Grade Level: 6th Grade
Topic: The Hammurabi Code: Then and Now?
Essential Questions:
1. How did the Hammurabi Code change Babylonian society?
2. What are the lasting effects of the Hammurabi Code today?
Resources:
A. “The Law Givers: Menes, Moses, Hammurabi.” Mural. Smithsonian Institution.
http://collections.si.edu/search/record/saam_1974.28.340
B. Hammurabi’s Code: An Eye for An Eye. (http://www.ushistory.org/civ/4c.asp)
C. Excerpt (21 laws) taken from the Hammurabi Code, taken from the US History > Ancient
Civilizations website at http://avalon.law.yale.edu/ancient/hamframe.asp
Writing Types
Argumentative
Guiding Questions
Prompts
Which laws in the Code
of Hammurabi seem
fair? Why?
Many of the laws in the
Code of Hammurabi are too
harsh and unfair.
Which laws in the Code
of Hammurabi seem
unfair? Why?
Using information from at
least two of the resources,
respond that you agree or
disagree with this statement.
Use information from at
least two of the sources to
support your claim.
Which laws are similar
to some laws we have
today?
Which laws are different
from some laws we have
today?
Informative/
Explanatory
What did Hammurabi
want to accomplish by
creating the Code of
Laws?
One goal Hammurabi hoped
to achieve by creating the
Code of Laws was to “keep
the strong from injuring the
weak.”
Why does justice require
that those who are
Write an explanation that
strong may not hurt
demonstrates how the Code
those who are weak?
of Laws keeps the strong
Reminders/Things to
Consider (StudentFriendly Rubric
Descriptors)
 State a clear
argument that
addresses resources
and the prompt, and
maintains it
throughout the
work.
 Use relevant details
from at least two of
the sources to
support the
argument.
 Clarify relationships
among ideas and use
evidence to the
support the
argument.
 Make sure your
article is readable
and that conventions
are used correctly.
 State a clear
controlling idea that
addresses resources
and the prompt.
 Use relevant details
from at least two of
the sources to
explain the
controlling idea.
from injuring the weak.
Use information from at
least two of the sources.


Clarify relationships
among ideas and
those that explain
the controlling idea.
Make sure your
article is readable
and that conventions
are correctly used.