1St Grade Social Studies Parent Guide

st 1 Grade Social Studies Parent Guide

Unit 1 Title

“Using Connecting Themes in First Grade Social Studies”

Unit Focus This unit is designed to introduce students to the five themes Concepts Explored that will feature prominently in first grade social studies. Activities will focus on culture; individuals, groups, and institutions; location; scarcity; and time, change, and continuity. This unit is designed to teach the themes used in the At the conclusion of this unit students should demonstrate course. The standards listed with each activity in the effective use of the enduring understandings, and apply the balanced assessment plan are introduced in this unit, but enduring understandings to their lives and to prior knowledge. will be taught in greater depth throughout the school year. These themes will provide the scaffolding needed for the study of Social Studies for the school year. • Culture • Individuals, groups, and institutions • Location • Scarcity • Time, change, and continuity

How You Can Support Your Child You can support your child by providing them quality text that that is directly correlated with the content in this unit. There are a host of print and digital resources that are available for your child to read, as well as reliable online interactive sites that will help your child understand the information.

Print Resources (suggested text only others may be used) Scarcity

 Bear About Town, by Stella Blackstone  Scarcity by Janeen Adil

May, 2014

st 1 Grade Social Studies Parent Guide

Location  Mapping Penny's World by Loreen Leedy (Fiction)  While You Are Sleeping: A Lift the- Flap Book of Time Around the World by Durga Bernhard

Culture  A to Z: Do You Ever Feel Like Me? by Bonnie Hausman (Informational)  All Kinds Of Children by Norma Simon

Individuals, Groups, Institutions  Rotten Ralph by Jack Gantos (Fiction)  Never Forgotten by Patricia C. McKissack

Digital Resources (suggested text only others may be used)

 Discovery Education (videos) http://streaming.discoveryeducation.com/ McGruff: Bully Alert (15:00) Angry? Catch Your Anger (3:35)  Good Citizens – School Rules (presentation) http://peachebooks.com/civic_understandings  Culture, Religion and Family – (website) http://www.proteacher.com/090000.shtml

May, 2014

st 1 Grade Social Studies Parent Guide

Unit 2 Title

Our National Heritage

Unit Focus In this unit, students will learn about the groups of people who Concepts Explored first inhabited North America before the Age of Exploration. Student will learn how location helped the Native Americans  In this unit, students will begin to explore the United throughout the continent establish settlements and utilize the States‟ national heritage using the theme of culture to resources available in their area. By understanding the intrinsic learn about folktales and patriotic songs. Students will reasons for movement/migration, student will learn how the also use the theme of location to explore basic physical Native American and European explorers affected each other and political geography, and to relate their physical and the development of culture and economy in North America. location to the various ways it can be described.  Read or listen to American folktales and explain how they characterize our national heritage. John Henry Johnny Appleseed Davy Crockett Paul Bunyan Annie Oakley  Identify and locate his/her city, county, state, nation, and continent on a simple map or a globe.  Locate major topographical features of the earth’s surface.  Explain the meaning of the patriotic words to America (My Country ‘Tis of Thee) and America the Beautiful.  Describe how people are both producers and consumers

How You Can Support Your Child

May, 2014

st 1 Grade Social Studies Parent Guide

You can support your child by providing them quality text that that is directly correlated with the content in this unit. There are a host of print and digital resources that are available for your child to read, as well as reliable online interactive sites that will help your child understand the information.

Print Resources (suggested text only others may be used)

 American Tall Tales by Mary Pope Osborne  Johnny Appleseed by P. Demuth  A Picture Book of Davy Crockett by David A. Adler  Paul Bunyan by Steven Kellogg

Digital Resources (suggested text only others may be used)  Historical Figure (website) https://sites.google.com/site/peachebookslinks/home  http://www.michigan.gov/documents/10-02Glossary_48851_7.pdf)  Discovery Education (videos) http://streaming.discoveryeducation.com/ -Stories from the Days of Early America (2:43) -Literature for Children: Tall Tales (09:11) -Heroes of American History (45:00) -John Henry (19:11) -John Appleseed (10:56) -Paul Bunyan (11:21)

Other Web Resources  Continents and Oceans (video and song)  http://www.missmaggie.org/2012/01/24/geospy/ (egame)  GeoNet - http://www.eduplace.com/geonet/ (interactive game)

May, 2014

st 1 Grade Social Studies Parent Guide

Unit 3 Title

A Changing Country

Unit Focus In this unit, students will study several historical figures and their Concepts Explored contributions to American history and culture, using the theme of individuals, groups, and institutions. As these figures were •Read about and describe the life, cultural and prominent during a time of growth and change in our country, geographical traits associated with: the themes of location and time, change, and continuity will help Thomas Jefferson, Meriwether Lewis and William Clark students understand the importance of place in people’s lives, as with Sacagawea, historical figures, in American history well as patterns that occur throughout history. Finally, students and explain how they displayed positive character traits will use the theme of scarcity to understand why the historical of fairness, respect for others, respect for the figures under study made the choices that they made. environment, conservation, courage, equality, tolerance, perseverance, and commitment. •Explain that people have to make economic choices about goods and services because of scarcity.

Print Resources (suggested text only others may be used)

 Lewis & Clark: A Prairie Dog for the President by Shirley Raye Redmond  How We Crossed the West: The Adventures of Lewis & Clark by Rosalyn Schanzer  Animals on the Trail with Lewis & Clark by Dorothy Hinshaw Patent  Plants on the Trail with Lewis & Clark by Dorothy Hinshaw Patent  Sacagawea by Lise Erdrich

May, 2014

st 1 Grade Social Studies Parent Guide

 Thomas Jefferson‟s Feast by Frank Murphy  Thomas Jefferson by Cheryl Harness  Moses: How Harriet Tubman Led Her People to Freedom by Carole Boston Weatherford ****(Note: this book has some religious tones to it, so teachers should preview it before using.)  Harriet Tubman by Wil Mara  Escape North! The Story of Harriet Tubman by Monica Kulling  Minty: A Story of Young Harriet Tubman by Alan Schroeder  Follow the Drinking Gourd by Jeannette Winter

Digital Resources (suggested text only others may be used)  Journals of Lewis & Clark: http://lewisandclarkjournals.unl.edu/  EconEdLink simulation of a voyage – great tie-in with Lewis & Clark: http://www.econedlink.org/lessons/index.php?lesson=178&page=teacher  Interactive story & documents related to life of Harriet Tubman from the Library of Congress: http://www.americaslibrary.gov/cgi-bin/page.cgi/aa/tubman  Thomas Jefferson’s home, Monticello: http://www.monticello.org/

May, 2014

st 1 Grade Social Studies Parent Guide

Unit 4 Title

Inventors in the United States

Unit Focus Concepts Explored In this unit, students will use the theme of scarcity to discuss basic economic ideas of goods, services, producers, and  Read about and describe the life, cultural and consumers, as well as how the individual contributions of George geographical traits associated with George Washington Washington Carver and Benjamin Franklin had economic impact. Carver and Ben Franklin, historical figures, in American Students will explore the role of location in the lives of Carver history and explain how they displayed positive character and Franklin, as well as the idea of time, change, and continuity traits of fairness, respect for others, respect for the in comparing the lives of Carver and Franklin to their own. environment, conservation, courage, equality, tolerance, perseverance, and commitment.  Identify goods that people make and services that people provide for each other.  Describe how people are both producers and consumers.

Print Resources (suggested text only others may be used)

 Now and Ben: The Modern Inventions of Benjamin Franklin by Gene Barretta (Informational)  Ben and Me by Robert Lawson (Informational)  Ben Franklin and the Magic Squares by Frank Murphy (Fiction)  How Ben Franklin Stole the Lightning by Rosalyn Schanzer (Informational)

May, 2014

st 1 Grade Social Studies Parent Guide

 Chrysanthemum by Kevin Henkes (Fiction)  How We Crossed the West: The Adventures of Lewis & Clark by Rosalyn Schanzer (Informational)  A Picture Book of Lewis and Clark by David A. Adler (Informational)  Lewis & Clark: A Prairie Dog for the President by Shirley Raye Redmond (Informational)  Animals on the Trail with Lewis & Clark by Dorothy Hinshaw Patent (Informational)  Plants on the Trail with Lewis & Clark by Dorothy Hinshaw Patent (Informational)  Sacagawea by Lise Erdrich (Informational)  Harriet Tubman by Wil Mara(Informational)  Moses: When Harriet Tubman Led Her People to Freedom by Carole Boston Weatherford  Digital Resources (suggested text only others may be used)

 Discovery Education (videos) http://streaming.discoveryeducation.com/ -Animated Hero Classics: Benjamin Franklin: Scientist & Inventor (25:24) -Benjamin Franklin (11:07) -Thomas Jefferson and the Declaration of Independence (5:17) -Values: Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness (5:10) -Time Warp Trio: Lewis and Clark…and Jodi, Freddi, and Samantha (21:33) -Animated Hero Classics: Harriet Tubman (27:44) -Theodore Roosevelt (5:13) -George Washington Carver (0:54)  http://streaming.discoveryeducation.com/  http://peachebooks.com/historical_people  http://www.atlanta.k12.ga.us/Page/29945

May, 2014

st 1 Grade Social Studies Parent Guide

Unit 5 Title

Community Helpers

Unit Focus In this unit, students will understand President Theodore Concepts Explored Roosevelt’s contributions to our country’s environment through the lenses of individuals, groups, and institutions, and scarcity.  Read about and describe the life, cultural and Students will also consolidate a great deal of their economics geographical traits associated with Theodore Roosevelt, learning thus far, and learn about ways that they can help their historical figure, in American history and explain how communities. Finally, students will continue to explore the idea they displayed positive character traits of fairness, of change over time by comparing Roosevelt’s life to their lives. respect for others, respect for the environment, conservation, courage, equality, tolerance, perseverance, and commitment. (National Parks and the environment)

Print Resources (suggested text only others may be used)

 Bully for You, Teddy Roosevelt!, by Jean Fritz  The Remarkable Rough-Riding Life of Theodore Roosevelt, by Cheryl Harness  Theodore Roosevelt, by Wil Mara  Teddy Roosevelt: The People’s President, by Sharon Gayle  You’re On Your Way, Teddy Roosevelt, by Judith St. George

May, 2014

st 1 Grade Social Studies Parent Guide

Digital Resources (suggested text only others may be used)  Teddy Roosevelt’s home, Sagamore Hill: http://www.nps.gov/sahi/index.htm.  *Excellent primary source – letter from Theodore Roosevelt to his son Theodore, Jr. http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/treasures/trm014.html.  *Cartoon of President Roosevelt with bear cub: http://www.americaslibrary.gov/aa/roosevelt/aa_roosevelt_bears_1_e.html.  *Sound recordings of President Roosevelt: http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/collections/troosevelt_film/trfsnd.html  *Motion picture recordings of President Roosevelt: http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/collections/troosevelt_film/trffilm.html

Parks Internet Resources  Existing National Parks created by President Roosevelt include: Crater Lake National Park: http://www.nps.gov/crla/index.htm  (Photos: http://www.nps.gov/crla/photosmultimedia/photogallery.htm)  Wind Cave National Park: http://www.nps.gov/wica/index.htm  (Photos: http://www.nps.gov/wica/photosmultimedia/photogallery.htm)  Mesa Verde National Park: http://www.nps.gov/meve/index.htm  (Photos: http://www.nps.gov/meve/historyculture/cd_balcony_house.htm  http://www.nps.gov/meve/historyculture/cd_cliff_palace.htm  http://www.nps.gov/meve/historyculture/mt_cedar_tree_tower.htm  http://www.nps.gov/meve/historyculture/mt_sun_temple.htm

May, 2014

st 1 Grade Social Studies Parent Guide

Unit 6 Title

We Are Alike, We Are Different

Unit Focus In this unit, students will synthesize what they have learned Concepts Explored about historical figures during the course of the year through a comparison of the figures„ lives and their own, using the  Compare and contrast lives and character traits of themes of individuals, groups, and institutions and time, historical figures with present day figures. change, and continuity. In addition, students will review the  Describe basic economic concepts about goods and geography skills and knowledge learned throughout the year services, consumers and producers, making economic through the theme of location while demonstrating mastery of choices, and personal finance. relevant standards and skills. Finally, students will discuss the  Explore geography (continents, bodies of water, other theme of scarcity through examples related to the economics landforms,) using maps or globes. standards.

Print Resources (suggested text only others may be used)

 The Little Engine That Could, by Watty Piper  Chrysanthemum, by Kevin Henkes  The Lorax, by Dr. Seuss  The Seven Continents by Wil Mara  Me on a Map by Joan Sweeney

March, 2014

st 1 Grade Social Studies Parent Guide

Digital Resources (suggested text only others may be used)

 Interactive Map Games for Primary level Students: http://www.primarygames.com/social_studies.php  Economics for Kids: http://www.socialstudiesforkids.com/subjects/economics.htm  Life Long Ago & Today: http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=life+long+ago&FORM=VIRE5#view=detail&mid=DB7609930F01E718D718DB7609930 F01E718D718  Personal Finance: http://www.brainpopjr.com/socialstudies/economics/

March, 2014