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President's Day Unit

President's Day
Context: This is a unit on President's Day that is designed around a first grade curriculum.  It was taught in a first grade class at Glenwood Elementary, under the guidance and direction of Ms. Carrie Franklin.  This unit is made up of three lesson plans that integrate social studies into language arts, mathematics, and writing. 

Impact:
Language Arts

Competency Goal 2: The learner will develop and apply strategies and skills to comprehend text that is read, heard, and viewed.

2.04 Use preparation strategies to anticipate vocabulary of a text and to connect prior knowledge and experiences to a new text.
Competency Goal 4: The learner will apply strategies and skills to create oral, written, and visual texts.

4.02 Use words that describe, name characters and settings (who, where), and tell action and events (what happened, what did ___ do) in simple texts.
4.06 Compose a variety of products (e.g., stories, journal entries, letters, response logs, simple poems, oral retellings) using a writing process.

Competency Goal 5: The learner will apply grammar and language conventions to communicate effectively.
5.01 Use phonic knowledge and basic patterns (e.g., an, ee, ake) to spell correctly three-and four-letter words.
5.02 Apply phonics to write independently, using temporary and/or conventional spelling.
5.05 Use basic capitalization and punctuation:

5.07 Use legible manuscript handwriting

 

Mathematics -
Competency Goal 2: The learner will use non-standard units of measure and tell time.
2.01     For given objects:
 - Select an attribute (length, capacity, mass) to measure  (use non-standard units).
 - Develop strategies to estimate size.
 - Compare, using appropriate language, with respect to the attribute selected.

Social Studies -
Competency Goal 4: The learner will explain different celebrated holidays and special days in communities. 
4.01 Recognize and describe religious and secular symbols/celebrations associated with special days of diverse cultures.
4.02 Explore and cite reasons for observing special days that recognize celebrated individuals of diverse cultures.
4.03 Recognize and describe the historical events associated with national holidays.

Arts Education -
Competency Goal 1: The learner will develop critical and creative thinking skills and perceptual awareness necessary for understand and producing art.
1.01
Understand the purpose of the activity.
1.02 Uses logical sequence to complete an activity

 

Alignment:
Standard 2: Elementary teachers have a broad knowledge and understanding of the major concepts in mathematics.

Indicator 2: Teachers have knowledge of geometry and measurement. Teachers:

·         Understand construction of simple geometric figures,

·         Understand and apply concepts of relative position and relationships and geometric formulas, and

·         Model appropriate measurement systems in various settings (standard, nonstandard, and metric system) in measuring length, perimeter, area, capacity, volume, weight, angle, time, money, and temperature.

This indicator was met because, for the completion of the "Measuring Up" lesson plans, students are required to measure the height of a partner, using both rulers, and unifix cubes.  They are then to compare their height to that of Abraham Lincoln, the talles president. 

Standard 11: Elementary teachers connect social studies with the broad curriculum.

Indicator 1: Teachers incorporate communication in their lessons.
For the completion of the "Measuring Up" math lesson, my students are working in groups.  They will be comparing measurements with one another, and will be required to help each other complete the activity.  It cannot be done without working together.

Indicator 4: Teachers incorporate mathematics in their social studies lessons.
The entire "Measuring Up" lesson focuses around the math concept of measurement using both standard and nonstandard units.  For this lesson, students are required to measure their height and compare it to that of the tallest president in the history of the United States, Abraham Lincoln. 

Indicator 5: Teachers incorporate technology skills in their social studies lessons through collecting data, organizing and sorting data, and displaying data in a variety of ways.
The lesson on “Comparing George Washington and Abraham Lincoln” began with showing a short video clip on both of these great presidents.  The video was found on United Streaming, a video source designed specifically for educators.  It was shown using a LCD projector, and a computer.  After the video, students were required to complete a Venn diagram comparing and contrasting the two presidents, using information they gleaned from the video. 

File Attachments:
  1. "If I Were President" "If I Were President"
    Writing Lesson - First Grade
  2. "If I were President" sample 1 "If I were President" sample 1
    I would mek tichers had to do howork. I would mek piplu eat pizzu. and my heppers would de Amy and Dilan and jesse. and I will mek pipul had to eat mack and chis. tichers had to rid scool bus. and I would mek the rols and I would mek pipls haf to eat is kreme. I would mak my fash be on doler and lif in the wit hous.
  3. "If I were President" Sample 2 "If I were President" Sample 2
    If i were President I would make evri techer wer fensi close Like miss Anna. I would Like my fase to be on a 200 doler bill. i would mike pepol eit sisis pizza.
  4. "Measuring Up" to Abraham Lincoln "Measuring Up" to Abraham Lincoln
    Math Lesson - First Grade
  5. Comparing Washington and Lincoln Comparing Washington and Lincoln
    Reading Lesson - First Grade
  6. Post Assessment Post Assessment
    This is a Venn diagram comparing Washington and Lincoln. This diagram is the same as the pre-assessment, but was added on to after the lesson plans were taught.
  7. Pre-Assessment Pre-Assessment
    A Class Venn diagram comparing presidents George Washington and Abraham Lincoln. This was conducted prior to any lessons being taught.
Author: Kristie Arrowood
Last modified: 4/4/2008 6:10 AM (EDT)