BONUS: Mini‑Unit: From Foragers to Farmers (Grade 7 ELA × Social Studies) — 2 Weeks (10 class days)
Driving Question: Why did some communities shift from foraging to farming, and what did they gain and lose?
Culminating Products:
- RAFT narrative (e.g., Young farmer persuading clan elder to adopt irrigation).
- Two‑Voice Poem or short dialogue (forager vs. farmer) performed for peers.
- Gallery walk with curator labels and an oral defense (60–90 sec).
Standards Alignment
Michigan Social Studies GLCEs
- W1.1.2 Explain what archaeologists and other investigators have learned about early humans.
- W1.2.2 Explain how environmental changes and new technologies influenced the Agricultural Revolution.
- H1.1.1 Use calendars/periodization (for context in timelines).
- H1.2.1, H1.2.2, H1.2.3 Use multiple sources; comprehend historical texts; identify point of view/bias.
- H1.2.5 Explain cause and effect.
- H1.4.2, H1.4.3 Use historical themes (change/continuity); connect past issues to present.
- G4.3.2 Explain patterns of human settlement.
Michigan ELA (Grade 7) — core set
- RL.7.1–5, 7.10 Close reading, theme, structure, word choice.
- W.7.3a–e, W.7.4, W.7.10 Narrative techniques; clear organization; routine writing.
- SL.7.1a–d, SL.7.6 Collaborative discussion; adapt speech.
- L.7.6 Academic and domain vocabulary.
Materials & Text Set (teacher‑curated; provide print & audio where possible)
- Archaeologist’s Field Notes (200–300 words, ~750L): short description of charred grains, sickle blades, grinding stones.
- Overview Article: “The Agricultural Revolution” (500–700 words, ~950–1050L).
- Counterpoint Excerpt (teacher‑selected, e.g., an adapted excerpt from an essay arguing that farming brought inequality/health costs) (~1100–1200L).
- Infographic: Timeline of domestication (wheat, barley, goats, sheep).
- Map Set: Fertile Crescent & Nile; precipitation, soil, floodplain; settlement dots.
- Data Table: Health indicators before/after farming (stature, tooth enamel defects, diet diversity).
- Fictionalized Primary (700–900L): a teen voice vignette from a river‑valley hamlet.
- Technology Cards: irrigation canal, plow, sickle, storage jar, granary, clay tablet.
- Vocabulary Deck: surplus, domestication, irrigation, sedentary, specialization, yield, barter, stratification, granary, cultivation, pestle, forager, pastoral, drought, harvest.
Accessibility: Provide a 2‑page “lite” article (~600–700L) and a picture‑walk version of the map. Offer read‑aloud, bilingual glossaries, and sentence frames.
Assessment Overview
- Formative: exit tickets (claim‑evidence), source annotations, cause/effect T‑charts, peer feedback notes, quick‑writes.
- Summative: RAFT narrative (70%), Dialogue/Two‑Voice performance (20%), Oral defense during gallery (10%). Co‑graded by SS & ELA using the shared rubric below.
Day‑by‑Day Plan (10 days)
Week 1
Day 1 — Launch: Why Farm?
Content Obj. (SS): Identify at least two hypothesized causes for the shift to farming and two possible effects (W1.2.2, H1.2.5).
Language Obj.: Orally state and write a claim using because/so/therefore sentence frames.
ELA Focus: RL.7.1 (cite evidence); L.7.6 (vocab).
Activities: Anticipation guide; station picture‑walk (artifacts, maps) → See‑Think‑Wonder notecards; mini‑lesson on cause/effect signal words; introduce vocabulary.
Check for Learning: 3‑sentence claim with one cited detail from a station.
HW: Frayer models for 6 vocabulary terms.
Day 2 — Reading for Gist & Evidence
Content Obj. (SS): Summarize key ideas about domestication and surplus (W1.2.2).
Language Obj.: Annotate and paraphrase one paragraph using a Who/Did What/Why frame.
ELA Focus: RL.7.2 (central idea), RL.7.1.
Activities: Read Overview Article chunked; partner paraphrase; class T‑chart of causes (environment/technology) → effects (settlement, specialization).
Check: Exit ticket: identify one central idea and two supporting details.
Day 3 — Environment & Tech
Content Obj. (SS): Explain how rivers and rainfall shaped early settlements (G4.3.2).
Language Obj.: Use prepositional phrases to describe location (e.g., along the floodplain, near the delta).
ELA Focus: RL.7.3 (setting influences events).
Activities: Mini‑lesson on map reading; annotate Map Set; small‑group “If‑Then” cards (e.g., If rainfall drops, then…).
Check: 4‑box comic strip showing an environmental trigger and resulting choices.
Day 4 — Tradeoffs & Perspectives
Content Obj. (SS): Compare benefits/costs of farming vs. foraging (H1.4.2, H1.4.3).
Language Obj.: Use contrast transitions (however, on the other hand, while) in speech.
ELA Focus: RL.7.6/7.5 via POV & structure (by comparing two texts); SL.7.1a–c.
Activities: Read Counterpoint Excerpt + Data Table; fishbowl discussion with color‑coded speaking stems; class T‑chart of tradeoffs.
Check: Sticky‑note micro‑reflection: One benefit and one cost I can defend with evidence.
Day 5 — RAFT Launch: Modeling Narrative Craft
Content Obj. (SS): Use at least three concrete details from sources to ground a historical narrative (H1.2.1–2, H1.2.5).
Language Obj.: Write sensory details and dialogue with correct punctuation.
ELA Focus: W.7.3a–e (techniques), W.7.4.
Activities: Analyze a mentor RAFT (teacher‑written) for craft: opening hook, pacing, showing not telling, embedded facts; mini‑lesson on dialogue & beats; students choose a RAFT role/audience/format/topic from a menu (e.g., Apprentice scribe → Council of Elders → speech → argue for irrigation).
Check: RAFT planning graphic organizer completed; teacher confers and approves.
Week 2
Day 6 — Drafting I: Cause → Effect in Scenes
Content Obj. (SS): Accurately represent at least two cause→effect chains (e.g., surplus → specialization → trade) (H1.2.5).
Language Obj.: Use complex sentences with because, since, so that, as a result.
ELA Focus: W.7.3b–d; L.7.6.
Activities: Write first scene; mini‑lesson on temporal transitions (then, meanwhile, generations later); teacher small‑group for targeted support.
Check: Highlight and label two cause→effect sentences in draft.
Day 7 — Drafting II: Word Choice & POV
Content Obj. (SS): Maintain historical accuracy of tools/terms (W1.1.2; W1.2.2).
Language Obj.: Choose precise verbs/nouns from the vocabulary deck; avoid anachronisms.
ELA Focus: W.7.3; RL.7.4 (word choice).
Activities: Micro‑lesson on domain vocabulary in context; peer review using a Type 3 (Collins) checklist: 2 Stars & 1 Wish tied to rubric; revising for POV consistency.
Check: Submit revised page with tracked changes or revision notes.
Day 8 — Dialogue / Two‑Voice Poem & Speaking Skills
Content Obj. (SS): Contrast the viewpoints of a forager and a farmer using accurate claims (H1.2.3, H1.4.2).
Language Obj.: Perform using academic talk stems (agree/disagree, build on, concede).
ELA Focus: SL.7.1 & SL.7.6.
Activities: Draft a 20–30 line two‑voice poem or short dialogue; rehearse; quick performances with peer feedback using a speaking rubric.
Check: Performance + reflection slip (What evidence did you embed?).
Day 9 — Publish RAFT & Author’s Note
Content Obj. (SS): Cite sources in an author’s note explaining what details came from which texts/maps (H1.2.1–2).
Language Obj.: Write a coherent explanatory paragraph using for example, additionally, therefore.
ELA Focus: W.7.4; W.7.10.
Activities: Final revisions; compose a 1‑paragraph author’s note connecting scenes to evidence; self‑assessment with rubric.
Check: Turn in final RAFT + author’s note.
Day 10 — Gallery Walk & Oral Defense
Content Obj. (SS): Defend your settlement/farming choice with two pieces of evidence (G4.3.2, H1.4.3).
Language Obj.: Deliver a concise oral defense adapted to audience (peer reviewers).
ELA Focus: SL.7.6.
Activities: Gallery walk (curator labels under key scenes); 60–90 sec lightning talks; peers leave evidence‑based feedback.
Check: Teacher scoring with rubric + student exit slip (How did your thinking change?).
Co‑Grading Rubric (ELA × SS) — 100 points total
A. Social Studies Content & Historical Thinking (40 pts)
- 4 (Exceeds): Accurately explains multiple cause→effect chains and change/continuity; integrates maps/data/artifacts; no anachronisms.
- 3 (Proficient): Accurate cause→effect with some depth; uses at least two sources correctly.
- 2 (Developing): Some inaccuracies or oversimplified links; limited or misused sources.
- 1 (Beginning): Vague or incorrect content; evidence missing.
B. Use of Sources & Evidence (20 pts)
- 4: Weaves at least three distinct sources into scenes; includes an author’s note that clearly attributes details.
- 3: Uses two sources; attribution mostly clear.
- 2: One source or unclear attribution.
- 1: Claims not tied to sources.
C. Narrative Craft (20 pts) (W.7.3 a–e)
- 4: Strong hook; purposeful pacing; dialogue, description, and sensory details reveal character and ideas; cohesive structure.
- 3: Clear organization; several effective techniques; minor lapses.
- 2: Basic sequence with limited techniques; abrupt pacing.
- 1: Disorganized; few or no narrative techniques.
D. Language & Conventions (10 pts) (W.7.4; L.7.6)
- 4: Precise domain vocabulary; varied sentences; minimal errors; correct dialogue punctuation.
- 3: Appropriate vocabulary; some variety; errors do not impede meaning.
- 2: Limited vocabulary; frequent errors that distract.
- 1: Persistent errors; unclear meaning.
E. Speaking & Listening (10 pts) (SL.7.1; SL.7.6)
- 4: Builds on others with academic stems; adapts tone; uses evidence while performing/defending.
- 3: Participates appropriately; references evidence.
- 2: Limited participation; evidence thin.
- 1: Off‑task or no evidence.
Scoring: SS teacher leads A & B (with ELA input); ELA teacher leads C & D (with SS input); both score E. Confer to resolve 1–2 point discrepancies.
Daily Content & Language Objectives (Quick Reference)
- D1: Identify causes/effects; state a claim with because/therefore.
- D2: Summarize domestication/surplus; paraphrase with Who/Did What/Why.
- D3: Explain settlement patterns; describe location with prepositional phrases.
- D4: Compare tradeoffs; use contrast transitions in speech.
- D5: Ground a narrative in evidence; write sensory details & punctuated dialogue.
- D6: Embed cause→effect with complex sentences.
- D7: Apply precise domain vocabulary; maintain consistent POV.
- D8: Contrast viewpoints orally with academic stems.
- D9: Attribute sources in an author’s note using cohesive devices.
- D10: Deliver an adapted oral defense for a peer audience.
Differentiation & Teaming Moves (Middle Grades‑friendly)
- Choice & Tiering (Wormeli): RAFT menus at three complexity levels; optional visuals/audio RAFT; scaffolded vs. open prompts.
- Structures (Katie Powell): One‑Pager option for note synthesis; Gallery Walk; Taboo‑style vocab game; quick “Take‑a‑Stand” line debate.
- Teaming (Berckemeyer): Cross‑team peer reviews; jobs (Historian, Cartographer, Editor, Speaker).
- Literacy Moves (Baenan): Annotation codes; sentence combining mini‑lessons; talk stems posted.
- Supports: Sentence frames, bilingual glossaries, audio texts, targeted small groups, mini‑conferences, exemplars with think‑alouds.
Resources & Handouts (to prepare)
- RAFT planning organizer + rubric (student‑facing).
- Two‑Voice Poem/Dialogue template with talk stems.
- Cause/Effect T‑chart; Map annotation sheet.
- Vocabulary deck + Frayer template.
- Mentor RAFT (1–1.5 pages) with margin notes pointing to craft moves.
- Gallery label template (Artifact/Evidence → What it shows → Why it matters).
Optional Extensions
- Math/Science tie‑in: Yield estimation (area × yield/seed ratio); irrigation flow rate demo.
- Local lens: Compare modern community gardening decisions to ancient tradeoffs; invite a local farmer or gardener.
- Timeline literacy: Place key events on a class timeline using B.C./A.D. notation.
Quick Pacing Guide (At‑a‑Glance)
- Week 1: Build background → analyze sources → debate tradeoffs → plan RAFT.
- Week 2: Draft → revise → perform dialogue → publish → defend in gallery.
Lesson 1 — Two Complete Versions (Print & Go)
Use either Version A (inquiry stations + field notes) or Version B (paired voices + mini‑debate). Both hit the same objectives and standards; choose based on time and class needs.
Version A: Inquiry Stations + Field Notes (45–60 min)
Standards Alignment
- SS GLCEs: W1.2.2 (environment/technology → agriculture), H1.2.5 (cause/effect), H1.2.1–2 (multiple sources & comprehension), G4.3.2 (settlement patterns).
- ELA: RL.7.1, RL.7.2 (cite evidence; central idea), SL.7.1 (collaborative talk), L.7.6 (domain vocab).
Objectives
- Content: Identify two causes and two effects related to the shift to farming, drawn from text and visual sources.
- Language: Compose a 2–3 sentence claim using because/therefore and cite one detail correctly.
Materials
- Station cards (artifact photos or descriptions), Map Set, sticky notes, T‑chart handout (Cause ↔ Effect), highlighters.
- Student Readings A1 & A2 (below), printed.
Agenda
- Hook (5 min) – Would You Rather? Always be moving camp vs. always weed the fields. Quick pair share using because… so…
- Stations Walk (12–15 min) – Students rotate through 3 stations: Artifacts, Map, Data Snips (teacher‑made). At each, they complete a See–Think–Wonder sticky.
- Mini‑Lesson (5 min) – Signal words for cause/effect; model one with a station detail.
- Guided Reading (12–15 min) – Read A1: Field Notes at Site 14B aloud (teacher), then students annotate for evidence of domestication/settlement.
- Pair Synthesis (5–7 min) – Partners use A2 lines to confirm/contrast what they saw at stations; complete T‑chart (two causes, two effects).
- Share & Close (5 min) – Collect one Claim–Evidence exit ticket.
Student Reading A1: Field Notes at Site 14B (≈280 words)
Excavation Day 17, River Bend Plain
We opened a shallow pit just east of the old riverbank and found a stain in the soil the size of a campfire ring. Inside the stain were hundreds of tiny black seeds. Under the hand lens, many look swollen and cracked the same way barley kernels do after a fire. Mixed in were three smooth stone pieces: two fit together like a bowl and a rounder stone—likely a quern and handstone for grinding. Six inches away, a curved flint blade still held a line of glossy polish along its edge, the kind that forms when people cut tough plant stems. That pattern matches a sickle.
Near the pit, we uncovered a circle of small postholes. If these held wooden posts, they might outline a storage bin or a light shelter. One rodent gnaw mark appears on a kernel fragment. Rodents love stored grain. A deer shoulder bone shows cut marks angled the same way as skinning tools, but there are fewer animal bones here than at camps upstream.
Taken together, the seeds, grinding stones, and sickle polish suggest people were harvesting and processing cereals at this spot. The postholes and gnaw marks hint that food was kept in one place for more than a single night. If floods dropped new silt each spring, the soil here would have been easy to plant. The site may mark a season when families stayed longer to plant, weed, and grind, rather than moving on after a hunt.
— Field notebook of J. Hadley, Site 14B
Student Reading A2: The River Makes a Promise (≈220 words)
Rivers that flood gently leave behind a thin blanket of dark, crumbly soil called silt. Each year, that layer makes planting easier. People who once gathered wild grasses noticed that seeds dropped near their shelters sprouted into small patches of grain. With simple tools—digging sticks, woven baskets, and later sickles—families could collect more food in less time. Extra food, called a surplus, meant children and elders ate through the dry season.
But surplus changed daily life. If you want to keep grain dry, you build storage pits lined with clay or baskets coated in pitch. If you want to plant again, you must stay long enough to weed, chase birds, and water crops. Over time, staying put drew more families to the same bend in the river. Paths turned into foot‑worn lanes. Fire pits became hearths.
The river’s promise was not simple. Floods sometimes came too high, washing out fields. Drought sometimes came instead, cracking the ground. These risks pushed people to try new ideas: irrigation ditches to bring water where it was needed, and shared labor to pile stones into small walls that held the soil. The same river that offered easy soil also demanded planning.
Formative Assessment (during/exit)
- During stations: Collect one See–Think–Wonder note from each station. Look for at least one evidence‑based “Think.”
- Exit Ticket (CER, 3–4 sentences):Claim: One reason people began farming was… Evidence: From A1/A2 or a station card, include two details. Reasoning: Therefore…
- Success criteria: Uses because/therefore; cites source (A1/A2/Map/Data); correct domain vocab once.
Summative Check for Lesson 1 (quizlet or Moodle)”
A. Multiple Choice (3)
- Which detail from A1 best supports the idea that people stored food?
A. Cut marks on a deer bone
B. Glossy polish on a flint blade
C. Circle of small postholes
D. Seeds cracked by fire
Key: C - In A2, what is the most direct effect of creating a surplus?
A. More frequent hunting trips
B. The need to build storage
C. Less need for planning
D. Fewer families by the river
Key: B - Which cause→effect chain is supported by today’s readings?
A. Drought → easier planting → more surplus
B. Silt → easier planting → families stay longer
C. Irrigation → floods get higher → people move away
D. Rodent gnawing → stronger baskets → no need to store grain
Key: B
B. Short Constructed Response (1)
4. Using evidence from A1 or A2, explain one cause and one effect related to the shift toward farming. Include at least one domain term. (3–4 sentences)
Exemplary elements: accurate cause/effect; cites A1/A2; uses a term like surplus, irrigation, storage pit, silt.
Version B: Paired Voices + Mini‑Debate (45–60 min)
Standards Alignment
- SS GLCEs: W1.2.2 (environment/technology → agriculture), H1.2.5 (cause/effect), H1.2.3 (point of view), H1.4.2–.3 (tradeoffs/issues then & now).
- ELA: RL.7.1, RL.7.3, RL.7.6 (evidence; setting shapes events; POV), SL.7.1a–d, SL.7.6 (collab discussion & adapted speech), L.7.6 (vocab).
Objectives
- Content: Compare benefits and costs of farming using two contrasting texts.
- Language: Use contrast transitions (however, while, on the other hand) to state and defend a position.
Materials
- Four‑corners signs (Strongly Agree → Strongly Disagree), T‑chart handout, talk stems.
- Student Readings B1 & B2 (below), printed.
Agenda
- Hook (4 min) – Quick poll: “Farming was a step forward for everyone.” Students move to a corner; brief share of why.
- Close Reading #1 (10–12 min) – B1 annotate for benefits.
- Close Reading #2 (10–12 min) – B2 annotate for costs (health, labor, inequality).
- Partner Synthesis (8–10 min) – Build a T‑chart (benefits vs. costs) with one quoted phrase from each text.
- Mini‑Debate (8–10 min) – Return to corners; each student shares a one‑sentence claim using a contrast transition; one rebuttal round with talk stems.
- Close (3–4 min) – Silent quick‑write: Where do you stand now and why?
Student Reading B1: From the Camp by the River (≈260 words)
We used to count the days by how long the smoke hung in the valley after a storm. When the river dropped its mud, my mother showed me how to push seeds into the soft ground with a digging stick. We still gathered nuts and stalks in our baskets, but the patch near our shelter gave us fuller baskets faster. My little brother stopped waking up hungry.
By the next flood, we cleared a wider patch. My aunt tied sharp stones to bent branches; the new sickles sliced the grain in wide sweeps. We built a bin lined with clay so the mice would not spoil our food. My cousin says the bin is better than a traveling pack because it does not rub your shoulders raw. When the sun was too hot, we worked in the morning and evening and sat in shade shelters at noon.
We traded extra grain for a fine bone needle from people who came along the river. My grandmother says surplus makes friends out of strangers. At night, we roasted fish and ground seeds on the flat stone until the flour felt like sand between our fingers. We slept near the same fire two hands of moons in a row. My legs did not ache from walking.
The old trails are still there. We still go to the hills for berries. But the river keeps its promise: where it leaves silt, we can make the ground feed us.
Student Reading B2: The Costs We Didn’t See (≈300 words)
At first, farming seemed like freedom from empty bellies. But staying in one place brought new troubles. When families crowded together for many seasons, waste gathered near homes and water in ditches stood still after floods. People coughed through the night, and fevers moved from mat to mat. Fields near shelters held only a few kinds of food. Meals grew plain—more grains, fewer greens. Children’s teeth showed long, pale lines that healers said meant hunger or sickness long ago.
Work changed, too. The fields needed weeding and watering even when bodies were tired. A storm could flatten grain in a single afternoon, and drought cracked the ground like a pot left too long in the fire. To protect the harvest, some families stored grain behind strong doors and set rules for who could eat and when. Those with bigger fields asked others to work for a share. People argued about who decided where ditches should go and whose walls got repaired first. When groups from far away saw our full bins, they wanted them.
Farming gave us surplus and settled homes, but it also brought risk, harder labor, and new unfairness. A traveler who slips through the hills can leave behind bad water, failed crops, or a quarrel over grain. A farmer must face those problems or lose a year’s work. Some say the trade is still worth it. Others say we forgot the strengths of moving with the season and taking what the land offers.
Formative Assessment (discussion + write)
- Partner T‑chart check: Each pair lists 2 benefits (B1) and 2 costs (B2) with one quoted phrase each.
- Quick‑Write (4–5 sentences): *Although farming brought ____, it also ____. Overall, I (support/do not support) the shift because ____. * Use one contrast transition.
Summative Check for Lesson 1 (choose one)
Option 1 — Short Response Prompt
- Prompt: Using evidence from both readings, explain one benefit and one cost of early farming and state your position on whether the change was worthwhile. Include two cited details (B1/B2) and one domain term. (6–8 sentences)
- Scoring (10 pts): 4 pts evidence accuracy/citation; 3 pts reasoning & position; 2 pts academic language (contrast transitions/domain term); 1 pt conventions.
Option 2 — 5‑Item Quiz
- (MC) Which statement from B1 best shows an economic effect of surplus?
A. “We slept near the same fire…”
B. “We traded extra grain for a fine bone needle…”
C. “My legs did not ache from walking.”
D. “We still go to the hills for berries.”
Key: B - (MC) In B2, which problem is most directly linked to staying in one place?
A. Plain meals
B. Crowded homes and dirty water
C. Arguments over stories
D. Long trails
Key: B - (MC) Which cause→effect pair is supported by B2?
A. Drought → easy planting
B. Crowding → spread of illness
C. Trade → fewer friends
D. Silt → harder weeding
Key: B - (2‑pt Short Answer) Give one cost and one benefit of farming using a quoted word/phrase from the texts.
Key: benefit examples: surplus, trade, settled homes (B1); cost examples: illness from waste/water, harder labor, unfairness, risk (B2). - (1‑pt Vocabulary) Define surplus in your own words and use it in a sentence about early farmers.
Supports & Accommodations (both versions)
- Sentence frames: One cause was __ because __. Therefore, __. / Although __, __.
- Word wall: surplus, domestication, silt, irrigation, drought, storage pit, specialization.
- Read‑aloud/audio of the passages; partner annotations; bilingual glossary; optional illustrated versions.
- Extension: Map‑based “what if” card: If floods fail for three years, how might your community respond? Students write a 3‑sentence plan using at least one domain term.
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