Introduction
Have you ever wondered how people lived in the past? What would life be like if there were no exploration? If no one ventured out of his or her neighborhoods? What would we know about our world? Probably, very little! Well, we don't have to worry about that because exploration has played a major role in learning about the Earth for ages.Actually, through exploration, we have discovered there was a civilization called Mesopotamia, which was the world's first civilization. If no one had gone exploring, we would not know about Mesopotamia. 
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Task
Objective:
Students will analyze how a key event is introduced and elaborated in a text,and write informative/explanatory texts to examine a topic and convey ideas through the selection, organization, and analysis of relevant content.
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Your supervisor has advised you to embark on a cyber exploration to ancient Mesopotamia. During your expedition, everyday you will have a different role to fulfill your mission.Your job is to discover and document important information,regarding this civilization from multiple resources. Finally, you will write a narrative report to share with your colleagues. Make sure to follow the instructions, and create a detailed report because your coworkers have limited knowledge of this history.
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Thinking Questions:
Identify key information such as geography, religion, achievements, politics, economics and etc.
Process
Instructions:
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STEP1. For the first step you will need to follow each of the directions very carefully.
STEP2. Once you have read everything, you should begin doing each of the three roles. Each role will provide you with instructions and web pages for you to explore. As you explore through each role, you will need to have a pencil and paper to keep an ongoing journal of all the information you have gathered for each role.
STEP3. Once you have gathered all the required information, you can begin organizing all your information using a concept map or graphic organizer of your choosing.
STEP4. Organize your information in a coherent way. Use transitions to clarify relationships among ideas. Include new vocabularies from your findings.
STEP5. Edit and revise before you write your final draft.
Day 1
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Role: (Hisotrian)
For your first job in cyber exploration you are a historian. You are responsible for generating the following information.
(When you are responding to the questions, make sure to use your own words!!):
1) What are the requirements of a civilization?
2) List the civilizations that made Mesopotamia their home long time ago. Make sure to use a timeline chart showing atleast 3 civilizations.
3) Explain the importance of Hammurabi?
4) Write any 4 different Hammurabi laws you find interesting.
5) Who was Gilgamesh? Retell his story using your own words.
INTERNET LINKS:
Quick History
http://www.mesopotamia.co.uk/time/home_set.html
Civilizations:
http://www.mnsu.edu/emuseum/prehistory/middle_east/
Civilizations and Timeline
Requirements of a Civilization
http://www.aasd.k12.wi.us/Staff/hermansenjoel/meso_files/frame.htm
Hammurabi:
http://mesopotamia.mrdonn.org/hammurabi.html
Hammurabi and Yale:
http://www.phillipmartin.info/hammurabi/hammurabi_codeindex.htm
Gilgamesh:
http://mesopotamia.mrdonn.org/gilgamesh.html
Gilgamesh: http://www.mesopotamia.co.uk/geography/story/sto_set.html
Day 2
Role: (Geographer)
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On the second day, you are a geographer.You are responsible for generating the following information.
(When you are responding to the questions, make sure to use your own words!!):
1) Explain the location of Mesopotamia. What are the famous rivers surrounding the area?
2) Draw a map to illustrate the historical location?
3) What kind of climate did the region have?
4) In what present day country would ancient Mesopotamia be located?
INTERNET LINKS:
Map of Mesopotamia:
http://www.mesopotamia.co.uk/geography/explore/exp_set.html
Map of Mesopotamia: http://www.fsmitha.com/h1/map01mes.htm
Geography and Climate:
http://www.sron.nl/~jheise/akkadian/mesopotamia.html
Distance Calculator:
The Fertile Crescent and Meaning
http://www.mrdowling.com/603mesopotamia.html
Map of Mesopotamia:
http://www.wsu.edu/~wldciv/brians_syllabus/maps/maplabels1.html
Modern Map of Mesopotamia:
http://www.mainandcentral.org/home/mainand/public_html/iraq032403a1.jpg
Day 3
Role: (Agriculturalist)
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On your last day of the expedition you are an agriculturalist. You are responsible for generating the following information.
(When you are responding to the questions, make sure to use your own words!!):
1) Describe the agriculture and farming of Mesopotamia?
2) Explain how the contribution of the poisoned fields led to the collapse of Mesopotamia?
3) Explain why civilizations resembling Mesopotamia, would live close to water bodies?
4) What did the people eat?
5) Using the link below on Farming in Mesopotamia, explain the steps it would take to farm each year in Mesopotamia. (Make sure to use your own words).
INTERNET LINKS:
Farming and Agriculture
http://mesopotamia.mrdonn.org/agriculture.html
Poisoned fields:
http://www.learner.org/interactives/collapse/mesopotamia.html
Mesopotamian Cuisine:
http://www.digonsite.com/drdig/neareast/19.html
Civilizations close to water
http://www.mrdowling.com/603-civilization.html
Farming in Mespotamia: http://www.mesopotamia.co.uk/geography/challenge/cha_set.html
Evaluation
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RUBRIC EXPLORATION
1-5 No real exploration.
6-10 Some exploration of designated sites.
11-15 Enthusiastic exploration of designated sites.
DEPTH OF CONNECTION
1-5 No connections were made with designated questions.
6-10 Positive connections were demonstrated.
11-15 Strong personal connections with questions.
FINAL PRODUCT
1-5 Little evidence of participation in the final project.
6-10 Contributed some information for final product.
11-15 Enthusiastic about information and incorporating it into final product.
Conclusion
Congratulations!! You have successfully completed your exploration. You have learned a lot on your journey and now you can inform your coworkers about your discovery.
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Credits
Teacher Page
Standards:
Through this project you will address the following standards:
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.6.2.b
Develop the topic with relevant facts, definitions, concrete details, quotations, or other information and examples.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.WHST.6-8.4
Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.6.2.c
Use appropriate transitions to clarify the relationships among ideas and concepts.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RI.6.7
Integrate information presented in different media or formats (e.g., visually, quantitatively) as well as in words to develop a coherent understanding of a topic or issue.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.6.2.d
Use precise language and domain-specific vocabulary to inform about or explain the topic.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.W.6.3.c
Use a variety of transition words, phrases, and clauses to convey sequence and signal shifts from one time frame or setting to another.
6.2 Students analyze the geographic, political, economic, religious, and social structures of the early civilizations of Mesopotamia.
6.2.1 Locate and describe the major river systems and discuss the physical settings that supported permanent settlement and early civilizations.
6.2.3 Understand the relationship between religion and the social and political order in Mesopotamia.