Social Studies

                Unit 3: How Do We Learn About Places?

Equipment/Manipulative

Art Paper and Drawing Materials Such as Markers and Crayons

Chart Paper and Markers

Student Resources:

Burton, Virginia Lee. Mike Mulligan and His Steam Shovel. New York: Houghton Mifflin, 1977.

Teacher Resources:

Beginning Geography: How to Use a Map. New York: Evan-Moor, 2007.

Channell, Geanie, et. Al. Focus: Grades K-2 Economics. National Council on Economic Education,2007.

Google Earth. 27 August 2008  http://www.earth.google.com

Huneck, Stephen. Sally Goes to the Mountains. New York: Harry N. Abrams Publishing, 2001.

Locker, Thomas. Mountain Dance. New York: Silver Whistle Books, 2001.

Maps and Aerial Views. 27 August 2008  http://www.mapquest.com

Royston, Angela. Rivers (Heinemann First Library). New York: Heinemann, 2005.

Ryan, Pam Munoz. Hello, Ocean. New York: Charlesbridge Publishers, 2001.

Sweeney, Joan. Me On the Map. New York: Dragonfly Books, 1996.

Take it To Your Seat Geography Center for Grade 1. New York: Evan-Moor, 2007.

First Grade Social Studies Websites.  Aug. 27, 2008

National Council for the Social Studies. 27 August 2008 http://www.ncss.org 

Social Studies Lesson Plans and Resources

. 27 August 2008 http://www.csun.edu/~hcedu013 

Strategies for Teaching Social Studies

. 27 August 2008http://www.udel.edu/dssep/strategies.htm.

Teaching Social Studies. 27 August 2008< http://www.proteacher.org/c/185_Teaching_Social_Studies.html 

Abstract:

This lesson begins with a review of maps and globes and how they represent places.The teacher displays a photo of a penny from the linear (side) and aerial perspectives. Students practice drawing different perspectives as they stand and look down at a penny and tell what they see. Next, students place the penny on the desk and move to eye level with the side of the desk and describe the penny from this view and draw it again. The class then identifies the similarities and differences between the two. Using a Venn diagram, the teacher charts the similarities and differences students see in the perspectives. Students then close their eyes and imagine they area bird flying over the school playground. The teacher poses the following question: What does the playground look like to a bird? With their eyes still closed students imagine the bird is now flying over their classroom. Students describe what they see. The teacher displays the first two pages of the book Me on the Map or an illustration of a place and a map of the same place. The illustration could be an aerial photograph of the school and the corresponding map of the school from an Internet website such as Google Earth or Mapquest. The teacher explains that maps give an overhead picture of a place. The class works together to create an aerial map of the classroom. As the teacher constructs the classroom map on large chart paper, students create their own version on a large piece of white drawing paper. During the map project the teacher explains how symbols are used in a map key to represent things on a map. For example, a rectangle could be used to show classroom tables.

This lesson begins with the teacher reviewing the idea that maps help us locate, or find,

places. The teacher explains that each of us lives in a specific or unique location. We live in a

house, on a street, in a town, in a state of the United States. The teacher explains that an address, like a map helps us locate, or find places. Students understand that each address is unique and no one else has the same address. The teacher writes the school address on a board or overhead and explains that an address is made up of a house or building number, a street name, a city or town, the state, and zip code. Next, students are asked to draw their home and with the teacher’s help, write their address in large letters above it. As an optional project each student is given a postcard which they address and mail to themselves.

This lesson begins with students using their body as a model of personal directions.

Students practice waving their left and right hands, feet, etc. and facing front and back. The class then listens to and does the “Hokey Pokey”. Once students are adept at using personal directions, they pair up and take a ‘field trip’ through the school. Pairs take turns describing where things are relative to something else. For example, ‘the gym is in front of us’, ‘the library is on our right’, etc. In the classroom the teacher guides students in creating a list on large chart paper of the various regions or parts of the school which they discovered on their ‘field trip’ such as the office area, the gym, the library, the playground, bathrooms, a classroom wing, etc. Next, students are asked to think of descriptors for each of the regions such as library: a place where people come to get books. These descriptors are written on the chart paper next to the appropriate region. The teacher explains that regions are areas that are alike because they have common characteristics. Finally, students work together to identify and highlight regions such as classrooms, bathrooms, library, office, etc. on a school map. Each region is a different color for example all classrooms are one color, all bathrooms are a different color, etc.

This lesson begins with a ‘field trip’ to the school playground. On the playground the

teacher explains that some things on or near the playground such as the swing set have been

made by humans and some things like grass are part of nature. In a game format similar to the

game I Spy students identify both natural (physical) and human things on or near the playground. The teacher keeps a list of the things identified during the game. In the classroom, studentsdiscuss the list of human and natural (physical characteristics they identified on the playground.  Students work in pairs with a set of cards picturing both natural (physical), characteristics and human characteristics and sort them into two piles. The class shares their sorting and discusses why they chose human or natural for each. The teacher explains that the class is going to explore natural (physical) characteristics further. Using three visuals, showing a forest, a mountain and a plain, students are asked to describe these pictures. The teacher then explains that these pictures show three important types of landforms and that they are all natural (physical) characteristics  that help us describe what a place is like. The teacher identifies each photo as forest, mountain and plain. Next, the teacher uses three more visuals showing a lake, ocean, and river. The teacher then explains that these visuals show three important bodies of water and briefly describes each landform.

Last Modified on 1/20/2009 2:08:44 PM