your life. To be successful, you need to track it down, tackle it and own it. To be successful tomorrow - you need to "go to it." 

Prepare yourself to win tomorrow. 

What the Ancients Did For Us

With YouTube now accessible from your chromebook (hopefully), let's utilize it. Videos are a great way to learn - by including visuals along with information. 

The first video to watch on YouTube is called "What the Ancients Did For Us: The Mesopotamians." Access the video here. 

Allow this to enhance your understanding of ancient Mesopotamia. 

Fair or Cruel? The Code of King Hammurabi

Ruler of Ancient Mesopotamia

Today's task is intended to educate each of you about the most famous King of Mesopotamia: Hammurabi. The task is also designed to simulate a real-world scenario where you are expected to learn it on your own. Do the research. Make a claim. Explain your beliefs. Cite resources.

With freedom comes responsibility. The only person motivating yourself to accomplish today's task is you. I will guide and suggest, but you do the driving. 

No great works of art are done in fifteen minutes. Expect your first, or even second finished tasks to be rejected - this is part of creating a solid piece of writing. Of anything, really. 

Good luck. May the odds ever be in your . . . Ok, no Hunger Games reference needed. Good luck. 

Receive your task here. 
Suggested resources here. 

Unit 1 test prep: Over the Shoulder volume 1

As we prepare for our first unit test, allow me to help review the most important concepts and information with you. Over the Shoulder is designed as a tool to be used to ready ourselves for success when asked to demonstrate our understanding. 

Enjoy. 

"HEALS" book link

Many of you know this summer my life was changed forever - a change which happened because of a terrible event, but a change for which I'm forever grateful. As each day of a seventy-nine day journey concluded, my siblings as I would "journal" about our Dad's health and progress so our friends and family could read and stay up to date on his condition - following a near fatal motorcycle crash. 

It was also our way of talking to him at a time when we really couldn't. This book is for him, but other have shown interest in buying a copy as well. Click here for info about getting one. 

This story has a happy ending. Many people experience similar tragedy and are left with a bad ending, a hole in their heart where a someone they love used to be. 

Thanks for reading this book, caring for someone you may not even know and for loving everyone around you. We never know what lay just ahead.

Mesopotamian Daily Life

Mesopotamia was a complex society - which is why we consider it a 'civilization.' Before this time, humans lived a barbaric, simple life of survival and completing simple tasks. With the continued advancement of farming, people were able to spend more and more time on things other than surviving.

Let today be the day you become familiar with they way in which human beings lived in the civilization we call MESOPOTAMIA.

Get your red, I mean round robin note guide here.
If you're in need of checking your answers or comparing them, you may use this answer document. 

Ancient Mesopotamia Preview

Mesopotamia is given credit for being the first civilization - a complex society with laws, religion, government, arts, writing. 

Watch this video to complete this basic "3,2,1" note guide - access note guide here.

As usual, make a copy and save it in your SS folder.

We believe farming was . . .

Farming has surely left a mark on human history. The question is whether the good outweighs the bad. Strengths and limitations accompany most things that happen in life. Your task today is to write a response to the prompt here and defend your response. 

Write in a way that would squash any thoughts of disagreeing with you. This is worth 20 points.

Follow these steps to begin and end the assignment:
    - Make a copy of the prompt link (above) and place in it your social studies folder
    - Only one group member needs to do this
    - List names on top of prompt document
    - Complete writing prompt and defend you and your group member's response
    - Don't save, share or do anything else - google takes care of the rest