Download Joseph, son of Israel (formerly Jacob) Ancient Israel ß This part is

Joseph, son of Israel (formerly Jacob)
Ancient Israel
February 18, 20015
Jane Smith
Sunset Ridge School
525 Sunset Ridge Drive
Northfield, IL 60093
February 10, 2015
Dear Ms. Smith:
 This part is called the sender’s address & date
 This part is called the inside address (it will be your name)
 This part is called the salutation
 Below paragraphs = body
You will be writing a three paragraph letter about your group or dynasty from Ancient China; in the
letter, a person from that time period is writing to you because they want you to remember some
important things about their culture. In paragraph 1 you will introduce yourself. I’m going to
pretend that my letter is from Joseph, son of Jacob from ancient Israel. You’ll have to pretend
along with me that it would be possible for Joseph to speak even though he lived a LONG time
ago. Here goes…. Ms. Smith, I heard you are studying ancient Israel in your social studies class at
Sunset Ridge School in Northfield, IL. There is so much to tell you about ancient Israel and the history
of my family. It makes the most sense for me to start at the beginning. I was the son of Jacob who
lived in the land of Canaan, a land with fertile areas, rocky hills and even deserts. My father and
his people were shepherds. Legends exist about my father because his name changed from
Jacob to Israel after fighting with a man who was probably a messenger from G-d. G-d blessed
my father after his long struggle by giving him the name ‘Israel’ which means “the one who
wrestles with God”. My father was a patriarch and I hope you noticed that ancient Israel bears
the name of my father. I think that’s pretty impressive.
In paragraph 2, you will give background info on your philosophy and how it impacts the culture of
Ancient China; you will also discuss two points related to the culture of Ancient China. My father
and his people struggled with the many droughts and famines in Canaan. You can imagine how
difficult it is for a shepherd to feed his twelve sons and his sheep. I was my father’s favorite son.
Think about that. Being the favorite of twelve sons made my brothers furious. They were also
annoyed with me because in my very vivid dreams, my brothers came to me and bowed down
before me. When I interpreted my dream for my brothers, they were even more irritated with me.
In fact, they came up with a plan to send me away. They sold me to some travelers from Egypt
and I arrived in Egypt as a slave. Eventually I rose to a position of vizier, an advisor to the pharaoh
(that happened because I interpreted dreams for the pharaoh and it made him more powerful).
For the last paragraph, make sure you wrap up the last details about Ancient China – the land
formations, the belief systems, government style under the dynasty you researched, how everyday
people lived, etc. You MUST choose two new items to discuss in the letter. Because of one of the
famines, my father sent my brothers to Egypt to buy food. Here’s the amazing part – eventually my
brothers were sent to me to negotiate for some grain. At first, we did not recognize each other,
but after some time it became clear these men were my brothers. On one of our last meetings to
negotiate the grain trade, my brothers bowed down before me. So, my dream came true and in
fact, the trip to Egypt was fruitful for my whole family since many were able to stay in Egypt and
prosper. Of course, things got difficult for the Hebrews after many years in Egypt, but that’s a story
about Moses and will have to wait for another letter on another day. I hope this information helps
you to know a little bit about ancient Israel. I have enjoyed “talking with you”.
Sincerely,
 Closing, followed by four lines & the typed name of the letter sender
Joseph, son of Israel
Social Studies – Ancient China Test
Essay Preparation Guide – the extra space is brainstorming / work space
Highlighted segments – these are labels; they will not be typed in the final paper, but
your resulting paper should be very similar to the format that is featured in the letter.
Introductory “paragraph” - In this section you will introduce yourself. Create a name
that FITS WITH your culture; it’s acceptable to create a name. You must also reveal
your societal status, your job, and your age. You might want to include other
personal information such as how successful and/or well accepted you are in the
community, etc. Also, make sure it’s clear WHY this person wants to communicate
the group’s dynasty’s achievements.
“Paragraph 2” - In this part, you will begin to reveal the important elements of the
culture, including the philosophy that was prevalent during your era. I would suggest
adding two elements to this paragraph, but make sure they are somewhat related –
don’t use a religious element and a technological element because they aren’t a
natural fit. Also, WHY are these items important? What did they contribute to
Chinese culture overall? The world?
“Paragraph 3” – As with “Paragraph 2”, you will reveal another two critical elements,
discuss WHY they are important, and analyze how they contributed to Chinese or
world culture. In this part, you will also finish the paper with a closing statement or
two that smoothly ends the letter / lesson.
Social Studies – Ancient China Test
Social Studies – Ancient China Test