Grade 6 Lesson at a Glance: Chapter 8, Lesson 1

Houghton Mifflin Social Studies
A Message of Ancient Days

Lesson at a Glance
Chapter 8, Lesson 1: The Indus Valley Civilization (pp. 222-228)

The Big Idea
Framework Concept: Culture The Indus River Valley was the site of a complex civilization which lasted for 1000 years.

Review the ways in which the geography of the subcontinent of India made the Indus River Valley an ideal place for people to settle and cities to grow. Use the map on page 224 to help students understand the role the rivers played in both irrigation and trade. Be sure students realize that a stable food supply drew more and more settlers and enabled cities to develop.

Describe the Indus River Valley civilization. Discuss the evidence showing a strong central government, extensive trade, and skilled builders. (You can Use A Closer Look on pages 226-227 to give students a specific sense of one city.) Remind students that this civilization lasted 1000 years.

Lesson Outline
Use the Lesson Outline to preview the content of the lesson. You may wish to print it for your students as a guide during reading.

Check for Understanding

Have each student take on the part of an archaeologist excavating a city in the Indus River Valley. Ask each to write a brief report describing what objects or buildings he or she has found, and what these items show about the culture of the Indus River Valley people.
Organize students into working groups. Have each group copy the map of the Indus Valley c. 2000 B.C. on page 224, and label the rivers and cities. Then have each group work together to label the map with the various geographical and weather features that made this region such a good place to settle. Such features should include: mountains that produce snow-melt, flooding that produces silt, and monsoons and dry seasons that happen regularly and predictably.

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