Grade 1
Units
Maps
Government
People of Paramus
Now and Long Ago
People, Community and Cooperation
Economics
Recreation
Grade 1
SEPTEMBER
2nd week: Government Unit
3rd week: Maps – remainder of September
OCTOBER
Continue Map Unit
NOVEMBER
Government – (review rules/laws for September)
DECEMBER
People of Paramus
JANUARY
Now and Long Ago
Martin Luther King, Jr. People
Community and Cooperation Unit
FEBRUARY
People, Community and Cooperation
MARCH/APRIL
Economics
MAY/JUNE
Recreation
PROGRAM DESCRIPTION
First Grade: Paramus and Our Neighbors
A major focus at this level is the study of Paramus, its physical characteristics, roles of key people, community services and facilities.
A second focus is to develop a deeper understanding of community and neighborhoods, comparing urban, suburban and rural. Children at this age level will understand that the place where they live is interconnected with the rest of the world. Students will also develop an understanding of the basic human needs and how they are met.
PROGRAM THEMES/SUB THEMES:
Maps
Economy (Their Needs and Wants)
Government (Careers/Community Helpers)
Now and Long Ago
People, community and Cooperation
Fun in Paramus (Recreation)
Paramus and Our Neighbors
Develops students' awareness of place, time and culture as they focus on their own town past, present and future - as well as comparing urban, suburban, rural neighborhoods.
Paramus and Our Neighbors is:
· an integrated, concrete curriculum
· incorporates children's literature
· involves child in learning by doing
· extends geographic, historic, economic understandings
· develops understanding of multicultural nature of Paramus and global interdependence
· builds positive values and citizenship.
1
UNIT: Maps - Paramus A Piece Of The Puzzle Menu
Essential Questions:
1. What is a map?
2. What do maps tell us?
3. Why do we use maps?
4. How do maps help people?
5. What is a community/neighborhood?
6. What are the characteristics of a community?
7. How are communities and neighborhoods alike? How do they differ?
New Jersey Core Social Studies Content Standards:
6.6
A. The World in Spatial Terms
1. Explain the spatial concepts of location, distance and direction, including:
· The location of school, home, neighborhood, community, state, and country
· The relative location of the community and places within it
2. Explain that the globe is a model of the earth and maps are representations of local and distant places.
3. Demonstrate basic globe and map skills.
B. Places and Regions
1. Describe the physical features of places and regions on a simple scale.
2. Describe the physical and human characteristics of places.
Unit Introductory Activity
Take a guided tour of Paramus.
Question 1: What is a map?, and What do maps tell us?
Student Outcomes: Students will be able to:
1. Demonstrate what maps tell us.
2. Explain that anyone can make a map
3. Read maps and understand map ledgers.
Learning Activities:
1. Create a map of the classroom
2. Create a map of the school
3. Identify a map key.
4. Identify the 4 cardinal directions.
5. Distinguish between land and water through various photographs.
6. Understand that Paramus can be located on a New Jersey map, New Jersey can be found on United States map, and United States can be found on World map.
7. Distinguish the shape of the earth as a sphere.
8. Distinguish between land and water on the globe and map.
9. Identify the components of a community.
10. Demonstrate an understanding that every point on Earth has a specific location that can be identified.
Learning Activities:
1. Using a bulletin board, a Paramus map and a small photo of each student, use string from photo to child's street address.
2. Using a bulletin board, a Paramus map and a small photo of each student, use string from photo to child's street address.
3. "Know Your Community"
Using a puzzle map of Paramus and surrounding towns, children become familiar with neighboring towns:
Maywood
Oradell
River Edge
Hackensack
Ridgewood
Washington Twp.
Emerson
Rochelle Park
Fairlawn
4. World Map - color code to identify land and water, identify North and South poles.
5. Tour Paramus
TOUR: 1 hour, plus time for one or two stops.
Library - Main and Annex
Parks: VanSaun, Petruska, Dunkerhook, DiMaggio
Paramus High School
Memorial School
Midland School
Stony Lane School
Ridge Ranch School
Parkway School
West Brook Middle School
East Brook School
Malls: Paramus Park, Bergen Mall, Garden State Plaza
Museums: Bergen County – Children’s Museum
Bergen Pines
Police Station
Borough Hall
Recycling Center
Tenplex
Toy's R Us
Pool
Sports World
Restaurants
Cemetery
Bergen Community College
· The First Grade staff at each school is to create a tour route. Chart and post places on the tour. Trip should be coordinated with the other First Grade teachers in your school.
· As a pre-trip or post-trip activity make a model map of Paramus on bulletin board or table containing the major roadways and places known to the students.
6. Make an imaginary map from stories:
Town Mouse and Country Mouse
My Best Bear Hug
City-Country - A Car Trip In Photographs
The Little House
Up Goes The Skyscraper
This is My House
Map and Journeys
As the Crow Flies
7. Ask 4th grader teachers to have 4th grades make simple map of New Jersey to share with 1st grades. Create map place mats from those maps (laminate the maps). *Guided Reading Activities:/Differentiation
· I Know About Maps
· Me On The Map
· Where Do I Live?
8. Have the students color four maps during this unit. The four maps should consist of: Paramus, New Jersey, United States and the World. After maps are colored in by the students, then laminate maps back to back, creating two sets of double-sided place mats. Have the students use the place mats to eat on during the year:
· set one: Paramus/New Jersey 12"x18"
· set two: United States/World 12"x18"
9. Read Town Mouse and Country Mouse, have students compare town, city and country living.
10. Read What is a Map? by Cartwright
11. Have students use a magnifying glass to explode a map.
12. Locate:
· United States on World map
· New Jersey on a United States map
· Paramus on a New Jersey map
11. Compare the sizes of various states to New Jersey.
12. Compare parts to the whole: Have students estimation size of larger states to the whole United States, i.e. smaller, larger, same
13. Materials Needed: Graphic Learning World and US .
Assessment and Evaluation (Identify Standards)
Student will create a map of a fire evacuation route from their home
*Use scoring rubric to assess (6.7-A1)
Question: Why do we use maps?
Student Outcome: Students will be able to explain why people us maps.
Learning Activities:
1. Write an account of the tour of Paramus. The written account should be sequential, pictorial and descriptive.
2. Read aloud Lost in the Museum, by Cohen.
What could teacher have done to help these children not get lost?
(Answer: Provide children with a map, with X marking the spot where they are to meet.). Tie into Hospital trip using map.
Question: How do maps help people?
Student Outcomes: Students will be able to explain how maps can help people.
Learning Activities:
1. Have each student create a map of a fire escape route for his/her home.
compare/contrast pictures of neighborhood
Locate:
United States on World map
New Jersey on a United States map
Paramus on a New Jersey map
key areas on Paramus map
Unit Assessment:
Student will crate a map of a fire evacuation route from their home
· Include map key
· Cardinal direction
· Include written directions using cardinal directions/symbols
Resources and Materials:
Town Mouse and Country Mouse
My Best Bear Hug
City-Country - A Car Trip In Photographs
The Little House
Up Goes The Skyscraper
This is My House
Map and Journeys
As the Crow Flies
UNIT: Government Menu
Essential Questions and support questions:
1. Why do people need rules?
2. How are rules made?
3. What responsibilities do you and others have to your community?
4. What responsibilities does your community have to the people of the community?
5. How is the United States flag a symbol of our country?
6. Who are community helpers in our neighborhood/school?
7. Who makes up rules?
8. How do people live/work together with rules and laws?
Student Outcomes: Students will be able to:
1. Interview a member of the school community.
2. Identify community helpers and their roles in the community.
3. Develop, vote, and follow good citizen class rules.
4. Learn to say the pledge of allegiance
5. Understand that the United States flag has 50 stars which represents the 50 states.
6. Understand the symbolism of the flag (identify colors and their meaning).
New Jersey Core Social Studies Content Standards:
6.2
A. Civic Life, Politics, and Government
1. Explain the need for rules, laws, and government.
2. Give examples of authority and recognize problems that might arise from lack of effective authority.
3. Describe how American citizens can participate in community and political life.
4. Explain that justice means fairness to all.
5. Explain that a responsibility means something you must or should do.
6. Explore basic concepts of diversity, tolerance, fairness, and respect for others.
B. American Values and Principles
1. Identify symbols of American values and beliefs such as the American Flag and the Statue of Liberty.
D. Citizenship
1. Identify examples of responsible citizenship in the school setting.
2. Recognize real people and fictional characters who have demonstrated responsible leadership and citizenship and identify the characteristics that have made them good examples.
E. International Education: Global Challenges, Cultures, and Connections
1. Explain that the United States is a diverse nation and one of many nations in the world.
2. Identify traditions and celebrations of various cultures (e.g., Chinese New Year, Cinco de Mayo).
3. Participate in activities such as dance, song, and games that represent various cultures.
Enduring Understandings:
· When people live and work together they need rules, use community helpers, and have to solve problems by the rules.
· People depend on each other to help them meet their need for protection.
· Rules and laws help people live and work together and settle conflicts.
Vocabulary:
Rules
Laws
Flag
Courage
Liberty
Loyalty
Freedom
Pride
Citizen
Vote
Ballot
Community helpers
Jobs
Learning Activities:
1. Use Rules and Laws from Home and School, Graphic Learning: unit 1, lesson 9, Family Letter #6
a. Classroom rules and why: voting
b. Chaos - Neighborhood, GRAPHIC LEARNING: p.66-67, make a book or bulletin board.
c. Neighborhood. GRAPHIC LEARNING: TEACHER’S GUIDE p. 65
d. Values, good citizenship, voting, President's name, symbols
2. Safety Rules: use Rules for safe play, Neighborhood TEACHER’S GUIDE p. 93
Need for safety
3. Show video Bernstain Bears Strangers – Video
a. Have students develop rules for when they deal with a stranger
4. Student can interview, listen to guest speakers and/or explore books about the following:
Schools - Crossing guards, principals, custodians
Police - The Mailman - Song Book - Children's songs
Post Office - The Post Office Book ...The Mail and How It Works, Gail Gibbons, Harper and Row l986
Fire - Fire! Fire!, G. Gibbons, Crowell l984
Sanitation - Don't Pollute
Hospital
Stores
1
Mayor (Judge) - rules community laws - How this happens in Paramus
Babysitter - Jerome the Babysitter - E. Christelow
5. Lists of neighborhood problems and create possible solutions to each problem.
6. Public Issue
a. Engage the class in the investigation and debate a classroom, school or community issue.
b. Identify pros and cons on the issue.
c. Vote on the issue and tabulate results.
7. Choose one and solve problem p.66 - Teacher’s Guide Neighborhood, use the writing process.
8. Create/democratically agree on classroom rules and obey a class constitution.
9. Learn the Pledge of Allegiance and a patriotic song
10. tDebate in cooperative groups the importance of the “color” of the flag
Resources:
Mike Mulligan Burton
Princess and the Frog, Graphic Learning, storyboard
Never Spit on Your Shoes Denys Cazet (Rules)
Jamaica's Find Havil
Park Bench
People
Where Does the Sun Go at Night?
Our World, National Geographic Book & Cassette
It's About Time, Video
Unit: People of Paramus Menu
Unit Theme:
The diversified groups of people that make up the town of Paramus and how they celebrate holidays.
Essential Questions:
1. Who lives in Paramus?
2. Where did the people who live in Paramus come from?
3. What holidays do people in Paramus celebrate?
Student Outcomes: Students will be able to:
1. Demonstrate an understanding of who their neighbors are and how they compare to rest of world (i.e. city and farm).
New Jersey Core Social Studies Content Standards:
6.2
D. Citizenship
1. Explain that the United States is a diverse nation and one of many nations in the world.
2. Identify traditions and celebrations of various cultures (e.g., Chinese New Year, Cinco de Mayo).
3. Participate in activities such as dance, song, and games that represent various cultures.
Learning Activities:
1. Picture This: Circulating book among the children with photos and or drawings of your house, family members, pets, community helpers, places (favorite, their rooms) class picture baby pictures - how you've changed, celebrations.
2. Use Teacher’s Guide Neighborhood p.75 for Literature
3. Select and read a few of the following books and have students identify:
a. Why are the people celebrating?
b. How are they celebrating?
c. Why is it important to them what they are celebrating?
d. Identify unique objects and actions that make that celebration special.
Chinese New Year
Celebrations
Birthday Presents, Rylant
Nine Days of Christmas
Latkes and Applesauce
The Chanukah Guest