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Conceptual Lens: Patterns and Influence

Designer: NC DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC INSTRUCTION

Critical Content/Concept Web

Grade Level: __6TH_____

Unit Title

Historical Foundations of Contemporary Societies

in Europe

Unit Overview

A variety of factors influence the way in which people lived and interacted in the past. Events and ideas from the past continue to shape contemporary societies. Those events and ideas often form patterns that help us understand not only the past, but the present as well. In this unit, we will examine the historical foundations of contemporary societies in order to understand that patterns and factors that influenced the development of modern day Europe and South America.

GeographyNCSCOS: 2.01, 2.02, 2.03, 4.01Region MovementAdaptationInfrastructure roadways canals aqueducts

EconomicsNCSCOS: 4.02, 5.01, 5.02, 5.03, 6.01, 6.02, 6.03, 8.03TradeNatural ResourcesProperty RightsClass SystemEconomic Systems feudalism mercantilism market economyEconomic Growth & development Industrial Revolution Scientific Revolution

HistoryNCSCOS: 7.01, 7.02, 8.01, 8.02, 8.03Civilization/Society Ancient Greece (Athens) Ancient Rome Middle AgesContinuity and ChangeConflict and CooperationInvasion and Conquest CrusadesExploration Age of Exploration Trans Atlantic Prince Henry Christopher ColumbusColonizationLeadership Alexander the Great Augustus Constantine Muscovy Ivan the Terrible Peter the Great Vladimir Stalin Joseph Stalin Benito Mussolini Romanovs Adolf HitlerGenocide HolocaustTechnology

GovernmentNCSCOS: 7.02, 9.01, 9.02, 9.04, 10.01, 10.02Governmental Development city-states nation-statesDemocracy direct representativeRule of Law Roman Law Magna CarterCitizenshipImperialismIndependenceWar World War I World War II Cold WarExpansionAllianceMilitarismNationalismDictatorshipMonarchy

CultureNCSCOS: 4.03, 10.04, 11.03 11.04, 12.01, 12.03Diffusion Columbian ExchangeAssimilation Westernization LanguageArts The RenaissanceReligion Spread of Catholicism ProtestantismPhilosophy/Ideas The Age of ReasonSocial organization gender roles socio economic status

Generalizations & Guiding QuestionsHistory1. Native peoples create societies based on traditions and the need to survive in their natural environment.

a. How did native peoples in Europe use and adapt to their environment?b. What traditions and practices did native peoples in Europe develop that specifically related to their physical environment?c. How do the customs and values of the Greeks compare to those of the Romans?d. What traditions and values originating in ancient civilizations are evident in societies today?e. What factors do native peoples consider when developing a society?

2. Debates over religious ideas or value systems can become a source of both internal and external conflict, as well as an agent of change.

a. In what ways does religion shape a society politically, economically, and socially?b. What changes occurred within European society as a direct result of the Protestant Reformation?c. How do societies and belief systems change as conflicting religious ideas and values come into contact with one another?d. What beliefs and attitudes led European missionaries to attempt to convert native peoples of South America to Christianity?e. How did the introduction of Christianity cause conflict in South America?f. How are the religious issues and conflicts from historical periods similar to and different from religious conflicts today?g. Why are conflicts over values some of the most difficult to resolve?

3. Regions and groups form alliances and go to war to protect their own economic, political, and/or social interests. a. Why do nations go to war?b. How are the causes of wars in ancient times similar to the causes of more modern conflicts?c. How have changes in technology and information changed the ways that wars are conducted? d. How do wars affect specific groups of people both during and after the fighting? e. Is war an effective way to resolve issues or respond to crises?f. What alternatives exist for nations seeking to avoid war?

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Generalizations & Guiding QuestionsGovernment4. The desire for independence often leads groups to resist and/or rebel against existing authority.

a. Why did some groups of people in Europe choose to actively resist and rebel against governing authorities and others chose to respond more passively or submissively?

b. How do governments balance the interests of minority groups within a nation against the interests of a nation as a whole? c. What role does leadership play in determining the fate of a rebellion or independence movement?d. How is the independence movement in South America similar to and different from the end of Soviet rule over countries in

Eastern Europe? 5. Historical patterns of behavior and governance shape the way that societies function today.

e. How is property ownership related to power and economic prosperity?f. How did the limited availability of farm land affect the movement of people and development of nations in Europe?g. How do issues of land use affect the decisions that selected governments in Europe and Russia make today?h. Why do historical patterns of behavior and governance have such a strong influence on the functioning of future societies?

Economics6. Exploration, innovations, and inventions often bring regions into contact with one another and result in the movement of people,

goods, and ideas.i. What innovations and ideas enabled European nations to engage in trans-Atlantic exploration?j. In what ways can economic goals affect government actions and individual rights?k. How does the dependence on a single crop or resource limit economic development for European nations?l. What is the economic impact of emigration on a society? m. In what ways does demand for natural resources fuel exploration?n. Why was gold such a desirable resource for nations of Europe during the Age of Exploration?o. How is the need for oil affecting the way that nations in Europe participate in the global economy?

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Generalizations & Guiding QuestionsCulture7. Cultural interaction leads to the exchange of ideas, language and religion among regions.

a. In what ways did the Roman Empire use and adapt ideas of the Greek Empire?b. How are the rise and fall of the Inca Empire similar to and different from the rise and fall of ancient European societies?c. Why do some societies pursue contact with other regions and peoples while other societies resist such contact?d. How do societies preserve and adapt their traditions and practices as they are exposed to new ideas?e. How do languages change as cultures interact? f. To what extent is language an important form of historical identity?

8. Interaction and conflict among peoples of different regions may lead to unintended consequences.

g. How did trans-Atlantic exploration and colonization affect peoples living in both regions?h. What examples of cultural borrowing have occurred as people migrated in Europe?i. How can cultural diffusion cause the decline of traditional customs and practices?

9. Cultural interactions shape political, economic, and social development.

j. How did the Columbian Exchange impact the political, economic, and social development of Europe?k. How did European Exploration help to shape the political, economic, and social development of other parts of the world?l. What are some unintended consequences of cultural diffusion?

Geography10. People migrate in response to physical, religious, social, psychological, or economic needs.

m. What factors lead to forced migrations versus voluntary migrations?n. How can immigration present both advantages and disadvantages for people moving to a new region or nation?o. What is culture shock?

11. Geographic features may prevent movement of people, goods, and ideas leading to the isolation of certain societies.

a. What geographic features in Europe and Russia pose barriers to the movement of people, goods, and ideas?b. How do societies overcome geographic barriers to travel and trade?c. In what ways do these barriers continue to affect the development of certain regions today?

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Critical Content and Skills:

Students will know…

Key skills...

AC

AC = Assessment Code:Q - Quizzes P - PromptsT - Tests O - ObservationsWS - Work Samples D - Dialogues SA - Student Self-Assessment

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Note: No correlation needed between the Know and Key Skills boxes

1. how ancient civilizations developed and prospered and what influences can be observed in modern societies.

2. how geographic, economic, and cultural factors have influenced the development of particular nations and cultures over time.

3. how political, economic, and social conditions gave rise to trans-Atlantic exploration and how that contact impacted European societies.

4. why nations and people sought to establish independent nations and sovereign governments.

5. what challenges and successes nations and people experienced as they attempted to establish. independence and sovereign rule

6. what factors lead to war and how wars have affected specific groups of people in various historical time periods.

1. Use information from a variety of sources2. Examine, understand, and evaluate

conflicting viewpoints3. Create and present information in a

variety of written and non-written formats4. Detect cause and effect5. Draw conclusions based on substantial

evidence

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Task Planner

What:

Why: in order to understand that...

How: (Engaging Scenario-Performance)

Investigate...

Step 1:

Examine the ways that societies in Europe changed during and after the Age of Exploration.

Performance Task #1

Cultural interactions shape political, economic, and social development. Exploration, innovations, and inventions often bring regions into contact with one another and result in the movement of people, goods, and ideas. Interaction and conflict among peoples of different regions may lead to unintended consequences.

You are a documentary filmmaker. You have been asked to create a documentary about the events surrounding contact between the European and Latin American cultures during the period of exploration and colonization in the 1500s-1700s. Your work should explore the following topics: Living conditions in selected locations in both regions prior to contactAn explanation of motivations, circumstances, and innovations that made exploration possibleMap showing at least three significant points of contact between the two regions and an explanation of how that contact influenced the peoples and regions involved A list of at least 3-5 historical figures whose ideas, actions, or accomplishments will be featured in the documentary with a description of the specific details about that figure that will be includedExamples of cultural borrowing and diffusion that occurred as a result of the contact and how cultures in both regions were altered in positive and negative ways because of contactThe legacy of contact—ways that contact still significantly shapes and influences life in contemporary societies in both regions You must research and compile evidence to meet each of the requirements above and may present the information required in a variety of ways. Every group must film a 2-3 minute excerpt of the documentary featuring one or more of the required elements. You will present your film excerpt to the rest of the class on Premiere Day.

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Task Planner

What:

Why: in order to understand that...

How: (Engaging Scenario-Performance)

Investigate...

Step 1:

Compare causes, effects, and the ongoing influence of selected wars that have historical significance to Europe and Russia.

Performance Task #2

Historical patterns of behavior and governance strongly shape the way that societies function today.Regions and groups form alliances and go to war to protect their own economic, political, and/or social interests.The desire for independence often leads groups to resist and/or rebel against existing authority.

Students will create graphic organizers that provide a snapshot view of the major causes and effects of selected wars as well as groups that were significantly affected by the fighting. Additionally, each student will assume the identity of a person directly involved or affected by one of these wars and will create a series of diary entries focusing on how life changes for that person throughout the war. At the conclusion of this unit of study, students will write a persuasive article either in support of, or in opposition to war as an effective way to resolve conflicts among nations, regions, and peoples. Students must provide historical evidence to support their position as well as one other artifact that creatively expresses their position.

List of possible wars to research: Greek-Persian WarsSelect wars/conflicts with religious implications (1600s) French RevolutionThe Great War (World War I)Russian RevolutionWorld War IIFalklands WarWar in Kosovo

Content Elements Self Assessment

Peer Assessment

Teacher Assessment

1. Overview of living conditions in at least one area in Europe prior to contact in 1500s-1700s

2. A graphic organizer that shows the goals, technologies, and circumstances under which various exploratory missions were conducted in 1500s-1700s

3. An annotated map with at least three locations marked and including clear, concise descriptions of what happened in each location and why that location is significant

4. A list of 3-5 individuals whose role in the period is important with a brief description of his/her accomplishments or contributions

5. Visual or other representation of examples of cultural borrowing and diffusion that occurred as a direct result of this contact

6. Participation in an oral discussion of how contact has had significant and lasting influence on the development of societies in Europe

7. 2-3 minute video excerpt that highlights one of the aspects of research that your group did for the documentary project

Scoring Guide for Performance Task #1 - Contact: Clash of Cultures

Process Elements Self Assessment

Peer Assessment

Teacher Assessment

1. Work was neatly done and clearly labeled according to task instructions

2. Work was fairly divided among members of the group/each group member contributed significantly and sufficiently to the completion of the project

3. Work is organized in a logical and appropriate manner

4. Work was submitted according to the schedule discussed in class and was complete at the time of submission

Final Score

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Content Elements Self Assessment

Peer Assessment

Teacher Assessment

1. Creation of a graphic organizer that shows the major causes and effects of selected wars as well as groups directly or significantly affected

2. Series of 4-5 diary or journal entries from the perspective of a single person involved in one war featured on the graphic organizer above; entries must clearly demonstrate the effects and changes that occur as either a direct or indirect result of the conflict

3. One persuasive article written either in support of or opposition to war as an effective means of addressing issues and resolving problems; article must offer at least three distinct examples or pieces of evidence in support of the position taken

4. One creative representation of the position taken in the persuasive article; i.e. song, poster, cartoon, poem, etc.

Scoring Guide for Performance Task #2 – The World at War

Process Elements Self Assessment

Peer Assessment

Teacher Assessment

1. Work is neatly done and clearly labeled

2. Work is organized and logical

3. Work contains acceptable grammar, punctuation, and word choice

4. Work is submitted on time and is complete at the time of submissionFinal Score

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1. Development of ancient civilizations: a. Locate the area of influence for each of these civilizations on appropriate maps

(Greece, Rome). Identify ways that location supported development of an empire. Also note challenges posed by the location.

b. Research and describe the facets of the Greek and Roman Empires that still have influence today.

c. Create a “museum wall” display where important artifacts and achievements of these societies are displayed.

2. Development of European society: Identify the major challenges and accomplishments with regard to political, economic, and social development in each of the following time periods. Add visual representations of important artifacts and achievements to the museum wall from the previous activity.

a. 1. Middle Agesb. 2. Renaissancec. 3. Reformation

3. Age of Exploration:a. Living conditions in selected locations in both regions prior to contact; refer to

information from the previous activities (1 and 2) to form the basis of this information. Students may be asked to illustrate or graphically compare 15-16th century conditions in each area.

b. Create a chart that shows the motivations, circumstances, and innovations that made specific explorations possible. Focus on advances in navigation as well as the political and economic factors that led nations in Europe to explore the Western Hemisphere.

c. Create a map showing at least three significant locations of contact between the two regions and an explanation of how that contact influenced the peoples and regions involved. 10

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3. Age of Exploration (continued): d. Research and develop a list of at least 3-5 historical figures whose ideas, actions, or

accomplishments will be featured in the documentary with a description of the specific details that will be included

e. Explore examples of cultural borrowing and diffusion that occurred as a result of the contact and how cultures in both regions were altered in positive and negative ways because of contact. Illustrate these examples.

f. Discuss the legacy of contact—ways that contact still significantly shapes and influences life in contemporary societies in both regions.

g. Film a brief portion that highlights one portion of the research that each small group has done and present it to the entire class. As an alternative, students might create a story board or PowerPoint presentation that shows the scenes one portion of their documentary would feature.

4. Independence and the Rise of Nation-States:a. Use a graphic organizer to compare the ways that various nations in each region

pursued independence and/or sovereignty. b. Research and write about key leaders in the drive to establish independent

nations in South America and organize nation-states in Europe and Russia. Identify similarities and differences in the approach that various leaders used to build support for independence and nationhood.

c. Hypothesize and discuss why some societies have a strong sense of national identity and desire to be independent while other areas have encountered more difficulty in establishing independence or as a sovereign nation.

Continued…

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5. The World at War:a. 1. Use current events to discuss students’ impressions of war and the factors that

cause conflicts among nations and regions. Encourage them to cite examples from previous discussions in this unit as well as from personal knowledge.

b. Research and compare several wars from different time periods as a whole class. Use various print and non-print sources to help students develop a general understanding of the conflicts under consideration.

c. Create a graphic organizer to show and compare the causes of wars, the effect of wars on individuals and specific groups of people, and whether or not the war and terms of peace (if any) effectively resolved the issues that led to the conflict. After an example is provided by teacher modeling, small groups of students could work with teacher-selected sets of resources to complete the information for one conflict and then share the information with the remainder of the class.

d. Individual students will write a persuasive article either in support of or opposition to a particular war. Students must support their arguments with evidence from previous activities in this unit and provide at least one other artifact that creatively represents their position.

6. Postwar Challenges and Modern Issues:a. Develop a timeline of major events affecting Europe and Russia since World War II.

Have students work together to illustrate and annotate the timeline and display it in the classroom.

b. Brainstorm a list of major problems facing selected regions in Europe and Russia and research the issues using the internet and other sources of information for current events.

c. Review the patterns and influences discussed in previous activities to suggest the historical origins of these issues.

d. Predict what events and possible resolutions may be in the near future with regard to these issues.

Continued…

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ResourcesThe textbook used to draft this unit is as follows:

South America, Europe, and Russia. Needham, MA: Prentice Hall, 2003. Other resources that teachers may find helpful: Field Museum exhibit and information on the Ancient Americas and life in the Andes Mountainshttp://www.fieldmuseum.org/ancientamericas/huntgather_11.asp Ancient Greece Resources for Sixth Grade Social Studies, posted by the Dalton Schoolhttp://intranet.dalton.org/groups/Greece/ Yolen, Jane. Encounter. Voyager Books, 1996. Voyage Back in Time: Ancient Greece and Rome, http://oncampus.richmond.edu/academics/education/projects/webunits/greecerome/ Ancient Greece for Kids, posted by Kidipede—History for Kidshttp://www.historyforkids.org/learn/greeks/ Middle Ages, posted by Annenburg Media Learner.Orghttp://www.learner.org/interactives/middleages/ The Renaissance Connectionhttp://www.renaissanceconnection.org/lessonplans.html The Age of Exploration, posted the Mariners’ Museumhttp://www.mariner.org/educationalad/ageofex/ The Great War, posted by PBShttp://www.pbs.org/greatwar/resources/lesson.html

Various links to sites about World War II, posted by Best of History websiteshttp://www.besthistorysites.net/WWii.shtml

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Teacher Notes

Significant opportunities exist in this unit for teachers to customize and differentiate instruction to meet the needs of their students. Teachers may select topics to fit the concepts and activities described based on access to resources, teacher knowledge and comfort level, and the particular interests and needs of the students and community. Likewise, the activities may be adapted for more or less whole group and guided instruction or small group work. Students of greater ability levels may be able to complete significantly more research and work with less help and support from the teacher while students with special needs may need help choosing resources and creating products. One idea for helping students manage both the breadth and depth of this unit is to create resource baskets for each topic that include relevant books, articles, and internet sites as well as copies of photographs, maps, charts, and other types of information that might students complete the tasks. It is not possible nor is it practical to attempt to cover the entire scope of history relevant to Europe in one unit. Instead, this unit focuses on a few key time periods and events to give students a broad overview of how the region developed and is connected by historical circumstances.

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