TITLE OF THE LEARNING EXPERIENCE: Comparing and Contrasting Ancient Civilizations by Jeanette Pawlik, Dolgeville

1. LEARNING CONTEXT
Learning Standards: Math, Science and Technology #2-Information Systems-Students will access, generate, process and transfer information using appropriate language. Math, Science and Technology #5-Technology-Students will apply technological knowledge and skills to design, construct, use, and evaluate products and systems to satisfy human environmental needs. Math, Science and Technology #7-Interdisciplinary Problem Solving-Students will apply the knowledge and thinking skills of mathematics, science, and technology to address real-life problems and make informed decisions. English Language Arts #1-Language for Information and Understanding-Students will listen, speak, read, and write for information and understanding. As listeners and readers, students will collect data, facts, and ideas; discover relationships, concepts, and generalizations; and use knowledge generated from oral, written and electronically produced texts. As speakers and writers, they will use oral and written language that follows the accepted conventions of the English language to acquire, interpret, and apply and transmit information.

ELA Standard 3: Language for Critical Analysis and Evaluation-Students will listen, speak, read, and write for critical analysis and evaluation. As listeners and readers, students will analyze experiences, ideas, information, and issues presented by others using a variety of established criteria. As speakers and writers, they will use oral and written language that follows the accepted conventions of the English language to present, from a variety of perspectives, their opinions and judgments on experiences, ideas, information and issues.

All indicated standards will be addressed in the final PowerPoint presentation.

Ancient Civilizations are part of the sixth grade social studies curriculum. The students will research ancient civilizations of Rome, India, Greece and Egypt using the Internet and encyclopedia CD-ROMs. Then they will compare and contrast and aspect of their culture.

The students will effectively communicate their knowledge by presenting their findings to their peers using a PowerPoint presentation. For the students to be able to succeed with this learning experience, the students will need to know how to navigate the Internet and have a working knowledge of PowerPoint or a presentation program.

2. PROCEDURE
The students will be working on a project based unit where a PowerPoint presentation will be the finished product. The students will research one aspect of two ancient cultures-such as food, weddings, housing, or entertainment. Then using their research, compare and contrast their findings. Before beginning their research, the students will fill out a KWL on their topic. The students will then gather information using the Internet site: http://members.aol.com/Donnclass/indexlife.html. The students will spend 2-3 class periods obtaining and organizing information about their two civilizations. During this time the students will also use the site: http://members.aol.com/donnandlee/FunHistory.html#CLIP to locate and download any graphics that are appropriate for their topic. Analyzing the information, the students will use a graphic organizer, such as a Venn diagram to determine what was the same about the two civilizations and what was different. Before the students work on their PowerPoint presentation, they will get together with other students who researched the same topic to discuss, share, and revise if necessary, their findings. Then they will go back and fill in the remainder of the KWL. The students will then have 3-4 class periods to work on their presentation. The presentation will contain at least 6 slides: a title slide, and introductory slide, a slide for similarities, a slide that tells the differences, a slide telling what the student learned and a slide siting their resources. The students will present their finished presentation to their peers who will evaluate their work using a checklist provided by the teacher. The students will then take the peer evaluations and use them to revise their PowerPoint presentation.

Before the lesson begins the teacher researches and makes sure that there is information on the topics. The teacher will introduce the topic by sharing with the class an example of the finished PowerPoint product. While the students are using the Internet, the teacher answers questions and helps individual students are using the Internet, the teacher answers questions and helps individual students as problems arise. During the 2-3 days that the students are doing their individual students as problems arise. During the 2-3 days that the students are doing their research, the teacher will demonstrate how to download and save an image for later use in their PowerPoint presentation. Depending on the students' prior knowledge of the PowerPoint program, the teacher will determine the level of instruction needed.

3. INSTRUCTIONAL/ENVIRONMENTAL MODIFICATIONS
This assignment can be done in a computer lab with networked computers having Internet access. The Internet is used to research ancient civilizations' culture. Information can also be found using encyclopedia CD-ROMs, books and other resource material. This project can also be done using collaborative pairs or groups instead of individually.

Students are also able to do their own illustrations and scan them into their presentation instead of using clipart from the Internet. Teacher assistants can also help individual students as the need arises.

4. TIME REQUIRED
Planning: looking for Websites, putting together instruction sheets and timetables: 2-5 hours

Implementation: research, organizing and refining information: 2-4 class periods; putting together PowerPoint presentation 4-7 class periods depending on how much prior PowerPoint knowledge the students possess.

Assessment: 2 days for students to assess each other, one day for students to use assessment to "revise" their PowerPoint presentation.

5. RESOURCES
Students: project instructions and timetable, graphic organizer, computer with Internet access and PowerPoint, resource materials.

Teacher: Websites containing information on ancient civilizations, scoring rubric for teacher use and a peer evaluation checklist for students.

6. ASSESSMENT PLAN
KWL, 3 minute pause, discussion groups, Peer evaluation checklist of PowerPoint presentations.

Tools to document student progress: graphic organizer used for research; 4 point scoring rubric for presentation: 4 points-presentation clear and well organized, information complete and accurately presented in all aspects; 3 points-presentation is clear and organized, information accurate but limited: 1 point-presentation is confusing, information not accurate, information page for research.

7. STUDENT WORK

8. REFLECTION
Students could work in pairs or small groups. Instead of presenting their finding using a PowerPoint presentation, the students could use a word processing program, make a poster with a short description, or do an oral presentation for their peers. The project can also be extended to emphasis why the cultures are similar/different by looking into geographical locations, or climate.