Unit Plan: GRAAPES Duration: 64 lessons (classes) Grade: 7

Unit Rationale:
Through Social Studies, we teach our students how to live and work before the face of God in obedience to the norms of His Word in all areas of
life.
By teaching our students the different part of civilizations and having them see how these were put into action in some of the ancient civilizations,
we can also teach them to recognize these impacts in today’s culture and help them to become active and responsible citizens of their country in
this world.

Big Idea Geographic conditions shaped the emergence of civilizations.

In his sovereignty, God permitted different religious and cultural practices to emerge during this period and some have
endured and continue to influence people today.
Different societies us different systems of laws and government.
Economic specialization and trade networks can lead to conflict and cooperation between societies as directed by God.
Essential Questions How did Ancient Civilizations use their geographic conditions in order to develop and thrive?
What were the different religions of the ancient civilizations? How did they influence the cultures? Why don’t we, as
Christians, agree with them? Do we still see impacts of these religions in today’s cultures?
Why were governments and a set of laws vital for a civilization’s development?
How did the ancient civilizations develop their trade networks? What were some of their economic specializations that they
developed? What conflicts arose from these trades?
Assessment Assessment for Learning Assessment as Learning Assessment of Learning
- Hook questions at the beginning of - Think-Pair-Share activities - Small projects throughout the unit
lessons - Response Questions - Culminating project at the end of the
- KWL chart for their civilization - Checks for Understanding unit combining all smaller assignments
(optional) - Plane Crash Activity - Rubrics
- Peer Evaluations
- Self Evaluations
Curricular Competencies Content
● Use Social Studies inquiry processes and skills to: ask questions; ● Human responses to particular geographic challenges and
gather, interpret, and analyze ideas; and communicate findings and opportunities, including climates, landforms, and natural resources
decisions. ● Features and characteristics of civilizations and factors that lead to
● Assess the significance that God directed people, places, events, and their rise and fall.
developments to occur at particular times places ● Origins, core beliefs, narratives, practices, and influences of religions,
● Determine what is significant in an account, narrative, map, and including at least one indigenous to the Americas.
text. ● Scientific, philosophical, and technological developments
● Assess the credibility of multiples sources and the adequacy of ● Interactions and exchanges between past civilizations and cultures,
evidence used to justify conclusions. including conflict, peace, trade, expansion, and migration.
● Characterize different time periods in history, including periods of ● Social, political, legal, governmental, and economic systems and
progress and decline, and identify key turning points in God’s divine structures, including at least one indigenous to the Americas
plan that marked periods of change.
● Determine what factors God directed that led to particular
decisions, actions, and devents, and assess their short- and long-
term consequences.
● Through the lens of Scripture explain different perspectives on past
or present people, places, issues and events, and compare the
values, worldviews, and beliefs of human cultures and societies in
different times and places
● Make (Christian) faith-based ethical judgments about past events,
decisions, and actions, and assess the limitations of drawing direct
lessons from the past.
 Lesson Focus Teaching Strategies/Methods Resources & Materials
Lesson 1: Introduce -Review the 14 different characteristics of a civilization. Group them into the GRAAPES Unit booklet or outline
GRAAPES categories (Geography, Religion & Art, Achievements & Architecture, Agriculture & Food, Politics
Introduce unit plan & Economy, Social Structure)
-Introduce the unit to the students. Let them know they will have an opportunity to pick the
civilization they would like to work on. There will be bi-weekly themes that will be introduced in
a class or two. They will then have time to research, and at the end of the two weeks there will
be a short project. They will receive feedback from their peers as well as myself. At the end of
the unit they will have a few weeks to do the corrections/suggestions and will be including those
as well as a few other things in a final Living Museum display.
-Students submit their top 3 choices of Ancient Civilizations to study. The teacher will create
groups of 2-3 based on this information. Options: India, China, Greece, Rome, Egypt,
Mesopotamia, Inca, Aztec, Myan, Babylon, Israel
Lesson 3-4: -List the 6 main parts of the physical environment together as a class (climate, bodies of water,
Geography/Location landforms, the ground, plants, and animals)
-Partner activity: Plane Crash! You and your partner have just been in a plane crash in some
uninhabited location. Your job is to record a description of all the parts of the physical
environment that you see around you. You have no hope of a rescue and need to start building
your own civilization in order to survive. How can you use the physical environment around you
in order to survive?
-Apply this imaginative scenario to history. Discuss impact of geography on a civilization (use
Canada as an example?)
-How would these civilizations have impacted the environment around them in their will to
develop and thrive? Discuss the different ways the environment can be impacted by humans:
➔ You use a resource that can be renewed
➔ You use a resource that is renewable, but you use it so much that it isn’t being renewed
fast enough.
➔ You use a non-renewable resource
➔ You harvest one resource, but in the process you damage another
➔ Your use of a resource causes pollution
 ➔ You destroy a habitat
➔ You don’t completely destroy a habitat, but you are in it so much that you disturb the
plants and animals that live there

Lesson 5-9: Research -Brainstorm key terms/phrases/questions to use while researching. Some examples: Where was -Chromebooks
and Presentation of this ancient civilization? What is the natural environment? What raw materials and natural -atlas
their chosen Ancient resources were available? What are the major cities/centres and estimated populations? Where -map making supplies
Civilization are they? How did humans impact the natural environment? (poster board,
-Students begin their research for their assignment modelling clay, etc.)
-Assignment: Students must create a map labelling all the main physical features of their
civilization. They should include a list of the most common plants and animals. They will discuss
the benefits of said environment, as well as some disadvantages. Why did their civilization
decide to live there? Record some of the most major cities on the map. How could their
civilization have impacted the physical environment?
-Present maps by way of a gallery walk around the room
Lesson 10: Religion -Display the following questions and have the students brainstorm for as many possible answers -Unit workbook
& Art as they can. -Laptop/projector for
➔ Why and how do world religions start? In order to explain events. Example: a river floods videos
and destroys a village. People may ask why. An answer to explain it could be that the
people did not please the river god and so s/he was upset. Usually an event was linked
back to the people’s actions
➔ How might geography influence religion? Eg. Mesopotamia vs. Egypt: the Tigris and
Euphrates were fast moving and rough in places and they flooded very quickly and
unpredictably. The Nile was relatively easy to navigate and flooding was very
predictable. Mesopotamian gods were seen as more changeable, vindictive and cruel,
while Egyptians gods were more calm, constant and dependable.
➔ What is the difference between polytheism vs. monotheism?
➔ How did art play a role in religion?
-Have students share their ideas and lead the class in a discussion.
-Watch the following videos about 5 major world religions (11 minutes) and art in religion (4.5
minutes).
Lesson 11-19: -Brainstorm key terms/phrases/questions to use while researching. Some examples: art, belief, -picture book supplies
Research & religion, music, language, writing, did this civilization have religious or spiritual beliefs? What is (markers, pencil
Presentation of their typical of their art? Do the artistic representations help determine what type of clothing they crayons, paper,
chosen Ancient wore? What was their system of writing? construction paper)
Civilization -Students begin the research on their assignment. -colored printer for
-Assignment: As a group, create a picture book to explain the culture’s religion. Individually, find pieces of art
a piece of art (painting/mural/statue/etc.) that depict the culture’s religion and create a placard
that could be placed under it in the museum.
Lesson 20: -Intro trivia with pictures of famous structures and achievements/inventions from various -pictures of different
Achievements & civilizations. structures and
Architecture -Create stations with various pictures and descriptions of different structures and inventions. inventions
Have students make inferences about how the civilization would have been impacted by the -unit workbook
structure/invention.
Lesson 21-26: -Brainstorm key terms/phrases/questions to use while researching. Some examples: famous -Chromebooks
Research & structures, writing system, inventions, architecture, tools and technologies needed for their -supplies for creating
Presentation of the jobs/way of life, famous structures, are there any structures still standing from this civilization? model (modeling clay,
chosen Ancient What was it used for? What do these structures and inventions reveal about their culture? popsicle sticks,
Civilization -Students begin the research on their assignment toothpicks, cardboard
-Assignment: Students create a small replica of an important structure or invention from their etc.)
Ancient Civilization. Write a few paragraphs explaining the role, importance, and how it
influenced our life/society today.
-For the presentation the students will display their model and paragraphs. Students walk
around for a gallery walk. Once the gallery walk is completed (or during the gallery walk),
students will answer a few questions about the other civilizations’ architecture and
achievements.
Lesson 27: -Have students examine their own lunches as an artifact of our own civilization. As much as -lunches
Agriculture & Food possible, have them note the journey of their food from earth to lunch kit. (Guiding questions: -unit workbook
where did the food come from (grocery store and beyond)? Where did it grow originally? Where
was it processed (i.e. industrially or home)? How far has it travelled? How did you specifically get
it?
 -Discuss how a surplus of food indicates and contributes to other key factors of a civilization:
agriculture, developed cities, division of labour, structured society, recording system, etc. (refer
back to the list of the qualities of a civilization)
Lesson 28-31: -Brainstorm key terms/phrases/questions to use while researching. Some examples: diet, -Chromebooks
Research & farming, what type of agriculture did this civilization practice (include a description of -paper, posterboard,
Presentation of their technology) What did they typically eat? How did they exchange goods and services? Did they construction paper
chosen Ancient have a monetary system?
Civilization -Students begin the research on their assignment
-Assignment: What’s on the Menu in Ancient _____________________?
Students will present a menu as if they are waiters with a detailed menu
Lesson 32-33: -list the main purposes of government (provide services, law and order, build and maintain -information for each
Politics relationships with other nations) group on type of
-small groups role play one of the different forms of government: theocracy, dictatorship, government
monarchy, democracy, oligarchy, anarchy (provide each group with the information they need) -sticky notes for 6
-after each presentation complete a chart answering questions about each type (who has the corners
power, how do they get the power, pros, cons)
-6 corners: which one is best?
-Check in: stranded on a desert island: which one would be the best? Worst? Why?
Lesson 34-40: -Brianstorm key terms/phrases/questions to use while researching. Some examples: leaders, -project criteria, rubric
Research & type of government, how was the leader chosen? Did the citizens rebel against this leader? Why? and self-assessment
Presentation of the What accomplishments did this leader have during his/her reign? How long did your leader
chosen Ancient reign?
Civilization -students will be researching the politics in their civilization
-each student in the group will pick a different influential leader from their civilization
-they will choose a format to write a short biography on their leader that they chose
-newspaper
-comic strip
-interview
-diary entry
-biography
Lesson 41: Economy -using the internet or a textbook answer the following questions with students. -internet or a Socials
-teacher can choose how to do this but here are some options: Studies textbook
-carousel -chart paper for
-jigsaw questions
-class discussion
-the questions are:
-How do supply and demand affect trade?
-How does geography affect trade?
-How does trade change a civilization?
-How does trade help a civilization to grow?
Lesson 42-47: -Brainstorm key terms/phrases/questions to use while researching. Some examples: natural -Chromebooks
Research & resources (of their civilization), products made, trade routes, challenges faced while trading, -supplies for games
Presentation of the what impact did this trade have on the civilization? Who was involved in the trade industry? How (posterboard, markers,
chosen Ancient were those in the trade industry treated? paper)
Civilization -students will be planning and making a powerpoint that is 5-7 slides with information on the
trade and economy of their civilization. This will be on display at their final museum exhibit
-students will also create a board game that teaches their classmates about the economy and
trade of their civilization
-they will then teach their classmates the boardgame and we will take a class to play them.
Lesson 48: -Hook question/discussion: Today, are there some people who are more important than others
Social Structure in our society?
-Introduce the idea of a social pyramid (model this off the current day India caste system to give
students an idea of what this looks like, Untouchables?)
-What kinds of problems can a social structure create? Do we have a social structure in Canada?
Lesson 49-53: -Brainstorm key terms/phrases/questions to use while researching. Some examples: hierarchy, -Chromebooks for
Research & labour, leader, role, law, what form of government was used? Were there different classes of research
Presentation of their people? What jobs might people have had (include technology where applicable)? -Socials Studies
chosen Ancient -Students begin the research on their Assignment. textbook for research
Civilization Assignment: Each student will assume the social role of someone in their Ancient Civilization and
tell us about their life, status, job, etc.
Lesson 54-64: Final Presentation: A Living Museum - Using QR codes and videos present their Ancient -Tables for each group
Living Museum Civilization to classmates and parents. Include all the mini projects they completed over the -all of the mini projects
weeks (improved based on the feedback received). They must be dressed up and serve snacks -Chromebooks
based on their local cuisine. They should each include a replication of an artifact as well as an -costumes
explanation of the importance of that artifact to their civilization as well as today’s culture.

Resources:

A Brief History of Religion in Art, Khan Academy, 2019, www.khanacademy.org/humanities/art-history-basics/beginners-art-history/v/a-

brief-history-of-religion-in-art-ted-ed.

DesRivieres, Denis, Doyle, Susan M., Jarvis, Graham, Jeroski, Sharon, and Toutant, Arnold. The Ancient World to the 7th Century. Pearson
Canada Inc, 2018

The 5 Major World Religions, Khan Academy, 2019, www.khanacademy.org/humanities/art-history-basics/beginners-art-history/v/five-

major-world-religions.