Grade 6 · Quarter 4 · Week 32

High Medieval Europe — Feudalism, Manors & Cathedrals

Lords, vassals, and the gothic cathedral.

Standards this week

· 6.G.A.1
· 6.G.A.4
· RI.6.5
· W.6.2
· MS-LS2-5
· C3 D2.Civ.5.6-8

Packet contents

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

Materials to gather before Monday

Sharpened pencil & eraser

Day's notebook (one section per subject)

Ruler

Anchor text or passage handout

Vocabulary notebook

Lab notebook

Calculator (optional)

Lined paper

Timeline strip

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

Daily plans

Monday

The Feudal Pyramid

Social Studies	King → lords → knights → peasants; reciprocal obligations.
Math	Surface area & nets review for cathedral models.
ELA	Read on feudalism; how text structure helps (RI.6.5).
Science	Ecosystem stewardship — design choices that protect biodiversity.

Today's worksheets

Tuesday

The Manor & Daily Life

Social Studies	Three-field system; serfs vs. free peasants; village life.
Math	Area of irregular fields; medieval surveying problems.
ELA	Vocabulary: feudalism, vassal, fief, chivalry.
Science	Investigation: classroom 'manor garden' soil-quality test.

Today's worksheets

Wednesday

The Catholic Church in Daily Life

Social Studies	Sacraments, tithes, pilgrimages; the Church's authority.
Math	Tithe (10%) & tax percent problems.
ELA	Plan informative essay: 'How did the Church shape medieval Europe?' (W.6.2).
Science	Compare ecosystem services in two biomes.

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

Thursday

Gothic Cathedrals

Social Studies	Pointed arch, flying buttress, stained glass; Chartres, Notre-Dame.
Math	Surface area of cathedral wall & roof models.
ELA	Draft body paragraphs of informative essay.
Science	Soil composition & crop yield connection.

Today's worksheets

Friday

The Crusades

Social Studies	Causes & consequences; cultural exchange across the Mediterranean.
Math	Mixed practice: area, surface area, percent.
ELA	Publish informative essay; portfolio entry.
Science	Lab journal sync; weekly reflection on stewardship.

Today's worksheets

Friday weekly review

Theme: Trade, exchange, and statistics

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 feudalism"."

Vocab to use at dinner: feudalism, vassal, fief, chivalry

Math

"Ask your child to teach you tonight's idea in 60 seconds: "Show me one example of surface area & nets review for cathedral models." Teaching it back is the fastest way to lock it in."

Vocab to use at dinner: area, surface area, percent

Science

"Ask: "What did you observe today, and what do you think it means?" Encourage your child to draw a labeled sketch of "Ecosystem stewardship — design choices that protect biodiversity" 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 "King"."

Worksheets (4)

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

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

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

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

1 of 4 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