Lesson Plan Title: Hammurabi’s Code Nicole Clampitt

Date: November 21st

Subject: Social Studies Grade: 9
Topic: laws in ancient civilizations Essential Question: How do societies of the past influence
societies today?
Materials: Envelopes with the crimes written on them, blank pieces of paper, pens, list of groups
Stage 1- Desired Results – you may use student friendly language
What do they need to understand, know, and/or able to do?
Define the concept of the rule of law and trace its origins in the societies studied.
They need to have an understanding of how governance and laws worked in Ancient Mesopotamia.

Broad Areas of Learning:

Building Engaged Citizens: This lesson will help to build engaged citizens by introducing the topic of law, starting
in an ancient civilization and help them to trace the affects that ancient law has on law today. This will give
them a basic understanding of law and justice that they can later use to relate to the systems we use in Canada
today.

Cross-Curricular Competencies:
Developing thinking: This lesson will help students develop their thinking by asking them to make judgements
on ancient crimes and think critically about the ways that laws today are set up. It will also help them to draw
connections between ancient laws and the laws in Canada today.

Outcome(s):PA9.1 – Examine concepts of power and authority in the governance of the societies studied.

PGP Goals: 2.2 proficiency in the Language of Instruction

Stage 2- Assessment

Assessment FOR Learning (formative) Assess the students during the learning to help determine next steps.
They will take the critical thinking skills that they used in the group activity and apply them to the individual
work sheets they will do at the end of the lesson. This will allow me to ensure that they understood the lesson
and the sheets will be handed in after class.

Assessment OF Learning (summative) Assess the students after learning to evaluate what they have learned.
Stage 3- Learning Plan

Motivational/Anticipatory Set (introducing topic while engaging the students)

Ask the students what kinds of rules exist in our classroom and in the school. Ask them why they think these
rules are important/ why they were made in the first place.
Explain that Hammurabi was a king of Babylon and he established one of the earliest known set of laws. Before
he made his laws violence was solved with more violence. His laws give us an idea of the life and social
structure of the ordinary people during his reign. (5 mins)
Main Procedures/Strategies:
Separate the students into 6 groups of 5 (list of groups provided at bottom of lesson plan) and give each group a
set of blank strips of paper and an envelope with a crime written on it. Explain to the students that they are to
read the crime and with their group come up with a punishment they think is appropriate, write it down and
place it in the envelope (has to be school appropriate answers). They then need to pass the envelope to the
next group and repeat the task with the new envelope they receive. However, they are not allowed to read the
previous group’s answers. This continues until all the groups have come up with a punishment for all of the
crimes. I then open the envelopes and read the different answers the groups have come up with. After this I
read them the punishments that Hammurabi came up with for these different crimes. (45 mins)

Adaptations/Differentiation:
In future I may cut out the reading of the class’s answers in order to give them more time for the closing
assignment.

Closing of lesson:
After this activity I will hand out the work sheet on Hammurabi and have them complete the activity on it. I will
supply them with current crime stories that they can choose from so they can answer the questions on the
work sheet. (15 mins)

Personal Reflection:
I loved this activity and will try to use it in the future. The students really enjoyed the lesson and most of them
were very engaged in the learning. Most of the feedback I got from my partner teacher included advice in
improving my classroom management skills. I will keep this advice in mind and do my best to learn from this
experience.

Group Lists for Grade 9 Social Studies class

Group 1: Charles, Nathanial, Nancy, Khaila, Skylar
Group 2: Dennielle, Aisha, Eric, Dylan, Jowie
Group 3: Tyson, Zander, Nifemi, Emma, Jordan
Group 4: Victoria, Alex, Melvin, William, Connor
Group 5: Gregory, Kenneth, Paul, Khyz, Shaun
Group 6: Jalize, Kaelyn, Marc, Ethan, Lance, Martina

M. Wilkinson ’16 *Adapted from Understanding by Design (McTighe and Wiggins, 1998)