Golden Ages
                                                                            By:  Rob Hamly 

Project at a Glance :

This project introduces students to the concept of a “golden age” in the history of civilizations around the world—a time when a civilization flourished and there was peace, prosperity, and achievement. Working in teams, students choose a particular civilization, such as Ancient Mesopotamia, Egypt, India (Indus Valley Civilization and the Gupta Empire in India), China, Greece, Rome; the Maya, Inca, and Aztecs; and 8th–14th-century Islam. Students conduct research on their civilization’s golden age and why it declined or ended, then they communicate their learning to the public through a museum exhibit.
       
Driving Question:

What lessons can we learn from golden age civilizations and/or from their falls, and what can these lessons teach us today?
             

Standards:

• D2.His.1.6-8,  D2.His.2.6-8, D2.His.3.6-8,  D2.His.14.6-8,  D2.His.15.6-8, D2.His.16.6-8, 
• Common Core State Standard—Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science, & Technical Subjects
• W.6-8.1 Write arguments focused on discipline-specific content [lessons learned from the rise and fall of a “golden age” civilization].
• W.6-8.1.B Support claim(s) with logical reasoning and relevant, accurate data and evidence that demonstrate an understanding of the topic or text, using credible sources.

Team / Culture Building:

• Creative DNA
  

Entry Event:

• Hopes/Fears/Norms

Stakeholders:

• Students
  
• Parents
  
• Community members at a community/school event
• Use the Stakeholder Map Activity so students can uncover who will be the stakeholders
• Friend or Foe Activity
  

Empathy Building:

• Empathy Map Activity to visualize the person that the solution is intended for. I.e. what does our civilization look like compared to a Golden Age Civilization
• Pains/Gains Map to understand the lessons (good and bad) that our civilization has learned from the Golden Age Civilizations

Inquiry / Need to Knows: 

• Journey Map
• Digital Interviews with web video resources from experts on the various Golden Age Civilizations​

Incubation:

• Think Pair Share protocol​

• Place questions with sticky notes on the board
• KWL (Know, Wonder, Learned) Chart
• Use a Google Form to document ideas/information
• Use the Idea Quota Activity to generate multiple solution ideas.
• Rule of Thirds protocol 

Checking in:

• Tell it to a Toddler after receiving the driving Question
• Fish Bowl as a way to hear other student's ideas
• Brain-firing 

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Solution Building:

• $100 Test
• Filtering & Objectives activity
• Dot Voting
• Story-Boarding

Critique and Revision: 

• After students have completed the $100 Test, they will have a discuss what they spent the most and least money on and what this says about their solution going forward. 
• Gallery Walk - students will give feedback on the other students’ products by focusing on one piece of feedback at a time using the I like, I wonder, What if strategy.​

Authentic Audience:

• Parents
  
• Community Members
  
• School Staff Members

Final Presentation:

• Students are going to share out their filmed museum exhibits to the authentic audience at a school student showcase.  Some of the community members with be from the local Jenison Museum.
• Students are creating a museum display that explains the Golden Age of an ancient civilization and how the civilization’s rise and fall can teach us lessons in today’s world.​

Click here for teacher's full plan.

​Reflection and Feedback:

• Scale/Rubric from the teacher
• Critical Friends activity with their peers.
• Parents, experts, and community member will complete a feedback form.​

Jenison Historical Association

Click here for the teacher's Journey through PBL on Padlet . . .

Meet the Educator:

Rob Hamly teaches middle school Social Studies at Jension Public Schools.

     "I love the real world applicability for students that comes from a PBL unit.  It gives them the opportunity to work as a team and explore new creativities and strengths outside of the standard curriculum.  Seeing students' different strengths and abilities show themselves during the process of the PBL unit is fun for an educator to observe and be part of."​