Mr. Roe 6 th Grade Social Studies

 We have studied the lands of Mesopotamia (the land between two rivers) and learned about the rise of civilization.  We then studied one of the most powerful (and in my opinion, very interesting) civilizations, Ancient Egypt.  Up until now, all of these civilizations have centered around polytheism. Now, we will look at the first monotheistic people known to man.

 Begin by filling out the “K” section of your K- W-L chart for this chapter.

The Israelites believed in one god, who set down moral laws for his people to follow. These people recorded their history in the Bible. The Israelites fought the Canaanites so that they could return to their “promised land”

 Discuss the religious beliefs of the Israelites  Explain how and why the Israelites had to fight the Canaanites to return to their promised land  Explain the significance of Abraham and Moses in the development of the Jewish religion

 K-W-L Chart  Reading Notes (Cornell or Class Led)  Map of Exodus  Biography worksheet of Abraham, Joshua, Moses, and Deborah

 Discuss with your partner how important you think religion may have been to these early societies.  Is it still important today?  Do cultures and societies depend on religion, or does religion depend on cultures and societies. Can you have one without the other?

 Monotheism  Tribe  Torah  Covenant  Alphabet

 On a piece of blank paper  Draw this description: The Israelites talk about the promised land, and their return to the promise land. What do you think this promised land looked like? This is worth 80 Roebucks!! You must include your name, and it must be obvious that you put time and effort into your work!

*Around 1,000 B.C., a people called the Israelites built a kingdom in Canaan

1. People who focused on one god, Yahweh (monotheistic) 2. This religion became Judaism (Jews) 3. Spoke Hebrew 4. Christianity and Islam would both be heavily influenced by Judaism 5. Recorded their history in the Hebrew Bible (also called the Old Testament)

6. Came from Mesopotamia, and settled in Cannan 7. Descendants of Abraham 8. Divided into 12 tribes of Israel (based upon the 12 sons of Jacob; we will talk about Jacob) 9. Lived in Canaan for 100 yrs, but the land dried up, and the Jews traveled to Egypt to try to survive.

 You likely know much more about this topic then you think. The influence of religions and cultures still have impacts on our society today. After this brief introduction to the Israelites, does anything seem familiar? Were you reminded of anything?  Prediction: How do you think the Jews will do in Egypt?

1.Egyptian Pharaoh enslaved the Israelites 2.Ordered all baby boys born to the Jews to be thrown into the Nile River (why?) 3.Moses, a Jewish baby, was put into a basket in the river, and was found by the Pharaohs’ daughter 4.Moses would grow up Egyptian, in the palace, but would lead his people out of Egypt

5. Yahweh sent 10 plagues to Egypt, and the Pharaoh let the Egyptians go

6. Exodus a. Pharaoh changes mind, and sends army after the Israelites b. God parted Red Sea, and Israelites passed, while Egyptians drowned Note: This is why the holiday called PASSOVER is celebrated (the last plague passed the Israelites’ houses in Egypt).

1. Moses received God’s laws atop Mt. Sinai 2. Ten Commandments=Torah 3. This is aka the covenant, or agreement a. God promised to return Israelites to Canaan if they followed these laws.

Why was the covenant so important? What does this tell you about the influence of religion on how people live? Are our laws today similar to these? What does this tell you?

a. The Israelites had to fight the Canaanites to return to their promised land. b. Took 40 years to reach Canaan c. Moses died before they reached Canaan d. Joshua took over leadership e. They seized the land, and divided it among 12 tribes Question: What qualities do you think a good leader should have?

1. Judges took over leadership after Joshua died 2. Deborah was a female judge a. she would conquer more Canaan land

1. Phoenicians were skilled sailors and traders a. spread ideas through trade routes 2. Alphabet a. a group of letters that stood for sound b. made writing simpler, helped record things c. passed to Greeks, to Romans, and ultimately, to us!

What do you notice about these alphabets?

Led by Abraham, the Israelites settled in Canaan. They later moved to Egypt and were enslaved, but then escaped. The Israelites used the Ten Commandments as rules to live by. Joshua and the judges, including Deborah, won back territory in central Canaan for the Israelites.

 P. 205 questions #1, 2, 4, 5, 6