Monday -
Welcome - Please pick up your name tags.
Roll call
Small Group Discussions -
In your small group discuss these four topics based upon your readings, classroom instruction, and additional research:
1. What was life like for hunting and gathering groups of people? Describe how these people met their basic needs and used their environment to satisfy them.
2. How and why did the transition to sedentary agriculture occur? What were the driving forces behind the change and what was the process of transition to agriculture?
3. What were (are) the advantages to settled agriculture over the hunting and gathering way of life?
4. What were (are) the disadvantages of settled agriculture when compared to hunting and gathering as a way of life?
Large Group Board Share -
Have a recorder from each group write the main ideas from your group on the white boards around the room. Make sure you place your group's ideas under the appropriate heading.
Individual Assignment -
On your own, write a short four paragraph essay in which each of the topics discussed in your small group and shared in the large group is addressed. The logical format would be to write a separate paragraph for each topic. This assignment will be worth 40 points and will be due at the beginning of the period on Tuesday.
Homework -
Read pp. 68-78 in Ponting for tomorrow.
Tuesday -
Welcome - Please pick up your name tags
Roll call
Small Group Share -
Read and discuss your four paragraph essay which is due today. When your group changes, read and discuss it again with another group. You should share your paper with at least four other people and have listened to the same number of other people's essays. Turn in your essays - worth 40 points.
Direct Instruction -
Return of mind map assignment (worth 25 points) with instruction given about how to show relationships among ideas on a web.
Large Group Discussion and Note Taking -
Chapter 5 (pp. 68-78) on the topic of how agriculture can change environments. Issues of salinisation, erosion, deforestation, and flooding will be addressed.
Reading Assignment In Class -
Read Ponting Chapter 5 (pp. 78-87) for tomorrow. Focus your attention on the parts of the reading about the Mayan Civilization.
Wednesday -
Welcome - Please pick up name tags.
Roll call
Class meeting update - Morning bells promised by administration.
Video - Lost Kingdoms of the Maya, a National Geographic documentary. Please take notes.
Large group discussion -
Problems of erosion, deforestation, flooding, hunger caused by environmental change led to increased competition among Mayan Kingdoms ending with wars of conquest, destruction, and mass executions.
Small group activity -
Discuss the similarities and differences between the events on Easter Island and the Mayan Kingdoms. Make a T chart to show those relationships.
Homework -
Read Ponting (pp. 88-98) for tomorrow.
Link to additional information about the Mayans:
Thursday -
Welcome - Please get your name tags
Roll call
Announcements
Small Group Share -
Discuss similarities and differences between the Easter Islanders and the Maya Civilization. Record your thoughts on paper in a T chart.
Large Group Board Share
Individual Essay Assignment - Worth 100 points, due Monday.
Write a narrative essay in which you tell the story of the settlement, development, and collapse of the Easter Island and Mayan civilizations. Be sure to tell how their stories were similar and how they were different. To help focus your essay, try to answer these questions as you tell their stories:
1. How did the people adapt to survive in their environment?
2. How did they change their environment?
3. How did changes in their environment effect the people?
Homework -
Read Ponting pp.98-116 for Monday.
Friday -
Welcome - Please pick up your name tags.
Roll call
Announcements
Class Meeting - Open Forum
Hunting and Gathering Simulation Game in groups of 6-8.
Homework-
As you finish your simulation, work on the essay and reading assignment from yesterday which are due Monday.
