Context: This unit was developed by Kathleen Price and Lauren Dalton in CI-4000, Elementary Curriculum and Instruction under the advisement of Ellen Pesko in the Fall of 2007. The unit will be taught to a third grade class at West Wood Elementary in West Jefferson, North Carolina. The main context goals taught in this lesson is communities past and present. Students will be introduced to past communities and different types of communities.

Impact: This unit helped students to be able to distinguish different types of communities and how they have changed. Students gained comprehension strategies such as, finding the main idea and summarizing texts. Also they learned how to write a friendly letter.

Alignment:

Standard 7: Elementary teachers use developmentally appropriate strategies to design and deliver instruction in all areas of the elementary curriculum.

Indicator 1- I met this indicator by using the NCSCOS to plan my unit on communities and used Sarah, Plain and Tall to integrate English Language Arts into my unit. Each lesson is connected to goals and objectives found in the standard course of study.

Indicator 2- I met this indicator by integrating social studies and language arts together to form a unit on communities through the study of Sarah, Plain and Tall. I also used technologies such as a SmartBoard for several of my lessons and integrated art in several lesson as well.

Indicator 3- I met this indicator by pre-assessing students and review concepts learned in previous grades. I also used relevant technology to promote excitement about learning new concepts as well as strategies such as literature circles to introduce higher level thinking.

Indicator 4- I met this indicator by using a variety of instruction methods meeting different learning styles.

Indicator 6- I met this indicator by implementing different strategies and activities for diverse learners in my lessons.

Indicator 7- I met this indicator by integrating different assessment both formative and summative throughout my lessons.

Standard 6: Elementary teachers have an understanding of the basic concepts of the arts.

Indicator 1-I met this indicator by creating a cover page for my unit where I used the basic concepts of art to make a cover page that was exciting and inviting based on my unit.