Cultural Studies-8

CULTURAL STUDIES-8

SELECTIVE UNIT 3 (S03)

(Vikings: Scandinavia Then and Now)

(July 2015)

Unit Statement: In this Cultural Studies unit, the student will actively participate in the journeys and experiences of the Vikings comparing them to present day Scandinavia. The student will learn about the geography, history, origin, myths and language of the Vikings and how these areas affect the present Scandinavian culture. (This unit will use old Pearson Material)

Five Themes of Geography Focus:Movement, Regions, Human-Environment Interactions

Essential Question/s:

What was life like during the time of the Vikings and what role did the geography of Scandinavia play in their cultural development?

How was sailing, trading and raiding important to their life, and expansion of their kingdom and why did they change over time?

Essential Outcomes: (must be assessed for mastery)

The Student Will identify and locate the Viking/Scandinavian homeland.

TSW describe the different characteristics of the Viking culture: sailing, trading, raiding (Pearson History and Geography 90-93, TE Pearson 7).

TSW summarize the Vikings’ achievements as explorers (Pearson History and Geography 96-99).

TSW describe the function and importance of the Viking storyteller and tell if they are important in Scandinavia today (Pearson History and Geography 96-103).

TSW analyze archaeological discoveries about Vikings to infer lifestyle (Pearson History and Geography 94, 99, 102).

TSW explain how and/or why Vikings changed over time (websites, Pearson History and Geography, T 7)

TSW describe the geography and culture of Scandinavia today (HSS World Communities, 22-30).

TSW summarize a current event about one of the countries included in Scandinavia.

TSW compare and contrast life of the Vikings and present day Scandinavians (HSS World Communities, 22-30).

Practice/Ongoing Outcomes:

The Student Will identify key terms and concepts.
TSW will create a timeline of the events.

Key Terms and Concepts:

Scandinavia / traders / raiders / plunder
ransom / prow / banish / fjords
monarchy / myth / berserker / Norway
Greenland / Iceland / Denmark / Eric the Red and Leif Ericson

Suggested activities:

●Create a timeline with the class with dates of past and present day Scandinavian history. This timeline could be posted in the classroom and items from each unit added to it.

●Create Viking clothing and/or weapons; have the students make a presentation about the information that have learned to a younger class. Or, have a mock Viking raid against another class (studying Rome, Greece, Ancient Medieval times, etc.), take prisoners that you put on a homemade ship (using various PE equipment) and sail back to Norway (TSW 1-6).

●Create a Viking ship according to the research that they have conducted about ships (TSW 3).

●Trace the routes the Vikings explored on a map (TSW 4).

●Write a diary, from the point of view of a Viking raider, and make entries about their experiences (TSW 1-6).

●Create a comic book about a person from today who time travels back to the days of the Vikings. Show a typical Viking day (TSW 1-6).

●Make a persuasive poster where the students try to convince others to move to Greenland, even though they know it is not really green or the ideal place to move (TSW 4).

Cross-curricular Suggestions:

Reading:

●Read Viking/Scandinavian stories and myths. (E06 Fiction)

Writing:

●Write an expository/explanatory essay comparing (E06, E04) the Vikings/Scandinavians then and now.

●Write a compare and contrast essay or create a persuasive letter convincing fellow Vikings to move to Greenland (E05)

●Have students write a “beginning of the world” myth of their own or a story of their travels/explorations to tell to their children. (E06 Fiction)

Mathematics:

●Measure the distance from each country the Vikings traveled to by ship. Add up all the miles/kilometers of their journeys. Make a grid with ordered pairs of their journeys.

Art:

●Use art class to make Viking clothing, shields and weapons for a Viking raid or to make a Viking ship.

Suggested Materials: (provided by school)

History and Geography, Pearson Learning, Core Knowledge, edited by E. D. Hirsh, Jr. – Teacher’s Binder – Level 3 - Unit 4

History and Geography, Pearson Learning, Core Knowledge, edited by E.D. Hirsch, Jr. – Student’s Text – Level 3 - Unit 4 – Pages 89-103

Classroom Atlas Rand McNally

Classroom Atlas Teachers Guide Rand McNally - Blank Map Outlines

Down to Geography grade 3

Harcourt Social Studies, World Communities, 3rd Grade, Lesson 2 Denmark, pg. 22-31

Additional Resources: (may not be provided by school)

100 Things You Should Know About Vikings,Macdonald, Fiona

Eyewitness Book: Vikings, Margeson, Susan

The Vikings, Shuter, Jane

The Vikings, Ganeri, Anita

Norse Myths, Crossley-Holland, Kevin

Stolen Thunder: A Norse Myth, Climo, Shorkey

Cultural Atlas of the Viking World, Graham-Campbell, James

Life Among Vikings: The Way People Live, Streissguth, Thomas

Technology Links:

Destiny Webpath Express(see Librarian)

Use this search engine to find age-appropriate websites that align with your unit.(Getting into Titlewave can also give a list of books that would be great resources to have in the Library for country books. If you contact Titlewave there are people there who will put together lists for you.)

Harcourt School Online E-book and Suggestions:

E-books as well as: Interactive visuals, streaming video, skills activities, online adventures, multimedia biographies, and live ink enhancement.

Safari Montage: great online resource for educational videos on the Vikings, especially for those who do not have great internet access. It is a yearly subscription that needs to be bought by the school and has a myriad of resources.

Great site for information on all aspects of the life of Vikings including archeological findings

and games.

Interesting history of Viking facts and myths

Nice site for food and crafts

Has information on history of Scandinavia

file:///C:/Users/htownsend/Downloads/vikings_tguide.pdf

Has a little article on Vikings in the modern world.

This website has information for both teachers and students

Information on what happened to them

Fate of Greenland’s Vikings

There are a variety of links on this site. Information on Viking clothing, legends, science connections, and more.

Short video’s of a Viking Village

This site is from the Smithsonian and has some good pictures, archaeology and voyages

Picture of Archaeological site in Newfoundland for Vikings

Google Earth Information and Download

Current Events:

Harcourt School Studies World Regions Online

This website has all of the textbook resources online, an atlas, a geography glossary, multimedia biographies, and Video Extenders.

Discovery Education

This website has a variety of geography information, news, videos, and pictures for elementary students.

Global Trek:

Virtual Travel Around the World

National Geographic for Kids

This website has a variety of geography information, news, videos, and pictures for elementary students.

DOGO News for kids

This site has a plethora of student friendly articles.

Time for Kids

Suggested Assessment Tools:

Attached rubric or teacher-generated rubric that assesses ALL essential outcomes (TSWs). An effective rubric is presented and discussed with the student at the beginning of the unit, referred back to throughout the unit, and used to assess at the end. Students will collaborate with peers and the teacher to assess mastery of the unit with final judgment by the teacher.
Unit assessment in Pearson, Teacher Guide pg. 16-20.

RUBRIC FOUND ON FOLLOWING PAGE………………………

QSI CULTURAL STUDIES-8 S03

CULTURAL STUDIES-8 S03 RUBRIC

(Vikings: Scandinavia Then and Now)

Student Name:______Date:______

To receive a ‘B’, the student must show ‘B’ level mastery on ALL Essential Outcomes (TSWs).

To receive an ‘A’, the student must show ‘A’ level mastery on 4 of 5 available TSWs and ‘B’ level mastery on all TSWs.

The Student Will / ‘A’ Level / ‘B’ Level / ‘P’- in progress
1. TSWIdentify and locate the Vikings’ homeland. / I can identify and locate the Vikings’ homeland.
2. TSWDescribe the different characteristics of the Viking culture: sailing, trading, raiding as compared to present day. / In addition I can draw conclusions as to how this changed their culture and economy. / I can describe the different characteristics of the Viking culture: sailing, trading, and raiding.
3. TSWSummarize Vikings’ achievements as explorers. / I can also infer how this opened them up to new possibilities. / I can summarize the Vikings’ achievements as explorers.
4. TSWDescribe the function and importance of the Viking storyteller and tell if they are important in Scandinavia today. / I can also make generalizations about oral history in a community; past and present. / I am able to describe the function and importance of the Viking storyteller.
5. TSWAnalyze archaeological discoveries about Vikings to infer lifestyle. / I can also infer, with specific details, that much of what we know about Vikings has been learned from archaeological discoveries and give some examples. / I can describe that much of what we know about Vikings has been learned from archaeological discoveries.
6. TSWExplain how and/or why Vikings changed over time. / I can explain how and/or why Vikings changed over time.
7. TSWDescribe the geography and culture of Scandinavia today. / I can describe the geography and culture of Scandinavia today.
8. TSWSummarize a current event about one of the countries included in Scandinavia. / I can summarize a current event about one of the countries included in Scandinavia.
9. TSWCompare and contrast life of the Vikings and present day Scandinavians. / I can also analyze what aspects of their lives are similar and different, and tell what relics from the past they still use or celebrate. / I can compare and contrast life of the Vikings to present day Scandinavians

QSI CULTURAL STUDIES-8 S03