Grade 6 · Quarter 1 · Week 2
Mesopotamia I — Sumer and the First City-States
Ur, Uruk, cuneiform, ziggurats; the world's first writing.
Standards this week
- · 6.RP.A.2
- · 6.RP.A.3
- · RL.6.1
- · RL.6.4
- · MS-LS1-2
- · C3 D2.His.1.6-8
Packet contents
- Daily lesson plans (Mon–Fri)
- Friday weekly review
- Parent digest summary
- Worksheets (5)
- Teacher answer keys (5)
Materials to gather before Monday
Sharpened pencil & eraser
Day's notebook (one section per subject)
Outline map & colored pencils
Microscope & prepared slides
Sketching pencils & ruler
Craft supplies (clay, cardstock)
Vocabulary notebook
Lab notebook
Lined paper
Daily plans
Monday
The Land Between the Rivers
| Social Studies | Geography of Mesopotamia; map Tigris, Euphrates, Persian Gulf. |
|---|---|
| Math | Unit rate intro: price per item, miles per hour (6.RP.A.2). |
| ELA | Begin Gilgamesh the Hero retelling; identify the epic-hero pattern. |
| Science | Cell function — how cells get energy; review mitochondria/chloroplast roles. |
Today's worksheets
- · [1B] Worksheet: Unit Rates
- · [Quiz 1.1] Quiz: Ratios and Unit Rates
- · [Q1] Assessment: Q1 Cumulative Assessment
Tuesday
Sumerian City-States
| Social Studies | Ur, Uruk, Lagash; rivalries, kings, and patron gods. |
|---|---|
| Math | Find unit rates from ratios; reason whether a rate is reasonable. |
| ELA | Gilgamesh ch. 2–3; characterization of Gilgamesh and Enkidu (RL.6.1). |
| Science | Levels of organization: cell → tissue → organ → system; build a flip-chart. |
Today's worksheets
- · [1A] Reading: Reading Response: The Golden Goblet (early chapters)
- · [Q1] Assessment: Q1 ELA Assessment
Wednesday
Cuneiform — The First Writing
| Social Studies | From pictograph to wedge; press cuneiform tablets in air-dry clay. |
|---|---|
| Math | Solve simple unit-rate problems (6.RP.A.3); recipes and travel. |
| ELA | Word study: idioms in epic language; discuss connotation (RL.6.4). |
| Science | Microscope lab: identify tissue layers in prepared slides. |
Today's worksheets
Thursday
The Ziggurat & Sumerian Religion
| Social Studies | Polytheism, the ziggurat at Ur, the role of priests. |
|---|---|
| Math | Ratio tables → tape diagrams → double number lines. |
| ELA | Gilgamesh ch. 4–5; the friendship motif; cite textual evidence. |
| Science | Compare unicellular vs. multicellular organisms. |
Today's worksheets
Friday
Sumerian Inventions Showcase
| Social Studies | The wheel, the plow, the sail, the 60-minute hour. Why these still matter. |
|---|---|
| Math | Mixed practice: ratios, rates, ratio tables. |
| ELA | Cuneiform writing project: students 'publish' their own clay tablet. |
| Science | Investigation: yeast as living cells — bubbles as evidence of respiration. |
Today's worksheets
Friday weekly review
Theme: Foundations of the Eastern Hemisphere
- Social Studies
- Name one geographic feature studied this week and explain how it shaped the people who lived there.
- Math
- Show one worked example from this week's standard and write a one-sentence rule in your own words.
- ELA
- Pull one sentence from the anchor text that surprised you. Explain why in 2–3 sentences.
- Science
- Describe one observation from a model, lab, or diagram and the question it raised.
Big question
How did this week's science or math concept change how you understand the civilization or text we studied?
For the family
Short summary of this week to share with your child and the rest of the household. Print and post on the fridge.
ELA
"Ask: "Who is the main character or speaker in what you read today, and what do they want?" Then have your child read aloud one favorite sentence from "Begin Gilgamesh the Hero retelling"."
Vocab to use at dinner: idioms in epic language
Math
"Ask your child to teach you tonight's idea in 60 seconds: "Show me one example of unit rate intro: price per item, miles per hour (6." Teaching it back is the fastest way to lock it in."
Vocab to use at dinner: ratios, rates, ratio tables
Science
"Ask: "What did you observe today, and what do you think it means?" Encourage your child to draw a labeled sketch of "Cell function — how cells get energy" on a sticky note."
Social Studies
"At home, ask: "Where on a map would you find what you studied today?" Have your child point it out and tell you one cause and one effect from "Geography of Mesopotamia"."
Worksheets (5)
- [1B] Math · Unit Rates
- [Quiz 1.1] Math · Ratios and Unit Rates
- [Q1] Math · Q1 Cumulative Assessment
- [1A] ELA · Reading Response: The Golden Goblet (early chapters)
- [Q1] ELA · Q1 ELA Assessment
Math · G6-MATH-PKG
1B
Unit Rates
Standards: 6.RP.A.2·Time: 20–30 min
__________________
Part 1: Find the unit rate
A unit rate compares two quantities where the second quantity is 1.
1. A car travels 240 miles in 4 hours. Unit rate = _____ miles per hour.
2. A worker earns $84 for 6 hours of work. Unit rate = $_____ per hour.
3. A factory makes 1,200 parts in 8 hours. Unit rate = _____ parts per hour.
4. A bag of 12 apples costs $4.80. Unit price = $_____ per apple.
5. A printer prints 360 pages in 15 minutes. Unit rate = _____ pages per minute.
Part 2: Compare unit rates
6. Store A sells 6 oranges for $3. Store B sells 10 oranges for $4. Which store has the better unit price? _____ ($_____ vs $_____ per orange).
7. Runner X covers 8 miles in 64 minutes. Runner Y covers 5 miles in 35 minutes. Whose pace is faster? _____ (minutes per mile: _____ vs _____).
8. Brand A: 24 oz for $4.80. Brand B: 16 oz for $3.04. Which is the better buy per ounce? _____
Part 3: Word problems
9. An Egyptian quarry worker carves 15 hieroglyphs in 5 hours. At this rate, how many hieroglyphs can he carve in an 8-hour day?
10. A merchant boat travels 84 miles down the Nile in 6 hours. How far would it travel in 10 hours at the same speed?
11. Maria can read 18 pages in 30 minutes. How many pages can she read in 75 minutes?
12. A printing press in a Han Chinese workshop prints 240 pages in 30 minutes. Find the unit rate and predict how many pages it would print in 2 hours.
Math · G6-MATH-PKG
Quiz 1.1
Ratios and Unit Rates
Standards: 6.RP.A.1, 6.RP.A.2·Time: 20 min
__________________ Score: _____ / 10
1. A box has 8 pencils and 6 pens. The ratio of pencils to pens is _____:_____.
2. Simplify the ratio 30:45 to lowest terms: _____:_____.
3. Write two ratios equivalent to 4:7: _____ and _____.
4. A car drives 180 miles in 3 hours. Unit rate = _____ miles per hour.
5. A 16-ounce bottle costs $3.20. Unit price = $_____ per ounce.
6. Brand A: 12 oz for $3.60. Brand B: 20 oz for $5.00. Which is cheaper per ounce? _____
7. A worker stacks 75 bricks in 15 minutes. At this rate, how many bricks in an hour? _____
8. A recipe uses 3 cups of flour for every 2 cups of milk. Find the ratio in simplest form: _____:_____.
9. If 8 oranges cost $2.40, how much do 12 oranges cost at the same price per orange? $_____
10. A printer prints 480 pages in 20 minutes. How many pages would it print in 45 minutes?
Math · G6-MATH-PKG
Q1
Q1 Cumulative Assessment
Standards: 6.RP.A.1, 6.RP.A.2, 6.NS.A.1, 6.NS.B.4, 6.EE.A.1·Time: 40–50 min
__________________ Score: _____ / 15
1. A school has 80 sixth-graders and 60 seventh-graders. Write the ratio of sixth to seventh in simplest form: _____:_____.
2. Find a ratio equivalent to 6:9 (different from 6:9): _____:_____.
3. A bag of 8 mangoes costs $6. Unit price per mango = $_____.
4. Whose pace is faster: Runner A doing 5 miles in 40 minutes, or Runner B doing 4 miles in 30 minutes? _____
5. GCF of 36 and 54 = _____
6. LCM of 9 and 12 = _____
7. Rewrite 28 + 42 as the GCF times a sum: _____ × (_____ + _____)
8. Compute: 4/5 ÷ 2/3 = _____
9. Compute: 7/8 ÷ 1/4 = _____
10. Compute: 3 1/2 ÷ 7/8 = _____
11. Evaluate: 3³ = _____
12. Evaluate: 7² = _____
13. Evaluate: (2 + 4)² ÷ 4 = _____
14. A merchant has 12 jars of olive oil and 18 jars of wine. He wants to pack them into identical boxes with no leftovers. Greatest number of boxes? _____ Oil per box? _____ Wine per box? _____
15. A field is 3/4 of an acre. Each plot is 1/8 of an acre. How many plots fit in the field? _____
**QUARTER 2 --- OPERATIONAL FLUENCY AND ALGEBRA FOUNDATIONS**
ELA · G6-ELA-PKG
1A
Reading Response: The Golden Goblet (early chapters)
Standards: RL.6.1, RL.6.2, RL.6.3
__________________
After reading the early chapters of The Golden Goblet by Eloise Jarvis McGraw, answer the following questions in full sentences. Cite specific textual evidence whenever asked.
1. Who is Ranofer, and what is his situation at the beginning of the novel? Cite one specific detail from the text. (RL.6.1)
2. Describe Ranofer's relationship with his half-brother Gebu. How does Gebu treat him? Quote one passage that shows this clearly. (RL.6.1, RL.6.3)
3. What does Ranofer dream of becoming? What stands in his way? (RL.6.3)
4. What is the "glint of gold" Ranofer notices, and why does it trouble him? (RL.6.3)
5. What do you think McGraw is suggesting about courage or honesty in this early section? Identify one passage that supports your interpretation. (RL.6.2)
6. How does the setting --- ancient Egypt under the New Kingdom --- shape the events of the story? Cite one specific detail. (RL.6.3)
ELA · G6-ELA-PKG
Q1
Q1 ELA Assessment
Standards: RL.6.1, RL.6.2, RI.6.2, L.6.1, L.6.4, W.6.2
__________________ Score: _____ / 20
Part 1: Reading comprehension (5 points)
Re-read this short excerpt before answering.
Teacher section — remove before giving to student
Answer keys
5 of 5 items have keys on file.
Answer key · Math
1B: Unit Rates
Teacher copy
1. 60 mph
2. $14 per hour
3. 150 parts per hour
4. $0.40 per apple
5. 24 pages per minute
6. Store A is better ($0.50 vs $0.40 --- actually B is cheaper at $0.40/orange; Store A is $0.50/orange). Store B has the better unit price.
7. Runner Y is faster: X = 8 min/mile, Y = 7 min/mile.
8. Brand A: $0.20/oz. Brand B: $0.19/oz. Brand B is the better buy.
9. 24 hieroglyphs in 8 hours (rate = 3/hour × 8).
10. 140 miles (14 mph × 10 hours).
11. 45 pages (0.6 pages/min × 75).
12. Unit rate: 8 pages/minute. In 2 hours (120 minutes): 960 pages.
Answer key · Math
Quiz 1.1: Ratios and Unit Rates
Teacher copy
1. 8:6 (or 4:3 simplified)
2. 2:3
3. Sample: 8:14, 12:21
4. 60 mph
5. $0.20 per ounce
6. Brand A is cheaper ($0.30 vs $0.25 --- actually B is $0.25/oz, A is $0.30/oz). Brand B.
7. 300 bricks (75 × 4)
8. 3:2
9. $3.60 (12 × $0.30)
10. 1,080 pages (24 × 45)
Answer key · Math
Q1: Q1 Cumulative Assessment
Teacher copy
1. 4:3
2. Sample: 2:3, 12:18
3. $0.75 per mango
4. Runner B (7.5 min/mile vs A's 8 min/mile)
5. 18
6. 36
7. 14 × (2 + 3)
8. 6/5 = 1 1/5
9. 7/2 = 3 1/2
10. 4 (7/2 ÷ 7/8 = 7/2 × 8/7 = 4)
11. 27
12. 49
13. 9 (36 ÷ 4)
14. 6 boxes; 2 oil and 3 wine per box.
15. 6 plots (3/4 ÷ 1/8 = 6)
Q2 --- Operational Fluency and Algebra Foundations
Answer key · ELA
1A: Reading Response: The Golden Goblet (early chapters)
Teacher copy
Sample answers; student wording will vary.
1. Ranofer is a young Egyptian boy whose father has died. He lives with his cruel half-brother Gebu and works in a goldsmith's shop, but is treated as a servant rather than apprentice.
2. Gebu is harsh, abusive, and exploitative. He keeps Ranofer in poverty and prevents him from pursuing his dream. (Students should cite a specific passage showing this.)
3. Ranofer dreams of becoming a goldsmith. Gebu and his own poverty stand in the way.
4. Ranofer notices Gebu hiding gold --- gold that Gebu has stolen. It troubles Ranofer because he realizes his brother is a thief.
5. Sample theme: Honesty and courage often require taking great risks against more powerful people. (Students should support with a passage showing Ranofer's moral struggle.)
6. The ancient Egyptian setting --- temples, markets, goldsmiths' shops --- shapes both the daily life of the characters and the moral framework (the importance of work, family, and ma'at, the Egyptian sense of order).
Answer key · ELA
Q1: Q1 ELA Assessment
Teacher copy
1. The Mesopotamian scribe held the city's memory; without him, the city could not function.
2. "He recorded what grain came in, what went out, who owed what."
3. Sample: The author respects scribes --- phrases like "the careful pressing of wedges into clay" and "the city's past into the future" show admiration.
4. Sample theme: Honesty against power requires courage. Students should cite a passage showing Ranofer's moral dilemma about Gebu.
5. Gebu's harsh treatment forces Ranofer to be careful, hide his ambitions, and learn to act in secret --- shaping his moral choices throughout the novel.
6. Scripture = a sacred or important written text.
7. Democracy = rule (kratos) by the people (demos).
8. Student sentence; should correctly use a root-based word.
9. My brother and I went home.
10. Ranofer is the antecedent of "he."
11. Sample: Both Mesopotamian and Egyptian scribes spent years learning a difficult writing system, were trained in temple schools, and could rise to powerful positions like royal advisor or treasurer. Both civilizations valued literacy and used scribes to record economic and religious life.
Q2 --- Black Ships Before Troy and Ancient Greece