Task
You are sitting in Mr. Hubble's math class. You feel like you are in a Charlie Brown classroom where all the teacher's words are mumble jumble. When all of a sudden you see a flash of lightning outside the windows strike close to the building. The lights flicker, you feel the static electricity, and smell the soles of your sneakers burning! Everything fades to black..... When the light returns and you are smack dab on top of what appears to be a pyramid amidst a jungle! You realize that you are no longer in Mr. Hubble's class. You realize you are not in Egypt because there's a jungle around you. You remember from Mrs. Anna's Social Study class that the Mayan civilization also created pyramids. You deduce that you must be in the in the Yucatan Peninsula. From watching Man vs. Wild with Bear Grylls, you realize that you need to observe as much as possible about the surrounding area (civilization) in order to survive. It is your job to find out your exact location, find food (agriculture) and shelter (housing). Your money in your pocket will have no value as the Mayan civilizations traded for goods.
Standards
Strand 1: Concept 2: Early Civilizations
PO 5. Describe the Mayan, Aztec, and Incan/Inkan civilizations:
a. location, agriculture, housing, and trade networks
Students use digital media and environments to communicate and work collaboratively, including at a distance, to support individual learning and contribute to the learning of others. Students:
a.
interact, collaborate, and publish with peers, experts, or others employing a variety of digital environments and media.
b.
communicate information and ideas effectively to multiple audiences using a variety of media and formats.
c.
develop cultural understanding and global awareness by engaging with learners of other cultures.
d.
contribute to project teams to produce original works or solve problems.
3.
Research and Information Fluency
Students apply digital tools to gather, evaluate, and use information. Students:
a.
plan strategies to guide inquiry.
b.
locate, organize, analyze, evaluate, synthesize, and ethically use information from a variety of sources and media.
c.
evaluate and select information sources and digital tools based on the appropriateness to specific tasks.
Materials
Inspiration, Internet, http://delicious.com/jarsmorales, ITunes, IMovie, digital video recorders, Power Point, drawing/graphic software program, projector, computer, document camera, Mayan Rubric, Student Organizer, Mayan Procedures, poster board, markers/colored pencils/watercolors, and misc. materials as needed for game boards or skits.
A Problem-Based Lesson for
6th grade Social Studies
Designed by
Amanda Coker ahenrikson@mail.shonto.bia.edu
Kim Dodds kdodds@fusd1.org
Anna Morales amorales@wusd1.org
Task
You are sitting in Mr. Hubble's math class. You feel like you are in a Charlie Brown classroom where all the teacher's words are mumble jumble. When all of a sudden you see a flash of lightning outside the windows strike close to the building. The lights flicker, you feel the static electricity, and smell the soles of your sneakers burning! Everything fades to black..... When the light returns and you are smack dab on top of what appears to be a pyramid amidst a jungle! You realize that you are no longer in Mr. Hubble's class. You realize you are not in Egypt because there's a jungle around you. You remember from Mrs. Anna's Social Study class that the Mayan civilization also created pyramids. You deduce that you must be in the in the Yucatan Peninsula. From watching Man vs. Wild with Bear Grylls, you realize that you need to observe as much as possible about the surrounding area (civilization) in order to survive. It is your job to find out your exact location, find food (agriculture) and shelter (housing). Your money in your pocket will have no value as the Mayan civilizations traded for goods.
Standards
Strand 1: Concept 2: Early Civilizations
PO 5. Describe the Mayan, Aztec, and Incan/Inkan civilizations:
a. location, agriculture, housing, and trade networks
www.ade.state.az.us/standards/contentstandards.asp
Productivity & Accountability
Manage Projects
Produce Results
www.21stcenturyskills.org
ISTE National Technology Standards for Students
http://iste.org
Procedure
Mayan Procedures.doc
Student Organizer.doc
Assessment
Mayan Rubric.pdf
Materials
Inspiration, Internet, http://delicious.com/jarsmorales, ITunes, IMovie, digital video recorders, Power Point, drawing/graphic software program, projector, computer, document camera, Mayan Rubric, Student Organizer, Mayan Procedures, poster board, markers/colored pencils/watercolors, and misc. materials as needed for game boards or skits.