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    How Similar Are We?

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    Subject: Social Studies

    Lesson Length: 35 - 45 mins

    Topic: Cultural Comparisons in Ancient Civilizations

    Grade Level: 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8

    Standards / Framework:

    Brief Description: Students will be able to compare and contrast cultural aspects of different ancient civilizations that developed around the same time.

    Know Before You Start: Students should have a basic understanding of where ancient civilizations such as Mesopotamia, China, Egypt, and Greece were located and why they developed there.

    Hook:

    • Show pictures of popular food items, slang, current clothing trends, and other items that are representative of current culture. Why do these represent our culture?

    • Discuss what people will think 1,000 years from now when they see images of these items or watch videos from our time. 

    • Read and discuss the sample comic.

      • How were these ancient cultures the same?

      • How were they different?

      • How were they like our present day culture?

    Activity:

    • Have students select two ancient civilizations to compare and one cultural aspect to showcase. For example, recreation, communication, trade, etc.

    • Using the sample comic as a guide, have students create a three-panel comic describing a cultural aspect of two civilizations and similarities to our present-day lives.

    • Panel 1: Civilization 1 and Cultural Aspect.

    • Panel 2: Civilization 2 and Cultural Aspect.

    • Panel 3: Similarities to our present day lives.

    Closure:

    • Have students share their comics with the class and compare and contrast the similarities and differences among the ancient civilizations and their own.

    Differentiation:

    • Allow students to use the speech-to-text feature.
    • Allow students to use the voiceover feature to read their comics aloud.

    • Use Think-Pair-Share strategy during whole group discussion.

    Resources:

    • Comic to print or display: Comic.

    Suggested Content Packs:

    Suggested Story Starters:

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