Should We Protect Ancient

Artifacts?
Jean Wolph, Louisville Writing Project

AMini-UnitonTeachingArgument:Integrating
Text-BasedEvidence

Mini-UnitOverview
Writing
Argument
MINI-UNIT
Emphasis

ARGUMENT
SKILLS

PRODUCT

ELEMENTS OF
ARGUMENT

Reading
CLOSE
READING
STRATEGIES

RESPONSE TO
READINGS

Close reading
strategies

Writing & talking

to develop
knowledge on
topic or issue

TOPICS

# of Lessons

Draft, Feedback,
Revise,
Reflect

Integrate
evidence from
multiple
sources to
support a
claim
3 Lessons

Entering Skills:
Notetaking
Annotating text
Identifying
evidence
(quotations,
facts, and
statistics) to
support the claim
Citing sources
Foundational Skills:
Integrate
evidence from
several sources
to support a
claim

Product: Draft
with revision to
integrate facts
from other
sources
Peer Review

Claim
Evidence

Coding text

Partner share

Should We
Protect Ancient
Artifacts?
2 video texts
1 print text

Grades6-8SocialStudiesWriting
StandardsEmphasizedintheMini-Unit

Writeargumentstosupportclaimswithclearreasonsandrelevant
evidence.
b.Supportclaim(s)withrelevantevidencedemonstratingan
understandingofthetopicortext.

Mini-UnitSequence
Day1

ViewPricelessIraqi
ArtifactsDestroyedby
ISIS/THU,FEB26
Recordfactsandkey
words.
PartnerTalk
Viewclipfromthemovie
The Monument Men
Writearesponsetothe
clip.
PartnerTalk
ClassDiscussion

Day2

ReadexcerptfromIfgreat
architecturebelongsto
humanity,dowehavea
responsibilitytosaveitin
wartimes?byJeffSparrow
Codethearticle.Mark
compellingfactsandkey
words.
PartnerTalk
Write:Should we protect the
rights of the dead when we
cannot guarantee the rights of
the living?

Day3

PeerReview:
Wherecouldweadd
factsfromDay1
videos?
Revisetoadd
additionalevidence.

Viewthisvideo:
PricelessIraqiArtifactsDestroyedbyISIS/THU,FEB26
http://
www.nbcnews.com/nightly-news/video/priceless-iraqi-artif
acts-destroyed-by-isis-405129795627
Wellwatchittwice,recordingfactsandkeywordsaswe
view.See next slide.

Text #1

Recordwhatyouobserve,including
factsandkeywords.
FACTS

Writing #1

KEYWORDS

Inpairs,sharewhatyouthoughtwas
importantfromthevideoandfromyour
writingandnotes.Addtoyournotes
aftersharing.

Partner Talk

DuringWorldWarII,theNazisstealcountlesspiecesofartandhidethemaway.
Someover-the-hillartscholars,historians,architectsandotherexpertsformaunit
toretrieveasmanyofthestolenmasterpiecesaspossible.Themissionbecomes
evenmoreurgentwhentheteamlearnsaboutHitler's"NeroDecree,"whichorders
destructionoftheartworksiftheThirdReichfalls.Caughtinaraceagainsttime,
themenrisktheirlivestoprotectsomeofmankind'sgreatestachievements.
--TheMonumentsMen,Filmsynopsis,www.bookrags.com
ViewthisclipfromthemovieThe Monuments Men:
<iframewidth="560"height="315"
src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/ZDTT44VIFHE"frameborder="0"
allowfullscreen></iframe>

Text #2

Writearesponsetothemovieclip.
Whatdidyouthink?
Whatquestionsdoyouhave?

Writing #2

Inpairs,sharewhatyouthoughtaboutthemovie
clip.Shareyourquestionsandtrytopuzzleout
answers.
Preparetoshareyourideaswiththeclass.

Partner Talk

ReadtheexcerptfromIfgreat
architecturebelongstohumanity,dowe
havearesponsibilitytosaveitin
wartimes?byJeffSparrow.
Highlightorcodethearticlebymarking
compellingfactsandkeywords.

Text #3

Australia news /TheGuardianWinner of the Pulitzer Prize in 2014

Monday6October201422.25EDT/LastmodifiedMonday6October201422.27EDT
Excerptfromanopinionpiece,adaptedforclassroomuse(10.2)
Fullarticleavailableat
http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/oct/07/-sp-if-great-architecture-belongs-to-humanitydo-we-have-a-responsibility-to-save-it-in-war-times

Ifgreatarchitecturebelongsto
humanity,dowehavea
responsibilitytosaveitinwartimes?
byJeffSparrow
ThelandsofSyriaandIraqgaverisetosometheoldestsocietieswe
know:theSumerians,theAkkadians,theBabylonians,the
Assyrians,theParthians,theRomansandmanyothers.Tracesof
thesepeoplesremaininimportantarcheologicalsites.
Andnowtheyrebeingdestroyed.

SatelliteimageryshowstheculturaleffectsofSyriascivilwar.Thebuildings
ofAleppo,oneoftheoldestcontinuouslyinhabitedcitiesintheworld,has
sufferedextensivedamage,explainedArchaeologymagazine.Theancient
cityofBosra,theancientsiteofPalmyra,theancientvillagesofNorthern
Syria,andthecastlesCracdesChevaliersandQalatSalahEl-Dinhaveall
beendamagedbymortarimpactsandmilitaryactivity.
SotooinIraq.
Sometimes,thedestructionisaccidental(ifthattermmeansanythingin
wartime).Sometimesitsdeliberate,withtheIslamicStatelevelingancient
religioussites.
AfterlootersattackedBaghdadsNationalMuseumin2003,FrancisDeblauwe
startedthe(nowdefunct)IraqandArchaeologysite.Hewrote:
War in this cradle of civilization inevitably takes its toll on the
archaeological heritage as well. After all, this fertile flood plain and
surrounding mountains gave birth to agriculture, to writing, to cities, to laws, to
the 24 hours in a day, and many more things we take for granted.

AbeheadedlootedsculptureinIraq'sarcheological
museuminBaghdad.Photograph:Patrick
Baz/AFP/Getty
IraqtakesitsnamefromUruk.Urukwastheancientcitysaid
tohavebeenruledbyGilgamesh,sometimebetween2,500
and2,700BC.Intheepicpoemthatbearshisname,
GilgameshleavesUruk.HehadbuiltUruk.Buthewas
grievingthedeathofhisfriend.Aftermanyadventures,he
acceptsthatonlythegodsendureforever.Hethenreturnsto
Urukwithnewappreciation.Acityisahumanachievement.
Itofferstheonlyimmortalityhumanscanexpect.
DavidFerrystranslationdescribesUrukasfollows:
The outer wall
shines in the sun like brightest copper; the inner
wall is beyond the imagining of kings.
Study the brickwork, study the fortification;
climb the great ancient staircase to the terrace;
study how it is made

Uruksruinswererediscoveredinthe19thcentury,250kmssouthofBaghdad.That
meanswecanstudythebrickwork,thefortificationsandtheouterwallsGilgamesh
oncesaw.Whenwedo,wearemetwiththesamequestionsabouteternityhepondered
4,500yearsago.
Theancientstonesshowthepersistenceofourculture.Preservingculture,asthepoem
suggests,isouronlycomfortforthefactthatweallwilldiesomeday.
Thatswhy,inTheSevenLampsofArchitecture,VictorianartcriticJohnRuskinargues
thatwehavearesponsibilitytosuchartifacts.Hewarns:
They are not ours. They belong partly to those who built them, and partly to all the
generations of mankind who are to follow us. The dead have still their right in them:
that which they labored for, the praise of achievement or the expression of religious
feeling, or whatsoever else it might be which in those buildings they intended to be
permanent, we have no right to obliterate.
Greatarchitecture,Ruskinsays,belongstohumanityasawhole.Itdoesnotbelongto
thosemobswhodoviolencetoit.Itsanargumentthatsurelyappliestotherelicsof
ancientMesopotamia,caughtbetweenIslamicStatefightersandUSstrikebombers.
Butcanweor,rather,shouldweprotecttherightsofthedeadwhenwecannot
guaranteetherightsoftheliving?

Nearly200,000peoplehavealreadydiedinSyriascivilwar.Estimatesofdeathsfrom
the2003Iraqinvasionvaryfromseveralhundredthousandtooveramillion.Inthemidst
ofunimaginablebloodandsuffering,isitwrongtocareaboutthewallsofUruk?
Iwishtobeabsolutelyclear,writesDeblauwe,noepicSumeriancuneiformtablet,
majesticNeo-AssyrianlamassusculptureoranyotherMesopotamianartifactiswortha
humanlife,beitIraqi,American,Britishorother.
Thebluntnessofthatstatement,fromamanwhodeeplycaresaboutSumeriancuneiform
tablets,contrastswithRuskinscomments.Hechampionsthepastoverthefleshand
bloodoftodayspeople.Heprivilegesabygoneworldovertheoneinwhichweactually
live.
Theresalong,disgracefultraditionofreveringtheancientworldwhilebelittlinganyone
withthenervetoliveinthosecitiestoday.Whenculturaltreasureswereseizedfrom
lesserpopulationsitwasoftenonthebasisthattheignorantlocalscouldntappreciate
thestuffsvalue.ThatshowmajorBritishmuseumsbuilttheircollections,fromtheElgin
MarblestothebonesofAboriginalpeople.
Yetitsworththinkingabouttheneedforsuchactions.

Inpairs,sharewhatyouthoughtwas
importantfromthearticle.
Addtoyourcodingorhighlightingof
importantfactsandkeywordsasyou
share.

Partner Talk

WRITE:
Whatdoyouthink?Howimportantareancientartifactsandmonuments?
Shouldwe,astheauthorJeffSparrowasks,protecttherightsofthedeadwhen
wecannotguaranteetherightsoftheliving?
Useevidencefromthearticletosupportyourclaim.Remembertocitethe
source:
AccordingtoJeffSparrow,authorofIfgreatarchitecturebelongsto
humanity,dowehavearesponsibilitytosaveitinwartimes?
_____________________.
VictorianartcriticJohnRuskinarguesthat___________
You may want to skip a line between each row as you write because well be adding
to our writing.

Writing #3

Shouldweprotectancientartifactsandmonumentsduring
war?
Re-readyourdraft.Underlineyourclaim.
Re-readyournotesfromthevideos.
WhatevidencefromthevideosisRELEVANT(applicable)
toyourclaim?Find2-3placesinyourdrafttoaddspecific
facts,keywords,andexamplesfromthesetextsasevidence
tosupportthereasonsyouhavegiven.
ORaddnewreasons/evidencefromthevideosthatyoudid
notuseinyourfirstdraft.
Remembertocitethesourceoftheinformation.

Integrating Research

 Readyourpartnersdraft.
Putastareachtimetheyusedevidencefromthearticle
tosupporttheirideas.
Putaquestionmarkeachtimeyourecognizeafactfrom
thearticleorvideothatdoesnotincludethesource.
Suggest1-2additionalrelevantfactsthattheycouldadd.

Tradepapersbackanduseyourpartnersfeedbackto
improveyourdraft.

Peer Review/Revision