Direct Instruction Lesson Plan

Grade Level/Subject: 6Grade/Language

Central Focus:
Arts/Social Studies
Navigating through a nonfiction text focusing on Dams and Levees
related to the Mesopotamian era
Essential Standard/Common Core Objective:
th

CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RI.6.1

Cite textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as
well as inferences drawn from the text.

Date submitted:

Date taught:

NCES.6.G.1.1 Explain how the physical features and human

characteristics of a place influenced the development of civilizations,
societies, and regions (e.g. location near rivers and natural
Daily Lesson Objective:
Performance
ThestudentswillbeabletotounderstandleveesanddamsasavitalpartofMesopotamiancivilization.The
studentswillbeabletofindtextualevidenceinordertosupportanswers.

Conditions
Studentswillbeallowedtocontributetoagroupsilentconversationusingtheirtextonleveesanddams.
Studentswillalsobeabletousetheirtextwhenansweringcomprehensionassessmentquestions

Criteria
Studentswillbeexpectedtoanswerfivequestionsfocusedonleveesanddamsusingtextualevidence.Students
willalsobeexpectedtoparticipateatleastonceinasilentconversation.

21st
Century Skills:

Academic Language Demand (Language Function and Vocabulary):

Prior Knowledge: Students will have been introduced to the Mesopotamian era. The Student will also have already
been introduced to finding textual evidence strategies.
Activity

1. Focus and Review

Description of Activities and Setting

Time

Good Afternoon, so in language arts weve been using textual evidence to

help support our answers. Can some tell me one sentence starter from the
prove it answer waits for students to respond with a couple of the
following: Based on what I have read, According to the text, I know this
because, On page___, it says, An example from the text is, It says in
paragraph __, that What is a strategy we can use to while reading to
show where we find textual evidence? Students will respond. Can one
person tell me what time period you guys are studying in Social Studies?
Students will respond Mesopotamia. Great, so the article we are going to
read today focuses on a particular structure built by the Mesopotamians.

11:50am12pm

2. Statement of Objective
for Student

3. Teacher Input

4. Guided Practice

We will do three things this class period. The first thing you will do is read
the article silently to yourself and then again with your group. The second
thing we are going to do is to is answers some questions on a separate
piece of paper using textual evidence. This will be turned in at the end of
class. And the third thing we will do is have a silent conversation with your
groups.
Before you read the article by yourself Im going to read the questions
you're going to have to answer and first paragraph by aloud. Reads first
paragraph. After I read this paragraph Im going to write in the margins
the number of the questions that can be answered in that paragraph.
Models the strategy to student on Doc Cam.
Now I want you to to read the article with your group members use your
reading strategies to find textual evidence for the questions.
Now that you have found evidence to answer to the questions, I want
you each take 10 mins to independently answer the questions using
textual evidence. After 10 mins have elapsed.

5. Independent Practice

6. Assessment Methods
of
all objectives/skills:

12:00 pm
-12:03pm

12:03pm12:13pm
12:13pm12:23pm

12:23pm12:33pm

Now that your 10 mins are up, I we are going to have a silent
conversation. A silent conversation is simple. Each table will be given a
large piece of construction paper with a word or topic in the center. Each
person in the group will be given a different color marker and required to
contribute to the conversation at least once. Silent conversations kind of
work like text bubbles, one person will write one thing in a bubble and
12:33pmanother person will write a connecting bubble. Heres an example. Draws
12: 45pm
an example on the board. Everything you write must be appropriate.
The topic for all 7 groups will be
1. Dams
The five questions will be an summative Social Studies assessment. The students use
textual evidence when answering the question will be a summative assessment for
reading. The question will be :

1. What is the meaning of the Mesopotamia?

A. The land between two rivers
B. Large, fast river
C. Land of military power
D. The Tigris River god
2. What is a levee?
a. A wall that guides the flow of water away from a dam
b. A natural rock formation that helps contain water
c. A very large well that is used to contain water gathered by a dam
d. A hill that prevents a river from overflowing its banks
3. How did dams and levees support Mesopotamian civilization?
a. Dams and levees helped create irrigation systems that
supported agriculture.

b. Dams encouraged a growth in recreational activities, while

levees helped create numerous Mesopotamian industries.
c. Dams and levees held back floodwater to keep Mesopotamia a
desert landscape.
d. Dams and levees were only used for military purposes, and
helped Mesopotamians defeat enemies.
4. Ancient Mesopotamians are remembered for having an advanced
culture. In what ways are their technological advances still important
and useful today? Use specific examples from the reading passage in
your answer.

7. Closure

So with the last few minutes of class we are going to discuss what each
group discussed about dams and levees in their silent conversation. As a
class. we will listen quietly to our classmates on what some their
comments were and allow anyone else to add on if they have a comment.
Allow an open discussion on civilization, current events, etc.

12:45pm12:50pm

8. Assessment Results of
all objectives/skills:
Targeted Students Modifications/Accommodations:

Student/Small Group Modifications/Accommodations:

This is the honors block so the silent conversation topic are
geared at a higher level.

Materials/Technology:
Doc Cam
27 Mesopotamia article
7 construction paper ( 1 per group)
5 Sets of 8 different color markers / pencils
each student will need their own notebook
whiteboard
whiteboard markers
References:
www.discoverytechbook.com
Mesopotamia Era: Dams and Levees
Reflection on lesson: