Standards: 1. Cultures are dynamic and change over time. 2.

Through experience, observation, and reflection, students will identify elements of culture as well as similarities and differences among cultural groups across time and place. 3. Human beings create, learn, share, and adapt to culture. 4. Studying the past makes it possible for us to understand the human story across time. 5. Through a more formal study of history, students in the middle grades continue to expand their understanding of the past and are increasingly able to apply the research methods associated with historical inquiry. 6. Children in early grades learn to locate themselves in time and space. 7. The study of people, places, and environments enables us to understand the relationship between human populations and the physical world. 8. Todays social, cultural, economic and civic issues demand that students apply knowledge, skills, and understandings as they address questions such as: Why do people decide to live where they do or move to other places? Why is location important? How do people interact with the environment and what are some of the consequences of those interactions? What physical and other characteristics lead to the creation of regions? How do maps, globes, geographic tools and geospatial technologies contribute to the understanding of people, places, and environments?

Curriculum Materials: 1. Howard Zinns Peoples History the United States 2. Poster Paper 3. Clipboard 4. Post It Notes 5. Access to National Geographic Guns, Germs, and Steel documentary 6. Primary and Secondary documents regarding Ancient Egypt 7. Excerpts from the Rise and Fall of Ancient Egypt, especially regarding the Narmer Palette

Knowledge of Students and Context:

Context: Penn Alexander Middle School Social Studies (6 8th grades) My students represent a diverse group of students with many different interests. I hope to incorporate the interests of my students in my curriculum to build upon their knowledge and understanding and ultimately address their weaknesses. 1. Students will have previously been taught units on Ancient Greece and Ancient Rome 2. Since those units were taught, we spent several weeks teaching Socratic Seminar procedure and practicing debate in Socratic Seminar. 3. I will have to find ways to have students recall background information about Ancient Greece, Ancient Rome, what is culture, as well as the rise and fall of Ancient civilizations. 4. Accommodations will have to be made for several of my students who have Special Education needs as well as English Language learning needs.

What

Lesson How

Why

Teaching Methods: 1. Direct Instruction: instruction and explanation of procedures, mini lessons 2. Small Group work: usually in pairs or with their desk mates (classroom arrangement: 6 groups of five desks) 3. Stations (12 minute time blocks at each station desk group) 4. Essay assignment 5. Socratic Seminar: a weekly routine that has been taught, modeled, and used with frequency in our class 6. Weekly quizzes to check for understanding (students will usually receive fair warning about a quiz) 7. Homework watch or research a relevant topic in regards to Ancient Egypt (Homework is not regularly assigned in my class but I would like to assign homework (granted it is both engaging and challenging for my students) in the form of a video or research to ensure students come to class with the same baseline understanding of the topic, to encourage greater participation and, we cover all the necessary content.

Educational Philosophy and Beliefs I hope to encourage my students curiosity and imagination of languages and cultures, a dynamic I wish to emulate in my classroom. I hope to share my knowledge of anthropology and art history and build on the prior knowledge and interests of my students to create an interactive learning experience that empowers my students. With this interdisciplinary approach, I can provide an intellectual environment that embraces individuals of diverse backgrounds and establishes a cultural commonality. Through teaching, I strive for social justice. I want to better understand how social structure and race effect the educational attainment of minority youth through my teaching experiences. Most importantly, I hope to develop pedagogical skills to eliminate these obstacles within the classroom. Upon graduation, I want to be a teacher who is prepared to provide a safe learning environment that fosters multiculturalism and diversity and encourages students to become critical thinkers to achieve academic success.

Theories of Teaching and Learning: 1. Dwecks Growth Mindset: I acknowledge that in the 21st century we are far removed from many aspects of Ancient Egyptian civilization. My unit strives to make this history relatable and for students to draw upon their skills and interests as a form of motivation. Furthermore, I hope to incorporate the role of historians, archaeologists, and anthropologists so students are exposed to these careers and their role in decoding the historical record. 2. Brophys Motivating Students to Learn: remind students of norms and expected behaviors during takeover; careful consideration of class work and thoughtful assignments will be reinforced positively through verbal and written feedback; other motivational strategies will be used, i.e. in making the coursework relatable and holding a high standard of expectations for students work 3. Friere Students dont come as blank slates; act of teaching is a human act; Learning is a social act 4. Inside Out Learning (starting with the student) a type of learning that complements traditional learning methods. Authentic learning occurs when students can engage with one another on personal and emotional levels. Thus, I will try to find ways to connect Ancient Egyptian society with relevant examples from our society. 5. Responsive Classroom: Students learn best when their classrooms are places where they feel safe, challenged, and joyful places that free them to learn. To ensure every task remains both challenging, harmless, and engaging for my students, I will lean on responsive classroom strategies to explain, model, and incorporate class discussions and Socratic Seminar. 6. Blooms Taxonomy: higher level questioning. In class discussions, I will be cognizant of the type of questions I am asking of students and why I am asking them. Rather than ask students to repeat notes from a lecture, I will have them work on making connections to the bigger picture.