Learning Targets and Assessments

Long-term Target
Supporting Targets
Assessments
I can explain why Emperor
I can draw connections between evolving needs and
Ashoka has a unique presence
societal changes (sociocultural and political) from the
in the history of India.
Later Vedic period to the Mauryan period (Emperor
Ashoka).
I can identify an event which is a turning point in a given
period.
I can draw inferences about the factors that lead to a
significant event in a given period of time.
Culture Targets
I can focus on the task at hand.
I can respect others point of view by listening attentively
during crew/class discussions.
Introduction: Building engagement and setting purpose
Why is this lesson/sequence of lessons important and exciting work to do?
What will cause students to be curious and want to learn?
How will you provide students with a vision of the long-term target(s) in a way that involves them?
Instructional Steps
Time and Resources
Required
Step 1: Recap of Ashoka Crew Work
5-7 minutes
Share the culture targets.
Get students to talk about one thing they felt is completely new in Ashokas empire that
they havent seen till now in previous empires/civilizations. Children think for a minute
individually, then share in their crews.
Ask each crew to share one point avoiding repetitions.
Write down the key words used by children in their responses in a word cloud form on the
board/flipchart.
Scaffolding plans for the body of the instruction

What sequenced moves will you and the students make to ensure that all students meet the learning targets?
How will students know what quality looks like, and how will you support them in producing quality work?
How will students work/practice together during learning?

Instructional Steps
Step 2: Recap of Iceberg
Share the LT I can identify an event which is a turning point in a given period.
Ask children to think back about what turning point means. Unpack the LT.

Resources Required
10 minutes

Display a blank Iceberg and ask children to label the three parts What? How? Why?
Ask them what kind of details we write in each part. i.e. Turning point event in the what part;
the patterns that led to it in the how part; needs underlying the patterns in the why part.
Write down these key words on the Iceberg.
Step 3: Identifying the turning point event
Ask children What made Ashoka start thinking about the welfare of his subjects?
Unpack the question and focus on the word welfare.

10 minutes

Think-Pair-Share: Ask children to think about their responses on this question for a minute,
share with their neighbour, write down responses in their notebooks.
Whole class sharing: Ask some pairs to share their responses. Write these responses on the
board. Ask children to also make clear why they have given a particular response and how it
connects with the question. Arrive at the change in Ashoka as an Emperor as the turning
point event. Write the Turning Point event in the what layer of the blank iceberg. Children
also draw an iceberg in their notebooks and write in the What layer.
1

[Expected responses: The kalinga war which made him think about the usefulness of wars,
Dhamma, tolerance of diversity, following Buddhism, stopped expanding his empire]
Step 4: Drawing inferences about how and why
Share LT I can draw inferences about the factors that lead to a significant event in a given
period of time. Unpack the LT with the children.
Individually Children will think about the patterns that led to Kalinga War and triggered
Ashoka to start thinking differently and write down their points in the how and why layers.
They can refer back to the readings and edicts.
Crew work Each child shares his/her points in the crew and writes down any new responses
shared by peers.
Whole class sharing Take responses from children about the how and why layers and fill the
iceberg on the whiteboard.
[Expected Iceberg at the end of plan]
Step 5: Causal Loops
Share LT I can observe keenly and record patterns in the given format. Draw an empty cause
and effect loop under this LT and say that this is the format to record patterns in. Ask children
to think what they know about causal loops and their experiences with it.

15 minutes

10 minutes

Share LT I can explain cause and effect happening in a non-linear manner.

Display the sample causal loops [At end of plan] and ask children to explain it.
Ask children to form a causal loop by referring to the iceberg they have formed.
They then share their causal loops with their peers.
Ask some children who seem to have formed thoughtful causal loops to share with the entire
class.
Step 6: Needs, Social and Political Structures
Ask children to look back at the table with social and political structures of Ashokas Empire.
They think about what new needs have come up during Ashokas Empire and write it in the
same table. Take responses from children and have a class discussion.
Political Structures:
Social Structures:
1.
1.
2.
2.
3.
3.
4.
4.
5.
5.
Needs:
1. Peace and Non-violence
2. Need to handle diversity
3. Need for administration of a huge empire
4. Need for righteous living
Step 7: Evolving needs and structures
Share the LT: I can draw connections between evolving needs and societal changes
(sociocultural and political) from the Mauryan society in Chandraguptas/Bindusaras time to
Ashokas time.
How have the needs and socio-political structures changed from Chandragupta/Bindusaras
time to Ashokas time? Has everything changed? Are there any similarities between how
Chandragupta or Bindusara ran their empire and how Ashoka ran his empire? (Remind
children to think about evolving needs that led to changes in sociocultural and political
structures)

5-7 minutes

10 minutes

Display a Venn diagram as shown below.

Chandragupta/
Bindusara
Expansion
Power

Similarities
Able
administrator

Wealth

Ashoka
Peace
Non-violence
Following Dhamma
Religious tolerance

War for conquering

kingdoms

Welfare of people
Military Strength

War for defence

Encourage children to refer to the needs and structures table formed for Ashokas Empire
They work individually to put down their ideas in the Venn diagram format in their notebooks
followed by a whole class discussion. Write down students responses in the Venn diagram
displayed and ask children to note down points they have missed.
Closure - How will students synthesize their understanding? How will we assess the effectiveness of the lesson?

Instructional Steps
Check out the LTs:
Share each LT one by one with the class and have a quick discussion of how they have
achieved it.
I can explain why Emperor Ashoka has a unique presence in the history of India.
I can draw connections between evolving needs and societal changes (sociocultural and
political) from the Later Vedic period to the Mauryan period (Emperor Ashoka).

Resources Required
10 minutes