Grade 4 - Richland Parish School Board
Grade 4
Social Studies
Table of Contents
Unit 1: Map Skills—Examining the United States’ Place in the World 1
Unit 2: Geographic and Cultural Characteristics of Regions 15
Unit 3: The Movement of People: A Historical Perspective 28
Unit 4: The Movement of Ideas: Scientific Contributions and Culture 38
Unit 5: The Movement of Goods and Resources 47
Unit 6: Our Government 59
Unit 7: Growth of a Nation 68
Unit 8: Making Economic Choices 82
Unit 9: Producers and Consumers 89
Louisiana Comprehensive Curriculum, Revised 2008
Course Introduction
The Louisiana Department of Education issued the Comprehensive Curriculum in 2005. The curriculum has been revised based on teacher feedback, an external review by a team of content experts from outside the state, and input from course writers. As in the first edition, the Louisiana Comprehensive Curriculum, revised 2008 is aligned with state content standards, as defined by Grade-Level Expectations (GLEs), and organized into coherent, time-bound units with sample activities and classroom assessments to guide teaching and learning. The order of the units ensures that all GLEs to be tested are addressed prior to the administration of iLEAP assessments.
District Implementation Guidelines
Local districts are responsible for implementation and monitoring of the Louisiana Comprehensive Curriculum and have been delegated the responsibility to decide if
• units are to be taught in the order presented
• substitutions of equivalent activities are allowed
• GLES can be adequately addressed using fewer activities than presented
• permitted changes are to be made at the district, school, or teacher level
Districts have been requested to inform teachers of decisions made.
Implementation of Activities in the Classroom
Incorporation of activities into lesson plans is critical to the successful implementation of the Louisiana Comprehensive Curriculum. Lesson plans should be designed to introduce students to one or more of the activities, to provide background information and follow-up, and to prepare students for success in mastering the Grade-Level Expectations associated with the activities. Lesson plans should address individual needs of students and should include processes for re-teaching concepts or skills for students who need additional instruction. Appropriate accommodations must be made for students with disabilities.
New Features
Content Area Literacy Strategies are an integral part of approximately one-third of the activities. Strategy names are italicized. The link (view literacy strategy descriptions) opens a document containing detailed descriptions and examples of the literacy strategies. This document can also be accessed directly at .
A Materials List is provided for each activity and Blackline Masters (BLMs) are provided to assist in the delivery of activities or to assess student learning. A separate Blackline Master document is provided for each course.
The Access Guide to the Comprehensive Curriculum is an online database of suggested strategies, accommodations, assistive technology, and assessment options that may provide greater access to the curriculum activities. The Access Guide will be piloted during the 2008-2009 school year in Grades 4 and 8, with other grades to be added over time. Click on the Access Guide icon found on the first page of each unit or by going directly to the url .
Grade 4
Social Studies
Unit 1: Map Skills—Examining the United States’ Place in the World
Time Frame: Three weeks
Unit Description
This unit focuses on a review of map skills. Historical and geographical analysis skills are used to examine a history of the United States. Fundamental concepts in geography are explored.
Student Understandings
Students will understand the characteristics and uses of various maps as they locate nations, states, and communities. They should be able to compare characteristics of different areas by using geographic tools, such as grid lines and the compass rose, to locate places around the world.
Guiding Questions
1. Can students identify and interpret various types of maps?
2. Can students locate and label locations on a map or globe using lines of latitude and
longitude?
3. Can students explain what causes the Earth’s surface to change?
4. Can students discuss how people impact their environment and in what way people
depend on the environment?
5. Can students explain what influences patterns of land use and settlement?
6. Can students identify the differences among countries, states, parishes, and
cities?
Unit 1 Grade-Level Expectations (GLEs)
|GLE # |GLE Text and Benchmarks |
|Geography |
|1. |Interpret different kinds of maps using a map key/legend, compass rose, cardinal and intermediate directions, and |
| |distance scale (G-1A-E1) |
|2. |Use a variety of images or other spatial graphics (e.g., aerial photographs, satellite images) to locate major |
| |physical and human characteristics (G-1A-E1) |
|3. |Locate and label places on a map or globe: the seven continents, the United States and its major land forms, major|
| |bodies of water and waterways, referring to the poles, the equator, latitude, longitude and meridians (G-1A-E2) |
|4. |Identify all U.S. states by shapes and position on map (G-1A-E2) |
|5. |Draw, complete, and add features to a map (including such map elements as a title, compass rose, legend, and |
| |scale), based on given information (G-1A-E3) |
|Places and Regions |
|6. |Describe and compare the distinguishing characteristics of various land forms, bodies of water, climates, and |
| |forms of vegetation in the United States (G-1B-E1) |
|Physical and Human Systems |
|10. |Identify physical processes that change Earth’s surface and create physical features suddenly or over time (e.g., |
| |what physical process created the Grand Canyon, Great Lakes, and Hawaiian Islands) (G-1C-E1) |
|11. |Identify geographical/physical reasons for regional variations that influence patterns of settlement and land use |
| |in the United States and the world, past and present (G-1C-E2) |
|15. |Differentiate between countries, states, parishes, and cities (G-1C-E6) |
|Environment and Society |
|16. |Identify ways in which people in the United States depend upon and modify the physical environment (G-1D-E1) |
Sample Activities
Students should use a social studies journal or composition as a learning log (view literacy strategy descriptions). This is a notebook that students keep to record ideas, questions, reactions, and new understandings. Documenting ideas in a log about content being studied forces students to “put into words” what they know or do not know. This process offers a reflection of understanding that can lead to further study and alternative learning paths. It combines writing and reading with content learning.
Activity 1: Assessment of Prior General Social Studies Knowledge
Materials List: journal/composition, charts/posters
While this activity does not meet a specific GLE, it is necessary as an opening activity to assess prior knowledge and to get students ready for new information. Put students in groups of four. Students open their social studies journals to the first page and date it. Have students make a brainstorming web (view literacy strategy descriptions) in their journals with the term Social Studies in the middle. Explain to students that social studies material can be grouped into four categories: geography, history, economics and civics. Give students about eight minutes to record anything they can remember about what they have learned in social studies in the past years. They will be working in a group to brainstorm, and all members of the group should record this information in their journals/compositions. When time is called, gather the group together to discuss findings and to sort the information into the four strands of social studies: economics, history, geography, and civics. Generate a list for each strand and provide a definition for each strand. Display the lists on charts/posters. Then students will begin to sort the information from their webs into one of those four categories. As volunteers from each group share their ideas, the class decides in what strand(s) the information belongs. This process should continue until each group has shared and categorized their prior learning. These charts/posters should be posted for reference by the students/teacher.
Activity 2: Assessment of Prior Geographic Knowledge (GLEs: 3, 5)
Materials List: crayons/colored pencils, outline world map
As in Activity 1, this activity is necessary to assess prior knowledge from previous grades. It is important for the teacher to know the knowledge base of the students in this area before beginning this unit. Put the following terms on the board: Africa, Australia, Antarctica, North America, South America, Europe, Asia, North Pole, South Pole, Pacific Ocean, Atlantic Ocean, Indian Ocean, Arctic Ocean, Equator, and the United States.
Have students color and label each of the above locations on their outline world maps. For an outline map of the world, refer to: .
Require students to assign specific colors for continents, oceans, poles and equator. Students should include on their maps a title, compass rose, and legend. Collect these maps as students finish. Review these as a way of assessing students’ prior geographic knowledge. These maps will be used by students in later lessons to compare their prior knowledge with their new knowledge.
Activity 3: Map Elements (GLE: 1)
Materials List: journal/composition; Map Elements Word Grid BLM; collection of world, state, parish and city maps; timer; chart paper
Ask students to describe some elements or parts of books. List these as students contribute. Expect some of the following elements: table of contents, page numbers, chapter numbers, index, title page, etc. Tell students that just as those parts of books help with comprehension, maps have elements or parts to them that assist in understanding them better. Even though maps are thought of as mostly pictures or spatial images, people have to be able to read a map and the elements help to do that effectively. Tell students that this activity will help them to discover some of the elements of maps.
Place students in cooperative groups. Provide each group with a world map, state map, parish map and city map. Various types of maps can be found at: . Students will use the maps to complete a word grid (view literacy strategy descriptions). Provide students with the Map Elements Word Grid BLM (see sample below.) (Elements may be added to the word grid depending on the maps used.) As a group, students are to fill in the word grid by placing a “+” in the space corresponding to the element that is present on each particular map. If the element is not present on the map, a “—” should be put in the space.
|Types of Maps |Title |Key / |Distanc|Compass Rose |Intermediate Directions |
| | |Legend |e Scale| | |
|continental drift | | | | | |
After completing the vocabulary self-awareness chart, review these words briefly and discuss them, explaining that each of our landforms and bodies of water was created by a movement or shift in the Earth’s crust. Begin with the term terra firma and explain that this is the term in Latin for “firm ground.” Provoke discussion about the firm nature of the Earth. Record the students’ hypotheses about the Earth’s crust. Introduce continental drift—the theory that the continents are the result of a single landmass that was broken into pieces. Provide cutouts of the world’s continents that students can use to reconstruct the original world island—Pangaea. Distribute two index cards to each student. These will be used to represent the plates on the Earth’s crust. Explain folding and faulting and model with large index cards by bending them so the students can see the resulting folds that represent mountains and valleys. Explain that folding is when the Earth’s crust bends and folds occur. This happens when forces are acting against each other such as when plates collide. Have students model folding with their index cards. Explain that faulting occurs when rocks break and move or are moved along a crack in the Earth’s crust. Use the index cards to illustrate the physical process of faulting. Discuss earthquakes with students explaining that an earthquake occurs when the plates that make up the Earth’s crust slide past one another or when one plate slides beneath another plate. Continue the use of the index cards to model what happens during an earthquake. Discuss volcanism and have students model this process using modeling clay. Remember to refer students back to the self-awareness chart as they’re learning key terminology to revise their original marks and understandings.
Write the following on a storyboard or present them in a PowerPoint® presentation: Rocky Mountains, Appalachian Mountains, Great Lakes, Grand Canyon, and Hawaiian Islands. Include photographs of these places. Then have students locate these on a physical map and label them. Divide the class into five cooperative learning groups, one representing each landform or body of water listed. Distribute a research packet to each group and have them find out what physical process created each one. Students will share their research with each other, and should write in their social studies journals/compositions the landform as well as the physical process that created it. Also, have them illustrate each of the bodies of water or landforms listed.
Activity 12: Erosion and its Effect on the Environment (GLE: 10)
Materials List: research material on wind, water, and glacial erosion
Provide students with information on the physical processes impacting the Earth. Have students form small groups to create lists of physical processes that change the Earth’s surface. Ask them to share their lists and identify which physical processes happen over time and which occur suddenly. Discuss with students the issue of the vanishing wetlands off the coast of Louisiana.
Explain to the students that they will be studying erosion, which may happen suddenly or over time. Divide the class into three teams, each representing one of the following: wind erosion, water erosion, and glacial erosion. Have each team research and explain the impact of their form of erosion, including the costs and benefits to people and to the environment. Direct questions or activities such as these to the three groups:
• How can erosion be controlled?
• How do humans contribute to the erosion process?
• What are some places that have been impacted by the three types of erosion?
Inform the students that they will have to present their findings to the class using the Professor Know It All strategy (view literacy strategy descriptions). Tell them that their group will be called on to come to the front of the room to be a team of “Professor Know-It-Alls” about erosion. Have groups prepare by thinking up questions about each type of erosion. Call on a group of students to come to the front of the room. To add novelty to the strategy, let the “know-it-alls” put on a tie, a graduation cap and gown, a lab coat, clipboard, or other symbol of professional expertise. Ask students to stand shoulder to shoulder. Invite questions from the other groups and have the know-it-alls answer each question. First, they should huddle as a team to talk about the answer, then return to their positions and give answers in complete sentences. This can be done by each student’s supplying one word of the sentence and rotating around until the sentence is completed. Then the final student in the rotations says “period.” After five minutes or so, ask a new group of “Professor Know-It-Alls” to take their place in front of the class, don their professional props, and continue the process of students questioning students. This should be done until all groups have had a chance to serve as know-it-alls. The teacher should ask his/her own questions of each of the groups.
Activity 13: Hurricanes (GLE: 10, 11)
Materials List: research material on hurricanes
Prepare a scenario describing the impact of hurricanes at a particular location (e.g., New Orleans, Gulf Coast, and Atlantic Coast). Assign pairs of students to report on the activity and the impact it has on residents. Have one member of each pair assume the identity of a reporter, while the other plays the role of a resident displaced by the hurricane. Both members should work together to prepare the questions and answers. Possible questions could be:
1. How did the hurricane impact your life and the lives of other people near its landfall?
2. Where were you when the hurricane made landfall?
3. How has the land changed after the hurricane’s landfall?
4. What is the prognosis for future land use in the area hit by the hurricane?
Ask several pairs of students to re-enact their role-play before the class.
Activity 14: Modification of Landforms (GLEs: 10, 11, 16)
Materials List: research materials on land and water modification, map of the United States, poster paper (optional)
Review with students landforms and bodies of water located in the United States. Discuss ways and reasons why people modify land and bodies of water. Give examples of each (e.g. Hoover Dam, Lake Mead, the Mississippi River, the Western Grand Canyon, the Tennessee River Valley Dam, the Grand Coulee Dam, irrigation in California’s Central Valley, mining in mountainous areas, grazing by cattle). Assign students an example to study. Have the students research the text and other references to report to the class about an example of a land and body of water modification, either in the past or in the present. Students may report their discoveries through oral presentations, posters, or mock interviews of people knowledgeable about the modifications. Ask students to label the locations of their land and water modifications on a U.S. map. For a map of the United States with bodies of water, refer to: (u).pdf.
Explain that these are examples of how humans change the environment. Other examples of land use should include settlement patterns, housing materials, agricultural activity, types of recreation, and transportation patterns.
Sample Assessments
General Guidelines
• Students should be monitored throughout the work on all activities via teacher observation, log/data entries, report writing, group discussion, and journal entries.
• All student-developed products and student investigations should be evaluated as the unit progresses. When possible, students should assist in developing any rubrics that will be used.
• Use a variety of performance assessments to determine student comprehension.
• Select assessments consistent with the types of products that result from the student activities.
General Assessments
• Provide students with a blank outline map of the world. Have students identify
continents and various other places on the map.
• Provide students with a blank outline map of the United States and have students
draw in and label the following: states already mastered in the study of regions, and various physical features studied in this unit.
• Provide students with a separate map of a fictitious area that includes latitude and longitude lines, a compass rose, and distance scale. Have them use the directions given to plot designated symbols on the map and have them create a legend to accompany this map. Provide a compass rose with the north direction stated and have students complete the compass rose with cardinal and intermediate directions. Then they should use the compass rose to describe the location of given items.
Activity-Specific Assessments
• Activity 8: Ask students to put the following locations in order from largest to smallest: (a) North America; (b) World; (c) Louisiana; (d) Lincoln Parish (insert local parish here); (e) United States; (f) Ruston (insert local town/city here).
• Activity 11: Have students illustrate two ways physical processes have changed the earth’s surface.
• Activity 14: Have students provide two examples of the motive of humans to modify the environment and the results of these modifications.
Resources
Books
The Amazing Pop-up Geography Book by Kate Petty and Jennie Maizels
Don’t Know Much About Geography by Kenneth C. Davis
Geography from A-Z by Jack Knowlton
If the World Were a Village by David Smith
Mapping the U.S. by Heart by David Smith
The New York Public Library Amazing World Geography: A Book of Answers for Kids by Andrea Sutcliffe
Nystrom World Atlas from Nystrom
Scholastic Atlas of the United States by David Rubel
Scholastic Encyclopedia of the United States by Judy Bock and Rachel Kranz
Grade 4
Social Studies
Unit 2: Geographic and Cultural Characteristics of Regions
Time Frame: Four weeks
Unit Description
This unit focuses on the location of major regions of the United States and the cultures within those regions. A focus will be on the location of the important regions of the country, people who inhabited them in the past, and those who live there today. Historical and geographical analysis skills will be used to explore the economy, history, and cultures of the United States.
Student Understandings
Students will understand the geographic and cultural characteristics of various regions of the United States. They will compare geographic characteristics of different areas by using geographic tools, such as grid lines and the compass rose. Also, they will explore how natural events affect people in the various regions.
Guiding Questions
1. Can students understand various maps and attributes in locating United States regions?
2. Can students use geographic tools to compare characteristics of various areas?
3. Can students explain the effects of natural events on people in regions?
4. Can students discuss the cultural identities of various people in the U.S. and the impact on their cultural heritage?
5. Can students identify physical and human characteristics of regions?
Unit 2 Grade-Level Expectations (GLEs)
|GLE # |GLE Text and Benchmarks |
|Geography |
|3. |Locate and label places on a map or globe: the seven continents, the United States and its major land forms, major |
| |bodies of water and waterways, referring to the poles, the equator, latitude, longitude and meridians (G-1A-E2) |
|5. |Draw, complete, and add features to a map (including such map elements as a title, compass rose, legend, and a scale), |
| |based on given information (G-1A-E3) |
|GLE# |GLE Text and Benchmark |
|Places and Regions |
|8. |Explain physical and human developments in a region of the United States since it was first settled, based on given |
| |information (G-1B-E3) |
|9. |Identify, define, and compare regions of the United States using physical and human characteristics (e.g., land forms |
| |and use, cultural diversity) (G-1B-E4) |
|Physical and Human Systems |
|12. |Describe characteristics of the human population in a given area (e.g., cultural diversity, population size or growth) |
| |(G-1C-E3) |
|13. |Explain and compare the cultural identities of various U.S. regions and how a region is influenced by past events and |
| |the heritage of its people (G-1C-E4) |
|14. |Locate economic activities that use natural resources in the local region, state, and nation and describe the importance|
| |of the activities to these areas (G-1C-E5) |
|Environment and Society |
|17. |Identify natural disasters, their causes, areas prone to them, and how those disasters affect people and the environment|
| |(G-1D-E3) |
Sample Activities
Activity 1: What Are Regions? (GLE: 9)
Materials List: various items from a grocery store; chart paper; regional, physical, and various theme maps of the United States; journals/compositions; Physical and Human Characteristics Quiz BLM
In this activity, teachers will connect the concept of regions to a grocery store that is familiar to the students. Have available various items from a grocery store (dairy products, canned vegetables, fruits, canned tuna, boxed foods, etc.).
Introduce the lesson using the SQPL (Student Questions for Purposeful Learning) strategy (view literacy strategy descriptions). Propose a statement to the students that will cause them to wonder, challenge, and question the concept of regions. State the following: The regions of the United States can be compared to the layout of a grocery store. Write it on the board or on a piece of chart paper as it is presented. Repeat it as necessary. Next, ask the students to turn to a partner and think of one good question they have about this statement. When all student pairs have decided on their questions, the teacher will ask someone from each team to share their questions with the whole class. As students respond, write their questions on the chart paper or board. Eventually, similar questions will be asked by more than one pair. These should be starred or highlighted in some way, indicating that it is an important question. When students finish adding questions, the teacher should contribute his/her own questions to the list. Throughout the activity, the teacher should stop periodically and have students discuss with their partners which questions could be answered, then ask for volunteers to share. Mark questions that are answered.
Tell the students to listen carefully as they participate in an activity that will explain what a region is. They should be listening for answers to their questions as the material is presented. Stop periodically to allow students to determine which questions have been answered by the content presented. Explain to the students that the term region is another way to say area. In the United States there are different regions or areas because locations often share common characteristics. Countries, states, and cities can be grouped together to form a region because they may have the same landscape, climate, economic factors, culture, or vegetation.
Prepare the students for learning by explaining that the classroom is going to be converted into a “grocery store.” Students are going to “stock” the “grocery store” with products by categorizing items into regions.
Ask the students: What are the different sections of a grocery store? List their responses in a chart similar to the one below. (Charts will vary depending on students’ responses.) Once the students have generated a list of sections/regions within a grocery store, designate sections of the classroom that correspond to “regions” of a grocery store. Give each region a name that corresponds to one of the identified United States Regions. For example, the frozen food section can be called the Northeast region, the dairy section can be the Southern region, canned vegetables can be the Midwest, etc. For a regional map of the United States, refer to: . Proceed to hold up the items one at a time and have the students decide which region it should belong to. Place the item in the correct region of the classroom and list the item in the chart.
|Areas/Regions of a Grocery Store |
|Dairy |Canned vegetables |Frozen food |Produce |Meat |
| | | | | |
After categorizing all of the grocery items, students should then analyze why they placed items into the regions that they did. Ask the following:
• Which region has the most products?
• Which region has the fewest products?
• Could some items be classified into two types of regions? For example, bagged spinach could be in the frozen food region and the produce region.
Relate the concept of grocery store regions to regions of the United States. Remind students that countries, states, and cities can be grouped together to form a region because they may have the same landscape, climate, economic factors, culture, or the same vegetation. Explain to students that locations can be grouped by their physical characteristics or their human characteristics. Define physical characteristics for students as natural characteristics of a region including climate, landforms, soil, vegetation, and animal life. Explain that human characteristics include languages, religions, political systems, economic systems, settlement patterns and transportation. Students should record these definitions in their journals/compositions.
Have students classify terms as either physical characteristics or human characteristics of a region in their journals/compositions. Students should make two columns in their journal: one labeled “Physical Characteristics,” the other labeled “Human Characteristics.” Present students with the following terms to classify: language, mountain, culture, precipitation, river, holiday, food, lake, music, seasons, art, hill, weather, plateau, plain, tradition, natural resource, religion, accent, forest, festivals, deserts, temperature.
At the conclusion of the activity, refer back to the SQPL list of questions. Tell students that throughout the study of regions, they will refer back to the list often to answer any questions that were not covered by this activity. Keep this SQPL posted throughout the unit. Activity 1 can be assessed using the Physical and Human Characteristics Quiz BLM. Refer to Activity-Specific Assessments, Activity 1.
Activity 2: Physical Characteristics of Regions (GLE: 9)
Materials List: Physical Characteristics of Regions Chart BLM; regional, physical, and various theme maps of the United States; Comparing Regions Venn Diagram BLM
Use a graphic organizer (view literacy strategy descriptions) to organize information collected on regions. Using the Physical Characteristics of Regions Chart BLM (see sample below), have students analyze the maps below, looking for characteristics that are common within a region. List the common elements of each region on the chart. Include features such as climate, vegetation, landforms/landscape, bodies of water, land use, and natural resources. See BLM and sample below.
|Name of Region |Climate |Vegetation |Landforms / |Major Bodies of |Land Use |Natural |
| | | |Landscape |Water | |Resources |
|Midwest | | | | | | |
Provide students with the following maps of the United States:
• United States map divided into regions:
• Physical map of the United States:
• Various theme maps (population, land use, weather, farming, natural resources, etc):
Have students respond to the following questions/statements independently in their social studies journal/composition:
• Identify the best place for human settlement based on the information in the chart.
• Based on the natural resources identified, what inferences can be made about the economy of each region?
• Based on the information gathered, categorize these regions two different ways.
• Compare and contrast the northern and southern regions in terms of climate and vegetation, using the Comparing Regions Venn Diagram BLM (view literacy strategy descriptions). (See BLM.)
At the conclusion of the activity, refer back to the SQPL list of questions from Activity 1. Answer any questions that were not covered by this activity.
Activity 3: Impact of Settlement on Regions (GLEs: 3, 5, 8)
Materials List: outline map of the United States, markers, Settlement of Regions Pros and Cons Chart BLM
Provide students with an outline map of the United States. For this map, refer to: . Have students use markers to section off the regions on their outline maps and then label, locate and plot the major physical features of each region (e.g., mountains, hills, plains, rivers, deserts, swamps, wetlands, etc.). Students should also add a title, compass rose, key/legend, and scale to their maps.
Using the information generated in Activity 1, discuss with students the reasons why people may have settled in a particular region (e.g., water sources, fertile farm land, vegetation, timber, wildlife, and climate). Share with students information on early settlements in America. For information on early settlements, refer to:
• Plimoth Village
• Settling the West
• Historical Maps of the United States
• Interactive Exploration Maps
Have the students create a class graphic organizer (view literacy strategy descriptions) listing the pros and cons of settling in each region. Refer to the Settlement of Regions Pros and Cons Chart BLM. (See BLM and sample below). Discuss with students how settlement of a region changed the natural landscape.
|Regions |Pros |Cons |
|Northeast | | |
|Midwest | | |
At the conclusion of the activity, refer back to the SQPL list of questions from Activity 1. Answer any questions that were not covered by this activity.
Activity 4: Human Characteristics of Regions (GLEs: 9, 12, 13)
Materials List: reference materials on cultural aspects of the United States, Human Characteristics of Regions BLM, poster board or chart paper
Engage students in a discussion of how migration and living in new areas caused people to adapt old customs to their new environment. Have them identify the customs and beliefs that their ancestors brought with them to America. Provide students with research packets of information from the Internet or resource books, or have applicable websites bookmarked on the Internet for them to explore. For reference materials on cultural aspects of the United States, refer to the following websites:
• American Recipes and History by Region
• Geography and Regional Characteristics: From Sea to Shining Sea
• Holidays in the United States
Assign students to work in teams of two to four students. Assign each team one of the four regions: Northeast, Midwest, South, and West. Working as a team, have them research the customs and beliefs of people living in the various regions of the United States. Ask students to explain how the cultural identities of people living in regions of the United States have been influenced by past events and their cultural heritage. In addition, have students research characteristics of human populations within each region. Provide teams with a graphic organizer (view literacy strategy descriptions) to collect the information. Refer to the Human Characteristics of Regions BLM. (See BLM and sample below).
|Population |Food |Music |Language |Customs / |Art |Religion |Folklore |
|(Ancestry) | | | |Celebrations | | | |
Once students have completed their research, utilize the professor know-it-all strategy (view literacy strategy descriptions) to have students present to the class their findings. Teams are to come to the front of the class and stand shoulder to shoulder. Invite the rest of the class to ask questions of the “know-it-alls.” When a question is posed, the team should huddle to talk about the answer, then return to their positions and give answers in complete sentences. This can be done by each student supplying one word of the sentence and rotating around until the sentence is completed. The final student in the rotation says “period.” Other students should listen for accurate answers and challenge the know-it-alls if their responses are unclear or incorrect. As the information is presented, the teacher should lead the class in constructing a master chart of the regions (see sample below). This chart should be displayed on large chart paper or poster board.
|Region |Population (Ancestry) |
|Places and Regions |
|7. |Identify the best place for human settlement based on a map showing physical characteristics of an area (G-1B-E1) |
|History |
|50. |Interpret data presented in a timeline or construct a historical timeline (e.g., events in history, historical |
| |figure’s life and accomplishments) (H-1A-E1) |
|51. |Compare how a person today might view an issue or event differently from a person living in an earlier time (H-1A-E2)|
|52. |Describe the point of view of an historical figure or group, drawing on given stimulus material (e.g., views expressed|
| |in the “I Have a Dream” speech) |
|53. |Interpret historical information in a map, table, or graph (H-1A-E3) |
|54. |Compare and contrast primary and secondary sources (H-1A-E3) |
|55. |Describe beliefs, customs, and traditions of family life in the past and present (H-1B-E1) |
|56. |Identify and describe major early explorers and explorations in North America (H-1C-E1) |
|Louisiana and United States History |
|61. |Identify the causes and effects of the major historical (voluntary and involuntary) migrations to and within America |
| |(H-1C-E3) (G-1C-E3) |
Sample Activities
Activity 1: Map Skills (GLEs: 7, 53)
Materials List: various landscape art prints, modeling clay, ten small cubes, such as sugar cubes, per student, journals/compositions, physical and population maps
Show students various landscape art prints. For photos of landscape artwork, refer to: . Have students imagine they could actually go inside these paintings and live somewhere in the landscape. Ask them where they feel would be the best place for them to settle and why. Record the responses using the computer and presentation monitor or a chart. Working in groups of two-to-four, have students build landscapes from modeling clay. In the landscapes, have them include the following: trees, rivers, lakes, oceans, beaches, mountains, and desert areas. Pass out ten cubes. Tell each student that these cubes represent human settlements. Ask students to add their cubes to the landscapes where they feel that humans would most likely settle. In their social studies journals/compositions, students will individually sketch their landscapes including the symbols for human settlement. Have students create a key, and then respond to the following in their journals:
• How many cubes did you put in the desert area? Why?
• How many cubes did you put in the mountains? Why?
• How many cubes did you put on the beach along the ocean? Why?
• Where did you put most of the cubes? What caused you to put most of them in that area?
Then distribute physical maps and population maps to students. For various maps of the United States, refer to:
• Physical Map:
• Political Map:
• Population Theme Map:
Have them locate major cities on the population maps and compare their locations to the physical maps. Have students determine the reason for settlement in certain areas based on various landforms and bodies of water.
Activity 2: Background/Chronology (GLE: 50)
Materials List: list of important events in United States history
Have students generate a list of major events of their lives. Students should begin with the dates of their births and include events such as the births of siblings, starting school, starting a youth sports team, going on vacation, etc. Have them construct a timeline showing all their events appropriately spaced. Then have them explain information provided on the timeline.
Follow the previous activity by giving students a list of important historical events from the history of the United States and ask them to construct a class timeline showing these events with accurate spacing. The following events could be included in the timeline: Christopher Columbus’s exploration, Hernando de Soto’s exploration, LaSalle’s exploration, Pilgrims’ Mayflower voyage, Lewis and Clark Expedition, Revolutionary War, Signing of the Declaration of Independence, and the Louisiana Purchase. For a timeline of exploration refer to: . The purpose of this activity is to provide a historical perspective for students. In the following activities, students will encounter many events throughout history and should use the timeline to provide a frame of reference. It may be beneficial to include current events in the timeline as well.
Activity 3: Exploration to America (GLEs: 56, 61)
Materials List: maps of the world in 1482 and 1500, chart paper, puzzle maze, one Exploration Process Guide BLM per student, index cards
Ask students to define an explorer or to tell what they know about explorers. Post this definition on a chart.
Share with the class a world map of 1482. For a world map of 1482, refer to: . Ask the students to compare the map to a contemporary world map. Students could note such points as: There are no North or South American continents on the 1482 map, and the Indian Ocean is shown surrounded by land. Then lead the class in a discussion about the maps. Does the 1482 map indicate that people knew the world was round? (Yes, the rounded portions of the map are a result of the attempt to show a round, three-dimensional object on a flat map.) What makes the date of this map significant? (Columbus's first voyage, only ten years later, would change the map of the world forever.)
Show students a map reflective of the world in 1520. For a map of the world in 1520, refer to: . Help students locate the countries of England, Spain, France, Africa, and Portugal on the maps and label them. Explain to the students that many of the early explorers of North and South America traveled from these countries for different reasons. Provide each student with a puzzle maze. For a puzzle maze, refer to: . Give students time to complete the maze. Explain that this was what it was like for early explorers setting out on their own in a boat. They had very limited resources and maps, and simple navigational instruments which made their explorations very challenging. On the timeline created in Activity 2, show the students where the dates of exploration of the Americas began.
Explain to students that they will be researching various explorers using a process guide (view literacy strategy descriptions). Refer to the Explorer Process Guide BLM. Even though the students are working in pairs, each student should complete his/her own process guide. As students progress through information sources learning about world explorers, their processing of the information should be guided. Process guides scaffold students’ comprehension in a unique format. The guide is designed to stimulate students’ thinking during or after their reading. The guide will also help students focus on the important information, making their discovery more efficient. By completing the guide, students will process the new information at a higher level. Also, the completed guide may be used as a study aid for quizzes and other class activities.
Assign pairs of students an explorer to research. The following are possible explorers to be assigned to students: Christopher Columbus, Robert Cavalier Sieur de la Salle, Hernando de Soto, Amerigo Vespucci, Ferdinand Magellan, Henry Hudson, John Cabot, John C. Fremont, John Smith, Leif Erikson, Meriwether Lewis, William Clark, Juan Ponce de Leon, Francisco Vazquez de Coronado, Sir Francis Drake, Samuel de Champlain, Father Marquette and Louis Joliet. Ask students to work with their partners to fill in the Exploration Process Guide BLM for their assigned explorer.
Students are to use information from reference materials to complete the process guides.
The following websites may be used for reference materials on early exploration:
• Explorers:
• Why Explorers Explored the World:
• Discoverers Alphabetically:
• Explorers Database:
• Exploration of North America Interactive Map:
At the conclusion of the activity above, have students present their findings to the class. They should also document their research on an index card and post their cards in the appropriate place on the class timeline.
Activity 4: Interview an Explorer (GLE: 51)
Materials List: completed Exploration Process Guide BLMs from Activity 3, one Explorer Interview BLM per student, one Explorer and I Venn Diagram BLM per student
Explain to the students that they will be using their process guides from Activity 3 for information as they pretend to be explorers. Assign students a partner, different from the pairs created in Activity 3. One student will pretend to be the “interviewer” and the other will be the “explorer.” Distribute the Explorer Interview BLM. The “interviewer” will pose each question to the “explorer.” The "explorer" should use the information from the process guide to generate reasonable answers to the questions. As he/she answers, the interviewer will fill in the Explorer Interview BLM. Once the interview is over, the students will switch roles. The purpose of this activity is to encourage students to put themselves in the shoes of early explorers. The questions on the Explorer Interview BLM are designed to make students infer how early explorers might view the modern world and current technologies.
Once each student has participated in both roles, explorer and interviewer, he/she is to complete a Venn Diagram graphic organizer (view literacy strategy descriptions) to compare his/her life to the life of their explorer. Refer to the Explorer and I Venn Diagram BLM.
Activity 5: What They Brought With Them (GLE: 55)
Materials List: transparency of What They Brought With Them Split-Page Notes BLM
Culture is learned behavior communicated through language, religion, social organizations, and diffused information. Review that culture is the language, food, music, customs/celebrations, art, religion, and folklore of a group of people in an area. Regions may be defined by cultural characteristics. Historical events (e.g., invasion and conquest) alter regional culture and regional landscapes, causing inhabitants to view events and their importance differently. Beginning with Columbus's first landing in the New World, European nations laid claim to what would become the United States. Thus, regional landscapes reflect the values and cultural characteristics of their inhabitants. This activity will help students make connections between European voyages of discovery and the various aspects of American culture.
With textbook resources, Internet sources, and lectures for this topic, guide students in the process of recording important information in a split-page notetaking format (view literacy strategy descriptions). Present a transparency of the What They Brought With Them Split-Page Notes BLM. Explain the value of taking notes in this format by saying it logically organizes information and ideas from multiple sources; it helps separate big ideas from supporting details; it promotes active reading and listening; and it allows inductive and deductive prompting for rehearsing and remembering the information.
Model and guide students throughout the split-page notetaking process and provide a brief lecture on the topic of the cultural contributions of exploration. Tell students to draw a line from top to bottom approximately two-to-three inches from the left edge on a sheet of notepaper. They should try to split the page into one-third and two-thirds. After modeling, allow students to document the information independently. Allow students to compare their notes with a partner, and then answer questions and provide clarification using the prepared model notes as a guide. Show them how they can prompt recall by bending the sheet of notes so that information in the right or left columns is covered. Continue to periodically model and guide students as they take split-page notes and increase their effectiveness with this technique. Assessments should sample information that students should record in their split-page notes. In this way, they will see the connection between taking notes in this format and achievement on quizzes and tests.
Reference materials for the lecture can be located at:
Explorers of North America:
• Colonial America 1600 – 1775:
• Spanish Contributions to America:
• Migration: the Human Journey:
Culture Quest World Tour:
Activity 6: Migrations (GLEs: 50, 55, 61)
Materials List: social studies journals, chart or bulletin board paper
Have students share ideas about why people move or relocate from one area to another (e.g., loss of job, lack of opportunity, overcrowding, famine, war). What aspects of an area do people consider when moving (e.g., better jobs, better climate, lower taxes, more room, professional opportunity)? Discuss historical events that may have forced groups of people to move from one area to another within or to the United States (e.g., slavery, religious persecution, Hurricanes Katrina and Rita, etc.). Discuss events that led to people moving voluntarily (e.g., Oregon Trail, Industrial Revolution, etc.). Divide students into cooperative learning groups, with each group designated a topic of study. Suggested topics may include the Jamestown settlement, the Cherokee Trail of Tears, the routes of slave ships, the Underground Railroad, the settlement of Plymouth, the Oregon Trail, and Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. Have students determine the push and pull factors, as well as the cause and effects of the migration. Then have the groups present their information by taking on the role of individuals of the time period. The students in these groups could write journal entries or letters in the roles of the immigrants to express how they may have been feeling or to explain issues that they would have faced. In conclusion, create a collaborative class chart illustrating the migratory groups, the push and pull factors, and cause and effects of the migration. Add these events to the class timeline.
Activity 7: Words That Built a Nation (GLEs: 50, 52, 54)
Materials List: video of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s I Have a Dream speech, various primary and secondary source documents, butcher paper, construction paper, markers, pictures of various speechmakers, Life-Sized Speaker Project Rubric BLM
Introduce the concept of a primary source document by asking the students to describe in their social studies journals what they ate for supper the night before. Have a few students share their descriptions. Explain to students that they are the primary sources on their suppers because the students were there. If someone in the class tried to describe what someone else ate for supper, it would not be quite the same because he/she would be retelling what was described. This would be a secondary source. Explain that many history books are secondary sources, although they may include some primary source information. Illustrate this with a textbook. Have students discover that the primary source text is usually set apart in some way from the secondary source material. For primary and secondary sources, refer to:
•
•
If possible, show a video of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s, I Have a Dream speech. For a video of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s speech, refer to: . Discuss how Dr. King’s tone, voice, and emotion might have affected people who were listening to the speech at that time. Have students use primary and secondary sources to explore the various points of view people had of Martin Luther King, Jr., and the speech. Divide students into groups of four. Distribute to each group copies of speeches made by famous Americans such as Abraham Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address or Martin Luther King, Jr.’s, I Have a Dream. For a collection of famous speeches (audio, video and text) refer to: .
Ask students to identify what type of source these would be (primary) and why (because these were actual words spoken by these people). Have the students read the speeches silently, then have one group member read it aloud to the others. Have students highlight key words in the speech and locate the main idea. Then have them respond to the speech in their social studies logs by explaining what the speech was about and why it helped to build the country.
Provide groups with an illustration of the speaker. Have students work in groups to create a life-sized character of the speaker. This may be created from butcher paper. Have them dress the characters in clothes (made of construction paper or drawn on with markers) reflective of the time period. Students should create five symbols to represent ideas from the speech and should attach the symbols to one hand of the character. In the other hand, students should attach a copy of the speech. Have students orally record the speeches. Place the characters around the room and, in their groups of four, have students move to each one and listen to the tape of his speech. Students should record in their social studies journals the name of the speaker, the year of the speech, and the main idea of the speech. Have the students make note of the five symbols used on the character and have them describe in their journals the significance of each one. Use a rubric to assess the project as well as the notes taken by the students in their social studies journals as they learned about each speaker and the speech he/she delivered. (See Life-Sized Speaker Project Rubric BLM.)
Once students have listened and responded to each speech, have them gather back as a whole class, refer to their notes, and discuss any common themes shared in the speeches. Next, hang connected sentence strips on a wall in the room (or use the Timeliner® software) and plot on the timeline the names of the famous Americans as well as the dates and titles of their speeches. Discuss any events occurring in the world or in the U.S. at the time of these speeches that may have influenced the speech. Have students construct a timeline using adding machine tape to replicate the model. These should be stapled in the students’ social studies journals. Finally, have students write short speeches that begin with “I have a dream ...” with a focus on how they envision their futures in America.
Sample Assessments
General Guidelines
• Students should be monitored throughout the work on all activities via teacher observation, log/data entries, report writing, group discussion, and journal entries.
• All student-developed products and student investigations should be evaluated as the unit progresses. When possible, students should assist in developing any rubrics that will be used.
• Use a variety of performance assessments to determine student comprehension.
• Select assessments consistent with the types of products that result from the student activities.
General Assessments
• Working in groups of four, have students create a scrapbook that targets the concepts explored throughout this unit. Students should provide illustrations, captions, and text that reflect what they have learned.
• Students should create a timeline to include the dates of exploration and migration throughout this unit. The timelines should include the names of individuals and groups associated with the exploration and migration as well as symbols or pictures to depict each.
• Students will participate in a Jeopardy® game based on key concepts in this unit including settlement, exploration, migration, and key words that built our nation. For a Jeopardy® PowerPoint® template refer to:
Activity-Specific Assessments
• Activity 3: Pass out blank outline maps of North and South America to each student. As the groups of students present their explorer, have them color code the maps to reflect the settlements of each of the explorers. Have students create a key and write the abbreviation for each country next to the name of the explorer.
• Activity 4: Present students with a blank Venn Diagram and have them compare the explorer that they researched with the explorer researched by their interview partner.
• Activity 7: Students in each group will create a life-sized character of the person whose speech they have researched. These may be made of butcher paper and dressed using construction paper, yarn, bulletin board paper, and markers or crayons. Provide students with a picture of their famous speaker. Have them create clothes reflective of the time periods in which they lived. Students should attach a nametag to each character to identify him or her. Additionally, they should create five symbols to attach to the characters that represent key concepts in the speech. A written explanation of each symbol should be attached to the character. They should also attach a copy of the speech to the life-sized character. Refer to the Life-Sized Speaker Project Rubric BLM to assess this project.
Resources
Books
Aunt Harriet’s Underground Railroad in the Sky by Faith Ringold
The Gettysburg Address by Abraham Lincoln; illustrated by Michael McCurdy
Gold Fever by Rosalyn Schanzer
How We Crossed the West: The Adventures of Lewis and Clark by Rosalyn Schanzer
If You Traveled in a Covered Wagon by Ellen Levine
Just a Few Words, Mr. Lincoln by Jean Fritz
My Brother Martin: A Sister Remembers by Christine King Farris
The Santa Fe Trail by David Lavender
The Ten Mile Day: The Building of the Transcontinental Railroad by Mary Ann Fraser
The United States in the 19th Century from Scholastic Books
Where Do You Think You’re Going, Christopher Columbus? by Jean Fritz
What’s the Deal? by Rhoda Blumberg
Who Was Thomas Jefferson? by Dennis Brindell Fradin
You Wouldn’t Want to be an American Pioneer! by Jacqueline Morley
Grade 4
Social Studies
Unit 4: The Movement of Ideas: Scientific Contributions and Culture
Time Frame: Four weeks
Unit Description
This unit focuses on the national culture of the United States. The unit examines how dance, music, and arts of various cultures around the world, as well as scientific and technological advancements, reflect the history of people living in the United States today. The unit uses skills in historical and geographical analysis to explore the history and cultures of the United States.
Student Understandings
Students identify cultural elements from around the world, as well as the United States, and how those cultural elements have contributed to society. They understand significant historical, scientific, and technological advancements. Students recognize important historical figures throughout the ages and are able to explain their achievements.
Guiding Questions
1. Can students describe the influence of cultural elements on America’s national heritage?
2. Can students identify cultural elements, beliefs, and significant historical achievements of various cultures around the world?
3. Can students identify historical figures and achievements from around the world and describe the impact of their contributions on society?
Unit 4 Grade-Level Expectations (GLEs)
|GLE # |GLE Text and Benchmarks |
|History |
|62. |Identify and explain cultural elements that have contributed to our national heritage (H-1C-E4) |
|63. |Identify how dance, music, and arts of various cultures around the world reflect the history, daily life, and beliefs of|
| |the people (H-1D-E1) |
|64. |Identify significant historical achievements of various cultures of the world (e.g., building of the pyramids, founding |
| |of the Olympics) (H-1D-E1) |
|65. |Identify and describe inventions that have affected people’s lives or altered their view of the world (H-1D-E2) |
|66. |Identify the chronological order of major scientific or technological advancements (H-1D-E2) |
|67. |Identify important historic figures from around the world and explain the impact of their contributions (e.g., Galileo, |
| |Madame Curie, Gutenberg) (H-1D-E3) |
Sample Activities
Activity 1: Culture and the National Heritage (GLE: 62)
Materials List: American Culture Opinionnaire BLM, one large envelope per student group, newspapers, magazines
Review that culture is the language, food, music, customs/celebrations, art, religion, and folklore of a group of people living in an area. Use the American Culture Opinionnaire BLM (view literacy strategy descriptions) to force students to take a position on a statement about American culture and to defend their position. The emphasis is on student points of view and not the “correctness” of their opinions. Have students work in pairs to read and discuss each statement, then write down reasons for their opinions. Statements should be written in such a way as to elicit attitudes and feelings, which in turn should promote language production, activate relevant prior knowledge, and lead to engaged reading and listening. Afterward, invite students to share their opinions on each statement. Force each student to take a stand. Separate students into two groups, those who agree and those who disagree. Then ask the two groups to briefly debate the statement and allow for any student who changes his/her mind to move to the other group. By taking a stand on issues related to culture and engaging in critical discussion about those issues, students will heighten their expectation of the content and make many new connections from their opinions and ideas to those of their classmates. After covering content on American culture, students can revisit their opinionnaires to consider whether their opinions have changed and why.
Introduce the term time capsule to the students. Arrange students in cooperative groups. Pass out a large envelope to each group and ask them to fill it with drawings or newspaper/magazine clippings that would reflect items of America’s national culture during this time period. Students should also provide a caption for each picture explaining why the particular item was chosen to reflect this time period. Students should include a picture of an invention, a style of clothing, the title of a song or type of music, and an important news event of modern times. Have students share their pictures and captions with another group and compare what was drawn.
With the students’ pictures, create a timeline that highlights life in the United States, from the years 1960 through the current date. Each group should contribute one illustration for the timeline. Explain that with the students’ help, the class will construct a timeline for the decades of the 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, 1990s, and the first decade of the 2000s. Tell students they will be interviewing a family member, friend, or teacher who lived during one of these time periods. Through class discussion, have students select the questions that are most important to ask in the interview. Allow students to include additional questions if they wish. Sample questions are as follows:
• What kinds of clothes did you wear?
• Which Presidents served during this time period?
• What one event or activity do you remember most?
• Do you think Americans have more or less freedom today than they had then? Why?
• In your opinion, how has our country changed since then?
• Describe one or two items that were invented during the decade?
• What were the major news events of the decade?
• In your opinion, which event had the biggest impact on our country?
• What types of music were popular?
• What did you do for entertainment?
• How have prices of items changed since then? Provide specific examples.
Have students audiotape their interviews or write answers to interview questions and write journal entries to summarize answers from their interviews. Have them give oral summaries of the interviews with accompanying pictures or drawings of some significant events in these decades. Students will mount pictures and create captions for them so they can be added to the timeline.
Activity 2: Music and the Arts as Culture (GLEs: 62, 63)
Materials List: research materials on different types of music or visual arts
Have groups of students research different types of music (e.g., jazz, rock and roll, blues) or some form of visual art, focusing on their origins, diffusion, and impact on American culture. Have them create some form of artistic representation of each genre to display on the class timeline. For reference materials on music and visual arts, refer to:
• Instrument Encyclopedia:
• History of Jazz:
• ThinkQuest Music History:
• Smithsonian Art:
Activity 3: Historical Achievements (GLE: 64)
Materials List: long strip of art paper, world map
Mount a long strip of art paper along one classroom wall to create an ongoing timeline for the world. Refer to a world map and have students locate the United States. Remind students that they have been constructing a timeline of the United States to help them better understand the heritage of the nation. The world timeline will help illustrate the important events that shaped the world. Explain to students that this timeline will be used with the U.S. timeline to give them a perspective of what events were happening in the world in addition to those occurring in the U.S. Add significant events related to the topics of study during the school year, as appropriate. On the line, place events and achievements from ancient Egyptian civilization, the Roman period, the Age of Exploration, and the present.
Lead a class discussion about ancient Egypt and other civilizations whose accomplishments are listed on the timeline. Explain that important events will be recorded on the classroom timeline as they are studied (e.g., building of the pyramids, founding of the Olympics). Make use of the timeline on a regular basis, adding each event and person studied. Provide students with personal copies of the class timeline, and ask them to record events as they are added to the large classroom timeline. For reference materials on ancient civilizations, refer to:
• Ancient Civilizations:
• Ancient History:
Activity 4: Culture and Our National Heritage (GLE: 62)
Materials List: research materials on traditions from other countries, poster paper, PowerPoint®, computers (optional)
Ask students to imagine a salad full of good ingredients. Explain that the culture of our country is a great deal like a salad full of wonderful items because people in this country have come here from all over the world. They have brought with them a variety of traditions including celebrations, food, clothing, and art. Explain that many foods, celebrations, and sports have their roots in other countries while some began in the United States.
From student input, create a list of items such as foods, sports, and celebrations. Put students in partnerships and have each pair research one of the items generated on the list to determine its country of origin. Each pair of students should create a poster or PowerPoint® slide that depicts an illustration of the food, sport, or celebration; an outline of their country; and a world map with their country highlighted in some way to illustrate its location within the context of the world. Additionally, they should include the time period depicting when the item became part of the United States culture. Have each partnership present its findings to the class. As presentations are made, each student in the class should complete a table including the name of the cultural element, the name of the country of its origin, and the date it became part of American culture.
For research materials on traditions from other countries, refer to:
• Culture Quest World Tour:
• Global Gang:
Activity 5: Historical Achievements (GLEs: 66, 67)
Materials List: teacher-made PowerPoint® or storyboard on Galileo, Curie, and Gutenberg; research materials on famous figures in history
Have the students create a Walk of Fame that identifies the contributions of famous important historic figures from around the world and explain the impact of their contributions (e.g., Galileo, Madame Curie, Gutenberg).
Show a teacher-made PowerPoint® or storyboard to explain how Galileo, Curie, and Gutenberg made significant historical contributions and why they are regarded as famous figures in history. For reference materials on these historic contributions, refer to:
• Galileo Galilei PowerPoint:
• Madame Marie Curie PowerPoint:
• Johannes Gutenberg:
Have the students work in pairs to research the life of one of the individuals from the list below or another significant historical figure of their choosing.
|Albert Einstein |Andrew Carnegie |Louis Braille |Levi Strauss |
|Alexander Graham Bell |Thomas Edison |Susan B. Anthony |John J. Audubon |
|Alfred Nobel |Bill Gates |Eli Whitney |Duke Ellington |
|Amelia Earhart |James Watt |Wright Brothers |Harriet Tubman |
|George Washington Carver |Christa McAuliffe |Leonardo Da Vinci |Sir Isaac Newton |
Refer to the following websites for research material:
• List of Inventions and Inventors:
• Cybersleuth Inventors:
• Bios for Kids:
• America’s Story:
Have the students share the results of their research in class. Their research should include the following:
• name of the historical figure
• year of birth and year of death
• picture of the historical figure
• country of origin
• summary of their accomplishments
• impact of their contribution to society
Based on the historical figures researched, create a class timeline, sequencing in chronological order the major cultural contributions made. (Note: Modify the United States timeline created for the decades, adding more room for the time periods before the 1960s.)
Activity 6: Historical Achievement-Electricity (GLE: 65)
Materials List: chart paper, How Electricity Changed the Day BLM
Ask students to imagine what life was probably like without electricity. Lead the students in brainstorming (view literacy strategy descriptions) about the activities of pioneer life and list them in the How Electricity Changed the Day BLM indicating how daily tasks have changed with the widespread use of electricity. A sample of the How Electricity Changed the Day BLM is below.
|Activities During Pioneer Life |How Electricity Changed the Activities |
|Maintaining a heating stove |Electrically operated furnace made heating automatic |
|Chopping raw vegetables with knife | |
|Washing dishes in a pan | |
|Sleeping in a cold bed in an unheated room | |
Activity 7: Historical Achievements-Inventions (GLEs: 65, 66)
Materials List: research materials on different inventions, Archeology Process Guide BLM
Allow students to choose one item from the list below. It is not necessary that all be used if the number of items does not match the number of students in the class. Refer to the following website for information on various inventions: .
|light bulb |oil drill |digital video recorder |
|television |Levi jeans |cell phone |
|airplane |automobile |camera |
|steel plow |telegraph |satellite television |
|sewing machine |streetcar |telephone |
|personal computer |combine |elevated electric railroad |
|bicycle |elevator |alkaline battery |
|X-ray machine |radio |gaming system (Play Station) |
|mp3 player |safety pin |icrowave |
Ask students to research and report on the inventions to find answers to the following questions:
• Who invented it?
• When was it invented?
• Where was it invented?
• How does the invention work?
• What need prompted the invention?
• How has the invention evolved today?
• How has the invention impacted life in America?
• What did the original invention look like? (Include diagram, drawing, or picture.)
Have students put the illustrations and titles of inventions on a timeline after the research and reports are completed. Students will keep a bulleted chronological list of inventions and dates in their social studies logs/journals.
After students have completed their research, present students with the Archeology Process Guide BLM (view literacy strategy descriptions). To complete this process guide, students must be able to think at an applied level. Instead of requiring literal level processing, the students must demonstrate that they can manipulate their learning about scientific achievements. The Archeology Process Guide BLM presents students with an excavation scenario. Students must place artifacts in order from various periods of history based on how they would have been deposited in layers of rock over time.
Sample Assessments
General Guidelines
• Students should be monitored throughout the work on all activities via teacher observation, log/data collection entries, report writing, group work, and journal entries.
• All student-developed projects and student investigations should be evaluated as the unit progresses. When possible, students should assist in developing any rubrics that will be used.
• Use a variety of performance assessments to determine student comprehension.
• Select assessments consistent with the types of products that result from the student activities.
General Assessments
• Given a sentence strip or strip of poster paper about a yard long, students will create a timeline for the United States reflecting major scientific and technological advancements as well as cultural elements from each time period. Students will focus on two-to-three consecutive decades. Upon completion of the timeline, students should write a reflection describing how times changed from the time period at the beginning of their timeline to the time period at the end.
• Students will create picture books of the decades 1960, 1970, 1980, and 1990 based on the reports written from the interviews and information from the timeline. Students will compile the information from their interviews to create the text. Then students should create illustrations to accompany the text.
• Have students work in partnerships to create a collage with ten illustrations and captions depicting our culture. These may be fashions, popular songs, inventions, etc. Upon completion of the collage, students justify in writing why they chose their ten items to best reflect our way of life.
Activity-Specific Assessments
• Activity 1: Have students work in partnerships with another student who researched a decade different from theirs. Have them create a Venn diagram to compare and contrast the decades. Following this comparison, have students independently write essays describing similarities and differences between the two decades.
• Activity 6: Using their charts from this activity, have students write a diary entry from the viewpoint of a pioneer student. Have them use key events that would illustrate what life was like without electricity.
• Activity 7: Have students choose ten items from a list of inventions. Students are to create a timeline depicting the order in which the inventions were discovered or created.
Resources
Books
If Your Name Was Changed at Ellis Island by Ellen Levine and Wayne Parmenter
Journey to Ellis Island by Carol Bierman, Laurie McGaw, and Barbara Hehner
Thomas Alva Edison: Young Inventor by Louis Sabin
When Jessie Came Across the Sea by Amy Hest and P.J. Lynch
Grade 4
Social Studies
Unit 5: The Movement of Goods and Resources
Time Frame: Approximately four weeks
Unit Description
This unit focuses on the economy. The unit examines how natural resources are used in the local region, the state, and the nation and how economic activities affect people living in the United States today. The unit demonstrates how people exchange goods and services and explores the characteristics of buyers and sellers.
Student Understandings
Students will understand the United States economy. Students will locate economic activities that use natural resources and describe the importance of the activities to those areas. They will also describe how markets work.
Guiding Questions
1. Can students demonstrate a basic understanding of the economy, the role of markets, and ways of transporting goods?
2. Can students identify the significance of natural resources to people and the economy?
3. Can students differentiate economic activities from the local region, state and
national levels?
4. Can students identify natural, human, and capital resources?
5. Can students identify and use key vocabulary to define basic economic
concepts?
6. Can students demonstrate a basic understanding of the cyclical economic
relationship among individuals, households, businesses, and governments?
Unit 5 Grade-Level Expectations (GLEs)
|GLE # |GLE Text and Benchmarks |
|Geography |
|Places and Regions |
|1. |Interpret different kinds of maps using a map key/legend, compass rose, cardinal and intermediate directions, and distance|
| |scale (G-1A-E1) |
|14. |Locate economic activities that use natural resources in the local region, state, and nation and describe the importance |
| |of the activities to these areas (G-1C-E5) |
|Environment and Society |
|18. |Describe the importance of specific natural resources to human survival and human endeavors (G-1D-E4) |
|19. |Describe the use, distribution, and importance of natural resources in different regions of the United States using |
| |geographic tools such as maps (G-1D-E4) |
|Economics |
|Fundamental Economic Concepts |
|36. |Demonstrate that limited resources require choices and decisions (E-1A-E1) |
|37. |Explain the factors, including trade-offs, involved in a choice or decision (e.g., discuss the choices and decisions |
| |involved in developing a personal budget) (E-1A-E4) |
|38. |Identify the four basic questions all producers must answer (i.e., What will be produced? How will it be produced? For |
| |whom will it be produced? How much will be produced?) (E-1A-E5) |
|39. |Describe the combination of natural, human, and capital resources needed to produce a given good (e.g., a candy bar) or a |
| |given service (e.g., recycling paper) (E-1A-E6) |
|40. |Define some effects of division of labor and specialization in a given context, such as a simple assembly line (e.g., |
| |greater labor productivity/output per hour) (E-1A-E7) |
|41. |Describe the benefits of increasing one’s skill/knowledge and various ways to do so (E-1A-E8) |
|42. |Describe the basic concept of a market (e.g., exchange of goods/services between buyers and sellers) and identify ways of |
| |transporting goods (E-1A-E9) |
|43. |Identify the roles of banks, governments, businesses, and households in the economy (E-1A-E10) |
|44. |Identify the relationship between money, writing checks, and credit cards (E-1A-E11) |
|45. |Explain why people engage in voluntary exchange/barter/direct trading (E-1A-E11) |
| |Individuals, Households, Businesses, and Governments |
|46. |Describe how supply and demand affect the price of a good or service in a given situation (E-1B-E3) |
|47. |Explain how a rise or fall in prices affects personal, family, and government budgets (E-1B-E2) |
|48. |Identify the terms profit and risk and give examples of risks that businesses take to make a profit (E-1B-E3) |
Sample Activities
Activity 1: ABCs of Economy (All GLEs in this Unit)
Materials List: Economics Vocabulary Self-Awareness Chart BLM, thirty-eight index cards with holes punched in the left corner, fastener or string, teacher-created PowerPoint® on economic terms
Before beginning this unit, have students complete a vocabulary self-awareness (view literacy strategy descriptions) activity to pre-assess the students’ understanding of key vocabulary terms introduced in this unit. Refer to the Economics Vocabulary Self-Awareness Chart BLM. (See the BLM.) Do not give students definitions or examples at this stage. Ask students to rate their understanding of each word with either a “+” (understand well), a “√” (limited understanding or unsure), or a “—” (don’t know). Teachers and students should use the vocabulary chart as an indicator of their knowledge of critical content vocabulary, so if gaps in understanding still exist after the words are initially taught, the teacher should be prepared to provide extra instruction or other vocabulary learning activities for those students. Over the course of the unit students are to return to the chart and add new information to it. The goal is to replace all the check marks and minus signs with plus signs.
Provide students with thirty-eight index cards with holes punched in the left corner. On the first card, students should label the booklet “Economics Alphabet Book.” On the remaining cards, students are to write each word from the Economics Vocabulary Self-Awareness Chart. Have students alphabetize the cards. Then provide students with a fastener or string to bind the cards together to make a booklet. This will become a resource for economic concepts and terms discussed throughout the unit. As they are exposed to the new terms/concepts, have them create a vocabulary card (view literacy strategy descriptions) for each term in their Economics Alphabet Book. Each card should resemble and include the information on the following sample card:
Use a PowerPoint® slideshow to introduce the economic concepts and terms listed in the Economics Vocabulary Self Awareness Chart BLM. Present at least two new terms each day of the unit and have students record them in their Economics Alphabet books. In addition to the PowerPoint® presentation, create an Economics Word Wall in which terms and definitions will be posted in alphabetical order for reference. As each word is introduced, add it with a symbol or picture to represent the economic term to the word wall. Allow time for students to review their cards and quiz each other with them in preparation for tests and other class activities.
Activity 2: Economic Activities (GLE: 14)
Materials List: Local, State, and National Economy BLM; computer and presentation monitor (optional); newspapers and magazines; Economic Activities/Resources of the United States Chart BLM
Provide students with the Local, State, and National Economy BLM. A sample is below.
Explain to students that the word economics relates to the way that people use goods and resources to meet their needs and wants. Have them define this as the first word in their Economy Alphabet book. Additionally, explain to students that they have been part of the local, state, and national economy before and may not even realize it. Ask students if they have ever purchased anything in the community. Elicit student responses. Using a computer and presentation monitor (if available), display the students’ reactions under the title Local Economy. Then ask students if they have ever gone on a trip around the state and stayed in a hotel, eaten at a restaurant, and purchased items while they were there. Elicit responses from the students and post these in the State Economy section. Finally, ask students if they have ever gone on a trip through several states either by car or plane. Elicit responses from the students regarding what expenses were incurred on the trip including gas, airline tickets, etc. List these in the National Economy section. Have students write in the appropriate circles at least five economic activities for each level.
Ask the students to look for pictures of economic activities/resources in newspapers and magazines and bring them to class. Using about twenty pictures, ask students to sort them into three categories—Local Economy, State Economy, and National Economy. Using the pictures of the various economic activities collected, have students complete the Economic Activities/Resources of the United States Chart BLM. Encourage discussion about the differences among the three categories of activities. After completion of the chart, ask students to create a collage of pictures depicting the three categories. Discuss the importance and overlapping of the activities on three levels.
Activity 3: Natural Resources and Human Survival (GLE: 18)
Materials List: chart paper
Have students generate a list of basic human needs on chart paper. Once the list has been generated, have the students divide the list into three categories: food, clothing, and shelter. As a class, come to a consensus on a definition of natural resource. Have students in teams of two choose two items from two different categories and list the natural resources needed to produce the items.
Example: House
Category: shelter
Natural resources: wood (trees), metal, sand, soil
After learning about the concept of natural resources, have the students write a story chain (view literacy strategy descriptions) about why natural resources are important to human survival. Creating a story chain will promote writing and reading. Group the students into teams of five. The first student in the group initiates the story. The next student adds a second line. The next student will contribute the third line, etc. until the last student summarizes the situation. All group members should be prepared to revise the story based on the last student’s input as to whether it was clear or not. Students should be encouraged to be creative. Encourage students to discuss why natural resources are important to human endeavors (e.g., they help individuals satisfy their basic needs by taking natural resources and creating things beyond their original state). When finished, allow groups to share their stories with the class to stimulate further discussion. See the sample story from a story chain group below:
Activity 4: Importance of Natural Resources (GLEs: 1, 19)
Materials List: enlarged map of each region, natural resource map of each region
Have students review the regions of the United States from Unit 2. Remind students that the United States can be divided into regions. Review information and maps that were created from each region. Discuss characteristics of each region. Divide students into groups with each group responsible for one region of the United States. Prior to this lesson, enlarge regional maps. For regional maps, refer to: . Distribute one regional map to each group. Provide students with resource material including natural resource maps for each region. For a natural resource map, refer to: . Have students construct a natural resource map for their region creating symbols to depict each resource and have them show where each resource is located. Have them include a key for the symbols on this map. Once students have completed this activity, have them share these maps with the class. Discuss interdependence among states and illustrate using the maps. Students should notice that in order to satisfy wants and needs of their citizens, states have to work together.
Have students work in pairs to collect pictures or draw pictures of places that depict the use and distribution of natural resources. Sources should include print and electronic media as well as students’ artwork. Have each pair of students create a poster of natural resources with maps, pictures, and appropriate captions.
Activity 5: Resources and Production (GLE: 39)
Materials List: fifteen large index cards, loaf of bread, chart paper, skein of yarn
Prior to the beginning of this activity, write the following words on large index cards. Put one word or phrase on each card.
|Loaf of bread |Farmer |Tractor salesperson |Gas station manager |Grocery store manager |
|Grocery checker |Truck driver |Mill worker |Bread factory worker |Plastics factory worker |
|Plastics factory manager|Advertising manager |Oilfield worker |Grocery clerk |Fertilizer salesperson |
Begin the activity by defining capital and human resources. Students should add these definitions to their Economics Alphabet Book. After discussing the difference between capital and human resources, guide students in categorizing the terms on the index cards as either a capital or human resource.
Display a loaf of bread. Ask the class what the bread has to do with economics. Elicit responses and record them on chart paper. Tell the students that the question will be asked again at the completion of the lesson and record their responses in another color. This way, they will be able to compare the responses before and after the activity to illustrate what was learned through this activity.
Distribute the cards to students. Begin by asking where this bread came from right before it was brought to school. The student with the grocery store should stand. He or she should be given a skein of yarn. Ask students what had to be done before the bread was able to leave the store. They should realize that a customer had to buy it. Have a student with a blank card write the word customer on it. That student should stand and he/she should be connected, by holding the end of the string given to him or her by the student holding the grocery store card. Then ask whom the customer paid for the bread. The student with the card of grocery checker should come forward and connect to the string. Then ask who put the bread on the shelf. The grocery clerk should stand and connect to the string. This process continues until all cards are used. If students should think of additional steps, allow them to write them on a blank index card and connect with the others. Return to the chart from the beginning of the lesson and add any additional information learned about the relationship of a loaf of bread to economics.
Have students work in groups to create collages representing natural, human, and capital resources needed to produce goods and services. The pictures must be samples of life in Louisiana and the United States.
Activity 6: Markets and Transportation (GLE: 42)
Materials List: Market Concept Map BLM
Have students in teams of two complete a concept map graphic organizer (view literacy strategy descriptions) with the word market in the center and brainstorm (view literacy strategy descriptions) terms or phrases that come to mind when they think of the word market. Refer to the Market Concept Map BLM. Develop a class definition of the term: “a place in which buyers and sellers make an exchange for goods and services.” Have students individually generate a list of items or services that they or their families purchased in the last week (e.g., gasoline for the car, groceries, movie tickets, road tolls, phone bills, etc.). Next, have them share one or two items from their lists and record their answers on the board. Next, have students choose one of the goods listed and have them discuss what mode of transportation may have been used to transport that good or transport the natural resource to Louisiana. What modes of transportation are most efficient today? Why? Ask students to hypothesize about whether the type of transportation used to deliver goods affects the price of the goods. Explain.
Activity 7: The Economic Cycle (GLEs: 36, 37, 43, 44, 45, 47)
Materials List: chart paper, play money, baseball cards, journals/compositions
Have the students role play the economic cycle to help them to see how this cycle works. Before they role play, ask students to help create a list of all the things that families may purchase during an average month. Record the students’ responses on chart paper. Using the list, students should put a star beside those items that are needs and circle those things that are wants. Use the list of needs to set up the classroom with “businesses” that would provide items to meet these needs (e.g., electric company, water district, grocery store, etc.). Then establish “businesses” that would provide items that would meet the wants (e.g., malls, specialty stores, video rentals, etc.). Assign students to each business and have them conduct research on the average monthly expenses in their business for a family of four. For example, the average monthly utility bill may be $150.00. The utility company should create a bill made out for the consumer to pay.
Choose a group of students to represent a family of consumers. Identify a family member to be the worker who receives a monthly paycheck from his or her job. Students could choose occupations they are interested in and research the average annual salary for that position. Annual salaries for various occupations can be found at the following website: . To calculate a monthly paycheck, divide the yearly income reported by twelve. Once calculated, they should then take the paycheck to the area of the room designated as the bank. Here, someone should cash the paycheck and give the worker play money. The students should decide where the family (consumers) should go first. The only rule is that all of the needs must be taken care of first before wants. The consumer will go to each place of business and pay for goods or services. The teacher should stop the consumer after each transaction and debrief the class. For example, after the consumer pays the utility bill ask students what could be done to lower the bill for the next month. Some suggestions might be to turn off the lights and TV when no one is in the room, wait until the dishwasher is full before running it, etc. Make a list of these things. Repeat this activity with each stop.
When the consumer is through meeting the family’s needs, the class will have a decision to make. What should they do with the money left over? Explain to students that some of the money should go back to the bank to be put into a savings account. The rest may be spent on the family’s wants. Repeat the simulation considering the suggestions made in the first round. For instance, if students decided to pass on buying soft drinks at the store, they may save $20.00 per month and could reduce their bill by that much. At the end of the second round, have students compare the results of this round with the first.
After the second simulation, discuss the concept of credit. Ask students what they already know about credit cards. List the responses. Ask students the reason(s) people have credit cards. Set up a scenario where the consumer wants to purchase something, but he or she has not gotten paid yet. Ask students to role-play a transaction using a credit card. Use the following website to simulate a credit card transaction: . This website will allow students to choose a credit card, make purchases, and simulate a monthly payment. The website will also show that the consumer will receive a bill with interest calculated. Discuss with students that the credit card companies make their money off the interest charged on each monthly bill. Discuss with students the advantages and disadvantages of having a credit card.
Discuss the terms bartering, voluntary exchange, and direct trading. Ask the consumers to come up again. This time, instead of using money, they will attempt to barter with baseball cards at each of the places of business. Discuss why this would not be the most effective way to make a transaction. Elicit from students the problems with bartering and why it is more efficient for the consumer to use money.
Have students respond to the following in their social studies journals/compositions:
• Which round of trading was more successful? How can you tell?
• How is economics like a circle?
• What happens at the bank when someone cashes a check?
• What happens when someone purchases a good or a service using a credit card?
• What does making economic choices mean? Give an example of when you have had to make an economic choice.
• Why do we use money to get the goods and services we need and want?
Activity 8: A Classroom Economic Simulation (GLEs: 38, 40, 41, 43, 46, 48)
Materials List: computer, presentation monitor (optional), chart paper, tangrams, play money, crayons, scissors, glue, transparency of Company Consequence Cards BLM, document camera (optional), journals/compositions
Divide students into two teams. Each team will represent a business. Explain to students that businesses often take risks in an attempt to make a profit. Begin by asking students what they think makes a business operate successfully. Record these answers on chart paper or a computer and display them on a presentation monitor. If technology is unavailable, record these thoughts on chart paper. Revisit this chart after the activity to add any additional information learned during the simulation.
Tell students that they will be starting a “pretend business” today. The class has been divided into two groups. One group will represent Company A and the other Company B. Both companies manufacture tangram animals. (Tangrams are a standard set of polygons that may be used to form many designs. They may also be put together in a large square. The basic tangram pattern may be found in many math teacher support packages). Both companies have been approved for a loan from the “bank.” Give students $300.00 in play money. This money is the loan from the bank. A loan must be paid back with interest, so they will owe the bank $325.00. Also give them an additional $100.00. This is from four investors who each invested $25.00. They don’t mind investing because they believe in the product, but they are going to expect it to do well and will receive a share of the businesses’ profits. The companies will have the opportunity to meet to discuss what kind of animal or animals they would like to create. They also need to discuss what human, capital, and natural resources are needed for these creations. The companies will also be given a price listing for supplies. For example, each sheet of tangram shapes costs $2.00. Each worker is paid $5.00 per day. Each color of crayons used is $1.00. The scissors cost $1.00 per pair. The glue is $3.00 per bottle. Each animal will be sold for $3.00.
Have students meet and select a company president. This president will lead the company workers through the four producer questions:
• What will be produced?
• How will it be produced?
• For whom will it be produced?
• How much will be produced?
Once these decisions are made, the company president will appoint an accountant. The accountant is responsible for the salary of the workers as well as any expenses on materials and supplies. Company A will use an assembly line approach, while Company B should have each worker make an entire tangram animal before beginning another.
Provide students time to work in their “businesses” in the classroom. When time is called for production to stop, the accountants must make an inventory. On this inventory they must list the name of each item as well as the quantity of each. Compare the quantity of the two companies. Elicit from students their feelings on whether or not an assembly line is worthwhile. Then ask the accountants to “pay the employees” for the number of days they worked on this project. Have the products displayed in areas designated for each company.
Tell students that they will model the day-to-day interactions of a business by using “Company Consequence Cards” that will provide both positive and negative consequences for the companies. Refer to the Company Consequence Cards BLM. Use the cards listed in the blackline master. Cut the cards apart and put them into stacks. Use a document camera, if available, (if not, duplicate these on a transparency) to display the cards as each is turned over. Turn one card over for Company A and have them respond to the consequence. Then turn another card over for Company B and have them respond. Continue until all cards are used. At the end of the simulation, ask students to respond to the following in their social studies journals/compositions:
• What happened to the price when the demand was high?
• What happened to the price when the demand was low?
• What problems did you face as a company regarding the supply of your product?
• What are some expenses that you had to pay for that you may not have anticipated?
This activity may be modified to a whole class simulation where only one company is created and the whole class is employed through that company as the necessary employees, including the accountant, the president, and the workers.
Sample Assessments
General Guidelines
• Students should be monitored throughout the work on all activities via teacher observation, journal/composition collection entries, and group discussions.
• All student-developed products and student investigations should be evaluated as the unit progresses. When possible, students should assist in developing any rubrics that will be used.
• Use a variety of performance assessments to determine student comprehension.
• Select assessments consistent with the types of products that result from the student activities.
General Assessments
• “ECONO” is an economic version of Bingo. This activity should be used as an informal assessment. Refer to the Economic Bingo BLM. Have students look through their Economic Alphabet books and locate nine economic concepts and write one in each rectangle on the sheet. Call out the definitions. If students have the concept that matches the definition, have them mark it. The first person (or people) with three in a row wins.
• Provide students with a copy of all of the economic terms discussed in this unit. These are the same words that have been defined in their Economics Alphabet books. Students should sort these words into categories of their choosing. Then have students label each of these categories. Students should then write a paragraph for each category explaining why the categories contain the terms and how the terms are connected.
• Divide students into groups with four in each group. Provide each group with a copy of all the economic terms discussed in this unit. Using this list of concepts, students will create a game modeled after the game Monopoly®. The groups should use at least fifteen of these concepts.
Activity-Specific Assessments
• Activity 1: Have students cut apart the Economics Concept Cards BLM. (See the BLM.) Have each student create a concept chain by laying out the concept cards in an arrangement that could explain the economic cycle. Then have students write about the arrangement explaining in their writings how these concepts relate to one another and the interdependence that exists among them.
• Activity 7: Pass out a play money dollar bill to each student. Students should reflect on the economic cycle and consider all of the places that dollar could have traveled. Students should write a story about the economic cycle through the eyes of the dollar bill. Students should write this as a narrative and should include at least five transactions in which the dollar bill could be involved.
• Activity 8: Provide students with a template for a flow chart. Refer to the Tangram Animals Flowchart BLM. (See the BLM.) Have students sequence the steps they went through to “produce” their tangram animals. They should also write captions explaining the process.
Resources
Books
Play Dough Economics from the National Council on Economic Education
Teaching Economics Using Children’s Literature from the National Center on Economic Education
Children in the Marketplace: Lesson Plans in Economics for Grades 3-4 from the National Center on Economic Education
Choices and Changes: In Life, School, and Work Grades 2-4 from the National Center on Economic Education
Master Curriculum Guides in Economics from the National Center on Economic Education
Adventures in Economics: Volume 1 from econ-
Adventures in Economics: Volume 2 from econ-
Puppet Economics from econ-
Spotting Economics from Africa to Ice Cream from econ-
Grade 4
Social Studies
Unit 6: Our Government
Time Frame: Four weeks
Unit Description
This unit focuses on government. It examines the basic purposes of government and the roles United States citizens play in their governance. The unit explores the major responsibilities of the three branches of governments. It also examines how government works at the local, state, and national levels.
Student Understandings
Students explain the purpose of taxes and the important roles that people assume in government. Students will distinguish between limited government and unlimited government and explain the role of government and the rights of citizens. Students understand that there are three branches of government and that government exists at the local, state, and national levels.
Guiding Questions
1. Can students identify the various roles the government plays in the community and the rights of the citizens?
2. Can students define the roles of both elected and appointed officials and how they serve the community on the local, state, and national levels?
3. Can students explain the need for government and identify the three major branches of government?
4. Can students explain how government uses taxes to pay for goods and services?
Unit 6 Grade-Level Expectations (GLEs)
|GLE # |GLE Text and Benchmarks |
|Civics |
|20. |Identify the necessity or basic purposes of government in such terms as establishing order, providing security, |
| |managing conflict, and providing services (C-1A-E2) |
|21. |Distinguish between limited government and unlimited government (C-1A-E3) |
|22. |Explain the role of government and the rights of citizens (C-1A-E3) |
|23. |Identify the three branches of the federal government and describe their major responsibilities (C-1A-E4) |
|24. |Identify key government positions at the national level, their respective powers, and limits on their powers |
| |(C-1A-E5) |
|25. |Distinguish between elected and appointed officials and give examples of each at the local, state, and national |
| |levels (C-1A-E6) |
|Economics |
|49. |Define tax and explain how government pays for goods and services through taxes and fees (E-1B-E4) |
Sample Activities
Activity 1: Is Government Necessary? (GLE: 20)
Materials List: chart paper (optional), social studies learning logs/journals
Allow students to preview the textbook chapter or informational resource on government. Encourage them to look at the vocabulary, headings, pictures, and captions throughout the text. After students have previewed the text, use the SQPL strategy (view literacy strategy descriptions) to provoke interest and curiosity in the topic of government. Write the following statement on the chalkboard: “To Be Free, One Must Be Chained.” Allow students to pair up and generate two or three questions they would like answered. The questions they generate must be related to the statement. When all student pairs have thought of their questions, the teacher will ask someone from each team to share their questions with the whole class. Record the students’ questions on the board or chart paper. Eventually, similar questions will be asked by more than one pair. These should be starred or highlighted in some way. Once all questions have been shared, the teacher should look over the student-generated list and decide whether his/her own questions need to be added. Such questions may include:
• Would it be possible for all Americans to live as they choose with total freedom and without a government establishing limits on individual freedoms?
• Do we, as a society, really need rules and regulations to enforce cooperation among individuals?
At this point, students will be ready for the information presented in the textbook or informational resource. Their purpose for reading will be to answer the questions they generated. Lead the students in a discussion that should lead to a resounding "yes" for the need for governments. As the content is discussed, stop periodically and have students discuss with their partners which questions could be answered. Students should record the questions and answers in their social studies learning logs (view literacy strategy descriptions).
Activity 2: Three Levels and Purposes of Government (GLE: 20)
Materials List: maps of the United States, Louisiana and parish/city; paper plates; binder rings; Levels of Government BLM
Provide students with maps of the United States, Louisiana, and their parish or city, and three paper plates of different sizes. Have them cut out each map and mount it to a paper plate. The U.S. map should be on the largest plate, the Louisiana map on the middle size, and the parish/city map on the smallest. Punch a hole in each plate and fasten them together with a binder ring. These will be used throughout the unit to illustrate the three levels of government and how they work together to create rules and laws. Refer to the following websites for maps:
• Map of the United States
• Map of Louisiana
• Maps of Louisiana Parishes/Cities
Ask students to think about their day from the time they get up until they go to bed. Have them make a list of all the rules and laws they have to follow during that time. Ask students: Who made these rules? What is the purpose of these rules? Then have them share their lists with the class. Explain to the students that just as families have guidelines to follow, the local, state, and national governments also provide citizens with rules and laws to be obeyed. Identify the basic purposes for rules and laws. Then give some examples of rules and laws for each level of government and have students hold up the corresponding plate for the level of government that is responsible for the particular rule/law. For example, to vote, a citizen must be eighteen years old. This is a national law, so no state can change that. To drive in Louisiana, a citizen must be at least sixteen years old. The national government allows the state government to decide the minimum age for a driver’s license. The state government allows the local government to make some decisions that affect only the local area. For example, the local government has the right to set speed limits within its jurisdiction. Students should understand that a local problem generally should be solved locally. Pass out the Levels of Government BLM. Direct the students to examine each problem and put a check mark by the appropriate level of government. In those cases where a problem covers multiple levels, have students identify why different levels are necessary. Discuss their decisions and require them to justify their answers. Allow students to add to the list of needs and identify which level is responsible. (See the BLM.)
Activity 3: Purposes of Government (GLE: 20)
Materials List: chart paper, social studies journals/learning logs
The Constitution sets up a federal system of government by dividing powers among the national, state, and local governments. Citizens elect officials to serve at each of these three levels. The separation of powers restricts governmental power and prevents its abuse. Each governmental level has its own responsibilities, but there are many areas of overlap among federal, state, and local jurisdictions.
Have the students brainstorm a list of duties and services provided by government. Record the students’ responses on chart paper. Examples should include activities related to:
• Federal Responsibilities: Defense, currency regulation, foreign relations, health, education, welfare, transportation, and housing and urban development
• State Responsibilities: State criminal code, working conditions, internal communications, and regulations of property, industry, business, and public utilities
• Local Responsibilities: Police and fire protection, health regulations, education, public transportation, and housing
Conduct a class discussion of the services students identified and the authorities responsible for each service. Students should record these in their social studies learning logs (view literacy strategy descriptions). Students should also record examples of each of these duties and services. Then have the students fold a piece of paper into nine sections. Have them write one of the services at the top of each section and then illustrate each in the space provided.
Activity 4: Taxes and Fees (GLE: 49)
Materials List: posters, chart paper, news articles
Citizens must pay the cost of government activities. Americans have a responsibility to pay taxes and to oversee government spending. Each level of government raises money through taxation of its citizens, and each level makes its own decisions about how and what to tax and how to spend the money. Although most federal revenue comes from income taxes, state and local revenues may come from sales taxes, which are on the sale of goods and services; income taxes, which come from taxes on earned and unearned income; and property taxes, which come from taxes on property. For a PowerPoint© to introduce the background information on government taxes, refer to:
Have students name some taxes or fees they or their families have paid recently. Students may mention sales taxes on food or groceries or on a meal at a restaurant, registration or license fees for a vehicle, tax on a phone bill, and hunting or fishing licenses. Explain that federal revenue comes in large part from income taxes while state and local taxes come primarily from sales taxes, income taxes, property taxes, and fees.
Invite a local government official to meet with the class to talk about the cost of running the government and to share with them how the local government gets its money. Have the students use that information to create a large display (e.g., posters, charts, news articles, and other publications) depicting local government services such as fire and police protection, parish or city parks, and local libraries.
Activity 5: Limited and Unlimited Government (GLEs: 21, 22)
Materials List: levels of government paper plates (created in Activity 2); copies of the following documents: Declaration of Independence, the Preamble to the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights; highlighters
Ask students to locate their national government plate that was created in Activity 2. Review the concept that each level of government has certain responsibilities for its citizens. Display the terms limited government and unlimited government and their definitions. Students will copy these into their social studies journals/logs. Help students develop their understanding of limited government (e.g., everyone, including people in authority, must obey the laws) and unlimited government (e.g., a dictatorship in which there are no effective controls over the powers of the ruler, and the ruler cannot be easily removed by peaceful means). Then provide students with copies of the following documents: the Declaration of Independence, the Preamble to the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights. Place the titles of these documents on a timeline. Give students background information on each document to illustrate the catalysts for the writing of each. Provide students with a highlighter and ask them to highlight terms or phrases that identify how these concepts are addressed in U.S. documents such as the Declaration of Independence and the Preamble to the Constitution. For a copy of these documents, refer to:
• Declaration of Independence
• United States Constitution
• Bill of Rights
Have students work in partnerships to make the Preamble more meaningful to them. First, have them define unknown words using a dictionary. Then have them rewrite the Preamble using grade-appropriate vocabulary and illustrate their versions. Provide time for these to be shared with the class, and help students to see that this sets the vision for limited government and gives the main idea or theme of what the Constitution is about.
Activity 6: Rights of Citizens (GLE: 22)
Materials List: one copy of the Bill of Rights per student, Bill of Rights Amendments BLM
Provide each student with a copy of the Bill of Rights (a document created by a limited government) that guarantees certain rights to its citizens (e.g., habeas corpus, trial by jury, equal protection, religious freedom, freedom of speech and assembly, due process, etc.). For a copy of the Bill of Rights, refer to: . Read the amendments aloud as a group.
Place students into ten cooperative groups (two or three students per group). Assign each group one of the amendments in the Bill of Rights. Provide each group with a Bill of Rights Amendments BLM. The blackline master uses the vocabulary card strategy (view literacy strategy descriptions) to help students develop the vocabulary. After fifteen to twenty minutes, have each group present its card to the rest of the class. These responses can then be hung in the classroom.
Activity 7: Branches of Government (GLEs: 23, 24)
Materials List: large cutout of a tree, research materials on each branch of government, PowerPoint®, posters
Use a large cutout of a tree with three branches to illustrate the branches of federal government. Explain that the U. S. Constitution provides for a basic framework for government that includes three distinct branches. Label the branches as Executive, Legislative, and Judicial.
Divide students into three groups and have each represent one branch of the U.S. government. Assign students in each group to roles found in their branch of government (e.g., president, vice president, cabinet members for the executive branch; senators and representatives for the legislative branch; Supreme Court justices and federal judges for the judicial branch). Ask the students in each group to research the responsibilities, powers, and limits that apply to their branch and to their individual roles. Each group should create a presentation— skits, PowerPoint® slides, or posters—that illustrates what they learned. Each group should also create a tree house to be placed on the corresponding branch of the tree that houses symbols created by the group to represent key information researched. The groups can take turns making their presentations to the rest of the class.
Activity 8: Elected and Appointed Officials (GLE: 25)
Materials List: chart paper
If possible, prior to beginning this lesson, invite two local officials to visit the class for this lesson. Invite one elected official and one who has been appointed to office. Inform the officials that they will be talking about their roles in the city's government and the differences between appointed and elected officials.
Begin the lesson by asking the students who is in charge of their home. Then follow this question with similar questions such as: Who is in charge of the school, the nation, the state, and finally, the local community? List the students’ responses on the board. If they are available, explain that two officials from the town's local government have come to speak to them about elected and appointed local officials. Explain that elected officials are voted on by the people whom they serve, while appointed officials have been chosen to fill that position by one person or a small group of people.
Introduce the two speakers to the class. Have them talk about their respective positions and how they were elected or appointed. Then ask the guests to help make two lists on chart paper—one of elected positions, the other of appointed positions—and write a brief description of the responsibilities of each beside the word.
After the guests have left, ask each student to think about which position he/she would like to hold one day. Once students have thought about their desired positions, ask them to demonstrate their understanding by completing a RAFT writing assignment (view literacy strategy descriptions). Ask the students to write the following RAFT:
R – Role (role of the writer: Candidate for the elected or appointed position)
A – Audience (to whom the RAFT is being written: Voters or individual making the appointment)
F – Form (form of writing: Letter)
T – Topic (subject focus of the writing: Explain to the audience why you deserve the position and how you will assist the community if elected or appointed.)
Students should present their writings to the class. The class should listen for accuracy and logic in the RAFTs.
Sample Assessments
General Guidelines
• Students should be monitored throughout the work on all activities via teacher observation, log/journal entries, and group discussion.
• All student-developed products and student investigations should be evaluated as the unit progresses. When possible, students should assist in developing any rubrics that will be used.
• Use a variety of performance assessments to determine student comprehension.
• Select assessments consistent with the types of products that result from the student activities.
General Assessments
• Using a publishing program, the students will create a newspaper from the written notes on government in social studies logs/journals. Students may divide the paper into sections representing local, state, and national governments. Each of these may be further divided to define the branches of each level and the roles and responsibilities of key positions within each branch.
• Provide students with key concepts and vocabulary from this unit. Students should then sort these words and phrases and label each category. The rule that should be followed is that each category must have at least two words or phrases. Students should then justify their categories by writing a paragraph explaining how the phrases and words relate to one another within each category.
• Working in pairs, have students construct a board game that reflects what they have learned about the three levels and the three branches of government. In addition to creating the board game, each group should write directions and provide necessary playing pieces (including an answer key if needed).
Activity-Specific Assessments
• Activity 2: Provide students with a list of government responsibilities on all three levels (national, state, and local). Working with a partner, students should cut these into strips and sort them according to the level of government that is responsible. For example, a post office is the responsibility of the national government, a stoplight is the responsibility of the local government, etc. Students will then attach these to the back of the appropriate paper plate that corresponds with the level of government.
• Activity 3: Ask the students to write an essay indicating which purpose of government (local, state, and/or national) they think is the most important. Have them justify their answers. They should illustrate this as well. Then have students form groups based on their responses and share their thoughts with one another.
• Activity 6: Have students identify each of the ten amendments to the Bill of Rights by completing a matching activity. Refer to the Rights of Citizens Matching Activity BLM.
Resources
Books
Can’t You Make Them Behave, King George by Jean Fritz
The Everything American Government Book by Nick Ragone
The History of US: From Colonies to Country 1735-1791 by Joy Hakim
History Speaks…The Bill of Rights from the Teaching and Learning Company
History Speaks…Judicial Branch of the Government from the Teaching and Learning Company
History Speaks…Legislative Branch of the Government from the Teaching and Learning Company
History Speaks… Executive Branch of the Government from the Teaching and Learning Company
Shh! We’re Writing the Constitution by Jean Fritz
We the People from the Center for Civic Education
Would You Please Sign Here, John Hancock? by Jean Fritz
U.S. Constitution Thematic Unit from Teacher Created Materials
Videos
American Government for Children: The Federal, State, and Local Government video from
American Government for Children: The History of American Government video from
American Government for Children: A History of the Presidency video from
American Government for Children: The Three Branches of Government video from
American Government for Children: What is Government? video from
Shh! We’re Writing the Constitution video from Scholastic
Grade 4
Social Studies
Unit 7: Growth of a Nation
Time Frame: Six weeks
Unit Description
The unit explores the concept of leadership and how the ideas of early American leaders influence people today. It also examines the importance of American historical documents. This unit stresses the importance of good citizenship in a democracy. It demonstrates the importance of laws and rules. This unit examines the basic concept of nation and identifies ways that nations interact. The role of the United Nations is explored.
Student Understandings
Students will examine the ideas presented in American historical documents and explain how good citizenship is important to American constitutional democracy. Students recognize that both people and nations can be leaders. Students understand how nations interact and the role of the United Nations in conflict resolution.
Guiding Questions
1. Can students explain the importance of events, ideas, and leaders significant to the nation’s development and American democratic principles?
2. Can students identify leaders and their influence in the early development of America?
3. Can students explain the important ideas presented in American historical documents and how they are evidenced in daily lives?
4. Can students list the similarities and differences between the Louisiana Constitution and the U.S. Constitution?
5. Can students discuss civic responsibilities and traits of good citizenship as it relates to solving a national issue and the preservation and improvement of democracy?
Can students explain the concept of nation, the role of the United Nations, and ways nations interact?
Unit 7 Grade-Level Expectations (GLEs)
|GLE # |GLE Text and Benchmarks |
|Civics |
|International Relationships |
|26. |Identify the purpose and importance of a rule or a law (C-1A-E7) |
|27. |Describe the significance of the Declaration of Independence, U.S. Constitution, and Bill of Rights (e.g., basic |
| |freedoms) (C-1B-E1) |
|28. |Explain the similarities between the Louisiana and U.S. Constitutions (C-1B-E1) |
|29. |Explain the concept of nation with reference to countries, governments, and people (C-1C-E1) |
|30. |Identify ways nations interact and why interactions are important (e.g., treaties, diplomacy) (C-1C-E1) |
|31. |Identify the United Nations and its role in international peace keeping (C-1C-E1) |
|Roles of the Citizen |
|32. |Identify the means by which individuals become U.S. citizens (C-1D-E1) |
|33. |Identify the rights and responsibilities of citizenship in making the nation a better place to live (C-1D-E2) |
|34. |Discuss civic traits of good citizenship that are important to the preservation and improvement of American |
| |constitutional democracy, using an excerpt from a speech, address, or essay which illustrates those traits |
| |(C-1D-E3) (C-1D-E4) |
|35. |Identify a national issue and describe how good citizenship can help solve the problem (C-1D-E5) |
|History |
|Louisiana and United States History |
|57. |Identify leaders and their influence in the early development of America (H-1C-E1) |
|58. |Describe the importance of events and ideas significant to our nation’s development (H-1C-E1) |
|59. |Identify a document/speech/address significant to the development of the nation from an excerpt (e.g., Preamble to|
| |the U.S. Constitution), and identify the author/speaker of a particular document/speech/address (H-1C-E1) |
|60. |Describe American democratic principles as exemplified by major historic events, groups of people, and leaders |
| |(H-1C-E2) |
Sample Activities
Activity 1: Life before Independence (GLE: 58)
Materials List: map of the thirteen colonies, art print of the Boston Tea Party, Boston Tea Party Reader’s Theater BLM, social studies learning logs
Review with the students a brief history of the journey to America from Unit 3. Remind the students that Columbus had found the way to America and soon after, many European countries sent people to this new world. France, Spain, and Great Britain all sent individuals called colonists to settle in America. These people crossed the Atlantic Ocean to start a new life in a new world. Once they reached America, they claimed large areas of land for their countries.
Explain that Great Britain claimed all of North America along the Atlantic coast and divided the land on the east coast into thirteen colonies. Show students a map of the thirteen colonies. For a map of the thirteen colonies, refer to: . Explain that the colonies were under England's control from 1607 until 1776. Tell students that the more control King George III tried to force on the colonies after 1763, the more they wanted to be free of England’s rule.
Display an art print depicting the Boston Tea Party. For an art print of the Boston Tea Party, refer to: . Have students discuss things that they notice in the print. Ask students to look closely at what is happening and to reflect upon what they see. Explain to students the causes of this “tea party.” Also, explain to students that the class will have an opportunity to see this event from several perspectives through a reader’s theater dramatization.
Distribute the Boston Tea Party Reader’s Theater BLM. (See this BLM.) Have students highlight their assigned part, and read over it at least twice. Tell them that they should use a great deal of inflection in their voices and that they should bring these characters to life. After becoming familiar with the script, have the students perform the reader’s theater by reading from their scripts.
After completing the reader’s theater exercise, have students reflect in their social studies learning logs (view literacy strategy descriptions) on the following questions:
• What do you think the colonists meant by “independence”?
• Why did they want to be free from England and King George?
• If you think of King George and England as the parents, what would that make the colonists and the colonies?
• How do you think King George will react when the colonists explain that they want to be free?
Activity 2: The Path to Revolutionary War (GLE: 58)
Materials List: reference materials on the Revolutionary War, Path to the Revolutionary War BLM (four copies per student)
Inform the students that they will create a timeline to show events that impacted the colonists and how each event influenced the American Revolution. Provide students with reference materials on major events leading up to the American Revolution. Refer to the following website for information on historic events prior to the American Revolution: .
Using the information from the website, have students complete the Path to the Revolutionary War BLM. (See this BLM.) Once the timeline has been completed, have each student choose one of the events to present to the class.
Activity 3: Early American Leaders (GLE: 57)
Materials List: novels about people and events of the American Revolution, chart paper (optional)
Have students read novels about people and events during the American Revolution. Students may read Johnny Tremain, by Esther Forbes (challenging); The Fighting Ground, by Avi (on-level); The Secret Soldier: The Story of Deborah Sampson, by Ann McGovern (easier access); and American Revolution books by Jean Fritz (refer to the following website for a list of Jean Fritz books and enrichment activities that accompany them: ).
To help students comprehend text that depicts events of the American Revolution, guide students through a directed reading-thinking activity (view literacy strategy descriptions). Using a chapter from one of the novels suggested above, take students through the following steps:
• Introduce background knowledge. Begin the lesson with a discussion about the American Revolution. Elicit information students may already know, including previous lessons and/or prior readings. Discuss the title of the chapter or topic section. Record students’ ideas on the board or chart paper.
• Make predictions. Ask questions that invite predictions, such as: What do you expect to learn from this section? Based on what we’ve learned already, what information do you think the author will include? Have students write their predictions in their notebooks.
• Read a section of text, stopping at predetermined places to check and revise predictions. Ask students to re-read their predictions. Let them know they should change their predictions, if necessary, and cite new evidence for doing so. Repeat this cycle several times as students read through the text. Key questions students should consider are:
o What have you learned so far from the text? (Give a summary.)
o Can you support your summary with evidence from the text?
o What do you expect to read next?
• Once the reading is completed, use student predictions as a discussion tool. Ask students to reflect on their original predictions and track changes in their thinking and understanding of the American Revolution as they confirm or revise their predictions. Students should write statements of overall understanding in their notebooks.
• Emphasize to students that they should use this same process when they read other texts on their own.
Activity 4: Declaration of Independence (GLEs: 27, 58, 59, 60)
Materials List: chart paper, copies of the Declaration of Independence (one per student), poster paper
Begin the lesson by having students break into groups of three or four students. Have each group write a list of “school-related improvements” that they might like to see addressed. Improvements may include new bus rules, improved cafeteria food, new playground rules, etc. Have students share their lists and record the suggestions on chart paper. Explain to the students that the colonists were frustrated with the rules forced on them by King George.
Explain that the Declaration of Independence is a document primarily written by Thomas Jefferson in 1776. Jefferson was part of a committee assigned by Congress to write this declaration, which would be sent to King George and parliament, putting England on notice that the American states would no longer be governed as British colonies. The group of men selected to write the Declaration of Independence are called the Founding Fathers. Explain to the students that the Declaration is divided into six basic parts, including:
• The Preamble
• Right of people to govern themselves
• A list of grievances against King George III
• Attempts at trying to avoid separation from England
• Declaration of separation from England
• Signatures of the Founding Fathers
Provide each student with a copy of the Declaration of Independence. For a printer-friendly version of the Declaration of Independence, refer to the following website: transcript.
html. Allow time for students to examine the document. Have students label all six parts of the Declaration.
Finally, allow students to work in groups to choose one of the grievances to illustrate and explain in their own words. On a poster, students will cooperatively complete the following task:
• State the grievance as it appears in the Declaration of Independence
• Explain what the grievance means in their own words
• Illustrate the grievance
• Present their grievance to the class
Activity 5: Founding Fathers (GLEs: 27, 57)
Materials List: biographies of signers of the Declaration of Independence, copy of the Declaration of Independence
Explain to the students that the Founding Fathers were faced with an important decision in 1776. Should they continue to endure the unfair rules enforced by King George, or should they declare America’s independence from England and establish a new nation? Declaring independence from England would be very dangerous for the Founding Fathers. If caught, American leaders would be tried as traitors and sentenced to death. In this activity, students will be asked to consider what individual signers risked by signing the Declaration of Independence.
Have students work in pairs to read the biography of one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence. For biographies of the signers of the Declaration of Independence, refer to the following website: . Students can choose the Founding Father to research or the teacher can assign an individual to each student pair. Have each group write a short paragraph about their assigned Founding Founder and identify what he risked in choosing to sign the Declaration of Independence.
Next, have the students re-create the signing of the Declaration of Independence. Place a copy of the Declaration on a table in the center of the classroom. For a copy of the Declaration of Independence, refer to the following website: . Each pair will choose a member to assume the role of the group’s assigned Founding Father. One-by-one, students will approach the table and announce who they are and what they risk by putting their names on this document.
`
Activity 6: Purpose of the U.S. Constitution (GLEs: 26, 27, 59, 60)
Materials List: We the Kids, chart paper, copy of the U.S. Constitution (one per student)
Explain to the students that after the colonists declared their independence from England, they had to design a new government. Written in 1787, the Constitution was created because the U.S. was a new country and it needed a plan of government (the laws and people that run a city, state, or country).
Read the book, We the Kids, by David Catrow. When finished reading the book, discuss each page with the students, using the guide in the trade book that generalizes the phrases of the Preamble. Next, write the word "constitution" on the board and ask students what comes to mind when they see this word. Record the student’s responses on chart paper. Explain that the book is actually a version of the Preamble of the U.S. Constitution and that the Constitution is America’s law of the land.
Next, have students give examples of rules and laws in the classroom, community, and state. The teacher will list the examples on the board or on chart paper. Ask the following questions:
• Why do you think we have rules in the classroom and at home?
• Why do you think we have laws in our city, state, and country?
Finally, have students take out a piece of paper and write two headings at the top of the paper: “Rules” and “Laws.” Have the students provide five examples of each and tell why it is necessary to have these rules and laws. Conclude the activity by asking students to think about the following question: "What would our country be like if there were no laws or rules to follow?"
Activity 7: Preamble of the U.S. Constitution (GLEs: 27, 58, 59, 60)
Materials List: blank sheets of white paper (three for each student)
Provide each student with a copy of the U.S. Constitution. For a copy of the Constitution, refer to the following website: .
Explain to the students that, like the Declaration of Independence, the U.S. Constitution is made up of three parts, the Preamble, the articles, and the amendments (the first ten are the Bill of Rights).
Provide each student with three blank sheets of white paper. Have the students fold the pieces of paper into thirds so that they have nine spaces in which to write. Read the Preamble to the students. Ask the students to illustrate the meaning of each of the following parts of the Preamble in one of the folded spaces:
1. We the people of the United States
2. In order to form a more perfect union
3. Establish justice
4. Insure domestic tranquility
5. Provide for the common defense
6. Promote the general welfare
7. Secure the blessings of liberty
8. To ourselves and our posterity
9. Do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America
Allow students to share their illustrations of the Preamble with the class.
Activity 8: The Louisiana and United States Constitutions (GLE: 28)
Materials List: copy of the U.S. Constitution, copy of the Louisiana Constitution, Comparing Constitutions Venn Diagram BLM
Provide each student with a copy of the U.S. Constitution. For a copy of the U.S. Constitution, refer to the following website: . Have one-third of the students review the U.S. Constitution to look for particular provisions that empower the federal government. Have another third look for limitations on the federal government, including separation of powers, shared powers, checks and balances, and the Bill of Rights. Have the remaining third look for rights of the individual that are stated specifically, both in the Constitution and in the Bill of Rights.
Using the same groups, have students review the Louisiana Constitution. For a copy of the Louisiana Constitution, refer to the following website: . Have each group create a Venn diagram graphic organizer (view literacy strategy descriptions) comparing the U.S. and Louisiana constitutions. Refer to the Comparing Constitutions Venn Diagram BLM.
Activity 9: Citizenship (GLE: 32)
Materials List: What Do You Know About U.S. Citizenship Opinionnaire BLM, copies of A Guide to Naturalization (one per team of five students), chart paper
Have students complete an opinionnaire (view literacy strategy descriptions) on the steps in becoming a U.S. citizen. Refer to the What Do You Know About U.S. Citizenship Opinionnaire BLM. The opinionnaire consists of a list of statements that are related to citizenship. The statements are either true or false. The opinionnaire will serve as a method to determine the students’ prior knowledge on the process of becoming a U.S. citizen. Do not discuss the answers with the students until the end of the activity.
Explain that any person born in this country is a citizen, even if his/her parents are not. Point out that a person born in a foreign country whose parents are U.S. citizens is also a U.S. citizen and that, in some circumstances, a person born in a foreign country with only one parent being a U.S. citizen is also a U.S. citizen. Present the following three steps in naturalization, the process by which people from foreign countries become U.S. citizens:
• File an application
• Take a naturalization examination
• Appear for a court hearing and take an oath
Have students work in teams of five students. Distribute A Guide to Naturalization and a large sheet of chart paper to each team. For a copy of this guide, refer to the following website: . Have students examine A Guide to Naturalization and determine the qualifications for becoming a naturalized U.S. citizen. Instruct each group to make a list of the qualifications they find on their chart paper. Be sure that the students include the following qualifications:
A person must:
• Be at least eighteen years old
• Have lived in the United States as a legal resident for at least five years
• Be of good moral character and loyal to the United States
• Be able to read, write, speak, and understand basic English
• Have a basic knowledge and understanding of the history, government structure, and Constitution of the United States
• Be willing to take an oath of allegiance to the United States
Have each team present its findings to the class. Once each group has made its presentation, ask students to refer back to the What Do You Know About U.S. Citizenship Opinionnaire and compare their answers to their new learning.
Activity 10: ABCs Citizenship (GLE: 34)
Materials List: chart paper, ABCs of Citizenship Template BLM, dictionaries
Begin the activity by writing the following terms on chart paper or on the chalkboard:
• independence
• congress
• election
• representative
• senator
• constitution
• equal rights
Tell students that they are going to create a dictionary entitled "ABCs of Citizenship" by defining words that are important to good citizenship, such as the ones on the chart paper or chalkboard. Inform the students that they will also use the events, speeches, or biographies from U.S. history to locate an example that illustrates the meaning of the word. For example, in defining "independence," students may include a specific line from the Declaration of Independence.
Guide the whole class in a brainstorming activity (view literacy strategy descriptions) to add other words to the list on the board. Encourage students to include words that have appeared throughout the study of U.S. history. Divide the list among the students so that each student has no more than two terms to define and locate an example.
Provide each student with the ABCs of Citizenship Template BLM. Students are to use this template in researching the assigned term(s). Provide students with dictionaries to locate an official definition of each term. Provide students with access to the following websites to locate events, speeches, or biographies from U.S. history that represent the assigned term(s):
• Declaration of Independence
experience/charters/declaration transcript.
html
Constitution of the United States
transcript.
html
Bill of Rights
Famous Speeches
Biographies of the Signers of the Declaration of Independence
Biographies of the Signers of the U.S. Constitution
Create a durable cover for the dictionary pages and then bind all entries together (in alphabetical order) for the library or classroom.
Activity 11: Citizenship and National Issues (GLEs: 33, 35)
Materials List: Good Citizenship Opinionnaire BLM
Begin this activity with an opinionnaire (view literacy strategy descriptions) to engage students in critical discussions about good citizenship. Provide students with a copy of the Good Citizenship Opinionnaire BLM. Allow students to respond to each statement individually. Afterward, invite students to share their opinions for each statement and separate supporters from non-supporters. Force each student to take a stand. Then ask the two groups to briefly debate the statement and allow for any students who have changed their minds to move to the other group. By taking a stand on issues related to good citizenship and engaging in critical discussion about those issues, students will heighten their expectation of the content to follow and make many new connections from their opinions and ideas to those of their classmates. The discussion the statements inspire will serve as a bridge to information and ideas in the stories and other class readings about good citizenship.
Next, ask students to think about and discuss a national issue or problem and to describe how good citizenship can help solve the problem. What are the qualities, attributes, characteristics, habits, and practices of good citizens that would help in solving the problem? Ask students to consider the availability of resources needed to address the issue or solve the problem. Have them explain how limited resources can impact the choices and decisions citizens must make when considering the solutions to problems.
What do good citizens do? Have students draw or create a collage of the characteristics and qualities of a good citizen and display them in class. They should include examples of some of the things good citizens do.
Activity 12: The United Nations (GLEs: 29, 30, 31)
Materials List: reference materials on the United Nations, United Nations Split-Page Notes BLM
Using reference books and the official website of the United Nations, the teacher should develop a presentation for students on the United Nations. Refer to the following website on the United Nations: . This presentation could either be in the form of PowerPoint® or transparencies for the overhead. The following information should be addressed in the presentation:
What is the United Nations?
How many countries are members of the United Nations?
What does the United Nations do?
How often does it meet?
Where does it meet?
When did the United Nations begin?
Why did it begin?
What are some of the greatest accomplishments of the United Nations?
How does the United Nations work as a peacekeeper?
Ask students to use the split-page notetaking strategy (view literacy strategy descriptions) to take notes on the presentation provided on the topic of the United Nations. Refer to the United Nations Split-Page Notes BLM.
Have students complete one of the following activities based on their notes and any additional research completed by the students.
Children’s Book: Write a book at a level appropriate for elementary students, explaining the purpose of the United Nations and its most important accomplishments. Include color illustrations. Use plain white paper and take time to create an attractive cover page. Bind the final product and visit a primary class to share the book.
Press Release: Assume the role of a reporter who has the scoop on the United Nations’ most important accomplishments. Write a front-page lead story that includes answers to who, what, when, where, why and how? Compose a title for the newspaper and a headline for the article.
Diary: Assume the role of an employee for the United Nations. Write a minimum of ten diary entries that highlight important events and accomplishments concerning the United Nations.
Oral Report: Outline the most important events and accomplishments of the United Nations in an oral report lasting three to five minutes. Dress in the style of clothing that a diplomat would wear, and use appropriate props to make the report more interesting.
Written Report: Write a report with a minimum of two pages, outlining and explaining the most important events and accomplishments of the United Nations.
Tri-Cornered Card: Use one side of the card to write a full-page summary of the United Nations’ most important accomplishment(s). On the second side, include a picture of either the United Nations’ leader or of something related to his or her accomplishment(s). On the third side, write a significant quote from the United Nations Charter.
Timeline: Create a timeline with significant events and major accomplishments of the United Nations. Explain and illustrate the entries, using a ruler and markers.
Provide time for students to develop, edit, and practice presentations of their projects. When they are ready, have them share what they have learned at a “United Nations General Assembly.”
Sample Assessments
General Guidelines
Students should be monitored throughout the work on all activities via teacher observation, log/data collection entries, report writing, group discussion, and journal entries.
All student-developed products and student investigations should be evaluated as the unit progresses. When possible, students should assist in developing any rubrics that will be used.
Use a variety of performance assessments to determine student comprehension.
Select assessments consistent with the types of products that result from the student activities.
General Assessments
Using a topic or concept from this unit, students should create an acronym poem. For instance, they may choose Framer. Each of the letters in this word would begin words that would describe what was learned about the Framers of the Constitution. For example:
Founding Fathers
Really determined
Amazing Americans
Made important decisions
Enthusiastic about possibilities
Respected
Students should add illustrations to accompany these as well.
Provide students with a list of concepts and topics that were connected to this unit. Working in pairs, students should create a concept-linking map using these topics. Students begin with one concept, then locate another concept that has a connection to the first one. They then connect the concepts by linking them together. As they link them, have students write sentences showing how these words connect (e.g., students may choose to begin with the Declaration of Independence). They may link this with the Revolutionary War card and write the following: The Declaration of Independence made the British even angrier and more determined to win the Revolutionary War. The teacher may assign a number of concept cards to be used.
Students should create a picture book at a level appropriate for younger students, describing democracy and citizenship. Have students review what has been learned during this unit. Students should then organize these concepts into a five- or six-page book on this topic and should illustrate each page. Finally, have students share these books with students in younger grades.
Activity-Specific Assessments
Activity 1: Using the Boston Tea Party Reader’s Theater script and notes from social studies learning logs, students should complete a cause and effect organizer identifying events that led the colonists to independence. Students should illustrate these and use captions to describe the process.
Activity 4: Have students complete the Five Ws of the Declaration BLM. (Refer to this BLM.) Students complete this graphic organizer identifying the who, what, when, where, and why regarding the Declaration of Independence.
Activity 5: Have students create a life-sized character from mural paper depicting the Founding Father they researched. Have students add symbols to this life-sized character that depict his political viewpoints.
Activity 7: Have students write a classroom constitution. The constitution must include a preamble introducing the purpose of the document and at least three to five amendments/rules that would assure that the objectives stated in the preamble would be attained.
Resources
Books
Can’t You Make Them Behave, King George by Jean Fritz
The Everything American Government Book by Nick Ragone
The History of US: From Colonies to Country 1735-1791 by Joy Hakim
History Speaks…The Bill of Rights from the Teaching and Learning Company
History Speaks…Judicial Branch of the Government from the Teaching and Learning Company
History Speaks…Legislative Branch of the Government from the Teaching and Learning Company
History Speaks… Executive Branch of the Government from the Teaching and Learning Company
Shh! We’re Writing the Constitution by Jean Fritz
We the People from the Center for Civic Education
Would You Please Sign Here, John Hancock? by Jean Fritz
U.S. Constitution Thematic Unit from Teacher Created Materials
We the Kids by David Catrow
Videos
American Government for Children: The Federal, State, and Local Government video from
American Government for Children: The History of American Government video from
American Government for Children: A History of the Presidency video from
American Government for Children: The Three Branches of Government video from
American Government for Children: What is Government? video from
Shh! We’re Writing the Constitution video from Scholastic
Grade 4
Social Studies
Unit 8: Making Economic Choices
Time Frame: Three weeks
Unit Description
This unit focuses on the economy and the economic choices people make. The unit examines the concept of limited resources, the role of economic institutions, and monetary issues.
Student Understandings
Students will understand that limited resources require individuals to make economic choices. Students will understand that factors such as trade-offs help a person make economic decisions. They will understand the roles of businesses, banks, households, and governments in the economy. Students will identify means of payment for goods and services (e.g., checks, cash, credit cards) and be able to explain the differences.
Guiding Questions
Can students identify the roles of banks, governments, and businesses in their daily lives?
Can students demonstrate how choices and decisions in using cash, checks or credit cards affect their lives?
Can students identify the trade-offs a person makes in making economic decisions?
Can students explain how the rise and fall of prices affects budgets?
Unit 8 Grade-Level Expectations (GLEs)
|GLE # |GLE Text and Benchmarks |
|Economics |
|Fundamental Economic Concepts |
|36. |Demonstrate that limited resources require choices and decisions (E-1A-E1) |
|37. |Explain the factors, including trade-offs, involved in a choice or decision (e.g., discuss the choices and decisions |
| |involved in developing a personal budget) (E-1A-E4) |
|43. |Identify the roles of banks, governments, businesses, and households in the economy (E-1A-E10) |
|44. |Identify the relationship between money, writing checks, and credit cards (E-1A-E11) |
|Individual, Households, Businesses, and Governments |
|47. |Explain how a rise or fall in prices affects personal, family, and government budgets (E-1B-E2) |
Sample Activities
Activity 1: Limited Resources (GLEs: 36, 37)
Materials List: white paper, colored paper, pencils, colored pencils or markers
Have students list the ways in which their families use gasoline, oil, or electricity. Are they able to use as much of that resource as they want? Why or why not? What are the consequences of using more than is needed? Discuss the term scarcity, as the condition of not being able to have all the goods and services one wants. Scarcity is having unlimited wants, but limited resources.
Explain to the students that they will use the following supplies to create a greeting card for a family member or friend: white paper, colored paper, pencils, and colored pencils or markers. Provide each student with white paper and pencils. However, tell the students that there are only a few pieces of colored paper, a few colored pencils or markers, and ten pairs of scissors—not enough for all to have their own, but enough so that each student may have access to the materials. Have them create their cards. Once they have created their cards, ask the students what choices and decisions they had to make because of the limited supply of resources. Have the students explain the factors involved in the choices they made. Was their end product as good as it could have been if they would have had unlimited resources to create it?
Activity 2: Trade-Offs and Budgets (GLEs: 37, 47)
Materials List: catalogs and/or newspaper ad circulars, scissors, glue
Write the term trade-offs on the board. Define trade-offs as giving up some of one thing to get some of another thing. Share the following examples with students:
Helen has enough money to purchase three new CDs or two new shirts for school. She can spend it all on CDs, all on shirts, or make a trade-off. She could buy two CDs and one shirt. Her trade-off is giving up one CD to get one shirt.
Juan has $10 to spend. He wants to buy five crazy pencils at $1.99 each. He decides to buy three crazy pencils and save the remaining money. What is Juan's trade-off? (He gave up some pencils to have some savings.)
Provide students with catalogs or newspaper ad circulars. Have students locate items they would like to purchase. Have them cut out the pictures of the items they want, glue them onto a sheet of paper, and write the cost below each item. Tell students that they can choose as many items as they would like. Once students have made their selections, inform them that they have only $100 to spend. Have students circle the items they would now buy. Then ask them to write a short paragraph explaining the trade-offs they made in making their decisions.
Activity 3: Types of Budgets (GLEs: 37, 47)
Materials List: computer projector or transparency, A Look at Budgets BLM, Examining a Personal Budget Process Guide BLM
Remind the students of the definition of budget (a plan that shows what money comes in and what money goes out). Discuss how a budget helps individuals, families, and even the country determine whether there is enough money to buy the things wanted and/or needed. Ask students what any extra money left over is called (savings). Savings is what individuals, families, or the country puts aside to spend later.
Using a computer projector or transparency, present students with A Look at Budgets BLM. (See sample below). Examples are provided in the BLM, but allow students to generate their own ideas and record them on the chart.
|Personal Budget |Family Budget |Country/Government Budget |
|Income |Expense |Income |Expense |Income |Expense |
|Allowance |Snacks |Job |Food |Taxes |Schools |
Next, have students examine a personal budget using a process guide (view literacy strategy descriptions). Provide each student with Examining a Personal Budget Process Guide BLM. (See this BLM.) By completing the process guide, students will analyze the choices and decisions involved in developing a personal budget.
Activity 4: Importance of Banks (GLE: 43)
Materials List: reference materials on banks, chart paper
Before reading reference materials about banks, students will generate questions they have about the topic based on an SQPL prompt (view literacy strategy descriptions).
Tell students that something will be said about banks before they begin their research. State the following: Banks are places where we can save our money, keep track of how much we have, and keep it safe. Write it on the board or on a piece of chart paper as it is said. Repeat it as necessary.
Next, ask students to turn to a partner and think of one good question they have about banks based on the statement: Banks are places where we can save our money, keep track of how much we have, and keep it safe. As students respond, write their questions on the chart paper or board. A question that is asked more than once should be marked with a smiley face to signify that it is an important question. When students finish asking questions, the teacher should contribute additional questions to the list. Some questions that may be added to the list are:
When were banks created?
Why were they created?
What did people do before there were banks?
What kinds of services do banks provide?
How do banks earn money?
How do banks operate?
What happens to the money that is put into the bank?
Tell students that they will use reference materials to carefully research answers to their questions. Provide students with the reference materials. For reference materials on banks, refer to the following website:
A Brief History of U.S. Banking
Divide the students into research teams, assigning each team a set of the questions generated. Give students time to locate the answers to their questions. Have teams present their findings to the class, marking questions that are answered. Remind students that they should always ask questions before they learn something new, then listen or look for answers to their questions.
Activity 5: Personal Checking Account (GLE: 44)
Materials List: sample checkbook register, newspaper advertisements or catalogs, sample check
Assign the same amount of money for each student to deposit into a pretend checking account, and have students enter the deposit in a personal checkbook register. Show students how to enter their first deposit in a checkbook register. For a checkbook register, refer to the following website: .
Have the students look through newspaper advertisements or catalogs and choose one item they would like to purchase. Limit the maximum purchase amount (for example, to $20 if the first deposit is $100) so that students do not run out of money after their first purchase.
Guide the students through writing a check to pay for the item. For a sample check, refer to the following website: . The check amount and calculated balance should be written on their personal checkbook register.
Repeat the process until the amount in the students balance is low and they can no longer purchase any items.
When students run out of money, have a discussion about how money is a limited resource and the ways they could earn more money. Ask them how they could get more money and buy more things without earning additional money. The possibility of using a credit card or taking out a loan should be discussed.
Activity 6: Cash, Check, or Credit? (GLE: 44)
Materials List: items for a classroom store, chart paper
Simulate a small store in the classroom. Explain to the students that $50.00 is going to be placed in a personal account for each student. Explain that each person has to make a choice as to how he/she wants access to his/her money. He/she can have his/her money in cash, use checks, or use a credit card to make purchases from the classroom store. Have them experiment with using the different payment options to purchase items from the classroom store.
Lead the class in a discussion about the advantages and disadvantages of using each type of payment. On chart paper, make a master list to post in the classroom of the advantages and disadvantages of using each type of payment. Possible topics to discuss are:
If students choose cash, the purchase is complete at the time of sale.
If students choose checks, they must understand that a withdrawal from their checking account at the bank will be made. If there is no money in their checking account, the bank will charge a penalty and deny payment of funds on the check. The person or business to whom the check was given will also charge a penalty.
If students choose credit, they must understand that interest will be applied to their purchase and that they actually pay more for the product because of the interest. They should also understand that the credit company will bill them for their purchases, and if the bill is not paid, there will be a penalty charged.
Sample Assessments
General Guidelines
Students should be monitored throughout the work on all activities via teacher observation, log/data entries, report writing, group discussion, and journal entries.
All student-developed products and student investigations should be evaluated as the unit progresses. When possible, students should assist in developing any rubrics that will be used.
Use a variety of performance assessments to determine student comprehension.
Select assessments consistent with the types of products that result from the student activities.
General Assessments
Have students research the price of a list of given items in the year they were born. Refer to the following website for a consumer price index: . Next, have students find the average prices of these same items today. Then have students calculate the difference in the costs. Have students write about what pattern they noticed with the changes in prices and what could have contributed to the fluctuation.
Have students create a poster showing the relationship between banks, the government, and households. Students should make a large triangle on the poster, putting a picture of a bank at one vertex, a picture of a house on one vertex, and a symbol for the government on the third vertex. Then using arrows to illustrate the direction, students should show the relationship of the bank to the household and the household to the bank; the household to the government and the government to the household; the government to the bank and the bank to the government.
Provide each pair of students with a bag of play money. Make sure that each pair gets a different amount of money. Provide students also with a sales circular from various stores. Remind students that they may choose to save some of their money as well, but that all needs should be met before any wants are purchased or before any money is saved. Have students make purchases and find the balances. They should also provide a written paragraph to justify the expenses.
Activity-Specific Assessments
Activity 3: Provide students with a list of expenses for a month and a “check” showing earnings for a month. Provide them also with a blank table to organize their data. Have them sort the expenses into categories and label each. Then have them total each section of the expenses and subtract them from the amount of the earnings. Ask students to show a balance or what is left over after the expenses are paid.
Activity 4: Have students create a tri-cornered card depicting what they have learned about banks and banking. Use one side of the card to write a summary of banks and banking including the history of banking and the characteristics of banks today. Use the second side of the card to show what people did before banks and illustrate why banks were needed. Use the third side of the card to illustrate what banks do for people today.
Activity 6: Have students complete a three-ring Venn Diagram comparing and contrasting cash, checks, and credit. Refer to the Cash, Check or Credit Three-Ring Venn Diagram BLM. Students should also write a summary sentence identifying the advantages and disadvantages of each type. Refer to the Cash, Check or Credit Advantages and Disadvantages BLM.
Resources
Books
Play Dough Economics from the National Council on Economic Education
Teaching Economics Using Children’s Literature from the National Center on
Economic Education
Children in the Marketplace: Lesson Plans in Economics for Grades 3-4 from the
National Center on Economic Education
Choices and Changes: In Life, School, and Work Grades 2-4 from the National
Center on Economic Education
Master Curriculum Guides in Economics from the National Center on Economic
Education
Adventures in Economics: Volume 1 from econ-
Adventures in Economics: Volume 2 from econ-
Puppet Economics from econ-
Spotting Economics from Africa to Ice Cream from econ-
Grade 4
Social Studies
Unit 9: Producers and Consumers
Time Frame: Two weeks
Unit Description
This unit focuses on producers and consumers. It examines the four basic questions that define the economy and the importance of specialization and division of labor. The role of supply and demand is stressed. The unit explores profits and risks and how those economic concepts are important.
Student Understandings
Students will understand that the economy of the United States is structured along the lines of production and consumption. They will be able to explain the roles people play in the economy and the benefits of increasing one’s skills and knowledge. They will understand the concepts of risk, profit, and various media of exchange.
Guiding Questions
Can students create a proposal based on the four questions all producers must answer on a product of interest?
Can students explain the various roles careers have on society and the advantages of training and increasing one’s skills and knowledge?
Can students identify what happens to a business when it takes a risk for profit and how goods are affected by supply and demand?
Unit 9 Grade-Level Expectations (GLEs)
|GLE # |GLE Text and Benchmarks |
|Economics |
|38. |Identify the four basic questions all producers must answer (i.e., What will be produced? How will it be produced?|
| |For whom will it be produced? How much will be produced?) (E-1A-E5) |
|40. |Define some effects of division of labor and specialization in a given context, such as a simple assembly line |
| |(e.g., greater labor productivity/output per hour) (E-1A-E7) |
|41. |Describe the benefits of increasing one’s skill/knowledge and various ways to do so (E-1A-E8) |
|45. |Explain why people engage in voluntary exchange/barter/direct trading (E-1A-E11) |
|Individuals, Households, Businesses, and Governments |
|46. |Describe how supply and demand affect the price of a good or service in a given situation (E-1B-E1) |
|48. |Identify the terms profit and risk and give examples of risks that businesses take to make a profit (E-1B-E3) |
Sample Activities
Activity 1: Producer Questions (GLE: 38)
Materials List: chart paper, Business Plan Flow Chart BLM
Economics assumes that part of human nature is having economic wants and seeking to satisfy them. Every economy has producers, who attempt to supply people with goods and services that satisfy their economic wants. Every economy is also confronted with scarcity. Since only some economic wants can be met, decision-making is central to all economic systems. People living within an economy must find answers to four essential questions. These answers determine the type of economy.
In a whole group activity, have the students participate in a brainstorming activity (view literacy strategy descriptions) to create a list of products that are important to them. Record their responses on chart paper. Next, have them identify a consumer need by conducting a “customer survey” of students and other people in the school about their preferences in foods, services, supplies, or information. Students can make up a survey about a product or service that interests them. Explain to the students that the goal of this part of their study of economics is to make a business plan. Students will complete a flow chart graphic organizer (view literacy strategy descriptions) to explore creating a business plan. Provide students with the Business Plan Flow Chart BLM. (See this BLM.) Discuss the advantages of making a written plan to do something. Use the following questions to facilitate the writing of a plan:
What will be produced? Someone has to decide what will be made with scarce resources. Who makes that decision? What influences his/her decision?
How will it be produced? There are several different combinations of factors of production that allow a product to be made. How will producers decide on the combination to use?
For whom will it be produced? Everyone has economic wants, but there are never enough goods and services to satisfy them all. Facing scarcity, how do the people in an economy determine how much of their economy’s goods and services they get?
How much will be produced? Someone has to decide how much will be made with scarce resources. Who makes that decision? What influences his/her decision?
Activity 2: Division of Labor and Specialization (GLEs: 40, 41)
Materials List: career interest inventory, chart paper
Have students complete an online interest inventory. Refer to the following website for a career interest inventory: . The website will calculate work interests that may be appropriate for each student.
Then ask students to brainstorm (view literacy strategy descriptions) careers that are important or of interest. Create a class list on chart paper using the careers suggested by the students. Invite guest speakers to discuss their careers and training required for their jobs.
Create a “Careers Center” with a display showing the top ten careers and their average starting salaries, the kinds of training required for these careers, various careers in the news, various specialized local careers, and “hot” careers of the future. For information on various careers, refer to the following website: . Introduce students to the “Careers Center,” and have them sign up for a career area that interests them.
Have students research a particular career by finding the following information:
job description and responsibilities
information about essential education and training
the geographic areas where the job is important or needed
the type of dress required for the job
the pay range
the outlook for the future of this job
other necessary requirements and characteristics.
Have students explain how preparation for a career is an important component of their study of specialization. Have them add to their research ways that particular subjects taken in schools help to prepare people for these occupations.
Activity 3: Division of Labor and Specialization (GLEs: 40, 41)
Materials List: posters, Career Listening Guide BLM, computers and computer software (optional), index cards (optional)
Have students use their research to create posters or collages depicting the occupation they researched. Additionally, have students promote their researched careers by using computer software to create business cards or promotional advertisements indicating skills and abilities needed to perform tasks related to the researched occupations. If computer software is not available, students could use index cards. These could be duplicated and distributed to each member of the class as students present their poster or collage and explain their research. As the presentations are made, all students should complete a listening guide. Refer to the Career Listening Guide BLM. Explain to the students to use a scale of 1-10 with one being the least interested and ten being the most, to complete the last column of the Career Listening Guide BLM. (See this BLM.)
Activity 4: Jack and the Beanstalk (GLE: 45)
Materials List: version of Jack and the Beanstalk
Ask the students the following questions:
Do you have a pet?
Would you trade something for your pet?
If someone gave you money for your pet, would you trade your pet for money?
Would you trade your pet for food if you were hungry?
Would you trade your pet for five beans?
Explain to students that an exchange involves trading goods and services for money. Barter, however, does not involve the use of money. Barter is the direct trading of goods and services for other goods and services. Voluntary exchange occurs when all participating parties expect to gain.
Ask students how they would go about purchasing a new video game at a store. Students should respond by explaining that they must exchange something for the video game. Ask students what they would trade with the store clerk for the video game. Students should say: Money. Ask the students if they could trade a hamburger for the video game? Students should respond: No.
Next, ask students if they could trade something with their sister, brother or friend for a video game? Answers should be: Yes. Ask students what they could trade with their sister, brother or friend, other than money, for the new video game. Explain that this type of trading is called bartering. Bartering is trading without money. Explain that when someone makes a trade, both individuals should be satisfied after the trade.
Read the story of "Jack and the Beanstalk." For an online version of Jack and the Beanstalk, refer to the following website: FAIRYTALES/beanstalk.html. Be sure to emphasize the part where Jack trades his pet cow for beans. Ask the following questions after reading the story:
Was the old man satisfied he got the cow?
Was Jack satisfied that he got the magic beans?
When making a trade, both parties should be satisfied. Was Jack's mom satisfied?
What did she want Jack to get in trade for the cow?
Do you think Jack's mom was satisfied about the exchange of the cow for beans at the end of the story?
Do you think Jack got Milky White back from the old man?
Finally, ask students to fold a page in half. On one side, students should draw something they own that they would be willing to trade. On the other side of the paper, have students draw something that they would like to trade for.
Activity 5: Voluntary Trading (GLE: 45)
Materials List: research material on bartering, items for bartering
Have students research the history of bartering. Refer to the following website for information on bartering: . Have students answer the following questions through their research:
What is bartering?
Who used to barter?
What kinds of items did people used to barter with?
Why isn’t bartering used instead of money today?
What are some benefits of bartering?
What are some limits to bartering?
Students face three problems in voluntary exchanges, such as bartering:
(1) the problem of matching goods and services wanted with goods and services
offered so that a direct exchange can be made,
(2) the problem of determining a fair and equitable rate of exchange between two
dissimilar items, and
(3) the problem of being able to store valued items for an extended period of time.
Provide students with items that they can use for bartering. Then have them engage in bartering their items in exchange for other students’ items. Encourage them to consider advertising their items to make them more attractive to others. When the time is up, ask students what happened, who got what, and whether they liked trading items back and forth. Ask students, “What are ways to make trade easier?” The answer may be: money.
Activity 6: Supply, Demand, and Price (GLE: 46)
Materials List: play money, items for a classroom store
To illustrate the law of supply and demand, hold a class silent auction. Provide students with $100.00 in play money. Give them opportunities to “shop” around the classroom for items. Make sure there are some items that have a large supply and some that are in short supply. (These may be donated items or items that students bring in that they no longer want. Be sure to get parent/legal guardian permission.) Each item will be placed on a piece of paper. Set a time limit and allow the students to rotate in groups to shop. The first person to bid on the item will decide a price he or she is willing to pay and write his/her name and bid on the white paper. Anyone else wanting that item must bid an amount higher than the previous bidder, and write his/her name and bid below the starting bid. When time is up, have students return to their seats and collect the bids. Announce the winners. Have students come up to pay for and claim their merchandise.
Debrief the class by asking them why the prices of some items were higher than others. Have them explain why prices fall or increase and what happens when prices go up or down. Ask them to explain what happens to prices when supply and demand change. Have students explain their decisions when making their purchases.
Activity 7: Profit and Risk (GLE: 48)
Materials List: social studies learning logs
Have the students create a vocabulary card (view literacy strategy descriptions) for the terms risk and profit in their social studies learning logs (view literacy strategy descriptions). (See sample below.) Ask students to explain what happens when a person takes a risk and wins. What happens when they lose? Ask them to share times that they took a risk. What happens when a business takes a risk to make a profit? Ask students to provide examples to support their answers, to come up with synonyms for risk, and to add an illustration onto the card. Then have students create a similar vocabulary card for “profit.” Business people from the community could be invited to address the concepts of risk and profit.
Sample Assessments
General Guidelines
Students should be monitored throughout the work on all activities via teacher observation, log/data entries, report writing, group discussion, and journal entries.
All student-developed products and student investigations should be evaluated as the unit progresses. When possible, students should assist in developing any rubrics that will be used.
Use a variety of performance assessments to determine student comprehension.
Select assessments consistent with the types of products that result from the student activities.
General Assessments
Distribute a blank United States map to each pair of students. Have students add features to the map depicting different occupations that are found in specific areas around the country. Have students add at least ten occupations to the map.
Have students interview a parent or family friend to find out about his/her career choice. Students should inquire about the following: the reason for the career choice, the training and education involved in this career, the first job the person had and each subsequent job, the interests of the person that were similar to skills needed in the job he/she chose, and when he/she realized he/she wanted to choose this career path. Students will write a paper from their interview.
Have students research several well-known businesses such as McDonald’s, The Gap, Wal-Mart, KFC, etc. Through their research, they should look for evidence of the concepts listed in this unit such as risk and profit and the planning of the business tied to the producer questions. Have students create a flow chart with pictures and captions illustrating the steps each business had to follow to become what it is today.
Activity-Specific Assessments
Activity 2: Have students create life-sized career characters. Students should make one to represent the careers they have researched. This life-size model should be dressed in attire worn in the particular type of work and should include five symbols that would depict certain aspects of the job.
Activity 3: Using the listening guides and the business cards distributed on the researched careers, have students select their top two occupations based on their interest level and create a Venn diagram graphic organizer (view literacy strategy descriptions) to compare and contrast information related to each. Refer to the Comparing Careers BLM.
Activity 5: Have students create a comic strip comparing exchanges with bartering to exchanges with money. In the first strip, students should illustrate an exchange being made by bartering. This picture will need to be drawn in a comic strip frame. In the second strip the students should illustrate the same transaction, except money should be used instead of bartering. Have students reflect on these strips by writing a paragraph and explaining the benefits of using money over bartering.
Resources
Books
Play Dough Economics from the National Council on Economic Education
Teaching Economics Using Children’s Literature from the National Center on Economic
Education
Children in the Marketplace: Lesson Plans in Economics for Grades 3-4 from the
National Center on Economic Education
Choices and Changes: In Life, School, and Work Grades 2-4 from the National Center on
Economic Education
Master Curriculum Guides in Economics from the National Center on Economic
Education
Adventures in Economics: Volume 1 from econ-
Adventures in Economics: Volume 2 from econ-
Puppet Economics from econ-
Spotting Economics from Africa to Ice Cream from econ-
-----------------------
Illustration:
Examples:
Using my allowance to open a lemonade stand
Synonyms:
chance, gamble
Definition:
The chance that an investment's actual return will be different than expected.
risk
Natural Disaster
EFFECT
CAUSE
All natural resources are essential
[?]/8MWX_`rst~°±²³½íîð6 8 f h ? ƒ ? ‘ Ÿ ¢ ¬ Ã Ä Æ Ç Ð òîêåÞÔÌ¿²Ì²¿Ô«Ô¡Ô«šÔ¡ÔšÔšÔšÔšÔ??ÔšÔsÔšÔin helping to keep the Earth's processes in balance
in order to provide a life-sustaining environment.
Keeping water quality healthy cleans the atmosphere and environment, and nourishes plants and animals.
Healthy plants and trees absorb carbon from the atmosphere and release oxygen. They supply food and medicine, and provide shelter for plants and animals.
A healthy atmosphere protects life on the planet, shielding it from harmful radiation from the sun. It also provides a blanket of warmth around the planet.
It is important that humans keep natural resources healthy.
National
State
Local
natural resources
Term/Concept
Illustration:
Examples:
coal, oil, wood, water
Characteristics:
Renewable
Nonrenewable
Definition:
Something that occurs in a natural state and has economic value
Grade 4
Social Studies
................
................
In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.
To fulfill the demand for quickly locating and searching documents.
It is intelligent file search solution for home and business.
Related searches
- leon county school board job openings
- gadsden county school board jobs
- gadsden county school board employment
- columbus school board employment
- gadsden county school board florida
- alabama state school board members
- alabama school board of education
- columbus school board of education
- grade 4 school supply list
- polk county school board student portal
- nashville school board members
- chicago public school board members