Context:

This unit was developed under the instruction of Dr. Ellen Pesko for CI 4000: Elementary School Curriculum and Instruction in the Fall of 2007. 

The lesson was implemented at Westwood Elementary School in the third grade classroom in which I did my internship. 

Impact:

The focus of the unit is on the study of communities which aligns with the North Carolina Standard Course of Study for third grade in social studies.  Through this unit, the students looked at the different components of a community, including law-making, the government, transportation, and different community roles.  The students also compared and contrasted the different types of communities: rural, suburban, and urban. 

The unit was an integrated unit by it also incorporating language arts through book studies, independent reading, and vocabulary lessons.              

The students learned from many different types of instruction, including hands-on activities, lecture, and independent work. 

Alignment:

Standard 4: Indicator 3: Teachers know and understand the developmental progression from the individual to the nation: Self and family, home and school, neighborhoods, communities, state, nation.

• This indicator was met by the focus of the entire unit.  The unit was designed with the students' community in mind.  In order for this to have been a successful unit in teaching, the instructor has to know how the community of the students influences their individuality and how this also contributes to the region, state, and nation.

Standard 4: Indicator 10: Teachers demonstrate a knowledge and understanding of physical, regional, and cultural geography and their effects on the relationship between people and their environments. 

• This indicator was met by this unit by it including the teacher's understanding of the geography of the community in which the students live.  By understanding this geography, the teacher is able to relate it to the relationship of the community to it's people and environment.

Standard 7: Indicator 1: Teachers develop and implement the pacing and alignment of curriculum that is consistent with the NC SCOS, LEA standards and pacing guides, and national standards in all subject areas. 

• This unit was designed to meet the goals of the North Carolina Standard Course of study in third grade social studies. 

Standard 7:  Indicator 2: Teachers understand and use an interdisciplinary approach to teaching by connecting and integrating language arts, mathematics, science, social studies, healthful living, and arts concepts and processes, with appropriate technologies to enhance their teaching. 

• This indicator was met by the inclusion of many different approaches to teaching and learning.  The unit not only focuses on social studies with the communities aspect, but also incorporates language arts skills. 

Standard 7: Indicator 3: Teachers promote new learning by using students’ prior knowledge, misconceptions, and interests when designing lessons. 

• This indicator was met by including pre-assessments into the unit.  In order to understand what the students already knew, the unit included several pre-assessments to aid in the understanding of what needed to be specifically taught, as well as how much time needed to be spent on each component.

Standard 7: Indicator 4: Teachers implement a variety of teaching and communication strategies for instruction. 

• The unit met this indicator by including many types of instruction.  In order for all students to learn and reach their highest level of understanding, the unit incorporated lecture, hands-on activities, group work, individual study, and partner work.

Standard 7: Indicator 5: Teachers assist students in developing multiple learning strategies to address discipline specific content, critical thinking, and problem solving skills. 

• This unit on communities incorporated many different types of activities to reach all levels of students and each different learning styles.

Standard 7: Indicator 6: Teachers modify instruction and assessments to meet the needs of individual students. 

• This unit met this indicator, by including teaching strategies that were modified when needed to.  For students who were at a lower level or a higher level, ideas were indicated and used throughout the lessons.

Standard 7: Indicator 7: Teachers develop and use a variety of formal and alternative assessment strategies as an integral part of instruction and learning appropriate for assessing individual, peer, team, and collaborative skills. 

• The assessments that go along with the unit help meet this indicator.  Many formal and summative assessments are included within the lesson plans for the unit.

Standard 11:  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. 

• This indicator was met by incorporating many aspects of technology into the unit. Specifically, in one lesson, the students use computers to research communities.  The students also use computers to type a short biography of a community member in the unit.