Traditional Lesson Plan

Samford University
Orlean Bullard Beeson School of Education
& Professional Studies

STUDENT: ___________________________________
GRADE/SUBJECT:____________________________
SCHOOL: ____________________________________
DATE: _______________________________________
ESTIMATED LESSON TIME: ___________________

Lesson Objectives:
Students will be able to:
1. Label the countries and physical features of the Middle East and North Africa
2. Recognize the religion, government, economy, and cultures of Ancient Mesopotamia and Ancient
Egypt
3. Work together to understand the difference between cuneiform and hieroglyphics
4. Know the importance of written language in cultures
5. Understand how historians discover information about ancient cultures.
National & State Standards:
State:

COS 1. Describe the world in spatial terms using maps and other geographic representations, tools, and
technologies.
COS 2.4 Comparing how culture and experience influence individual perceptions of places and regions
COS 7.3. Describing settlement patterns in association with the location of resources
COS 12. Explain ways geographic features and environmental issues have influenced historical events.
Literacy Standards
RH 6-8.4. Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including vocabulary
specific to domains related to history/social studies.
RH 6-8.7. Integrate visual information (e.g., in charts, graphs, photographs, videos, or maps) with other
information in print and digital texts.

Pre-Instructional Activities:
1. Students will complete Bell Ringers over the physical features of the Middle East and North Africa.
As we go over the correct answers, the teacher will ask where Egypt, the Nile, and Mesopotamia are
to reinforce the lesson in spatial terms.
2. Students will share information of what they already know about ancient civilizations to prime the
brain. Students will write down their thoughts on a sheet of paper that the teacher will collect.
3. The teacher will a few of the following questions:
a. why do you think writing is important?
b. Do you know another language?
c. how did Ancient Mesopotamians and Egyptians spread their ideas and communicate?
d. In America, the majority of people write on paper, how did the ancient peoples write before the
invention of paper?
e. How do archeologists and historians find out information about cultures?
Directed Teaching:
1. The teacher will model an example of cuneiform using the ELMO, so all students will be able to see.
The teacher will walk through directions to ensure students have a clear understanding of the
assignment being asked of them.
2. The teacher will conduct a mini-lecture using a teacher-developed Prezi. The Prezi is an interactive
guide to their notes.
3. As the teacher is lecturing, she will elaborate on certain, significant points by asking questions to
students in order to engage and draw connections.

4. As students are listening and engaging in the lesson, he or she will be working on a guided note
sheet that wil be used for studying and showing main ideas in the lesson.
Guided Practice:
1. The teacher will use the Bell Ringer as one form of guided practive
2. Lecture through questioning
3. Cuneiform activity
Independent Practice: Describe activities planned for engaging students singly or in groups in
independent practice of lesson objectives at desired level of cognitive development (computer-based
research, cooperative learning activities, projects, web searches, laboratory experiments, writing assignments, product
development, problem-solving, etc.) Describe any teaching materials or resources provided or developed
by teacher to structure activities (computer-based research, journal or writing prompts, reading guides,
bibliographies, cognitive frames, visual organizers, rubrics, etc.)

Formative Evaluation:
1. The teacher will be given feedback and judge students connections by asking questions throughout
the lesson. The teacher will ask questions before the lesson to prime the brain and engage learning.
During the lecture, they teacher will ask questions to assess the level of interest and connections
being made. After the lecture questions will refresh the students brain and allow the teacher to see
what content needs to be touched upon before the summative assessment.
2. Bell Ringers are checked for accuracy.
3. Every student will turn in the cuneiform activity, completed, for another type of formative
assessment. This will show if students connected with the cuneiform activity as well as worked
efficiently in their groups.
4. Students will turn in an exit slip in the 3-2-1 form before leaving the classroom.
Differentiating Instruction:
1. For the inclusion students with IEPs, he or she will be given a map of Ancient Egypt with physical
features, and important words from the culture. They will circle important words and copy them down
as well as color the picture.
2. Working in groups will help students who have a difficult time reading and following instructions. This
will also create an opportunity to engage with their peers before returning to whole group and a
lecture.
3. To accommodate students who have a more difficult time taking notes, everyone will receive guide
notes from the Prezi Presentation. They also have the option to look at the Prezi on edmodo, so he
or she can work at his or her own pace. Posting online will also give further opportunity to revisit the
ideas learned today.
4. For students who want to be challenged and learn more, they have the option to complete an article
with questions about water in Ancient Egypt.
Closure:
1. As class is coming to a closure, the teacher will ask again how writing is used throughout cultures.
The teacher will ask one difference and one similarity between Ancient Egypt and Ancient
Mesopotamia. For an exit slip, the teacher will ask students to write a 3-2-1 and turn in as they leave
the class.
Resources:
Cuneiform alphabet: http://watsoneastwoldblog.files.wordpress.com/2010/02/cuneiform-alphabet.jpg

Textbook: Birthplace of Civilization. (2005). In The World and It's People: Eastern Hemisphere (AL
ed., pp. 298-306). New York: McGraw Hill Companies.
Teacher-developed Prezi: http://prezi.com/hxcftb2ujdrv/edit/#31_30863873

Names:__________________________________________________________ Period:________

Creating Cuneiform
Directions: Attention all archeologists! In your groups, write your names, in English, on the top of
this page. EVERYONE will answer the questions on this page.
Using your cuneiform alphabet, translate the word into that was given to you. After you translate,
write the words definition in a complete sentence.
Take your clay, and mold flat into a tablet. Then, write your initials in the clay using the cuneiform
alphabet.
1. What is cuneiform?

2. Why is writing important to cultures?

Word translated to English:________________________________________________________________

Word
definintion:_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________

Write your name on this sheet of paper in cuneiform:

_______________________________________________________________