Big Idea for Reading: How can we read and analyze literature to locate common trends in multiple texts?
Big Idea for Writing: How do we write with clarity and draw on details to support trends that we found?
Big Idea for Social Studies: In what ways are the world communities similar and how are they different?
Big Idea for Science: How do we investigate science in our everyday life?
Time: September-November Grade: 3 Unit Developers: Park Fung & Jessica Egan
Unit 1: Introduction to World Geography
Subject: / Questions: / Content: / Skills/Strategies: / Standards: / Assessment/
Performance Task / Resources/Touchtone
Texts/Field Trips
Social Studies / Essential Question:
What affects the development of countries around the world?
Lead Questions:
1. What are the geographic features which make up our world?
2. How do culture influence countries around the world?
3. How do people throughout the world use natural resources to meet their needs? / 1. Continents and countries havegeographic features such as oceans, rivers, mountains, etc.
2. Places can be located using
cardinal and intermediate
directions
3. All countries and civilizations have culture
4. Cultures and civilizations
develop and change over time
5. All peoples have rich cultural
traditions that are passed down
from generation to generation in
a variety of ways
7. Communities use human and natural resources in different ways.
8. People adapt to the environment / Map Making
- Define production specifications, such as scale, size, and legend of a world map
- Collect, analyze, and interpret geographic information
- Draw maps of geographical areas to show features of the world
Research Skills
- Note taking (Taking down keywords and synthesizing their own ideas)
- Using the internet as a tool for research
- Sorting out information (Keep important ones and discard irrelevant ones)
- Creating an itinerary
- Using Google Earth to navigate around the world / Standard 3
Students will use a variety of intellectual skills to demonstrate their understanding of the geography of the interdependent world in which
we live — local, national, and global — including the distribution of people, places, and environments over the Earth’s surface. / You are the manager of a tour company in Brooklyn. Create a real life map of the world with geographic features and landmarks you have researched. Analyze and synthesize an itinerary from your research. It should include a list of places you will be visiting, how you are traveling from one location to another using cardinal directions, and why it was chosen. Some factors which you might consider include geographical features, landmarks, climate, population, resources, and cultural importance. You will then take your class on a tour based on the itinerary with Google Earth. As you give your tour, justify why that place was chosen. (Partner or group activity - depends on each class) Your work will be assessed by a rubric. / http://earth.google.com
http://www.atlapedia.com/
https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/index.html
http://teacher.scholastic.com/activities/globaltrek/
http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/gmdhtml/gmdhome.html
Interactive Geography Games and Maps:
http://www.eduplace.com/geonet/
http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/Games/GeographyGames
http://www.reachtheworld.org/geogames/index.html
Visit the Brooklyn Public Library to set up student use of the library
ELA
Reading
Questions and Questioning / Essential Question:
What do we gain from reading realistic fiction?
Lead Questions:
1. What is realistic fiction?
2. How does the content of realistic fiction relate to real life?
3.What was the author’s purpose for writing this book? / Realistic Fiction
1. Define the elements of realistic fiction.
a. Characters
b. Setting
c. Plot
d. Problem
e. Solution
2. a. Define what an issue is.
b. Identify the issues presented in the book.
c. Discuss the relevance of the issues in the book to your experiences.
3. How do you feel when you read realistic fiction?
4. Discuss why you think the author wrote this book. / Design an organizer to keep track of common trends / Reading Standards for Literature:
3.1 - Ask and answer questions to demonstrate
understanding of a text, referring explicitly to the
text as the basis for the answers.
3.2 - Recount stories, including fables, folktales, and
myths from diverse cultures; determine the
central message, lesson, or moral and explain
how it is conveyed through key details in the text.
3.5 - Refer to parts of stories, dramas, and poems
when writing or speaking about a text, using
terms such as chapter, scene, and stanza;
describe how each successive part builds on
earlier sections. / Linked to writing
(Students will keep track of common trends they see when they’re reading realistic fiction books. The common trends will be used for the writing performance task)
The common trends may include but not limited to the following
- elements of realistic fiction such as characters, setting, plot, problems, solutions
- issues which deals with real life
- to entertain
- to enlighten
- to empathize with the characters as they encounter or solve problems / Freckle Juice by Judy Blume
Or other realistic fiction books that are grade-appropriate
ELA
Writing
Baseline writing sample to determine first goal / Essential Question:
What are the common trends you found while reading realistic fiction texts?
Lead Questions:
1. How will you introduce your topic?
2. How will you present the trends that you found?
3. How will you develop the topic?
4. How will you support the trends that you found?
5. How will you provide a sense of closure? / Students will write a response to literature.
Teacher begins with modeling and shared writing.
The genre is realistic fiction.
Subsequent student writing will use this understanding of writing as they respond to literature
1. Provide a strong lead in which you include the titles of the books you are writing about
2. Compare the common trends you found in realistic fiction texts
3. Create an organized structure in your writing for each trend that you found
4. Provide reasons that shows how each trend was evident in multiple realistic fiction texts
5. Provide a concluding statement to justify your findings / Design an organizer to organize their trends before writing
Compare trends by providing details or reasons / Writing Standards:
3.1 – Write opinion pieces on
topics or texts,
supporting a
point of view with
reasons
3.2 - Write informative/
explanatory texts
to examine a
topic and convey
ideas and
information
clearly / Students will write a response to literature which analyzes the realistic fiction books that they read. Students will synthesize information from multiple realistic fiction texts by connecting trends in their realistic fiction books. Students will support their trends with reasons or details
Your work will be assessed by a rubric. / KIT: Genre Readers’ & Writers’ Workshop
Realistic fiction books
Science / Essential Question:
How are the properties of matter part of the world we live in?
Lead Questions:
1. What are the scientific tools we use?
2. How do we know which tools to use?
3. What are the properties of matter?
4. How can matter be classified?
5. What can you learn about objects by classifying them? / Scientific Method and Inquiry Tools & The Properties of Matter
- Specific tools are used to gather different kinds of data.
(e.g., rulers,
thermometers,
pan balances, spring
scales, graduated
cylinders, beakers)
- Matter is anything that takes up space and has mass.
- Matter has different properties. (size, shape, mass/weight,
volume, flexibility, luster,
color, texture, hardness,
odor, etc.)
- Data is collected and organized in graphs, tables, and diagrams. / Students will be able to…
- Observe and describe the properties of matter.
- Use appropriate measurement tools when gathering data.
- Communicate data in forms of graphs, charts, and diagrams. / Standard 4: The Physical Setting
Key Idea 3:
Matter is made up of particles whose properties determine the observable characteristics of matter and its reactivity.
Observe and describe properties of materials, using appropriate tools. / Students will work in teams to find five objects they want to investigate. They will observe, classify, and analyze the physical properties and states of matter of those objects as the contents are being taught. Then they will apply concepts and design an organizer to sort their findings. After all the contents have been taught, each team will then select one object from the five and call it Mystery Object X. The team will then put all their data for that object on an index card next to the five objects on the table. Teams will visit other teams and design experiments to analyze the objects on the table to determine which one is Mystery Object X. After the teams are finished with their experiments, they must prove to the rest of the class why the object they selected is Mystery Object X. The class will either agree with the team or critique them as to where they went wrong. The Mystery Object X will then be revealed.
Your work will be assessed by a rubric. / Science Kits
Objects found in school or home
Math