Middle School Social Studies / 6th Grade
Mesopotamian Milestones
How does living in a civilization impact people’s lives?
Students engage in an immersive narrative experience to learn about Sumerian and Babylonian history. They begin with a launch module that gets them in an investigative mindset through exploring the archeological remains of early man. From there, they jump forward in time to Sumer and learn more about the Tigris-Euphrates Valley as they build a setting for their city. Once they have a setting, they are organized into family groups and create characters that mimic the social hierarchy and specializations present during the time period. Next, the city copes with three challenges: how to respond to a famine, how to respond to lawlessness, and how to respond to an invasion. The unit culminates with students considering one component of civilization, a stable food supply, and considers how accessing a stable food supply in their own communities is not equitable. They use what they’ve learned to create a Zine that promotes taking action to ensure no children in their community go hungry.
Unit length: 4 weeks (20 hours)
”"When I come to school now, I am actually happy to be here, like I want to be here at school."
Jayana, Student
