Download In this lesson, students will discuss the concept of a turning point

Grade 6 The Eastern Hemisphere
Unit 1: The Neolithic Revolution
Lesson 5: Turning Points – Making a Claim about the Neolithic Revolution
Overview:
In this lesson, students will discuss the concept of a turning point, organize an argument to a prompt and
complete an argumentative essay.
Suggested time allowance: 1 Class Period
Unifying Themes: (based primarily on the National Council for the Social Studies)
• Development, Movement, and Interaction of Cultures
• Time, Continuity, and Change
• Geography, Humans, and the Environment
• Creation, Expansion, and Interaction of Economic Systems
• Science, Technology, and Innovation
New York State Social Studies Framework
• Social Studies Standard 2: World History
• Social Studies Standard 3: Geography
• Key Ideas and Conceptual Understandings
o 6.2 The First Humans Through The Neolithic Revolution in the Eastern Hemisphere: The first
humans modified their physical environment as well as adapted to their environment
 6.2d Historians use archaeological and other types of evidence to investigate patterns in
history and identify turning points. A turning point can be an event, era, and/or
development in history that has brought about significant social, cultural, ecological,
political, or economic change.
Common Core State Standards for Literacy in History/Social Studies
• RH.6-8.1: Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of primary and secondary sources.
• WHST.6-8.1: Write arguments focused on discipline-specific content.
a. Introduce claim(s) about a topic or issue, acknowledge and distinguish the claim(s) from
alternate or opposing claims, and organize the reasons and evidence logically.
b. Support claim(s) with logical reasoning and relevant, accurate data and evidence that
demonstrate an understanding of the topic or text, using credible sources.
c. Use words, phrases, and clauses to create cohesion and clarify the relationships among
claim(s), counterclaims, reasons, and evidence.
d. Establish and maintain a formal style.
e. Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from and supports the argument
presented.
Unit Essential Question:
•
Does society change as a consequence of human development or environmental change or both?
Putnam/Northern Westchester BOCES:
Grade 6 Integrated Social Studies/English Language Arts Curriculum
Page 1 Revised July 2014
Grade 6 The Eastern Hemisphere
Unit 1: The Neolithic Revolution
Lesson 5: Turning Points – Making a Claim about the Neolithic Revolution
Resources/Materials for this lesson:
•
•
•
Materials from previous classes
“Rubric for Argumentative Essay” (included)
“T Chart” (included)
Activities/Procedures:
Day 1:
1. Begin class by asking students to define these two words:
Revolution
• a sudden complete change
• major change: a dramatic change in ideas or practice
• a fundamental change in the organization of society that takes place in a relatively shorty
period of time
Turning Point
• An important moment of change: a time or incident that marks the beginning of a completely
new, and usually better, stage in somebody's life or in the development of something
• A moment when the course of history is changed
• a point in time when something happens that causes a shift or an irrevocable change in
direction.
2. Project the following prompt for students: “Is the Neolithic Revolution a turning point in world
history?’
3. Briefly discuss the characteristics of a turning point.
4. Students should make a claim they are going to defend.
5. Students should complete a T-Chart in which he/she lists evidence that supports the claim that the
Neolithic Revolution is a turning point on one side and lists evidence that refutes that claim on the other
side.
6. When writing their essays, students should cite two different sources that they analyzed in class to
support their claim.
7. Homework: Students will complete essay for homework.
Evaluation/ Assessment
•
Argumentative Essay
Putnam/Northern Westchester BOCES:
Grade 6 Integrated Social Studies/English Language Arts Curriculum
Page 2 Revised July 2014