Teaching an Interdisciplinary Unit on Shelter
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Social Studies and the Young Learner 20 (1), pp. 6–10 ©2007 National Council for the Social Studies Teaching an Interdisciplinary Unit on Shelter Robert L. Stevens and Melanie Starkey A second grade classroom teacher and a university professor of education shelter is a basic need, could describe decided to collaborate. Melanie wanted to find out if she could help her students the formal aspects of different house increase their reading and writing comprehension by presenting a sequence of events types, and showed knowledge of cer- in an activity (for example. the steps in building a house) and then have the students tain norms (e.g., people need to pay write the steps in proper order. Robert wanted to study whether the notion of “cultural for shelter). “However, they did not universals” was a useful basis for developing lessons in the second grade in East Texas understand much about the histori- (as it had been in a Michigan classroom).1 The purpose of this article is to describe cal, geographical, or cultural reasons how we went about this collaboration, to report our results, and to provide elementary for differences in housing styles, the teachers with instructional strategies for creating an interdisciplinary unit of study economics of purchase or rental, or the (involving social studies and language arts) on the topic of shelter. mechanisms through which modern houses are supplied with utilities and conveniences.”5 A Common Approach play with a purpose.”3 Teaching a unit John Dewey stated, “children view of study on the topic of shelter to second Regional Differences the world as new and they eagerly seek graders provided both of us an oppor- When differences did occur in the each new contact with every normal tunity to observe students engaged in a responses of Michigan and Texas stu- organ sense and motor activity, there- meaningful activity. dents, they seemed to be a function fore wanting a chance to be active.”2 of actual geography and climate and a He believed that children needed to be A Place to Begin young person’s sense of place, rather actively curious, be allowed to experi- Before we began teaching the shelter than any other factors. For example, ment in order to develop reflective unit to our students, we interviewed in the Michigan sample, snow is often thinking. There was no ground, in his each student to determine his or her listed as a reason to have shelter; Texas understanding of human development, knowledge about the concept of shelter. students on the other hand frequently for the assumption that children of pri- Since one aspect of our study was to cite tornadoes. A typical question and mary grades should be held to all work compare students in East Texas students response set follows: and no play. In order to develop habits with those in Michigan, we used the of reflective thought, he also suggested questions developed by Jere Brophy Q1: “Do people live in homes just that teachers should establish condi- and Janet Alleman at Michigan State because they want to, or do they tions that stimulate and focus curiosity University.4 Our students live in rural need homes?…Why?” and provide opportunities for students Texas, attend a school with an 85 per- to make connections in the things they cent free- or reduced-lunch program, “People need homes so they won’t experience. and at the beginning of the unit, many of be like out in the mud when raining or Both Melanie and Robert subscribe the students were reading below grade lightning when a big tornado or hur- to the notion that the ideal learning level based on the Rigby Literacy Test. ricane.” condition is both playful and serious The interview responses from our 23 The previous year, our Texas school at the same time. “Students experience east Texas students were similar to those and community had hosted students more excitement and curiosity and are of the Michigan students in that they who had lost their homes in Hurricane more receptive to acquiring knowledge revealed a limited understanding of the Katrina. when learning was relevant, important, role shelter plays in society. When we asked our students about doable, and serious fun when it was Our students did understand that different types of historical homes (e.g. 6 Social Studies and the Young Learner Students discuss the historical geographical, and cultural sources of trad- tional shelters. pueblo, longhouses, tepees, and log “They didn’t have any other shel- lived in the woods.” cabins), students’ responses were lim- ters.” ited and inaccurate. Only one student understood the Urban Living function of a tipi. When we asked questions comparing Q2: “Why do you think that some “Tent, cause they moved to live.” house to apartment living, our students Native Americans lived in this Brophy and Alleman made similar replied that they preferred to live in a kind of home (the longhouse) but observations at the beginning of their house. This is not surprising, since only others lived in this kind of home study. Students “usually recognized one of our students lived in an apartment, (the pueblo)?” differences in size, construction mate- six lived in a trailer or mobile home, rial, durability and general quality of and the remainder lived in a house. Our “Pueblo-have dogs and stuff. Long Native American pueblos, longhouses, students believed that people who live house—they have closets.” and tepees depicted in illustrations, but in apartments could not afford a house. “More room to put stuff in (point- did not understand much about the his- These were typical responses: ing to long house). Indians live in long torical, geographical, or cultural reasons “People live in apartments because house because it was long and Indians for these contrasting housing styles.”6 they can’t afford a house, but they can built pueblo because it was big.” East Texas students had a better idea afford an apartment.” Many of our students did not know about log cabins, probably because they “Apartment-because they don’t have about tepees, but those who responded have seen many movies and television enough to buy a real home.” to a question about the function of shows depicting the Old West. Most of Again, our student responses were tepees missed the point. the students understood that water came similar to those given by Michigan stu- from lakes, ponds, or rivers, although a dents.7 Q3: [Show image of tipi.] “Some other few thought that water came from sinks. After showing our students a picture native Americans lived in this kind Heat was supplied in a cabin by two of a tall apartment building in a city we of home. Do you know what it was methods; a fireplace or an open door if asked, called? Why do you think that they warmer air is outside. All of our students “Why do you think they have so many lived in tipis instead of other kinds realized that log cabins were smaller big, tall apartment buildings in big cit- of homes? than most of today’s houses and were ies?” made from wood rather than brick, but We had many interesting responses: “Indians had to live in there—cause only one student had a fairly accurate “I don’t know.” that is the only thing they had to build reason why this was so. “To see over the top of everything... because nothing else was around.” “They are made of wood ‘cause they see the ocean and the whole city.” September/October 2007 7 Only four of our students showed wanted to live next to Wal Mart. Many 1. Shelter reflects one’s relationship that they understood the relationship of our students also listed living with to the geographical landscape. between population density and space. their families as being very important. 2. Shelter reflects one’s cultural All four students mentioned that a lot of values. people live in a city. Teaching the Shelter Unit 3. Shelter reflects one’s technologi- In questions that asked students about Melanie interviewed her students during cal development. utilities, our students initially showed the first few days of school. This piqued little understanding. their curiosity, inspiring them to ask We added several activities that we questions about what they were going felt would help students reinforce these Q: “Where does electricity come to study in second grade. Melanie over- basics concepts. Students created a chap- from?” heard many of her students discussing ter book about shelter throughout the “There is a clicker thing,” this question with each other. Thus, the world, wrote a shelter story, designed “You plug it in,” interview served the same purpose as an and built a model house, and performed “They have to use a flipper.” anticipatory set: students were excited to a play. “Put a light bulb or a candle” learn about shelter, and Melanie learned However, most of the students a lot about her students. A Shelter Story knew that they had to pay for utilities. She conducted interviews over a three- Chapter 3, “Shelters around the World,” Although there was some confusion as day period. While she was interviewing of Social Studies Excursions suggests where the bill was paid, it had to be paid individual students, the others were that students read and discuss several or the electricity would be shut off. engaged in a variety of activities includ- books that describe different types of Finally, our student’s responses were ing work stations, paired assignmnets, shelter. We extended this activity by similar to Michigan students when asked and individual writing. Teachers who asking students to write and illustrate about where they would like to live in cannot afford this much time to inter- their own books about one of six dif- the future.