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Gr. 6 Unit: Changes Over Time - The Ethics of Selling History

Essential Question:

What is argument? How is an argument different from an opinion? Why do some people choose to sell historical artifacts while others choose to preserve history for all?

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CCSS Standards for this Unit

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6 Weeks - "Unit at a Glance" Organizer

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The unit will take six weeks. Students will learn about changes over time and the ethics of selling history. Grade 6 students need to understand the role they can play in our society. In this unit, students will learn the power of a rational argument in exploring changes over time. Through reading, writing, listening, and speaking experiences, students will explores how an individual person can effect change. Students will have an opportunity to analyze in detail how an individual is portrayed in a text as an agent of change; trace and evaluate an argument and specific claims in a text, distinguishing claims that are supported by reasons and evidence from claims that are not; write arguments to support claims with clear reasons and relevant evidence; and discuss their readings and writing by explicitly drawing on information about the topic, text, or issue.

Students will

examine the specific ways an important person, event, or idea in the text is presented to a reader.
support ideas with relevant evidence.
identify claims in the text.
assess the value of the argument based upon supported claims.
take purposeful notes in preparation for discussion, using highlighting, outlines, journals, and other techniques as appropriate.
demonstrate collegiality when asking and responding to questions and comments.
analyze various sources in order to determine if they are authoritative, accurate, objective, current, and fully-covered.
analyze claims and support within argument essays to determine if the support is appropriate, accurate, and adequate.
analyze a class-created essay for fallacies of thinking in order to discern argument from persuasive writing.
locate and utilize credible sources for research.
compose an argument essay in order to advocate for a historical agent of change
distinguish between subjective and objective summaries.
determine the variety of ways that a person, event, or idea may be described or explained to a reader.
adapt the prewriting stage of the writing process to an argument, including developing one or more claims, and effectively ordering reasons that support the claim.
gather information to support claims.
compose a draft of an introduction that presents a claim or claims clearly.
identify claims and support in written material
synthesize argument with creative artistic expression
evaluate peers written and artistic expression of argument

Text Models for Lessons and Lesson Seeds

Texts:

From the Mixed up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L. Konigsburg
The Egypt Game by Zilpha Snyder
Slakes Limbo by Felice Holman
Maniac Magee by Jerry Spinelli
Chasing Vermeer by Blue Balliett
The Wright 3 by Blue Balliett
The Calder Game by Blue Balliett
The Danger Game by Blue Balliett

Cohen, Daniel. "The First Emperor". Book Excerpt from The Tomb Robbers. (Selection can be found in the McDougal Littell and Holt McDougal Grade 6 anthology. The copyright dates for the referenced anthology range from 2003 to 2012.)

Web Articles:

Changes over time—The Ethics of Selling History http://www.economist.com/node/1056932
Civil War fort at Jamestown is dug up to get at 1607 site. http://thisweekinthecivilwar.com/?p=1229

SIRS Discover texts:

Martin, Noelene. "The Secret Army." Touchdown. April 2001: 86-89. SIRS Discoverer. Web. 05 Dec 2011.
Bryan. "The First Emperor." Junior Scholastic (Vol. 110, No. 17). 28 Apr 2008: 12+. SIRS Discoverer. Web. 05 Dec 2011.

Notes

IMPORTANT NOTE: Consider the need for Accessible Instructional Materials (AIM) when selecting texts and/or novels for the unit or lessons. Consider the need for captioned/described video when selecting video or other media for the unit or lessons. For Instructional Materials (AIM), See http://marylandlearninglinks.org/.

The teacher should pre-assess students' prior knowledge of:

reading and writing argument.
essay writing including the ability to compose paragraphs with topic sentences, introductory paragraphs and concluding paragraphs
citing sources when using quotations and paraphrased material

The Unit Summative Assessments are:

Socratic Seminar discussion by organizing their notes and reviewing the questions developed related to the issue for debate: Why do some people choose to sell historical artifacts while others choose to preserve history for all? Is it ethical to sell historical artifacts for profit?
a journal entry reflecting on their learning throughout the unit and individually respond to the unit's essential questions:

What is argument? How is an argument different from an opinion?
Why do some people choose to sell historical artifacts while others choose to preserve history for all?

Interdisciplinary Connections

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Last Updated 3/17/2020 1:12 PM

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Unit Overview

Text Models for Lessons and Lesson Seeds