Phase 1

Social Studies UnitLauren Hestermann and Taylor RuzickaGrade Level: 3rd GradeTheme: Communities

Big Ideas : Community

o Sizeo Location

Establishing Goals: Students will understand essentials concepts of urban, suburban and rural

communities.o They will identify the type of community they live in.o They will look at a map and identify the type of community it is.

Standards: SS 3.4.2.b Describe how their community has changed over the course of time

using maps and other artifacts SS 3.3.6.b Identify how geography impacts spatial problem solving (e.g., a new

school must be near large numbers of students, on available land with suitable soils, have access to roads and utilities, and not overlap schools in other neighborhoods; plan where things would be built in a city)

SS 3.3.6.a Identify and evaluate human adaptations to the environment from the local to international levels (e.g., How could the building of a highway bring more business to a community)

SS 3.3.2.c Explain and give examples of how places and regions change over time

SS 3.3.2.b Compare and contrast local places and regions with other places and regions (e.g., prairie and forest, local community with another community, products from Nebraska and another state, crops grown in Nebraska and another states.)

SS 3.3.1.c Analyze why things are located where they are in the community (e.g., Why are stores located on main streets? Where is my house located compared to the school?)

Understandings: Size of communities affects the lifestyle of the residents. Geographic location of a community impacts the size of the community. Geographic location of a community impacts the resource availability to the

community.

Essential Questions: What is a community? In what ways is a community urban, suburban, and rural?

Goals: Students will be able to recognize the differences between the sizes of

communities.o Students will be able to recognize a urban community.o Students will be able to recognize a suburban community.o Students will be able to recognize a rural community.

Possible Misunderstandings and Errors: Types of communities could be confusing because of a lack of familiarity with

map skills. Students may only be able to identify the type of community in one area.

Overview of Unit: Day 1: Introduction to communitiesDay 2: Introduction to pamphletDay 3: Rural (Day 1)Day 4: Rural (Day 2)Day 5: Suburban (Day 1)Day 6: Suburban (Day 2)Day 7: Urban (Day 1)Day 8: Urban (Day 2) / tying communities togetherDay 9: Compare and Contrast Communities Day 10: Tic-Tac-Toe Workshop DayDay 11: Work Day for PamphletsDay 12: Present Pamphlets

Phase 2:

Goal 1: Size of communities affects the lifestyle of the residents.

If the desired result is for learners to….

Then, you need evidence of the student’s

So, the assessments need to include some things like...

ability to...

Understand that:

Size of communities affects the lifestyle of the residents.

Explain….

How people live differently based on what kind of community they live in.

Journal from the perspective of people living in different communities across the U.S.

Role-play living somewhere else.

Create a letter from another community.

Research a specific type of community in Nebraska.

Interpret…What are the features of the community that I live in?

Apply By….How the size of your community affects how you live based on another community.

And thoughtfully consider the questions…

Why do people from different communities have the same or different values?

What different types of communities are known by?

See from the points of view of…A person who lives in a different size of community.

Empathize with…

Overcome the naive or biased that…Certain communities are “better” or more “boring” than others.

Reflect on...

Goal 2: Geographic location of a community impacts the size of the community.

If the desired result is for learners to….

Then, you need evidence of the student’s ability to...

So, the assessments need to include some things like…

Understand that:Communities are built based on resources around where they were settled.

Explain….Why the size of community is determined by the resources around the community?

Researching the reason for growth of a community.

Journal about how the location of a community may impact the types of jobs that can be found there.

Label regions on a map and what resources would make people want to move there.

Interpret…

Apply By….Showing maps of where certain communities are geographically located.

And thoughtfully consider the questions…

What resources might affect how many people settle in a community?

See from the points of view of...

Empathize with...

Overcome the naive or biased that…Suburban and rural areas are not “true” communities or cannot thrive on limited resources.

Reflect on...

Goal 3: Geographic location of a community impacts the resource availability to the community.

If the desired result is for learners to….

Then, you need evidence of the student’s ability to...

So, the assessments need to include some things like...

Understand that:The resources surrounding a community helps the to thrive and grow or vice versa.

Explain….Why landforms and bodies of water can bring people to a community or have them leave.

Identifying certain landforms and bodies of water on a map.

Journal about the different landforms they learned about and how it helps a community thrive.

Research landforms in Nebraska that cities rely on or are near to.

Interpret...

Apply By….Thinking of the resources in their own community that jobs or businesses can be built around.

And thoughtfully consider the questions…

What landforms or resources are jobs in a community built around?

How do the jobs in a community based on the resources bring people to or send people away from the community.

See from the points of view of...

Empathize with…Families in the community who have to move for their jobs based on the resources provided in the communities.

Overcome the naive or biased that…

Reflect on...

Day OneIntroduction to CommunityObjective: Introduce the concept of what an community is and to have students familiarize themselves with this concept through various facets and activities in the lesson.

Materials: Pail of WaterBook- Humphrey the Lost Whale:  A True Story

PosterKWHL ChartsWriter’s Notebooks

Engage:Show the pail of water to the class.  Ask students what could fit in the pail.  Ask the students if a fish could fit in the pail.  If so, how big a fish could this pail hold?  What happens when you put a big fish in this little pail?  (It will die because there is not enough room or water for the fish to survive.)

Explore:Introduce the story entitled: Humphrey the Lost Whale:  A True Story, by Wendy Tokuda.  Tell the students to imagine that the pail is a freshwater river.  Tell them a synopsis of the story: In this true story, a whale named Humphrey swam into the San Francisco Bay of the Pacific Ocean, and then swam into a freshwater river.  The whale could not survive in the confined freshwater, nor could it turn around in the river to get back to the ocean.  A community of people came together to help get the whale back into the Pacific Ocean. Read the story to the class. Before you read the story, tell the students to be on the look out for community in the book.

Explain:Write up the word community on a poster in the front of the room. Also give each table group a piece of paper. Have the students brainstorm words that show what a community is in their table groups. After the students have brainstormed, have them share out to the class to write down their words on the poster. Then come up with a definition for community as a class and write it on the poster. The definition should be similar to: a community is a place that has many different neighborhoods.

Expand:Each student will get a KWHL chart and will fill it out. The teacher will show an example of how to fill out one point from each the K, W, and H part of the chart. The students will be allowed to work on it for 5 minutes. At the end, the teacher will have the students come back and share.

Evaluate:Students will open their Writer’s Notebooks and will write about what the word community means to them after what they have learned so far. They will date it at the top so each time they add on to the writing, they will be able to see where they stopped and started.

Day TwoFinal Project Introduction

Objective: Introduce the final project for the unit and make sure that the students are clear on the outcome.

Materials: Community PampletRubric

WhiteboardChecklists

Engage/Explore:The teacher will show an example of a community pamphlet to the students. Each table group will get one and they will look at them and observe them. Once they have time to look at the pamphlets, they will share out what they noticed about these pamphlets. The teacher will write these things down on the whiteboard.

Explain:The teacher will say, “For our final project, we are going to be making pamphlets about different cities in Nebraska. You will need to do research to figure out the type of community that this city is as well as encouraging people to come visit that community and why.  Let’s take a look at the rubric and see what you need to include in your pamphlet.” The teacher will go through and explain all of the different criteria for the pamphlet and research. Then, the teacher will show the example of the pamphlet to the students so that they can see what an excellent and well put together form of the project would look like. The students will be given the handout that shows them a checklist of everything that they need to find for their pamphlet and research before they begin making the pamphlet.

Evaluate:At the end of class, students will do the stop light activity on how they are feeling about the project so far and if they have any questions. We will give each student a sticky note. They will be told that they can choose to put it on the red light (Stop, I need help!), yellow light (I’m getting it.), and green (Yes! I can and I get it!). The students will write a response to why they feel they are on that color for the day. We will be able to look at the student’s responses and see if they understood and how they need help if they still haven’t grasped the concept.

Day ThreeIntroduction to Rural Communities

Objective: Introduce the concept of what an urban community is and to have students familiarize themselves with this type of community through various facets and activities in the lesson.

Materials: Little House Book by Virginia Lee Burton

Computer and SmartBoard

Engage: Begin to read the book called the Little House by Virginia Lee Burton up until the book begins to talk about more homes popping up (suburban community) (Page 6). Ask students questions about what community do they think the little house would be in based on what they noticed in the illustrations and heard from the story.

Explore: Show students a Google map image of a rural community and the area around the community. Use the mouse to zoom in or zoom out of the community as students make inferences about what they are seeing in the community.

Explain: Direct student’s attention to the Venn diagram with three circles. Begin to fill out the circle for rural area based on inferences that students have made about rural communities based on what they heard from the little house book illustrations, story and Google images they viewed.

Expand:Have students use what they’ve learned and wrote on the Venn diagram to compose a written entry in their writer’s notebook about the 5w’s of rural communities. Why do rural communities exist? What is a rural community?

Evaluate: Use what students have written in their writer’s notebooks to assess where students are after the introduction of rural communities. This will help decide where to go with the lesson the next day.

Day Four Review and Research of Rural Communities

Objective: Allow students to review what they learned about rural communities yesterday, compare and contrast the similarities between urban and suburban communities and to have a work day to begin research on their project that is due at the end of the unit.

Materials:Letter from community member Ipads or computers

Engage: Put up the letter from a rural community member on the board. Teacher can either read aloud to the students or have the students popcorn read each sentence. Teacher could also make a fun recording of rural Ryan and turn that on for students to listen to while they follow along on the visual on the board.

Expand/Explore: Have students begin to research for their mini book using the final time during class. Students can use the room’s iPads to continue researching more about rural during more free time throughout the day.

Explain/Evaluate: Walk around the room and have conferences with the first predetermined group of students about where they are and how they feel about their research for their final project.

Day FiveIntroduction to Suburban Community

Objective: Introduce the concept of what an suburban community is and to have students familiarize themselves with this type of community through various facets and activities in the lesson.

Materials: Little House Book by Virginia Lee BurtonComputer and SmartBoard

Engage:

Begin to read the book “The Little House by Virginia Lee Burton” from where we left off (Page 6) until the house begins to be formed in a city (Page 14). Ask students questions about what community do they think the little house would be in based on what they noticed in the illustrations and heard from the story.

Explore: Show students a Google map image of a suburban community and the area around the community. Use the mouse to zoom in or zoom out of the community as students make inferences about what they are seeing in the community. Students can make inferences comparing and contrasting the suburban community to the suburban community.  

Explain: The teacher directs the students’ attention to the Venn diagram with three circles. Begin to fill out the circle for suburban area based on inferences that students have made about suburban communities from what they heard from the little house book illustrations, story and Google images they viewed.

Expand:In their Writing Notebook have students write a letter as either someone who lives in a rural community to someone who lives in a suburban community or vice versa using the knowledge that they have gained from the lesson today and  previous days.

Evaluate: Let students share the letters they wrote to their urban or rural pen pals. Use this to clarify any misconceptions or errors in learning the differences in communities.

Day SixReview and Research of Rural Communities

Objective: Allow students to review what they learned about suburban communities yesterday, compare and contrast the similarities between urban and suburban communities and to have a work day to begin research on their project that is due at the end of the unit.

Materials: ipad/computers poster paper

Engage: Put up the letter from a suburban community member on the board. Teacher can either read aloud to the students or have the students popcorn read each sentence. Teacher

could also make a recording of suburban sally and turn that on for students to listen to while they follow along on the visual on the board.

Expand/Explore:Have students begin to research for their mini book using the final time during class. Students can use the room’s iPads to continue researching more about suburbs during more free time throughout the day.

Evaluate/Explain:Walk around the room and have conferences with the second predetermined group of students about where they are and how they feel about their research for their final project.

Day Seven Introduction to Urban Community

Objective:Introduce the concept of what an urban community is and to have students familiarize themselves with this type of community through various facets and activities in the lesson.

Materials:Little House Book by Virginia Lee BurtonComputer and SmartBoard

Engage:Begin to read the book “The Little House by Virginia Lee Burton” from where we left off (Page 6) until the house begins to be formed in a city (Page 14). Ask students questions about what community do they think the little house would be in based on what they noticed in the illustrations and heard from the story.

Explore:Show students a Google map image of an urban community and the area around the community. Use the mouse to zoom in or zoom out of the community as students make inferences about what they are seeing in the community. Students can make inferences comparing and contrasting the suburban, rural community to the urban community.  

Explain: Direct students’ attention to the Venn diagram with three circles. Begin to fill out the circle for the urban area based on inferences that students have made about urban communities from what they heard from the little house book illustrations, story and Google images they viewed.

Expand:In their Writing Notebook have students write a letter as either someone who lives in a rural, suburban or urban community to someone who lives in another one of the three communities using the knowledge that they have gained from the lesson today and previous days.

Evaluate: Let students share the letters they wrote to their urban or rural pen pals. Use this to clarify any misconceptions or errors in learning the differences in communities.

Day Eight Review and Research of Rural Communities & Tying All Three Communities Together Through Finishing the Venn diagram

Objective: Allow students to review what they learned about urban communities yesterday and to have a workday to begin research on their project that is due at the end of the unit.

Materials: Letter from the community memberComputer/SmartboardiPads & Computers

Engage: Put up the letter from an urban community member on the board. Teacher can either read aloud to the students or have the students popcorn read each sentence. Teacher could also make a recording of Metro Mia and turn that on for students to listen to while they follow along on the visual on the board.

Expand/Explore:Have students begin to research for their mini book using the final time during class. Students can use the room’s ipads to continue researching more about urban areas during more free time throughout the day.  

Explain/Evaluate:Walk around the room and have conferences with the final predetermined group of students about where they are and how they feel about their research for their final project.

Day NineComparing Different Types of Communities

Objective: Students will look at the different types of communities and identify and compare them to one another.

Materials: Urban PictureMagazinesScissorsGluePaper

Engage:Show a picture of an urban community. Do a discrepant event with this picture. Explain to the students that they can only ask yes and no questions to come to the conclusion. Once the students guess what type of community this picture is showing, the teacher will ask some questions. “How did you know that this was an urban community? How is

an urban community different from a suburban and rural and helped you know that it was urban?”

Explore:Each table group of students will be provided with a stack of magazines. Each person at the table will be asked to find an example of a different type of community. They will be asked to go through the magazine to find these examples. Once each person has found an example, they will share with their table groups.

Explain/Expand:The students will then go through the magazine and will make a collage of all of the different communities on their own. On the back of the collage, they will be asked to write a paragraph about why they picked the different pictures that they did for these communities.

Evaluate:Students will turn in their collages and paragraphs at the end of the class period. The teacher will be able to look at these and evaluate if they have a good grasp on the different types of communities and what makes them unique from each other.

Day TenCommunity Tic-Tac-Toe

Objective: Students will apply their knowledge of communities into various activities to expand and show their knowledge.

Materials: PaperMarkersTic-Tac-Toe Cards

Engage: Teacher will hand out sheets of paper to the students. Then, the teacher will ask the students, “Who knows how to play tic-tac-toe? Today we are going to be working on a tic-tac-toe game while learning about communities some more! Let’s review the rules of tic-tac-toe. You can get a row horizontally, vertically and diagonally. Let’s practice playing a game of tic-tac-toe. Work with your neighbor to play the game.

Explore/Explain/Expand:

Hand out the community tic-tac-toe cards to the students. Read the instructions out loud to them. Make sure that they are clear on what they are supposed to be doing. The students will have the rest of class time to work on this activity. The teacher will walk around the room as they work to make sure that they are staying on task and to help clarify if needed. With these cards, the students will take their knowledge and explain it to us. They will also be asked to go a little more in depth than the information that they have been learning to take their knowledge on communities to another level.

Evaluate:At the end of the day, the students will turn in their tic-tac-toe cards and the activities that they completed. The teacher will be able to look at the activities completed to see if the students grasped the concepts of community.

Day ElevenContinuing pamphlet and research

Objective: Students will continue to finish their pamphlets to show their summative knowledge of communities they have learned through the unit.

Materials: KWHL ChartsComputers/iPads

Work Day:Students will be asked to get their KWHL charts from the beginning of the unit back out. The teacher will show an example of a point under the L or what the students have learned about communities. Then, the students will be asked to add at least three points of their own under the sheet and turn it into the teacher before they begin working.

Before students begin work time, the teacher will remind the students that before they move on to work on the pamphlet itself, they need to show the teacher their research.

Students will continue to work on their pamphlet and go through their research.

Day TwelvePresentation Day

Objective: Students will present their pamphlets to their classmates.

Materials: PamphletsRubric

Before presenting, the teacher will go through the rubric and how to grade people on it again. As part of the assessment, the students will be given rubrics and will assess each others’ pamphlets. They will need to include their score and some overall comments for their classmates.

Next, in their table groups, the students will be presenting their pamphlets. Each of them will take turns going through and explaining why they chose the community they did and why it is the best to live in. The students will be given time to fill out the rubrics in between presentations. At the end when everyone had shared, the students will turn in their rubrics as well as their pamphlets.