Social Studies Strands

1
Social Studies Strands

• By Taryn Cunningham
• Dawn Guilfoyle

2
Communities

• Second Grade Social Studies Unit

3

• Rationale.. Slide 4
• Objectives Slides 5-6
• American Heritage... Slides 7-10
• People in Societies... Slides 11-14
• World Interactions Slides 15-18
• Decision Making and Resources. Slides
  19-22
• Democratic Processes.. Slides 23-26
• Citizen Rights and Responsibilities Slides
  27-30
• Science, Technology, and Society.. Slides
  31-34

4
Rationale

• This unit will be taught in a second grade
  classroom in order to increase the students
  knowledge of their community and communities
  around the world.

5
Objectives

• The students will
• display an understanding that in order for a
  community to excel, they must interact with other
  nations communities.
• learn the differences between wants and needs and
  how they can be met
• display an understanding that in order for a
  community to excel, they must interact with other
  nations communities.
• learn the differences between wants and needs and
  how they can be met

6
Objectives Continued

• The students will
• learn about how a democracy works and how the
  United States functions as a democratic society.
• demonstrate an understanding of the
  responsibilities that must be met by adults in a
  community
• show an understanding of how technology is used
  in the community

7
American Heritage Strand
8
Websites

• www.geocities.com
• www.marshall-es-marshall.k12.tn.us/jube/community
• www.wn.org
• www.lessonplanspage.com
• http//vector.cshl.org

9
Activities

• Study the history of our community and write
  mini-reports
• Interview grandparents and elders of the
  community to find out about the communitys past.
• Study the first Thanksgiving and members of that
  community

10
Activities Continued

• Write a script and perform a play about how
  Americans may have traded goods with other
  countries in the past.
• Write a paragraph about how we, as Americans have
  been influenced by other countries

11
People in Societies Strand
12
Websites

• www.members.aol.com
• www.ashland.com
• www.geocities.com
• www.communityonline.com
• www.marshall-es.marshall.k12.tn.us/jube/community

13
Activities

• Make a self-portrait using multicultural paper
  and art materials. Discuss the similarities and
  differences between each person in the class.
• Using an overhead projector, the teacher will
  make silhouettes of each child. The children
  will write clues that describe themselves and
  their parents will have to pick out their childs
  silhouette during open house.
• Make Venn diagrams comparing the people within
  their community to the people of a foreign
  community.

14
Activities Continued

• People within the community will come into the
  classroom and discuss their career and what they
  do for the community.
• Research and study how people of other
  countries/communities celebrate holidays. The
  students will celebrate a foreign holiday based
  on what they have learned.

15
World Interactions Strand
16
Websites

• www.askeric.org.nytimes.com/learning/teachers/less
  ons/
• www.marshall-es.marshall.k12.tn.us/jube/community
• www.ashland.com
• www.communitysite.com
• www.schoolzone.com

17
Activities

• Students will communicate with children of other
  countries/communities via e-mail. They will keep
  the same pen pal throughout the school year.
• Each student will make up a questionnaire hoping
  to find out more about a specific community. The
  questionnaire will be sent to another class in a
  different country.
• Study problems in other communities and write
  letters suggesting their solutions to these
  problems.

18
Activities Continued

• The teacher will bring a newspaper to class every
  day and the students will react to the current
  events by writing a journal entry.
• Regarding the events of September 11, 2001, the
  students will write letters of encouragement to
  the children of Afghanistan.

19
Decision Making and Resources Strand
20
Websites

• www.kn.pacbell.com/wired/democracy/debequest.html
• www.learningspace.org
• www.teacher-net.co.uk
• www.geocities.com
• www.marshall-es.marshall.k12.tn.us/jube/community

21
Activities

• The class will make a list of their wants and
  needs. They will vote on the need that is most
  important to them and work to get that need in
  the classroom. Example Popcorn Party.
• Pretend that they are going on a class trip and
  make a list of things they would want to take and
  things that they would need to take.
• The teacher will find a less fortunate family
  within the community. The students will find out
  what the family wants and needs for Christmas and
  raise money to buy them those items.

22
Activities Continued

• Students will think of different ways that we can
  pitch in to improve our national debt. Each
  student will write their ideas on a large piece
  of paper resembling a dollar bill. The lists
  will be displayed around the room.
• After studying several types of communities, the
  students will compare and contrast the
  differences between the wants and needs of
  members of a rural and urban communities.

23
Democratic Processes Strand
24
Websites

• www.marshall-es.marshall.k12.tn.us/jube/community
• www.wo.bonus.com/bonus/card/click_election.html
• www.kidsvotingny.com/teachers/index.htm
• www.geocities.com
• www.ic.org

25
Activities

• The class will go on a field trip to the local
  court house to observe where and how our
  community laws are made and reinforced
• The students will write letters to our city mayor
  to ask what he does to contribute to our
  community. The students may ask any other
  question they may have regarding our local
  government.
• The class will have a mock election. They will
  campaign and vote to elect a class president,
  vice president, secretary, and treasurer.

26
Activities Continued

• Students will give suggestions and vote on a new
  set of Class Laws.
• The students will participate in a class trial.
  They will take on the roles of different
  courtroom participants and decide the outcome and
  consequences of the defendant.

27
Citizenship Rights and Responsibilities Strand
28
Websites

• www.internet.com/comm
• www.seetc.org
• www.education-world.com
• www.marshall-es.marshall.k12.tn.us/jube/community
• www.geocities.com

29
Activities

• Students will vote on a school problem that is
  most significant to them. They will work
  together to solve this problem.
• Students will study laws of other countries and
  the rights of the people in those countries.
• Write a paragraph about how they personally
  contribute to the class and what makes them
  special.

30
Activities Continued

• Students will participate in a mock school board
  meeting to find out how decisions regarding their
  school are made.
• Students will observe their families at home and
  document their findings. They will share and
  compare their family responsibilities/roles
  with others in the class.

31
Science, Technology, and Society Strand
32
Websites

• www.communitysite.com
• www.geocities.com
• www.marshall-es.marshall.k12.tn.us/jube/community
• www.eduniverse.com
• www.edhelper.com/cat42.htm

33
Activities

• After studying other communities, the students
  will work in groups of 3 to make a PowerPoint
  presentation about one specific community. They
  will share their presentations with the class.
• Via the Internet, students will take virtual
  tours of other schools and communities.
• The students will have the opportunity to create
  their own community using the Simm City Computer
  Software.

34
Activities Continued

• The students can go to www.communitysite.com to
  learn about other communities in the United
  States.
• In small groups, the students will create a
  technology based presentation demonstrating what
  they have learned about communities. They will
  present this to the class.