Social Studies & Language Arts

Direct Instruction Lesson Plan

Grade Level/Subject: 6th
Central Focus:
Grade/Language Arts/Social
Students will read a nonfiction text related to the
Studies
Mesopotamian era.
Essential Standard/Common Core Objective:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.6.1

Cite textual evidence to support analysis of what

the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn
from the text.
NCES.6.G.1.1 Explain how the physical features and human
characteristics of a place influenced the development of
civilizations, societies, and regions (e.g. location near rivers
and natural
Daily Lesson Objective:

Date submitted: 11-2-15

Date taught: 11-2-15
3rd block 10:53 11:53

Performance- The students will be able to to understand levees and dams as a vital part of Mesopotamian civilization.
The students will be able to find textual evidence in order to support answers.
Conditions- Students will be allowed to contribute to a group silent conversation using their text on levees and dams.
Students will also be able to use their text when answering comprehension assessment questions
Criteria Students will be expected to answer five questions focused on levees and dams using textual evidence.
Students will also be expected to participate at least once in a silent conversation.

21st Century Skills:

Academic Language Demand (Language Function and

Vocabulary):
Prior Knowledge: Students will have been introduced to the Mesopotamian era. The Student will
also have already been introduced to finding textual evidence strategies.
Activity

Description of Activities and Setting

1. Focus and Review

Good Afternoon, in language arts weve been using textual
evidence to help support our answers. Can someone give me
one example of a sentence starter from the prove it board?
Teacher waits for students to respond with .______ . What
is a strategy we can use to while reading to show where we
find textual evidence? Students will respond. Can one

Time
10:53
am11am

person tell me what time period you guys are studying in

Social Studies? Students will respond Mesopotamia. Great,
so the article we are going to read today focuses on a
particular structure built by the Mesopotamians.

2. Statement of
Objective
for Student

We will do three things this class period. The first thing you
will do is read the article silently to yourself and then again
with your group. The second thing we are going to do is to is
answer some questions on a separate piece of paper using
textual evidence. This will be turned in at the end of class.
And the third thing we will do is have a silent conversation
within your groups.

11:00
am
-11:03a
m

3. Teacher Input

Before you read the article by yourself, Im going to read the

questions you're going to answer and the first paragraph
aloud. Reads first paragraph. After I read this paragraph Im
going to write in the margins the number of the questions that
can be answered in that paragraph. Models the strategy to
students on Doc Cam.

11:03a
m11:13a
m

4. Guided Practice

Now I want you to read the article with your group members
using your reading strategies to find textual evidence for the
questions.
Teacher will walk around answering any questions and asking
the students questions like, What is one key piece of
information youve read so far?.

11:13a
m11:23a
m

5. Independent
Practice

Now that you have found evidence to answer to the

questions, I want you each take 10 minutes to independently
answer the questions using textual evidence.
Now that your 10 minutes are up, we are going to have a
silent conversation. A silent conversation is simple. Each
table will be given a large piece of paper with a word or topic
in the center. Each person in the group will be given a
different color marker and required to contribute to the
conversation at least once. Silent conversations kind of work
like text bubbles, one person will write one thing in a bubble
and another person will write a connecting bubble. Heres an
example. Draws an example on the board. Everything you
write must be appropriate. The topics for the 7 groups will

11:23a
m11:33a
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11:33a
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m

be Dams and Levees.

6. Assessment
Methods of
all
objectives/skills:

1.
A.
B.
C.
D.
2.
a.
b.
c.
d.
3.
a.
b.
c.
d.

4.

The five questions will be a summative Social Studies assessment. The

students use of textual evidence when answering the question will be a
summative assessment for reading. The questions are:
What is the meaning of the Mesopotamia?
The land between two rivers
Large, fast river
Land of military power
The Tigris River god
What is a levee?
A wall that guides the flow of water away from a dam
A natural rock formation that helps contain water
A very large well that is used to contain water gathered by a dam
A hill that prevents a river from overflowing its banks
How did dams and levees support Mesopotamian civilization?
Dams and levees helped create irrigation systems that supported
agriculture.
Dams encouraged a growth in recreational activities, while levees helped
create numerous Mesopotamian industries.
Damn and levees held back floodwater to keep Mesopotamia a desert
landscape.
Dams and levees were only used for military purposes, and helped
Mesopotamians defeat enemies.
Ancient Mesopotamians are remembered for having an advanced
culture. In what ways are their technological advances still important
and useful today? Use specific examples from the reading passage in
your answer.
The group bubble map will be a summative assessment for both social
studies and language arts.

7. Closure

So with the last few minutes of class we are going to discuss

what each groups topic was and what some their comments
were and allow anyone else to add on if they have a
comment. Allow an open discussion on civilization, current
events, etc\

8. Assessment
Results of
all
objectives/skills:
Targeted Students
Modifications/Accommodations:

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m11:53a
m

Student/Small Group
Modifications/Accommodations:
This is the honors block so the silent conversation

topics are geared at a higher level.

Materials/Technology:
Doc Cam
23 Mesopotamia articles
7 large pieces of paper ( 1 per group)
5 Sets of 7 different color markers / pencils
Each student will need their own notebook
Whiteboard
Whiteboard markers
References:
Reflection on lesson: