8th Grade Social Studies & History Thematic Unit Plans

Mesopotamia, means “Land between Two Rivers”.This area is called the cradle of civilization and is where archaeologists have found the remains of the oldest historic people(dating back around 3000BC)People called the Sumerians, Babylonians, Chaldeans, Akkadians and Assyrians, all called the region of Mesopotamia home. These people left behind many ideas which we still have in our world today.

This bundle includes the following resources which I also sell separately.

1.A Unit of study includes notes, map work, a webquest, activities and resources to help you teach your students about the people of Mesopotamia. Click here to see a preview:Mesopotamia: First Historic People

2. A fun/informative Reading Passage with comprehension questions and extension activities on Hammurabi, King of Babylon. Check here to see a preview: Hammurabi, King of Babylon: A Reading Passage

3. A webquest on the Middle East. Check here to see a preview: Let's Explore the Middle East: A Webquest

4. My Mesopotamian Review Puzzler. An activity using vocabulary words for a unit of study on Mesopotamia. Check here to see a preview: Mesopotamian Puzzler(Secret Message Vocabulary Review!

Explore themes of equity, disabilities, and resilience with this dynamic resource bundle designed for grades 5-8!

1. 18-Day Disabilities & Equity Unit (Grades 6+): This comprehensive unit includes engaging projects, thought-provoking essays, rigorous assessments, and Socratic seminars to help students explore visible and invisible disabilities, equity in schools, and societal challenges. Perfect for deepening understanding and fostering empathy in your classroom.
2. Out of My Mind Movie Guide and Activities (Grades 5+): Dive deeper into Sharon Draper’s Out of My Mind with this movie guide and activity pack! Students will analyze characters, themes, and key scenes while practicing critical thinking and reflection skills.

This bundle is ideal for educators looking to combine standards-aligned instruction with meaningful, real-world themes. Save time and inspire your students with these ready-to-use resources!

Students are eager to engage in conversation and learning around their identities! This engaging social identity unit explores the 8 Big Social Identities—gender, race, age, religion, orientation, ability, ethnicity, and class—through a blend of activities, texts, videos, music, and projects. Perfect for middle and early high school students, this unit is low prep for teachers, offering print-and-go materials that ensure a seamless teaching experience.

What’s Included:

• 19-Day Unit of 60-Minute Lessons: Each day is planned with detailed agendas and objectives.
• Engaging Slides: Visually appealing and informative slides for each lesson to enhance learning and retention.
• Texts, Videos, Movies, and Music: A variety of multimedia resources to engage students and deepen their understanding.
• Interactive Activities and Projects: Hands-on learning through discourse, writing, reading, annotating, research, data collection, data analysis, presentation building, and peer feedback.

Daily Activities Overview:

Day 1: Understanding Social Identity

• Activities: Do Now prompt, "Cross the Line" activity, discussion, reflection writing.

Day 2: The Big 8 Social Identities

• Activities: Do Now prompt, fill in the Social Wheel, group discussion, reflection writing.

Day 3: Power, Privilege, and Marginalization

• Activities: Do Now prompt, discussion on power and privilege, activity on social identity axis, Turn & Talk, reflection writing.

Day 4: Cultural Heritage and Identity

• Activities: Do Now prompt, whole group reading ("Fish Cheeks" by Amy Tan), independent evidence mining, closing discussion.

Day 5: Family Traditions and Social Identity

• Activities: Do Now prompt, whole group reading ("Taco Head"), independent evidence mining, closing discussion.

Day 6: Seminar Preparation

• Activities: Do Now prompt, review evidence mined from readings, seminar setup, discuss seminar norms.

Day 7: Media Representation and Identity

• Activities: Do Now prompt, watch video and read lyrics, independent evidence mining, group discussion.

Day 8: Cultural Pride and Daily Life

• Activities: Do Now prompt, watch video and read lyrics, independent evidence mining, group discussion.

Day 9: Traditional Music and Identity

• Activities: Do Now prompt, review evidence mined from activities, student-led seminar, reflection.

Day 10: Film Connection - "Wonder"

• Activities: Do Now prompt, introduce film and its connection to social identity, film viewing (Part 1), discussion.

Day 11: Continuation of "Wonder"

• Activities: Do Now prompt, preview questions, film viewing (Part 2), discussion.

Day 12: Conclusion of "Wonder"

• Activities: Do Now prompt, preview questions, film viewing (Part 3), discussion.

Day 13: Seminar on "Wonder"

• Activities: Do Now prompt, seminar setup, student-led seminar, reflection.

Day 14: Personal Narrative Writing

• Activities: Do Now prompt, read example narratives, brainstorm, partner sharing, begin writing introduction and body paragraph.

Day 15: Continue Personal Narrative Writing

• Activities: Do Now prompt, review narrative structure, continue writing narrative essay.

Day 16: Peer Feedback on Narratives

• Activities: Do Now prompt, peer feedback, revise essays based on feedback.

Day 17: Identity Mask Project

• Activities: Do Now prompt, introduce identity mask project, sketch ideas, gather materials.

Day 18: Continue Identity Mask Project

• Activities: Do Now prompt, continue crafting masks, wrap up.

Day 19: Finalize Identity Mask Project

• Activities: Do Now prompt, finish crafting and decorating masks, present masks and share reflections.

Key Features:

• Low Prep for Teachers: Print-and-go materials make it easy to implement the unit with minimal preparation.
• Engaging Multimedia Resources: Texts, videos, movies, and music provide diverse perspectives and deepen understanding.
• Explores the 8 Big Social Identities: Gender, race, age, religion, orientation, ability, ethnicity, and class.
• Interactive and Reflective Activities: Encourages critical thinking, self-reflection, and peer collaboration.

Bring social identity to life in your classroom with this dynamic and interactive unit. Equip your students with the knowledge and skills to understand and appreciate the diverse identities that shape our world. Purchase now and make a meaningful impact on your students' understanding of social identity!

Engage your middle and high school students with this 18-Day Multimedia Thematic Unit on Disabilities in Schools and Society! Designed for Grades 6 and up, this comprehensive unit explores both visible and invisible disabilities through a variety of media, hands-on projects, and critical assessments. Perfect for ELA, social studies, or humanities classes, this unit provides students with opportunities to develop empathy, research skills, and a deeper understanding of accessibility and inclusivity.

This unit integrates multimedia resources, including documentaries, political cartoons, TED Talks, and informational texts. Students will build critical thinking skills as they analyze real-world challenges faced by individuals with disabilities, assess their school’s ADA compliance, and create projects to promote inclusivity.

What’s Included:

• Pacing Plan for 18 days of engaging, standards-aligned instruction.
• A range of activities including debates, Socratic seminars, evidence-mining, and reflective writing.
• Viewing guides and discussion prompts for multimedia content such as The Miracle Worker and the Zion Clark documentary.
• Informational text analysis with strategies for gathering evidence.
• Projects like the Walk in My Shoes research project, school ADA evaluation, and political cartoon analysis to encourage creative thinking and real-world application.
• Assessment rubrics and graphic organizers to support student learning.

Aligned Standards:

This interdisciplinary unit is aligned with Common Core ELA Standards (reading, writing, speaking, and listening) and encourages cross-curricular learning with a focus on disabilities, social studies, and media literacy. It promotes research, empathy, and accessibility discussions through engaging multimedia and project-based learning.

Why You'll Love This Unit:

• Interactive and Student-Centered: Students actively engage with real-world issues around disability awareness and inclusivity through meaningful activities.
• Multimedia Integration: TED Talks, articles, films, and political cartoons create a dynamic and engaging learning experience.
• Project-Based Learning: Includes hands-on projects like the Walk in My Shoes disability research project, allowing students to take ownership of their learning.
• Critical Thinking and Reflection: Encourages students to reflect on how disabilities affect individuals’ lives and how society can become more inclusive.

Who It’s For:

• Middle and high school teachers (Grades 6-9) looking for an engaging, interdisciplinary unit addressing disabilities and inclusivity.
• Educators seeking a Common Core-aligned unit that integrates multimedia, research, and project-based learning.

Perfect for:

• ELA, social studies, and humanities classrooms.
• Teachers seeking units that focus on empathy, accessibility, and real-world issues.
• Maternity leave or long-term sub plans, with a pacing guide and ready-to-use materials.

This 18-Day Multimedia Unit helps students understand the challenges and strengths of individuals with disabilities while improving essential academic skills. Get ready for insightful discussions, creative projects, and meaningful reflections that resonate with your students’ real-world experiences. Download now and bring relevant, standards-aligned learning to your classroom!