Grade 6 · Quarter 1 · Week 8
Early China — The Shang Dynasty
Bronze, oracle bones, and the roots of Chinese civilization.
Standards this week
- · 6.EE.A.3
- · 6.EE.A.4
- · RI.6.7
- · W.6.2
- · MS-LS1-1
- · C3 D2.His.1.6-8
Packet contents
- Daily lesson plans (Mon–Fri)
- Friday weekly review
- Parent digest summary
- Worksheets (2)
- Teacher answer keys (1)
Materials to gather before Monday
Sharpened pencil & eraser
Day's notebook (one section per subject)
Outline map & colored pencils
Anchor text or passage handout
Vocabulary notebook
Lab notebook
Microscope & prepared slides
Graph paper for data
Timeline strip
Lined paper
Daily plans
Monday
The Yellow River Valley
| Social Studies | Map the Yellow (Huang He) and Yangtze rivers; loess soil and seasonal flooding. |
|---|---|
| Math | Equivalent expressions practice (6.EE.A.3): factor and expand. |
| ELA | Read on the geography of ancient China; integrate text + maps (RI.6.7). |
| Science | Living vs. nonliving review; characteristics of life in microorganisms. |
Today's worksheets
Tuesday
Shang Society
| Social Studies | Kings, priests, warriors, farmers; rich tombs at Anyang. |
|---|---|
| Math | Identify when two expressions are equivalent regardless of value (6.EE.A.4). |
| ELA | Vocabulary: dynasty, oracle, mandate, ancestor. |
| Science | Investigation: pond water under the microscope — tally micro-life. |
Today's worksheets
Wednesday
Bronze & the Chariot
| Social Studies | Bronze ritual vessels; the war chariot; how technology shapes power. |
|---|---|
| Math | Generate equivalent expressions to fit a real situation. |
| ELA | Compare a museum description with a primary source description. |
| Science | Single-celled organism investigation: amoeba & paramecium structures. |
Today's worksheets
Thursday
Oracle Bones & Writing
| Social Studies | Cracks in bone as messages from the ancestors; the oldest Chinese writing. |
|---|---|
| Math | Apply distributive property in expressions with three terms. |
| ELA | Write an informative paragraph on oracle-bone writing (W.6.2). |
| Science | Cells differ by function — compare nerve, muscle, and skin cells. |
Today's worksheets
- · [Writing 1] Writing prompt: Informative Essay
- · [Q1] Assessment: Q1 ELA Assessment
Friday
Shang Religion & the Mandate
| Social Studies | Belief in ancestors; how the Mandate of Heaven will reshape Chinese politics. |
|---|---|
| Math | Mixed practice: equivalent expressions in context. |
| ELA | Mini-research note cards on Shang inventions; cite sources. |
| Science | Body-systems and cell unit: connect Shang medicine to body knowledge. |
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 "Read on the geography of ancient China"."
Vocab to use at dinner: dynasty, oracle, mandate, ancestor
Math
"Ask your child to teach you tonight's idea in 60 seconds: "Show me one example of equivalent expressions practice (6." Teaching it back is the fastest way to lock it in."
Science
"Ask: "What did you observe today, and what do you think it means?" Encourage your child to draw a labeled sketch of "Living vs" 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 "Map the Yellow (Huang He) and Yangtze rivers"."
Worksheets (2)
- [Writing 1] ELA · Informative Essay
- [Q1] ELA · Q1 ELA Assessment
ELA · G6-ELA-PKG
Writing 1
Informative Essay
Standards: W.6.2·Time: 3–4 days
__________________
Prompt:
Write a multi-paragraph informative essay (4--5 paragraphs) titled: "Three Things to Know About Mesopotamian Scribes."
Requirements:
-
An introduction with a thesis statement that previews the three things you will discuss.
-
Three body paragraphs, each focused on one of the three things, with at least one specific fact per paragraph.
-
A conclusion that briefly summarizes and ends with a thought-provoking observation.
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Use at least 2 facts from Reading Passage 1B ("Scribes of Mesopotamia") and cite them.
-
Smooth transitions between paragraphs.
Use the 4-Point Writing Rubric from the front of this package. You will be scored on Ideas, Organization, Evidence, and Conventions.
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
1 of 2 items have keys on file.
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