Skip to main content
6SixthGrade
Back to Week 23
8 worksheets · 5 answer keysPlan only

Grade 6 · Quarter 3 · Week 23

Han China — Empire in the East

Confucian governance and a contemporary of Rome.

Standards this week

  • · 6.SP.B.5
  • · 6.RP.A.3
  • · RI.6.2
  • · RI.6.6
  • · MS-LS3-1
  • · C3 D2.His.2.6-8

Packet contents

  1. Daily lesson plans (Mon–Fri)
  2. Friday weekly review
  3. Parent digest summary
  4. Worksheets (8)
  5. Teacher answer keys (5)

Materials to gather before Monday

Sharpened pencil & eraser

Day's notebook (one section per subject)

Anchor text or passage handout

Timeline strip

Sketching pencils & ruler

Vocabulary notebook

Microscope & prepared slides

Calculator (optional)

Lined paper

Lab notebook

SixthGrade · Binder packetPrint once Monday morning — file in the week's tab

Daily plans

Monday

From Qin to Han

Social StudiesQin Shi Huang's brief unification; Han Gaozu founds a long dynasty.
MathSummarize numerical data sets in relation to context (6.SP.B.5).
ELARead on the Qin & Han transition; central idea (RI.6.2).
ScienceGenes and traits — DNA as the code (MS-LS3-1).

Today's worksheets

  • · [1B] Passage: Reading Passage: Mesopotamian Scribal Culture (with comprehension)
  • · [Q1] Assessment: Q1 ELA Assessment
  • · [3C] Passage: Reading Passage: Roman Engineering and the Aqueducts (with comprehension)
  • · [Q3] Assessment: Q3 ELA Assessment

Tuesday

Confucianism in Government

Social StudiesThe civil service exam idea; rule by educated officials.
MathMean absolute deviation (MAD) intro.
ELACompare Han & Roman government structures (RI.6.6).
ScienceModel DNA → protein with bead/string activity.

Today's worksheets

  • · [1B] Passage: Reading Passage: Mesopotamian Scribal Culture (with comprehension)
  • · [2C] Passage: Reading Passage: Democracy in Athens (with comprehension)

Wednesday

Han Inventions

Social StudiesPaper, the seismograph, the wheelbarrow, advanced metallurgy.
MathCompare two data sets using MAD or IQR.
ELAVocabulary: Confucianism, mandate, dynasty, bureaucracy.
ScienceMutation as a change in genetic code; sickle-cell case study.

Today's worksheets

    Thursday

    Han Society & Trade

    Social StudiesFarmers, merchants, scholar-officials; preview of the Silk Road.
    MathPercent in trade: gold, silk, spices.
    ELAPlan compare-and-contrast paragraph: Han vs. Rome (W.6.2).
    ScienceInvestigation: 'mutation telephone' — copy errors in writing.

    Today's worksheets

    • · [Writing 1] Writing prompt: Informative Essay
    • · [Q1] Assessment: Q1 ELA Assessment
    • · [Writing 2B] Writing prompt: Theme Analysis
    • · [Writing 3A] Writing prompt: Comparative Informative Essay

    Friday

    Han Legacy

    Social StudiesWhy 'Han' became the name of China's majority ethnicity.
    MathMixed practice: data summary and ratio.
    ELADraft & publish the comparison paragraph.
    ScienceMini-quiz on genes and traits; portfolio entry.

    Today's worksheets

      Friday weekly review

      Theme: Classical empires & expressions

      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 Qin & Han transition"."

      Vocab to use at dinner: Confucianism, mandate, dynasty, bureaucracy

      Math

      "Ask your child to teach you tonight's idea in 60 seconds: "Show me one example of summarize numerical data sets in relation to context (6." Teaching it back is the fastest way to lock it in."

      Vocab to use at dinner: gold, silk, spices

      Science

      "Ask: "What did you observe today, and what do you think it means?" Encourage your child to draw a labeled sketch of "Genes and traits — DNA as the code" 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 "Qin Shi Huang's brief unification"."

      Worksheets (8)

      1. [1B] ELA · Reading Passage: Mesopotamian Scribal Culture (with comprehension)
      2. [Q1] ELA · Q1 ELA Assessment
      3. [3C] ELA · Reading Passage: Roman Engineering and the Aqueducts (with comprehension)
      4. [Q3] ELA · Q3 ELA Assessment
      5. [2C] ELA · Reading Passage: Democracy in Athens (with comprehension)
      6. [Writing 1] ELA · Informative Essay
      7. [Writing 2B] ELA · Theme Analysis
      8. [Writing 3A] ELA · Comparative Informative Essay

      ELA · G6-ELA-PKG

      1B

      Reading Passage: Mesopotamian Scribal Culture (with comprehension)

      Standards: RI.6.1, RI.6.2, RI.6.6

      Name:  
      Date:  
      Score:  

      __________________

      Read the passage carefully. Then answer the questions below in complete sentences. Use specific evidence from the text.

      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

      Name:  
      Date:  
      Score:  

      __________________ Score: _____ / 20

      Part 1: Reading comprehension (5 points)

      Re-read this short excerpt before answering.

      ELA · G6-ELA-PKG

      3C

      Reading Passage: Roman Engineering and the Aqueducts (with comprehension)

      Standards: RI.6.1, RI.6.2, RI.6.3

      Name:  
      Date:  
      Score:  

      __________________

      Read the passage carefully. Then answer the questions below in complete sentences.

      ELA · G6-ELA-PKG

      Q3

      Q3 ELA Assessment

      Standards: RL.6.2, RI.6.2, W.6.2, L.6.1, L.6.4

      Name:  
      Date:  
      Score:  

      __________________ Score: _____ / 20

      Part 1: Reading comprehension (5 points)

      Read this short excerpt.

      ELA · G6-ELA-PKG

      2C

      Reading Passage: Democracy in Athens (with comprehension)

      Standards: RI.6.1, RI.6.3, RI.6.6

      Name:  
      Date:  
      Score:  

      __________________

      Read the passage carefully. Then answer the questions below in complete sentences.

      ELA · G6-ELA-PKG

      Writing 1

      Informative Essay

      Standards: W.6.2·Time: 3–4 days

      Name:  
      Date:  
      Score:  

      __________________

      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.

      • 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

      Writing 2B

      Theme Analysis

      Standards: W.6.2, RL.6.2·Time: 3–4 days

      Name:  
      Date:  
      Score:  

      __________________

      Prompt:

      Choose one major theme from Black Ships Before Troy (suggestions: the cost of glory, the power of fate, the limits of strength, the meaning of homecoming). Write a 3--4 paragraph informative essay explaining how Sutcliff develops this theme across the novel.

      Requirements:

      • Introduction that names the theme and previews two or three key episodes.

      • Body paragraphs each focused on one episode. Quote at least one passage per paragraph.

      • A conclusion that reflects on what the theme suggests about the ancient Greek world or about life today.

      Use the 4-Point Writing Rubric.

      ELA · G6-ELA-PKG

      Writing 3A

      Comparative Informative Essay

      Standards: W.6.2, W.6.7·Time: 4–5 days

      Name:  
      Date:  
      Score:  

      __________________

      Prompt:

      Write a multi-paragraph informative essay (5--6 paragraphs) titled: "Roman and Han Chinese Engineering: A Comparison." Use Reading Passage 3C and at least one other source.

      Requirements:

      • Introduction that frames the comparison and states a clear thesis.

      • At least one body paragraph on Roman engineering (use Reading Passage 3C).

      • At least one body paragraph on Han Chinese engineering (research a second source).

      • A paragraph comparing the two --- what is shared, what is different.

      • A conclusion that reflects on what we can learn from both.

      • Cite at least two sources at the end of the essay.

      Use the 4-Point Writing Rubric.

      Teacher section — remove before giving to student

      Answer keys

      5 of 8 items have keys on file.

      Answer key · ELA

      1B: Reading Passage: Mesopotamian Scribal Culture (with comprehension)

      Teacher copy

      1. Sample main ideas: (a) Mesopotamian scribes invented and developed cuneiform writing, the world's oldest writing system (supported by: "Cuneiform writing was invented in Mesopotamia more than 5,000 years ago"). (b) Scribes preserved knowledge that shaped the modern world (supported by: "thousands of their clay tablets survive in museums around the world").

      2. Originally used for economic transactions (grain storage, sheep, taxes). Over centuries, it expanded to laws, hymns, letters, mathematical problems, and literature like the Epic of Gilgamesh.

      3. Young scribes began at six or seven, studied for ten years or more, copied lists of words, memorized hundreds of cuneiform signs, learned Sumerian and Akkadian, and faced severe discipline including caning for careless writing.

      4. "thousands of their clay tablets survive in museums around the world, baked hard by the fires that destroyed the cities they served" --- or any sentence about tablets surviving.

      5. The author admires scribes; phrases like "remarkable craft," "great rewards," and the closing about modern technology owing them a debt all reveal positive view.

      6. The passage argues that every modern alphabet and keyboard traces back to Mesopotamian scribes. The author's purpose is to show that ancient innovations still matter --- that we depend on what the scribes invented.

      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

      Answer key · ELA

      3C: Reading Passage: Roman Engineering and the Aqueducts (with comprehension)

      Teacher copy

      1. Central idea: Roman engineers solved difficult problems with limited materials, producing aqueducts and bridges that have lasted thousands of years.

      2. Stone, lime, sand, water (plus labor).

      3. Sample: maintaining a precise gradient (water must flow downhill all the way); tunneling through mountains or crossing valleys; durability across centuries.

      4. Volcanic ash (pozzolana) mixed with lime, sand, and water; the concrete grew stronger over time as crystals formed.

      5. Inverted siphons: water descended underground in lead pipes, crossed under pressure, and rose to nearly the original height on the far side.

      6. Sample: "the engineering wonders of the ancient world" shows the author views Roman engineering as remarkable but also rational and methodical --- not magical.

      Answer key · ELA

      Q3: Q3 ELA Assessment

      Teacher copy

      1. Sample: Roman roads helped unify the empire.

      2. Sample: Roman roads ran over 50,000 miles; a message could travel from Britain to Rome in two weeks.

      3. Sample: "engineering wonders" and "the method that lasted longer than the empire that built it" --- clearly admiring.

      4. Sample theme: Identity is something we build, not just inherit. Student cites passage.

      5. Sutcliff opens with Marcus in Rome-influenced Britain and ends with him choosing to remain in Britain. The structure mirrors his transformation from Roman officer to a man at home in two cultures.

      6. Aqueduct = water-carrier (aqua + duc).

      7. spec- means "look" --- a spectator is one who looks.

      8. Profound = deep, intense.

      9. Complex sentence ("When the eagle was found" is a dependent clause).

      10. Sample: Although Marcus was Roman and Esca was Briton, they became friends.

      11. Sample: Marcus's personal journey mirrors Roman engineering: both work patiently across long distances, both must adjust to unexpected obstacles, and both ultimately succeed by combining careful planning with persistence. The Roman aqueduct carried water sixty miles by precise calculation; Marcus carried himself the equivalent distance through hostile territory by precise patience.

      Q4 --- The House of Wisdom and the Islamic Golden Age

      Answer key · ELA

      2C: Reading Passage: Democracy in Athens (with comprehension)

      Teacher copy

      1. Central idea: Athens created the world's first democracy in 508 BCE; though limited by modern standards, it shaped political thinking ever since. (Cite: "the Athenian experiment shaped everything that came after.")

      2. Demokratia --- "power of the people."

      3. Sample: Adult male citizens attended the Assembly; voted by raising hands; could be chosen by lottery for office; juries decided cases.

      4. Women, slaves, and foreigners could not vote --- perhaps 85% of the population was excluded; only adult male citizens participated.

      5. Pericles: "Our constitution does not copy the laws of neighboring states; we are rather a pattern to others than imitators ourselves." The author uses this to show Athenian pride and how the city saw itself as original.

      6. The author admires the Athenian experiment but also takes a balanced view, acknowledging both its limits and its lasting influence.

      SixthGrade · Quarter 3 · Week 23 · Binder packetsixthgrader.org

      Part of the K–6 Homeschool Curriculum series · Grade 6 · Eastern Hemisphere & Ancient Civilizations