Teacher: Carolina Sandlin Date: April

10th, 2017

School: CECFC Middle School Grade Level: 6th

Content Area: Social Studies

Title: The Olmec Civilization of Mesoamerica

Content Standard(s) addressed by this lesson:

2. The historical eras, individuals, groups, ideas and themes within regions of the
Western Hemisphere and their relationships with one another

a. Explain how people, products, cultures, and ideas interacted and are
interconnected over key eras in the Western Hemisphere (DOK 1-2)

b. Determine and explain the historical context of key people, events, and ideas
over time including the examination of different perspectives from people involved.
Topics to include but not limited to Aztec, Maya, Inca, Inuit, early Native American
cultures of North America, major explorers, colonizers of countries in the Western
Hemisphere, and the Columbian Exchange (DOK 1-3)

c. Identify examples of the social, political, cultural, and economic development in

key areas of the Western Hemisphere (DOK 1-2)

Inquiry Questions: (Essential questions relating knowledge at end of the unit of

instruction, select applicable questions from standard)

1. Who were the Olmecs and where did they settle?

2. How did the Olmecs influence other Mesoamerican cultures?

3. What does Olmec art tell us about their civilization and customs?

4. How has archaeology given us more information about the Olmec civilization?

Evidence Outcomes: (Learning Targets)

Every student will be able to: Explain the location and relevance of the Olmec
civilization and analyze the influence of Olmec art to other Mesoamerican
civilizations.

I can:

- Explain where the Olmec civilization was located

- Examine Olmec art and its influence

 - Can rotate stations and make observations, formulate reflections, and ask
questions pertaining to Olmec art

List of Assessments: (Write the number of the learning target associated with
each assessment)

Formative, Informal- I will informally be assessing understanding throughout the

interactive lecture as students rotate and complete the four stations, and routinely
assist or answer questions as I walk around the classroom.

I will also assess student learning by involving students during the PowerPoint
lecture and answering any questions they may have.

Summative, formal- Students will complete a unit test the following week assessing
their knowledge obtained from our Americas unit, which will include information
that is discussed in todays lesson.
 Planned Lesson Activities
Name and Purpose of Lesson The Olmec Civilization of Mesoamerica

Approx. Time and Materials One 47 minute class period

Anticipatory Set My hook for this lesson will be to go through our vocab for the day and
then to ask students about what Mesoamerican civilizations they have
learned about (many are likely to say the Mayans or Aztecs, and I will
then ask if they had heard of the Olmecs- this will segue into my
lecture).
Teacher/Presentation Agenda:
Monday, April 10th, 2017
Learning Target- I can explain the cultural and geographic features of
the Olmec civilization and analyze the influence of Olmec art and
culture

For students:
-Students will begin with filling out their planners, as I walk through
it with them- 1 minute

-I will instruct students through the next five vocabulary words on

their vocab list- 3 minutes

-I will go through a PPT about the Olmec Civilization and answer any
questions students may have. I will then split up the class into
groups of 3 and give directions about the symbol gallery walk and
their worksheet to fill out during it, and instruct that they will be
looking for certain artistic elements that tell us about the Olmecs
culture and beliefs. There are 4 stations and students will spend 4
minutes at each station (I will break the room up in half so that the
groups stay small, so really there will be 8 pictures along the walls,
but two of every picture) - 25 minutes

- I will then pull the class back together and we will discuss students
observations, reflections, and questions- 3 minutes
 - I will then pass out a worksheet in which students will make
themselves into Olmec gods- half human, and half animal. This
worksheet asks students to identify an animal they feel they
represent and why, and then students can draw it- 15 minutes

Closure I will pull the class back together by counting down from 5 to grab their
attention. I will ask the students about their gods that they created and
what traits they included that would tell future generations about our
culture.

Differentiation Modification: If this activity is too difficult for a student I will print out
the PowerPoint presentation and walk along with the student as they fill
out their Olmec art worksheets.

To extend: If a student wants to investigate this subject further I will

supply them with a few videos I found about the colossal Olmec heads
and about their civilization, and ask for 2-3 paragraphs summing up the
information they learned.

Assessment Formative, Informal- I will informally be assessing understanding

How will you know if students met the
learning targets? Write a description of
what you were looking for in each
assessment.
throughout the interactive lecture as students rotate and complete the
four stations, and routinely assist or answer questions as I walk around
the classroom.
I will also assess student learning by involving students during the
PowerPoint lecture and answering any questions they may have.

Summative, formal- Students will complete a unit test the following

week assessing their knowledge obtained from our Americas unit,
which will include information that is discussed in todays lesson.

Materials -Computer
-Projector
-PowerPoint
-Art worksheets
-Online timer
-Olmec god worksheets