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Home > Social Studies > Integrated Unit

Integrated Unit

Context:

This unit was created at Appalachian State University under the advisement of Ellen Pesko, Block II instructor, and under the advisement of the third grade teachers (Parsons, Eller, Little, and Barnes) at Blue Ridge Elementary School in Ashe County, North Carolina. I completed this integrated unit as a requirement for CI-4000. I plan on modifying it and using it with my 3rd grade internship class and as a teacher in my future classroom.

Impact:
This unit can be used in order to introduce students to the concept of communities by integrating a variety of multidisciplinary approaches to learning. During this unit, students will analyze the various roles played by individuals within families, workplaces, and communities (SS 2.02, 2.03); examine changes in families, neighborhoods and communities (SS 3.01, 3.03); and explain the relationship between people and geography (SS 4.03, 4.04). At the third grade level, students are expanding knowledge from their families and groups to the larger community. They will also learn about the roles people play in the community, in the past and present.

Alignment:
This integrated unit aligns with the following program standards:

Standard 1: Elementary teachers have a broad knowledge and understanding of the major concepts in English Language Arts and Literacy.
Indicator 5: Teachers know and understand that reading is taught as a process of constructing meaning through the interaction of the reader's existing knowledge, the information suggested by the written language, and the context of the reading situation.
Indicator 6: Teachers understand the importance of literacy for personal and social growth.
***By teaching the comprehension lessons, Indicator 5 was met. Before reading the books, students will use the KWL charts to show their previous knowledge of the information and what was learned after reading the books. Indicator 6 was also met by the reading comprehension. Students will learn information through reading texts and this will help them grow. ***

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

Indicator 2: Teachers understand the social science disciplines. Teachers:
o Understand the interdisciplinary nature of social studies,
o Know spatial and temporal concepts and their relationships,
o Are aware of the rights and responsibilities of democratic citizenship, and
o Acquire new knowledge in the social sciences.

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

Indicator 5: Teachers have a basic knowledge of local and national traditions.

Indicator 8: Teachers have knowledge of history and historical concepts including:
o Sense of chronology
o Cause and effect
o Continuity and change
o North Carolina History
o United States History
o World History
***This standard was met through aligning the unit to the North Carolina Standard Course of Study. The unit centers on the theme of citizenship and how the rights and responsibilities of individuals relate to families, communities, and eventually the national community. Teachers guide students in comparing and contrasting communities of the past and present, including their own and those of different cultures. By teaching this unit, teachers will have to know the information in the indicators above. Indicator 2 and 3 were met while teaching the students about the communities, teachers will teach them about the citizens that make up the communities and roles that they plan. Teachers must have knowledge of the local traditions of Ashe County to teach about their local community and this is how indicator 5 was met. Indicator 8 was met while teaching students about the Wampanoag and the various American colonies. The teachers must know about the historical concepts of those communities. ***


Standard 7: Elementary teachers use developmentally appropriate strategies to design and deliver instruction in all areas of the elementary curriculum.
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.
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.
Indicator 3: Teachers promote new learning by using students' prior knowledge, misconceptions, and interests when designing lessons.
Indicator 4: Teachers implement a variety of teaching and communication strategies for instruction.
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.
***This standard was met through aligning of the unit to the NCSCOS. It also uses a variety of instruction and assessment approaches in order to reach a diverse body of learners. Some activities are individual, while some are group work. This unit includes oral activities as well as reading and writing. In assessment, students are assessed in a formal manner (paper and pencil test) and in informal manners such as journal writing. The use of KWL charts helps promote learning through using students' prior knowledge in a constructivist approach. Indicator 1 was met by putting the lessons in a lesson plan format and they all go along with the NCSCOS. The comprehension lessons integrate language arts and social studies together and this is a way how Indicator 2 was met. Indicator 3 was met by using a KWL format as well as the classroom discussion by drawing on their prior knowledge to construct new knowledge. Indicator 4 was met by using multiple strategies to teach lessons. Indicator 7 was met by having a formal test, write journal entries, class discussions, and graphic organizers. ***

Standard 8: Teachers design instructional programs and strategies that build on students' experiences and existing language skills to help students become competent, effective users of language.
Indicator 2: Teachers help students use a variety of strategies to monitor their own reading comprehension.
Indicator 3: Teachers guide and encourage students to think critically about what they write and read.
Indicator 4: Teachers encourage students' enjoyment of reading.
Indicator 5: Teachers provide students opportunities to explore the use of different genres of writing and speaking to a variety of audiences.
Indicator 6: Teachers model Standard English.
***This standard was met through the heavy use of literature and writing in this unit. Throughout this unit, students will explore a variety of texts, both fiction and nonfiction, and will do a good amount of writing (from developing questions to journal writing). Students will be asked to think critically about the matter they read and learn about through the group discussions and activities that take place throughout the unit. Indicator 2 was met by having students compare and contrast the similarities and differences between the past and present communities and through DRTA format in reading comprehension. Indicator 3 was met by having students write in journal entries, which make them think about what they read. Indicator 4 was met by having students read about multiple topics through non-fiction and fiction texts. Indicator 5 was met by having students write in different formats. Students will research and then write about what they found and also by conducting an interview on a member of the community. By using correct grammar while teaching and writing to the class meets Indicator 6. ***

Standard 11: Elementary teachers connect social studies with the broad curriculum.
Indicator 2: Teachers enhance students understanding of the humanities.
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.
**These indicators were met through the heavy emphasis on connecting literature, writing, and social studies together as well as through the use of a Smart Board to research and organize data. Indicator 2 was met by having students read and write about the Native American and Colonial communities found in the United States during the founding years of our country. Indicator 5 was met through using a Smart Board to construct circle maps and double-bubble maps organizing students' comparison of different Native American tribes.**
File Attachments:
  1. analysis of student learning analysis of student learning
  2. Ashe County Community: Past and Present Lesson Plan Ashe County Community: Past and Present Lesson Plan
  3. Assessment Plan for Integrated Unit Assessment Plan for Integrated Unit
  4. Bibiliography for Colonial Community Lessons Bibiliography for Colonial Community Lessons
  5. Bibliography for Community Lessons Bibliography for Community Lessons
  6. Bibliography for Native American Lessons Bibliography for Native American Lessons
  7. Cherokee/Wampanoag High Student Assessment Cherokee/Wampanoag High Student Assessment
  8. Cherokee/Wampanoag Low Student Assessment Cherokee/Wampanoag Low Student Assessment
  9. Colonial Communities Comprehension Plan Colonial Communities Comprehension Plan
  10. Colonial Communities Lesson Plan Colonial Communities Lesson Plan
  11. Colonial Communities Viewing Guide Colonial Communities Viewing Guide
  12. Communities Comprehension Lesson Plan Communities Comprehension Lesson Plan
  13. Community Lesson Student Work 1 Community Lesson Student Work 1
  14. Community Lesson Student Work 2 Community Lesson Student Work 2
  15. Content Analysis for Integrated Unit Content Analysis for Integrated Unit
  16. Core Texts for Integrated Unit Core Texts for Integrated Unit
  17. cover sheet for integrated unit cover sheet for integrated unit
  18. Introduction Community Lesson Plan Introduction Community Lesson Plan
  19. Native American Communities Comprehension Lesson Plan Native American Communities Comprehension Lesson Plan
  20. Native American Communities Lesson Plan Native American Communities Lesson Plan
  21. Native American communities lesson reflection Native American communities lesson reflection
  22. Native American comprehension lesson reflection Native American comprehension lesson reflection
  23. Native American Pre-assessment Circle Map Native American Pre-assessment Circle Map
  24. Rationale and Purpose for Integrated Unit Rationale and Purpose for Integrated Unit
Author: Sarah Gyori
Last modified: 4/12/2008 6:11 AM (EST)