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On Friday, students showed the signed EH Museum Topic Selection Letter to Ms. Falls and I. We initialed the letter to let students know if we approved their topic choices. In order to get a variety of artifacts in the museum, we did not be let every student have their first choice. On Monday, students will begin taking more detailed notes from books provided in class using the following forms:
- Artifact Context Notes – students should record notes about the context in which their artifact was created. This includes looking at the tribe, culture, or kingdom that created the object and examining the geographic features of the region where it was made. The sheet also has a prompt for “Source(s)” to help students keep track of where they find their information. On this line, students can write “Book #1″ or “Web site #2″, which are references to the resources they list in the Research Sources worksheet described below.
- Artifact Description Notes – this forms has a series of questions to guide students to take detailed notes including what the artifact looks like, how it was used, when and where it was created, and more. This information will help students write the caption and it will also help students remember physical attributes of the object when creating the replica. Students should also record their sources on this sheet.
- Research Sources – as students take notes, they are expected to record the sources they use for information. This form has prompts for information commonly used in citations, such as author, title, date published, and more. If students cannot find some of the information, such as publisher or edition, after five minutes of searching, they can leave it blank. Students are required to have at least one print resource and at least one online resource.
Students will have time in class on Monday and Tuesday/Wednesday, then the notes will be checked during class on Thursday, March 11 2010.
 During the next month, all 6th graders at Eckstein will be converting their social studies and language arts classes into museums. Each team will focus on a different region of the Eastern Hemisphere, including Egypt, Greece, Rome, and China. Our team will focus on the rich cultural history of Africa. Each student will create a reproduction of an African artifact and write a caption explaining the historical and geographic context of the object. Their work will be on display during the Eastern Hemisphere Museum Night on March 11, 2010 at 6pm.
On Monday, February 1, students will receive a letter that summarizes the project and lists important due dates, which they must get signed by a parent/guardian and return to Mr. Miller and Ms. Falls by Friday, February 5, 2010.
The first step is for students to select a topic. We’ll begin by assigning each table to a region in Africa. Students will first record general information about the geography and people of that region using the topic selection worksheet on the back of the family Letter. Next, students will list their top two artifacts choices on the front page of the family letter. Parents/guardians should then sign the letter showing that they agree that the artifact choices would provide an appropriate challenge for their student.
When the letters are turned in on Friday, February 5, Mr. Miller and Ms. Falls will notify students which topic is approved. Since we are looking for a variety of artifacts for the museum, not every student will receive their first choice.
Artifact Ideas
Here are some of the common artifacts students often choose to make. Students are not limited to these choices and originality is encouraged!
- Statue, sculpture, or stone carving
- Mask or headdress
- Jewelry or beadwork
- Clothing, blankets, or fabric pattern
- Musical instrument
- Pots, bowls, or eating utensils
- Scale model of a house or village
- Diorama of a ceremony or other scene from daily life
- Game or sport equipment
- Tools or weapons
- Replica of money or valuable objects
Example Artifacts from Previous Eastern Hemisphere Museums
Click each image for a larger view.
 The final edit of the Ancient Egypt report is due Thursday, March 4, 2010. More information about the project is available in this previous post. Students will not be turning in a printed draft of the report. Instead, they must make sure their writing on the Eck208 wiki is ready to share with their classmates.
Students are encouraged to have an adult editor look at their work by Thursday. Parents and guardians are asked to suggest revisions and edits, but students should make the changes themselves. Here are some items to look for:
- The format should follow the example page.
- The introductory paragraph should include a topic sentence that provides a concise answer to the research question.
- The body paragraphs should include specific details to support the topic sentence.
- The body paragraphs should include at least one image and at least one hyperlink to a related page.
- Check spelling (when editing a page, click the “ABC ✓” button (pictured above left) to run spell check.
- Check beginning capitalization and ending punctuation.
- Sentences should be clear with no major grammar mistakes.
- Book and electronic source citations should be listed at the end of the page
Most students have complete the research phase of the Ancient Egypt research project, so we will begin writing the reports on Monday, using the Eck208 wiki. We will be using our laptops in class on Monday and Tuesday/Wednesday to write most of the report. The due date for the final edit is Thursday, February 4, 2010.
Important Wiki Pages
 The edit toolbar when editing a PBWorks wiki page.
 Image of Thoth, Egyptian God of Wisdom We have begun work on a research project about Ancient Egypt. Students will select a topic and take notes in class for the next week. We are going to work on the skills of narrowing a topic, writing a research question, searching for keywords, taking notes, and documenting sources. After finishing note-taking, students will summarize their findings in a report (more information about the report will be posted later).
Handouts for the Research Process
Research Directions – this handout explains the process we will follow. After students complete each step, they must get a teacher to initial that they have completed that step.
Research Notes and Bibliography Sources – students will use this worksheet to write notes about their topic and record where they found the information.
Ideas for Research Topics
Here are some of the topics students are researching:
- The pyramids or the Great Sphinx
- Burial tombs and mummification
- Hieroglyphics
- Uses of papyrus (paper, reed boats)
- Agriculture along the Nile River
- Specific pharaohs such as Ramses II, King Tut, Hatshepsut, or Cleopatra
- Life at the bottom of the social structure (slaves)
- The Egyptians gods such as Ra, Osiris, Anubis, and Thoth
- Palaces and temples
- The Valley of the Kings
Students can choose other topics, but they must relate to one of the seven characteristics of civilization:
- Stable food supply
- Social structure
- Government
- The arts
- Technology
- Religion
- Writing
We have begun our unit on Ancient Egypt and our first assignment is to create a map. The map is due on Friday, January 15, 2010. We provided some class time on Friday to work on the map and we will work more on Tuesday/Wednesday. Students who do not finish the map in class will need to complete it as homework. Students may check out a World and its People textbook after school to help them complete the map.
Handouts
Coloring the Map
This map should be colored to show the fertile area along the Nile River and the surrounding deserts. Here are several resources to help you find these areas.
Google Map
I created a Google Map showing the locations of the cities and some of the geographic features that need to be labeled on the map. Click here to view the Google Map of Ancient Egypt.
 Preview of the Google Map about Ancient Egypt
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