Unit of Instruction:

Rationale

Context: I developed this unit of instruction during my Block II semester at Appalachian State University, under the advisement of Dr. Ellen Pesko. This unit of instruction was developed to use with the 2nd grade classroom that I interned in at Blue Ridge Elementary.

Impact: The impact of this unit of instruction is to show how well I can put together a integrated unit using language arts and social studies standards. The unit of instruction coinsides with the 2nd grade North Carolina Standard Course of Study for teaching local government. The unit has five different lessons which deal with vocabulary terms, citizenship, laws, and government officials.

Alignment: The below standards met the requirements for North Carolina Elementary School Teachers.

Standard 1- Elementary teachers have a broad knowledge and understanding of the major concepts in English Language Arts and Literacy.

Indicator 4: I met this indicator by developing a unit of instruction that required students to develop a citizenship poster. Students were encouraged to communicate with the other students what their poster symbolized.

Indicator 8: I met this indicator by having students write letters to the mayor asking for a new service within their community. Students were encouraged to use correct grammar and letter form when writing their letters.

Standard 4: Elementary teachers have a broad knowledge and understanding of the major concepts in social studies.

Indicator 2: I met this indicator by developing a unit of instruction that helped 2nd graders to understand the rights and responsibilities of citizens in the United States.

Indicator 9: I met this indicator by investigating areas in local, state, and national government and teaching those areas to 2nd graders. I developed several lessons that taught students about citizenship, local government and officials, etc.

Indicator 11: I met this indicator by developing lessons on citizenship. Those lessons included how to be a responsible citizen and the attributes of a responsible citizen. Those attributes included courage, respect, responsibility, etc.