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OnTRACK Grade 6 Blueprint

CATEGORY: ENGLISH LANGUAGE ARTS AND READINGModule Lesson Lesson Title and Description of Content SEs

Module 1: ReadingVocabulary DevelopmentELA 1 1 Pump Up Your Word Power

Students will demonstrate a number of strategies for figuring out the meanings of unfamiliar words. They will begin with the word itself, trying to find parts of the word that they recognize. They will then use the context in which the word is presented in order to try to figure out the word’s meaning. Perhaps the connotation of the passage will provide clues to a word’s meaning or sense. Finally, it may be necessary to use a dictionary or other reference to find the meaning of the word.

6(2)(A-E)6(3)(A)

Pump Up Your Word PowerDeveloper’s Notes

Refer to the SEs to develop interactive exercises that will help students recognize ways to crack the reading code. Introduce a number of ambiguous words, such as “fishing,” “purred,” “quick,” and so on.

These lessons build students’ skills to write poetry, which will require the use of figurative language. Students will then write about each other’s poems, which will require the ability to explicate figurative language. Before we get to that exercise, we want to be sure we’ve armed the students to make a valiant stab at “killing it.” To that end, make the student products from each Interactive Exercise printer-friendly. Then students can compile all their completed exercises into a reference resource for their later assignments.

Comprehending PoetryELA 1 2 Figurative Language: Saying It With Different Words

Students will recognize and make inferences from figurative language, such as personification, metaphors, similes, hyperbole, and so on. Colloquialisms, such as “I could eat a horse,” “He’s as stubborn as a mule,” and “She turned to stone,” offer opportunities for students to get a handle on saying what you want, but with different words.

6(4)

Figurative Language: Saying It With Different WordsDeveloper’s Notes

Sixth graders continue to have trouble recognizing and making inferences from figurative language; they appear to cling to the literal, even when reading a poem or a passage that is clearly not meant to be taken literally. Some practice hearing, saying, reading, and writing with figurative language might encourage them to look for figurative language when what they’re reading doesn’t otherwise make sense.

For each student product, please provide rubrics based on the associated TEKS to ensure that students remain focused on the objectives being assessed.

Comprehending Sensory Language

10 October 2014 Page 1

[email protected] [email protected]

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Module 1: ReadingELA 1 3 Understanding Imagery

Students will hear, feel, smell, taste, and visualize the written word. They will be able to sit in a cold classroom and read—and feel and smell—the steamy bayous along the Gulf coast. They will hear the mosquitos buzzing past their ears and unconsciously swat them away. The description of using a paring knife to gently cut away the zest of a lemon—and of the fine mist of lemon juice it emits—will make the readers’ lips pucker and kick their saliva glands into overdrive. Students will understand that the writer is doing more than putting words on a page for them to decode; the writer is trying to trick the reader’s brain into seeing and smelling and tasting something that isn’t in the room—except on the page.

6(8)

Understanding ImageryDeveloper’s Notes

Provide poems or passages that contain sensory language. Have the students highlight or otherwise identify the sensory language and describe the sensations being conveyed without using the authors’ words. What inferences can the student make from what the author or poet has written?

Module 2: WritingThe Process of Writing a Literary TextELA 2 4 How to Write a Poem That Doesn’t Stink

Students will plan, draft, revise, edit, and then publish a poem that features figurative or sensory language. Students know that poets do not write down the first thing that pops into their minds, sign it, and then send it off to a publisher. Even successful poets—and songwriters, for that matter—often agonize over which words they could substitute here or there in order to say just exactly what they want to communicate. This is a writer’s workshop.

6(14)(A-E)6(15)(B)

How to Write a Poem That Doesn’t StinkDeveloper’s Notes

Provide a “cheat sheet” of poetry-relevant terms with definitions and several examples. Students should be warned not to simply copy the examples into their poem. One or two examples from the whole sheet might be OK, but these are meant to inspire the students to think of examples of their own for ways to say what they want to say. Of course, without planning first, they probably won’t have a clue about what they want to say.

A simple guide would be appropriate for this lesson cycle, and students should be encouraged to refer to their notebooks for inspiration and guidance. Let students know that each step in the process should be committed to paper and turned in for a grade. For each student product—including the final draft of the poem—please







Module 1: Readingprovide a rubric based on the associated TEKS to ensure that students remain focused on the objectives being assessed.

Writing an Expository TextELA 2 5 Responding to a Classmate’s Poem

Students can interpret a poem they’ve never seen before. They know what constructive criticism is and how to deliver it without malice. Students will give their classmates the benefit of a doubt, assume that there is a meaning beyond just what is written on the page, and will take the time to try to figure out what that hidden meaning is. Students will respond to their classmate’s poem by writing an essay about what they think the poem means. They may also comment on whether that meaning is presented in a sufficiently poetic and artistic way, as measured against a rubric designed for assessment purposes.

6(17)(C)

Responding to a Classmate’s PoemDeveloper’s Notes

Provide a GO for organizing information and for planning and writing the response, as well as a rubric based on the associated TEKS for students to use in assessing their classmates’ poems. A note on constructive criticism would be a nice addition.

Module 3: Oral and Written ConventionsConventions, Capitalization, Punctuation, and SpellingELA 3 6 Write (and Edit) Like a Professional

Students know that, unless they’re e e cummings, they have to observe the rules of good writing—that is, the conventions of written communication. Some people use the mnemonic “CUPS” to remember what to check for when reviewing writing. The acronym stands for “capitalization, usage, punctuation, and spelling.”

6(19)(A-C)6(20)(A-C)6(21)(A-C)

Write (and Edit) Like a ProfessionalDeveloper’s Notes

Another “cheat sheet” derived from the TEKS would be useful here.

Provide students with some short passages that have more errors than are listed in the “Compare your response” pop-up. Students who find more of the errors than just those listed can earn extra credit. To be fair, these types of errors should either have been introduced in previous lessons or appear on the cheat sheet.

The real assessment is the students’ review of their own response essays to their classmates’ poems. Students







Module 1: Readingare to apply all they know about written conventions as they mark up their own papers and turn them in for the teacher to grade. In essence, they’re being graded on how well they can grade their own work. This concludes the lessons on figurative language and making inferences in and about poetry.






Module 4: ResearchGathering Sources & Synthesizing InformationELA 4 7 Preparing to Write Your Research Paper

Students will transfer their knowledge of the writer’s workshop to a new purpose. For now, students will just plan a research paper about the geographical, economic, and historical factors that led to the U.S. Civil War. This will require looking through a number of sources, determining what the student wants to say about the topic (the controlling idea), and outlining the structure of the research paper—that is, what the argument will look like.

6(23)(A), (C-E)6(24)(A), (B)6(25)(A)

Preparing to Write Your Research PaperDeveloper’s Notes

Students are to use print and electronic resources—as well as the following outline—as raw material for a brief research paper. Because this corresponds with a lesson for 6th-grade social studies, it would be a good idea for the ELA/R teacher and the social studies teacher to coordinate when and how they will teach this lesson.

Revolutions, Plantations, and Civil WarInclude and make explicit connections among lesson sections about

1. The geography (soils, rainfall, temperature, etc.) of the southeastern U.S. is ideal for plantation-style farming—especially of cotton.

2. Planters of European stock who were not opposed to slavery settled and became the landed gentry of the South.

3. Three obstacles to expanded cotton production were a. the difficulty and time involved in removing seeds from cotton bolls;b. lack of available labor for planting, tending, picking, and processing cotton; andc. lack of free access to water routes for getting cotton to market.

4. Eli Whitney’s cotton gin removed seeds from bolls quickly and efficiently, removing one of the “bottlenecks” of expanded cotton production.

5. The geography (soils, rainfall, temperature, etc.) of Haiti is ideal for plantation-style farming—especially of sugar.

6. Planters of European (French) stock who were not opposed to slavery settled and became the landed gentry of Haiti.

7. One obstacle to expanded sugar production was a lack of available labor for planting, cutting, and processing sugar cane.

8. French plantation owners brought massive numbers of enslaved Africans to Haiti as laborers, resulting in a society where slave laborers vastly outnumbered slave owners.

9. France was embroiled in costly wars in Europe at the turn of the 19th century.10. France controlled the Mississippi River and its watershed.11. The success of the Haitian slaves in overthrowing their French owners awakened Napoleon to the

fact that he could not control France’s territories from across the Atlantic Ocean, and he agreed to sell the Mississippi watershed to the United States.

a. The sale helped Napoleon finance his wars in Europe.b. The Louisiana Purchase doubled the area of the United States, setting it on a mission of

westward expansion (manifest destiny) that allowed the U.S. to stretch from the Atlantic to the Pacific within 50 years of the purchase.






c. The U.S. Constitution did not explicitly empower the president to make such a purchase.d. Thomas Jefferson, who believed in a strict interpretation of the constitution, compromised

on that principle in making the deal.e. Throughout its expansionist career, the U.S. had to address how to maintain the balance the

power of slave states and free states in congress any time a territory applied to become a state. This exacerbated sectionalism—the tension between the South, with its slave-based economy, and the North, with its paid-labor-based economy.

12. The bloody Haitian Revolution not only provided southern planters with a dependable water route for transporting cotton (i.e., the Mississippi River and its tributaries) but also scared southern planters.

13. The cotton gin, the Louisiana Purchase, and slave labor removed all three of the obstacles to expanded cotton production in the South, and the plantation system became increasingly entrenched—even worth fighting for.

14. Many northerners were either neutral or opposed to slave labor, and they refused to return fugitive slaves to the southern owners.

15. Fear of slave uprisings caused some planters to make the conditions under which their slaves lived even more unbearable. News of harsh punishments made their way to the North, and abolitionist sentiments in the North became increasingly entrenched—even worth fighting for.

16. New territories, new compromises, “Bleeding Kansas,” and the ascension of a new political party—the Republican Party—increased the tension until the Civil War finally broke out.

The key here is to provide enough context to give students a framework for making sense of all this related information—with an emphasis on how it is all related. Of course, they may also use books or the Internet.

Use graphic organizers to help students organize this vast amount of information in a comprehensible way. The GOs can be used in conjunction with students’ notes and “Related Items” to scaffold the writing process. The GOs should be printable so they can be attached to the written assignment. For each student product—including the writing assignment—please provide a rubric based on the relevant TEKS to ensure that students remain focused on the objectives being assessed.

Organizing and Presenting IdeasELA 4 8 Writing and Revising Your Research Paper

Students will continue the writing process begun in the previous lesson. Having reviewed the available documents, identified a controlling idea, and planned the structure of their argument, students will now develop a concise topic sentence, summarize their findings in a coherent order, and use evidence to support their conclusions. When they are convinced that the paper is ready to submit, students will read the paper carefully, bearing “CUPS” in mind as they do.

6(25)(A-D)

Writing and Revising Your Research PaperDeveloper’s Notes

Provide a GO for organizing information and a rubric for the students to use as guidance as they write and revise their papers.






Module 5: Listening and SpeakingListening & SpeakingELA 5 9 Formal Presentations

Students will present the findings from their research papers to the class. In doing so, they will paraphrase the major ideas and supporting evidence. They will not simply read their papers to the class; everyone will get an opportunity to read everyone else’s published papers later. These are formal presentations, so having ideas organized beforehand will provide the confidence students need to make eye contact and appear thoroughly competent and confident in their presentations.

6(26)(B), (C)6(27)

Formal PresentationsDeveloper’s Notes

For the presentations, please provide a rubric based on the associated TEKS to ensure that students remain focused on the objectives being assessed. A reminder on constructive criticism would be nice here, too.

Listening & TeamworkELA 5 10 Socratic Seminar

Students will read a substantial, comprehensive article on a timely issue and participate in a semi-structured class discussion about the article. Students will listen to their classmates, respond respectfully to their classmates (whether they agree or disagree), and explain why they agree or disagree with a particular point or line of thinking, always referring to the text as the authority. Responses will often be questions, asking for further clarification of points made. This is not a debate to be won or lost; rather, it is a discussion that is meant to get deeper and deeper into the matter of the article than a mere summary or comment would allow.

6(12)(B)6(26)(A), (C)6(28)

Socratic SeminarDeveloper’s Notes

Provide clear guidelines for the students’ roles and the teacher’s role. Provide a tally sheet for the teacher to use in recording who has contributed, and provide a guide for scoring the quality of contributions. Since the article is of your choosing, provide three or four very broad questions to get the discussion started. If the questions are too specific, students will simply answer it and the discussion will end too soon. A very broad question is one that is likely to elicit as many questions as responses. The teacher should not have to say much once the seminar is under way (i.e., after asking the first question).






CATEGORY: MathModule Lesson Lesson Title and Descriptor SEMath 6 1 Order of Operations

Include examples involving money to tie in real-world situations. (Suggestion – balancing a checkbook (6(14)(C))

As students follow the order of operations, refer students to the writing process used when writing a how-to essay. In an interactive, ask students to organize the steps used to solve the problems.

6(3)(D) 6(7)(A) 6(1)(A)6(1)(B)6(1)(D)6(1)(G)

Math 6 2 Rational FormsUse examples of items for sale in a store. Present problems in a way that requires them to generate equivalent forms of fractions, decimals, and percents in order to solve the problem.

6(4)(G) 6(5)(C) 6(1)(A)6(1)(B)6(1)(E)6(1)(F)

Math 6 3 Multiplication and Division of Rational NumbersUse examples from cooking recipes to address (3)(A). For example, if the student wants to prepare one-third of a recipe, demonstrate that multiplying by one-third will give the same result as dividing by three.

Reference the science lessons on calculating density and speed.

6(3)(A) 6(3)(E) 6(1)(A)6(1)(B)6(1)(E)6(1)(F)

Math 6 4 PercentsAsk students to find the part, whole, or percent when given two of the three parts. Include examples involving money to tie in real-world situations.

Tie in real-world information such as the percentage of different groups in a multicultural society (SS 6(21)(F)).

6(5)(B) 6(1)(A)6(1)(B)6(1)(E)6(1)(F)

Math 6 5 Rates and LinesTo model equations in the form of y = kx, use examples of renting something such as a car.

Reference the science lesson on calculating speed.

6(6)(B) 6(6)(C) 6(1)(A)6(1)(B)6(1)(D)6(1)(F)6(1)(G)

Math 6 6 Expressions and EquationsUse the example of balances used in science to demonstrate two expressions that are equal. (double-pan balance or triple-beam balance)

6(7)(C) 6(1)(A)6(1)(B)6(1)(D)6(1)(F)6(1)(G)

Math 6 7 Expressions and Equations part II 6(9)(A)

Science Math Social Studies E/LA 10 October 2014 Page 8


Vary the context for the problem situations.

Refer to the writing lessons where students write a narrative. Ask students to apply this to writing real-world problems for given one-step equations or inequalities.

6(9)(C) 6(10)(A) 6(10)(B) 6(1)(A)6(1)(B)6(1)(E)6(1)(F)6(1)(G)

Math 6 8 Area and VolumeAsk questions to prompt students to use the equations to solve area and volume problems.

Use pictures of architecture from different areas of the world.

6(8)(C) 6(8)(D) 6(1)(A)6(1)(B)6(1)(E)6(1)(F)6(1)(G)

Math 6 9 Triangular RelationshipsUse interactives to help students discover the sum of the angles of a triangle, the relationship between side length and angle measurement, and the side lengths that will form a triangle. Vary the context for the problem situations.

6(8)(A) 6(1)(A)6(1)(B)6(1)(C)6(1)(E)6(1)(F)6(1)(G)

Math 6 10 Interpreting Data DisplaysUse data from news articles that contain a data display (SS 6(21)(C) and (F)).

Refer to the writing lessons where students summarize narratives. Ask students for the main “idea” points that can be drawn from the data display.

6(12)(A) 6(12)(B) 6(12)(C) 6(1)(A)6(1)(B)6(1)(E)6(1)(F)6(1)(G)



CATEGORY: ScienceModule Lesson Lesson Title and Descriptor SESci 6 1 Evidence of Chemical Change

In an interactive, ask the students to perform an investigation where they combine chemicals, such as baking soda and vinegar, to look for evidence of a chemical change. Include the importance of the use of safety equipment.

Use examples, such as fireworks (originated in China), of discoveries where a chemical change is present. Include information about the increasing trade throughout the world when iron was used instead of bronze. A limitation of using iron is that it will rust (a chemical change).

6(5)(D)6(4)(B)

Sci 6 2 Calculating DensityWhen calculating density, emphasize that this is a rate. Tie this to Math 6(4)(D). Organize data in a table or graph, and ask students to make predictions. Tie to Math 6(4)(B) and 6(5)(A). Ask students to model the situation and solve the problem using equations or inequalities. Tie this to Math 6(10)(A) and (B). (Math 6(3)(D), fluency with the four operations, will be implied.)

6(6)(B)6(2)(C)6(4)(A) – graduated cylinders and triple beam balances

Sci 6 3 Investigating SpeedWhen calculating speed, emphasize that this is a rate. Tie this to Math 6(4)(D). Use an interactive where the student can change the angle of an inclined plane. Have the students compare the speed of objects placed on the inclined plane at different angles (Math 6(4)(A)). (Math 6(3)(D), fluency with the four operations, will be implied.)

In the section(s) concerning planes and pulleys, use examples of how ancient Egyptians and Romans used these simple machines in their building projects. Tie to SS 6(20)(A) and (B).

6(8)(C) 6(8)(E)6(2)(A), (D)

Sci 6 4 Graphing Changes in MotionTalk about the independent and dependent variables on the graph. Ask students to identify these variables in other examples. Tie to Math 6(6)(A) and (C). As students interpret graphs, ask them to communicate their reasoning. Tie to Math 6(1)(D).

6(8)(D) 6(2)(D)



Sci 6 5 Thermal Energy TransferUse examples of the convection current in weather and plate tectonics. Tie the convection current section of this lesson to the plate tectonics lesson (6(10)(D)).

Tie the convection current examples to SS 6(6)(A).

6(9)(A)6(2)(A)

Sci 6 6 Energy TransferInclude the example of the energy transformation in a flashlight as stated in the student expectation. As students sequence the events, refer students to the writing process used when writing a how-to essay.

6(9)(C) 6(2)(B)

Sci 6 7 Plate TectonicsRefer to examples of a convection current in the lesson on thermal energy transfer (6(9)(A)). Include content that will build to 8(9)(A), (B), and (C).

Tie the geological events from science to the geography standards in SS 6(6)(A), (B), and (C).

6(10)(D) – This SE Builds to 8(9)(A), (B), and (C) 6(3)(B), (C)

Sci 6 8 Gravity in Our Solar SystemInclude information on the belief system of ancient people groups who developed astronomical skills for religious purposes (location of the Sun, the moon, etc...).

6(11)(A)6(11)(B) 6(2)(C)

Sci 6 9 Levels of Organization in the EcosystemUse examples of levels of organization within ecosystems such as the Amazon Rainforest region and jungles of Africa.

6(12)(F)6(3)(B)6(3)(C)

Sci 6 10 Characteristics of OrganismsInclude short reading passages of people classifying different organisms into the groups listed in the student expectation. Ask students if they agree or disagree with the work done by the people in the reading passage. Have students justify their answers.As a review activity at the end of the lesson, ask students to sort pictures of different organisms into each of the classifications.

6(12)(D) 6(4)(A)



CATEGORY: SOCIAL STUDIESModule Lesson Lesson Title and Description of Content SEs

Module 1: Relationships Among “Where,” “What,” “Who,” and “Why”SoSt 1 1 Life Along the Ring of Fire

Include and make explicit connections among lesson sections about 1. The Humboldt Current; 2. Pacific fish and seabirds; 3. Migration and settlement patterns of humans and wildlife around and within the Pacific Rim; 4. Relationships between resources and economic activity; and 5. Tectonic activities, such as

a. hydrothermal venting (and its associated ecosystems),

b. volcanic eruptions, c. earthquakes, andd. tsunamis

and their effects on living things in the Pacific Rim, including the following events:

a. the Krakatoa eruption and tsunami (1883) and the global effects,

b. the ongoing development of the Hawaiian Islands,

c. the Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami (2004), and

d. the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami (2011), including the effects on

i. the Fukushima nuclear plants,ii. reclaimed land areas,

iii. local economic activity,iv. global economics, andv. the Earth’s rotation.

6(3)(A-D)6(4)(B-E)6(5)(A)6(6)(A-C)6(7)(A)6(10)(A)6(21)(A-C)6(22)(A-F)

This lesson cycle also addresses the following Science SEs:6(10)(D)6(12)(E-F)

Life Along the Ring of FireDeveloper’s Notes

Feel free to divide this (and any subsequent) lesson cycle into a series of smaller, more focused lessons. What is provided here is a framework that includes all the content and processes that should be used to address the associated TEKS. How you choose to chunk the segments of the lesson is left to your professional judgment.

The Twenty-One Balloons by William Pène du Bois (1947 Newbury winner) could be read in reading class. The novel, which includes an account of the eruption of Krakatoa, would reinforce some of the geologic, geographic, and medical issues in this and other lessons in this module, and it is appropriate for most 6 th graders. Simon Winchester’s Krakatoa: The Day the World Exploded is a good (but long) nonfiction account of the volcano’s eruption and resulting tsunami; perhaps “fair use” excerpts could be useful. There are many freely available videos and other primary texts that can be included in the “View Related Items” section.




Module 1: Relationships Among “Where,” “What,” “Who,” and “Why”Using an interactive graphic organizer (GO) for sequencing would help students visualize how each element is related to the others while providing practice in using vocabulary unique to the disciplines of science and social studies.

This lesson lends itself well to a sequential presentation of in-depth examinations of the various topics by groups of students. Suggest to the teacher that the class be divided into small groups for a jigsaw activity. Student groups can use the images, videos, and other documents in the “Related Items” to research, synthesize, and create multimedia presentations on their assigned topics. This will require a substantial number of resources for each topic.

The students can use the GO mentioned above to decide the order of the presentations. They can also use the GO during presentations to illustrate the relationships between their topic and other topics. For these reasons, it would be beneficial to render the GO in a printer-friendly or projector-friendly format. For all student products—including the presentations—please provide rubrics based on the associated TEKS to ensure that students remain focused on the objectives being assessed.

SoSt 1 2 Movers of Earth and WaterInclude and make explicit connections among lesson sections about

1. Early movers of earth and watera. Egyptians

i. Miningii. Irrigation canals

iii. Transportationb. Incas

i. Miningii. Irrigation canals

iii. Transportation2. Modern movers of earth and water

a. Aswan High Dam (Egypt)b. Suez Canal (Egypt)c. Panama Canal (Panama, by France and U.S.

with international workforce)d. TVA, Ft. Peck, and other New Deal-era dams

(U.S.)e. Itaipu Dam (Brazil & Paraguay)f. Three Gorges Dam (China)

6(7)(A-C)6(8)(B), (C)6(17)(B)6(20)(B)6(21)(B), (C), (F)

This lesson cycle also addresses the following Science SEs:6(2)(E)6(7)(A)

Movers of Earth and WaterDeveloper’s Notes

Interactive T-charts and Venn diagrams would be appropriate for comparisons of any activity by both Egyptians and Incas. Consider tools, technology, labor systems, and other resources available to each civilization when collecting images and texts for this lesson.




Module 1: Relationships Among “Where,” “What,” “Who,” and “Why”Students should definitely compare and contrast the construction of the Suez and Panama canals, to include soils/terrain, diseases, technology, and subsequent use policies for each.

In conjunction with information learned during the “Life Along the Ring of Fire” lesson, students can use information from this lesson to research and debate the advantages and disadvantages of nuclear power, hydropower, and geothermal resources [Science 6(7)(A)]. For this, please include a table that provides a list of hydroelectric dams, tide-powered generators, nuclear reactors, and geothermal plants, along with the nominal annual output of each for the same recent year. Also provide information about the negative consequences of each, such as how dams interrupt spawning routes for fish, how nuclear reactors produce “heavy” wastewater, and so on.

For each student product, please provide rubrics based on the associated TEKS to ensure that students remain focused on the objectives being assessed.

SoSt 1 3 Revolutions, Plantations, and Civil WarInclude and make explicit connections among lesson sections about

1. The geography (soils, rainfall, temperature, etc.) of the southeastern U.S. is ideal for plantation-style farming—especially of cotton.

2. Planters of European stock who were not opposed to slavery settled and became the landed gentry of the South.

3. Three obstacles to expanded cotton production were

a. the difficulty and time involved in removing seeds from cotton bolls;

b. lack of available labor for planting, tending, picking, and processing cotton; and

c. lack of free access to water routes for getting cotton to market.

4. Eli Whitney’s cotton gin removed seeds from bolls quickly and efficiently, removing one of the “bottlenecks” of expanded cotton production.

5. The geography (soils, rainfall, temperature, etc.) of Haiti is ideal for plantation-style farming—especially of sugar.

6. Planters of European (French) stock who were not opposed to slavery settled and became the landed gentry of Haiti.

7. One obstacle to expanded sugar production was a lack of available labor for planting, cutting, and processing sugar cane.

8. French plantation owners brought massive numbers

6(1)(A), (B)6(2)(A), (B)6(3)(A-D)6(4)(B-F)6(5)(A-C)6(8)(A-C)6(11)(D)6(21)(B), (C), (E)

This lesson cycle also addresses the following Grade 8 Social Studies Standards:8(1)(A)*8(5)(A)*8(6)(B)*8(7)(C)*8(8)(B)*8(10)(B), (C)*8(11)(A)*8(12)(B), (D)*8(23)(A)*8(15)(D)*8(27)(A), (B)*




Module 1: Relationships Among “Where,” “What,” “Who,” and “Why”of enslaved Africans to Haiti as laborers, resulting in a society where slave laborers vastly outnumbered slave owners.

9. France was embroiled in costly wars in Europe at the turn of the 19th century.

10. France controlled the Mississippi River and its watershed.

11. The success of the Haitian slaves in overthrowing their French owners awakened Napoleon to the fact that he could not control France’s territories from across the Atlantic Ocean, and he agreed to sell the Mississippi watershed to the United States.

a. The sale helped Napoleon finance his wars in Europe.

b. The Louisiana Purchase doubled the area of the United States, setting it on a mission of westward expansion (manifest destiny) that allowed the U.S. to stretch from the Atlantic to the Pacific within 50 years of the purchase.

c. The U.S. Constitution did not explicitly empower the president to make such a purchase.

d. Thomas Jefferson, who believed in a strict interpretation of the constitution, compromised on that principle in making the deal.

e. Throughout its expansionist career, the U.S. had to address how to maintain the balance the power of slave states and free states in congress any time a territory applied to become a state. This exacerbated sectionalism—the tension between the South, with its slave-based economy, and the North, with its paid-labor-based economy.

12. The bloody Haitian Revolution not only provided southern planters with a dependable water route for transporting cotton (i.e., the Mississippi River and its tributaries) but also scared southern planters.

13. The cotton gin, the Louisiana Purchase, and slave labor removed all three of the obstacles to expanded cotton production in the South, and the




Module 1: Relationships Among “Where,” “What,” “Who,” and “Why”plantation system became increasingly entrenched—even worth fighting for.

14. Many northerners were either neutral or opposed to slave labor, and they refused to return fugitive slaves to the southern owners.

15. Fear of slave uprisings caused some planters to make the conditions under which their slaves lived even more unbearable. News of harsh punishments made their way to the North, and abolitionist sentiments in the North became increasingly entrenched—even worth fighting for.

16. New territories, new compromises, “Bleeding Kansas,” and the ascension of a new political party—the Republican Party—increased the tension until the Civil War finally broke out.

Revolutions, Plantations, and Civil WarDeveloper’s Notes

This lesson corresponds with a 6th-grade ELA/R lesson on the same topic, using the same outline. The social studies teacher and ELA/R teacher can derive mutual benefits by coordinating when and how to teach this lesson.

As with the other lessons in this blueprint, this one could easily be divided into a series of shorter, more focused lessons. The key here is to provide enough context to give students a framework for making sense of all this related information—with an emphasis on how it is all related.

Use graphic organizers to help students organize this vast amount of information in a comprehensible way. Since there will be a great deal of discipline-specific vocabulary, incorporate an interactive crossword puzzle with cloze-style clues that are not simply statements lifted verbatim from the lesson.

The GOs can be used in conjunction with students’ notes and “Related Items” to scaffold the writing process. Have students write about the relationships among geography, economics, and history, using information from this lesson to support their argument. The GOs should be printable so they can be attached to the written assignment. For each student product—including the writing assignment—please provide a rubric based on the relevant TEKS to ensure that students remain focused on the objectives being assessed.

Module 2: For God and CountrySoSt 2 4 Monumental Accomplishments

Include and make explicit connections among lesson sections about some of the following areas of accomplishment

1. Astronomy/Calendars2. Mathematics3. Engineering/Architecture4. Philosophy/Government/Religion

6(17)(A-E)6(19)(A)6(20)(A), (B)6(21)(A-C), (E), (F)




Module 1: Relationships Among “Where,” “What,” “Who,” and “Why”5. Writing6. Trade/Exploration/Warfare

for each of these ancient civilizationsA. AkkadiansB. EgyptiansC. ChineseD. OlmecE. Romans

Monumental AccomplishmentsDeveloper’s Notes

With regard to communication among societies and cultural diffusion, the Olmec provide an excellent example of how an ancient civilization can produce impressive advancements in virtual isolation, whereas the norm is for advancements to grow out of increased contact with other societies. That is an important take-away in this lesson cycle: A generalization based on the histories of 4 civilizations can be turned on its head by the exception based on the history of 1 (i.e., generalizations are tricky propositions in social studies, as in life). Please ensure that every student becomes an expert on the Olmec civilization. Whatever other civilization(s) they choose to study in depth will be up to them (or their teacher).

As with any of these lessons, give the student the opportunity to perform the objective as stated in the TEKS. In this case especially, it won’t be necessary for students to have info on all 5 areas of accomplishment for all 5 civilizations. The idea is to give them enough information to explain how resources, belief systems, economic factors, and political decisions have affected the use of technology. If students can do this for any two or three of the listed civilizations, they will have demonstrated how science and technology have transcended the boundaries of societies and shaped the world. However, students shouldn’t have to choose the same two or three civilizations because of lack of information on the others.

Maps would be appropriate for this lesson cycle, as well as an assessment that can be printed out and turned in for a grade. For each student product, please provide a rubric based on the associated TEKS to ensure that students remain focused on the objectives being assessed.

SoSt 2 5 Six Counties, Three Cultures, Many TroublesGeography: Emphasize the location of Northern Ireland relative to the rest of Ireland, Scotland, and England, as well as the proximity of the British Isles to the rest of Europe—especially Germany and France.History: Emphasize that Ireland and England have a long history of hostilities, how the Battle of the Boyne came about, and why evening parades of the Orange Order down streets that separate the Catholics from the Protestants provoke violence even today.Culture: Emphasize that although cultures share the same types of institutions, differences within those institutions can have bloody consequences. Thus, although Catholics

6(3)(A), (B)6(4)(A-F)6(5)(B), (C)6(15)(A-F)6(16)(A-C)6(17)(A), (D), (E)6(19)(A)6(21)(A-F)




Module 1: Relationships Among “Where,” “What,” “Who,” and “Why”and Protestants are all Christians, their arts, literature, foods, language, customs, taboos, and specific religious ceremonies may be different enough to constitute different cultures. In this sense, the six counties that make up Northern Ireland constitute a multicultural society with three major (and several other minority) cultures: Catholic Irish, Protestant Ulster Scots, and Protestant English. Although all three of these cultures (over 98% of the total population) are white and most of the people in Northern Ireland can speak the same language, discrimination and violent resistance have been commonplace there for over 400 years.History (again): During World War II, England feared that Ireland would join Germany, forcing England to fight on two fronts. Although Ireland did not formally join the Allied forces in World War II, the island nation ostensibly remained neutral but provided more than token support to the British and the Allies against Germany throughout the war. This is somewhat remarkable, given that this was relatively soon after the Anglo-Irish War (1919-1921), by which Ireland had won independence from Great Britain. Taken together, the period spanning from the end of World War I to the end of World War II offers examples of conflict and cooperation between and among cultures [6(15)(F)].Citizenship & Government: Each of the three cultures in Northern Ireland has both political representation and a paramilitary force. To the present, the more powerful English loyalists flaunt their power in annual parades celebrating the 1690 victory of Protestant William of Orange over Catholic King James II at the Battle of the Boyne (i.e., “The Twelfth,” although the battle did not take place on the 12th of July; many nationalities celebrate heritage events rather than historical events). Committees that oversee such parades are appointed by the English loyalist ministry (governor), so Catholic protests over the parades is effectively squelched every year, despite the potential for outbreaks of violence.

Six Counties, Three Cultures, Many TroublesDeveloper’s Notes

In addition to addressing the TEKS as they relate to Northern Ireland, provide as “Related Items” a series of 1-page synopses that describe similar situations, such as (1) ISIS in Syria and Iraq; (2) Lynching in the U.S.; (3) Genocide of European Jews in the 1940s; (4) Ethnic Cleansing in Bosnia in the 1990s; (5) Discrimination of Ainu people of Japan and Russia; (6) Marginalization of Native Americans in the U.S.; (7) Assimilation of Aborigines




Module 1: Relationships Among “Where,” “What,” “Who,” and “Why”in Australia; (8) Genocide of Tutsi Rwandans in 1994. If possible, include short (1-5 minutes each) informational videos and photos appropriate for 6th graders. These can be used during the presentations.

Student groups are to compare and contrast the Northern Ireland “Troubles” with the situations described in the synopses and present their findings to the class. Provide a GO for organizing information and a rubric for the class to use in assessing their classmates’ presentations.


Documents

Lesson Title and Descriptor - ontrack-media.net SS6 Blueprint … · Web viewOnTRACK Grade 6 Blueprint. 10 October 2014Page 14. Science Math Social Studies E/LA . 10 October 2014Page