Need help from teachers, re: 6th grade social studies

My nephew has to find two articles about how geography impacted the development of the eastern hemisphere, and then write an essay about it. My sister is trying to help him (he has severe learning disabilities), and she is having difficulty finding anything appropriate. Any ideas for sites she can use, or how to narrow down the topic a bit? She called me, and I was pretty useless in this area! TIA!

Re: Need help from teachers, re: 6th grade social studies

My area of strength is early childhood, so I'm sorry I can't be more help, but this might help to narrow the topic down. I love this site and the videos.

http://www.brainpop.com/socialstudies/worldhistory/

Re: Need help from teachers, re: 6th grade social studies

How about timeforkids.com

It's Time Magazine articles for various grade levels.

Re: Need help from teachers, re: 6th grade social studies

Also try kids.nationalgeographic.com

Re: Need help from teachers, re: 6th grade social studies

Re: Need help from teachers, re: 6th grade social studies

I really like this website for Social Studies.

Re: Need help from teachers, re: 6th grade social studies

Posted by Gatsbygirl

Posted by MichLiz213

My area of strength is early childhood, so I'm sorry I can't be more help, but this might help to narrow the topic down. I love this site and the videos.

http://www.brainpop.com/socialstudies/worldhistory/

I just used the Columbus Brainpop today!

I think this may have to do with the Columbian Exchange

How the eastern and western hemispheres experienced a transfer of plants, animals, diseases, people and ideas.

For example the explorers carried smallpox, wiping out the natives.

that's a very vague subject to give kids!

Re: Need help from teachers, re: 6th grade social studies

Hmm maybe try Yahooligans

Re: Need help from teachers, re: 6th grade social studies

Global History teacher here for many more years than I want to count

The 6th grade curriculum focuses on the Eastern Hemisphere. No, North America/South America.

They are most likely about to start the River Valley civilizations of the Mesopotamia (Tigris Euphrates Rivers), Egyptian (Nile), Indian (Indus) and Huang He (China).

So...

Early man migrated out of the Bantu region of Africa (Ethiopia) because the geography did not allow for settled communities. Hunting and gathering not efficient, nomadic... difficult and unpredictable. Man migrates to river valleys

River valleys sustain life.
They are a source of water (humans, animals, crops)

When they flood they leave silt on the banks (nature's fertilizer)... soil on the river banks is just richer.

Richer soil leads to a larger crop yield, people living longer, and the longer they live the more offspring they have... villages grow into cities

A larger crop yield frees some members of the community to do other types of jobs and yet still grow enough food to feed everyone... priests (offerings to animistic gods to keep crops growing), soldiers (to protect fertile land and water supply from outside invasion), artisans (to build useful objects... tools, weapons), scribes, etc. and thus over time a complex division of labor. Each occupation must trade their surplus in a barter system(and trade with farmers for a food source) and grow interdependent and more efficient as time goes on.

A government must form to protect this now prosperous area from outside invaders... soldier class is created. This is especially important for the Mesopotamia (lack of natural barriers... easily invaded). Necessitates all men be trained in battle and over 12 different groups invaded that area resulting in great cultural diffusion... wheel, sail, etc.
Vs. Egypt (protected by the Sahara Desert), didn't have to fight as much, peace=prosperity=cultural achievement... Indus (second oldest continuous), protected by the Hindu Kush mountains (kept out outside invaders and civilization stays intact for centuries)... Huang He, protected by the Pacific Ocean, Himalayan Mountains and deserts in the north... China was isolated for centuries... great innovation early on but no cultural diffusion.
To this day, these areas have a greater population density that much of the surrounding territory.

Rivers are nature's highways... transport ideas, people, help crops grow.

Plains... easy to grow crops, easy to live/develop a civilization... everyone want to invade to live there.

Mountains/Deserts- can't live, can't grow food on a mountain/in a desert, and these features keep people separated and invaders out.

So all 4 River Valleys, very easy to grow food, pop booms, villages turn into cities, division of labor emerges, interdependent trade between classes, belief system develops due to nature worship (priests/scribes) and governments were religiously based (theocracies), social institutions develop, large buildings are built, system of record keeping... all necessary qualifications for a group of people to become a civilization.

I'm glad I saw this. I almost went to bed early Hope that helps.

Re: Need help from teachers, re: 6th grade social studies

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/earth/dealing-deluge.html- article about rivers flooding adn the impact on these areas