Unit Plan Project: Expanding Interactions 300-1500 CE

Mary Meyer

Professor Shreiner

SST 310 02: Teaching Social Studies: Secondary

10 December 2018
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Table of Contents

Considering the Content 2

Considering the Learners 3

Why this Unit? 4

Identifying Worthwhile Goals

Enduring Understandings 5

Compelling and Supporting Questions 5

Behavioral Objectives 5

Important Knowledge and Skills 6

Informal and Formal Assessments 7

Performance Assessment 8

Unit Calendar 24

Hooking Lesson Plan 25

Concept Formation Lesson Plan 31

Text-Based Lesson Plan 38

Discussion Lesson Plan 45

Reflection 51

Bibliography 52
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Considering the Content

Social studies classes teach students about how the world has functioned in the past and
how it functions now. This includes how governments, economies, religion, and social
hierarchies have changed throughout the past. Through the study of these subjects, students are
given the context and information they need in order to “be an informed, engaged citizenry.”1
These are students who are prepared to “participate in their communities” and “are involved in
the political process.”2 They are also prepared to “critically examine the society in which they
live and work for social change.”3 In order to do this, students need a firm foundation in the
content and concepts that define history. As preparation for the divisive and controversial world
we live in, students also need to practice discussing controversies and politics in the classroom.
They have a right to talk about “important political issues while in public schools.”4 As social
studies teachers, we have an obligation to give them that opportunity and practice.
Covering the whole of human history in high school is an enormous undertaking,
especially when students have mostly focused on regional history in previous classes. They may
have some background knowledge from studying the Western Hemisphere or the Eastern
Hemisphere, but they will not have had a world history from the very beginning of human
history to study before. The amount of information in the curriculum can overshadow the
important concepts that students need in order to make connections between historical events.5
While content is important, and the ability to “think and solve problems depend[s] strongly on a
rich body of knowledge about subject matter,” it is equally important for that knowledge to be
“connected and organized around important concepts.”6 Students need to learn the “intellectual
tools and learning strategies” that will help them understand the fundamental principles of
learning that will help them become “self-sustaining, lifelong learners.”7 This requires that
students become literate in the social studies discipline. In order for students to understand what
they are reading, they need to “[acquire] specialized knowledge and skills” relevant to the
discipline.8 Students need to be able to identify with the past, analyze and “establish causal
linkages” between events in the past, and then exhibit the information they have learned in an
assessment.9 In order to identify with and respond to the past, students need to be able to engage
with sources from the past. Reading sources and analyzing them helps develop “[the] skills of
interpretation and inference that define a proficient reader.”10 Not every student is going to enter
the classroom prepared to read primary and secondary sources in their original format, and as a
teacher, it is my responsibility to address those academic knowledge gaps.11

1
Jonathan Gould, ​Guardian of Democracy: The Civic Mission of Schools​ (Pennsylvania: University of Pennsylvania, 2003), 4
2
Gould, ​The Civic Mission of Schools​, 6
3
Gloria Ladson-Billings, “Crafting a Culturally Relevant Social Studies Approach,” in ​The Social Studies Curriculum: Purposes, Problems, and
Possibilities​, ed. E. Wayne Ross (Albany: State University of New York Press, 2001), 202.
4
Diana E. Hess, ​Controversy in the Classroom: The Democratic Power of Discussion​ (New York: Routledge, 2009), 11
5
Laura McArthur Harris and Tamara L. Shreiner, “Why Can’t We Just Look it Up? Using Concept Formation to Teach Global Connections and
Local Cases in World History,” ​World History Connected​ 11, no. 2 (2014), 2
6
John D. Bransford, Ann L. Brown, and Rodney R. Cocking, ed, ​How People Learn: Brain, Mind, Experience, and School,​ Washington, D.C.:
National Academy Press (2000), 9
7
John D. Bransford, Ann L. Brown, and Rodney R. Cocking, ed. ​How People Learn: Brain, Mind, Experience, and School ​(Washington, D.C.:
National Academy Press, 2000), 5
8
Susan De La Paz, Chauncey Monte-Sano, Mark Felton, Robert Croninger, Cara Jackson and Kelly Worland Piantedosi, “A Historical Writing
Apprenticeship for Adolescents: Integrating Disciplinary Learning With Cognitive Strategies,” ​Reading Research​ 0, no. 0 (2016), 1
9
Keith C. Barton and Linda S. Levstik, ​Teaching History for the Common Good​ (Routledge, 2004), 7
10
Sam Wineberg and Daisy Martin, “Tampering with History: Adapting Primary Sources for Struggling Readers,” ​Social Education​ 75, no. 5
(2009), 216.
11
Doug Buel, ​Developing Readers in the Academic Disciplines​ (Newark: International Reading Association, 2011), 74.
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Considering the Learners

Human brains are not built for exhaustive and intense thinking.12 We only willingly
engage our brains in thought when we are curious or faced with a problem we think we can
solve.13 The challenge in school is to get students curious about history and to keep the content at
a level that they don’t feel under or overwhelmed. Students are already interested in history,
whether they realize it or not. They regularly engage with historical narratives, talking with their
older relatives, watching movies, visiting museums, and any number of other historical activities.
14
They are engaged with these extracurricular activities, pursuing them based on what they find
interesting. In order to become engaged in the classroom, students need interesting, relevant
content. Too often, students find history neither relevant nor interesting.15 As a result, teachers
need to know “how history is represented” in the various historical activities students pursue.16
Teachers also need to take into account the fact that “all learning takes place in settings that have
particular sets of cultural and social norms and expectations and that [those] settings influence
learning and transfer in powerful ways.”17 The way students learn in the classroom is different
from how they learn from their relatives or from a museum.
High school students enter the classroom with some general knowledge about history.
They are able to identify changes in life, clothes, architecture, and technology over time.18 They
may remember some of the local, state, and national history they learned in primary school.
Fresher on their minds is the in-depth study of U.S. History they experienced so far in their
secondary schools. They have some knowledge of world history from sixth and seventh grade,
when the they study the Eastern and Western Hemispheres separately.19 Students grasp the more
general information but may have had “limited opportunities to understand or make sense of
topics” due to an emphasis on fact memorization in textbooks and standardized tests.20 World
history is too broad a subject for an understanding based solely on the facts, and students need to
adjust to a focus on major concepts and connections between historical events and people. Some
students may also struggle to adjust to school culture, and as their teacher, I need to be able to
“​use [​ their] culture as a basis for helping [them] understand themselves and others, structure
social interactions, and conceptualize knowledge.”21 Students may also struggle with the
disciplinary literacy they need in order to engage with sources in the classroom, and I need to
scaffold the sources so that students don’t become so frustrated that they stop trying.

12
Daniel Willingham, ​Why Don’t Students Like School? A Cognitive Scientist Answers Questions About How the Mind Works and What It Means
from Your Classroom​ (San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2009), 3
13
Willingham, ​Why Don’t Students Like School?,​ 10
14
Barton and Levstik, ​Teaching History,​ 12
15
Barton and Levstik, ​Teaching History,​ 13
16
Barton and Levstik, ​Teaching History,​ 17
17
John D. Bransford, Ann L. Brown, and Rodney R. Cocking, ed. ​How People Learn: Brain, Mind, Experience, and School ​(Washington, D.C.:
National Academy Press, 2000), 4
18
Barton and Levstik, ​Teaching History,​ 14
19
Michigan Department of Education, ​Grades K-8​ ​Social Studies Content Expectations,​ 49, 62.
20
Bransford, et. al., ​How People Learn​, 8-9.
21
Gloria Ladson-Billings, “Crafting a Culturally Relevant Social Studies Approach,” 202
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Why this Unit?

The unit I am going to focus on is the third unit of the Michigan Social Studies High
School Content Expectations, Expanding Interactions 300-1500 CE. This unit covers the fall of
the Classical Empires to European exploration of the American continents. Some of the
information will be new to tenth graders and some will be review. Early American societies are
covered in sixth grade.22 In seventh grade, students learn about the early civilizations of Africa,
Europe, and Asia.23 As a result, quite a bit of the information we study in this unit will be
familiar, but we will be going more in depth than they did previously. Much of information
students need about the various societies will be presented by lecture and guided notes, and then
class will open up to discussion about the topics we learned about in class. This will ensure that
students learn the content and concepts they need to learn, and have the opportunity to discuss
their thinking with their classmates.
At the end of this unit, students will understand how interactions between societies create
changes in politics, religions, and social relationships, both in the past and today. Throughout the
unit, we will look at how different societies left their mark on our modern society and consider
why we still study them today. This focus on how societies have influenced modern society will
help students gain an appreciation for how the past impacts the present, and how the present will
affect the future.

22
Michigan Department of Education, ​Grades K-8​ ​Social Studies Content Expectations,​ 49
23
Michigan Department of Education, ​Grades K-8​ ​Social Studies Content Expectations,​ , 62
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Identifying Worthwhile Goals

Enduring Understanding:
The interactions between human societies on each continent had significant effects on the
evolution of the religion, politics, and social hierarchies across the continents.

Compelling Question: Supporting Questions:

● What are the lasting influences in ● How were societies organized
religion, politics, and society from politically, economically, religiously,
these societies? and socially?
● How did belief systems and religions
change as they spread?
● How did different societies interact?

Behavioral Objectives:

Students will be able to….

● Use primary and secondary sources to explain why religions spread and how they
interacted with each other (WHG 4.1.2).
● Explain and analyze internal and external trading systems societies (WHG 4.1.3).
● Identify the origins of Islam and explain the creation of the Islamic Empire (WHG 4.2.1).
● Use primary and secondary sources to describe the expansion of the Mongol Empire and
the Pax Mongolica (WHG 4.2.2).
● Use primary and secondary sources to analyze the effect of the Plague (WHG 4.2.3).
● Describe early African societies and the significant changes that occurred in Africa
(WHG 4.3.1).
● Describe early American societies and compare North and South American societies
(WHG 4.3.2).
● Explain how Chinese Dynasties faced the challenges of diversity, geography, population
growth, and the Mongol invasion (WHG 4.3.3).
● Explain the complex political and social hierarchies in Eastern and Western Europe
(WHG 4.3.4, 4.3.5).
● Create a museum exhibit about one of the societies from class.
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Key Concepts: Important Knowledge: Important Skills:

Pax Mongolica Genghis Khan Read primary and secondary

Feudalism Muhammad sources
Dynasty Confucius Analyze primary and
Monarchy Buddha secondary sources
Oligarchy Vedic Texts Read and use maps
Theocracy Locations of different Compare characteristics of
Feudalism societies on the continents complex societies
Religion Beliefs of Islam, Christianity, Compare characteristics of
Hinduism, Buddhism, and religions
Judaism
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Unit Plan Assessments

Informal Assessments:
At the end of this unit, students will be able to explain and analyze the lasting influences of the
different societies that existed in this era. In order to meet this goal, the following informal
formative assessments will be used:

1. At the end of class each day, student will have the opportunity to summarize that day’s
lesson and ask any questions they have.
2. Each week, students will respond to a short prompt in a journal. These will include some
role-playing prompts so that students can immerse themselves fully into the cultures they
are learning about.
3. For each society they learn about, the students will work in groups to categorize that
society’s system of politics, economics, religion, social structure, innovation, art and
architecture, and natural surroundings into a PERSIAN chart. These charts will be shared
with the rest of the class and discussed.
4. Throughout the unit, students will fill out blank world maps with the societies that existed
during a specific century. They will have a time limit, and students will be able to earn
extra credit.
5. Before each major assessment, students will have class time to brainstorm everything
they remember about each society as a class.

Formal Assessments:
In addition to the informal formative assessments, there will be three formal formative
assessments, which will build up to the final performance assessment:

1. The first formal assessment will be a 50-questions multiple choice and short answer
assessment, which will check how much factual knowledge the students have gathered
about each society and religion. They will be given the opportunity afterwards to see
what questions they missed and analyze which learning targets they need to work on in
order to master the content.
2. For the second formal assessment, students will write an extended response to a prompt
in class: ​Using the following maps and documents, describe the factors that led to the
Crusades and analyze how the Crusades affected the relationship between Europe and
the Middle East.​ The students will be given the grading rubric before the assessment, so
that the students can see exactly what they need to include when writing the essay. This
will be roughly mid-semester, after many journal prompts, allowing both myself and the
students to see what challenges they have with analysis essays.
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3. The final assessment will be an annotated map that includes all the societies we have
talked about and their historical significance. Students will need to include the typical
map elements and make their map legible.

Performance Assessment Overview and Rationale:

The performance assessment requires students to create a shoebox-sized museum exhibit about
one of the societies we have discussed in class and the historical significance of that society.
They will need to read a variety of primary and secondary sources, some introduced in the unit
and some found by students in the process of research. Students will work individually,
researching their society and planning their exhibit. Once they have their exhibit and speech
created, they will practice with peers in order to develop their presentation. There will be
frequent check-ins by the teacher to give feedback on their process. During exhibit presentations,
students will fill out a peer feedback form for one presentation other than their own. This process
will allow them to practice being a researcher and historian and show students a real-life
application for history.

Performance Assessment Objectives and Aligned Standards:

Students will be able to:
● Explain the forces of change that led to the collapse of the classical empires (WHG
4.1.1).
● Use primary and secondary sources to explain the origins and expansion of Islam and the
Islamic Empire (WHG 4.2.1).
● Use primary and secondary sources to describe the Mongol Empire and Pax Mongolica
and its effects (WHG 4.2.2).
● Describe the characteristics and significance of early African societies (WHG 4.3.1).
● Describe the characteristics and significance of early American societies (WHG 4.3.2).
● Explain how Chinese Dynasties faced the challenges of diversity, geography, population
growth, and the Mongol invasion (WHG 4.3.3).
● Explain the complex political and social hierarchies in Eastern and Western Europe
(WHG 4.3.4, 4.3.5).
● Create a museum exhibit about one of the societies from class.
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Performance Assessment Daily Itinerary

Day Plan and Materials Needed

1 Teacher introduces project, reading “Teacher Introduction” and students directions.

Student receive copies of the directions, rubrics, and worksheets.
● Teacher Introduction
● Student Directions
● Rubrics (Research section, Exhibit section, and Presentation section)
● Student Worksheets (Guided Research, Exhibit Planning, Speech Planning)

2 Student pick which society they want to create a museum exhibit on and begin their
research. They may use the library computers or class computers, if available. The
teacher is available to answer any questions.
● Sign up list for societies
● Student Guided Research Worksheet
● Computers

3 Students continue their research, using the Guided Research Worksheet. They may
use library computers or class computers, if available. The teacher is available to
answer any questions.
● Student Guided Research Worksheet
● Computers

4 Teacher conducts Midpoint Check In. Students may ask any questions they still
have. The teacher collects the Guided Research Worksheet at the end of class. The
Worksheet is given back the next day of class with feedback.
● Student Guided Research Worksheet
● Computers

5 Students work on Exhibit Planning Worksheet, sketching out their plan for
organizing their exhibit. They have access to computers, colored pencils, markers,
and other craft supplies. The teacher is available to answer any questions. If they
finish early, they may turn the Worksheet in for feedback.
● Student Exhibit Planning Worksheet
● Computers
● Craft Supplies (Markers, Pencils, Glue, etc)

6 Students begin their construction of their exhibits. They have access to computers
and craft supplies. The teacher is available to answer any questions.
● Computers
● Craft Supplies (Markers, Pencils, Glue, etc)

7 Students spend this class period planning their speeches. They may work with peers
if they wish. Teacher conducts Midpoint Check In, collecting Speech Planning
Worksheet at the end of class. The Worksheet is given back the next day of class
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with feedback.
● Student Speech Planning Worksheet

8 Students continue their construction of their exhibits. They have access to

computers and craft supplies. The teacher is available to answer any questions.
They may also practice their speeches with peers if their exhibits are done.
● Student Speech Planning Worksheet
● Computers
● Craft Supplies (Markers, Pencils, Glue, etc)

9 Presentations take place. Students write comments and feedback for their peers.
● Feedback Form

10 Presentations take place. Students write comments and feedback for their peers.
Worksheets, Exhibit, and Feedback Forms are turned in.
● Feedback Form
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Teacher Introduction

READ:​ For the next month, you will be acting as museum historians. You will research one of

the societies we’ve been learning about and build a shoebox-sized museum exhibit, which you

will then present to your peers. This is going to take us all the way to Winter Break, and there

will be multiple Check-Ins to keep you guys on track. I will be available the entire time to

answer questions and I will be giving you feedback on every step of the process.

You have twenty-three options for societies to research, so we may have one or two

students doing the same society. Your options are the Sassanid Empire, the Islamic Caliphates,

the Gupta Empire, the Maurya Empire, the Mongol Empire, Tang Dynasty, Song Dynasty, Yuan

Dynasty, Roman Empire, Byzantine Empire, Teotihuacan, Mayan Empire, the Moche, Cahokia,

the Inca Empire, the Ak, Ghana, the Bantu, the Holy Roman Empire, France, England, Spain,

and Portugal.

While you consider which interaction you wish to do and how you want to design your

exhibits, keep in mind the museum exhibits we’ve seen on field trips. You can use your textbook

and any documents I’ve given you in class, but your textbook cannot be one of the four sources

you cite in your research. You will be able to use computers in the library or in class for your

research as well.
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Society Sign Up Sheet

Middle 1. Sassanid:
Eastern 2. Islamic Caliphates:
Societies

Asian Societies 3. Gupta:

4. Maurya:
5. Mongol:
6. Tang:
7. Song:
8. Han:

Mediterranean 9. Roman:
Societies 10. Byzantine:

American 11. Aztec:

Societies 12. Maya:
13. Moche:
14. Cahokia:
15. Inca:

African 16. Aksum:

Societies 17. Ghana:
18. Bantu:

European 19. Holy Roman Empire:

Societies 20. France:
21. England:
22. Spain:
23. Portugal:
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Name:_________________________

Date:_____________

Expanding Interactions 300-1500 CE

Museum Exhibit Project

Over the next few weeks, you will be acting as historians designing an exhibit. Your task is to
create a shoebox-sized exhibit about societies that we have talked about in class. You will need
to research your society, using at least ​four ​trusted academic sources ​other than your textbook​.
Your choices are: the Sassanid Empire, the Islamic Caliphates, the Gupta Empire, the Mongol
Empire, Tang Dynasty, Song Dynasty, Yuan Dynasty, Roman Empire, Byzantine Empire,
Teotihuacan, Mayan Empire, the Moche, Cahokia, the Inca Empire, the Ak, Ghana, the Bantu,
the Holy Roman Empire, France, England, Spain, and Portugal.

You will need to fill out three worksheets over the course of this project. You have a guided
Research Worksheet, an Exhibit Planning Worksheet, and a Speech Planning Worksheet. In this
packet, you also have the rubrics that I will be grading you on. Please keep them and turn them
in when you present.

At the end of this project, just before Winter Break, you will present your exhibits to your
classmates. You are each expected to fill out one peer feedback form at this time. You will be
assigned a peer to give feedback to before presentations begin.

I will be available for the duration of the project via class time or email for any questions you
have regarding this project.

Please note: You will need a shoebox or box of a similar size for this project.
You have until the day before construction to bring in a shoebox.

If you bring your box in earlier than the due date, you will get 5 points extra credit to add
to your lowest test score.

If you are able to bring more than one, please do! Each additional box is worth 1 point
extra credit to add to your lowest test score.
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Name:_________________________

Date:_____________

Expanding Interactions 300-1500 CE

Research Worksheet

Fill out this worksheet as you do your research. Make sure each question is answered. Write
down your sources as you find them. Historians must always show what sources they used when
they research! Use the given format for citing your sources. You must have at least ​four ​trusted
academic sources, other than your class textbook.

Society: ____________________

P​olitical
Organization

E​conomic
Organization/
Relationships

R​eligion

S​ocial Structure

I​nnovations

A​rt/​A​rchitecture

N​atural
Surroundings
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1. Draw or find a map of where your society was in the world. If you use a map from the
internet, you must cite it. It doesn’t not count as one of your sources.

2. What lasting effect did your society have on the known world? (Write in complete
sentences.)

​ ity: Publisher, Year.)

8. What sources did you use? ​(Last Name, First Name. ​Title. C

1.
2.
3.
4.
Other Sources:
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Name:_________________________

Date:_____________

Expanding Interactions 300-1500 CE

Plan Your Exhibit
Below, sketch out a design for your exhibit. Consult the rubric for what content you need to
include.
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Name:_________________________

Date:_____________

Expanding Interactions 300-1500 CE

Plan Your Speech

Use the sentence prompts below to help you write your speech. Your speech should include all
of the information below. Make sure you write in complete sentences.

This is…. (Name of Society)

It is a….(Political System)

It had a…..market (Economic System)

It traded with….(Economic Relationships)

Its religion was….(Religion)

It organized its society with….(Social Hierarchy)

It is most famous for creating….(Innovations/Architecture/Art)

It was in…. (Location)

We still talk about it today because….(Significance)

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Name:_________________________

Date:_____________

Expanding Interactions 300-1500 CE

Plan Your Speech

Now, take your sentence starters and put them into a cohesive paragraph. Make sure to write in
complete sentences.
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Name:_________________________

Date:_____________

Expanding Interactions 300-1500 CE

Peer Feedback Form

Using the rubric below, grade your peer based on how you think they did presenting their speech.
Did they include all of the content? Was their speech easy to follow and clear? Below the rubric,
give your peer some comments. What did they do well? What can they do better next time?

Scoring 5 4 3 2 0
Criteria

Content My speech My speech My speech My speech My speech

(Score*10) includes ​all ​of includes ​most includes ​half ​of includes ​only a includes ​none
this list: of this list: this list: few​ things from of this list:
____/50 *Political *Political *Political this list: *Political
Organization; Organization; Organization; *Political Organization;
*Economic *Economic *Economic Organization; *Economic
Organization; Organization; Organization; *Economic Organization;
*Trade *Trade *Trade Organization; *Trade
Networks; Networks; Networks; *Trade Networks; Networks;
*Religion; *Religion; *Religion; *Religion; *Religion;
*Social *Social *Social *Social *Social
Organization; Organization; Organization; Organization; Organization;
*Innovations/ *Innovations/ *Innovations/ *Innovations/ *Innovations/
Architecture/ Architecture/ Architecture/ Architecture/ Art; Architecture/
Art; *Location; Art; *Location; Art; *Location; *Location; Art; *Location;
*Significance *Significance *Significance *Significance for *Significance
for now for now for now now for now

Presentation I presented my I presented my I presented my I presented my I didn’t present

(Score*4) exhibit clearly, exhibit mostly exhibit, but it exhibit, but it my exhibit.
and people clearly, and wasn’t always wasn’t clear at all
____/20 could follow people could clear, and or was off topic.
along easily. mostly follow people couldn’t
me. follow me.
Final Score:_____/70

Comments:
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Name:_________________________

Date:_____________

Expanding Interactions 300-1500 CE

Rubric for Research

*Keep this Rubric and turn it in when you present.

Scoring 25 20 15 10 0
Criteria

Worksheet I remained I stayed mostly I stayed mostly I wasn’t on I was not on

focused on my on task and on task and task very often task and didn’t
____/25 work and filled filled out my filled out most and left quite a fill out my
out my worksheet. of my bit of my worksheet.
worksheet. worksheet. worksheet
blank.

Accuracy My worksheet My worksheet My worksheet My worksheet My worksheet

contains contains contains contained was blank or
____/25 information about information information more completely
my society that is about my about my inaccurate than inaccurate.
accurate. society that is society, but accurate
mostly about half is information.
accurate. inaccurate.

Sources I included a list of I included a list I had a list of I did not have I did not
my four or more of my four or two or three at least two include any
____/25 sources, written in more sources, sources, or none sources, sources.
the Chicago style. but some were of my sources regardless of
not in the were in the style.
Chicago style. Chicago style.

Research Total Score: ______/75

Teacher Comments:
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Name:_________________________

Date:_____________
Expanding Interactions 300-1500 CE
Rubric for Exhibit
*Keep this Rubric and turn it in when you present.

Scoring 5 4 3 2 0
Criteria

Worksheet I remained I stayed mostly I stayed mostly I wasn’t on task I was not on
(Score*3) focused on my on task and on task and very often and task and didn’t
work and filled filled out my filled out most left quite a bit of fill out my
____/15 out my worksheet. of my my worksheet worksheet.
worksheet. worksheet. blank.

Content My exhibit My exhibit My exhibit My exhibit My exhibit

(Score*6) includes ​all ​of includes ​most includes ​half ​of includes ​only a includes ​none
this list: of this list: this list: few​ things from of this list:
____/30 *Political *Political *Political this list: *Political
Organization; Organization; Organization; *Political Organization;
*Economic *Economic *Economic Organization; *Economic
Organization; Organization; Organization; *Economic Organization;
*Trade *Trade *Trade Organization; *Trade
Networks; Networks; Networks; *Trade Networks;
*Religion; *Religion; *Religion; Networks; *Religion;
*Social *Social *Social *Religion; *Social
Organization; Organization; Organization; *Social Organization;
*Innovations/ *Innovations/ *Innovations/ Organization; *Innovations/
Architecture/ Architecture/ Architecture/ *Innovations/ Architecture/
Art; *Location; Art; *Location; Art; *Location; Architecture/ Art; *Location;
*Significance for *Significance *Significance for Art; *Location; *Significance
now for now now *Significance for for now
now

Construction My exhibit is My exhibit is My exhibit is My exhibit is I did not build

(Score*3) built neatly so built mostly built, but some built, but almost an exhibit.
that people can neatly, and information all of the
____/15 read my people can read cannot be easily information is
information and my read. hard to read.
it draws the eye. information.

Exhibit Total Score: ______/75

Teacher Comments:
 Meyer 22

Name:_________________________
Date:_____________
Expanding Interactions 300-1500 CE
Rubric for Final Presentation
*Keep this Rubric and turn it in when you present.

Scoring 5 4 3 2 0
Criteria

Worksheet I remained I stayed mostly on I stayed mostly I wasn’t on task I was not on task
(Score*3) focused on my task and filled out on task and filled very often and left and didn’t fill out
work and filled my worksheet. out most of my quite a bit of my my worksheet.
____/15 out my worksheet. worksheet. worksheet blank.

Content My speech My speech My speech My speech includes My speech

(Score*10) includes ​all ​of this includes ​most ​of includes ​half ​of only a few​ things includes ​none ​of
list: this list: this list: from this list: this list:
____/50 *Political *Political *Political *Political *Political
Organization; Organization; Organization; Organization; Organization;
*Economic *Economic *Economic *Economic *Economic
Organization; Organization; Organization; Organization; Organization;
*Trade Networks; *Trade Networks; *Trade Networks; *Trade Networks; *Trade Networks;
*Religion; *Religion; *Religion; *Religion; *Social *Religion; *Social
*Social *Social *Social Organization; Organization;
Organization; Organization; Organization; *Innovations/ *Innovations/
*Innovations/ *Innovations/ *Innovations/ Architecture/ Art; Architecture/ Art;
Architecture/ Art; Architecture/ Art; Architecture/ Art; *Location; *Location;
*Location; *Location; *Location; *Significance for *Significance for
*Significance for *Significance for *Significance for now now
now now now

Presentation I presented my I presented my I presented my I presented my I didn’t present

(Score*4) exhibit clearly, exhibit mostly exhibit, but it exhibit, but it my exhibit.
and people could clearly, and wasn’t always wasn’t clear at all
____/20 follow along people could clear, and people or was off topic.
easily. mostly follow me. couldn’t follow
me.

Feedback I remained I mostly paid I mostly paid I didn’t pay I didn’t pay
(Score*3) focused on other attention and attention and attention very often attention at all and
presentations and filled out a filled out most of and left quite a bit didn’t fill out a
____/15 filled out a feedback form. a feedback form. of my feedback feedback form.
feedback form. form blank.
Presentation Total Score: ______/100
 Meyer 23

Name:_________________________

Date:_____________
Expanding Interactions 300-1500 CE

Museum Exhibit Final Grade

Research Total Score: ______/75

Exhibit Total Score: ______/75

Presentation Total Score: ______/100

Final Score: _____/250

Grading Scale

225 - 250 A 90-100%

200 - 224 B 80-89%

175 - 199 C 70-79%

126 - 174 D 51-69%

0 - 125 E 0-50%

Final Teacher Comments:

 Meyer 24

Expanding Interactions 300-1500 CE: Unit Calendar

1 2 3 4 5
Introduction to Unit: Classical Empires: Classical Empires: Classical Empires: Han Review PERSIAN
Hooking Lesson Maurya and Gupta; Maurya and Gupta; China Charts and Questions
Buddhism and Hinduism Buddhism and Hinduism Time
Classical Empires: Rome Lecture and PERSIAN
Lecture and PERSIAN Lecture and PERSIAN charts Content Quiz and World
Lecture and PERSIAN charts charts Map Quiz
charts
Journal at beginning of
class

6 7 8 9 10
African Societies: African Societies: American Societies: American Societies: Inca, Middle Eastern Societies:
Bantu and Aksum Ghana, Mali, and Moche and Maya Aztec, and Cahokia Byzantine and Sassanid
Songhai
Lecture and PERSIAN Lecture and PERSIAN Lecture and PERSIAN Lecture and PERSIAN
charts Text-Based Lesson charts charts charts

Journal at beginning of Lecture and PERSIAN

class charts

11 12 13 14 15
Middle Eastern Societies: Review PERSIAN East Asian Empires: East Asian Empires: East Asian Empires:
Islamic Caliphates Charts and Questions Tang and Song Mongol Japan, Southeast Asia,
Time and Korea
Lecture and PERSIAN Lecture and PERSIAN Concept Formation
charts Essay Assessment charts Lesson Lecture and PERSIAN
charts
Journal at beginning of Lecture and PERSIAN
class charts

16 17 18 19 20
Review PERSIAN European Societies: European Societies: European Societies: Content Assessment
Charts and Questions Germanic Kingdoms and Holy Roman Empire Formation of Modern
Time Charlemagne Nations
Lecture and PERSIAN
Content Quiz and Lecture and PERSIAN charts Discussion Lesson
Annotated Map charts
PERSIAN charts
Journal at beginning of
class

21 22 23 24 25
Introduction to Performance Task Performance Task Performance Task Performance Task
Performance Task Assessment: Research Assessment: Research Assessment: Research Assessment: Exhibit
Assessment; Research and Teacher Check In Planning, Speech
Planning,

Worksheets turned in for

feedback

26 27 28 29 30
Performance Task Performance Task Performance Task Performance Task Performance Task
Assessment: Assessment: Assessment: Assessment: Assessment:
Construction of Exhibit Construction and Construction and Presentations and Peer Presentations and Peer
Teacher Check In Rehearsal Feedback Feedback
 Meyer 25

Hooking Lesson
Where Does ​This C ​ ome From?
Overview:​ (One Class Period of 50 Minutes)
To start the unit on Expanding Interactions: 300 to 1500 CE, students will be working on
a timeline of innovations based on their own prior knowledge and assumptions. Students will
work independently on their timelines for part of class. Part way through the class, they will
compare their timelines with a partner’s and discuss their ideas. During these two periods, the
teacher will observe the classroom and ask questions regarding what the students think the
innovations are. Roughly ten minutes before the end of class, the teacher will present the actual
timeline and talk briefly about which civilizations and societies invented which objects. By
having the students create their own timelines before presenting the actual timeline of invention,
the students will have their misconceptions regarding the capabilities of ancient societies
addressed, and the students will be encouraged to inquire about how those societies were able to
invent and trade.

Objectives: Students will be able to….

● Identify the artistic, scientific, and technological features of Muslim society (WHG 4.2.1)
● Describe Bantu contributions to agriculture and technology (WHG 4.3.1)
● Identify Chinese technological innovation (WHG 4.3.3)
● Describe Europe’s agricultural innovation (WHG 4.3.5)
● Identify innovations, their place of origin, and when they occurred on a timeline

Anticipated Student Conceptions or Challenges:

Students may have misconceptions about when certain technology, such as the compass,
was invented. Hopefully, by presenting them with the actual timeline at the end and allowing
time to discuss, the students’ misconceptions will be corrected. Students may not have heard of
some of the innovations, either. The objects are labeled in the Timeline Cutouts Worksheet so
students can recognize unfamiliar innovations.

Materials:
● Teacher Introduction to Assignment
● Student Timeline Worksheet
● Timeline Cutouts Worksheet

Assessment:
Student worksheets will be collected at the end of class for a completion grade and for the
teacher to look over in order to gauge student knowledge. This will be the more formal
assessment of their knowledge. Throughout the class, the teacher will be circling the room,
 Meyer 26

listening to student discussion and asking questions. Both of these will act as an informal
assessment of student knowledge.
Instructional Sequence (50 Minutes):
1. Teacher has students assemble their desks into five groups after taking attendance. This
should be done by counting off students by five, so that groups are random (maximum 10
minutes).
2. Teacher reads the Teacher Introduction to the Assignment to the class and hands out
timeline cutouts and worksheets. Each student gets one worksheet and one cutout (5
minutes).
3. Students cut out the timeline and fill out their worksheets. Teacher circles the room,
answering and asking questions. Questions include: (25 minutes).
a. What do you think this is?
b. When do you think it was made?
c. Where do you think it came from?
d. Why do you think that?
4. Teacher and students discuss the timeline and teacher reveals the real timeline (10
minutes).
5. Teacher collects worksheets from students before they leave class for the day.
 Meyer 27

Teacher Introduction

Before Instruction: ​Teacher takes attendance. Students should be sitting in their assigned seats
and the student in each seat should match their picture. Divide students by counting off by fives.
Students should join their numbers and form their desks into a group in the four corners of the
room and the center (one group per corner and one in the center). Once students are assembled,
pass out worksheets and cutouts (one per student).

Read: ​Today you will be working as historians. You will be making a timeline of inventions that
came into prominence during 300 to 1500 CE. Using tape and/or glue, attach the inventions to
the timeline, according to when you think they were invented. Then, respond to the questions on
the back. You should work with your group for this project and discuss your ideas and theories.

During Instruction:​ Students should begin to work. They have about 25 to 30 minutes to work
on this, depending on how long they took to form groups. Teacher should circle around the
classroom, keeping students on track and answering vocabulary questions. Keep an open ear and
note terms students use when discussing types of organization and any misconceptions they
have.

After Instruction:​ Obtain student attention and begin class discussion on the timeline. Students
can display their timelines if they wish. Reveal the actual timeline and have the students compare
their timelines to the official timeline. Open up to discussion.

Teacher collects worksheets and sources from the students as they leave class for the day.
 Meyer 28

Timeline Name:________________ Date:_________

 Meyer 29

Inventions
 Meyer 30

Rifle

Porcelain

Zero

Windmill
 Meyer 31

Concept Formation Lesson

What is ​Pax Mongolica?​
Overview: ​(One Class Periodsof 50 Minutes)
Students will be learning about what a “pax” is, in order to strengthen their understanding
of the Pax Mongolica. They will be looking at several historical instances of a pax, such as Pax
Romana, Pax Mongolica, Pax Ottomana, Pax Britannica, and Pax Americana. Students will
individually write down what they think the critical attributes of a pax are, then they will discuss
their choices in their small groups. The teacher will then present scholarly attributes of a pax to
the students. Students will have the opportunity to agree or disagree with the scholarly attributes
and discuss as a class. The teacher will then present several examples and non-examples of a
pax, and students will discuss which ones they believe fit their critical attributes. The students
will fill out a worksheet that the teacher will collect at the end of the second class in order to
gauge mastery of the concept.

Objectives: Students will be able to….

● Describe the characteristics of the Pax Mongolica (WHG 4.2.2)
● Describe the characteristics of the Pax Romana
● Describe the characteristics of the Pax Britannica
● Describe the characteristics of the Pax Americana
● Take stand on whether they believe we are living in a Pax Americana

Anticipated Student Conceptions or Challenges:

Students will probably not be familiar with what a pax is in any sense of the word, as
they will likely not have studied the Pax Romana previously. The powerpoint should be
descriptive of what the pax looked like, enabling students to draw out common characteristics
without need for much background knowledge. The scholarly attributes will also help students
refine their own attributes.

Materials:
● Teacher Introduction
● Powerpoint slides of Teacher Presentation
● Student Worksheets

Assessment:
During class, the teacher will be listening to the conversation and talking with the
students about what their critical attributes are. This will be an informal assessment of the
students’ knowledge. After the class period, the teacher will collect the worksheet that students
will have filled out during the class. This will be a graded completion assignment that will tell
the teacher what students knew before, during, and at the end of the lessons.
 Meyer 32

Instructional Sequence (50 Minutes):

1. Teacher takes attendance and hands out the worksheets (roughly 4 minutes).
2. Teacher begins presentation of Powerpoint, using the script provided below if necessary.
3. Teacher follows the prompts on the Powerpoint for when students should write their own
critical attributes and discuss with their groups (10 minutes).
4. Teacher presents scholarly attributes and discusses with students how their attributes
differ from the scholarly ones (10 minutes).
5. Student refine their attributes (5 minutes).
6. Teacher presents examples and non-examples. Students write down their own opinions.
(10 minutes).
7. Teacher opens up discussion of the examples and non-examples for the whole class (10
minutes).
8. Student complete a final revision of their attributes and turn in their worksheets (1
minutes).
 Meyer 33

Teacher Introduction

Before Instruction: ​Teacher takes attendance. Students should be sitting in their assigned seats.
Pass out attached worksheets and open up the presentation.

Read: ​See Powerpoint script.

During Class: ​Students should begin to fill out the worksheets. Following the prompts on the
script and powerpoint, students will work individually and in groups. This should take the bulk
of the lesson. Keep an open ear and note terms students use and any misconceptions they have.

After Instruction:​ ​Collect student worksheets and dismiss students.

 Meyer 34

Powerpoint Notes

Read:​ Now that we’ve talked about Genghis Khan

and the Mongol conquest of Eurasia, we are going to
begin discussing what the Pax Mongolica is, and
what we mean by a “pax.”

Read:​Today, we’re going to look at some examples

of different paxs throughout history and then try and
define what characteristics we think make a pax.
What do you think a pax is? [Teacher should write
students’ initial definition on the board. Remind
students that pax means peace.]
Read through the cases and write down what you
think the critical characteristics are that made the pax
a pax.

Leave the slide up for a minute or two. If students

ask, this is the Pax Romana.

Leave the slide up for a minute or two. If students

ask, this is the Pax Britannica.

Read:​ Once you have your characteristics, talk with

your small group and compare yours to theirs. You
may wish to edit your characteristics at this time.
[Students may comment on the attributes already on
the board and change them.]
 Meyer 35

Read: ​Now that you have your characteristics, let’s

look at what characteristics historians use to define
what a pax is. How do these compare to yours? You
may wish to edit your characteristics.
[Students can change the definition on the board.]

Read:​ Now that we’ve talked about what makes a

pax a pax, we’re going to look at some different
cases. Based on your characteristics, decide if you
believe this is a pax.

Leave this slide up for a minute or two.

Example: Pax Mongolica

Leave this slide up for a minute or two.

Non-example: Pax Ottomana, lack of trade
encouraged or migration of ideas and inventions.

Leave this slide up for a minute or two.

Debatable example: Pax Americana.
Read:​ Now that you’ve decided what you think,
discuss within your groups which cases you believe
qualify as a pax, based on your characteristics.

End:​ Have students turn in their worksheets, and

then dismiss them for the day.
 Meyer 36

Name:_________________________

Date:____________

Hour:____________

What is ​Pax Mongolica?​

Today, we are looking at the Pax Mongolica and what it means when there is a “pax.” The word

pax​ comes from the Latin word for “peace.” Keep this in mind as you fill in the worksheet

throughout the presentation.

1. Based on the examples, what do you think are the characteristics of a pax?

2. How do your characteristics compare to your peers’ characteristics?

3. How do your characteristics compare to scholarly characteristics?

 Meyer 37

Name:_________________________

Date:____________

Hour:____________

What is ​Pax Mongolica?​

Case One: Pax or not? Use your characteristics to defend your answer.

Case Two: Pax or not? Use your characteristics to defend your answer.

Case Three: Pax or not? Use your characteristics to defend your answer.

Case Four: Pax or not? Use your characteristics to defend your answer.
 Meyer 38

Text-Based Lesson
How Did the Middle East Interact with Africa?
Overview: ​(One Class Period of 50 Minutes)
Students will be learning how to break down and compare primary sources in this lesson.
They will be looking at Ibn Battuta’s writing on his experiences in Northern Africa. They will
also be looking at a world map of the societies present at the time of his writing. They will break
down his writing into the Subject, Occasion, Audience, Purpose, Speaker, and Tone, or
SOAPSTone. They will answer questions based on their SOAPSTone. Hopefully, the questions
will cause the students to inquire about the purposes of the writer of the document and consider
the historical context of the events described.

Objectives: Students will be able to...

● Use primary sources to identify and explain the caliphate as both a religious and political
institution (WHG 4.2.1).
● Use primary sources to describe the varied characteristics of African societies (WHG
4.3.1).
● Breakdown primary sources using SOAPSTone.
● Analyze how context and purpose can change the interpretation of primary sources.

Anticipated Student Conceptions or Challenges:

The language used may be more difficult for students to work through, as that language is
more archaic. Vocabulary definitions will be provided where necessary. Students may also
accidentally insert their own expectations of society and religion into their analyses. Hopefully,
the questions will help them to recognize their own biases in their interpretations.

Materials:
● Student worksheet
● Primary sources
● Teacher Introduction to Assignment

Assessment:
Student worksheets will be collected at the end of class for a completion grade and for the
teacher to look over in order to gauge student knowledge. This will be the more formal
assessment of their knowledge. Throughout the class, the teacher will be circling the room,
listening to student discussion and asking questions. Both of these will act as an informal
assessment of student knowledge.
 Meyer 39

Instructional Sequence (50 Minute Class):

1. Teacher takes attendance and then reads the Teacher Introduction to the Assignment to
the class, handing out primary sources and worksheets. Each student gets one worksheet
one primary source (5 minutes).
2. Students read the primary source and fill out their worksheets. Teacher circles the room,
answering questions about vocabulary or context (35 minutes).
3. Teacher and students go through the questions together and discuss (20 minutes).
4. Teacher collects worksheets from students before they leave class for the day.

Teacher Introduction to the Assignment

Before Instruction: ​Teacher takes attendance. Students should be sitting in their assigned seats.
After attendance, pass out the worksheets and primary source, one to each student. On the board
the teacher should define what they mean by Subject (what is the author talking about?),
Occasion (what is going on when the author wrote?), Audience (who is the author writing to?),
Purpose (why is the author writing?), Speaker (who is the voice of the source? Is it the author or
a character?), and Tone (how does the source sound? Angry? Happy? Critical?).

Read: ​Today you will be working as researchers. You have in front of you a primary source
from one of the societies we will be studying in this unit. Your job as a researcher is to read the
primary source and break it down. You will be turning in the source to me, and I expect to see
written notes on the source. Your worksheet should guide you. On your worksheet, write down
what you think the Subject, Occasion, Audience, Purpose, Speaker, and Tone of the source are.
Then, respond to the questions on the back. You should work on your own to start for about 10
minutes. After that time has passed, you can talk with your group about your answers. After
everyone is done, we will talk about your answers as a class.

During Instruction:​ Students should begin to work. They have about 25 to 35 minutes to work
on this, depending on how long they take to read and answer the questions. Teacher should circle
around the classroom, keeping students on track and answering vocabulary questions. Keep an
open ear and note terms students use when discussing and any misconceptions they have.

After Instruction:​ Obtain student attention and begin class discussion on the document. Go
through the questions and ask about what the students thought their bias might be.
Teacher collects worksheets and sources from the students as they leave class for the day.
 Meyer 40

Ibn Battuta, ​Travels in Asia and Africa 1325-1354​, ​translated and edited by H. A. R. Gibb
(London: Broadway House, 1929) ​(Modified)
Lexile 1000-1100
Ibn Battuta was a Muslim scholar from Morocco (North Africa) in the fourteenth century. He
explored communities throughout Asia and Africa during his lifetime. This source is an excerpt
from his published autobiography about his experiences while travelling. This excerpt focuses on
African communities he came into contact with, including the kingdom of Mali in Sub-Saharan
Africa.
Vocabulary to Know
Contempt:​ The feeling that a Punctilious:​ Showing great attention Assiduous:​ Showing great care
person or thing is worthless. to detail or correct behavior. and perseverance.

Abhorrence:​ The feeling of Befitting:​ To be appropriate for. Zeal:​ Great energy or

repulsion or disgusted loathing. enthusiasm in pursuit of a cause.

Grotesque:​ Repulsively ugly Reprehensible: ​Deserving censure or Carrion:​ The decaying flesh of
or distorted. condemnation. dead animals.
Thus we reached the town of Iwalatan [Walata]. When we arrived there, the merchants deposited
their goods in an open square, where the blacks undertook to guard them, and went to the farba
[deputy]. The merchants remained standing in front of him while he spoke to them through an
interpreter, although they were close to him, to show his contempt for them. It was then that I
repented of having come to their country, because of their lack of manners and their contempt for
the whites.

[Iwalatan] women are of surpassing beauty, and are shown more respect than the men. The state
of affairs amongst these people is indeed extraordinary. Their men show no signs of jealousy
whatever; no one claims descent from his father, but on the contrary from his mother's brother. A
person's heirs are his sister's sons, not his own sons. This is a thing which I have seen nowhere in
the world except among the Indians of Malabar. But those are heathens; these people are
Muslims, punctilious in observing the hours of prayer, studying books of law, and memorizing
the Koran. Yet their women show no bashfulness before men and do not veil themselves, though
they are assiduous in attending the prayers. Any man who wishes to marry one of them may do
so, but they do not travel with their husbands, and even if one desired to do so her family would
not allow her to go.
 Meyer 41

The women there have "friends" and "companions" amongst the men outside their own families,
and the men in the same way. The negroes possess some admirable qualities. They are seldom
unjust, and have a greater abhorrence of injustice than any other people. Their sultan shows no
mercy to anyone who is guilty of the least act of it. There is complete security in their country.
Neither traveller nor inhabitant in it has anything to fear from robbers or men of violence.

They do not confiscate the property of any white man who dies in their country, even if it be
uncounted wealth. On the contrary, they give it into the charge of some trustworthy person
among the whites, until the rightful heir takes possession of it. They are careful to observe the
hours of prayer, and assiduous in attending them in congregations, and in bringing up their
children to them.

On Fridays, if a man does not go early to the mosque, he cannot find a corner to pray in, on
account of the crowd. It is a custom of theirs to send each man his boy [to the mosque] with his
prayer-mat; the boy spreads it out for his master in a place befitting him [and remains on it] until
he comes to the mosque. Another of their good qualities is their habit of wearing clean white
garments on Fridays. Even if a man has nothing but an old worn shirt, he washes it and cleans it,
and wears it to the Friday service. Yet another is their zeal for learning the Koran by heart. They
put their children in chains if they show any backwardness in memorizing it, and they are not set
free until they have it by heart. I visited the qadi in his house on the day of the festival. His
children were chained up, so I said to him, "Will you not let them loose?" He replied, "I shall not
do so until they learn the Koran by heart."

Among their bad qualities are the following. The women servants, slave-girls, and young girls go
about in front of everyone naked, without a stitch of clothing on them. Women go into the
sultan's presence naked and without coverings, and his daughters also go about naked. Then
there is their custom of putting dust and ashes on their heads, as a mark of respect, and the
grotesque ceremonies we have described when the poets recite their verses. Another
reprehensible practice among many of them is the eating of carrion, dogs, and [donkeys].
 Meyer 42

Name:_________________________

Date:____________

Hour:____________

How Did the Middle East Interact with Africa?

Today, you are tasked with breaking down a primary source from the 1300s. Your job is to fill
out the SOAPSTone for this source and answer the following questions.

Subject
What is being
written about?

Occasion
What is going on at
the time of the
writing?

Audience
Who is this source
written for?

Purpose
Why is the author
writing?

Speaker
Who is the voice of
this writing? The
author or a
character?

Tone
How does the
speaker talk about
the subject?
 Meyer 43

Questions

What did Ibn Battuta think of Sub-Saharan Africa overall?

What did Ibn Battuta think of the men he met? What did he think of the women he met?

How do you think local cultures and local environments affected Sub-Saharan African Islam?

How do you think Ibn Battuta’s background of coming from Morocco, a land that has been

Islamic for a very long time, affected his view of Sub-Saharan Africa?
 Meyer 44

[Teacher should post this as a slide on the board.]

This is a map of the Islamic World from 1250 to 1500 CE. Morocco is on the northern coast of
Africa, in an area that has been Islamic since almost the beginning of Islam in 600. The areas
Ibn Battuta mentions in this excerpt are south of the Sahara.

https://www.edmaps.com/html/islamic_world.html
 Meyer 45

Discussion Lesson
What Caused the Plague?
Overview:​ ​(One Class Period of 50 Minutes)
As we move into the lessons on the formation of the nation-states of Europe, we will be
talking about the effect the Plague had on Europe. Before we can talk about the effects of the
Plague, we need to talk about what caused the Plague. There is some debate within the academic
community about what exactly caused the Plague. Students will be discussing various causes of
the Bubonic Plague in this lesson, using two academic sources and class notes as evidence. They
will discuss in the style of a Socratic Seminar. They will read the academic texts the day and
night before and then answer some questions about the text. They will then talk about their
answers with the teacher acting as the discussion leader.

Objectives: Students will be able to...

● Use primary and secondary sources to explain the causes of the Plague (WHG 4.2.3)
● Analyze the demographic, economic, social, and political consequences of the Plague
(4.2.3)
● Participate in a Socratic Seminar and use evidence to support their answers

Anticipated Student Conceptions or Challenges:

Students will have their own ideas about what caused the Plague due to popular misconceptions.
They will also be using a new type of discussion format. They may not have had a Socratic
Seminar discussion before. They will be given the opportunity to look over the expectations for
them the day before, and they will have the texts to read a few days in advance, so that they can
read them and answer the questions in their own time.

Materials:
● Academic texts
● Socratic Seminar Overview
● Question Worksheet

Assessment:
Student worksheets and texts will be collected at the end of class for a completion grade and for
the teacher to look over in order to gauge student knowledge. This will be the more formal
assessment of their knowledge. Throughout the discussion, the teacher will be sitting off to the
side of the room, listening to student discussion and asking questions. Both of these will act as an
informal assessment of student knowledge.
 Meyer 46

Instructional Sequence (50 Minutes):

1. Teacher takes attendance and divides the students into two large groups, which then make
circles. One circle should be in the middle of the other circle.
2. One student is assigned to take notes on the discussion on the board.
3. Teacher starts off discussion with the first question from the worksheet. Teacher should
take notes, recording who speaks, what they say, and what evidence they use.
4. Students discuss, moving from question to question as the conversation dries up.
5. Halfway through, the two circles need to switch. The inner circle should now be the outer
circle and visa versa.
6. Teacher calls an end to discussion 10 minutes before the end of class. Teacher reviews
what they discussed, using the board notes and their own notes as a guide.
7. Class is dismissed and the teacher collects the texts and worksheets for a grade.

Teacher Introduction

Before Instruction: ​Teacher takes attendance. Students should be sitting in their assigned seats
and the student in each seat should match their picture. Divide students by counting off by twos.
Group One is the first in the inner circle. The outer circle, Group Two, starts with taking notes.
Ask for volunteers to follow the discussion on the board. Only one student should be selected.

Read: ​Today you will be working as historians. You’ve had the chance over the past few days to
read through these two texts. One is from the 1300s, when the Plague was going on, and one is
from a modern day scholar. You can also use any notes you’ve taken from class. We’re going to
discuss possible causes for the Plague, following the questions that you received with the texts. I
expect everyone to participate.

During Instruction:​ Start students off with one of the questions from the list. Students should
begin to discuss. They have about 25 to 30 minutes to discuss. Move them onto the next question
whenever it seems like the conversation is dying. Halfway through class, switch the circles.
Students can go back to previous questions if they have new thoughts on them. Keep an open ear
and note who speaks, what they say, and what evidence they use to support their answer.

After Instruction:​ 10 minutes before the end of class, obtain student attention and begin review
of the material and evidence covered in class. Collect texts and worksheets for feedback and a
grade and dismiss class.
 Meyer 47

Name:_________________________

Date:____________

Hour:____________

What Caused the Plague?

Socratic Seminar

We are going to be discussing possible causes of the Bubonic Plague. We will be using a
Socratic Seminar structure to discuss. You will be divided into two circles, one inside of the
other. If you are in the inner circle, you will be sharing your answers to the questions about the
texts, using evidence from the texts as support. If you are in the outer circle, you will be taking
notes on what is being said by the inner circle and what evidence they use. Halfway through
class, the two circles will switch.

You will need to read the following texts before the Socratic Seminar and prepare answers to the
questions after the texts. You should use evidence from the texts to support your answers.
Remember to use SOAPSTone to help you break down the texts.

Role 1:________________
Notes:

Role 2:_________________
Notes:
 Meyer 48

Text One: Boccaccio and the Black Death [Translated by Richard Hooker, 1993]
[Modified]
Lexile: 1100-1200
This is a primary source from an Italian author who lived during the Bubonic Plague. He wrote
this shortly after the Plague occurred, around the 1350s. It was part of Boccaccio’s larger book,
The Decameron.
Vocabulary
Incarnation:​ a person who is a Pestilence:​ a fatal epidemic Orient:​ an older term for the
manifestation of a deity. disease. countries of Asia.

Iniquitous:​ grossly unfair and Manifest:​ clear or obvious to Inevitable: ​certain to happen,
morally wrong. the eye or mind; to display or unavoidable.
show by one’s acts or
appearance
Thirteen hundred and forty-eight years had passed since the fruitful Incarnation of the Son of

God, when there came into the noble city of Florence, the most beautiful of all Italian cities, a

deadly pestilence. Either because of the operations of the heavenly bodies, or because of the just

wrath of God mandating punishment for our iniquitous ways, several years earlier it had

originated in the Orient, where it destroyed countless lives. It scarcely rested in one place before

it moved to the next. When it turned westward, its strength grew monstrously. It did not behave

as it did in the Orient. There, blood rushing out of the nose was a manifest sign of inevitable

death. Here, it began with swellings in the groin and armpit, in both men and women. Some of

the swellings were as big as apples and some of which were shaped like eggs, some were small

and others were large.

 Meyer 49

Text Two: John Aberth, ​Plagues in World History​ (Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, 2011)
[Modified] Lexile: 1400-1500
This is an excerpt from a book on different Plagues throughout world history. Aberth is a
respected modern historian and has written dozens of articles about the Plague.
Vocabulary
Regurgitate:​ to bring food up Susceptible: ​likely to be Bacterium:​ a single bacteria.
again in the mouth, throw up. influenced or harmed by a
particular thing.

Notion:​ a conception or belief Reservoir:​ a large natural Insurmountable:​ to great to be

about something. supply of something, usually overcome.
water.
Plague is a specific disease. It is caused by a bacterium known as ​Yersinia pestis.​ Bubonic plague

is the most common and widely known form of this disease. Infected fleas are responsible for

infecting hosts when they bite and attempt to feed on their host’s blood. They are unable to feed

because their stomachs are already “blocked” by a mass of bacteria. They must then regurgitate

the blood meal and some of the bacteria back into the bloodstream of their victims. The rat flea

typically spreads plague among fur-bearing rodents, such as the black rat, which are highly

susceptible to the disease. Once the rats are dead, the fleas will then jump onto any nearby hosts

available, including humans. The Second Pandemic, more commonly referred to as the “Black

Death,” struck Europe and the Middle East beginning in 1347-1348 and persisted periodically

into the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.

Flight was a perfectly acceptable response for Europeans, even if they were churchmen,

by the time of the Black Death. They still believe that the plague ultimately came from God’s

design, a widely held notion even among late medieval doctors. Our most informed

contemporary source, the Muslim author Ibn al-Wardi, writing in 1348, states that the plague

“began in the land of darkness” fifteen years earlier and then spread eastward from there to
 Meyer 50

China and Indian and the westward. Modern-day research has confirmed that the Central Asian

steppes are an ancient reservoir of plague, containing perhaps the oldest strains of ​Yersinia

pestis​. Some scholars, however, propose southern Russia as an alternative origin to the Second

Pandemic in place of Central Asia, arguing that references to “pestilence” and “land of darkness”

are too vague to indicate a specific disease or geographical location, that the overland trade route

across Central Asia presented insurmountable obstacles and would have taken too long to spread

the plague.

Questions:

What did people living during the 1300s think caused the Plague?

What are the symptoms of the Plague?

What are other possible causes of the Plague?

Why is there disagreement about where the Plague started from?

Why would the origin point of the Plague matter?

 Meyer 51

Reflection on the Unit

In designing this unit, a significant consideration was the pace at which the students
learn. In some sections, it was necessary to slow the pace of the lesson to give students more
time to read and think about the questions. In others, it was necessary to slow the pace in order to
incorporate more material. The material should be flexible enough to adjust to the learning rate
of the students. Consideration must also be given to the teacher’s workload in reading through
and responding to students assignments. After the first unit in the actual classroom, the pacing of
the next units will need to be edited, so as not to overwhelm the students or the teacher.
Depending on student ability, it might be necessary to divide this unit into two separate
units. There is so much information and such a length of time covered that students might get
overwhelmed. The split would probably be around 1200 CE, as the European nation-states are
stabilizing and before the plague or exploration. Quite a bit of the content in this unit is going to
sound familiar to students, since they will have studied some of the early societies and European
exploration previously in middle school. They may not remember it entirely, but their familiarity
should allow me to move more quickly through the unit.
As I have worked on my extended lesson plans, I have found that I want to emphasize the
relevance of history to students’ lives. I want them to get interested in learning about their
culture, their community, and their own personal history. My goal is for students to create a
connection with a society they have studied, understanding how that society relates to their own
lives. I want them to also have a solid foundation in the content and conceptual knowledge they
need to in order to propose and defend political theories, and to have the confidence to express
their views in political discussions. They should also walk out of my classroom able to analyze a
source and use it as evidence to support their arguments. This life skill will help them to become
active participants in the political processes of the society they live in.
I also want to get them interested in the weird facts about history. As an example, I want
to touch on how medicine has changed over time and the bizarre (to us) ways people would try to
cure themselves. This makes history come alive, as it reveals the curious and interesting facets of
humanity through the ages as recorded in primary sources, in the words of the people living
through that history. Hopefully, bringing in the interesting and weird bits of history will also
encourage students to do more research on their own time.
When I was inside a classroom, I found that students were quick to distract themselves
when they weren’t busy working on their project. They were worried about other things, like
college applications and social drama. The teacher I worked with managed their distraction by
setting them deadlines and enforcing them. The teacher was also fairly hands off, letting students
work at their own pace. I was not terribly happy with this style of management, as the students
were neglecting their school work in order to scroll through their social media. I prefer having
the students work in groups with worksheets that they have to hand in as proof of their work. I
also prefer presenting new information as a lecture, which would necessitate guided notes for
students to study for content quizzes.
Of course, I may change my mind as I spend more time in the classroom, especially when
I am the one in charge of managing the classroom. Just as the curriculum should be flexible for
 Meyer 52

the interests of students, allowing them to delve into what they are passionate about, I need to be
just as flexible to accomodate the needs of the students.

Bibliography

Barton, Keith C., and Linda S. Levstik. ​Teaching History for the Common Good.​ Routledge,

2004.

Bransford, John D, Ann L. Brown, and Rodney R. Cocking, ed. ​How People Learn: Brain, Mind,

Experience, and School.​ Washington, D.C.: National Academy Press, 2000.

Buel, Doug. ​Developing Readers in the Academic Disciplines.​ Newark: International Reading

Association, 2011.

De La Paz, Susan, Chauncey Monte-Sano, Mark Felton, Robert Croninger, Cara Jackson, and

Kelly Worland Piantedosi. “A Historical Writing Apprenticeship for Adolescents:

Integrating Disciplinary Learning With Cognitive Strategies.” ​Reading Research

Quarterly 0​ , no. 0 (2016): 1-22.

Gould, Jonathan, ed. ​Guardian of Democracy: The Civic Mission of Schools​. Pennsylvania:

University of Pennsylvania, (2003).

Harris, Lauren McArthur and Tamara L. Shreiner. “Why Can’t We Just Look it Up? Using

Concept Formation to Teach Global Connections and Local Cases in World History.”

World History Connected​ 11, no. 2 (2014): 1-12.

Hess, Diana E. ​Controversy in the Classroom: The Democratic Power of Discussion​. New York:

Routledge, 2009.

Ladson-Billings, Gloria. “Crafting a Culturally Relevant Social Studies Approach.” In ​The Social

Studies Curriculum: Purposes, Problems, and Possibilities​, edited by E. Wayne Ross,

201-215. Albany: State University of New York Press, 2001.

 Meyer 53

Michigan Department of Education. ​Grades K-8 Social Studies Content Expectations,​ 2007.

Michigan Department of Education. ​High School Content Expectations: Social Studies,​ 2007.

Willingham, Daniel T. ​Why Don’t Students Like School? A Cognitive Scientist Answers

Questions About How the Mind Works and What It Means for Your Classroom.​ San

Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2009.

Wineberg, Sam and Daisy Martin. “Tampering with History: Adapting Primary Sources for

Struggling Readers.” ​Social Education​ 75, no. 5 (2009): 212-216.